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better faith in him, than that which sometimes miscarrieth and produceth not that for which it stands engaged? implying, that such an interpretation as this is unreasonable in the highest. But to give a little further light to the Scripture opened, "Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth," and to the interpretation lately given, it is to be considered that the word 9μérios,* translated "foundation," doth not only signify the foundation of a house, building, or the like, but a bond or instrument in writing, whereby he that lendeth money or intrusteth goods unto another is wont to be secured by him who borroweth or is intrusted, that he shall duly receive what he hath contracted for with him. Such a writing or instrument as this is a kind of politic or civil foundation on which the creditor builds a rational hope or expectation of receiving from his debtor what is equitably and upon promise due unto him. Now, that the apostle, in the words in hand, rather alludeth to such a "foundation" as this, if it must be so called, than unto that other, is very probable, at least, from hence, viz. because to this latter kind of foundation, which I call politic or civil, sealing is most proper; whereas it cannot be ascribed unto the other but by a very improper, strained, uncouth, and unheard-of attribution. For who hath heard of the sealing of a foundation of a house or building? or to what end or purpose should such a foundation as this be sealed? But writings for the security of contracts or engagements between man and man, are, by the custom of almost all nations, wont to be sealed, yea, and are not authentic, or valid in law, unless they be sealed. So that, by the "sure" or firm "foundation" of God, which is said to 66 stand," how fast soever men fall from the belief of it, questionless is meant that gracious contract or covenant made by God with the world to give life and salvation to all those that shall believe in Jesus Christ; which covenant is now exhibited in writing unto those concerned in it, men, as a foundation for all men to build a hope and expectation of life and salvation upon, according to the tenor and terms of it. This foundation is said to be στερεός, "firm," or stable, because it is such in the nature of it, as being nothing else but the word or promise of a God who" cannot lie" or deceive: it is said to "stand," or to have stood, orŋkɛ, because it never failed any person that built upon it. It is said to have this seal, "The Lord knoweth who are his," because the firmness or stability of it is further confirmed unto men by that perfect knowledge, declared and asserted in it, which God taketh and hath of all those who truly believe, whereby they become appropriately his; by means of which knowledge and approbation he is in a perfect capacity to make this signal difference between them and others who believe not, or revolt from their faith, viz. to save the one and to destroy the other when time comes. Again, it is said to have this "seal" also, "Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from * See Sam, Petit Var. Lectionum, lib. i. cap. 11.

evil," because the said truth and stedfastness of it is yet further commended and ratified unto men by the holiness of the commandments given in it unto those that profess the name and faith of Christ. A promise or covenant of life and salvation is therefore likely to be from God, and consequently to be stable and firm, because it requires such an excellency of life and conversation of all those who expect benefit by it. However, that, by the "foundation of God," in the place in hand, should be meant the election of some particular persons by God, hath neither the good-will of the metaphor or phrase, nor yet of the context, for it; of which more hereafter in due place.

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We have formerly observed it as Chrysostom's judgment concerning Judas, that at that time, when Christ made this promise unto the twelve," Verily I say unto you, that ye which have followed me in the regeneration, when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel," Matt. xix. 28, Judas was, as well in respect of the inward frame of his heart, as of his outward conversation, in the same capacity, with the rest of the apostles, of sitting upon a throne to judge the twelve tribes of Israel," i. e. of being saved. This opinion of his concerning Judas, he argues and proves from the said promise; which, he judgeth, cannot be verified, unless it be supposed that Judas, one of the twelve, was at this time under the grace of it, and in such a relation and condition God-ward, wherein had he persevered, he should actually have been a partaker of the glory promised, with his fellows. We took knowledge likewise, in the place related unto, that P. Martyr approved the said judgment of this father, together with the ground and reason of it; delivering unto us, upon occasion thereof, this most true and necessary rule, viz., that "Those promises of God are to be understood with reference to the present state and condition of things,"* with those, to whom they were made. And Lorinus, writing upon Acts i. 16, reports it as the probable opinion of Cyril, Jerome, Tertullian, Ambrose, Chrysostom, Basil, Ammonius, Leontius, Olympiodorus, Anastasius, Leo, Euthymius, &c., that Judas, when he was chosen by Christ to be an apostle, was a good man, and so continued for some time afterwards and withal mentioneth the grounds upon which some of the said authors so conceived of him. We shall not need to argue the case of Demas, Alexander, Hymenæus, and several others, whose revoltings from the faith are recorded in the Scriptures. Concerning the two latter of the three now mentioned, Hymenæus and Alexander, it is expressly said, that they were delivered up unto Satan by the apostle Paul, 1 Tim. i. 20. Which plainly showeth, 1. That they were judged meet by the saints to be received as church-members by them. For otherwise the apostle demands, "What have I to do to judge them that are without?" 1 Cor. v. 12 ;

