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epistles, and especially about the doctrine of justification, to know well what he means by the law, for else you cannot know what he means by works; and certainly you will find that he means most commonly the law of Moses, and not the law as given to Adam, prescribing perfect obedience to a perfect creature, as the only condition of life, and knowing no pardon; and that he speaks not of any such justification as excludeth pardon, but contrary. It is a wonderful hard, yet very necessary question, what form this law of Moses had, and to what use it was, and how different from that of nature, and that of Christ and pure grace. Camero hath taken most pains in it; but I will not now say any more of that than I have done.

So then the question here debated was: Whether the keeping of Moses's law were necessary to justification and salvation, and therefore to be joined with Christianity.

Against this, Paul had before disputed by several arguments; and here, in the beginning of this chapter, having a sensible argument to urge upon them, which none that had the free use of reason could resist, he ushers it in with a sharp and confident exprobration, calling them foolish or mad; and asking them, who had bewitched them, &c. As if he had said, 'When men are blind and err against their own sense and experience, it is a mark they are mad and bewitched by some power of an evil spirit: but so it is with you,' &c.

Thereupon, in the words of my text he challengeth them to answer but this one argument: That doctrine and way is the right doctrine and way of salvation, by which ye received the Spirit; for the Spirit is an unquestionable seal of the doctrine. But it was not by the works of the law that ye received the Spirit, but by the hearing of faith. Therefore, &c.

The words contain, 1. Paul's confidence in this particular argument, having the nature of a challenge to them, to answer it if they can this one thing would I learn of you, &c.

2. The argument itself propounded interrogatively and dilemmatically, as Christ did by the Jews about John the Baptist, that so while they were studying an answer they might perceive their error; as if he should have said, either you received the Spirit by the works of the law, or by faith; not by the law, therefore by faith.

Here are several terms to be opened: 1. What is meant by the works of the law? 2. What by the hearing of faith? 3. By the Spirit? Of which briefly in order.

1. I have said as much already to the former as I shall now

say; that is to say, that it is the works of Moses's law. But if any shall ask, 1. Was it the ceremonial, or the moral? I answer, both. All the law of Moses, but more principally the ceremonial.

Q. But faith of Christ is part of the moral law, therefore it cannot be of that.

A. The moral law, commanding the duty of the law of nature, is but part of a law, commonly called the matter, by divines, and not the whole law; and it is, 1. Part of the matter of the law given to Adam; 2. Part of the matter of the law of Moses; 3. Part of the matter of Christ's new law. Now Paul speaks of it here not as the law of Christ, nor directly as the law made to Adam, but as the law given by Moses; and so even the moral law perhaps may fitly enough be said to be abrogated or ceased, though the same moral law, as part of Christ's law, still be in force, and I think as part of the first law of nature.

Quest. Doth not Paul argue against justification by the works of the law of nature, as well as of Moses? Answ. Not directly, but by consequence he concludeth against it: I mean, his argument will hold à fortiori against justification by the law to Adam; for if that law cannot justify, which was given to sinners, as sinners, and hath in it a way prescribed for pardon, much less will that now justify, which was given to man as innocent and perfect, and knows no pardon of sin.

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2. By the hearing of faith is meant the hearing and so receiving of the doctrine of faith, or doctrine of Christ; not that hearing is here put for preaching, as Erasmus thought, which Beza well confuteth; but hearing implieth believing or obeying the doctrine heard; for all that hear, or to whom the word is preached, believe not, and so have not the Holy Ghost, but those that so hear as to believe and obey; and therefore Grotius gathers hence, that the Holy Ghost is not given but to minds yet purified, which is his frequent observation, which yet needs. much explication and caution, and might more clearly in the right sense be gathered from other texts.

3. But the great question here is, what is meant by 'Holy Ghost?' Calvin modestly leaves it undetermined: Paræus thinks it is rather meant of the Spirit of sanctification than the gifts of miracles Deodate and many others, conclude truly, it is not to be wholly restrained to either; nor either wholly excluded, I think it is meant of that eminent measure of the Spirit, proper to Gospel times which Christ gave his disciples; but especially

for working of miracles, and speaking with tongues, which was proper to that age for the confirmation of his doctrine.

