1. The not taking any thing into their Affections and esteem for those ends and purposes for which they have received Jesus Christ. Here the Galatians failed in their conjugal Affection to Christ: they preserved not themselves Chaste to him: They had received Christ for Life, and Justification and him only; ⟨p. 166⟩but being after a while overcome with ycharms, or bewitched, they took into the same place with him the righteousness of the Law. How Paul deals with them hereupon is known; How sorely, how pathetically doth he admonish them, how severely reprove them, how clearly convince them of their madness and folly? This then is the first chaste Affection Believers bear in their heart to Christ; having received him for their Righteousness and Salvation before God, for the fountain, spring, and wellhead of all their supply's, they will not now receive any other thing into his room and in his stead. As to instance in one particular. We receive him for our 2Acceptance with God! all that here can stand in competition with him for our Affections, must be our own endeavours for a aRighteousness to commend us to God. Now this must be either before we receive him, or after: for all duties and endeavours of what sort soever for the pleasing of God before our receiving of Christ, you know what was the Apostles frame. Phil. 3. 8, 9, 10. all endeavours, all advantages, all privileges he rejects with Indignation as loss, with Abomination as dung; and winds up all his aims and desires in Christ alone and his Righteousness for those ends and purposes. But the works we do after we have received Christ, are of another consideration. Indeed they are, acceptable to God; it pleaseth him that we should walk in them. But as to that end for which we receive Christ, of no other account then the former, Eph. 2. 8, 9, 10. Even the works we do after believing, those which we are created unto in Christ Jesus, those that God hath ordained that believers should walk in them, as to Justification and acceptance with God here called Salvation, are excluded. It will one day appear that Christ abhors the janglings of men, about the place of their own works and obedience, in the business of their acceptation with God. Nor will the Saints find any peace in adulterous thoughts of that kind. The Chastity we owe unto him, requires another frame.
1. The not taking any thing into their Affections and esteem for those ends and purposes for which they have received Jesus Christ. Here the Galatians failed in their conjugall Affection to Christ: they preserved not themselves Chast to him: They had received Christ for Life, and Justification and him only; ⟨p. 166⟩but being after a while overcome with ycharmes, or bewitched, they tooke into the same place with him the righteousnesse of the Law. How Paul deals with them hereupon is known; How sorely, how pathetically doth he admonish them, how severely reprove them, how cleerly convince them of their madnesse and folly? This then is the first chast Affection Believers beare in their heart to Christ; having received him for their Righteousnesse and Salvation before God, for the fountaine, spring, and wellhead of all their supply's, they will not now receive any other thing into his roome and in his stead. As to instance in one particular. We receive him for our 2Acceptance with God! all that here can stand in competition with him for our Affections, must be our own endeavours for a aRighteousnesse to commend us to God. Now this must be either before we receive him, or after: for all dutys and endeavours of what sort soever for the pleasing of God before our receiving of Christ, you know what was the Apostles frame. Phil. 3. 8, 9, 10. all endeavours, all advantages, all priviledges he rejects with Indignation as losse, with Abomination as dung; and winds up all his aymes and desires in Christ alone and his Righteousnesse for those ends and purposes. But the workes we doe after we have received Christ, are of another consideration. Indeed they are, acceptable to God; it pleaseth him that we should walke in them. But as to that end for which we receive Christ, of no other account then the former, Eph. 2. 8, 9, 10. Even the workes we do after believing, those which we are created unto in Christ Jesus, those that God hath ordained that believers should walk in them, as to Justification and acceptance with God here called Salvation, are excluded. It will one day appeare that Christ abhorrs the janglings of men, about the place of their own workes and obedience, in the businesse of their acceptation with God. Nor will the Saints find any peace in adulterous thoughts of that kind. The Chastity we owe unto him, requires another frame.
- yGal. 3. 1.
- 2Cor. 1. 30.
- aRom. 10. 4.
