grace of God we have had our conversation in the world 2 Cor. 1.12 I have lived in all good conscience before God to this day Act. 23.1 I say the truth in Christ I lye not my conscience beareth me witnes in the Holy-ghost Ro. 9.1 Thus you see that we must not content our selves with a bare testimony but we must labour to see the work wrought in us let but thy conscience bring thee to thy tryall and thou shalt easily see how it is with thee and doe not say that this is legall teaching lest thou be filled with fancies and no reall worke of grace be wrought as yet in thee and doe not thinke that the spirit of God will worke when thou liest still and remainest an empty trunke or a dead stone no thou must be made a living stone and must worke actively by the movings of the spirit of God in thee draw me and we will runne after thee Cant. 1.3 I shall runne the wayes of thy Commandements when thou doest inlarge my heart Psal 119.32 but this they condemne as legall teaching because spirituall sloathfulnesse hath so possessed them that they will make no other triall but rest upon a bare idle perswasion or testimony but whether it came from God or the divell they know not Well they say they are justified as soone as they were borne and then as righteous as Christ and this they know from a bare testimony now it followes say they that God cannot correct them neither doth he correct for their sinne but onely to exercise their faith I grant that God doth not punish his children in wrath and fury with plagues and vengeance but as gentle corrections from a loving father for their good yet still sinne was the cause of it saith David there is no soundnesse in my flesh nor rest in my bones because of my sinne Psal 38.3 4 5. why doth the living man complaine man is punished for his sinne Lam. 3.39 then art thou made whole sinne no more lest a worse thing come unto thee John 5.14 if David a man after Gods owne heart sinne scandalously the sword shall never depart from his house 2 Sam. 12 10. God is not partiall in his corrections though Coniah were as the signet upon my right hand yet would I plucks him thence Ier. 22.24 that soule that sinneth it shall dye Ezek. 18. all things come alike to all there is one event to the righteous and to the wicked Eccles 9.2 the wages of sinne is death Rom. 6.23 And every sicknesse or inward griese or sorrow or outward hurts or maladies all are but parts and parcels of this wages that we receive from the service of sinne and we receive this wages by parts and parsels daily for as Adam in the day that he sinned he began to dye he received some part of that wages of sinne death seized upon him and slew him by degrees and so we as soon as we were borne began to dye and all those afflictions and sorrowes that doe befall us doe but hallen us to our end but who is freed from these things what man is he that liveth and shall not see death Ps 89.41 our Prophets are dead and our fathers are fallen asleep wise men dye as well as fooles for all must dye and be as water spile upon the ground 2 Sam. 14.14 then God doth correct and that heavily for sinne yet his corrections are sweetned to his people the sting or bitternesse of them is takâ—n out yet we shall not be freed from corrections nor death so long as we carry a body of sinne daily about with us death is passed upon all men for that all have sinned Rom. 5.12 but will they say that death is not a correction it is the king of terrours Iob 18.14 will they say death is but to exercise their faith but suppose one of them were shot with a bullet how would he exercise his faith or can they exercise their faith to prevent a sinne when they are corrected for their sinne already committed saith David before J was afflicted J went astray Psal 119.67 and Manasseh was converted in the furnace of afflictions which was the meanes to beget his faith and not to exercise it before he had it it is manifest enough that God doth correct his people for sinne if thy children forsake my law and if they breake my statutes then J will visit their transgressions with a rod and their iniquity with stripes neverthelesse J will not take away my mercy from him Psal 89.30 then let not the Antonomeans forsake Gods law lest they feele the weight of his correcting hand you have I knowne of all the families of the earth therefore I will punish you for your iniquities Amos 3.2 then let them take heed how they say when they sinne tush God sees not God is not like to themselves he will reprove them and set their sinnes in order before them consider thâ—â— ye that forget God lest he teare you in â—â—eces and there be none to deliver you Psal 50.21 God will correct Jacob in measure and will not leave him altogethen unpunished Jer. 10.24.20.11 for the transgression of Jacob is all this Micah 1.5 Zachariah and Elizabeth are as famous as