* Promissiones itaque illæ Dei, pro statu præsenti rerum intelligendæ sunt.

meaning, to inflict any ecclesiastical or church-censure upon those who were not members of some Christian church, or other. And if they were judged meet by the saints of that church, who admitted them into Christian communion with them, they were judged true believers by them: and their judgment of them as being true believers, is a far better ground for us to judge them to have been such also, than their apostasy is to judge them to have been hypocrites, at that time, when they judged them true believers. 2. Their delivering up unto Satan by the apostle showeth, that he judged them totally fallen from their faith, and so dismembered from Christ: for otherwise he should have delivered up unto Satan such persons whom he judged true members of Christ. There is the like consideration of the incestuous person in the church of Corinth. His receiving into this church, is more than a probable argument that he was at this time a true believer. Nor is there the least intimation given of any difference between him, and the rest of the members of this church, whom the apostle termeth" saints by calling," and, "sanctified by Christ Jesus." And if he were not a true member of Christ, before the committing of the sin for which he was delivered up unto Satan by the apostle, he sustained no great loss in his spiritual condition, either by committing the said sin, or by being so delivered up for it. For upon this supposition, he was no better than a hypocrite before, and worse he could not lightly be afterwards. And besides, the tenor and import of the sentence of excommunication, is not declarative, that the person sentenced never was a sound believer, or true member of Christ, but that now by his sinful misdemeanor, whereby he incurreth that sentence, he hath dismembered himself from him. Nor can the said sentence be duly styled a delivering up unto Satan, if it must be still supposed, that the persons justly sentenced herewith had been always, before the said sentence, as much under his power, as they are or can be afterwards. So that, all circumstances considered, it cannot reasonably be judged, but that the person now in instance had sometimes been a true member of Christ, and believer. But that he sinned away this his blessed relation, by that sin for which he was delivered up unto Satan, needs no other proof, but the apostle's express order for this sentence to pass upon him, 1 Cor. v. 3-5. For I verily as absent in body, but present in spirit, have determined already, as though I were present, that he that hath done this thing, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that such an one, I say, by the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, be delivered unto Satan," &c. Doubtless this apostle, who professeth that he "could do nothing against the truth, but for the truth," never consented, much less commanded, that any true member of Christ should be delivered unto Satan. But, as hath been said, the cause in hand standeth in no need of confirmation from these examples; the serviceableness whereof for such a purpose, may possibly be evaded with more plausibleness of pretence

than the former. Any one instance of a total declining in him, who hath at any time been a true believer, is sufficient to prove the truth of the doctrine under maintenance: yea, as was said in the beginning of this chapter, though no such instance could be produced, yet may the said doctrine receive demonstrative evidence, and this in abundance, otherwise: and, I trust, hath received it from the premises in this discourse. Yet give me leave to add one instance more.

