An expositon of all St. Pauls epistles together with an explanation of those other epistles of the apostles St. James, Peter, John & Jude : wherein the sense of every chapter and verse is analytically unfolded and the text enlightened. / David Dickson ...

CHAP. I.

THere are three parts of the Chapter: In the first is a Preface to vers. 6. In the second hee begins to deal with the Galatians, that they return into the way from their errour in observing the Levitical Law, and that imaginary conjunction of Iustification by Works, with Iustification by Faith, as if this had been possible; some Arguments to this end being propounded, to vers. 13. In the third part the Apostle confirms the last Argument from signs concerning the divinity of his Do∣ctrine, to the end.

Vers. 1. Paul an Apostle, not of men, neither by man, but by Iesus Christ, and God the Father who raised him f••om the dead:

The whole Preface is ordered for the preparing the mind of the Galatians to obey his Doctrine concerning the Grace of Christ. The scope may bee perceived in this or the like Proposition to the same sense: Yee ought to beleeve and obey mee, admonishing you of the true cause of Justification and Sanctification: Eight Argu∣ments are intimated to this end, whereof some are con∣tained in the inscription, vers. 1, 2. Some in the saluta∣tion, vers. 3. Some in the description of Christ, vers. 4. Some in the doxology, vers. 5.

An Apostle] Argum. 1. I Paul which write these things unto you am an Apostle of supream authority in the ministery of the Church: Therefore you must be∣leeve and obey mee.

Neither of men] Argum. 2. My office is not of hu∣mane invention, or is not founded in humane authority, but God is the Author of it, so that my Doctrine cannot bee contemned without injury done to God: Therefore except you would reject God that sent mee, yee must hearken to mee.

Neither by man] Argum. 3. I am not mediately, or by the Ministery of men called, but immediately by God, viz. Christ, by him now raised from the dead, and by God the Father who gave testimony to the Do∣ctrine of his Son, by raising him from the dead: There∣fore yee must beleeve and obey my Doctrine.

Vers. 2. And all the Brethren, which are with mee, unto the Churches of Galatia.

Argum. 4. I have called all the Brethren, which are with mee, to the society of this admonition written to you, all the Brethren with mee, which together with my self salute you, will sometimes bee witnesses against you, unless you obey my Doctrine: Therefore yee ought to beleeve and obey mee.

Churches] Argum. 5. Although yee bee infected with a dangerous errour, yet I think you are to bee accounted in the number of the Churches: Therefore recompence mee, and acknowledge mee as an Apostle sent to the Churches, to bee obeyed and believed.

Vers. 3. Grace bee to you and peace from God the Fa∣ther, and from our Lord Iesus Christ.

Argum. 6. I according to the authority bestowed up∣on mee by the providence of God do not doubt to give you right to the blessing of the Gospel, and to intreat Grace, i. e. a more plentious acknowledgment, sense, and fruit of Gods free mercy, reconciliation, and forgiveness of sins, and the other effects of the Grace of God condu∣cing to sanctification: Together with peace or a sound tranquillity of heart, and other good things which ap∣pertain to your happiness, that all things may bee deri∣ved to you from the God of Peace, and from the Lord Christ the Mediatour, the onely Fountain of Grace and Peace: Therefore I ought to bee beleeved while I open to you the reason of this Grace and Peace communicated to you.

Vers. 4. Who gave himself for our sins, that hee might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the Will of God, and our Father,

Hee makes a description of Christ from the work of Redemption; that hee might shew, that our whole salva∣tion by the Grace of God comes to us through his merit; from whence

Argum. 7. Our salvation or redemption (from that lost condition of the wicked, who are of this world with∣out Christ) is obtained by the death of Christ alone, and that by the decree and institution of God the Father, who hath ordained this onely free cause of salvation: Therefore I ought to bee beleeved and obeyed admonish∣ing you, that you would acknowledge this the alone cause of your salvation.

