measure Excellent discourses of Philosophers Yet is it an imperfect Rule now cannot guide sinners to blessedness discovers not the great mystery of the Trinity or the state of perfection man was Created in his fall and recovery c. An additional imperfection from the heart on which it is written as from blurr'd paper the words or Letters are imperfectly read Yet useful it is to Gods glory to humane Societies as remote preparators to receiving the Gospel in which much above nothing contrary to the light of Nature it justifies God leaves man without excuse not increasing this light not acting up to it This defect of theirs was sin against God who as Lawgiver to all hath given this Law punisht the breakers of it before the Law given on mount Sinai Rom. 5. 13 14. illustrated These punishments were just as severe in every age and ruine of several Monarchies The sins of Christians greater than of Heathens or Iews What Christians are in name in participation with Christ who is dishonoured by their sins which many Heathens abhor Seneca and Pliny abhor'd Drunkenness Tully decry'd Frauds in Contracts Chap. VIII Moral Law written abridged in the ten Commandments established by the Doctrine of justification by faith though it excludes the Righteousness of works from our justification not excluded from all other use None justified by works of the Law because all are born in state of sin Works of faith follow justification as fruit are imperfect examined by the rigor of the Law which bears not the least aberration requires the whole of mans heart alwaies in highest degree of love to God and for his sake to man our neighbour nothing must be omitted or wanting or defective Mans works cannot justifie before the infinite justice holiness and Majesty of God our Lawgiver Man to be saved was found in sin is saved by grace from which they fall who would be justified by the Law being a Covenant of nature quite different from the Gospel Works justifying in St. James sense Jam. 2. 24. explained Iustifying faith is an Active principle as prevalent habits are They miserable who are not in Christ because condemned no middle State outward fairness insufficient inward change necessary Historical faith doth not justifie Iustifying faith hath sense of its need of Christ who is a complete Saviour and wherein this compleatness is How earnest we should be to be found in him careful to bring forth much fruit but not to trust in it keep the mean between the dangerous extreams of a dead faith and resting on the works of Faith How Christ establisht the Law by fulfilling it which he did without destroying it what occasion of that Mat. 5. 17. how made under the Law though he was the Lawgiver bound therefore to fulfill the Law perfectly so became a perfect High-Priest according to the type wherein every blemisht person was prohibited medling with the Priestly function Sinless perfection necessary to the Sacrifice Christ offer'd in offering himself Fulfilling the Righteousness of the Law is an establishing of the Law to the exactness whereof man was at first created the Law of our Creation afterwards exemplified in the decalogue Satans design to obliterate this Law by our sin to bring us under a Law of sin how this effected hence God dishonoured man destroyed both arising from Satans malice against the glory of God and happiness of man This work of Satan Christ came to destroy and hath done it which no meer creature could have done Angels could not and why This work is really a repairing man though expressed by destroying of Satans work so raising up the dead is called destruction of the Grave 1 Joh. 3. 8. at large unfolded Christ God imprest on our nature in himself the absolute perfection of that holiness the Law required of mans nature Christ hath fully satisfied the Law and accomplisht the Prophecies concerning him which was God the coessential word who made all supports all in heaven and earth and doth it as primary efficient cause and final for his own glory so was without robbery equal with God yet became man uniting the humane nature to the Godhead which supported the humane nature gave value to the sufferings of it in which nature he made under the Law was in capacity of suffering the Curse which the Godhead fountain of life and blessedness was not liable to Who come not to Christ are expos'd to all that their sins deserve and the Law threatens Sin then is bitter and will be the shame of Sinners Who are in Christ have sound foundation of comfort Christ hath satisfied the Law for them To whom his perfect righteousness is imputed so the Law establisht this enlarged and illustrated Debts paid by surety the debtor discharged the payment imputed God imputes it and of Grace or freely to the Believer on his believing in Christ. So faith justifieth not meritoriously nor efficiently not materially or formally but objectively and instrumentalâ—y as apprehending Christ his righteousness Hence our blessedness joyned with our Sanctification How Christ establisht the Law by perfectly fulfilling all the Righteousness which it required Contraiwise the doctrine of justification by our works makes