Galatians 1:13–14

In the former verse, the Apostle set downe, that he learned the Gospel, not of man, but of Iesus Christ, immediately. This in the next place, he goes about to prooue at large. His reason is framed thus. If I learned the Gospell of any man, I learned it either before, or after my conuersion: but I learned it neither before, nor after my conuersion of any man. The first part of his reason is here confirmed thus: before my calling and conuersion, I professed Iudaisme, and I liued accordingly, persecuting the Church, and suppressing the Gospel of Christ, and profiting in my religion aboue many others: therefore I was not then fit to heare and learne the Gospell of Christ of any man. This argument he further confirmes, by the testimonie of the Galatians thus: That this was my conuersation in Iudaisme, ye are witnesses: for ye haue heretofore heard as much.

In the example of Paul, two points are generally to be considered. The first, that the distinction of man and man, ariseth not of the will, or naturall disposition of man, but of the grace and mercie of God. For Paul an Elect vessell for nature and disposition, before his conuersion, is as wicked as any other. And he saith, Rom. 9. 11. that the difference betweene man and man before God, is not in him that willeth, nor in him that runneth, but in God that sheweth mercie. Therefore it is a Pelagian errour, to thinke that men, doing that which they can, doe by nature occasion God to giue them supernatural grace. The second point is, that Paul here makes an open, and ingenious confession of his wicked life past. And hence I gather that this Apostle, and consequently the rest, writ the scriptures of the new Testament by the instinct of Gods spirit, and not by humane pollicie, which (no doubt) would haue mooued them to haue couered and concealed their owne faults, and not to haue blazed their owne shame to the world. And therefore the bookes of scripture, are not bookes of pollicie (as Atheists suppose) to keepe men in awe, but they are the very word of God. Againe, the end of this plaine confessiō is, that Paul might thereby cōfirme, and iustifie, his owne calling, to the office of an Apostle. This serues to giue a checke to such persons, as vse to sit and rehearse their wicked liues past, in boasting and reioycing manner.

In Pauls example there be two things to be considered, his profession before his calling, and his conuersation. His profession was Iudaisme: and this hindred him from imbracing the gospell. It may here be demanded, what Iudaisme, or the Iewish religion is? Answer. In the daies of Christ, and the Apostles, there were three speciall sects among the Apostles, Esseis, Sadduceis, and Pharises. And the Pharises were the principall, and their doctrine was commonly imbraced of the Iewes. And therefore by Iudaisme (as I take it) Phariseisme is here meant. Nowe the principall doctrines of the Pharises were these. I. They held, that there was one God, and that this God was the father, without any distinction of persons: for when Christ mentioned the distinction of the father, and the sonne, they would not acknowledge it, Iohn 8. 19. II. They acknowledged in the Messias but one nature: for when it was asked thē, howe Christ beeing the sonne of Dauid, should neuerthelesse be his Lord; they could not answer. Math. 22. III. They held, that the kingdome of the Messias, was an earthly kingdome: and with this opinion, the Disciples of Christ were tainted. IV. They held, that the keeping of the morall lawe, stood in externall obedience, as appeares by the speeches of Christ, reforming their errours, Math. 5. 6. 7. chap. V. They maintained a naturall freedome of the will, in the obseruing of the law, Luk. 18. Lord I thanke thee (saith the Pharisie) I doe thus & thus. VI. They held a iustification by the workes of the lawe, without the obedience of the Messias. Rom. 9. 3. VII. Beside the written word and law of Moses, they had many vnwritten traditions, which they obserued precisely: and the obseruation of them was accounted the worship of God, Math. 15. 3. 9. Other points they held, but these are the principall. It may further be demaunded, how the Iewes could hold such hereticall, & damnable opinions, and yet be the people of God? Answer. They had for their parts forsaken God: but God had not forsaken them, because the Temple was yet standing, and the sacrifices with the outward worship, yet remained among them. In this regard, they were still a reputed people of God. Againe, they are called a people of God, not of the bigger, but of the better part: and the better part was a small remnant of them, that truely feared God, and beleeued in the Messias. Of which sort, were Ioseph, Marie, Zacharie, Elizabeth, Simeon, Anna, Ioseph of Arimathia, Nicodemus. Againe, it may be demanded, howe the Iewes beeing such a people of God, should fall away to so dānable a religion. Answer. They neither loued, nor obeyed the doctrine of Moses, and the Prophets: and therefore God in iudgment left them to the blindenesse of their owne mindes, and the hardnesse of their own hearts. Isai. 6. The like may be our case. If we loue and obey not the Gospel, more then we haue done, our religion may ende in ignorance, superstition, and prophanenesse, as theirs hath done.

