s Gr. grving, and ſo it may be diſtin&t from Gift in the next Clauſe ; to ſhew, that whereas Men ſometimes give good Gifts in an evil Way, and with an evil Mind, God's giving, as well as Gift, is al- ways good; and therefore when we receive any thing of him, we ſhould look not only to the thing it ſelf, but to his Bounty and Good- neſs in giving it: Or, it may be rendred as our Tranilators do, Gift, and ſo the word 15 ſometimes uſed by profane Writers themſclvcs ; and then though it may be implied, that all good Gifts, anc of all kinds of Nature, and of Grace, are from God, yet ( the Apotiic's Deſign in this place being to prove, that God is not the Autl:or of Sin, ) Good Gifts may moſt fairly be underſtood the beſt Gifts, thote of Grace (ſpiritual Bleflings, Fpheſ. r. 3.) ſuch being contrary to 1in, and deſtructive of it, in one of which he inſtanceth, viz. Regene- ration, ver. 18. # The higheſt degree of good Gifts, thoſe that per- fe& us moſt ; to intimate, that all the Parts and Steps o! ſpiritual Life, from the firſt beginning of Grace in Regeneration, to the Coti- ſummation of it in Glory, are of God. u 1. e. From Heaven, 9bn 3. 27, 31. and Heaven is put for God that dwells there, Luke 15, 21. x The Creator, Author, or firſt Cauſe, as Jeb. 12. 9. It is ſpoken after the manner of the Hebrews; Sce Gen. 4. 20, 21. y God 1s the Author of all Perfe&tion, and ſo of corporal Light; but here we are to underſtand ſpiritual] Light, the Light of Rnowled-ze, Faith, Holineſs, as oppoſed to the Darkneſs of Ignorance, Unbeiict, Sin, of which he cannot be the Auther. 2 He here ſets forth God as efſentially and immutably Good; and the Father of Li_hts, by alluſion to the Sun the Fountain of corporeal light, and makes ule of terms borrowed from Aſtronomy. The Sun though If 1-atteretil its Beams every where, yet is not without its Changes, Parallaxe*, and diverſities of the Aſpe&s, not only ſometimes clear, and ſome-
times Eclipſed, but one while in the Eaſt, another in the South, then in the Weſt; nor without its turninss in its annual courſe from Tropick to Tropick ( to which the Grzeb word here uſed ſeems fo allude ) its various acceſſes and receſſes, by reaſon of whici it caſts different ſhadows; but God is always the ſame, like himf-I! con- ſtant in the emanations of his goodneſs, without caſting 43) dark ſhadow of evil which might infer a change in him.
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i. 13, di.e. Moitexccilent Creatures, being finzled out and {epari- red trom the rett, and confecrated to God, as under the Law the tirſt-Fruits were, Rev. 14. 4. e viz. reaſonable Creatures; the word Creature being clſe-where reſtrained to Men. See Hark 16. 15. Col, 1. 15,
19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, * let every man be iwiit to hear f, F flow to ſpeak &, || flow to wrath þ.
f Prompt and ready to hear God {ſpeaking in the, Word of Truth betore mentioned. gz Either filently and ſubmitfively hear the Word, or, ſpeak not raſkly. and precipitately of the things of Faith, but be well turniſhed your ſelves with, ſpiritual Knowle1ge, creyou take upon you to teach otherg, h Either be not angry at the Word,or tne Diſpenters of it, though it come cloſe to your Conſciences, and diſcover your ſecret Sins ; the word is Salt, do not quarrel it it make your Sores 1mart, being it will keep them from feſtering : or, be not angrily prejudiced againſt thoſe that diflent from you. .
20 For the wrath of man 7 worketh not the righ- teouſneſs of God #.
i That Anger which is meerly humane, and generally finful inor dinate Paſſion, and carnal Zeal þ will not accompliſh the ends of the Word in you, viz. to work that righteouſneſs, which in the Word God preſcribes you. But here is withal a Meiofts in the Words, lefs being ſpoken than is intended , it 1s implied therefore, that the wrath of Man hinders the operation of 'the Word, and diipoſeth to that un- righteouſneſs which 15 forbidden by it.
21 Wherefore lay apart / all 7 filthineſs 7 and ſuper fluiry o of naughrinels,and receive p with mecknels q the engrafted » word which /isable ro fave 7 your 1ouls zz.
/ Not only reſtrain it, and keep it in; but put off, and throw it away as a filthy rag, Iſa. 3o. 22. ſee Epheſ. 4. 22. Col. 3. 8. and 1 Pet. 2. 1. m Of every kind. n Or, /odidneſs; a Meta- phor borrowed from the filth of the Body, 1 Pet. 3.21. and thence transferred to the Soul; and it here ſeems to 1mply not only Senfuality or Covetouſneſs, but all ſorts of Luſts, whereby men arc defiled, 2 Cor. 7. 1. and 2 Pet. 2. 20.07, e, That naughtineſs which is ſuperfluous: That is ſaid to be ſuperfluous or redun- dant, which 1s more than ſhould be in a thing ; in which re- {pe& all fin is ſuperfluous in the Soul, as being that which ſhould z0t be init; and fo this intimates that we are not only to lay apart more groſs pollutions, but all the Lufts of the Fleſh, and relids of old 4dam, as being all ſupertJuities which may well be ſpared, or cxcrements {as ſome render the word agrecably to the former Metaphor) which ſhould be caft away. p Not only into your heads by knowledge, but into your hearts by faith. q With humility , modeſty and gentleneſs, which makes Men ſubmitfive to the truth of the Word, and ready to learn of God even thoſe things which are above their natural capacity, Pſal. 25. 9. 1/a. 65. 2. Matth. 11.5, 27. -this is oppoſed to Wrath, which makes men unteachable. r Ej-
ther which 1s engrafted or implanted, viz. Miniſterially by the Prea- |} chers of the Goſpel, 1 Cor. 3. 6, 7. principally by the Spirit of God, |