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book_n	great_a	law_n	write_v	2,881	5	5.4884	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A42733	An assize sermon preached before the Right Honourable the Lord Chief Justice Glyn and Mr. Serjeant Earle, judges of Assize at Bridgnorth in Shropshire, July the 2d, 1657 / by Thomas Gilbert ...	Gilbert, Thomas, 1613-1694.	1657 (1657)	Wing G719; ESTC R18734	21,943	35

to a Rule equally imperfect with it self and so Gods Judgment must be according Not to dispute the Suppositum Answer 1. The condition of the Law of nature as it hath the Super-added formality of a Covenant of Works is such that being once broken it can never be performed by him that breaks it The souls of just men made perf●ct could not con●inue a moment in Heaven in the right of their own perfect inherent righteousness it being the righteousness of persons who had sin'd 2. That the esse●tials of the moral creature Man if they have the capacity of a Law to be obeyed as well as of a principle to obey yet in the capacity of a Law they are a necessary Law so requiring that they cannot but require obedience But in the capacity of a Principle they are a free principle so able to yeeld that they may not yeeld obedience And which is more never did any fallen man do what he was able by his essentials as a Principle of obedience to the same essentials as a Law 3. That man at first had not only natural principle enableing him to do the things for the matter contain'd in the Law but a supernatural Principle also enabling to the manner of doing required by the Law That by his fall his naturals were indeed but corrupted and that perhaps equally both as a Law requiring of and Principle enabling to the things to be done for the matter But his supernaturals enabling to the gra●ious manner of doing were wholly lost 4. That man hath indeed by sinne as much blur'd and blotted rent and razed his counterpart of the Law and Covenant of works as he hath vitiated and weakened his natural Principle But God hath kept his counterpart of the same Law pure and entire Now Gods procedure in judgment will not be according to Heathen mens rent and razed but his own pure and perfect counterpart of that Law as a Landlord will deal with a Tenant in the like case of a Lease So that the Infidel Heathen as he sinnes without shall also be judged by God to perish without Law i. e. doth not in sinning shall not in judging come under the aggravation of the Jews sinne against or judgment by the Law written in Tables no more then of the unbelieving Christians sin against or judgment by the Gospel But shall be judged by as he sinnes against the Law written in his heart and not only as in his heart corrupted and defaced but as in the uncorrupt counterpart the great Judg keepeth by him 2. Whereof more briefly if they be Jews in the forementioned condition as 't is conceiv'd many of those people especially since the dispersion are their obedience or disobedience shall be measur'd according to the line and rule of the Law written in Tables and Gods proceeding in Judgment with them accordingly Rom 2 12. As many as have sinned in the Law shall be judged by the Law 't is clearly spoken of the Jew As many as have sin'd {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} in the Law commonly interpreted by {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} having the Law But I conceive there 's more much more in the expression then so {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} In the Law means in the midst of so much Law in the face and light of so pure and clear Law As many as have thus sin'd in the Law shall be accordingly judged by the Law so much more severely then the Infidel Heathen as they have sin'd more hainously against a perfect Transcript by the hand of that perfect counterpart in the hand of the great Law-giver himself never purchased to the Infidel Heathen Rom. 2.9 Tribulation and anguish upon every soul that doth evil of the Jew first and also of the Gentile 2. Those who have had Christ whether Jews or carnal Christians sufficiently proposed to them but never by saving Faith closed with him have both Law and Gospel the rule of their obedience and shall have of Gods Judgment They have 1. Both the Law and Gospel the Rule of their ob●dience 1. The Law and Covenant of Works because they are under it under it as the Law of nature as men that binding all whether in or out of Christ to its obedience under it as the the Covenant of Works as men out of Christ there being but two Covenants of Works and grace between God and man and every man under one of them if not that of grace the other of works For neither could mans first disobedience nor succeeding disability thereupon bastle the rigorous demands of it 's Precepts 2. The Gospel also is to such a rule of obedience requiring them to come under its new Positives of Faith and Repentance Mar. 16.15 Preach the Gospel to every creature 1.15 Repent and b●lieve the G●sp●l Whatsoever the Law speaketh it speaks to them that are under the Law but the Gospel speaks to men that yet are not under to come under it and it 's their great sin that they do not obey 2. Such shall have both Law and Gospel Gods rule of Judging them 1. The Law and Covenant of Works because broken by them Gal. 3.10 Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the Book of the Law to do them For if by disobeying the Precept they did not void the powers of the Precept much less of the Threatning Nay they could no otherwise forfeit the Promise and incur the Threatning than by disobeying the Precept 2. The Gospel and Law of Faith because they finally reject it Now 't is more hainous finally to dis-believe the Gospel then first to disobey the Law And this aggravates as their sin against the Gospel as the rule of their obedience so also the wrath of the Gospel against them as the Rule of Gods Judgment John 13.22 3.18 19 3. Those who have had Christ sufficiently proposed to them and by saving Faith closed with him have both the Gospel and Law of nature or moral Law the rule of their obedience to God and shall have both Gods rule of judging of them 1. They have them the Rule of their obedience unto God 1. The Gospel requiring of them perseverance in obedience to it's Positives Be thou faithfull unto death Rev. 2.10 For as faith is required to the getting so perseverance in Faith to the keeping of a Gospel Title 2. The moral Law or Law of nature requiring Perseverance and improvement in obedience to its morals 1 Cor. 15. ult. Alwaies abounding in the work of the Lord And this their obedience not to God as Creatour only but as Redeemer also Not as it self the condition of the Covenant of Works but as fruit and evidence of the condition of the Covenant of Grace Gospel Faith and the way to the poss●ssion of that Inheritance Gospel Faith entitles to 2. Such shall have both these the rule of Gods Judging them 1. The Gospel in the Promise of