The second thing in Pauls example, is his conuersation, whereby he liued and conuersed according to his religion. The like should be in vs. For the profession of the faith, and godly conuersation are to goe together. Phil. 1. 27. Faith in the hart is a light, and workes are the shining of this light. Math. 5. 16. Christ hath redeemed them that beleeue from their vaine conuersation. 1. Pet. 1. 18. Heere many of vs doe amisse, disioyning faith, and good life. And this fault is the greater, because it is an occasion to our aduersaries to mislike, and reiect our religion.

Pauls conuersation hath two partes, his persequution of the church, and his profiting in his religion.

Persequution properly is the afflicting of the people of god for their faith and religion. In this we are not to follow Paul, but to doe the contrary, that is, by all meanes to seeke the good of the church. After Gods glory immediatly, we are to seeke the comming, and aduancement of the kingdome of God. Now this kingdome, is a certen estate and condition of men, whereby they stand subiect to the word and spirit of God. And this subiection to God, and Christ, is the propertie of them that be members of the church of God. All, both rich, and poore, conferred something (according to their abilitie) to the building of the Temple, which figured the church of God. The fault of our times is, that we build our selues, and our worldly estates, and little respect the common good of the church.

In the persequution of the church by Paul, two pointes are to be considered, the manner, and measure, or accomplishment. The manner is, that he persequuted the church extreamely or aboue measure. That which Paul did in his religiō, we must doe in ours. The good things, that we are to doe, we must doe them with all our might. Eccles. 9. 10. our dutie is to keepe our hartes in the feare of God, and we must doe it with all diligence. Prou. 4. 24. It is our duty to seeke gods kingdome, and we must take it with violence. To enter into life is our duty, and we must striue to enter. To pray is our duty, and we must wrastle in praier, Rom. 15. 30. Iosias turnes to God with all his harte. The law requires, that we should loue God, with all the powers of body and soule, and with all the strengh of all the powers. In earthly things we must moderate our thoughtes & cares, but spirituall duties must be performed with all our might.

The accomplishment of persequution, is, that Paul wasted the church, and made hauocke of it. Here I consider 2. points, what is wasted? & who is the waster? For the first, it is the church. Here 2. questiōs may be demāded, the firist is, how the church can be wasted? Answer. In respect of the inward estate thereof, which standes in election, faith, iustification, glorification, it cannot be wasted. In respect of his outward estate, it may be wasted, that is in respect of mens bodies, and in regard of the publike assemblies, and the exercises of religion. The second question is, why God suffers his enemies to wast his owne church? Answer. Iudgement beginnes in Gods house: and his iudgements sometime are very sharpe, whether they be inflicted for triall or correction of sinnes past, or for the preuenting of sinnes to come. As in the bodie, sometime there is no hope of life, except armes, and legges be cut off: euen so is it in the church. Hence it appeares that there shall be a last iudgement, and that there is a life euerlasting in heauen: because the wicked man florisheth in this world, and the godly are often oppressed.

The waster of the church is Paul. By whome we learne that sinne, where it takes place, giues a man no rest till it hath brought him to a height of wickednes. Hatred hauing entred into Caines heart, leaues him not, till it haue caused him to imbrue his hands in his brothers bloud. Coueteousnes makes Iudas at length to betray his master, and hange himselfe. Blind zeale makes Paul not only to persequute, but also to wast the church. Therefore it is good to auoide the first beginnings, yea the very occasion of sinne.

