þ The Apoſtle here giveth a reaſon, why he had made Ty:t/; and Sincerity fo much his hufinefs (which reaſon obligerh us alio, who .ire :s much hound :s he, ro ſtuc'y a conformity ro Chriſt faith he, The Son of Go who w.1s preached among yo!s char 15, Chriſt Jeſus ; (who hugh (as ſome obſerve) is in theſe Epiſtles no where caiicd God, | uc Lord) is here called the Son of God; which Can be unde. ſtood iti no other ſenſe, than by Ecern:l generacion; for thoſe who a e only rhe Sons of God by 4d9ption, are not the ſubjzers of Miniſters pre.ching. We read of this Silvans, 1 Treſſ. 1.1. 1 Pet. g.12. Some think that he was the ſave perſon who is cal ed Silas, Adts 15, 19. Of Timothy we have he. rd before, They were borh Miniſters, who (as well as Apollos hetore mention ed) had lahoured in the Goſpel amongſt rhe CorintMans, Now | (faich che Apoſtle } char Chriſt whom both T, and other Minifters of the Guſpe!, have preached to you, 15 not uncerta'n ard 1n- conſt. nr, on: thing at one time, and in one place, another thing at another time, ind in another -place. 4 He was only one and the ſame 3 his Dorine w.s always certain and uniform, and con- | ſiſtent \ich itſelf 3 and our converſation ought to be ſuirable ro him and his D-&rine.
20 For all the promiſes of God in him are Yea, and in him Amen. nnto the glory of God by us m2.
i, As Chriſt w:s y*4, and all his Doarine cerrain and uni- form, fo all the Promiſes of God are y?4z the Promiſes of the M:ſaþ have their y-2 and 421 in him; all the Promiſes of Grace, wharivever is promited to Believers, ſhall be verified by him, that ſo God may be glorified, and have from meti the honour of being always eteemed a true and fairhful God, one that cannor fail and faiſifie his- word, Bur how are the Promiſes oi God y2a and Amen in Chriſt by vs? Aiſw. As the Miniſters of the Goſpel are the Miniſte-s of Chriſt for tle cxplication and applicacion of them. The Pron.ifcs are from the Father, through Chriſt as rhe meriro- rious Cauſe, and 1nicrnally applied by the holy Spirit, while they are mote Exe; nal y applicd by che Miniſters of the Golpel.
21 Now he which itab.iſheth us with you in Chriſt,
and hath anointed us, is God n.
» The 4nointing here mentioned, is donbtleſs the ſaine menti- cned by $. 7ohn. 1 Job. 2, 0, 27. by which is underſtood the holy Spirit: ſo as Gods anointing his people ſignifies his giving them his holy Spirit ro dwell an41 io work in them 3 which holy Spirir d.ffuterh ir. 1£]1f(chroughour rhe whole Soul of the Believer, {as the Oy! o: old poured our upon the heads of the Kings, High- Pri-ſts, and Prophets. Believers are ſaid to be anointed, becauſe God hath »y his Spirir given ro them, declared, Thar he hath ſer them apart to he Kings, and Prieſts; a Royal Prieſthood, The lame God alſo eftabliſheth their Souls both in Faith, and Love: and all ?! Chriſt; in him as our Head, and through him 25s the mericortous Cauſe of all char Grace wherein we ſtand. Ir is obſervable, That how much ſoever vain man may aſcribe to the power of mans Will, yer the bleſſed Apoſtle aaribureth all ro God 3 both our i0i2ting, the firſt infuſion of gracious habits, and aiſo our Eſtah- ring, It is Grace by which we ftand.
i, 22 Who® hath alſo ſealed us o, and | given us the
} Eirneſt of the Spirit in our hearts p. 9 The uſe of a Seal is for confirmation of the thing to which it is
* atixed; the effe of ic is the making rhe impreſſion of ir ſelf upon the Wax : ſoas ſealing us, both in this ard other Texts, ſignities both the confirmation of the Love of 'God to our Souls, and alſothe renewing and SanRificarion of our Natures, imprinting the Image of God upon our Souls, making us (as the apoltie Peter faith) parta- #15 of the Divine Nature z bur ihe firſt ſeemerh probably ro be moſt intended here. p We hive the ſame exprefſion Chap. 5. 5 Ejh.1, 14. We read of the Firſt-fruits of the Spirit, Rom. 8. 23- The giving unto Believers the holy Sprir, and thoſe ſaving [piricual habics, which are his. eft:&s in the Soul, are borh the Firſt-fruts, and an Earncſt 3 for as the Firſt-fruits allured rhe _ and the Enneſt 13 a ſure pledge , of che bargain, , when 1018 who = irare honeſt and taichfal; fo rhe ſanRitying habics,
Vol, 11.
- -—
THIANS. Chap. Il.
wroughr in the Soul by the Spiric of Holineſs, are a certain p'edg ot trac Giury «hich ſhal! be che portion of Believers, pw Bos IVE 4 mA tr 3” ; [ i © py - . 25 Mureover, * 1 call God to record upon my * Rom, x, 213 Is -j- oey «x7 X ” FIR , Fed oul, Chat [ to fpare you I came not as YET UNC Corinth g T 1 Cor.4. q Here is a perfe&t ferm of an Oath, which is nothing eli, © bur a ſoc; calling of God 12 witneſs the rruth of har we ſpeak © <P: whether pr. mitiug, or aſſerting. Thoſe words, uf9* 1+ $04! alſo - h ve the torce of an imrecation ; bur ie 15 In a very {eric us thing «© I'5- the Apoſtle was deep y charged with /e37ty for nor making good ** h1s pr: m'te 17: ceming, and becauic he reaſonably preſumed, thar icme cm: ngit rhem v.ould te cifficulr ro believe the true cauſe, to
- g#'n credit with them, he takes a volumiary Oath, which in
weighty matrcrs is lawtu!, (chough ſometimes it be done not hefore
' a Mapiſtrare ) The thing he thus arreſts, is, Thar he hithert»
had iorbo. n to come our of kin.'nefs ro themz to {re them (as he Fhraferh ir) which may <tcher be un[!erftood of choir purſes, (for he could nor have gone without ſome charge to them, though
, he rook ro ſtanding Salary from them' fur preaching: or ( a: others ; potlibly judge berrer) to ſpare their perſons ; for if he had come be-