A Key to the Key of Scripture, Chapter 2 · Exposition of verse 7-10
Verſe 7. That is, to them which through patience in well doing ſeeke glorie, and honour, and immortalitie, eternall life.
Verſe 8. But vntounto them that are contentious and diſobey the truth, and obey vnrighteouſnes, ſhall be indignation and wrath.
Verſe 9. Tribulation and anguiſh ſhall be vponupon the ſoule of eueryevery man that doeth euill: of the Iew first, and alſo of the Grecian.
Verſe 10. But to eueryevery man that doth good, ſhall be glorie, and honour, and peace, to the Iew first, and alſo to the Grecian.
IN theſe verſes the Apoſtle drawes out into particulars, that which hee hath ſummarily ſet downe in the former. Now whether theſe ſentences be legall, or euangelicall it matters not much to enquire; for rightly explaned, they hauehave their truth in the Goſpel; their drift is to proue by particulars, the generall before laid downe: God ſhall giuegive eueryevery man according to the qualitie of his workes continuers in well doing, ſhall hauehave life eternall, men obſtinate in euill doing, indignation and wrath. Hence might be obſerued, what before was touched, that the rule of recompence are the workes of men; they are Regula, though in good workes, not cauſa, vt ſupra: Reaſon alſo was before giuen; becauſe the end of the laſt iudgement, being to iuſtifie vntounto the very wicked, both men and Angels, the equitie of Gods ſecret iudgement, workes ſeeme the beſt outward euidences of faith, and infidelitie.
Verſe 7.To them which by continuance, &c.] Wherein are two things: firſt, how they are qualified that are admitted to life eternall: they are ſuch as continue, &c. ſecondly, the bleſſed iſſue of a man thus qualified; life eternall.
Obſer. Now whereas the heyres of life eternall muſt thus be qualified, wee may collect, the neceſſitie of good workes to the attainment of ſaluation, ſuch and ſo abſolute, as who ſo wants them ſhall neuer be ſauedzHeb. 12.14. Pſal. 15. Heb. 5.9.: vnderſtand it of growen men, that hauehave opportunitie: and thus farre Papiſts and wee agree: the queſtion betweene vsus, is, how they are neceſſarie; whether neceſſitate cauſae, or neceſſitate preſentiae, that is, whether as cauſes procuring by their merit ſaluation, or as antecedents onelyonly, and as it were diſpoſitions in the ſubiect, which if they were abſent, life eternall ſhould not be giuen. The former is that which Papiſts defend, and wee hauehave before confuted: the latter we acknowledge, God hauing required them, firſt, as teſtimonies of thankefulnes, for the grace of redemptionaLuke 1.47.45.: ſecondly, as euidences of faith, to the ſtopping of all ſlaunderous mouthesbIſay 2.3.: thirdly, as meanes to draw others to Chriſt, by our vertuous examplec1 Pet. 2.12.: in a word, according to that olde ſaying of Bernard, as via regni, not as cauſa regnandi: as the way to the kingdome, not as cauſes of raigning.
Ʋſe 1 The more to blame are Papiſts, ſo falſely to ſlander vsus and our doctrine, as enemies of good workes, which wee euer call for in the life of a Chriſtian, though we exclude them from power of iuſtifying: yea and as our Sauiour, ſo we teach, that except our righteouſneſſe exceed the righteouſneſſe of the Scribes and Phariſees, our good workes the workes of Papiſts; wee ſhall neuer enter into the kingdome of heauen: and as this a doctrine tending to liberty? or enemie to good works? yes, (ſay they) for except men be perſwaded, that they ſhall by their good workes deſerue heauen, they will neuer be drawne to good workes. No? is it not a ſufficient ſpurre to obedience, that God hath ſo freely choſen vsus to ſaluation, redeemed vsus by his ſons bloud, promiſed a glorious recompence to be giuen of grace, except they may alſo merit it at the hands of God? ſuch mercenarie obedience beſeemes ſlaues, not ſonnes; ſuch thoughts of pride, what ſhew they but a loathnes to be beholding to the Lord for ſaluation? as if they would none but what they pay for.
Come wee now from their ſlaunders, to our peoples Ʋſe 2 negligence; whoſe hypocriſie hath brought that ſtaine of ſolifidians, vponupon our doctrine of iuſtification by faith onelyonly: a company of ſuch hypocrites in the Church of GOD: and what maruell? (when Saul alſo was amongſt the Prophets, and Iudas numbred with the twelue?) that profeſſing to know GOD, and beleeue in Ieſus Chriſt, in their workes denie him; ſo abhominable, diſobedient, and to euerie good worke reprobatedTit. 1.16.; faith onelyonly iuſtifies, what neede good workes? ſurely to iuſtifie thee they are needeleſſe, and fruitleſſe; but to approue thy iuſtification to thy ſelfe and others, good workes are needfulleIam. 2.14.: if a man ſay he hath faith, and hath no workes, can that faith ſaue him? Conſider the Saints of God, and ſee whether faith that iuſtified them before God, was not fruitfull alſo by good workes amongſt menfGal. 5.6.: Abrahams faith, was it not a working faith? Rahabs faith, was it not a working faith? and ſurely, what euer men talk of their good faith to God, if thy want good workes of obedience to God, and louelove to men, they confute by their life, what they profeſſe with their tongue.
