[that God is your father, and you his fons and daughters] let us cleanse ourfelves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

186. Confeq.] Performing the foregoing duties, they were fure of further bleffings. 1 Cor. i. 8, "Jefus Chrift will establish you unto the end; that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jefus Chrift."— xv. 58,-"For as much as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord." 2 Cor. iv. 17, "For our light affliction, light affliction, works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory." xiii. 11, “Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of peace will be with you."

187. Suppof. But they might, and some of them actually did, neglect their duty in a very grofs manner. 1 Cor. i. II, "There are contentions, Egides, among you" [which are the works of the flesh, Gal. v. 19, 20, 21.] iii. 3, "Whereas there are among you envying and ftrife, and divifions, are ye not carnal and walk as men?" v. II, "If any man that is called a brother, [106] be a fornicator, covetous, an idolater, a railer, a drunkard, or an extortioner." vi. 8, "You do wrong, adusile and defraud, and that your brethren." x. 6-15, "Luft not after evil things, as

they

"pointed his only begotten Son, who was in a state of the highest excellency, "and glory, to fink into a state of suffering, and even to die, in order to lay "6 a proper and juft foundation for the pardon and falvation of a finful and "apoftate world." After this manner the apoftles preached to the unconverted Gentiles.

και

you

II. The apoftle alfo gives us a fpecimen of their preaching to such as the Corinthians, who had already embraced Chriftianity; Chap. vi. 1, 2, 3, " And working together, (I and my fellow-labourer Timothy, Chap. i. 1.) we moreover intreat [xas is emphatical] that receive not the grace of God in vain." [142] The Corinthians had received the grace of God, and therefore the apostle, and the minifters of the gofpel, did not exhort them to be reconciled unto God; but, not to receive his grace in vain. And then, as before, he fubjoins the grand argument, to perfuade Chriftians to make a right improvement of the grace and privileges they had received. For he faith, (explaining the bleffed ftate of the church, or people of God) "I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of falvation have I fuccoured thee; behold," take good notice, O Chriftians, "now is the accepted time, behold, now is the day of falvation." As if he had faid: "Chriftians, you are in the happy state of pardon, in which God has promised to hear your prayers, to fupply you "with all needful fuccour and ftrength, and to carry you on to protection. Heaven fhines and fmiles upon you. Therefore, make a due improvement of the "glorious opportunity." Thus the apoftles and minifters of the gofpel preached to fuch, as had already embraced Chriftianity. And it is evident, they confidered all profeffed Chriftians, without exception, as in a state of Grace. It is the great happiness of all profeffed Chriftians, that they have received the grace of God. But this will not abfolutely fecure their final falvation. For the grace of God is a motive to virtue; and if they do not fo improve it, they rereceive it in vain, and fhall perish for ever. See other inftances of the like apoftolic manner of preaching to Chriftians. 2 Cor. vi. 16, 17, 18. vii. 1. Heb. iii. 6, 7, &c. xii. 22—25; 28. 29. Jam. i. 18, 19. 1 Pet. i. 2, 3, 4, &c. 13, &c. 23, &c. ii. 1; 7, &c. 11, &c. & Pet. i. 3, 4, 5, 6, &c. : John ii. 12-17. And in other places.

they [our fathers, the Jews in the wilderness *] alfo lufted. Neither be ye Idolaters as were fome of them;-neither let us commit fornication,

