* * The salutations were vsed of the Apostles may be vsed by others . I pray you , why did Paul request that mutuall prayers bee made for him , if others might not praie for him , as hee did for them ? And why may not al pray , especially for Grace and Peace ? Or may I not wish them to my selfe ? Or if to my selfe , why not to my * * Rom. 13.9 . neighbour ? Or wherein lieth the lette ? May I not wish a man Gods grace ? Or may I not pray for the peace of men ? Or may I pray at all , and can I praie almost for anie thing , and not for these thinges , and with these wordes ?

For the other point that Manicheus did vse it , * * Epiphanius haeres. 66. I finde hee did . And what of that ? The best things either in hypocrisie may be pretended ( for hypocrites pretend not the worst ) or else the best thinges to purposes may bee abused . And what then ? The Pharisie abuseth his long praiers : the tempter abused the holie Scriptures : the Corinthians abused the Sacraments , Baptisme , and the Supper ; and Manicheus abused this good salutation , which yet is not the thing is so found fault with in him . But hee tooke vpon him to be an Apostle as the woorde is most preeiselie and properly taken : which his fault was reproued , as appeareth in Austine . Tom. 6. contra Epist. Funda . c. 5. & 6. And which title because the Pope being also a Bishop doth claim , he most resembleth Manicheus .

The abuse of things abolisheth not their good vsage . But to the matter , whether he vsed or abused this salutation , it skilleth litle : for our partes , we are not disposed to mislike the innocent sheepes fel , because the rauening woolfe hath sometime put it on : wee are not so fonde as to refuse the Arke of God , 1. Sam. 8 because the Philistines had once got it into their hands : we cannot , neither will wee ( God willing ) refuse the vsage of our godly greetings , because your coyishnesse would bar vs thereof , and appropriate good words at your fantastical pleasure . As wel you may , for ought I knowe , interdict men of well dooing , as of wishing wel vnto their neighbours and brethren .

And farther if you imagine ( as it may seeme you doe ) that there is some operatiue and working benediction in those wordes : beside that the euent hath prooued the contrarie ( for what is now become of that graceles & vnhappy Church of Galatia : ) the verie words following confute that your folly most sufficiently . For Paul wisheth Grace and Peace not as enclosed in his wordes , and interlaced in his lines , or fixed to his letters , but to bee giuen by God and by Christ which gaue himselfe &c.

In which fourth and fifth verses are to bee learned these three conuenient obseruations , as they lie . 1. The end why Christ gaue himselfe , to deliuer vs out of this present world . 2. The enducement thereunto , according to his good wil. 3. Our duty therefore in giuing him glorie and deserued prayse for euer .

The end of our deliuerie by Christ . 1 Deliuerie presupposeth captiuity , and the greater the enemie , the dearer the ransom , and the ioifuller the deliuerance . The enemie here named is the world , the ransome Christ , we are the deliuered . The enimie mightie , the ransom pretious : and therefore our deliuery most ioyful . But hee that is in hel thinketh many times there is no other heauen . So faire a glose can the world set vpon the matter , and so forcibly can it woork . Gen. 29. In the booke of Genesis Laban made promise to Iacob that he should haue to wife for his faithfull seruice fair Rachel , & Iacob in hope thereof indureth al toile and pains . But when the time of his couenant was expired , Laban in the night substituteth Lea in steed of Rachel : Euen so O guilful worlde , how sweet , how pleasant are thy promises , but the things thou yeeldest in the end how bitter , how ful of gall are they ? Thou promisest bewtiful Rachel , but thou performest squinteyd Lea. He which seeth thy vanitie , and discerneth thy wilinesse , would hee be deceaued , or ought he not of all thinges most to desire his deliueraunce from thy thral :

The world a transitorie and a wicked world . Our Apostle describeth this world worthilie in two woords , terming it the present wicked world . The wickednesse of the world may seeme delight-some , yet such delightes endure not long . They are but a basket ful of sommer fruit , a Ionas his gourd , they spring in the night , and fade the next day . That which is past , is as if it neuer were : that which is to come , is vtterly vncertain : and that which is present , is but a glimse for a moment , a morning dew and gone againe .

