consolation An up-right-hearted man findes abundance of peace in his covenant entered with God when he prayes and seeks the greatest mercy in prayer he is able to say In thy faithfulnesse answer me and in thy righteousnesse Psal 143. 1. Paul can say that God the righteous Judge shall give him a Crown of righteousnesse 2 Tim. 4. 8. Having engaged by covenant righteousnesse ties him to make good his engagements This is Gods end in his entrance of covenant and ratification of it by oath consequently in committing it to writing and confirming it by seal That by two immuntable things in which it was impossible for God to lie we might have a strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us Heb. 6. 18. These strong consolations were the end of God in ratifying his Covenant They are the support and Spirit reviving cordials to his people in Covenant See the result of the Psalmists meditations In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul Psalme 94. 19. I will both lay me down in peace and sleep for thou Lord only makest me dwell in safety Psalme 4. 8. The Lord is my light and my salvation whom shall I feare The Lord is the strength of my life of whom shall I be afraid Psal 27. 1. Sixthly for the greater terrour of the adversaries of his people when they see themselves engaged against them and God stands in a covenant unviolable engaged for them when they see that their work is to ruinate and destroy him that God will save Hence it is while their Rock sells them not one of them chases a thousand and two put ten thousand to flight Deut. 32. 30. Paul in bonds can make Felix tremble on his Throne Acts 24. 25. Hamans wise-men and Zeresh his wife spake words of terrour upon experiment made If Mordecai be of the seed of the Jews before whom thou hast begun to fall thou shalt not prevaile against him but shalt surely fall before him Ester 6. 13. Seventhly the Lord hereby puts a name and an honour upon his people David took it to be an honour to be related to Saul and so to become the sonne of a King much more then is it an honour to be brought into this relation to God This honour have all the Saints and they are taken into covenant for honour sake The Lord hath avouched thee this day to be his peculiar people as he hath promised thee and that thou shouldest keep all his Commandments and to make thee high above all Nations which he hath made in praise and in honour and that thou mayest be an holy people to the Lord thy God Deut. 26. 18 19. They are the portion the inheritance the children the espoused ones and whatsoever else that speaks a neer relation is theirs This was Gods way of dealing I doubt not with the Angels though we being not interested in it there is no necessity that it should be written for our learning Sure we are it was his way of dealing with man as well before his fall as presently shall be shewn as out of more abundant grace and condescension for his restitution And not mentioning for present any more then that which is essential in the covenant of God with man I suppose it may be thus held out to us A mutual compact or agreement between God and man upon just and equal termes prescribed by himself in which God promises true happinesse to man and man engages himself by promise for performance of what God requires This description here laid down comprizes the way of God in every one of his covenants with man both before and after his fall under Old and New Testament-revelations all that is essential in any covenant that he enters Equals covenanting do either of them article and indent but God condescending to a covenant man must not article but must assent and engage for performance of what is prescribed otherwise it will hear the nature of a Law but not of a Covenant It is true all men are bound upon tender from God to accept It was the sin of Jewish and heathenish people to stand out whensoever the Gospel was preached but they were no covenant-people till they gave their assent and then they were received as a covenant-people and baptized Exceptions cannot be taken against or challenge made of this definition of covenants in general nor of the covenant which God in particular entereth with man and these standing they will give us light and afford us singular help for a right understanding of the covenant of God entered with man in the several species and distinct wayes of administration of it CHAP. II. The Covenant of God entered with mankinde distinguished THere is a two-fold covenant which God out of his gracious condescension hath vouchsafed to enter with man The first immediately upon the creation of man when man yet stood right in his eye and bore his image the alone creature on earth that was in a capacity to enter covenant We have not indeed the word covenant till after man was fallen nor yet in any place of Scripture in reference to the transactions past between God and man in his state of integrity neither have we such expressions that fully and explicitely hold out a covenant to us but we finde it implied and so much expressed from whence a covenant with the conditions of it is evinced That Law with the penalty annext given to our first parents Gen. 2. 