4-15. nor called che Galathians his little Children, G2). .
call'd himſelt- a Do#or of the Gentiles, 1 Tim. 2.7. 2
For mn thai Scuil. God alone is Men's Father z Chriſt alone their Maſter. Paſtors and Teachers In the Church are all bur Miniſters, Minifters of Chrii ro publiſh his Will, and to injoin kis Laws; n-r_ muſt any te owned 2s Maſters and Fithers, to impoſe tlicir Liws and ULeRtrines, This 1s tivice repeated, becaute ſuch is tne Corruption of Hnmane Nature, that ic 1s very prone, not only to attctt rchefe Swelling Titles, bur alſo to exerciſe thcte Exorbitant Authorities.
11 * But he that is greateſt among you, {hall be your ſervant,
12 And * whoſoever ſhall exalt himfſclt; ſhall be abaſcd ; and he chat thall humble himliclt, thall be exalted.
We have what !s ver, 12, twice 1h Luke, chap,14.11, and 18.14. Theſe Verles expound whaz went beiore; and Jer us know, I. That ic was not a Tile, but the 4ffe&t.ctiom or a Title which he blamed. 2. Not a D»&5jhip or Majterthip, but ſuch a Do&ox- ſhip, or Maſterſhip, as made a Man too big ter the Miniſtry of rhe Church ; ſuch Honour as hired up the Man's Heart above hit Work. He is an Infamcus Do&r7 in the Church of Chrift who thinks himſelf too High, cr roo great £2 be 2 Miniſter in ic : for God will abaſe, and Men ſhall abate ::im who exalrerh; himſcir. God refiſterh, and Men uſually contemn and deipite rhe Prod, eſpe- cially Miniſters who are ſo. Both God fhll Exalt, and Men ſhall Honour thoſe that humble chemfelves both to 12:1, condeſcending ro thoſe of low Degree; and to their Work , rhinking not che meaneſt Miniſtry ro Souls, a Work beneath them,
13 But wo unto you ſcribes and Pharifees, hypo- crites; for ye {hut up the kingdom ot heaven againſt men : for ye neither go in your {clves, neither ſutter ye them that are entring, to £0 1N.
Our Saviour now cometh ro denounce Eight Woes againtt the Teachers of thoſe Times, the Scribes and Phariſees, Luke 1aith, chap. 11.5. Wo unto you Lawyers, for you take away the Key of Know- ledge, you entred not in your ſelves, and them that were entring you hindred, It was written of old , that the Prieſts Lips ſhould preſerve Knowledge. God hath commiurred the Key of Knowledge to the Miniſters and Gut:des of his Church; nor thar they thuvid rake iraway, bur that the People might Seek the Law at their Mouths, becauſe they are the Meſſengers of the Lord of Hoſts, Mal. 2.7, Now fairh our Saviour, you have Taken it away; this Matthew calls a Shutting up the Kingdim of Heaven agairf Men. Dcing what in them lay ro keep Men trom the Knowledge of the Mind and Will ot God; neither chemſclves Teaching them the Know- ledge of,God, (which yer was their Othce and Dury,) nor ſuttering others ro do it'who would. | You will neither go in your ſelves, net- ther will you ſuffer them that are entring to g2 in. | Your lelves are roo Proud, or Lazy to Preach the Goſpel, which is rhe Way to the Kingdom of Heaven; and when others would, you fufter chem not ; nor yet will you ſuffer the People, who have an Hearc co it, ro hear ic. For this he calls chem /HHpocrites even times 1u chis Chapter, they pretending ro be Teachers, and Openers of the Door ro the Kingdom of Heaven, when indeed they did fhur ic; and denoun- ceth a Wo to them, comprehending char Ruin which foon atrer came upon them, and their City by the Roman Armies; and that Eternal Damnation which ſlept nor, and was duz ro them, There are no worſer Men in the World than /Hpocrites ; Men pretending highly to God, yer neither themſelves doing heir Duty in umbra- cing the Goſpel, nor ſuffering orhers to do it, bur doing what in them lies co hinder People from the Means by which they might come to the Kingdom of Heaven.
14 Wo unto you Scribes and Phariſees, Hypo- crites: for * ye devour widows houles, and tor 4 pretence make long prayers; theretore ye {hall re- ceive the greater damnation.
Mark hath the fame, chap. 12. 49. and Luke, chap. 20. 47. If any ſhould think that /3ng Prayers are here condemned ,. he will be confured by Luk. 6. 12. where he will find chat our Sa- viour continued all Night in Prayer to Gods Ir is the End of their long Prayers which alone our Saviour blamerth ; their making them a Pretence to devour Widows Houſes : Which whether they did as intcreſted in the Civil Power, (in which 1t 15 cerrain the Phariſees amongſt the Fews were employed,) or by Virtue of thier Eccleſiaſtical Power, or Influence , perſwading filly Women co
give them their Eſtates, or ar leaſt ro give a great parc of tem
Chap. RX X11.
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Chap. XX 111.
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to the Service of the Tabernacle, that they might Pray for their E>uls, was an Abominacion ro Gd ;, nor only tor the Hypocrifie of ſuch Prayers defizned for anorher End chan they pretended ; bur becauſe God had taken upon him rhe ſpecial Care, and Pro- tetion of the Widows. As our Saviour had before blamed their Relizious As for the Oftentation in chem, ſecking only their own Honour, and Applauſe: $9 he here blameth chem tor cheir Co- ect. Detiyn in them.
15 Wo unto you Scribes and Phariſees, Hypo- crites: for ye compals ſea and land, to make one proſelyte ; and when he is made, ye make him two- t51d more the child of hell than your {-Ives.