of Judgment at the last day Rom. 2 16. In that day when God shall judg the secrets of men by Jes●s Christ according to my Gospel God who delegates Christ the Judg appoints the Rule of Judgment the same as of mans Obedience Pauls Gospel Not any fifth Gospel written by Paul as some of the Papists fondly imagine nor yet the Gospel written by St Luke as Pauls Amanuensis But the Gospel saith Austin a contain'd Propheticis Apostolicis Libris in the Books of the Apostles and Prophets called PAVLS because he is the Preacher of it by much better right then I call JAMES MINE APOSTLE when Preaching upon a T●xt of his Epistle Rev. 20.12 The last Proof I shall offer ye have a solemn representation made to John by Vision of the last general Assize the Throne set Books open'd and dead judg'd b Origen and c Ambrose interpret the Books there said to be open'd the Books o● mens Conscience and Gods omniscience d Austin and our old Countrey-man Bede the Bo●ks o● the Old and New Testament Why may not these Antients divide the truth between them When it 's said the Books were opened I conceive both may be taken in When it 's said t●e dead were judged out of those things which were written in the Books according their works I conceive both must be taken in Origens Books the Books of mens conscience and Gods omniscience as Records of Fact Austins Books the Books of the Old and New Testament as Records of Law That in these as Austin saies might be seen what Laws God hath commanded to be observed in those Not as Austin in that of life how men had or had not observed them The Point thus proved I shall now in the second place make some Queres for the better learning of the Doctrine QUERE I. How the same Law of God is the Rule of mans Obedience and Gods Judgment Answ. The same Law in different respects The Rule of Mans Obedience in the Precepts and Prohibitions Gods Judgment in the Promises and Thre●tnings 1. The Law of God is t●e Rule of mans Obedience in the Precepts and Prohibitions For as where no Law is there is no Transgression no sins of Commission where no Negative Laws or Prohibitions No sinnes of Omission where no Affirmative Laws or Precepts So where no Law is there 's no Obedience neither Man might and must have been subject to God as supreme Lord without any Laws He could not without Laws be obedient to God as Rector 2. The Law of God is the Rule of Gods Judgment in the Promises and Threatnings annexed to the Precepts and Prohibitions For as the Precepts and Prohibitions determine mans duty and sinne what shall be his duty and what his sinne so the annexed Promises and Threatnings determin Gods Rewards and Punishments The Promises what shall be Gods reward of mans duty the Threatnings what shall be mans demerit of Gods punishment for his sin So that had no Promise been annexed to the Precepts and Prohibitions man obeying both had indeed been capable of reward but God is not bound ●o conferre it and had no Threatning been annexed to the Precepts and Prohibitions man disobeying both had indeed been capable of Punishment but not bound to suffer it much less God to inflict it For the very Threatning annexed in the meer nature of a Threatning if it be not a denunciation also b●nds not God to inflict but man only to suffer if God inflict I have been the more brief in this first Quere because to be more large in the second QUERE II. What Law of God it is that is the Rule of mans Obedience and Gods Judgment Answ. Not one and the same Law to all but different according to the different state and condition of the persons to be ruled and judged by it yet so that the same persons have still the same Law the Rule of their Obedience and Gods Judgment Now there 's a three-fold different state and condition of persons to be rul'd and judged by the Law of God Some 1. Who never had Christ or not sufficiently discovered and proposed to them 2. Who having had Christ sufficiently proposed to them have not by saving Faith received and clos'd with him 3. Who having had Christ sufficiently proposed to them have by saving Faith received and clos'd with him 1. That Law of God which is the Rule of their obedience to God and Gods judging of them who never had Christ or not sufficiently discovered and proposed to them as the Law of nature under the formality of a Covenant of works written in their hearts if Gentiles or in Tables also if Jews None of these whether J●ws or G●n●●les are requir●d Obedience according to the Law of Gospel-Faith never pub●ished among them neither shall they be saved by that Gospel-Faith they never had in them nor be condemn'd for want of that Gospel-Faith never required of them in a Mediatour never or not sufficiently held forth to them For Credibile sufficienter proposi●um ad sidem obligat Now Christ ●s only sufficiently proposed where himself the end for which and Termes on which he is proposed are sufficiently made known Where this is not done there 's no obligation of duty to Believe and therefore There can be no obligation of guilt for not so believing So that here the Gospel can neither be the rule of mans Obedience nor of Gods Judgment But 1. If they be Gentiles in this condition their obedience or disobedience shall be scan'd according to the Law of nature written in their hearts and this Law of nature written in mens hearts being as capable of sanction by Promises and Threats as written in Tables judgment accordingly passed on them See both these Rom. 2. v. 14. this Law their rule of ●bedience These having not the Law are a Law unto themselves Ver. 12. this Law Gods Rule of Judgment They shall perish without Law Gods judgment of all such a judgment of condemnation for their disobedience to the Law For though some of them may do as the Apostle saith {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} the things contained in the Law he meaneth but some things And of those some things for the matter which they do contain'd in the Law they do nothing for the manner and measure of doing required by the Law Now D●ut. 6.25 it shall be our righteousness if we observe to do all these Commandements before the Lord of God As he hath commanded us not only All commanded for matter but As commanded for manner or measure or no Legall Righteousness And if it be here Objected That the same essentials of the moral creature according to that of the Apostle are a Law unto themselves are at once mans both Rule and Principle of obedience and therefore The one cannot be more perfect or imperfect than the other and an imperfect principle may come up to perfect obedience