Vers. 5. To whom bee glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Argum. 8. God is worthy, and Christ also, to whom, for such a gift and ineffable Grace, Glory should bee given by all for ever: Therefore I ought to bee beleeved by you vindicating this glory of the Grace of Christ amongst you, lest it should bee obscured or taken away by the me∣rit of humane works.

The second Part.

Vers. 6 I marvel that you are so soon removed from him that called you in the Grace of Christ, unto ano∣ther Gospel.

The second part of the Chapter follows, wherein hee proves that the errour, concerning that imaginary and impossible conjunction of justification by works, and ju∣stification by Grace, or by Faith in Christ, must bee re∣nounced, in which errour now they were entangled by the false Apostles, who taught the observation of the Mo∣saical Law to bee also necessary for the salvation and ju∣stification of those that beleeve in Christ, The Argu∣ments which hee urges, that they may renounce this er∣rour are nine. Of whom some are used by way of repre∣hension, others are openly brought in the disputation following.

I marvel] Argum. 2. Your revolting, O Galatians, from the Grace of Christ, to the merits of humane works, Is to bee wondred, that so soon as ever the Faith of Christ was admitted, and Grace for your conversion received, yee fell from it: Therefore yee must renounce this errour.

Removed] Argum. 2. By this your errour yee have forsaken God, who hath called you into the Grace of Christ, and have betaken your selves to humane works: Therefore you must renounce this errour.

Removed away] Argum. 3. By this errour yee are re∣moved from the Gospel of Christ, into another, I know not what Gospel feigned by men; Therefore you must renounce this errour.

Vers. 7. Which is not another; but there bee some that trouble you, and would pervert the Gospel of Christ.

Arg. 4. There is no other Gospel besides that onely true Gospel preached by mee amongst you, but all other Doctrine of the Gospel is feigned and counterfeit, which doth not accord with my Doctrine: Therefore yee must renounce this errour.

Trouble] Arg. 5. Those Teachers which have seduced you, are enemies to your peace, because they take away from you that peace, which the justified by Faith have towards God: Therefore yee must renounce their Do∣ctrine.

Pervert] Arg. 6. The supplantours and overthrowers of the Gospel of Christ, are those seducers, which would seem Teachers: For nothing, is more contrary to the Gospel concerning free Justification by Faith, than Justification by Works: Therefore you must renounce this errour.

Vers. 8. But though wee, or an Angel from Heaven preach any other Gospel unto you, than that which wee have preached unto you, let him bee accur∣sed.

Arg. 7. If there bee any one who hath preached ano∣ther Gospel besides that which I have preached unto you, hee is obnoxious to an eternal curse, I do not except my self, yea, neither the Angels, if it could bee, that if I should teach another Doctrine, or that if they should propound any other than that which is preached by mee: Therefore you must renounce this errour.

Vers. 9. As wee said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other Gospel unto you, than that yee have received, let him bee accursed.

Hee urges this Argument, that they might understand that hee spake not from any perturbation of mind, concer∣ning the curse pronounced against them, who preached that any thing was to bee joyned with the Gospel, ei∣ther contrary to, or besides the Doctrine which hee had preached.

Vers. 10. For do I now perswade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not bee the servant of Christ.

Arg. 8. From the comparing himself with the false Apostles: my Doctrine doth not perswade you that men are to bee heard, as the Doctrine of your seducers; who alwaies boast of the authority of so many Jews. But my Doctrine perswadeth, that God is to bee heard. I do not seek to please men, as your seducers, who by seducing you, indeavour to make themselves acceptable to the un∣converted Jews, as to those that superstitiously are zea∣lous of the Law: Therefore yee must renounce the er∣rour, which they have taught you.

For] Hee confirms this Argument: Because if hee had as yet studied to please men, as hee did in times past when hee was a Pharisee, hee could not bee the servant of Christ, but of men, viz. of those which hee had endea∣voured to please.

