tat had received the Goſpel, that they would hold faft, 2 Tim, 1. 13,
Tit. 1,9. Heb. 4.14. Rcv.2, 13,25, and 3. 3 Andthere is holding
falt the I ruth, as wel] in Practice as Opinion, and which may be the
zround of the Name formerly given to ſuch as oppoſed the Errors of
Antichriſt before the word Proteſtant was known, call'd Faſt-men.
22 * Abſtain from all appearance of evil x.
« = To makethis verſe have its connexion with the former, ſome Ex- poſitors underſtand it of Doctrines and Opinions only. To take heed of Ovinions that ſeem erroneous, and not raſhly to receive them without cue examination. Though this ſenſe is not to be excluded, yet the verſe ziced not be confined to it, but to extend to prattiſe allo; as in Worſhip to abſtain from the ſhew of Idolatry, as to eat Meat in an Idols Tem- ple was not always groſs IdcJatry, but had fome appearance of itz and
LONIANS.
-earance of it which they ſee in our ſelves; yet we ought not y-,. this account to forbear the diſcharge of any neceſlary Duty, Some ;..- the words, Aiftain from all kind rf coil, * Ame repre dI Sus my, on! the Greet word is ſo uſed by Logicians ; But here to infift on yart;... |ars 1s infinite. And thus the Apoſtle concludes all theſe poſitive Dy:. with a general precept, which he leaves with them at the clyſe 6: Epiſtle; having dehorted them from many evils, now be exhy;-. chem to abſtain from the appearance of them. ; | 23 And * the very God of peace * ſanQifie you why!.
Lord Jeſus Chriſt a, |
3 The Apoftle concludes all with Prayer, as knowing, all'his Ex; rations and Admonitions betore given would not be efteQual witty God, and he prays for their ſan#ification and preſervation, Ti, :hey were ſanctified already, yet but in part, ſo that he prays for {;; ther progreſs 1n it to perf: ion, which he means by wholly, A wort », where uted by the Apoftle, but in this place, and variouſly renr.! 'ome render it throughout, ſome perfectly, ſome 17 every part, ſome is 1 things, ſome fully, and the French entirely ; It may refer to oi: parts of holine{s, and the degrees of holine(s, and to the whole m2 : the ſeveral faculties of Soul and Body, expreft in the next worcs !y, r1t, Soul, and Body, that their whole man may be entirely (epar.. and conſecrated to God, offered up to him as a Sacrifice, Ks, 12, ; and hence we obſerve that not only the beginning, but progr. Grace is from Gol, The Apoftle therefore prays for It to Gol, (1:1 he calls the God of peace, to enfore his Exhortation to peace, 2, which confutes the Pelagians, who thought objeftive Grace ſis: to ſanQifie, or that Man's Nature needs only at firſt to be excite. »; God, and then can go forward of it ſelf, being only maimed, nt rally corrupted by the fall. It's true, our faculties cooperate wit!) G hut not of themſelves, but as acted by his inherent Grace, and ind? ling Spirir, And what the Apoſtle prays for, that Chriftians ſhou!! - deavour after, which is a progeſs in ſanQtification to perfeAion, may alſo note, That true ſanQification reacheth to the whole \-
By Bod), the out ward Man, the 'lLaberni.':: inſtrument of the Soul, The Fewiſh Rabbins and others thin 2. are expreſt in the Creation of Man, Gen. 2. 7, &04 formed 7. duſt of the earth, there is nis Body, 4nd breathed in man the (» : life, or lives, Niſhnath Chaiim, Nepheſh Chathab ; that is, the fac the rational Soul ; and Man became a living >oul, that 13, the and Senſitive Life : Neither is properly meant here the Spirit tor he laith, yorr Spirit, nor the ſanttified part of the Soul » tor tor the prelerving of their .perſvns, Only obſcrve when hc cheir Spirit, he calls it their whole Spirir, And by the F121 the word whole is to be carried alſo to Soul and Boly, lo i prayed their whole Man might be ſanaified, fo their who!o whole Soul, their whole Budy might be prefierved ; and the ! we find james 1,4. where It is rendred perfect, alludins toi poſſcſſing of an Inheritance, or lot that belongs to a Man, A: /cr-ing, he means not ſo much the ſubſtance of the Spirit, S« ly, to preſerve them in Being, as to preſerve them in Holin: chey are preſerved, partly by being deliver from the tinful D. that are naturally in them ; 'as iznorance, Vanity, Impotercy. mity in the mind, Reludtancy and Obſtinacy in the Will, } and Irregularity in the Affections : Difobedience to the Law the Regular Commands of the Soul inthe Bully, Iftheie pi will bring deſtruction, as Diſeales prevailing deſtroy the Nat! ind partly allo by being ſuppiyed with that Grace whereby 1! 2ularly towards God, and are ſerviceable to the end of ma-:) \upply of Oyl preſerveth the Lamp burning : An4i where! underſtand, that not only the Infe: iour Yaculties arc corru; fall, by the ſuperiour and the ſupreme of all, elſe the Api! have prayed for the Spirit to be ſantified and preferved as 1 Soul and Body, And elſewhere prays for a renewins in | the Mind, Eph. 4. 23. 4 Next we may conſider this preſ-r: reſpect to the term of it, Preſerving blameleſs uniil the £01197 1! cl The fame which the Apoſtle means by being preſerved rg 7 54's {t4» iy Kingdom, 2 Tim, 4. 18. and 2 7et. 3.14. And thoſe tht ©e Pie [erved to that day, are preſerved to the end,and will be foun! 110-115 and their whole Man, Spirit, Sou! and Body being firft ſanctico!, anc then preſerve, ſhall be ſaved and glorified. And the Apoſtle i11:112tes in the word auepams blameleſs, that trift diſcovery that will 3 Me? of perſons at that day,wherein ſome will be blamed,and others vs iv! without blame, And herein the Apoſtle may have reſpect hotly Lo 19 teachers and Miniſters in this Church, and the private Mc:Þ275 07 its that with reſpett to their ſeveral Duties belonging ro them, they 8 © found blameleſs z and though according to the ftricine(s of the Low! God, none can be without blame, yet thoſe that have been 0nc270,t!- bave their fin pardoned, and their perſons acccpted in Chrift, may found blamelels in the day of Chriſt, however it is that wich W2 104k ſtrive after, ; FTNe * 2.4 Faithful is he that calleth you, who alſo will 49 7 b We had in the former verſe the Apoftle's Prayer, hicre 8 E499;
a