17. Of the tree of knowledge of good and evil thou shalt not â—at for in the day that thou eatest thou shalt surely die plainly implies in it a covenant entred man was in present possession of life that is according to Scripture phrase happinesse in his whole person full and compleat according to his present capacity This is to be continued aâ— is there evidently implied till sinne dispossesse him of it Till he sin he shall not die As long as he persists in his integrity his life is to be continued of which the Tree of Life as is not to be doubted was a Sacrament The second God was pleased to enter with man upon his fall which was a covenant of reconciliation the most unhappy variance between earth and heaven having intervened The former is usually called a â—ovenant of Works the latter is called a covenant of Grace though indeed the fountain and first rise of either was the free grace and favour of God For howsoever the first covenant was on condition of obedience and engaged to the reward of Works yet it was of Grace that God made any such promise of reward to any work of man when man had done all even in that estate which was commanded he was still an unprofitable servant he had done no more then duty and no emolument did thence accrew to his Maker It was enough that he was upheld and sustained of God in the work to live in him
shall need to go no farther for refutation nor his own satisfaction Men are wont to expect in children and servants much more in wives both love and obedience If this rule hold they must quit the one and cleave to the other Either they must take to love without obedience or obedience without love These two which cannot be severed if ye love and keep my Commandments this Divinity makes inconsistent God gave Laws saith our Authour to man to declare his own Sovereignty and his creatures duty And we must tell him that to keep up his Sovereignty and his creatures duty he continues his Law They that take power of command from it divest him of his Sovereignty and exempt the creature from duty I know there are many evasions if it might be to shuffle off and evade this doctrine if not wholly denying the Law yet weakening the power of it in Gospel-time Some say that it bindes us as creatures but not as Christians And then it is to be feared that they taking themselves to be above creatures in that they are Christians being raised in a neerer relation to God then meer creatures they will take themselves to be disobliged But if the creature be cast into hell for transgression as a drunkard an adulterer a covetous person what will become of the Christian But it bindes both as creatures and Christians Christ having put his sanction upon it Others say that it bindes the unregenerate part of man but not the regenerate part that is free Paul delighted in the Law of God after the inward man Rom. 7. 22. That is as Interpreters understand so fâ—rre as regenerate How could he delight in it as a Law and not subject to it It seems these think that only wicked ones are bound or rather wickednesse to be alone obliged It will shortly be a mark of unregeneration as it seemes it is with some already to be subject to it They that urge it upon men and presse it as their duty have the name of legal Preachers and stranger from Gospel-mysteries put upon them It is a wearisome thing to rake further in this puddle I hope it is plain in that which hath been said that God holds up this part of his Sovereignty in keeping up his commandment the authority of his Moral Precepts in the hearts of his people CHAP. XI The Moral Law is a perfect Rule of Righteousnesse AS God keeps up his Law for a Rule to his people so it is a perfect and a compleat Rule to those to whom it is given This is a doctrine unanimously heretofore maintained by Protestant Writers but opposed by Papists Arminians and Socinians Papists have their traditions added as well to the Law as to the Gospel which is an accusation of the written Law as imperfect They have also their Evangelical counsels which though they are not commanded yet as Bellarmine speaks are commended as raising Christians to an higher perfection then ever the Law required Socimans with whom many Arminians joyne affirme that Christ hath instituted new precepts of obedience in the Gospel and added them to the commands of the Law such as transcend and exceed all that were delivered in Old Testament times Gerrard having disputed for the perfection of the Law against Papists cap. 14. De Evangelio saith The Popish opinion of new Laws promulgated by Christ the Phoâ—inians which is an other name of Socinians greedily embrace making a fair way for Mahometisme seeing that in the Alcoran it is in like