It is a great difficulty, I confess, to understand what is meant by the Holy Ghost in many texts of Scripture, which promise it to believers, or which mention the giving it after believing; because faith itself is certainly a gift of the Holy Ghost. For the resolving this briefly, understand, that operations on the soul are ascribed sometimes to the Father, sometimes to the Son, according to the several seasons of working and states of men when it is given, and covenants under which it is given. It was the Spirit of God as Creator, or of the Father according to Scripture-speech, which Adam had in innocency: but it is not called the Spirit of Christ the Redeemer. After the fall and promise Christ was made Head of all, upon his undertaking, and so did send forth his Spirit; but according to the infancy of the Church, and the obscure way of then revealing the Gospel, it was in so low a degree, that it is not so frequently nor plainly called the Spirit of Christ. As the grace of Christ, and the glory of heaven are revealed very darkly there; so is the Spirit's working, which leads thereto. Yet was there then so much of the Redeemer's Spirit, that is, of recovering grace given, as might and did suffice to save men; but there was a greater fulness of the Spirit promised in the time of the Gospel, and given when Christ was ascended to glory. This is called the Spirit sent by Christ from the Father; or by the Father at the intercession of Christ, and the Spirit of the Son. So that as now the Son doth more visibly receive his power, and more clearly manifest his office and commission, and show men their duty; so he now more openly owneth all the works of grace, tending to the recovery of sinners. And so he giveth such a further and a fuller measure of the Spirit, for sanctification and for gifts, and for the service of the church, that is by an excellency called the Spirit of Christ: so that though there were a Spirit before, yet this fuller measure is properly called the Spirit of Christ because it is that measure which is given by Christ come in the flesh, and was not given before under the law. So that here is the first reason why it is called the Spirit of Christ, as it is meant of the Spirit of sanctification. And it seemeth that faith goes before this gift of the Spirit: that is, by the help of the word preached, and God's ordinary means, men may be brought to believe by that degree of the Spirit that before was given to the church.

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And therefore it is called the drawing of the Father, "No man can come to me, except the Father draw him;" (John vi. 44;) but when they do believe, the fuller measure is given them. Or else, as Mr. Hooker saith, We must distinguish between the Spirit's entrance into the soul; and its stablishment or abode there. The giving of faith,' saith he, 'is but the Spirit's making its way into the heart (as some birds make their way into a hard tree, where they will make their nest, and breed their young); but when faith is given or wrought there, then the Holy Ghost may be said to be and dwell within us.' Or else, as Rivet against Grotius saith, we must distinguish the habit and act'. The act of faith, he thinketh, is the first thing that the Spirit worketh: itself being instead of a habit, and when it hath brought the soul to believe actually, afterwards come in these habits of grace, which are called the Holy Ghost given; or as the sun at its rising sending forth its beams before it. This is the ordinary doctrine, which, I confess, I have been more against formerly than now I am.

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2. Besides this sanctifying Spirit of Christ, proper to Gospel times, there is also a miraculous pouring out of the Spirit, proper to the first age of the church, enabling men to work miracles, and speak with tongues. This was given purposely to confirm Christ's testimony to the world, and therefore was to endure but till a sufficient seal were put to his testimony or doctrine. The Holy Ghost usually, in the New Testament, is meant of both these jointly, and so I understand it here. And as it would be an unfit question to ask, whether by the Holy Ghost were meant the gifts of healing or tongues, or of other miracles, as if it must needs be meant of only one so it is unfit to ask, whether it be meant of sanctification or miracles? Yet as the same Spirit which wrought in the several members, wrought sanctification in none but the elect, who should be saved, but wrought the gift of miracles in multitudes that had no saving grace, and therefore this was the more common; so therefore I doubt not but the gift of miracles is more principally intended in these words, than that of sanctification.

My reasons are, 1. He that will carefully observe the language of the Holy Ghost, shall find, that this word, 'Spirit,' or 'Holy Ghost,' is most usually, in the New Testament, taken for the extraordinary gifts of that age.

2. The apostle appeals to the witness of the Spirit here, as that which most undeniably did prove the truth of Christ's

doctrine now, though sanctification may do much here, yet so much might be said from heathens' virtues; and especially of the sanctification of some before Christ, among the Jews, that this was not so likely to have made that great conviction of the world.

3. The apostle appeals to this, as an open known testimony which might be seen of all. But the work of the Spirit of sanctification alone is so secret in the heart, and wrought by such degrees, that it is not so open a testimony.

4. The apostle appealeth to it as a public thing, which the whole church might be convinced by: but so they could not so easily be by sanctification, as by miracles, for every man had not sanctification; and those that had it not, could not see it as certain in others; nor see the glory of it. But for miracles, as most had the gift, so those that had not, might see it openly in those that had.

5. The text itself, in the 5th verse, expressly saith, it is the gift of miracles: "He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?" Where Grotius noteth ; that the old manuscript which he had out of the King of England's library, (being brought by Cyril of Constantinople out of Egypt,) hath the same words as be in this second verse, "Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law," &c. So that, what can be more express.

6. But my greatest argument is from many other Scriptures, that run all in the same sense, which I shall have more opportunity anon to mention.

Paræus's arguments for the contrary, are these; 1. Miraculous gifts were not given to all, but few. A. 1. To far more than the gift of sanctification it is likely. 2. The rest might see them, though they could not work them, and that was testimony sufficient.

2. He saith they happened to some that followed not Christ, "We saw one casting out devils, and we forbade him, because he followed not with us." (Mark ix. 39.) Therefore those gifts must not be the proper effect of the Gospel. A. A very bad argument. 1. The text saith, it was in the name of Christ that they cast out devils, and therefore it was the effect of Christ's name. 2. Multitudes believed in Christ that did not follow him with the twelve apostles. 3. It is evident that none had that gift then but from Christ, and he gave it none

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