Notwithstanding were the world only a fickle and a transitorie vncertainty , the benefite of our deliuery were the lesse . Glasse is a brickle metal , and yet a cleane . The world is not only vnstable and fading , euen the verie fashion thereof , but it is ( as Saint Iohn speaketh ) altogither set on wickednesse , Our deliuerance from the world ▪ doth not driue men to shorten their time in the world . and therefore Christ gaue himselfe for our sinnes , that he might deliuer vs out of this present euill worlde . I say not : neither saieth Christ , from not being at al in this world , but from liuing after the fashion of the world : For it is written : Thou shalt not kil , that is , thou vpon a feare or fancy thou shalt not dispatch , as not an other , so not * * Aug. de ciui . Dei li. 2. cap. 20 thy selfe out of the woorld : Thou shalt not dig thine owne graue and enter into it before thy time , no , Thou shalt not hang thine owne winding sheete before thine eies , thou shalt not be cause or occasion of thine owne death .

Iob. When holy Iob cursed the daie of his birth it was but a pang of imperfection . Act. 16.28 . In the Actes , when the prisoner woulde haue killed himselfe , Paul crieth out that he should do himself no harm , as if to kil were to hurt himselfe . Then if to kill were to doe harme , verily to liue cannot be harm . And were it absolutely vnlawful to liue , or laweful to liue or not to liue when mans lust were , and with * * 2 Machab. 14. Rasis to leaue the station wherein God hath placed vs , there could haue beene no doubt , Philip. 1.23 . or no great doubt in Pauls choise to the Philippians where he casteth with himselfe whether it were better to choose life or rather death for the desire he had to be dissolued , and to be with christ . Yet in fine he resolueth for considerations that it were better the course of his race to be continued . And then why chose he life , if to liue were vtterly il , and simply naught , as some in their impatiencie imagine ?

Ioh. 17.15 . In Saint Iohn our Sauiour prayeth for his , not that they be taken out of the world , but that they may bee preserued from euil . For the creatures in the woorld , and the woorlde , and our life therein though euil and tedious , are not in fault . The faultes of the woorld must bee shunned , and from them wee are deliuered : namely from the guilt of sinne , thorough Christ : 1 Ioh. 1. and by his spirite from the degrees of sinning wilfully , lustfully , or finally to death . But , which is my second note , who is hee , or what is it hath deliuered vs ? the grace of God through Iesus Christ . And why ?

The inducement why God vouchsaued our deliuerance . The causes of gods doings must not be sought for else-where then in God himselfe . His grace , his fauour , his mercy , his fatherly goodnesse , his pleasure , purpose , wil and good wil , are the onely things specified in Scripture , as agent causes of sending so great saluation to the sonnes of men .

Our Apostle Paul euerie where intentiuelie looking into the state of our redemption , when he seeth the father satisfied , the Son sacrificed , man saued from sin , and deliuered from the world , he hath alwaies recourse onely to the goodnesse of God , who is most free in willing , inflexible in doing , repentant in neither , and in both without all compartner . For who hath or can be his associate or Counseller , Rom. 11.34 . to induce him this way that is vnchangeable in al his waies , especially in the mysterie of godlines , in the incarnation of our Sauior , & in the giuing of his Son ? So that neither beyond , nor on this side his wil Paul neither saieth nor seeth any thing , neither finde I ought that may be compared .

Our duety in regard of our deliuerie . 3 Teach a foole this doctrine of his deliuerance , and he cannot tel what it meaneth : wash a raw bricke and it turneth to mire : that is , tell a wilful sinner that he hath so gracious a god , such a through sauiour , straitway saith he , Grace shal saue , and Christ shal deliuer : I wil liue at pleasure and surfet euery howre , the rather because my Physicion is skilful , and able , and willing to help . God blesse euerie good soul from presumpteous sinnes . Pauls example is cleare to the contrarie , and in the meditation of the goodwil of God and great work of Christ as somewhere he gathereth vnspeakable comfort Rom. 8. ( If God be with vs , who can be against vs ? ) so here hee rendred dew thankes for so peerlesse and endlesse fauour .