neither let us tempt," provoke, "Chrift,neither murmur ye as fome of them alfo murmured, and were deftroyed of the deftroyer. Now all these things happened unto them for enfamples, and they are written. for our admonition*. Wherefore let him that stands + [in the Christian' faith] take heed left he fall [into thofe fins, and under the wrath of God.] -My dearly beloved, flee from Idolatry." xi. 18-33, "They eat and drank unworthily in the Lord's fupper, and were guilty of the body and blood of the Lord." xv. 34, "Awake to righteousness and fin not;' for fome of you have not the knowledge of God: I fpeak this to your fhame." 2 Cor. xi. 3, "I fear left by any means, as the ferpent beguiled Eve through his fubtilty, fo your minds fhould be corrupted from the fimplicity that is in Christ.” xii. 20, 21, "I fear left when I come I shall not find you fuch as I would:--Left there be debates, envyings, wraths, ftrifes, backbitings, whisperings, fwellings and tumults: And left, when I come again, my God will humble me among you, and that I shall bewail many which have finned already, and have not repented of the uncleannefs, and fornication, and lasciviousness which they have committed." 188. Account.] For their good or bad behaviour they were accountable to God, and obnoxious to his judgment. 1 Cor. x. 22, "Do provoke the Lord to jealoufy? Are we ftronger than he?" xi. 30, 31, "For this caufe [because you eat and drink unworthily in the Lord's fupper] many are weak and fickly among you, and many fleep. For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged." 2 Cor. v. 10, "For we must all appear before the judgment-feat of Chrift, that every one may receive the things done in the body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or evil."

ye

189. Threat.]

* The Apoftle's argument in this 10th chapter, Ver. 1-15, ftands upon this foundation; that our prefent Chriftian privileges and state bear a correfpondence to the state and privileges of the antient Jews. Now, faith he, "all our fathers," the Ifraelites," were under the cloud; and all paffed through the fea, and were all baptized into Mofes in the cloud and in the fea; and did all eat the fame fpiritual meat; and did all drink the fame spiritual drink: (For they drank of that fpiritual rock that followed them: And that rock was Chrift; (But with many of them God was not well pleased: For they were overthrown in the wilderness. Now thofe things were our examples:' And therefore all of us, Chriftians, without exception, do enjoy all the common honours, encouragements, advantages and bleffings of a peculiar people, as well as all the Ifraelites did. And further; as many of the Ifraelites, notwithstanding their privileges, were wicked, and for their wickedness were destroyed, and fell fhort of the promifed land; even fo, if we Christians do not take care to improve our privileges; if we commit fin, as they did, we fhall, after their example, perish, and fall fhort of the heavenly Canaan. Therefore, the Apoftle exhorts, Ver. 12, "Let him that thinks he ftands," in the prefent privileges and bleffings of the Gofpel, "take heed left he fall" into eternal perdition, by mifimproving them. In the fame manner he argues from Jewish privileges and duties, to Chriftian privileges and duties, Heb. iii. 7-19.iv. 1-12.

The fenfe of doxiw [think, feem] in feveral places, especially here, and Heb. iv. 1, is fo nice, and difficult to fettle, that I reckon the clearest way of rendering the words is to confider this verb as a kind of expletive

189. Threat.] And for their wickedness, unrepented of, they fhould as certainly perifh, as any other finners upon earth. I Cor. vi. 9,

The unrighteous fhall not inherit the kingdom of God. Be not deceived" with any profeffions you make, or privileges you enjoy: "Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abufers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, fhall inherit the kingdom of God." xi. 32, "When we are judged we are chaftened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world." [This fuppofes, wicked Christians will, at laft, be condemned with the Heathen world.]

190. From all this it appears; that the Corinthian Chriftians are affirmed by the Apostle, to be the Church of God, washed, fanctified, juftified, called faints, faved, God's husbandry, building, temple, bought with a price, to have God for their father, and to be his children, in a fenfe which must take in the whole body of profeflors, good or bad; and even in a sense confiftent with their final perdition. Confequently, that the grace, they had received, was not to be rested in for final falvation, any further, than it was made the principle of a pious and virtuous life.

GALATIANS.