And therefore, let vsus all that hauehave by grace receiued Ʋſe 3 to beleeue in GOD; be carefull to ſhew forth good workes; that wee be not vnfruitfullgTit. 3.8.14.: It is an holy truth, that fire and water may as well agree, as faith and workes concurre in the act of iuſtifying; and as eaſily may heate be ſeuered from fire, or light from the ſunne, as good workes from faith in the life of him that is iuſtifiedhGal. 5.6.. Their vſes might at large be ſhowne, but that I ſee ſtill the volume grower greater, then mine opinion: they ſerue to aſſure vsus of our election, and callingi2 Pet. 1.10.: ſecondly, to adorne the doctrine of our GOD and SauiourkT…t 2.10.: thirdly, to ſtop the blaſphemous mouthes of the faithleſſel1 Pet. 2.13.: fourthly, to winne euen aliens to the truth, &c.
Obſer. I might here alſo note the neceſſitie of perſeuerance in holy obedience; yea, though perſecutions ariſe, to this end that wee may enioy ſaluation; how often is that iterated by our Sauiour? hee that continues to the end, it is hee that ſhall be ſaued; againe, be faithfull vntounto death, and I will giuegive thee the crowne of life mApoc.: and if any man withdraw himſelfe, my ſoule ſhall hauehave no pleaſure in him, Heb. 10.38.
Vſe. And would to GOD thoſe foreign, diary dewy Chriſtians, whoſe goodneſſe is diſſipate as ſoone as euer the ſunne beholds it, would conſcionablie remember itnHoſ. 6.4.: to deſiſt from good beginnings, is farre worſe then neuer to hauehave begunneo2 Pet. 2.10.: they looſe what they wrought; and what euer they hauehave done, is in vaine vntounto them, Gal. 3.4.
Obſer. Seeke glorie and honour.] So then the obſeruation hence is eaſie, that it is lawfull in obedience to hauehave reſpect to the ende of obedience, as a motiue ſtirring vp to all holy dutiespHeb. 11.25.26. 2 Cor. 4.18.: neither is it for nothing, that it pleaſeth the Lord to propound it in the promiſe, to the end to quicken our dulnes, &c.
Vſe. And it is but a ſlanderous cauil that Papiſts hauehave againſt vsus when they affirme vsus to teach, that it is vnlawfull f… vsus to wo…ke intuitu mercedis: this in deede wee teach, that our principall end and motiue, ought not to be the reward, but Gods glorie. Reaſons, for this were to ſubordinate the Creator to the creature, and to ſeeke to our ſelues: ſecondly that though there were no reward, or happineſſe promiſed, yet ought wee to performe dueties enioyned: for the principall motiues to all obedience, ought to be:See Bernard de diligendo Deo. cap. 3. firſt conſcience of dutie: ſecondly, louelove of Gods maieſty: thirdly, zeale of his glorie.
Eternall life, glorie, honour, peace, &c.] Verſe 7.10.This is the iſſue, and end of obedienceqRom. 6.22.: of which bleſſed iſſue to ſpeake as it deſerues, what tongue of men or Angels is abler1 Cor. 2.? a little part of it here obtained, how paſſeth it all vnderſtandingsPhil. 4.7.? and vvho can vtter the ſweetneſſe of that peace of conſcience, and ſpirituall reioycing in GOD, which himſelfe hath taſted? but ſure, if the beginning be ſo ſweet, what ſhall the fulneſſe be? What delight is it to a Chriſtian ſoule, in this Tabernacle of the bodie, but euen, as in a glaſſe, to behold the face of GOD manifeſted in Ieſus Chriſt? how glads it a child of GOD, when hee can but in the leaſt meaſure, maiſter his corruptions? and how ioyfull, when hee hath occaſion to manifeſt the ſinceritie of his affectionate louelove to his maker and redeemer? &c. which graces when they ſhall be perfected, and wee freed from all grieuances inward and outward, what acceſſe (imagine wee) ſhall come to our happineſſe? note what the Scripture ſpeakes to ſet out the excellencie of this happie eſtate; firſt, by perfection: ſecondly, varietie: thirdly, perpetuitie of all good things: fourthly, by abſence of all things that can in the leaſt meaſure impeach our happineſſe.
Vſe 1 Where are they then? that cry out, it is in vaine to ſerue God, and vnprofitable to keepe his commandementstMat. 3.14.? Oh, had they euer but taſted the ſweet comforts, that are in the very workes of religion, and that heauen vponupon earth, the feaſt of a good conſcience, could they thus ſpeake? or if the Lord vvould ſet them as hee did Moſes, vponupon ſome Neboth, to behold but the face of the heauenly Canaan, how would it rauiſh their thoughts and affections; and make them ſay there were no life to the life of a Chriſtian, that here hath the firſt fruits, and vponupon certaine euidences, expecteth the full harueſt of happineſſe.
Vſe 2 And let it be our comfort amidſt all the diſcouragements of this life; that wee know, that vvhen once the earthly tabernacle of this bodie is diſſolued, wee hauehave a building of God, not made with hands, but eternall in the heauens, 2 Cor. 5.1.