any in all the Scripture for being both just and righteous before God and walking in all the Commandements and Ordinances of the Lord blamelesse yet saith the Angell to him thou shalt be dumb and not able to speake which was a sore correction because thou beleevest not my words Luke 1.6.20 and Jehosaohat was a good man yet if he helpe the ungodly and love them that hate the Lord there shall wrath from the Lord be upon him nevertheles there are good things found in him 2 Chr. 19.23 Miriam was a good woman yet if she speake against Moses the anger of the Lord is kindled and behold Miriam became leprous white as snow Num. 12.1.9 10. for whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth and scourgeth every sonne that he receiveth if ye endnre chastening whereof all are partakers then are ye sonnes and not bastards Heb. 12.6 7 8. Ephraim bemoaned himselfe thus Thou hast chastâ—sed me yet saith the Lord Ephraim is my deare sonne he is a pleasant child I doe earnestly remember him still my bowels are troubled for him I will surely have mercy on him saith the Lord Jer. 31.18.20 it is a signe of a humble heart when the Land is scourged for sinne to acknowledge our sinnes to be the cause of it as David did saying to the Lord I even I onely have sinned and done evill indeed but as for these sheep what have they done 1 Chron. 21.17 see 2 Sam. 24.10 Againe when Nathan came to him he said I have sinned against the Lord 2 Sam. 12.13 Againe it is the brand of a reprobate when God ceaseth to correct him for his sinne I will no more punish your daughters when they commit whoredome nor your spouses when they commit adultery Ephraim is
others Ephe. 2.2 3. did Paul see this and did not God see it at that time they were without Christ and without God in the world ver 12. and did not God see them saith Paul I was before a blasphomer and a persecuter and injurious 1. Tim. 1.13 did he see this and did not God see it doth not Christ say Saul Saul why persecutest thou me I am Jesus whom thou persecutest Acts 9.4.5 did not Christ then see his sinne although he was a chosen vessell ver 15. but so much before saith or calling But after conversion did not God see Lots incest and Noah drunke and Moses and Aarons unbeliefe which barred them out of the land of Canaan the Lord sent Nathan to David to convince him of his sinne 2. Sam. 12. and he confesseth saying against thee onely have I sinned and done this evill in thy sight Psal 51.4 and saith Moses thou hast set our iniquities before thee and our secret sins in the light of thy countenance Ps 90.8 saith the Lord the high places were not taken away out of Israel neverthelesse the heart of Asa was perfect all his dayes 2. Chro. 15.17 yet he was wroth with him that told him of his sinne and put him in person and oppressed some of the people at the same time chap. 16.10 and trusted in the Physician more then God ver 12. then did not God see this how should the Prophet have known it if God had not told him saith the Lord among my people are found wicked men they lay waite as he that setteth snares they set a traâ— they catch men they overpasse the deeds of the wicked they judge not the cause of the fatherlesse yet they prosper Jer. 5.26.28 the sinne of Iudah is written with a pen of Iron and with the point of a Diamond it is graven upon their heart Jer. 17.1 saith Paul Peter and the other Jewes desembled insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation Gal. 2.13 Did Paul see this and did not God see it when Peter denied Christ did not he see him the Lord turned and looked upon him and Peter remembred the words of the Lord and Peter went out and wept bitterly Luke 32.61.62 Yee fools when will ye be wise he that planted the care shall not he bear and he that formed the eye shall not he see Psal 94.8 9. the Lord knowes the thoughts of men then I conclude that a man may build upon the true foundation hay wood or stubble and he may suffer losse but himselfe shall be saved yet so as by fire 1. Cor. 3.11.12.15 therefore God sees all the sinnes of his justified children both before and after conversion And although it be said He beheld no iniquity in Jacob nor perversnesse in Israel Num. 23.21 yet he saw it although he would passe by their transgressions Micah 7.18 and would not suffer Balaam to curse them neither would he forsake them but correct them as he saw good and not according to their enemies rage which hath no mercy And although it be said that they cannot sinne 1 John 3.9 yet saith the same Iohn if we say that we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us 1 John 1.8 but yet they doe not sinne that sinne unto death 1 John 5.16 neither with that whole swing as wicked men doe but the spirit striveth against the flesh that they cannot doe the things that they would Gal. 5.17 yet how can he be cleane that is borne of a woman who can bring a cleane thing out of an uncleane Job 14.1 how can man be justified with God or how can he be cleane that is borne of a woman Job 25.4 Who can say I have made my heart cleane Pro. 20.7 there is no man living that sinneth not 1 Kings 8.46 2 Chron. 