A.D. 58. gofpel unto Abraham, Jaying, In thee fhall all nations be bleffed. are to understand that fpecial Bleffing promised to Abraham (Gen. xii. 3.) to be meant of Chrift, who was to be born of his Family, and become the Saviour of all Nations that would embrace his Religion. 9 So then they which be of faith, are bleffed with faithful Abraham. 9. As therefore it was Faith in God that juftified Abraham, fo is it Faith in Chrift, and Obedience to his Religion, that faves all Chriftians, and the Ceremonial Law has no hand at all in it. 10 For as many as are of the works of one that continueth not in all things which See Deut. are written in the Xxvii. 26. book of the law to do Rom. iii. 20. viii. 3. Heb. x. them. 11 But that no man is juftified by the law 12 And the law is 10. For indeed, that Law is of quite a different Nature from one that is to juftify and fave Mankind: It is a most severe Difpenfation, abounding in Duties and Injunctions, and laying all under Guilt that breaks any one of them; but provides no fufficient Attonement to clear their Confciences of that Guilt. 11, and 12. And accordingly, the Prophet Habakkuk afcribes the Juftification of all good Men to Religious Faith in God. Whereas the Ceremonial Law puts it not upon that Principle, but infifts on an exact and rigid obfervance of all its numerous Rites and Precepts; propofing propofing the promised Land of Canaan for its Reward; but Sin and Guilt was the Effect of the Tranfgreffion of any one of them. 13 Chrift hath redeemed us from the curfe of the law, being made a curfe for us: for it is written, 13. Now from this fevere Difpenfation, and from the Guilt of our numberless Violations of its Injunctions, has Chrift our Meffiah Curfed redeemed * us by his Death; whereby *Redeemed us, itayopaσer; Has bought us out as from a Slavery. Or has deliver'd us from it as effectually, as if he had paid down a Price for us. Compare 2 Tim ii. 26.1 Pet. i. 18, 19. with Deut. vii. 8. Exod, vi. 6. Deut. xxxii. 6. 2 Sam. vii. 23. whereby he fuffered the Curfe, in A. D. 58. Hanging on a Tree an* accurfed death. 14 That the bleffing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jefus Chrift, that we might receive the promife of the Spirit through faith. 14. And thus the grand Promise made to Abraham, of his Seed being a Bleffing to all Nations, is fulfilled in Chrift; and makes it plain, that as his Death was the fole and fufficient Expiation for the Sins of both Gentiles and Jews; fo 'tis the embracing of His Religion alone that procures all Chriftians these Gifts and Graces promised to the Church of the Meffiah; and the Ceremonial Law contributes nothing towards it. 15 Brethren, I fpeak after the manner of men though it be but a man's covenant, yet if it be confirmed, 15. Thus the Chriftian Covenant is grounded on Abraham's Promise. Now common Equity, even in human Affairs, makes it utterly unlawful to any Man to cancel or alter a Covenant, Will, or Contract, that is once regularly made, and duly ratified. How much less should any Perfon dare to break or change the folemn Covenant of God! no man difannulleth or addeth thereto. 16 Now to Abra ham and his feed were the promises made, He faith not, And to feeds, 16. But now your Jewish Zealots, by preaching up the abfolute Neceffity of the Ceremonial Law to Chriftian People, are evidently guilty of C this * Made a Curfe-Curfed. Chrift was not accurfed of God, in the proper Senfe of that Phrafe; but by being Crucified, was in the Efteem of the Jews, the fame polluted and abominable Thing that, by their Law, all Perfons were that were hanged as Malefactors. As Le Clerc well obferves. Trixαysexiar Ty HiμATO. The Promife of the Spirit, i. e. Either the Spiritual Bleffings promised to Abraham in general, or elfe the particular Gifts and Endowments of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles and the Primitive Church, called em phatically, The Promise, Acts ii. 32. and xiii. 32. and the Premife of the Father, Acts ii. 33. i. 4 A.D.58. feeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy feed, which is See the Jame Argument, Rom. ix. Christ. this Crime. For 'tis clear, the Promife made to Abraham was meant of one particular Perfon, that was to be born of a particular Branch of his Family. Chrift was the Saviour promifed, of Ifaac's Line; and it was not every one that should be meerly *born of Abraham, but only fuch as fhould be Members of the Church of this Meffiah, that were entitled to his Bleflings; and all that were his Members, be they Gentiles or Jews, were certainly to enjoy them. 17 And this I fay, that the covenant that was confirmed before of God in Chrift, the law which was four hundred and thirty cannot years after, none effect. Part of Mankind) 18 For if the in heritance be of the 17. Whereas your Zealots fay, No, the Bleffing must be by the Obfervation of the Law. As if a Law of God could ever be fuppofed to come, and difannul, and fet afide a moft folemn and abfolute Promife; a Promife of infinite Importance made to the Pious Ancestors of the very People to whom that Law is given (and in him to all the obedient four hundred and thirty Years before. 