manner said That Moses gave a Law lesse perfect Christ more perfect and Mahomet most perfect of all Gerrard quotes this passage out of the Cracovian Chatechisme in the same chapter Christ came not only to fulfil the Law for us but added new precepts to it These new precepts the same Authour saith they make twofoldâ— Some of which do appertain to manners some to ceremonies or outward rites in worship He names three that appertaine to manners To deny a mans self take up his Crosse and follow Christ Which three precepts my Authour in way of opposition saith belong to the first commandment Peltius in his Harmony of Arminians and Socinians chap. 4 5 6. sheweth their combination against the Orthodox party as in many other things so in this proposition now controverted He there quotes from Socinians these positions That Christ in the New Testament did not only abrogate the Ceremonial and Judicial Law but did much encrease and adde unto the Moral Law That he came not to destroy the Law but to fulfil it which fulfilling saith he is nothing else but a perfecting of it and addition of what was wanting That we ought not only to observe those things that are given us of God and not abrogated by Christ but those precepts in like manner that are added by Christ Much more from many Socinians and Arminians may be seen in that Authour to that purpose Dr. Hammond in his Practical Catechisme speaking of Christs Sermon in the Mount agrees indeed with the Papists against the Protestants That Christ doth not here expound Moses and vindicate the Law from false glosses but that he addes to the Law and names many additions to the sixth seventh and other Commandments but dissents from them in that they make these Evangelical Counsels and makes them precepts not precepts of Moses but of Christ added by him to the Law but this with much modesty as though he would not be peremptory in his opinion So that Mr. Burges page 166. handling controversies about the Law saith I shall now handle the perfection of it and labour to shew that Christ hath instituted no new duty which was not commanded before by the Law of Moses And this question saith he will be profitable partly against the Arminians partly the Papists and lastly the Socinians He further saith page 169. That Christ did not adde new duties which were not commanded in the Law because the Law is perfect and they were bound not to add to it or detract from it Therefore we are not to conceive a more excellent way of duty then that prescribed Further if we speak of holy and spiritual duties there cannot be a more excellent way of holinesse this being an Idaea and representation of the glorious nature of God Dr. Ames in his Sciagraphia handling the Decalogue makes this his first doctrine The Law of God contained in the Decalogue is a most perfect Rule for guidance of the life of man He gives foure reasons with an use of information That we esteem this Law as it ought to be esteemed and that as the only Rule of our lives and such a Rule that hath no defect but is perfect in it self and requires all perfection in it Davenant de Justit actual cap. 40. pag. 463. saith The Law of God it self is a most exact and perfect Rule of Holinesse and Righteousnesse And in the proof of it saith This is every where confirmed in
duty which is either expresly or Synecdochically either directly or else interpretatively virtually and reductively I very well know that the Law is not in all particulars so explicitely and expresly delivered but that 1. The use and best improvement of reason is required to know what pro hic nunc is called for at our hands for duty The Law layes down rules in affirmative precepts in an indefinite way which we must bring home by particular application discerning by general Scripture Rules with the help of reason which sometimes is not so easie to be done when it speaks to us in a way of concernment as to present practical observation 2. That hints of providence are to be observed to know what in present is duty as to the affirmative part of the commandment of God If that man that fell among theeves between Jerusalem and Jericho had sate by the way on the green grasse without any appearance of harme or present need of help the Samaritane that passed that way had not offended in case he had taken no more notice then the Priest and Levite did But discerning him that case as he then was the sixth commandment called for that which he then did as a present office of love to his neighbour according to the interpretation of this commandment given by our Saviour Mark 3. 