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14 But when I faw that they walked not uprightly, according to the truth of the gofpel, I faid unto Peter, before them all, If thou being a Jew,

liveft after the man-
ner of Gentiles, and
not as do the Jews,
why compelleft thou
the Gentiles to live as
do the Jews?
rectly contrary to his

15 We who are Jews by nature, and not finners of the Gentiles,

16 Knowing that a man is not juftified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jefus Chrift, even we have believed in Jefus Chrift, that we might be juftified by the faith of Chrift, and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law fhall no flesh be juftified. after the Revelation can fully do it,

17 But if while we feek to be justified by Chrift, we ourselves alfo are found finners: minifter of fin? God forbid *.

is therefore Chrift the

14. Such a Prevarication with A. D. 58,
the main Defign of the Gospel Re-
ligion I could not bear; but de-
manded of Peter in plain Terms,
before all the Judaizers; How he,
that was originally a few, but
now turn'd Chriftian, and had for-
faken the Ceremonial Law him-
felf, could ever answer it, to en-
courage the Gentile Chriftians to
believe it was obligatory upon them,
that were never Jews at all; di-
own Principle and Practice ?

15 & 16. For furely, faid I, if
we that were born and brought up
in the Jewish Religion, being now
convinced of its Infufficiency to
juftify us, have
left it, and em-
braced the Chriftian Religion, as
the only fufficient Means of Pardon
and Salvation; it must be most ab-
furd for us to imagine that the
Gentiles, that were never brought
up in it at all, fhould be now obliged
to it, after their Converfion to Chri-
ftianity. 'Tis plain, you counte-
nance this for no real Advantage to
them; for You and We all own,
the Law can juftify no Man, now
of the Gospel; but the Gospel alone

17. On the other Side, Do but confider the Confequence of this Principle: A Christian that relies ftill upon the Jewish Law for his Juftification, must allow himfelf to be still in a state of Guilt and Sin (for the Law leaves us all fo.) Which is as much as to fay, that Chrift, our Redeemer, has given us a Difpenfation that leaves us

but

A.D. 58. but where we were, viz. in an unpardon'd and unjustified Condition: which God forbid any Chriftian fhould hold! *

18 For if I build a

gain the things which
I destroyed, I make
myself a transgressor.

18. For 'tis evident beyond Exception, if after having taken upon me the Chriftian Profeffion, as the means of this Juftification, I run back again for it to the Jewish Law, I am but where I was, an Unjuftified Sinner; and act just like a foolish Man that pulls down his House to make it better, and then builds it up again with the very fame Materials, just as it was, upon its old Foundation. ‡

19 For I through the Law am dead to the Law, that I might

live unto God.

19. Let others think and act as they will. I know that by the very Tenour and Defign of the Jewih Law itself, a Chriftian is now as perfectly free from its Obligation, as a Woman is See Rom. from her Marriage Contract at her Husband's Death || ; fo that even a Jewish Chriftian, much more a Gentile one, is bound to nothing but the Obfervance of the Chriftian Religion, as the true Service of God.

vii. to ver. 7. iii. 21.

-vi. 3,4.

20 I am crucified 20. By this new Difpenfation with Chrift. Never- of Chrift, I am dead to the Ceretheless I live, yet not monial Law, and the Law to me. I, but Chrift liveth in The Life I now live is no longer me: and the life which the Life of a few, but the Obedience of a Chriftian, to that Saviour and Redeemer, who fo loved me as to give himself for a full Satisfaction for all my Sins.

I now live in the flesh,
I live by the faith of
the Son of God, who
loved me, and gave
himself for me.

21 I do

21. For

Is Chrift the Minifter of Sin? Or elfe thus with Oecumenius, If the Law be obligatory ftill, then we Chriftians are tranfgreffors, in not adhering to it; and do we think that Chrift would enjoin us to fin against a divine Law? God forbid! But I chufe the Paraphrase as the most natural sense. Or laftly, It may be read without an Interrogation, thus, If we be finners in feeking to be justified by Chrift, then Chrift is the Minifter of fin.

I make myself a Tranfgreffor, i.e. fays Chryfoftom, by fetting up that Law which I allow God has abolish'd.

21 I do not frustrate the Grace of God for if righteousness come by the law, then Chrift

is dead in vain.