6. â—6 Eccle. 7.20 Then are we perfectly righteous I meane in respect of degrees in this life if this were so how can there be any degrees of grace as a strong faith in some and a little faith in others Or how can there be any groth in grace if we had already attained or were already perfect in degrees but perfection in this world consists not in the absence of sinne but in the sight of sinne and fighting against sinne and groaning under the burthen of sinne and because we sinne daily we must aske forgivenesse daily and to be kept from temptation daily Matth. 6. we are not perfect in degrees of grace heere therefore the Sacrament was ordained to strengthen our faith and to increase our holinesse but they that say that they are as perfect as Christ what makes them to receive the Sacrament which is onely to strengthen their faith let the subtellest of them make answer if he can but saith Paul as ye abound in every thing in faith and utterance and knowledge and in all diligence and in your love to us so abound in this grace also 2 Cor. 8.7 and saith Iohn I pray God thou maiest prosper even as thy soule prospereth 3 John 2. Yet I grant that we are perfectly justified at once but we are not perfectly sanctified in this life I meane in respect of degrees although we be perfectly sanctified in respect of parts as a child hath all the parts of a man but he must grow up unto the degrees of a man then what bold presumption is this to say we are perfectly righteous as Christ when as he neither wants parts nor degrees and besides it is in him as in the Fountaine and in us but as the Cesterne out of his fulnesse we receive grace for grace John 1.17 againe he waâ— never desiled with sinne as we are and we have no more of his righteousnesse then our weake faith is able to receive yet I grant he that hath little shall have no lacke yet there is degrees of grace here and of glory hereafter God gave not the spirit to Christ by measure John 3.34 but unto every one of us is give grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ Ephe. 4.7.16.13 the let us take heed lest we offend Christ in boasting of our righteousnesse wheâ— we have nothing but what we have received then why should we boast as if we received it not 1 Cor. 6.7 and take heed lest you say God cannot see your sin for be sure your sinne will find you out Num. 32.23 the Lord commended Iob for a perfect man upright and one that feared God and eschewed evill Job 1.1 yet Iob sinned not onely in his passion chap. 3. but afterward when he saith the Lord breaketh me with a tempest and multiplieth my wounds without cause chap. 9.17 he saith I am righteous and God hath taken away my judgement my wound is incurable without transgression chap. 34 5 6. he saith I am cleane without transgression I am innocent neither is there iniquity in me behold he findeth out occasions against me chap. 33.9 10. he hath said I am more
joyned to Idols let him alone Hosea 4.14.17 so when the Lâ—â—d smote Uzzah for his errour that he dyed David was afraid of the Lord tâ—â—t day 2 Sam. 6.7.8 when Christ said to his Apostles one of you shall betray me every one suspected his owne heart saying Lord is it I Mat. 26. then let not us say God cannot correct us nor any other for our sinnes which is one maine cause why they refuse the covenant but let them know if God have forgiven them yet he will take vengeance on their inventions Psal 99.8 then if God send Jonah to cry against the wickednesse of Niniveh and he goe to Tarshesh from the presence of the Lord God will send a great and mighty wind and tempest so that the ship was like to be broken and Jonah forced to confesse and say for my sake this great tempest is come upon you Ionah 1.2.12 the judge of all the earth will doe right Gen. 18. and ye shall know that I have not done without cause all that I have done saith the Lord God Ezek. 14.23 and when some received the Sacrament unworthily for this cause many were sicke and weake and many dead 1 Cor. 11. then doth not God correct his people for sinne or will they say they dye onely for â—ryall for these men were some of them Gods people which shall not be condemned with the world ver 32. judgement beginneth at the house of God 1 Pet. 4.17 which makes David say my flesh trembleth for feare of thee and I am afraid of thy judgements Psal 119.120 Hab. 3.15 but these people are so full of mirth from those following grounds that they brake out into laughter saying they cannot sinne being in Christ and if they should yet God cannot see it or if he should chance to see it