tnat in commemoration of the Father's work and his to be fr, 113 Reſurrection obſerv'd: on the firft day of the Wee!: as 166 Edification of his Church 3 which he honoured by his appear. ance 2mong his Apoſtles on that ay; and that day ſevenizh after, which proceeded originally from his inſtituting of tha day (to prevent diſfention) for publick Worſhip in Chriſtiaq Affemblics. Some have obſerv'd that the Fewiſh Doftors did "Fr ſay, That the divine Majeſty would bz 10 Iſrael in a Fubilee, freedom redemption, and finiſher of Sabbaths: And that four Sabbaths giq meet together and ſucceed each other at the Death and the Re. ſurrettion of Chriſt, viz. (1.) The ſabbatical Year of 541. Luke 4. 19. (2.) The high Sabbath, Fsbn 19. 31. (5,) The: 7th day Sabbath, when his Body refted in the Grave. (4.) Jþ« firſt day of the Week when he roſe a vidorious Conqueror q* the Devil, and had put all in ſubjettion-to him, unto whom a1 the reſt did refer, and therefore they were to diſappear, upon hi eftating his People in a reft which the Law could not, where; on his People are obliged in publick adoration and praiſe to con- memorate him on the firſt day of the Week or the Lord's day. to the end of the World, 1 Cyr. 16. 1,2. Rev. Is 10, |
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Paul and that in this Epiſtle only (and not very frequent in ., other Authors) hath occafion'd Interpreters here to render ir © variouſly, ſome joining the next following word with it, ang ſome (as we read it) to that which follows after. The fimple word is, c. 3. 15 . read ule, or judge, and it may be rendred mtercede, Yet Paul doth not elſewhere uſe this word fimply or in compoſition where he ſpeaks of judging and condemning, Rom, 2. 1. however it is borrow'd from thoſe who were Judges or Umpires in their Games, the Apoſtle moſt likely alluding to thoſe who through favour or hatred determin'd unjuſtly, to the defrauding thoſe Vidtors of their prize or reward to whom it wa due. Hence ſome would have the import to be agreeable to our Tranſlation z be careful theſe unjuſt Arbiters do not defraud you of gaining Chriſt, and deceive you (as Mar. 24. 4. Eth. 5, 6. 2 The]. 2. 3.) by preſcribing, falſe lifts and giving you wrong meaſures, and ſo judging againſt you ;z one renders it, Let 70 mar dzceive you with ſubtile argument who®pleaſeth or delights himſelf in humility 3 another, Ter zo man take your prize z Others, Let 7 min Meftcr it or bear rule over you at pleaſure ;- let none take upon himſelt, or uſurp ro himſelf the parts or office of a Governor 0r Unpir? over you. The Apoſtle labours to fortifie the true followers 0: Chriſt, azainſt ſuch ſuperftitious ſubtile ones who by their arti- fice did affume a magiſterial authority (without any ſure war rant from God to impoſe their traditionary and invented ſe:- vices upon them, and determine of their ftate accordingly as the Papiſts do at this day. One learned Man thinks the Apoſtle had not uſed this word here, but for ſome notable advantage, «iz. becauſe the fimple word may fignifie to ixtercede as well as to judge, it made wonderfully to his purpoſe in this compoſition, (as he uſes conciſ.on, Phil. 3. 2.) to diſparage thoſe Seducers who did from ſome notions of the Platonifts, labour to gain credit to that opinion that the Angels were Intercefſors betwixt God and Man. x Covering their imperious ſpirit, by being Volunteers in humility, or by a pretence of voluntary uncommanded humility, alledging it would be preſumption in them to addreſs themſelves immediately to God, and therefore, y They would pay a re ligious Homage to Angels, as of a middle Nature betwist God and them, preſuming they would mediate for them, an in- ſtance to expreſs all that invented worſhip, which how ſpecious loever it may ſeem to be, hath no warrant from Chritt, who alone can procure acceptance of our perſons and ſervices. He expetts that his Diſciples ſhould affert his rights and the liberty with which he hath made them free againſt the Traditions oi ſelf-willed Men, and no more to. ſolemnize for worſhip, then each for dodrins the traditions of men, Mat. 15. 2, 6, 9. We Mult not under any pretext of humility preſume to know what Þb!- longs to our duty and God's ſervice better than Chrift dot!, ſhewing us that he alone is the true and living way, and we may
come boldly by him, Mar. 11. 28. Foha 14+ 1, 6. Eph. 3: 12: Heb. 4. 16. & 10. 20, And therefore the adoring and inv0- cating of Angels as heavenly Courtiers, whatever the Paiſts out of a ſhew of humility do argue, is not after Chrift, but 2 gainft him. 2 Yea and for any one to aflert it, and the like, 1 to be a bold intruder upon anothers -poſſeſhon, a thruiting A Mans ſelf into the knowledge and determination of that which is above his reach, Pſa. 121. 1. and he hath no ground at all for, but doth pry or wade into a ſecret which a Man cannv- know. The Apoſtle uſeth a Platonick word againft thole wi9 did indulge themſelves out of curioſity in the Opinions 0f Ut Platoniſts about Angels, the worſhippers of which among £n0- who were profeſſed Chriftians in Phrygia were ſo tenacious 0! their error that they were not rooted out after th third Century, when a Canon was made againſt them under the nam* of Angelici in the Council of Laodicea near Colof};, 4 The Art riſe of ſuch fooliſh preſumption was a bcing raſhly putted U? with the ſenſe of their Heſh, a deluded mind mov'd by 10me carnal Principle, ſetting out things with ſwelling words of eve nity, wherewith in truth they have no acquaintance, and wher?e- of they have no experience, 1 Tim. I. 7.
10 And not holding, * the head b, from will, all the body c by joints and hands baviig Nourna ment miniſtred 4, and knit tozether ec CNreats with the increaſe of God .
13 Let no man + bezuile you of your reward w, +0; | in a voluntary humility x, and worſhipping cf! angels y, intruding into thoſe things * which he $9) hath not ſeen z valaly puff'd up by his fleſtly 1...
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w The original compound word peculiar in the N. 7, 5;
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b And here, tie Apoſtle ſuggeſts that thoſe things he had
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