Concerning the Galatians, unto whom the apostle Paul writeth, any man that shall diligently peruse the epistle written unto them, cannot lightly but conclude, that certainly these men, I mean the generality of them, and more particularly those for whose sake especially the epistle was written, were sometimes, viz. when Paul left them, after he had preached the gospel for a while unto them, true believers, and persons justified in the sight of God; and afterwards, viz. when he wrote the epistle unto them, had suffered a total loss of their faith, and of justification by it. That they were sometimes true believers, these passages compared, and laid together, are sufficiently pregnant, I conceive, to give satisfaction unto any duly considering man. "I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called into the grace of you Christ, unto another gospel," Gal. i. 6. Their removal from him that called them, &c., plainly supposeth, that sometimes they had cleaved unto him, viz. in the cordial embracement of that gospel which he had sent amongst them, and by which he had called them. So again: "Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?" chap. iii. 2, 5. The receiving of the Spirit, is still appropriated unto true believers. "This he spake of the Spirit, which they that believed in him should receive," John vii. 39. And elsewhere: "And God which knoweth the heart, gave them witness," viz., that they believed, as appears from the former verse, "in giving unto them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us :" to omit other places. Again: "And my trial, which was in my flesh, ye despised not, neither abhorred but ye received me as an angel of God, yea, as Christ Jesus. What was then your felicity? For I bear you record, that if it had been possible, ye would have plucked out your own eyes, and have given them unto me," Ĝal. iv. 14, 15. If our Saviour's words be true, "He that receiveth a prophet, in the name of a prophet, shall receive a prophet's reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man, shall receive a righteous man's reward," Matt. x. 41: doubtless he that receiveth an apostle, not only in the name of an apostle, but as an angel of God, yea, as Christ Jesus himself, shall receive a righteous man's reward, i. e. salvation; meaning, if he shall continue in the same mind, and frame of heart, unto the end, as we have formerly interpreted such promises of God, by express warrant from the Scriptures themselves. When he tells them that he is afraid of them, lest he should have bestowed on them labour in vain, chap. iv. 11, his meaning, doubtless, is not that he was

afraid they would lose or make shipwreck of an unsound, light, or hypocritical faith, (such losses, whether of our own or of our friends, are no matter of fear unto us,) but of such a faith, which persevered in would have saved them. And, to forbear other passages which might readily be produced upon the same account, when he speaks thus unto them, "Ye are abolished from Christ, whosoever are justified by the law," (i. e. depend upon the works of the law for your justification,) "ye are fallen from grace." And again, "Ye did run well, who hindered you that you should not obey the truth?" Gal. v. 4-7. He clearly supposeth that they had been true believers. If they were now fallen from grace, which the apostle clearly affirmeth they were, by depending upon the works of the law for their justification, it must needs follow that sometimes they were possessed of it and were the children of grace, which also their running well undeniably importeth. "Whereas therefore," saith Musculus upon the place, "he saith that the Galatians ran well, he commendeth their zeal and studiousness in the true faith and religion of Christ; signifying withal, that they might have attained or reached the mark of true blessedness, had they persevered in that which they had well begun ;"* with more of like import. Let other orthodox expositors be consulted upon these latter, together with the former passages, mentioned by way of proof, that these Galatians were sometimes true and sound believers, and they will be found to carry the sense of them to the same point. On the other hand, several of the said passages, with some others, do as plainly and pregnantly suppose, that at the writing of the said epistle unto them they were wholly alienated from Christ, and had neither part nor fellowship in the great business of justification by him. They were removed from him that had called them into the grace of Christ, unto another gospel. They were abolished from Christ, they were fallen from grace, they did not obey the truth. Calvin, upon the first of these expressions, "I marvel that ye are so soon removed," &c., writeth thus, "He convinceth them of a defection, not only from his doctrine, but from Christ himself; for men cannot hold Christ upon any other terms than by acknowledging, that by his benefit they are freed from the bondage of the law." Upon the second, "Ye are abolished from Christ," &c., thus, "The meaning is, if you seek for any part or piece of righteousness in the works of the law, Christ becomes nothing to you, and you are aliens from grace. For their opinion was not so gross, as that they thought they should be justified by the alone observation of the law; but they mingled Christ and the law together, otherwise

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* Cum itaque Galatas benè cucurrisse dicit, laudat illorum zelum ac studium in verâ fide ac religione Christi: significatque potuisse eos ad veræ felicitatis ac salutis metam pertingere, si in eo, quod bene cœperant, perseverâssent. Qui à principiis fidei, ac spiritûs boni ad perfidiam degenerant, omnem suam vitam, quæ veniæ particeps erat, mortalem constituunt : quales illi sunt, qui cum Galatis spiritu quidem incipiunt, tandem verò carne desinunt.-Idem, loc. de Peccato, sect. 5.

† Arguit autem eos defectionis, non à suâ doctrinâ tantum, sed à Christo. Nam Christum tenere aliter non poterant, quàm si agnoscerent ejus beneficio nos manumissos esse à servitute legis.