void the Law in great part reducing its Commands to the scantling of that obedâ—ence which is pretended to justifie us The mystery of Christs immense love to us Believers should be humble and will beâ— Great sinners may be encouraged to come to Christ whose righteousness is the righteousness of Jehovah Look to the truth of your faith the suitableness of your life justified ones are sanctified ones The Law is made a rule of holiness in life to those that are justified without works of the Law and this by the Authority of Christ who hath for us satisfied it as a Covenant and now ratified it as a Rule to us we cannot live justified by it we must live sanctified to it The Law as Covenant of works useful to Believers to humble awaken and drive them to seek a remedy The Law a Rule useful to believers keeping them poor in spirit in sight of what they once were what they still are It is useful to quicken and stir them up to greater study of holiness Our Redemption no prejudice to the Law rather an exalting of it The peaceable comport of the Law and Faith which oppos'd to each other is great error of Antinomians High Presumption to boast of justification by Faith and yet be the servants of sin against the holiness of the Commandment He is out of Christ who continues in sin in contempt of the Law and to the abuse of free grace which imparteth inherent Righteousness to sanctification as it imputeth Christ his righteousness to justification ERRATA PAge 5. line 2. read these p. 17. l. ult add here p. 18. for when l. 18. r. even p. 21. for Circumcellions r. Circumcellians p. 32. l. 19. for Corrupts r. Corrupt p. 33. l. 2. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l 13. r. Hymenaeus p. 37.
as he is Mediator between God and man presented his righteousness unto God to be imputed to his people for their justification as he is God he imputeth his righteousness merit and satisfaction to them and justifieth them 2. Consider of what nature this act of imputation is whether it be an act of Justice or of Grace I conceive this Act of God imputing the Righteousness of Christ to his people is an act of grace or free favour undeserved love Being justified freely by his grace through the Redemption that is in Christ Iesus whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through Faith in his blood It is said Believers are justified freely and then again by his grace the latter explaining the former freely that is by his grace and free favour for though the Righteousness and satisfaction of Christ is of infinite merit and worth yet 1. God the Father by a pure Act of Grace gave his Son to dye for sinners so it is said here whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood herein is love not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins 2. Christ as he was man was freely chosen of God for this purpose so God saith concerning him Behold my servant whom I have chosen The man Christ Jesus was freely chosen of God to become one person with the Son of God the Son of Mary did not merit to be personally united to the Son of God but was freely chosen of God to be exalted to this incomprehensible dignity glory and Majesty far above all other creatures Angels and men and from this personal union to which he was freely chosen proceedeth the greatness and all-sufficiency of his merit 3. God in his Law hath denounced the penalty of death the Curse everlasting destruction against every one that was guilty of sin against the Law and he was not bound to accept of satisfaction at the hand of another in their stead nor to hold them discharged of the guilt of their sins upon the account of anothers sufferings for sin and therefore it was an Act of meer grace in God to accept of Christ his satisfaction in behalf of sinners and to impute his righteousness to them and to account it theirs for their justification And so it was according to the Covenant and Agreement which God the Father freely made with Christ according to which agreement Believers are given to Christ so he saith to his Father I pray for them which thou hast given me for they are thine Behold I and the children which God hath given me those lost sinners whom God gave to Christ as Mediatour and Redeemer to save them by his death and satisfaction to them God the Father by his grace that is freely imputeth the Righteousness of Christ accounteth it theirs accepting them as righteous through him Secondly Observe how the Righteousness of Christ is received by believers that is by faith unfeigned the Righteousness of God without the Law is manifested being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all that beleive the Righteousness whereby Believers are justified is the Righteousness of God it is such a Righteousness as God hath revealed as he hath appointed for this end as he approveth and accepteth such a Righteousness as he giveth to Believers this Righteousness is received and applied by the faith of Jesus Christ not by the faith which Christ hath but by the faith which Believers have in Christ not by the faith whereby Christ believeth but by the faith whereby men believe in Christ. Believers