4. When the Pharisees watched him whether he would heale the man with the withered hand on the Sabbath day He demands of them Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath day or to do evil To save life or to destroy It was not their minde that Christ should kill the man onely they would not have had him then to have cur'd him But not to cure when it is in our power according to Christs interpretation is to kill If diligent observation be not made the commandment may be soone transgress'd 3. Skill in Sciences and professions is to be improved by men of skill that the commandment may be kept The Samaritane poured wine and oyle into the travellers wounds knowing that to be of use to supple and refresh them Had he known any other thing more sovereigne which might have been had at hand he was to have used it As skill in medicines is to be used for preservation of mens lives so also skill in the Laws by those that are vers'd in them for the help of their neighbour in exigents concerning his estate and livelihood 4. We must listen to Gods mouth to learne when he shall be pleased at any time further to manifest his minde for the clearing of our way in any of his precepts There was a command concerning the place of publick and solemn worship Deut. 12. 5. Vnto the place which the Lord your God shall choose out of all your Tribes to put his Name there even to his habitation shall ye seek and thither shalt thou come Now thou must depend on the mouth of God to observe what place in any of the Tribes he would choose for his habitation When God commands that all instituted worship shall be according to his prescript This is a perfect Rule implicite and virtual tying us to heed the Lord at any time more particularly discovering his will and clearing this duty to us Was not the Law of worship perfect to Abraham unlesse it explicitely told him that he must sacrifice his Sonne And if any take themselves to be so acute as to set up a new Rule as some are pleased to stile it then they antiquate and abolish the old Rule and singularly gratifie the Antinomian party Two Rules will no more stand together then two covenants calling it a new Rule men make the first old Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away Heb. 8. 17. It is added moreover doth not the Scripture call Christ our Lawgiver and say the Law shall go out of Zion c. Isa 2. 3. And was not the old Law his Saint Paul I am sure quotes that which belongs to the preceptive part of the Moral Law and calls it the Law of Christ Gal. 6. 2. His Laws were delivered in the wildernesse whom the people of Israel there tempted and provoked This is plain for they sinn'd against the Law-giver and from his hands they suffered And who they tempted in the wildernesse see from the Apostles hand 1 Cor. 10. 9. And as to the Scripture quoted the words are exegetically set down in those that follow them The Law shall go out of Zion and the Word of the Lord out of Jerusalem Which is no more but that the Name of the Lord which was then known in Judah shall be great from the rising of the Sun to the going down thereof It is further demanded And is he not the anointed King of the Church and therfore hath legislative power For answer I desire to know what King the Church had when the old Law was before Christ came in the flesh The Kingdom was one and the same and the King one and the same then and now as I take it Many shall come from the East and West and shall sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven The Gentiles coming in at the Gospel-call are under the same King and in the same Kingdom And if all this were granted which is here pleaded for it is no more then a change in some positive circumstantial Rites and what is this to the question handled by our Authour That our righteousnesse which is imperfect according to the old Rule is perfect according to the new when old and new in that which is naturally Moral is one and the same When the Law required heart-service and love with the whole heart upon spiritual ends and motives upon which account all fell short in their obedience and performance shall we say that Christ did dispense with any of this that so the Rule being lower our obedience now may answer Others that make Moses and Christ two distinct Law-givers and agents for God in holding out distinct precepts give the pre-eminence to Christ and account his Law to be of more eminent perfection This Authour on the contrary seems to make the Laws of Christ to stoop far beneath those of Moses 2. For Justification of this accusation of the Moral Law of imperfection it is added the Moral taken either for the Law given to Adam or written in Tables of stone is not a sufficient rule for us now for beleeving in Jesus Christ no nor the same Law of nature as still in force under Christ For a general command of beleeving all that God revealeth is not the only rule of our faith but the particular revelation and precept are part c. To this I say 1. As before I think I may answer out of his own mouth where he says Neglect of Sacraments is a breach of the second commandment and unbelief is a breach of the first If we break the commandment in unbelief then the Commandment