21. For my part I shall never A.D. 58. countenance a Doctrine that fruftrates the main and merciful Defign of the Chriftian Covenant. For 'tis clear, could the Jewish Law have juftified and faved us, there had been no need of Chrift's Death; nay, and if that Law has any part in our Juftification, then his Death was infufficient of itself for it.

1

CHA P. III.

The ARGUMENT.

The Apofile having abfolutely cleared himself of having ever preached up the Neceffity of the Ceremonial Law to Chriftian Believers ; comes now to argue directly against that Principle of the Jewish Zealots. His first Argument taken from the miraculous Gifts of the Holy Spirit conferred upon Chriftians. His next, from the Cafe of Abraham's Juftification; proving that all true Chriftians, whether Circumcifed or not, are accepted and pardoned upon the fame Faith, and from the fame Promife that juftified that eminent Patriarch; and not at all from the Obfervance of the Jewish Law. The Jewish Zealots object, To what purpose then was the Law given? He answers it: Shows the Law to have been only preparatory to the Gospel, and that all Believers, Gentile and Jewish, are to be faved by the Chriftian Religion alone.

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A.D.8. Chrift hath been evidently set forth, cru. cified among you?

*

vation without the Mofaical Law? You that have had the Crucified Jefus reprefented to you as the only Redeemer of Mankind, with as much Earneftness and Clearnefs as if you had feen him hanging on the Crofs before your Eyes?

2 This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

2. Nor have you only heard his true Doctrine, but had it confirmed to you by fuch Powers and Gifts of the Holy Spirit conferred. on you, as were never before seen in the Church of God. Now let me argue with your Jewish Zealots, from thefe very Endowments, in the first place. Were they conferred on you upon any Confideration of your Obfervance of the Mofaical Law, or as you were Jews? Was it not abfolutely on account of your becoming Christian Disciples ?

3 Are ye fo foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the

flesh?

3. How weak and foolish a Proceeding is this, for Men to lay the Foundation of their Pardon and

Happiness in the Chriftian Religion, as demonftrated by fuch Evidences of the Holy Spirit ; and then run back and build upon the Ceremonial Law; which they before allowed to be fo external and carnal a Difpenfation, as to be infufficient for it.

4 Have ye fuffered fo many things in vain; if it be yet in vain.

4. And then, to what Purpose have you endured fo many Perfecutions for the fake of your Gospel Profeffion, if you now lofe all its happy Privileges, by relinquishing the main Articles of it? But I hope you will prevent that by confidering better.

5. I fay

* Ver. 1. Hath been evidently set forth. @pozypon was before defcribed and represented to you: Viz. Before ever these Jewish Notions, of the Neceflity of their Law, were heard of amongst them.

5 He therefore that miniftreth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doth he it by the works of the law, or

by the hearing of

5. I fay then, when I wrought A. D. 58. fuch Miracles for your Converfion, and conferred the Power of working them upon feveral Members of your Church; did I do it as a Jewish Teacher, or had the leaft regard to the Ceremonial Law? No, it was purely as a Gospel Minister, and as you were Chriftian Profeffors. Wherefore, as this Earnest and Pledge of your Juftification was not in the leaft owing to that Law, neither can the thing it felf be.

faith?

6 Even as Abra

ham ‡ believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteouf

nefs :

7 Know ye therefore, that they which are of faith, the fame are the children of

Abraham.

6 & 7. In the next place, Can any of those who are fo zealous for the Jewish Rites, defire to be juftified and accepted of God, upon a better foot than Abraham the

very Father of the Jewish Nation was? Now, 'tis certain the Chriftian Faith is that very Principle of believing God's Revelation, and obeying his Will, that obtained him his Juftification; and whoever he be, whether few or Gentile, that fo believes in God through Chrift the Meffiah, is the Spiritual Son of Abraham, and has a Right to the Promife made to that great Patriarch.

8 And the fcripture foreseeing that God would juftifie the heathen through faith, preached before the gofpel

8. For it being the original and gracious Defign of God to fave the Gentiles, as well as the Jews, by bringing them all, one day, under the Chriftian Covenant; you

are

Ver. 5. The Hearing of Faith. The Word Hearing fignifies either the Doctrine of Faith, i. e. of the Gospel, or else Obedience to the Faith. In this former Senfe, 'tis the fame as in Ifai. liii. 1. Lord, who hath believed our Report, (Heb. our Hear ing, i. e. the Doctrine heard.) From whence St. Paul probably took it.

See the fame Argument in Rom. iv.

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