And great reason : you reade when Isaake was borne , and * * Gen. 21.8 . weaned , great feasts were kept . But ( brethren ) when a man is regenerated and borne anew in Christ , and made the Son of God , when he is weaned from the world , greater reason incomparably greater that we keep an * * 1 Cor. 1.8 . holy feast , a feast vnto the Lord , to whom Paul saieth bee praise for euer and euer Amen . Wherein would be * * Continuance in thankefulnes is thankes worthy . noted not onely Pauls praising God , but his vehemency & continuance : for euer and for euer .

Feast-makers bring in the woorst wine * * Iohan. 21.10 . last , & the best first : so many continue not in the course of like thankfulnes as at the beginning , litle considering that God is to bee praised for euermore , without intermission of conuenient time . 2. Relaxation of euerlasting duty . 3. Exception of seasons as excluding his praises which are most due at anie time and for euer and for euer , Amen .

Two kinde of persons are noted in these verses , viz. the seduced , and the seducers . 1. Hee maruaileth at the one sort , 2. & defieth the other .

1 I maruel . ) Wherein he first setteth down the lightnes of the men , The reprehension of the persons seduced . that so suddenly were beguiled ; & then the weight of their transgression , that were caried quite into an other Gospel from the grace of Christ whereunto a litle before they were called , by Gods mercy , & Pauls ministery .

Inconstancie & lightnesse . A wise man is no waue , no shouting starre , no starting bow . A discreet christian goeth discreetly to worke , he trieth the spirits , proueth all , and after dew triall approueth the best .

True ; in chaunging from the better to the worse ; whether to day , or to morowe , sooner or later , all is a matter in effect : but to flit in a moment , to change with the weather , as the weather-cocke , is small wisdome and great shame .

Whether a man bee cast away at his entring the sea , or make wrecke in the maine Ocean , I grant it skilleth litle , yet the one much more argueth the vnskilfulnesse or the wilfulnesse of the Pylot than the other .

* * Constancie & perseuerance . An old Disciple as Mnason in the * * Acts. 21.16 . Acts , an auncient professor , a constant christian , are good titles . A fugitiue head , a foolish virgin , a deceaued doue , a seduced Galathian are spoken in great reproch . S. Paul wondreth at such their inconstancie . And yet obserue withal the Apostles lenitie , and great discretion . He shaketh not sea and sand togither . He knew ful well where the spring of their folly began . The Galathians were deeply plunged in the sea , the fault was most in the mariners . The young childe was bitte with the dogge : with whome is the mother angry most ? With the child , or with the snarling curre ? Likewise the seduced Philippians Paul calleth brethren , the seducers he termeth dogs . Phil. 3. Beware of concision , beware of dogs .

And yet in our text here , because no man must bee foded vp in his folly , as if it were no fault , foolishly to follow him that goeth wilfully before and leadeth after into error , he both marueleth at their sudden recoiling , and likewise also expresseth the greeuousnesse of their error , in falling , euen cleane from the Gospell to the Law , from Christ to Moses admixt with Christ .

And this was more than strange , and set the Apostle all in a maze to see and consider their so haynous a trespasse . For , thinke you , was it possible , a ground to receaue seede so willingly , as did the Galathians , to grow vp greene so fairly , and so suddenly without cause to bee blasted , and come to nothing ?