love in a graciously disposed soul cleaves to Christ for communion but receives him not for justification These two stand as relatives there is no soul entituled to this righteousnesse but by faith and faith is it that entitles to it the beleeving soul hath interest in it Therefore justification in Scripture is ascribed to faith and denied to works when neither faith nor works can beare us out of themselves before the tribunal of God but faith takes hold and the soul by faith rests on this righteousnesse of grace which the Gospel tenders It is true that faith receives the Spirit as well as it receives the blood of Christ Joh. 7. 39. Gal. 3. 14. But this is for another use for the work of sanctification inherent not justification by righteousnesse imputed And it is also true that faith accepts Christ as a Lord as well as a Saviour But it is the acceptation of him as a Saviour not as a Lord that justifies Christ rules his people as a King teacheth them as a Prophet but makes atonement for them onely as a Priest by giving himself in sacrifice his blood for remission of sins These must be distinguished but not divided Faith hath an eye at all the blood of Christ the command of Christ the Doctrine of Christ but as it eyes and fastens on his blood so it justifies He is set out a propitiation through faith in his blood Romans 3. 24. not through faith in his command It is the blood of Christ that cleanseth all sin and not the Sovereignty of Christ These confusions of the distinct parts of Christs Mediatourship and the several offices of faith may not be suffered Scripture assignes each its particular place and work Sovereignty doth not cleanse us nor doth blood command us faith in his blood not faith yeelding to his Sovereignty doth justifie us There are several acts or fruits of justifying faith Heb. 11. But all are not justifying It is not Abrahams obedience Moses self-denial Gideon or Sampsons valour that was their justification but his blood in which faith alone gives interest who did enable them in these duties by his Spirit Paul went in these duties as high as they living in more clear light and under more abundant grace I doubt not but he out-topt them and yet he was not thereby justified as 1 Cor. 4. 4. James indeed saith that Abraham was justified by works when he had offered Isaac his son on the Altar James 2. 21. But either there we must understand a working faith with Piscator Paraeus Pemble and others and confesse that Paul and James handle two distinct questions The one whether faith alone justifies without works which he concludes in the affirmative The other what faith justifies whether a working faith onely and not a faith that is dead and idle or else I know not how to make sense of the Apostle who streight inferres from Abrahams justification by the offer of his sonne And the Scripture was fulfilled that saith Abraham beleeved God and it was accounted to him for righteousnesse How otherwise do these accord He was justified by works and the Scripture was fulfilled that saith he was justified by faith Neither can I reconcile what he saith if this be denied with the whole current of the Gospel The Rhemists indeed understand those texts of the Apostle where he excludes works from justification to be meant of mans moral works done before faith and conversion The works of the Law done without Christ Annot. in Rom. 3. 20 28. As though the Law did not command those duties unto which Christ through faith strengthens a Christian converted by grace And when the Apostle concludes the impossibility of being justified by the works of the Law his meaning should be unlesse grace assist the Law that it may justifie This could not be the Apostle calls it a righteousnesse of God without the Law not a righteousnesse of the Law with addition of strength from the Gospel All works before or after conversion inherent in us or wrought by us are excluded from justification See Ravanellus in verbum Justificatio Num. 3. page 867. This justification wrought freely by grace through faith Rom. 3. 24. is no way consistent with justification by works And what the Apostle speaks of election we may well apply to justification the same medium equally proves the truth of both If by grace then it is no more of works otherwise grace is no more grace But if it be of works then it is no more of grace otherwise works were no more works Rom 11. 6. And these things considered I am truly sorry that faith should now be denied to have the office or place of an instrument in our justification nay scarce allowed to be called the instrument of receiving Christ that justifies us because the act of faith which is that which justifies us is our actual receiving Christ and therefore cannot be the instrument of receiving This is too subtile a notion we use to speak otherwise of Faith Faith is the eye of the soul whereby we see Christ and the eye is not sight Faith is the hand of the soul whereby it receives Christ and the hand is not receiving And Scripture speaks otherwise We receive remission of sinnes by Faith and an inheritance among them that are sanctified is received by Faith Acts 18. 