The second part, and point in Pauls conuersion, is, that he profittes in his religion. Thus should we profit in the gospell of Christ. It is gods commandement be ye perfect as your heauenly father is perfect: that is, indeuour to come to perfection. Math. 5. 48. All the faith we haue or can obtaine is little enough in the time of temptation. Iob that said in his affliction, though the Lord kill mee I will still trust in him, saith also that God wrot bitter things Iob. 13. 15. v. 26. against him and made him to possesse the sinnes of his youth. It is a token that a man is dead in his sinnes, when he doth not growe, or increase in good things. 1. Pet. 2. 2. In this regard great is the fault of our daies, for many are wearie of the gospell, many stand at a staie without profiting; many goe backward. The cause is this. Commonly men liue as it were without the lawe: and thinke it sufficient, if they doe not grossely offend: not considering that the lawe of God, is a lawe to our thoughtes, and affections, and all the circumstances of our actions. That we may hereafter make good proceedings in our religion, we must remember 3. caueats. One, that we must indeuour to see, and feele in our selues the smalenes of our faith, repentance, feare of God &c. And the great masse of corruptions that is in vs. Thus with the beggar, we shall be alwaies peecing, and mending our garment. The second, that as trauellers, we must forget things past, and goe on to doe more good. Psal, 3. 14. The third, that we must set before vs the crowne of eternall glorie & seeke to apprehend it 1. Tim. 6. 11. thus did Moses Heb. 11.

In Pauls profiting, two things must be considered, the measure, and the thing in which he profited. The measure in that he profited aboue many others. Hence we learne that in matters of religion there should be an holy Emulation, and contention, among vs: and our fault is that we contend, who shall haue the most riches, and honour, or goe in the finest apparell, and striue not to goe one beyond another in good things. Againe, Pauls modestie must here be obserued. He doth not say that he profited more then all but more then many: and he saith not, more then his superiors, but more then his equalls for time: and he saith not more then all the world, but more then they of his owne nation. This modestie of his, must be learned of vs, for it is the ornament of our faith: and therefore must be ioyned with our faith.

The matter or the thing in which Paul profited, is that he was aboundantly zealous for the traditions of the fathers. Here I consider three points. I. What zeale is? Answ. It is a certen feruencie of spirit, arising of a mixture of loue, and anger, causing men earnestly to maintaine the worship of God, and all things pertaining thereto, and moouing them to griefe, and anger, when God is any way dishonoured. II. For what is Paul zealous? Answer. For the outward obseruation of the law, and withall, for Pharisicall vnwritten Traditions: which therefore he cals the Traditions of his fathers. III. What is the fault of his zeale? (for he condemnes it in himselfe) Answer. He had the zeale of God, but not according to knowledge. For his zeale was against the word, in that it tended to maintaine vnwritten Traditions, and iustification by the workes of the lawe, out of Christ, Rom. 10. 2.

Hence we learne sundrie things (For that which Paul did in his religion, are we to doe in the profession of the Gospell.) First, we are to addict and set our selues earnestly, to maintaine the trueth, and the practise of the Gospel. Christ was euen consumed with the zeale of Gods house. Ioh. 2. The angell of the Church of Laodicea is blamed, because he is neither hotte, nor cold. Rev. 3. He is accursed of God, that doeth the worke of God negligently, Ierem. 48. Secondly, we are to be angrie in our selues, and grieued, when God is dishonoured, and his word disobeyed. When the Israelites worshipped the golden calfe, Moses in holy anger, brust the tables of stone. Dauid wept, and Paul was humbled for the sinnes of other men. Psal. 119. 136. 2. Cor. 12. 21. Thirdly, we are here taught, not to giue libertie to the best of our naturall affections, as to zeale; but to mortifie them, and to rule them by the word, Numb. 15. 39. otherwise they will cause vs to runne out of order, like wild beasts, as here we see in Paul. Lastly, let it be obserued, that Paul here condemnes zeale, for the maintenance of vnwritten Traditions. And let the Papists consider this.