he cannot be displeased with it or if he should be displeaâ—ed his hands are bound that he cannot correct them for it then they must neither repent nor be sorry nor pray for the pardon of any sinne neither past present nor to come neither must they heare of their sinnes any more this fils their faces full of comfort when their hearts have cause enough to be heavy saith Salomon he is the happy man that feareth alwayes Prov. 28.14 when this feare stirres up watchfulnesse and diligence to please God with reverence and godly feare Hâ—b 12.28 a child may feare his fathers rod although he feare not to be disinherited even the reghteous shall see and feare Psal 52.6 legall threatnings cannot hurt the righteous saith David let the righteous smite me it shall be a kindnesse and let him reprove me it shall be an excellent oyle which shall not breake mine head Psal 141.6 these lower hearbs will make us relish promises the better and stick faster to them and it will inflame our love to God more deeper for saving us from those dangers threatned and it will stirre up compassion in us towards our brethren to helpe them out of those dangers and to worke out our owne salvation with feare and trembling Phil. 2.11 Thus they being justified as soone as they are borne and then as righteous as Christ this they know from a bare testimony or revelation or suggeestion then God cannot correct nor punish them for sin now it followes that they are freed from the commanding power of the law of God by their free grace they are discharged from all duty or obedience to it now the law of God is no rule for them but whâ—â— they doe is onely out of love and curtesie for they owe God nothing at all Here I grant that the Juditiall law was not made for us and the ceremoniall law was ended in Christ but the morrall law abides for ever I meane the commanding and discovering power of it remaines as a glasse to beleevers and as a rule or a bridle to keep them in continuall obedience to the Lord. And whereas it is said If ye be led by the Spirit ye are not vnder the law but under grace Gal. 5.18 it is to be understood you do obey the law freely without the lashing or constraining power of the law and where it is said sin shall not have dominion over you for you are not under the law but under grace Rom. 3.13 this is plain that if sinne have dominion over you you are under the curse and condemning power of the law but from the raigne of sinne and from the curse of the law you are freed by Christ Rom. 8.1 Gal. 3.13 This curse and condemning power of the law is not made for a righteous man but for the ungodly for sinners and unholy for murtherers and whoremongers theeves and lyars and perjured persons or any other sinne that is contrary to sound doctrine 1. Tim. 1.9.10 Wherefore the law is holy and the commandement holy just and good Rom. 7.12 but they will have the commanding power of the law to last but till John the Batpist because it is said the law and the Prophets were untill John Luke 16.16 and the law was added for transgressors till the seed should come Gal. 3.19 I answer they prophesied of Christ till John Mat. 11.13 but when John shewed them the Messiah and poynted to him with his finger saying Behold the Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world John 1.29 then they ceased to prophesie or to foretell of his coming when they saw him but to say that the law should laâ—â— but till John is yet to prove and cannot be gathered from this place For tilâ— the law sinne was in the world Rom. 5.13 but will they gather from hence that there was no sinne in the world after that the law was given if Mical be childlesse till her death she must needs be so for ever and Paul saith to Timothie Till I come give attendance to reading exhortation and doctrine neglect not the gift that is in thee 1. Tim. 4.13.14 but after that Paul is come must he neglect these duties because it is said do them till I come thus they force the Scriptures to favour their errours Then they say Christ is the end of the law for righteousnesse so I say too for he hath put an end to all types and shadowes of the Ceremoniall law and he hath put an end to the curse and bondage of the morall law Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law being made a curse for us Gal. 3.13 and from the condemning power of it Rom. 8.1 but if we speak of obedience to the commanding power of the law Christ is the scop and end to which all our obedience tends and he is the end for whose sake all the promises are made good unto us and not for our obedience and he alone gives being and performance to them all 2 Cor. 1.20 and he is the end of the law for righteousnesse that is the law brings us to Christ for righteousnesse and in him we have righteousnesse â—â— fulfil the laws not