26. Why else is this righteousnesse sometimes called the righteousnesse of Faith and sometimes the righteousnesse of God which is by Faith but that it is a righteousnesse which Faith receives Christ dwells in us by Faith Ephes 3. 17. By Faith we take him in and give him entertaintment We receive the promise of the Spirit through Faith Gal. 3. 14. These Scriptures speak of Faith as the souls instrument to receive Christ Jesus to receive the Spirit from Christ Jesus The instrumentality of it in the work of justification is denied because the nature of an instrument as considered in Physical operations doth not exactly belong to it which if it must be alwayes rigidly followed will often put us to a stand in the assignation of causes of any kind in Moral actions The material and formal causes in justification are scarce agreed upon and no marvel then in case men mind to contend about it that some question is raised about the instrument But in case we shall consider the nature and kinde of this work about which Faith is implied and examine the reason and ground upon which Faith is disabled from the office of an instrument in our justification and withall look into that which is brought in as an instrument in this work in the stead of it I do not doubt but it will easily appear that those Divines that with a concurrent judgment without almost a dissenting voice have made Faith an instrument in this work speak most aptly and most agreeably to the nature of an instrument The work about which Faith is implied is not an absolute but a relative
emolument that is attractive of him There must be a desire to please God and not men as Paul saith Gal. 1. for so a man cannot be a servant of Christ This fear to displease men whereby we do not reprove sin so Zealously so Cordially and Faithfully as we should hath eclipsed the comfort of some godly Ministers at their death It is too true that the Wise man saith The fear of a man is his snare Prov. 29. 25. The Camelion for fear saith Aristotle turneth into the likeness of every object it meeteth with These are the special qualifications of a Godly Minister whereby he will be able to say with Paul I have fought a good fight 1 Tim. 4. 7. Yea with CHRIST I have finished the worke thou gavest me to do John 17. 3. To all which must be added diligence and labour all the names they have denote labour more then glory office more then dignitie now in all these things there is one particular which doth much quicken and that is temptation one of those three things Luther said made a Divine we are not to desire temptations but God for the most part doth prepare those Ministers whom he intends to be serviceable by such exercises This is the sawing and the polishing of the stone by this he is brought into the deep waters and seeth the wonderfull works of God by this he is able to understand the depths of Satan and by this he is adapted to be a most speciall Instrument to comfort and refresh others when they shall see theirs is not a singular condition they must not think none are tempted like them for they shall find that even Pauls have had the buffetings of Satan and that by these soule temptations they have learned more then all Books or authors could teach them And thus I leave the first Doctrine and proceed to the second which is That a Godly People cannot but affectionately mourn under the losse of their faithfull Ministers You see here what these Ephesians did with what affection they were moved because they should never see Pauls face more Grace doth not lie in extinguishing but regulating affections Christ wept and they argued from thence behold how he loved him Joh. 11. 35 36. So that Nazianzens commendation of his Mother Nonna that she never wept under the many troubles she underwent submitting all to Gods hand was rather Stoicisme then Christianitie It is said of Ambrose when he heard of the death of any good Minister he could not forbeare weeping how then can a people forbeare when their own Minister their own Pastor is taken away should not the Congregation be a valley of tears or a place of mourners now there are these grounds for it 1. Because of that experimentall soul-good and spirituall advantage the Godly have reapt thereby Oh! when thou shalt remember what quicknings what meltings what warning of heart thou hast had this will cause grief to think they are gone Carnall naturall men never are affected with the losse of a Minister they never got any good by their Preaching it was no converting Ministry no inlightning no comforting Ministry to them and therefore the loss is no more troublesome 2. They must needs mourn because they have just cause to fear their sinnes have caused God to deprive them of such helps your unthankfulness your contempt and low thoughts of the means of grace your unprofitableness and negligence may make you