John Trapp on Galatians 3

CHAP. III. Verſe 1. O fooliſh Galatians]

THoſe that are ſick of a Lethargy muſt have double the quantity of phyſick given them, that other men have in other diſeaſes. Theſe Galatians were in a ſpirituall lethargy, and are therefore thus ſharply rebuked, that they might be ſound in the faith.T[illegible: 1 letter]t. 1.13.

Who hath bewitched you] Or, Bemiſted you, and dazeled your eyes, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. ve[illegible: 1 letter]v. Pun lib. 7. cap. 2. The word properly ſignifies to overlook, as they call it, or to kill with the eyes, by caſting out venemous beams, as the Baſilisk, and as witches are ſaid to do.

Hath been evidently ſet forth] As a remedy, by looking whereon ye might have been cured or kept from that bewitching by the eye: like as the ſtung Iſraclites were healed by looking on the brazen ſerpent.

Crucified amongſt you] In the evidence of the doctrine of Chriſt crucified, and in the adminiſtration of the Lords Supper, that lively picture of Chriſt on the croſſe.

Verſe 2. Or by the hearing of faith] The Manna of the ſpirit comes down from heaven in the dews of the Miniſtery of the Goſpel. If our eyes ſee not our teachers,N[illegible: 1 letter]nb. 11.9. 1 Pet 1.23. we cannot expect to hear the voice behinde us, Iſa. 30.20, 21.

Verſe 3. Are ye ſo fooliſh?] Thoſe then that have the ſpirit may play the fools in ſome particulars. Thoſe that are recovered of a phrenſie, have yet ſome mad fits ſometimes.

Made perfect by the fleſh] As Nebuchadnezzars image, whoſe golden head ended in dirty feet.

Verſe 4. If it be in vain] q. d. It is not in vain. God keepeth the feet of the Saints, that they cannot altogether looſe the things they have wrought, they cannot fall below his ſupporting grace: the Lord puts under his hand, Pſal. 37. Yet it cannot be denied that an hypocrite may ſuffer, and all in vain, 1 Cor. 13.3. as did Alexander the Copper-ſmith, who was near unto Martyrdome, Act. 19.34. See the Note on 1 Cor. 13.3.

Verſe 5. Or by the hearing of faith] Faith (and ſo life) is let into the ſoul by the ſenſe of hearing, Iſa. 55.3. to croſſe the devil, who by the ſame door brought death into the world.

Verſe 6. It was accounted to him] This the Papiſts jearingly call a putative righteouſnes. The Jews alſo deride it, and ſay, That every fox ſhall yeeld his own skin to the flaer. See Rom. 4.9, 11, 12.

Verſe 7. The ſame are children, &c.] And heirs together with him of the world, Rom. 4. which is theirs in right, though detained a while from them by the Amorites, till their ſins be full.

Verſe 8. And the Scripture fore-ſeeing] The Scripture therefore is not a bruit dead things, as the Jeſuites blaſpheme.Greg in Reg. 3. Excellently ſpake he, who called the Scripture, Cor & animam Dei, the heart and ſoul of God.

Preached the Goſpel] There is Goſpel therefore in the old Teſtament.

In thee ſhall all Nations] See my Note on Gen. 12.3. All Nations ſhall be bleſſed, i. e. juſtified by faith.

Verſe 9. Are bleſſed, &c.] For they only are bleſſed whoſe ſins are remitted, Pſal. 32.1. O the bleſſedneſſes of that man, ſaith the Pſalmiſt.

Verſe 10. Are under the curſe] Aut faciendum, aut patiendum. He that will not have the direction of the law, muſt have the correction. [non-Latin text not transcribed].

That continueth not in all] Deut. 27.26. Heb. Shall ſtand firm, as a four-ſquare ſtone.

Verſe 11. Shall live by faith] As being juſtified by faith. See the Note on Rom. 1.17.

Verſe 12. And the law is not of faith] Becauſe it promiſeth not life to thoſe that will be juſtified by faith, but requireth works.

Verſe 13. Christ hath redeemed us] As man he bought us, as God he redeemed us, ſaith Hierome. For to redeem is properly to buy ſome things back, that were morgaged.Qui redimit, emit quol ſuum fuit & ſuum eſſe deſi[illegible: 1 letter]t. Hieron.

Curſed is every one that hangeth] The tree whereon a man was hanged, the ſtone wherewith he was ſtoned, the ſword wherewith he was beheaded, and the napkin wherewith he was ſtrangled, they were all buried, that there might be no evil memoriall of ſuch an one, to ſay, This was the tree, ſword, ſtone, Caſaub. ex Maimonide. napkin, wherewith ſuch an one was executed. Conſtantine aboliſhed this kinde of death out of the Empire. But what an odde cuſtome was that of the Tibarenes to hang their beſt friends in courteſie,Sphinx Pbiloſ. pag 752. Longaſ[non-Latin text not transcribed], ex ijs literas facere quos chares habtbant?