being united to Christ by the spirit on the one side and by faith on the other God imputeth the Righteousness of Christ unto them and they receive and apply it to themselves by faith So in that conclusion of the Apostle Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the works of the Law In these and many other places where faith is said to justifie Divines understand it to be meant not meritoriously for so Christ justifieth by his merit procuring justification for sinners not by way of efficiency for so God justifieth as the Author of justification as the Judge imputing Christ his righteousness to Believers and so justifying them not materially for so the righteousness of Christ justifieth as the matter of justification not formally for that is by way of imputation but faith justifieth 1. Objective not by force of its own Act of believing but by vertue of its Object which it apprehendeth scil Christ his righteousness 2. Instrumentally Faith justifieth by applying the righteousness of Christ to the Believing soul whereby it is justified 3. Observe the effects or Consequents of the righteousness of Christ thus imputed of God and received by faith they are delivered from the guilt of sin Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin Christ his righteousness is accounted theirs and so their own sins are no longer accounted theirs and so they are free from condemnation There is now therefore no condemnation to them which are in Christ Iesus who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit They are accepted as righteous in the sight of God because the perfect righteousness of Christ is imputed to them who perfectly obeyed the Law and fully suffered the penalty of the Law hereby also they have an interest in everlasting life and salvation Whom he justifieth them he also glorified Again a constant consequent of the righteousness of Christ communicated and imputed to Believers for their justification is regeneration conversion sanctification for the same faith which applieth the Righteousness of Christ to Believers for the forgiveness of sin and for their justification doth unite them to Christ so that they partake of his spirit and sanctifying graces The second Branch of the point is That the Lord Iesus Christ by communicating his perfect Righteousness to Believers doth establish the Law This clearly followeth upon those things which have been spoken for in as much as the Lord Jesus Christ performed obedience to the Law and suffered the full penalty of the Law and then communicated his perfect Righteousness to Believers making them one with himself uniting himself to them by his spirit and uniting them to himself by faith that so himself and his perfect Righteousness might become theirs and that hereby they might be justified and accepted as righteous in the sight of God This was an effectual declaration a real acknowledgment of the force and Authority of the Law for hereby he witnessed that the Law was such an authentical and indispensable rule of righteousness that none could be justified and accepted as righteous in the sight of God the supream Lawgiver and Judge
oâ— Christs gloriouâ— appearing especially considering that the day of death was to them as the last day not that he did peremtorily determine any thing concerning the time which was unknown now compare this with what he writeth to the same Church in the next Epistle Now we beseech you Brethren by the coming of our Lord Iesus Christ and by our gathering together unto him that ye be not shaken in mind or be troubled neither by spirit or word nor by letter as from us as that the day of Christ is at hand Let no man deceive you by any means for that day shall not come except there come a falling away first and that man of sin be revealed the son of Perdition c. It seemeth some went about to deceive them under pretence of Revelation implied in the word Spirit some by word of Mouth as if the day of the Lord should come in that age and these might abuse those words of the Apostle in his former Epistle therefore he saith by Letter or Epistle as from us Now Satan might have this pollicy and set a certain day and that within a short time that when they saw it did not come to pass at the time foretold they might doubt of the thing it self whether ever it would come to pass but the Apostle shews them that there must be a great change before that day a general Apostacy or falling away and the revealing that man of sin the Son of perdition Secondly by drawing false inferences and conclusions from some places of Scripture So in the present Text from that â—ound doctrine of the Apostle concerning free justification of sinners through the righteousness of Christ without any respect at all to the works of the Law it seemeth some drew this inference or conclusion that the Law was made void and do not the Antinomians the very same â—t this day yea do not many among us harbour the same conceits in their minds as if it were enough only to pray to God to pardon their sins for Christ his sake as if they â—eed not labour after conformity to the Law â—n righteousness and holiness On the other