Vers. 11. But I certifie you Brethren, that the Gospel which was preached of mee is not after man.

12. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Iesus Christ.

Arg. 9. My Doctrine is heavenly, from the immedi∣ate revelation of God, not feigned by men, neither de∣rived to mee from God by a meer man, after an ordinary manner, but immediately revealed by Jesus Christ: Therefore yee ought to persevere in that, and to renounce the contrary errour.

The third Part.

Vers. 13. For yee have heard of my conversation in time past, in the Iews Religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the Church of God, and wa∣sted it.

In this Chapter hee gives six signs of this matter. Sign 1. Is the enmity of his mind, which hee bore a∣gainst Christ and his Church, in times past when hee was a Pharisee, which mind hee had never changed, had not God from Heaven convinced and turned him to the Faith.

Vers. 14. And profited in the Iews Religion, above many my equals in my own Nation, being more ex∣ceedingly zealous of the traditions of my Fathers.

Sign 2. That being bewitched by the knowledge of the Law, and zeal of the traditions of his Fathers, hee could neither see, nor bear the Truth of the Gospel, un∣less hee had been taught by inspiration concerning the Truth, much less know and preach the hidden myste∣ries of it.

Vers. 15. But when it pleased God, who separated mee from my Mothers womb, and called mee by his Grace,

16. To reveal his Son in mee, that I might preach him among the Heathen, immediately, I conferred not with flesh and blood.

Sign 3. His wonderful and free calling to the Faith and Apostleship (the history whereof is contained in Act. 9.) powerfully derived from the predestinating counsel of God, which Grace God most clearly manife∣sted in his embassage to the Gentiles, and his providence prepared a way to the manifestation of grace in his nati∣vity and education: That hee was born of such Parents, of such a temperament and constitution of body, that hee was brought up at the feet of Gamaliel, that hee was a Pharisee, that the providence of God concerning him worthy of special observation was apparent in all things, and brought it so to pass, that hee may say, that hee was prepared from the womb, and ready to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles: so that all things by the counsel of God did make for the preparation of the Apostle to this bu∣siness.

I conferred not] Sign 4. That being so manifestly convinced concerning the certainty of the voice from Heaven, and his immediate calling, and being sufficient∣ly perswaded of this, hee durst not deliberate of a mat∣ter so certain, neither hear humane reasons or counsels, which might with-draw him from the obedience of his calling.

Vers. 17. Neither went I up to Jerusalem, to them which were Apostles before mee, but I went into A∣rabia, and returned again unto Damascus.

18. Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen daies.

19. But other of the Apostles saw I none, save James the Lords Brother.

Sign 5. That being sufficiently by Christ himself im∣mediately instructed in the mystery of salvation; hee went not to the Apostles called before him, but hee preached the Gospel, the three first years of his A∣postleship in Arabia and Damascus. And after three years, comming to Ierusalem, hee visited Peter, and Iames onely, and tarryed with them a few daies, and that by reason of that intimacy betwixt them, and not for the confirmation of his knowledge.

Vers. 20. Now the things which I write unto you, be∣hold, before God, I lie not.

For the confirmation of which history, besides those witnesses that now live, who could not bee ignorant of so notable a matter, hee uses an oath.

Vers. 21. Afterwards I came into the Regions of Sy∣ria and Silicia,

22. And was unknown by face unto the Churches of Ju∣dea, which were in Christ.

23. But they had heard onely, that hee which persecuted us in times past, now preacheth the Faith which once hee destroyed.

24. And they glorified God in mee.

Sign. 6. That hee had publickly taught, and that by his Apostolical authority in Syria and in Cilicia, all the

Apostles, and all the Churches approving of it, and by name the beleeving Jews, who had never seen him, but being certified of his conversion from a Persecutor to a Preacher, did glorifie God. All which signs do assure you of the heavenly original of his Doctrine.