mourn for if God upon the abuse of naturall Creatures will take away his Wine his Bread his flaxe will he not much more remove the candlestick for unfruitfulness under spiritual mercies mourne then lest thy sinnes thy unfaithfulness thy deadness and dulness of heart have provoked God to take such guides away yea in the third place may not some mourn who by their Disobedience and unwillingnesse to submit to Christs yoak and opposition to his way have so filled the Ministers heart with grief and sadness as thereby to hasten his death making his life the more uncomfortable and causing him to mourn in secret for your stubbornness and disobedience Thus your sinnes not only meritoriously but efficiently may concurre to the removing of him by death Consider that place Heb. 13. 17. Obey them that rule over you c. that they may give their account with joy and not with grief some make this particular to relate to the former that they may watch over your souls with joy and not with grief for that is unprofitable for you A grieved Minister a discouraged Minister cannot do his duty so powerfully it will be unprofitable unto you you will find it in his study in his sermons A dull people are apt to make a dull Minister 4. There is cause to mourn because of the excellencie of the relation between a Pastor and a People in some respects it is above all naturall relations They are spirituall Fathers your souls receive good by them They are Instrumentall to bring you unto eternal glory and therefore there is more cause of Mourning in this respect then when God breaketh naturall relations no Father or Mother or friend happily hath done that for thee which his Ministery hath done 5. There is cause to mourn because it is a sign of Gods anger and displeasure to a people you are not so much to look upon it as the losse of a man as a token of Gods anger to the congregation The righteous man perisheth and none layeth it to heart Isaiah 57. 1. Who knoweth what soul-Judgements what bodily Judgements may hereafter come vpon you and therefore it is for a people to be sensible and mourn when the desire of your eies so I may call the Minister as well as the Wife is taken away The desire of your eies you long to see him in the Pulpit again and the desire of your eares you long to heare him again 6. There is cause to Mourn because of the sad consequents that many times falls upon the death of a faithfull Pastor sometimes the learning and soundness of a Minister keepeth a People from licentious errors and corrupt opinions His Gravitie and Pietie hath a speciall influence upon many but upon his removall then the weeds of a mans heart growes up After my departure saith Paul Wolves will arise from among your selves Acts 20. 29. Pauls presence was a great means to hinder them 2. What good Foundation is laid in Faith what Godly Order may be begun there is danger that all these will die when a Faithfull Minister dieth I wonder that you are so soon removed saith Paul Gal. 1. Alas that which the Ministers of God have with many years diligence many Prayers and much opposition brought about when the Minister is dead may quickly be destroyed so that we may wonder how such a Town such a place should be over-run with Bryars and Thornes immediately 3. Another sad consequent is sometimes divisions and breaches among the People while a Godly Minister is alive he is like
Scripture which wonderfully extols the perfection of the divine Law Downham in the preface of his Tables of the Commandments saith that The Law of God is perfect requiring perfect obedience both inward and outward not only in respect of the parts but of the degrees The Leyden Professours say The Law is so perfect that nothing in Moral precepts either by Christ or his Apostles as any more exact rule of good works hath been added under the New Testament Disp 18. § 39. Vrsinus in his definition of the Moral Law inserts this Binding all reasonable creatures to perfect obedience both inward and outward page 681. Chemnitius entitles his third Chapter de Lege Of the perfect obedience which the Law requires and presently layes down these words This Doctrine of the perfect obedience which the Law requires in all ages past hath been and is now depraved Bucan in his common places page 188. thus defines the Moral Law A divine injunction containing a rule to live piously and justly before God requiring of all men perfect and perpetual obedience towards God I shall conclude with the Confession presented to both houses of Parliament by the Assembly of Divines chap. 19. 