â—â—de whereas Christ saith Except ye repent ye shall likewise perish Except a man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God Follow Holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. From these and the like Scriptures some it seemeth draw false conclusions as if by repentance by holiness by prayers and other duties they might in part satisfie for their former sins and as if Repentance Regeneration Holiness were not only things accompanying justification and salvation but proper causes But ye must consider First that Christ his satisfaction and righteousness is the full perfect and only cause of â—ustification and pardon of sin and that no holiness no duties of the persons justified do help any thing at all towards their justification it is the Righteousness of Christ imputed to them which maketh up the whole matter of their Righteousness in the sight of God and covereth all their sins Secondly on the other side Regeneration Repentance Holiness are concomitants things accompanying justification and salvation and evidences of it So that although none can procure pardon of sin nor justification in the least degree by any graces or duties of their own yet none can have any â—ound hope that their sins are forgiven or their persons accepted of God as righteous without Repentance Regeneration and Holiness because none have their sins pardoned and their persons justified but such as receive Christ into their hearts by Faith Now Christ alwaies cometh by water and blood by his holy graces to wash and sanctifie the Soul as by his blood and merit to justifie and procure forgiveness of sin As the light of the fire giveth no heat and the heat of the fire giveth no light yet the heat and light are joyned together in the fire so righteousness imputed to the soul for justification and forgiveness of sin do not sanctifie and on the other side Repentance Regeneration holiness in Believers do not justifie yet they are joyned together and where one is there is the other and the latter is an evidence of the former I conceive it is a common case with many to mistake in this kind because they want judgement rightly to draw inferences from Scripture groâ—nds so the Anabaptists because they read of persons baptized when they made profession of faith and repentance hereupon they draw conclusions against Infant-baptisme whereas the case is not alike for those examples are of converted Jews or Heathens not of such as are born of Christian-parents whereas they should rather argue that because Infants born of Church-members under the old Testament were circumcised as Church-members by the Lord command therefore Infants born of Church-members under the new Testament are to be baptized as Church-members now Thirdly prejudicate opinions false conceits sutable to corrupt Nature and carnal reason forestalling the mind and being entertained aforehand make people very apt to deprave or deny the Truth when it is presented to them I conceive this was the cause why the Jews were so obstinate in rejecting Christ and his doctrine not receiving and obeying him as Christ because their carnal minds were forestalled with conceits of a Messias that should come in state as an earthly Prince and erect a glorious worldly Kingdom amongst them and this prejudice moved them to corrupt the Prophecies of the old Testament and to distaste the doctrines of the New they liked not to hear of a crucified Redeemer the doctrine of the Cross was to them a stumbling-block they did not close with a spiritual Kingdom of Christ attended with persecution yea Christ his Disciples were not free from this disease and therefore when Christ foretold his own sufferings Peter presumed to rebuke him and there was a contention among them for the chiefe place as if they expected great worldly honours and dignities by following Christ On the other side the Grecians were prepossessed with the rational principles of worldly wisdom and Philosophy and so despised the Gospel as foolishness though indeed there were such heights and depths of divine wisdom in the mysteries of the Gospel as never came into the head of the wisest men amongst them The carnal Israelites were forestalled with an opinion of their own righteousness and so rejected the doctrine of justification by the righteousness of Christ For they being ignorant of Gods righteousness and going about to establish their own righteousness have not submitted themselves to the righteousness of God Ignorance and prejudice the fruit of ignorance caused them to disrelish the Truth of the Gospel Secondly the love of sin is a cause why men pervertor reject the Truths of the Gospel The Gospel and word of grac teacheth to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts c. This is distastful to a soul wherein sin raigneth The Gospel requireth Christians to