Verſe: 14. The promiſe of the ſpirit] That is, the ſpirituall promiſe made to Abraham, and his ſpirituall poſterity.

Verſe 15. I ſpeak after the manner] I ſet the matter forth to you by a familiar compariſon.

Though is be but a mans teſtament] William Tracy of Gloceſterſhire Eſquire, made in his Will, that he would have no funerall pomp at his burying, neither paſſed he upon a Maſſe. And he further ſaid, That he truſted in god only, and hoped by him to be ſaved, and not by any Saint. This Gentleman died, and his ſon as Executour, bought the Will to the Biſhop of Canterbury to be proved, which he ſhewed to the Convocation: and there moſt cruelly they judged that he ſhould be taken out of the ground, and be burnt as an heretick, anne 1532. Dr Parker Chancellour of Worcester executed the ſentence,Act. and Mon. 951. and was after wards lent for by King Henry 8. who laid high offence to his charge, &c. It coſt him three hundred pounds to have his pardon.

Verſe 16. Which is Chriſt] Myſticall Chriſt, that is, whole Chriſt: for he accounts not himſelf compleat without his members, who are therefore called his fullneſſe, Epheſians 1.23.

Verſe 17. Ligbtſoots Har. Prolegom. Four hundred and thirty, &c.] This ſpace of time betwixt the promiſe and the law, the divine providence call into two equall port. ons of 215. before the peoples going down to Egypt, and 215. of their being there.

Verſe 18. Gave it to Abraham] Gr. Freely gave it. What more free then gift? And what better free-hold, then the divine promiſe? [non-Latin text not transcribed]

Verſe 19. Becauſe of tranſgreſſions] Which are diſcovered by the Law. Sight of miſery, muſt go before ſenſe of mercy. Lex. lux, the law is a light (ſaith Salomon) which laies all open: as I Cor. 14.25. and threatneth deſtruction to tranſgreſſours.

And it was ordained, &c.] Therefore it is not to be diſreſpected, though we cannot attain eternall life by it.

In the hand of a Mediatour] That is, of Moſes, who was a Mediatour of that communication of the Law to the people, Exod, 20.19. Chriſt is the only Mediatour of expiation, and of Chriſt alone ſome take this text.

Verſe 20. Is not a Mediatour of one] q. d. God and men were at odds: elſe what uſe of a Mediatour? sin is the make-bate, as being a tranſgreſſion of the Law.

But God is one] One and the ſame now as of old in taking vengeance on the laws tranſgreſſours. Or, God is one party diſagreeing or diſpleaſed.

Verſe 21. Have given life] That is, have juſtified a ſinner. But herein lay the laws weakneſſe thorow the fleſh, Rom. 8.3.

Verſe 22. But the Scripture] The law and Prophets.

Hath concluded all] Gr. Hath clapt them up cloſe priſoners. [non-Latin text not transcribed]

That the promiſe, &c.] That he might have mercy upon all, Rom. 11.32. See the Note there.

Verſe 23. But before faith came, &c.] i.e. Before Chriſt came: Faith is put for the object of faith.

We were kept under the law] As in a priſon or gariſon: being circled with a compaſſing ſtrength. The ſinner, [non-Latin text not transcribed] having tranſgreſſed, is kept by the law, as with a guard or gariſon, that he cannot eſcape, unleſſe he be delivered by Chriſt.

Verſe 24. The law was our ſchoolmaſter] Such an one as that that Livy and Florus ſpeak of in Italy, who brought forth his ſcholars to Hanibal: and if he had not been more mercifull then otherwiſe, they had all periſhed.

Verſe 25. But after that faith] That is the Goſpel, or Chriſt the authour and matter of the Goſpel. See ver. 23.

Verſe 26. The children of God] Gr. The ſons of God, grown up at mans eſtate, Qui manum ferulae ſubduxiums, who are no longer under a ſchoolmaſter. How we are the children of God by faith, See the Note on Joh. 1.12.

Verſe 27. Baptized into Christ] And ſo have had your adoption ſealed up unto you: like as in the civil adoption there were certain rites and ceremonies uſually performed.

Have put on Chriſt] To juſtification and ſanctification. See the Note on Rom. 13.14. this is to be clothed with the Sun, Rev. 12.2.

Verſe 28. Ye are all one in Chriſt] Souls have on ſexes, and Chriſt is no reſpecter of perſons.

Verſe 29. Heirs according] Heirs are kept ſhort in their nonage, and ſometimes forced to borrow of ſervants: but when once at years, they have all. So ſhall the Saints in heaven, though here hard put to't.