2. The Law after his i.e. Adams fall continued to be a perfect Rule of Righteousnesse and as such was delivered by God on mount Sinai in ten Commandments To these more might be added but these are sufficient to shew the great consent of Protestant Writers But I shall not rest barely upon the authority of these testimonies but also offer to consideration these following Reasons 1. If the Law be not a fully perfect and compleat Rule of our lives then there is some sinne against God which is not condemned in the Law This is clear Deviation from any rule given of God is a sin Deviation from that supposed additional rule is a sin But there is no sin which the Law doth not condemn Sin is a transgression of the Law 1 John 3 4. He that sins transgresseth the Law 2. If the Law alone discovers and makes sinne known then it is a perfect full and compleat Rule this is plain Omne rectum index est obliqui But the Law alone discovers sinne Rom. 3. 20. This office is ascribed there to the Law which is no other but the Moral Law Had not the light of that Rule guided the Apostle in this work he had never made any such discovery And it is the moral Law written in the decalogue that he means as appears in the quotation I had not known lust except the Law had said Thou shalt not covet 3. That which alone works wrath is the alone Rule and guide of our lives This is clear in what sense soever it is that we take working of wrath whether we understand it of working of wrath in man against God as some do Mans heart being apt to rise against him that will exercise Sovereignty over him Or of the wrath of God kindled against man upon transgression of the Law But it is the Law that works wrath it is ascribed to it and it alone Rom. 4. 15. 4. That which being removed will take away all possibility of sinning that is alone the Rule of our obedience This is plain were there any Rule the transgression of it would be still our sinne But the Law being removed all possibility of sin is taken away Where there is no Law there is no transgression Rom. 4. 15. 5. If the Law only addes strength to sinne viz. for condemnation then the Law is the alone rule of obedience This is plaine Any other Rule whatsoever addes like strength to sinne and upon transgression will condemne But the Law only addes strength to sinne 1 Cor. 15. 56. The strength of sin is the Law 6. Either the epithite moral is not justly given to the Law or else it is a perfect Rule of manners that is of obedience This is plaine for moral denotes as Amesius observes that use of it But this epithite given to the Law and appropriated to it was never as I think upon any such account challenged Ergo. 7. Either this new Rule doth transcend the old Rule of the Moral Law requiring a more exact degree of perfection as Papists speak of their evangelical counsels and Socinians of their additional Gospel precepts or else it falls short and admits of obedience in a degree more low If it require obedience more high then even the doers of the Law in the greatest height and possible supposed perfection though equal to the Angels are sinners The Law might be fulfilled and yet disobedience charged If it fall short of the old Rule which it seemes is the opinion of some who confesse an imperfection in our personal righteousnesse as it refers to the old Rule and assert a perfection as it relates to the new Rule then the new Rule allows that which the old Rule condemnes and so they bring in a discrepancy between them and finde an allowance for transgression So that I think I have sufficient authourity divine and humane with reasons that are cogent to conclude that which I have asserted That the old Rule the Rule of the Moral Law is a perfect Rule and the only Rule Six several exceptions are taken against the perfection of this Law or singularity of it as a rule by a learned hand 1. It is demanded What say you for matter of duty to the positive precepts for the Gospel of Baptism the Lords day the Officers and government of the Church c Is the Law of nature the only rule for those And foreseeing what would be answered as well he might he addes If you say they are reducible to the second commandment I demand 1. What is the second commandment for the affirmative part but a general precept to worship God according to his positive institution 2. Do ye take the precept de genere to be equivalent to the precepts de speciebus c. To this I think I may answer out of his own mouth where he sayes The neglect of Sacraments is a breach of the second commandment In case we break the commandments in the neglect of them then the commandment requires the observation of them For which Master Burges Vindiciae Legis page 149. Balls Catechisme Amesius his Sciographia Dod on the commandments Downhams Tables Zanchy each of them on this commandment and Cawdry and Palmer on the Sabbath Part. 2. Pag. 176. may be consulted For further clearing of this point we must consider of the preceptive part of the Moral Law which alone in this place is our businesse to enquire after 1. As it is epitomized in the Decalogue those ten words as Moses calls them Exod. 34. 28. Or else as commented upon and more amply delivered in the whole Book of the Law Prophets and Scriptures of the New Testament 2. We must distinguish of the manner how the Law prescribes or commands any thing as