own works performed in obedience to the Law cannot stand together Christ died to purchase forgiveness of sins and justification for his people but if any would be justified by the Law they go about to frustrate the grace of God as if Christ had died in vain Christ is become of none effect to you whosoever of you are justified by the Law ye are fallen from grace when he saith Whosoever c. he doth not grant that any are or can be justified by the Law but whosoever rely upon the works of the Law for justification hoping to be justified by the Law they loose the benefit of Christs death and satisfaction The Lord Christ is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him and therefore none of them do save themselves or justifie themselves in any part There is a most clear place to shew that justification by works and justification by faith cannot stand together that no man is justified by the Law in the sight of God is evident for the just shall live by faith or the just by faith shall live and the Law is not of faith but the man that doth them shall live in them Justification righteousness everlasting life and salvation is obtained by faith in Christ applying his righteousness to the soul but the Law is not of faith but the man that doth them shall live in them The Law is a Covenant of another Nature the man that doth the works of the Law shall live in them There is no possibility of being justified by the Law unless a man could perfectly fulfill it this is impossible for any man to do 1. Because of the corruption of his Nature which is every way contrary to the Law 2. Because all and far more than all that he can do for the time to come is due debt to the justice of God and cannot make the least satisfaction for his sins past no not for any one of those numberless sins whereof he was formerly guilty 3. Because the best mans righteousness is imperfect and falleth short of the perfection of the Law no righteousness can satisfie the justice of God but that which is compleat and perfect and therefore the righteousness and performances of the holiest men are of no account at all in the sight of God towards their justification But it may be said that the Apostle Iames saith Ye see then how that by works a man is justified and not by faith only For Answer to this I conceive That this Apostle Iames here directeth his speech to this end sâ—il to shew the vanity and folly of those who deceive themselves with a shadow of faith presumptuously fancying to themselves an interest in Christ imagining that their sins are forgiven and their persons justified by his death satisfaction and righteousness but their faith is not sound it is not such a faith as truly receiveth Christ into the heart whereby Believers are made one with Christ possessing him partaking of his spirit which stirreth them up to conform themselves to Christ to follow him to bring forth the fruits of the spirit and therefore he saith ver 20. Faith without works is dead So it is a working faith which justifieth because such a faith alone doth truly lay hold of Christ and his righteousness On the other side holiness and good works do not at all justifie believers in a proper sense but evidence the persons to be justified because they shew that such by faith unfeigned are united unto Christ whose righteousness alone doth justifie and therefore he saith What doth it profit my Brethren if a man say he hath faith and have not works Can faith save him He speaketh of such as say they have faith not of those that have a lively saving faith indeed So ver 19. he speaketh to such Thou believest that there is one God thou dost well the Divels also believe and tremble So that he sheweth that a dead faith is but such a faith as the Divels have which is far from justifying and saving those that have it 2. I conceive his meaning is that holiness and the fruits of faith do declare and manifest true believers to be justified before men A man will say thou hast faith and I have works shew me thy faith without thy works and I will shew thee my faith by my works as if he had said Natural life shews it self by the motions and actings of life so doth spiritual life evidence it self by the motions and actings of spiritual life True faith embracing Christ and his righteousness for justification is a principle of spiritual life Thou therefore who pretendest to have this faith how canst thou make it appear how canst thou shew or declare it when thou puttest forth no motions or actings of spiritual life The use of this may be 1. To shew us the miserable and woful estat of all that are not in Christ. They are no justified they cannot be justified in that condition for there is no way for men to be justified in the fight of God by any works of their own performed in obedience to the Law and if they be not justified then they are condemned there is no middle estate between these two So the Apostle implieth where speaking of those that are in Christ he faith It is God that justifieth who is he that condemneth This sheweth that they that are justified and accepted as righteous in the sight of God are not condemned and so on the contrary they that are not justified are condemned All then that are not in Christ are in the state of condemnation so it is implied ver 1. There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Iesus who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit So on the other side there is no