and ſo the word properly hgnifteth,any kind of fooliſh and 7np2rtimeys g; courſe, either ſerving to no good end,or at leaſt not that which the DAY ſcourle pretendeth to, And indeed all diſcourſe of Fables,and unprofitable iale quetrions,tending not to edifying,is no better than fooliſh raiking,
7 Detiring to be teachers of the Jaw t, underſtanding neither what they ſay, nor whereof they afiirm ©, t Nowd)StiTygnor. This Term lets us know that the Apoſtle re. flefeth upon ſome who were or had been Fews, who either prefſeq the obſervance of the Law in order to juſtification, or pent their times in prefling the Traditions of the Elders, and conſtitutions of the <crihec as ſeptmenta L-gis, Hedges, (as they cail them) to the Divine Lay” though not of the Letter of it 3 upon which there aroſe a great many queſtions as inſignificant as their Traditions themſelyes, u Which theſe vain Preachers ſpent their time in ſpeaking to, neither under. fanding the Divine Law, nor the queſtions themſelves ſtarted and: ſpoke unto, yet ambitious to be accounted Teachers of the Lan, This vain defire of Reputation, as perſons of excellent $kill in the Law was. the cauſe of their erroneous idle Sermons : And their Ignorance 1s aggravated and inexcuſable, in that they with prefumptuous bolineſ altert the things of which they are ignorant.
8 But we know that the law 7s good w, if it be uſed
lawfully x.
w Not that I ſpeak againſt the Law of God, I know that it js holy and ſpiritual, and juſt, and good, Kym. 7. 12, 14. It is good though not for juſtification, yet for convidtion, to convince men of fin, and ag a Schoolmaſter to lead men unto Chriſt, and to dire us in our walk. ing with God; the equity and ſanctity of its precepts are evident tg the ſincere and purified mind, And as the Law has an intrinſick gogg. neſs in its nature, ſo *tis good to men when *tis uſed for the end to which God gave it. : :
9 * Knowing this, that the law is not made for q*6! , righteous man y, but for the lawleſs z and diſobedient.g, % as for the ungodly b, and for ſinners c, tor unholy and pro. fane d, for murderers of fathers, and murdercrs of mg.
thers e, for manſlayers f,
3 Bythe Law is to be uaderſtood the Moral Law, (thove noſtibly not excluding the Law of Moſes, c fiftiig i: many Ordinances) as tis armed in ſtings and terrors, to reit. ain reveliious finners; bj the righteous man, is meant one ia whom a-principle of Divine Grace is planted, and who from the knowledge and love of Got, chooſes the chings that are pleaſing to him, and is ardent and attive to do his will, Now *tis true, the holineſs commanded in the Law, that conſiſts inthe love of God and our Neighbour, obliges every reaſonable creature in. diſpenſably and eternally ; but as the Law was delivered in ſo terrible a manner, as it has annext ſo many ſevere threatnings to the Tran grefſours of it, *tis evident, fhat *tis dire&ted to the wicked, who will only be compelled by fear from an outragious breaking of it. And this may be emphatically ſignified in the word here-uſed #t7zr, for it [ige nifies to be Jad, as well as. to be made. The Law no objicit:r is not laid againſt a righteous man. Thus we tranſlate it, Mz. 3. 10. The Ax zs Iaid to the root of the tree, there is ſome difference in the conftrudi. on, here it 15 immediately joyn'd with the Dative caſe, there with an Accuſative cale, with the Prepofition aggs betwixt the Verb and the Caſe, but that muſt be the ſence, It is very probable, that theſe falls Teachers had been terrifying the Chriſtians with the Law ; in oppoti tion to whom the Apoſtle ſaith, the Law was/not made for a righteous man, asto its condemning office, it was never intended againſta righte- ous man, but againſt men that committed and lived in groſs fin and widk edneſs, Theſe ſinners are firſt mentioned in general terms,then the A- poſtle proceedeth toa more particular enumeration of them, whether in them (as ſome think) the Apoftle hath reſpett to the ſeveral preceptsof the Decalogue, I cannot determine. x By the Lamleſs he meaneth pers ſons living without any reſpe& to the Laws of God or Men. «By the dijobedienr he meaneth ſuch as willlive in ſubje@ion to no Government, b The word by us Tranſlated ungodly, fignifieth, ſuch as live without a- ny Religion, having no regard to the Worſhip of God, &5:34a. c The word Tranſlated ſinners ſignifies infamous, ſcandalous finners, 4 Us: boly and prophane are alſo general terms, ſignifying perſons that have no piety, but lewdly talk of things ſacred, and live as lewdly, e Te wor ds fignifie ſich as ſtrike or beat their Parents, though they do not give them mortal wounds, and well exprefſeth violators of the fifth Commandment. f &yHeggives ſignifies ſuch as kill men, whether ma- litiouſly, or paſſionately, violaters of the fixth Commandment,
10 For whoremongers g, for them that defile them- ſelves with mankiad b, for men-ſtealers 2, for lyars &, for perjured perſons J, and if there be any other thing that
is contrary to ſound doctrine m.