spirit that are wrought in his people I meane such as these 2 Cor. 7.11 tell them what carefulnesse godly sorrow hath wrought in you and they will answer that their care is taken and what a cleering of your selves and they will say that they are as cleere from sinne as Christ and of anger for sinne and they will say that they have none to be angry at and of feare to offend God and they will say that they cannot sinne to offend him tell them of a desire to please God and they will say that Christ hath done that already and what need they to trouble themselves tell them of a zeale for Gods glory and revenge on sinne and they will say these are legall things which they are freed from and so of all other graces they know not what we meane But they have faith to see that all is done by Christ without faith or application onely when faith is come by it they can see what was done in them before and without it they say Christ lives in them and acts and moves them as we move a stone and they are still as an empty trunke for his spirit to move in so that nothing is required of them but onely to let the spirit of God-doe his owne vvorke in them and by them they remaine still but dead stones they are not acquainted with that principle of life that is put into Gods people they are not as yet made living stones but they like Balaams Asse remaine as they were a though shee speake with mans voyce yet an Asse still and so are they but the child of God is quickned that vvas dead in trespasses and sinnes Ephe. 2.1 saith Christ â—he that heareth my word and beleeveth on him that sent me hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death to life Joh. 5.24 from all this vve may cleerly see that duties of obedience are required of beleevers and they will be easily convinced of it that are living members of the misticall body of Christ and living stones in his spirituall building but for dead stones and empty trunkes we wonder not much at their folly which breaks out into all licentiousnesse and abominable practises as for example a woman prostrating her selfe to uncleannesse said you thinke that you should sinne if you should lye with me but what law doth forbid it unto us O horrible practise of lawlesse people but when they see any to live as neer the rule of Gods law as they can those they reproach with such names as these duty-mongers duty-doers followers of legall preachers scorning that word of God which condemnes their sinfull courses and to expresse their dislike of the duties of holinesse they say What have we to doe with the dungie durty duties of sanctification we thanke God through Jesus Christ we have nothing to doe with them these they say are workes for home-booke Christians they tell us that beleevers doe duties onely in respect of men for God requires none at their hands they are so deluded that a woman said Jesus Christ came and tooke her by the hand and asked her why shee was so sad and bad her leave off her mourning for sinne and be cheerfull for shee greatly dishonoured the Gospell in being troubled for her sinnes another as shee was sitting by the fire Christ came to her and bad her pray for such a one of her acquaintance that she may have assurance which she did and presently the party received by a light from Heaven full assurance and another said nothing troubled her so much as the time shee had spent in prayer and other duties which held her so long from her comfort these are they that will not be guided by the law of God who are given up to strong delusions to beleeve lyes that they may be damned who beleeve not the truth 2 Thess 2.11 12. But when these men with their owle eyes cannot abide the Sun-beames of cleare Scripture against them they would hide themselves with some humane testimonies wrested and distorted from the true meaning and intention of their alleadged Authors First they boast highly that Master Luther is theirs wholly and they hold nothing in this point but what they sucked from his breasts but by this instance you may see how they serve the rest for Master Luther was so farre from being an Antinomean that no man doth more expresly and soundly overthrow and contradict this wicked opinion then he neither can any man desire a stronger humane witnesse against them then Master Luther read his words with a pause and judge satan saith he stirreth up daily new Sects and now he hath raised up a sect of such as teach that the ten Commandements are to be taken out of the Church and that men should not be terrified with the law see this in Luthers Preface to his Commentary on the Gal. and in pag. 171. he speaketh of three sorts of men that abuse the law first those that seeke justification by the law secondly those that will utterly exempt a Christian man from the law and on page 153. he admonisheth all those that feare God that they would learne out of Paul to understand the true