justification no salvation to them that are not in Christ Jesus He that believeth not is condemned already he is condemned for his sin the sentence of condemnation is passed upon him by the Lord and he wanteth a sound saving faith to lay hold on Christ and his righteousness whereby alone he might be justified and freed from the sentence of condemnation and therefore while poor souls remain in this condition what can they do but treasure up wrath against the day of wrath and the revelation of the righteous judgement of God People may attend upon ordinances perform divers duties in publick and in private and yet still lye under the sentence of condemnation They may make some kind of reformation refraining from some outward gross acts of sin they may be civil and orderly in their conversations above many other and yet the wrath of God may still abide upon them In this case it is not enough to alter your course in some things but your state and condition must be altered nothing can help you while you are out of Christ and stand upon your
of impenitency and unbelief That full satisfaction which Christ made to the Law ratifieth the Authority of the Law and proclaimeth to the world that the Law spareth none that are under the Law and so are all that are not in Christ and so under grace and therefore rest not one day in this condition sin lieth at the door he avenger of blood is at thy back the voice of the Law is pay that thou owest It is a groundless plea to say Christ hath paid all if thou remainest out of Christ. Secondly If sin were so exceeding grievous and bitter unto Christ Oh let it not be sweet and delightful unto thee It sin imputed were such an unspeakable torment to the Lord Jesus Christ What a shame is it for any that pretend to be members of Christ to make it the matter of their contentment Dost thou call thy self a Christian and canst thou see the Son of God abased for sin put to an open shame buffetted spit upon crowned with thorns and sweating drops of blood exceedingly afflicted in soul bleeding and dying upon the Cross for sin and yet canst thou hold up thy head take a pride in sin glory in it despise reproof gain by it thrive by it rise by it get preferment by it sport and solace thy seâ—f with it and still own the name of a Christian What is this but to be an Enemy to the Cross of Christ harbouring in thy bosom that Enemy which fastned and nailed him to the Cross Thirdly Here'i 's ground of sound comfort for them that are in Christ He hath made full satisfaction to the Law he hath paid the debts of his people cancelled the bond of the Law redeemed them from the Curse the Law can exact no satisfaction from them he hath fully cleared all accounts There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Iesus who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit But of this somewhat may be spoken upon the next point The third particular followeth viz. That the Lord Iesus Christ established the Law by communicating his perfect righteousness to Believers where as in the former points there are two Branches 1. That the perfect righteousness of Christ is communicated to Believers 2. That hereby the Law is established Concerning the former ye heard before of the perfect Righteousness of Christ who both was a Lamb without spot knew no sin and performed compleat obedience to the Law and also did undergo the punishment and Curse of the Law due to the sins of men and women and so made full satisfaction to the Law Now that which is to be cleared is this That this perfect Righteousness of Christ is communicated to Believers 2. How it is received by Believers 3. What are the effects and consequents of the righteousness of Christ thus communicated and received For the first 1. The righteousness of Christ is communicated to Believers not by infusion but by imputation not so as to be inherent in them but so as to be imputed to them so as to be accounted theirs for he hath made him to be sin for us that knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him As the sins of men were not infused into Christ so as to be inherent in him but imputed to him so the Righteousness of Christ is not infused into Believers so as to be inherent in them but is imputed to them and accounted theirs The satisfaction which Christ hath made to the Law is imputed to them that is reckoned to belong unto them as if they had satisfied the Law in their own persons So it is said of Abraham it was imputed unto him for Righteousness Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him but for us also to whom it shall be imputed if we believe on him who raised up Iesus our Lord from the dead As if a King should pardon a great Malefactour for his Fathers sake who had done some eminent service to the State his Fathers deservings might be said to be imputed to him accounted his as if they had been his own and when a surety payeth anothers debt the payment is imputed to the debtour and accounted as done by him and he is as fully discharged and esteemed out of debt as if he had paid it with his own mony so Believers have no Righteousness of their own to satisfie the justice