2 The liberty here ſpoken of, is a right which a Perſon hath to aRion, that he may do, or forbear the doing of things at his plea- ſare, as he apprehends them ſuitable or not, without the let or hin- derance of another ; 'T his is exther in things of a Civil nature, or of a Spiritual nature.” The former is not underſtood here, for it 1s nane of the liberty with which Chriſt hath made us free, for Sub- jects to be free from the lawful commands of Princes, or Children ro be free from the laws of their Parents, or Servants to be free from the commands of Maſters. There is hardly any Book in the New Teftament wherein Obedience of this nature, in things that arelawful,is not either exemplified as our duty in Chritt and theApo® Ales; or urged by very ſtrong Arguments. The 1:berty here, 1s that freedom from the law, of which the Apoſtle hath been ſpeak- ing all along this Epiſtle : From the curſe of the Moral Law, and from the coaQion of it, and principally from the Ceremonial Law contained in Ordinances. This iz the liberty which Chrift hath purchaſed for us, and in which the Apoſtle willeth all Believers to {tind faſt, 5b Not being again intangled with a yoke, which God had taken off from their Necks. The Apoſtles in their Synod, AZ. 15. 10» had called it a yoke, which zeither they, nor their fathers mere able to bear.
2 Behold, I Paul fay unto you, that * if ye be cir-
cumciſed, Chriſt ſhall profit you nothiug c.
c It is manifeſt, that the Apoſtle is ſpeaking here concerning circumciſion, looked upon as neceſſary to Juſtification, now under the Goſpel-State. For under the Old Teſtament undoubtedly Chriſt profited the Fathers, tho' circumciſed , yea, Chrift un- doubtedly profited Timothy, even under the Goſpel, tho' he was circumciſed, Afs 16. 3. that being done to prevent a ſcandal, and during a time, whilft for the gaining of the Fews to the Chriſtian Faith, the Jewifh Ceremonies tho' dead, were (as it were) kept above ground, unburied for a time. But for men, after a ſufficient time indulged them for their ſatisfa&ion, concerning the abolition of the Ceremonial Law, ſtill to adhere to it, and Religiouſly to obſerve the Rites of it, as in obedience to a Divine Precept, and as neceſſary, over and above Faith in Chriſt for Juſtification, was indeed to deny Chrift, and diſclaim his ſufficiency to ſave. Who is able to ſave ro the utmoſt them that come to God by him, and beſides whom there is no name piuen under Heaven, by which men can be ſaved, neither there ſalvation in any other, Affs 4. 10, 11, 12. and who is the end of the Law, for righteouſneſs to every one that believeth, Rom. 10.4. So that to join any thing with Chrift, and Faith in him, for the Juſtification of the - Soul before God, js plainly to deny, and diſclaim him, and to make him infignificant to us. This Paul] affirms with an Apoſtolical Authority and Gravity, 1 Paul ſay unto Jott |
3 For I teſtifie again to every man that is circumct- ſed, that he is a dehtor to do the whole law 4.
4 This muſt be underftood either of the Gentiles only (who vere never under any obligation to circumciſion,) or of ſuch as vere circumciſed, with an opinion that it was neceſſary at this time to Juſtification and Salvation. Of theſe the Apoſtle ſaith, that by this they made themſelves debtors ro the whole Law. If they were obliged to one part of the Law, they muſt alſo be obliged to all the other parts of it. Beſides that circumciſion was an owning and profeſſing ſubjeaion to the whol Law. As the receiving the Sa- crament of Baptiſm is a profeſſed ſubjeaing our ſelves to the whole Goſpel. 0bj. But (may ſome ſay) ought not then all Chriſtians to obſerve the Law ? Anſw. Not the Ceremonial and Political Law, which were peculiar to the Jewiſh Church and State. 2. It is one thing to be under an obligation to our utmoſt to fulfil the Law, another thing to acknowledge our ſelves debtors ro the Law. 0bj. Bur did not the Fathers then by being circumciſed, acknowledge themſelves debtors to the Law ? Arnſw. Yes, They did acknow- ledze themſelves bound to theobſervation of the Law, and to in- ure (upon the breaking it) the curſe of it : But they were diſ- Carzed from this obligation by believing in the Lord Jeſus Chriſt ; Who was made a curſe for them, that he might redeem them from the curſe of the Law: But if any diſclaimed Chrift (which, who-
—_ wi o
f lever added any thing to his Righteouſnels and to Faith in him, as 1 tothe juſtification of the Soul, did, as the Apoſtle had ſaid in the F former Verſe) they laid themſelves under an obligation to fulfil 1 tie whole Law of God, if they would be faved.
- 4 Chritt is hecame of no effect unco you, whoſoever , of you are juftificd by the lawe; ye are fallen from , Erace f.
4 * The word here tranſlated, become of no effet is uſed Kom. Je 3» "thoſe, who are juſtifi-d by the Law, are to be underſtood ſuch as <k, or defire to be juſtified by the Law, for actually none is ſo t JPithed, The ſenſe is, who ever ſeeketh to be juftified by the