and proper use of the law which I feare saith he after our time will be troden under foot and abolished by the enemies of the truth but if Master Luther thought that Christ had abolished the law he would never desire men fearing God to learne the true use of it and if he feared that men would abolish it then sure he thought in his judgement that it ought not to be abolished and if he esteeme them that would abolish it to be enemies to the truth then sure he is not their Patron and in page 154. he saith we doe plainly testifie that we reject not the law nor workes as our adversaries doe falsly accuse us but we doe altogether establish the law and require the workes thereof and we say the law is good and profitable and chap. 5.14 page 154. saith he it is necessary that godly Preachers should as diligently teach the doctrine of good workes as the doctrine of faith for satan is a deadly enemy of both but then is Luther an Antinomean doth he not directly contradict your foolish tenents and disclaime you as adversaries and false accusers you reject the law and workes but he rejecteth neither you abolish the whole law but he establisheth it you reject them for legall preachers that teach not Christ aright who urge men to the duties of the law but he imposeth it as a necessary part of their office to urge the law as to teach the doctrine of faith for shame never claime Luther more But they object to small purpose that Luther should say Christ hath abolished all the law of Moses so I say too that he hath abolished all the ceremoniall law of Moses but they say he saith pag 177. man is not justified by Gods law nor
mans law but by Christ-alone so I say too but will it follow hence that because the law doth not justifie a sinner therefore it is void it is like as if a man should say that because he cannot heare with his eyes nor see with his eares therefore they are all void and of no use to him this is Antinomean divinity And so because the terrours and torments of the law are taken off to beleevers therefore the law is void to Antinomeans if this be so then if the sting of death be taken off to beleevers by their divinity they must not dye nor be â—courged for their sinne but as the sting of death and afflictions is taken away to beleevers and so they are sweetned unto them but not taken away so the â—urse or sting of the law is taken away yet the law is not made void and so â—ne of Luthers Schollers saith the Regenerate are not under the law in respect â—f justification accusation condemnation or coaction but he affirmeth a â—â—reefold use of the law to the Regenerate First as a doctrine to direct in duâ—es Secondly as a glasse to see the defects of them Thirdly to restrain corâ—â—ption that is in them And Master Calvin in his second book of Institutions â—â—ap 7. sect 12. speakes of the morall law as it concernes the faithfull how â—â—ey should use it namely to know the will of God and by the fervent meditation of it they should be excited to the obedience of it and strengthened in their obedience of it and restrained from the offences of it in the 13. sect Libertines deny the law because it is the ministration of death but farre be it from us saith hee to hold such a prophane opinion he saith it hath an excellent use namely to be a perperuall rule of life and so in the 14. and 15. sect and in the third booke 19. chap. sect 2. he saith although Christians must lift themselves above the law and forget the righteousnesse of the law yet saith he we must not conclude the law as needlesse for it doth not cease to teach to exhort and to incite to good though before Gods Tribunall it hath no place in our consciences the law therefore by Master Calvins doctrine and determination abideth by Christ an unviolable doctrine I might mention many famous Divines that have confuted this cursed heresie in their several ages but I will only here mention one more to these two of famous memory in the Church of God because their bookes are all extant and easie to be had without much trouble to the Reader it is that judicious Mr. Perkins in his fruitfull writings appeareth every where as in his Golden-cheyn chap. 31. having set downe the use of the morall law in the unregenerate he concludeth that the use of the law in the Regenerate is farre otherwise for it guideth them to new obedience which may be acceptable to God through Christ and in his Commentary on the Gall. page 172. line 6. he sheweth that still the Lord repeateth his law in his old tenure First to teach us that the law is of a constant and unchangeable nature Secondly to advertise us of our weaknesse and to shew us what we cannot doe Thirdly to put us in mind still to humble us after we have begun by grace to obey the law because even then we came farre short in doing the things which the law requireth aâ— our hands