Brief Exposition of Galatians and Ephesians, Exposition 1 · Chapter 3 · Verse and explication 1
Vers. 1. O Foolish Galatians, who hath hewitched you, that you should not ohey the Truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?
THe Apostle (being to insist further upon the former dispute, lest their assertions had been thereby rendred dead and dull) quickeneth them a little, by inserting a sharp reproof, wherein he chargeth them with folly, in that they had suffered themselves to be seduced, by a sort of spiritual sorcery or witchcraft, unto disobedience to the Doctrine of the Gospel; which disobedience he aggregeth from the perspicuity and plainnesse in which that Doctrine was preached unto them, even such, as if Christ, together with His bloudy passion, had been drawn and painted upon a board before them. Doct. 1. The Minister of Jesus Christ, when he is called to insist upon the clearing-up of Truths unto the understanding, whether positively, by shewing what is revealed in Scripture concerning them, or, controversally by refuting contrary Errors, would mix his discourse with an occasional word of Exhortation, Reproof, or somewhat of that kind, which may tend more immediately and directly to excite and quicken the affections of hearers, lest they otherwise wax dull and languish: for, Paul casteth-in a sharp reproof in the midst of his dispute, O foolish Galatians, &c. 2. Where the precious Truths of the Gospel are preached, and disobeyed, People neither labouring to be perswaded of the Truth in their understandings, Act. 17. 32. nor to prize it in their heart and affections, Matth. 11. 17. nor to practise it in their life and conversation, Matth. 7. 26. this is a sin, the evil whereof cannot be sufficiently aggreged, or spoken against, as being a sin against the remedy of sin, Heb. 2. 3. for, this is the fault, for which the Apostle doth so sharply reprove those Galatians, even that they did not obey the Truth: the word signifieth, the not believing of, and disobedience to the Truth when it is believed. 3. Hereticks, who by fair words deceive the simple, (Rom. 16. -18.) are a kind of spiritual Sorcerers; and Heresie and Error is spiritual Witchcraft: For, first, as Sorcerers, by deluding the senses, make people apprehend that they see what they see not; So Hereticks and erring spirits, by casting a mist of seeming reason before the understanding, do delude it, and make the deluded person beleive that to be Truth which is not, chap. 1. 6, 7. And secondly, as Sorcerers, in what they do of that kind, are in a singular manner assisted beyond the reach of their own ability and skill by the Devil, who really doth the thing upon the Sorcerers practising of some Satanical ceremonies, which are prescribed unto them by the Devil, as a watchword whereat he is ready to answer: So heretical spirits are often more than ordinarily assisted in drawing of multitudes after them, and this by Satan's concurring with them, 2 Thess. 2. 9. Thus the Apostle, speaking of that influence which false Teachers had upon them, in drawing them from the Truth, he saith, Who hath bewitched you? It's a word borrowed from the practice of Witches and Sorcerers, who, being assisted by the Devil, use to cast mist before the eyes to dazle, and so delude them. 4. For a people to have the Gospel among them, and not to make use of it, but to reject it, and make defection from it, argueth them to be fools indeed, whatever be their wisedom otherwise in things relating to this present life: for, the Doctrine of the Gospel containeth saying Wisdom, which maketh wise unto Salvation, 2 Tim. 3. 15. which Wisdom they reject. Thus Paul calleth them foolish Galatians, because they obeyed not the Truth. 5. Though neither Ministers, nor any other, ought to charge men with folly, with a mind to reproach them, or in way of private revenge, Mat. 5. 22. Yet the Minister of Jesus Christ, or any other who hath a Call to it, may upbraid a man with folly, if, first, the party reproved be guilty of folly, as those Galatians were. Secondly, if the reproof flow from love and compassion in the person who doth reprove, and an honest desire after the sinner's good, as it was here: for, he casteth not up their folly in passion, but in compassion, desiring nothing but their good and amendment. Thirdly, if the reproof carry along all lawfull and allowed moderation with it, as here, he calleth them not wicked, but more gently, foolish or imprudent, and withall layeth the great weight of their sins upon their Seducers, who had bewitched them. And, fourthly, That the reprover not only himself do know that there is reason so to charge them, but also hold forth these reasons to them, that they may be convinced also: for, so doth Paul, he demonstrateth their folly, from that they obeyed not the Gospel, which was so plainly preached among them; O foolish Galatians, &c. Doct. 6. Ministers ought not to rest upon a coldrife way of preaching Truth, Mat. 7,-29. but are to endeavour the delivery of it, with that perspicuity and plainnesse, Col. 4. 4. that power and livelinesse, 1 Cor. 2.—4. as it may penetrate the conscience of the hearers, and be so clear and evident to them, as if it were pictured and painted out before their eyes: and in order to this, they would not only labour to understand throughly what they preach, 1 Tim. 1. 7. but also to believe it themselves, 2 Cor. 4. 13. and to have their own affections in some measure warmed with love to it, 1 Tim. 1. 15-. And above all, would labour with God, that the effectuall operation of His Spirit may come along with what they preach, 1 Cor. 2. -4. that so the Truth delivered may be the more lively, and convincingly represented to the hearers: for, Paul did so preach; Jesus Christ was evidently set forth, crucified among them, before their eyes: He did so represent Christ and Him crucified to their ears, by the preaching of the Word, as if they had seen Him with their eyes. 7. Though Jesus Christ and His sufferings are to be painted out, vively represented and pictured by the plain and powerful preaching of the Gospel; Yet it doth not follow, that they are to be artificially painted with colours upon stone or timber, for religious use: for, God commandeth the former, but condemneth the latter, Exod. 20. 4. And, the graven image is but a teacher of lies, Hab. 2. 18. Doct. 8. The more clearly and powerfully that the Gospel hath been preached among a People, their defection from it, and not giving obedience to it, is the more aggreged: for, Paul aggregeth their not obeying the Truth, from this, that before their eyes, Jesus Christ had been evidently set forth, crucified among them.