18. Either therefore this great Bleffing of Mens Pardon and Salvation is wholly founded in the Promife to Abraham or not; if it be (as 'tis moft evident from Scripture it was) then 'tis Faith in Chrift's Religion alone that is the Condition of a Chriftian's Juftification; and for you to join the Ceremonial Law to it, is to alter the Promife and folemn Covenant of God. was added because of feed fhould come, to whom the promife 19 Wherefore then 19. To this Argument I know ferveth the law? It the Jewish Zealots will make this tranfgreffions,* till the Objection, viz. If Pardon and Saltranfgreffions, till the vation were not to be had by virtue of the Mofaical Law, why then was that Law given, and what was it good for? I anfwer, It was given the hand of a mediator. to the Jewish People for very wife and good Purpofes, viz. To preferve and fence them, who were the Church of God, and of whofe Nation Chrift was to be born, from the Idolatrous Rites and Practices of the Heathen World, into which they were fo apt to fall: A. D. 58. to show them the Guilt of their own Sins *, and the Punishment due to them; and, by the figurative Nature of its Ordinances, to train up that People to the Hope and Expectation of Chrift the Meffiah, the great Sacrifice and Saviour of Mankind. And you muft obferve, this Law was not, like the Promise to Abraham, given abfolutely and immediately from God to all Mankind; but conveyed, by the Ministry of Angels, to Mofes, the Mediator between God and that fingle People. 20 Now a media- 20. (For a Mediator fuppofes tor is not a mediator of two Parties concerned in any Afone, but God is one. fair.) 'Tis falfe therefore, that Juftification cannot be had but by the Obfervance of that Law, whereof Mofes was the Mediator; when 'tis plain, God was the only fingle || Party that gave the great Promife abfolutely and immediately to Abraham; and he was juftified without any Mediator at all. 21 Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid! for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteoufnefs fhould have been by 21. So that the Doctrine of these Zealots fets the Mofaical Law quite contrary to, and makes it difannul the Promise to Abraham, and the Chriftian Religion. For, if the Obfervance of the Ceremonial Law could have put Men into a State of Pardon and Redemption, the Promife to Abraham was needlefs, and the Chriftian Religion fignifies nothing *. Which God * See v. 18, forbid any Man fhould imagine! the law.. C 2 22. But, * Taν @afañásε xάew. Because of the Tranfgreffions. I have given the two most natural Senfes of this Expreffion; which is not exactly agreed upon by Learned Interpreters. I will only remark, that if it be observed that, after the giving of the Law of the Ten Commandments, Deut. 5. 22. it was faid, And he added no more; i. e. gave them no other Statutes at that Time: And that after their Proneness to Idolatry, fhown in the Inftance of the Golden Calf, the whole Ceremonial Law was impofed upon the Jews; it will render it very probable, That the Words because of Tranfgreffions, mean, principally to keep them from Idolatrous Tranfgreffions. || àઇંડુ ંવાર A. D. 58. 22 But the fcripture hath concluded all under fin, that the promife by faith of Jefus Chrift, might be given to them that believe. 22. But, directly contrary to their Notion, the Scriptures of the Old Teftament reprefent all Mankind, Jews, and Gentiles, to be in a State of Sin and Guilt; and fet forth Chrift the Meffiah promised to Abraham, as the only fufficient Saviour, by whofe Religion their Pardon and Salvation is to be obtained. 23 But before faith came, we were kept under the law, fhut up unto the faith, which fhould afterwards be revealed. 23. Now we of the Jewish Nation had the Promise of this Meffiab to be born of our Family; and were accordingly trained up to the View and Expectation of Him, by being kept ftrictly under the Difcipline and Ceremonies of a Law that pointed, and reprefented to us what he was to do and fuffer for us, in order to a more perfect and compleat Dispensation. 24 Wherefore the 24 & 25. Wherefore, the Mofaical Law was intended no further than a Schoolmafter is to Children, to confine them to certain Bounds, to instruct and prepare our Nation for the higher and more holy Inftitution of Jefus Chrift; and now that we are actually under that Inftitution of Chrift, our Confinement is over, and we can have no further Occafion for those mean and lower Degrees of Instruction. 26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Je fus. of 27 For as many you as have been baptized into Christ, have 26 & 27. The Promise to Abraham then, or the Chriftian Religion, being the only Thing that Juftifies and Saves you, you must remember this Bleffing extends to Men of all Nations indifferently. The Jews and Gentiles are no longer kept feparate from each other. Every one that is baptized into Chrift's Profeffion is perfectly His, and has a Claim to all the Privileges of his Church, upon his due Obedience to his Religion. put on Chrift. 28. This |