and on page 119. line 35. he enquireth now faith is come what iâ— the guard whereby we are now kept from sinne he answereth the morall law which is as stakes and nailes fastened to range men in the compasse of theiâ— owne duties Eccles 12.11 and upon page 201. line â—4 he puts forth this question how farre the morall law is abrogated his answer is three wayes First in respect of justification Secondly of maladiction Thirdly in respect â—â— rigour for them that are in Christ God accepteth their endeavours to obeâ— for obedience it selfe neverthelesse saith he the law as it is a rule of good liâ—â— is unchangeable and admitteth no abrogation and Christ in this regard did 〈◊〉 his death establish it Rom. 3.31 and page 253. li. 35. he saith the law must 〈◊〉 considered two wayes First as a rule of life thus Angels are under the laâ— and Adam before his fall and the Saints in Heaven and none yeeld more â—â—â—jection to the law then they and this subjection is their liberty but whâ—â— did the Antinomeans learne this divinity that Christ came to abrogate â—â—â— law of Innoceâ—cy which Adam had before his fall or the eternall law of Saiâ—â—â— and Angels glorified also in his Treatise of conscience chap. 2. he saith 〈◊〉 morall law bindeth the consciences of all men and at all times to obedience Now good Reader get these bookes Calvins Institutions and Luther and Perkins on the Galla. and see these things that thou maiest be satisfied and shake off these seducers as Paul shook off the Viper Acts 28.5 lest thou perish eternally by them Well thus we have driven them from their strong holds the Scripture is against them and good men forsake them for they have made lyes their refuge and under falshood have they hid themselves but the haile shall sweep away their refuge of lyes and the waters shall overflow their hiding place Isa 28.15.17 But when thou art spoyled what wilt thou doe though thou cloathest thy selfe with Crimson though thou deckest thy selfe with Ornaments of gold though thou paintest thy face with painting in vaine shalt thou make thy selfe faire thy lovers will despise thee Jer. 4.30 Thou art called to give an account of thy Stewardship art thou resolved what to doe that when thou art put out thy Antinomean proselites may receive thee into their houses Luke 16.2.4 thou hast but one shift more that when thy Masters debters are called to deny half their debt to take their bill and presently discharge them of all their debt written in the old Testament and if this will not please them to receive thee when God and good men have cast thee off then take thy bill and write presently scriptum est any thing is scripture and of an equall vallue with it if it be but written in a play booke or ballad if this will not doe to be maintained privately amongst them tell them that thou knowest no word of God but Christ and this word is in thee and therefore thou needest no other helpe without thou art so full of light within these things comes next to be answered They deny utterly the authority of the old Testament yet this need not to trouble us when as it is so abundantly confirmed both by Christ and his Apostles in the new not onely by coating of it but giving it the name and title of Scripture Paul speaking of Genesis saith What saith the scripture Abraham beleeved God Rom. 4.3 and of Exodus The Scripture saith unto Pharaoh Rom. 9.17 and of Numbers
for the pardon of his sinne is like a man afrighted with sinne and at the same time giving thankes for the râ—mision of sinne and of a man that is afraid of the sinnes of his present prayers and of one that hath victory over sinne death and hell I answer although our sinnes be pardoned and the guilt taken away yet the being of sinne is not taken away and although we are justified from all sinne yet we are not sanctified from all sinne so that we ought to be humbled for our filthinesse for want of sanctification when we come into the presence of God and because that sinne is in us we may well feare that we shall not carry our selves so holy as becometh such a presence as the men of Beth-shemish said Who is able to stand before this holy Lord God 1 Sam. 6.20 and yet not so despaire as to leave off the duty but to pray still and as sanctification increaseth we come into the presence of God with more cheerfulnesse and as our assurance increaseth we shall be lesse in our petitions and more in thanksgiving and praising God for his mercies to us He saith we present a man that is delivered from the law into the glorious liberty of the sonnes of God and yet puts himselfe under the law I answer we are delivered from the curses of the law and the threatnings of the lavv and from the condemning povver of it and from the constraining povver of it but vve are not delivered from the commanding povver of it the free grace of Christ did