191. The Galatian Christians had been idolatrous Gentiles, Chap.

8, 14.

ye are

Inheriting the kingdom of God, plainly refers to final falvation; or being actually poffeffed of the glory of Heaven. Now the Apoftle affirms, that the Corinthian Chriftians were washed, fan&tified and juftified, Ver. 11, “And fuch were fome of you: But ye are wafhed, but ye are fanctified, but juftified in the name of the Lord Jefus, and by the Spirit of our God." Ard yet, in Ver. 8, he charges them with the aggravated crime of injuftice, or en ighteoufnefs: Nay, you do wrong, [adi, ye deal unrighteously and defraud, and that your brethren," to whom you profefs the highett love and friendfhip. But he affures them, Ver. 9, that "the unrighteous," adio, fuch as they were, "should not inherit the kingdom of God." Hence it appears; that, according to the Apoftolic way of speaking and judging, perfons who are wathed, fanctified, and juftified may, nevertheless, be wicked, and exchided from hea ven. Which makes it very evident; that when the Apostle affirms, that the Corinthians were the church of God, called faints, fanctified in Chritt Jars, washed, justified, &c. he means they were fo in a fenfe common to all Chriftus, without exception; namely, as they had a general pardon of all paft fins, 25 they were taken into the prefent temporary and preparatory family and church of God, and enjoyed all proper means, and powerful motives to purify themfelves, and to live holily. Which they were ftrongly obliged to do, if ever they hoped to obtain eternal life. For, if they continued full to live in fraud and injuftice, they would certainly perish with other workers of iniquity. And therefore Mr. Pyle has very clearly exprefled the fenfe of Ver. 11, thus; "To fuch vices as thefe, many of you Corinthians were addicted in your Heathen "ftate. But by becoming Chriftians, being baptized into the faith of the gofpel, and by the endowments of the Holy Ghost conferred on you, you were cleanfed from the guilt, and received pardon of them all; and to are indifpenfably obliged for the future, to renounce and forfake the practice of

66

" them."

8, 14. iv. 8, "When ye knew not God, ye did fervice unto them which by nature are no gods."

192. But after they were converted to Christianity, the Apostle af firms, (i. 2.) that their several focieties were churches; Ver. 4, That "Chrift gave himfelf for their fins;" Ver. 6, They were "called into the grace of Chrift;" Ver. 11, Were " brethren;" [106] iii. 2, 3, 5, Had "received the Spirit, begun in the fpirit;" Ver. 26, They were "all the children [103] of God by faith in Chrift Jefus:" Ver. 27, They had put on Chrift;" Ver. 29, They were "Chrift's, Abraham's feed, and heirs [108] according to promife;" iv. 5, 6, They had "received the adoption of fons, and God had fent forth the fpirit of his Son into their hearts;" Ver. 7, They were "heirs of God by Chrift;" Ver. 9, They "knew God, or rather, were known of God."

193. Duty.] v. 6, "In Jefus Chrift, neither circumcifion availeth any thing, nor uncircumcifion, but faith which works by love." Ver. 13, "By love ferve one another." Ver. 16, "Walk in the fpirit." Ver. 24, 25, "They that are Chrift's have crucified the flesh, with the affections and lufts. If we live in the fpirit, let us alfo walk in the fpirit." vi. 9, "Let us not be weary in well-doing *."

194. Conf. vi. 8, "He that foweth to the fpirit, fhall of the spirit reap life everlafting." Ver. 9, "For in due feafon we fhall reap, if we faint not." Ver. 16, "And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy."

195. Suppof.] The Apoftle, through the whole epiftle, fuppofes these Galatians in great danger of "finithing in the flesh," iii. 3; of "falling from grace," ," and of having "Chrift become of no effect unto them," v. 4; That they did, or might, "bite and devour one another," Ver. 15; That they were in danger of "fulfilling the luft of the flesh," Ver. 16; That they might be "defirous of vain-glory, provoking one another, envying one another," Ver. 26.

196. Threat.] Chap. v. 19, 21, "They which do the works of the flefh, fhall not inherit the kingdom of God." vi. 5, "Every man fhall bear his own burden." Ver. 7, 8, "Be not deceived," O Galatians, "God is not mocked: For whatsoever a man foweth, that shall he also reap. For he that foweth to the flesh, fhall of the fleth reap corruption."