A man may let a thing out of his hande in desiring to comprehend more , when his hande had as much as it could holde before , though hee thinke not so . But did the Galatians quite renounce christ ? Did they cast away his grace ? Were they transported into an other Gospell ? Verily Paul chargeth them with no lesse . Yet happily , they might imagine ( wherein their error , being so well enstructed of Paul before , was the grosser ) that the addition & putting of the Law vnto the Gospel , & that the coupling of Moses with Christ had not bin the abiecting and the casting-away of Christ . For the coupling of two things togither , doth not seeme to be a throwing away of the one , but a conioyning of them both , and a casting away of neither . And so in this fancy were they remooued into an other Gospell , which yet in it selfe was and is syncere , intyre , inuiolable , and is no other and could not be bleuded with legal rites , or admit the least admixture at all . For Christ wil be Christ alone * * 1 Cor. 1.13 . vndiuided , and only preached in the Gospell , or no Christ at all , and these forsooth were perswaded hee might bee inuested with Moses , with ceremonies , with circumcision .

Faire pretenses verily , but ( brethren ) there is no diuel to the white diuell : there is no leprosie so daungerous as the fairest , as is the whitest . Leuitie and inconstancy . But yet thus to reele too and fro , to be allured so hastily like a childe , wonne with an Apple , and that from the syncerity of the Gospell vnder what pretenses soeuer , from the grace of God , from the merites of Christ Iesu , was a most heinous fault , and almost inexpiable , and therefore Paul wisely and worthily reprehended it in these vnwise Galathians , that would gadde and runne after euery false Apostle , that would but holde vp his finger .

The reproofe of the seducers . 2 These are reproued , as they well deserued , for corrupt minded men , purposely set , egerly bent , and fully * * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 intending to tourmoile the Church and peruert the Gospell of Christ . To sower his dowe and to soder his goulde , to trouble his trueth and the cleare water of their Christian profession they were entred into by Pauls teaching , and their Baptisme .

Therefore Paul is earnest , & because the mysterie of the false Apostles endeuours had not altogether peruerted them , yet hee forewarneth what in part they had doone , and what in fine their sleights would effect , euen in precise terms a full diuorst betwixt Christ and them . And therefore he foretelleth the imminent daunger to the seduced , and bouldly denounceth a Vae and woe to the seducers .

And whereas not only the name of Moses , but of Peter , Iames and Iohn also were pretended , and therein for that it might bee thought a priuate matter of enuy to name any of these , wisely and figuratiuely , 1. Cor. 4.6 . as vnder the persons of Apollo and of himselfe vpon like cause he dealeth with the Corinthians : so here hee putteth a case , and maketh a supposall , and thereupon auerreth , that if , not man who euer , but if a very celestiall spirit , and an Angel from heauen should play the pranckes these men had doone in melling together things of intempered natures , namely the Gospell with the Lawe , they should defie him , and in defiance say , Christs curse come to him .

The Gospel . The preaching of the Gospel was so carefully regarded of Paul , so certainely receiued of the Galathians , so glorious in it selfe , so respected of God , that neither the Lawe of Moses , nor the names of men , nor the Doctrine of Angels were to be compared , much lesse preferred . Yet lest in caring neither for high , nor lowe the Apostle might be deemed to haue ouer-shotte himselfe in choler of minde , and heate of wordes , distinctly and aduisedly he repeateth them once again , and farther manifestly to shew that hee doth what hee doth , and speaketh what hee speaketh vpon due considerations and firme grounds , he laieth open his hart and meaning more at large .

The sense is not obscure . What doe I ( saith Paul , ) perswade I man , or God ? Doe I curry fauour with the world ? Or pretend I mens names in Gods matters ? Seeke I to please mens fansies ? Or feare I their faces ? Serue I two so contrary masters ? I cannot . I doe not . You may ghesse who iugled in this case with both . For the Apostle seemeth to point at , or rather to paint out some . In this speech , I marke two thinges . The hard lot of the preacher , but yet his necessarie duetie manie times to displease . 1. The great frowardenesse of man . 2. The strict or hard condicion of the man of god , to serue him alone , and in seruing him to displease man .

Mans wisedome must not be controled , or his will thwarted , corruption will not be salted , but we are the salt of the earth , and the seruantes of God . Saint Paul could not glauer , we must not flatter . If we doe as he did , we doe as we should . If otherwise , wee serue not God , but men , and men , and not God must pay vs our wages .

