The works of the Law he calls fleſh, becauſe the Ordinances of the Law were (as the Apoſtle calls them, #eb. 9. 10.) Carnal 0rlinances impoſed on the Fews till the time of reformation. He elſewhere calls them the rudiments of the World, Col. 2. 8, 26. and in this Epiſtle, chap. 4+ 9+ he calls them beggerly Elements. For tho' the Ordinances of the Law were 1n their ſealon ſpiritual, they being commanded by God yet they being but temporary Conftitutions, never intended by God to continue longer than the coming of Chriſt, and the Law being but a School-mafeter to lead to Chriſt ; Chrift being now come, and having died, and roſe again from the Dead, they be- came uſeleſs. Betides that God never intended them as other than Rudiments and firſt Elements, the end of which was Chrift ; and the obſervance of which without Faith in Chrift, was weak and inpo- tent, as to the noble end of Juſtification ; It ſpake great weakneſs therefore in the Galatians, to begin with what was more perfett, (the embracing of the Goſpel, and Chriſt there exhibited for the juſtification of tinners) and to end in what was more imperfect, thinking by that to be made perfett; or elſe the Apoſtle here chargeth them with a defettion from Chriſt, as chap. 4. 9, 10, 11. and chap. 5. 4. and ſo calleth them fooliſh, for beginning in the Spirit, (the Holy Spirit inwardly working in them the change of their hearts, and regenerating them ;) and then apoſtatizing from their
| profeſſion to a carnal Life : But I had rather interpret .Spirir in
this Text of the Do#rin of the Goſpel, dictated by the Spirit; and "with the receiving of which, the Holy Spirit was given. And, io their folly is argued from their thinking to be made perfect by the beggarly Elements, and worldly Rudiments of the Law, when as they had firſt begun their profeſhon of Chriſtianity with embracing the more perfeet Dodtrin of the Goſpel.
4 * Have ye ſuffered ſo many things in vain h ? « » top, 5. if it be yet in vain z. | + Or, /o þ There is no doubt, but theſe Churches in the Regions of Ga- p22. latia, had their ſhare in the Sutferings of Chriftians by the Jews, for their adherence to, and profeſſion of the Doctrin of the Goſpel, which they might either wholly, or m a great meaſure have avoid- ed, would they have complicd with the Jews in the obſervance of
thoſe legal Rites. Therefore (ith the Apoftle) to what pnrpoſe
have
Redd : _
20 © _ +<6x. "46. 2 - - - = - - - uy "Bay? —_— * + : J 4 E PS £ & MN _— Ps LPs hs w- mY DI" Wea A x =_ T Þ by 57 OT” haD pL AST: —_ - 5 Ce 2 WE == GM - " — : =>0 RC Co RT. EEE
—_
' 4 £ ; | : : of 4 FR : 4 ) : ».*2 $4 13 \ - fy dx i "o : 3 $87 ? ; ” 1% p { >H4* | . : . &- p * Ws - ps v6 Y by 7 of £ 3+ 1 "F on. , 4 B $4 : k q 7 7%
—— _ "OR Ee ,-
—_ rare W ©" 4 S Ds hs — a” =>.
Chap. HI GALATIANS. Chap. 1
Five you ured fo much for the owning of the Chriſtian Rel:-
599, it 0 now bring your {clves under the bondage of Cireurn-
cion, and ocher I-gal Oblervances? 7 \t 28 bz tn Vain, by which
words he cither corredt<th himielt; as if he had taid, but I hope
Hortor things of you. that 1 {hall find that you did not ſuffer them
» > he jinteth that their ſuifering {o much would not
h-cau.e by their Apoſtacy from the true Faith tor
-vy ſutered, they would in effect deny it, as it it had
nn tall, and their former ſuffering would riſe up ia Judgment
Tain/t them. | 2 i = ; © He therefore that miniſtreth to you the ſpirit, and worketh miracles among you &, det.» be it by ne works of the law, or by the hearing of taith /? |
{ Teiſ 2. He had asked them, whether they had received the
Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing the Golpel 9 Some
think what he faith here to be a Continuation of the jame Argu-
. ment, bur it rather ſeems a new on?. i here he ſpake of their
receivins the Spirit, here he ſpeaks of the Miniftration of the Spirit.
Some underftand ir of God, who gives his holy >pirit to them that
ask him, and who was the Author of thoſe miraculous: Operations
wrought by the Spirit. 1 ſhould rather underſtand it of the Mini-
fters of the Goſpel, to whom God hath committed the Miiftration
of the Spiritz and to ſome of whom God in the Primitive times
Zave a power to work Miracles. / Doth God concur with our Mr
nifry upon our preaching the Law, or upon our preaching the Go-
(pl: £o that tho' there be a great Cognation betwixt the Apo-
file's arguing, verſ. 2. and Þis arguing mn this verſe, yet there 15
ſowe differencez the Apoſtle there arguing from the ſuccels of preaching the Goſpel, here from the Miniftration it ſeit.
+ Gen.1%. © Lye as * Abraham believed God m, aad it was
E, + acconntcd to him tor rifhteonſaeſs 7,
Rome4+ J 4 As Abrahim was juſtified, fo muſt all the Children of Abra-
Tam. 2.3. ms but brikm believed God (that is, agreed to the truth of all
+ Or, 7.- cj -* Promiſes which God gave him, . and trufted in God tor the
"te. f:, 12 of them; for both thoſe atts of the mind are included in bu. inz God) and fo was juſtified by faith alone. # His Faith 1t felt was not imputed to him ; thoſe that put this ſenſe upon the Vords, cicher forget that jAaith it ſelf is a work, or that the Apo- file hore is arguing for iuſtification by Faith in oppoſition to Jultr- cation by Works, and cannot be imagined to have gone about t5
prove that Juſtification is not by Works, by proving that 't 15 by
a Work. ; he meaning 15 np. more, than that he was upon 1t ac-
counted rightzeus; not that God ſo honoured the work of Faith,
but that ke juſtified 4r2h4;n by ir, as the Inftrument or Means he had appointed for obtaining that righteouſneſs, and in the uſe of which he would impute, it to him. His Faith it felt was not his righteouſneſs, but God upon the exerciſe of his Faith, reckoned
(or imputed) that to him which was his righteouinels, vx. (he
righteouſneſs of him in whom he believed as revealed unto him wn
the Promite. : :
7 Know ye therefore that * they which are of faich
the ſame are the children of Abraham p.
o Thoſe who are Believers, and receive Jeſus Chriſt, as exhi- bited and tendred to them in the Goſpel, trufting not to any righ- teouſnels of their own ariſing from their Obedience to the works of th? Law: p They are the Children 6f Abraham, confidered as the