not deliver us from our obedience to the lavv of God but in giving us the eye of faith vve see our duty more cleerly that is vvritten in the lavv of God and by our hand of faith vve fetch more strength from Christ to enable us to performe our duty to the lavv of God I can do all things through Christ that strengtheneth me Phil. 4.13 but if our eye of faith vvere never so cleere to see our duty yet if vve vvill not looke upon the lavv of God but count it as a strange thing Hosea 8.12 it is all one to them as if the book of the law were sealed up and he that hath no faith is like a man to whom the booke of the law is open but the man cannot read for he is not learned Isa 29.11 12. so then the eye of faith is the Organ and our duty is the object and the written law of God is the Medium by which we see our duty but when the law is taken from us or if we cast away the commanding power of it which is all one we can see our duty no more then a man can see in a dungeon then well may the Antinomians be so blind concerning their duty when as they cast away that light that should shew it unto them thy law is a lanterne to my feet and a light unto my pathes Psal 119.105 But then faith hath another property when it sees the greatnesse of the work to be done and the weaknesse of the doer of it that it seeth helpe in another which is Christ and presently fetcheth it to helpe him this honour have all the Saints Psal 149.9 He saith we need not to tell a healthfull man that it is his duty to feed himself even so is it needfull to tell a beleever that it is his duty to heare Sermons read the Scripture and frequent the Lords Table these are his proper and his naturall food by which his faith is strengthened and increased yet saith he in what a sad and fearfull manner are these pressed upon mens consciences upon paine of having no part in Christ and of everlasting damnation in hell for ever I answer first if one should tell a healthfull man that it is his duty to feed himselfe I hope it would not make him leave feeding and goe about to starve himselfe because he is told that he must doe it as a duty and so for spirituall duties to be told of them is rather an encouragement to goe on still because it is their duty and what if he know it before he need not be offended at the love of his friend for telling him that which he knew before but I smell wherein lieth the venome of this man he hath free grace bestowed on him which hath freed him from all duties of obedience to the Lord so that what he doth is onely out of free love for he thinkes to be tyed by way of duty will not stand with his free grace but I say againe we trust in no duty as causes of our salvation but we obey and doe these duties as the way to salvation neither did they ever heare those worthy Divines whom they villefie with the termes of legall Teachers presse any duties to merit salvation for the doing of them but let the sonnes of Belial know that if they slight their duties to the law of God they may purchase damnation by it neither can there be any salvation for that man till he humble himselfe and freely yeeld to the commanding power of the law of God and count it his duty to give all the power of body and soule in obedience to it but this yoke is too heavy for the sonnes of Belial they will be tyed to nothing but upon free love and currisie that they may leave it when they list they have gotten free grace He saith they put us upon these duties to try and to prove our selves by the performance of them as by markes and signes of grace within I answer if Christ be in the soule there must needs be fignes of his presence we need not goe by heare-say or from a bare Testimony or suggestion they told Jacob that Joseph was alive but that did not satisfie him till he saw the Wagons Gen. 45.27.28 so now if the eyes of the soule be opened to see our duty written in the law it is Christ that hath done it Acts 16.14 whose heart the Lord opened Doe ye aske whence he is and yet he hath opened mine eyes John 9.30 Acts 26.17 18. Secondly the worke must arise from a true justifying faith that knits them to Christ and makes their person accepted Rom. 5.1 Gen. 4.4 this faith must take hold of that promise that is made to them that doe this duty Exod. 20.6 Thirdly in our duties we must aime at Gods glory 1 Cor. 10.31 thus by any duty we may try our selves whether we doe it by vertue of Gods command without us and whether it be acted by an inward principle of faith within us and whether it tend to Gods glory as the utmost end of it he that hath thesemarkes and signes the Spirit of God is in him this faith worketh by love and obedience Rom. 1.5.1 John 5.3 neither can he say what a fearfull thing it is to presse these things as duties upon our consciences that belongs to the sons of Belial that cannot abide the yoke of Gods saw