EPHESIANS.

197. Prior State.] ii. 1, 2, 3, "You were dead in trefpaffes and fins, wherein in time paft† ye walked according to the courfe of this world, [according to the custom of the Heathen world,] according to the prince of the power of the air; the fpirit that now worketh in the childrén

* "Let us not be weary in well-doing, for in due time we shall reap, if we faint not." Hence it appears, we are to go through a courfe of well-doing, in order to our reaping eternal life; which we shall not obtain, if we faint, or are "weary in well-doing."

+ Time-paft.] This phrase points to their Gentile state. iv. 3, and the note upon Rom. v. 6.

See 1 Pet. ii. 10,

I

dren of disobedience ‡, [the Heathen.] Among whom we all had our conversation in times paft †, in the lufts of our flesh, fulfilling the defires of the flesh, and of the mind; and were children by nature of wrath, even as other Heathens." Ver. 11, 12, "Wherefore remember that ye being in times paft + Gentiles in the flesh, who are called uncircumcifion by that which is called the circumcifion in the flesh made by hands; that at that time ye were without Chrift, being aliens [37] from the common-wealth of Ifrael, and Atrangers from the covenants of promife, having no hope, and without God in the world." Ver. 17, "Ye were afar off" Ver. 19, "Strangers [37] and foreigners." v. 8, "Ye were sometime darkness"

198. Anteced.] i. 1, 3, 4, 5,-"To the faints [127] at Ephefus, and to the faithful in Christ Jefus. The God and Father of our Lord Jefus Chrift has blessed us with all spiritual bleffings in heavenly places in Chrift: According as he has chofen [92] us in him before the foundation of the world; having predeftinated us to the adoption of children by Jefus Chrift to himfelf." Ver. 7, "In Chrift we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of fins." Ver. 11, "In whom alfo we have obtained an inheritance, being predeftinated according to the purpose of him, who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will." Ver. 13,-"In whom alfo, after that he believed, ye were fealed with that holy fpirit of promife." ii. 5, 6, God, "even when we were dead in fins, hath quickened us together with Chrift (by grace [139] ye are faved [93]). And hath raised us up together, and made us fit together in heavenly places in Chrift Jefus." Ver. 10, "Now ye who fometimes were afar off, were made nigh [131] by the blood of Chrift." Ver. 16, Who has "reconciled us unto God in one body" with the Jews. (iii. 6.) Ver. 18, "For through him we both have an accefs by one fpirit unto the Father." Ver. 19, "Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens [117] with the faints, and of the houshold [107] of God;" Ver. 20, "And are built upon the foundation of the Apoftles and Prophets, Jefus Chrift himself being the chief corner-ftone.” Ver. 22, "In whom you also are builded together for an habitation [128] of God, through the Spirit." v. 8, " Ye were fometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord."

199. Reafon.]i. 5, "Having predeftinated us-according to the pleafure of his will." Ver. 6, "To the praise of the glory of his grace [142], whereby he has made us accepted in the beloved." Ver. 7,-"According to the riches of his grace." Ver. 9, "Acccording to his good pleafure, which he has proposed in himself." Ver. 11, "Being predeftinated according to the purpose of him, who works all things after the counsel of his own will." ii. 2, "God, who is rich in mercy, [142] for his great love [142] wherewith he has loved us, even when we were dead in fins, has quickened us together with Chrift; by grace ye are faved." [93] Ver. 7, "That in the ages to come he might fhew the exceeding riches of his grace,

his

"Children of disobedience," are unbelieving Heathen, in contradistinction to Chriftians, who are obedient children, or, as it is in the Greek,"children of obedience," 1 Pet. i. 14.

I

* Darkness, is another character of the Heathen flate; Col. i. 3, "Who has delivered us from the power of darkness." 1. Thef. v. 4, 5. Acts xxvi, 18. Rom. xiii. 12. 2 Cor. vi. 14. Ephef. v. 11. vi. 12. 1 Pet. ii. 9.