But were wee the suger of the earth , and seruantes of men to feede their fancies and to speak to their humors , how would men admire vs and our doctrine , flocke to our sermons and frequent our lectures ? But because we are * * Mat. 5.13 . salt , and salt is sharp , because our endeuour is to profit you , and to please God whom wee serue , and not your itching eares , our persons are the lesse esteemed , and our teachings refused .

But to the text . Now , when Saint Paul had shewed his encent , and vttered his meaning , and declared how he stood vpon his necessarie duetie , due to Christ and in Christ alone , hee putteth it downe plainly whence he receiued this doctrine , and how and wherevpon grew this his so weighty a charge .

Saint Paul goeth not to woork at auentures , hee standet●●ot vpon vncertainties , hee neither bought not stole the letters of his orders , hee was not as * * Iere. 28.15 . Hannany that ran before hee was sent , neither was his doctrine as * * Num. 3.4 . strange fier . For he taught them that which himselfe was taught euen by Christ . In somuch that if others were immediatly called to the Apostle ship , so was Paul , and that by no means of men as wel as any . But hereof before .

Paul enlargeth the former matter of the vnlikelihood of his learning any thing by man , most euidentlie by the tenour and race of his former life .

His whole conuersation , & continual practise , his earnest zeale was quite a contrarie way , and might he haue had his own foorth , when he caried other manner of letters to Damascus , Acts. 9.3 . than are these he now writeth to Galatia , hee would haue made a quick dispatch of Christian profession .

Yet no doubt many an olde heade might & did get before Paul in deuising harme , but Paul hied him after , & not * * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . an equal of his in yeares , but was his inferior , yea far behind him in his zeale . So fast he profited in the Iewish religion , that it was impossible for a man to hold him back , or hinder his course . But when he was thus in al hast posting to Damascus , God turneth him another waie , & sendeth him into Arabia , & then brought him back another man .

When you looke vpon Paul in part describing himselfe , or when you read his fury laid foorth in the Acts by Luke , Acts. 9. & 22. no maruel if you maruel how he should be thus chaunged . But looke also and see the meanes of his chaunge : for hee sheweth in these verses : wherein because the Text is plaine , some fewe obseruations wil be best , as . 1. Of the cause of Pauls conuersion what it was . 2. The end why . 3. And his obedience thereto .

The cause of mans conuersion is not found at al in man . 1 In the search of the cause of mans conuersion , a proud Papist would seeke after some puritie in nature , some preparation in man , and for some fauorable willingnes thereunto in himselfe : but looke wee vpon Paul being left to himselfe , and see this one man , and know al men what we are . Nature worketh alike in al whereuer it worketh . For if there be any oddes , the difference is not in men naturally wherein we agree , but aboue and beside our nature where lieth the ods . Paul rideth a maine , his commission is in his bozom , and care at his hart for the ouerthrow of Christians , and Christian profession , when it pleased God , here is the cause , when it pleased God , euen then to alter him wholely and cal him effectually : here is the cause , and in nothing else . Nay from the wombe was Paul segregated by the prouidence and wil of God : and here is the sole and onely cause , both in the wombe where there neither was nor could bee cause at al , and afterward in the world , when there was great cause to the contrarie , but that so great was Gods goodnes , so good his pleasure .

The fruite of this example , and of the lesson therein is double , both for an assured confirmation of our faith , and also to imprint a necessary remembrance of our duetie to so prouident and louing a God , that not onely careth for * * Gen. 39.20 . Ioseph in the pit and prison , or * * Exod. 2.6 . Moses in the flags &c. but hath a special purpose , in his chosen before he framed , and when he fashioned them in the womb .

2 The ende why God called Paul is apparent to reueale his sonne in Paul , which was his special and priuate , and endlesse comfort . But the vse God would put him to , was the commoditie and instruction of the Gentiles . Neither could the Apostle haue reuealed that vnto others , if it had beene hid from himselfe . And therefore as it were to tinde the candle that should light a house , was Christ reuealed to Paul that Paul might in preaching reueale Christ to them that should beleeue .