Vindiciae legis, or, A vindication of the moral law and the covenants, from the…Vindiciae legis, or, A vindication of the morall law and the covenants, from the…

AS the Physician, (saith Peter Martyr) who intends to give strong physic which may expel noxious humours in the diseased body, doth prepare the body first by some potions to make it fluid and fit for operation: so Paul, being sharply to accuse the Jews, and to drive them out of their self righteousness, doth manifest his love to them, sugaring the bitter pill that they might swallow it with more delight, And this his love is manifested, partly by his expression [brethren,] partly by his affections and prayers [my hearts desire and prayer.] The occasion of this his affection is the zeal that they have for God, but in a wrong way: As the skilful husbandman, that seeth a piece of ground full of weeds, and brambles, wisheth he had that ground, which by culture and tillage would be made very fruitful. Ammo unde amputem, said the Orator, I love the wit that needs some pruning. The luxuriancy is a sign of fertility.

AS the Physitian, (saith Peter Martyr) who intends to give strong physick which may expell noxious humours in the diseased body, doth prepare the body first by some potions to make it fluid and fit for operation: so Paul, being sharply to accuse the Jews, and to drive them out of their selfe righteousness, doth manifest his love to them, sugaring the bitter pill that they might swallow it with more delight, And this his love is manifested, partly by his expression [brethren,] partly by his affections and prayers [my hearts desire and prayer.] The occasion of this his affection is the zeale that they have for God, but in a wrong way: As the skillfull husbandman, that seeth a piece of ground full of weeds, and brambles, wisheth he had that ground, which by culture and tillage would be made very fruitfull. Amo unde amputem, said the Orator, I love the wit that needs some pruning. The luxuriancie is a signe of fertility.

This zeal was not a good zeal, partly because it wanted knowledge, and therefore was like Sampson without his eyes: ¹partly because it made them proud, which the Apostle fully expresseth in two particulars: 1, They sought to establish their own righteousness. They sought, this did imply their wilful pride and arrogancy, and to establish, which supposeth their righteousness was weak and infirm, ready to fall to the ground: but they would set it up for all that, as the Philistines would their Dagon, though he was tumbled down before the Ark. 2. The Apostle expresseth it signally, when he saith, They submitted not themselves to the righteousness of God; In the original, They were