of God but the Righteousness of Christ is imputed to them that is accounted theirs as if they had been perfâ—ctly righteous by performing perfect obedience and making full satisfaction in their own persons to the Law and here ye may observe who it is that imputeth the Righteousness of Christ to Believers 2. Of what nature this act of imputation is 1. It is God that imputeth the Righteousness of Christ to Believers saith the Apostle David describeth the blessedness of the man unto whom God imputeth Righteousness without works it is God who imputeth Righteousness unto justification and it properly belongeth to him as the supream Judge Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect It is God that justifieth Who is he that condemneth it is Christ that died yea rather that is risen again who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us Here the Apostle seemeth to set before us a representation of the highest Tribunal or Court of Judicature intimating or supposing the persons indicted the Accuser the Judge the Advocate the Persons indicted or arraigned the Elect of God true believers the Accuser implied in those words Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect the Judge God it is God that justifieth the Advocate Christ who first died and so made satisfaction for the sins of his people 2. Rose again and by this his deliverance out of the grave the prison of Death made it evident that their debts were fully discharged 3. He is at the right hand of God which is a sure argument that he is highly in the Judges favour 4. He improveth his interest in the Judge by making intercession for his people presenting his merit and Righteousness to his Father to be imputed to them and accounted theirs and therein pleading his satisfaction made in their stead for their pardon and justification But the thing for which I bring this place at the present is to shew that it is God who imputeth the righteousness of Christ to Believers it is he that justifieth God is the efficient cause the Authour of the imputation of Christ his righteousness to his people and so of their justification It is one God which shall justifie the circumcision by faith and the uncircumcision through faith scil all sincere Believers whether Israelites or Gentiles Now the works of God toward the Creatures are the works of all the three persons of the God-head Father Son and holy Ghost and therefore Christ
The Law of God Ratified By the GOSPEL of CHRIST OR THE HARMONY OF THE Doctrine of Faith WITH THE Law of Righteousness Wherein many of the Types and Rites of the Ceremonial Law are unfolded And the Moral Law adjusted a Rule of holy living to all though justified by Faith As it was delivered in several Sermons Preacht to the Parochial Congregation of Mayfield in Sussex by Mr. Mainard late Rector thereof publisht since his Death Col. 1. 27 28. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 3. 14. 18. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 London Printed for Francis Tyton at the Sign of the three Daggers in Fleet-street 1674. THE Epistle Dedicatory To Mrs. Elizabeth Baker Widow To Captain Iohn Baker and his Wife And to Mr. Iohn Baker and his Wife To Mr. Clement Read and to the rest of the Inhabitants of Mayfield in Sussex Auditors of these ensuing Sermons Much honoured and well-beloved in our Lord THe high Opinion he hath of you who desired me to dedicate these Sermons to you commands me to make good my compellation by bearing a particular respect to that worth and love for those Graces and Profession in you which were sufficient to determine the Publisher of these Sermons to the choice of you to be Countenancers of them now printed and exposed to publick View which you first heard from your own privater Pulpit The Publisher makes the Church somewhat a debtor but Mayfield very much a debtor to him for his care of your spiritual profit and advantage to which end these Discourses delivered in such plainness as becomes the truth and with such clearness as may capacitate any amongst you to read understand and gain by them are set before you That of your faithful Monitor now dead might be said as is in somewhat different sense said of Abel Being dead he yet speaketh Instruction unfolding that which many would else not discern Caution that you avoid what he knew was dangerous and might prove deadly And Exhortation perswading you to weighty instances of obedience and constancy If it be as doubtless it is a Truth that the Legal and Mosaick Rites were the Gospel vailed this piece deserveth your serious perusal for it takes the vail from off the face of Moses and doth with plainness and brevity explicate many of those divine Riddles and heavenly Hieroglyphicks on whose out-side too many of the Jews like unexperienced Children gazing on Pictures determin'd their eye inapprehensive of the import of them I would give you some account of the Subjects handled in this ensuing Treatise but it is publisht that your reading might inform you Nor will I doubt your readiness to view that with your eye which I believe much pleased your ear And I hope your desires to profit by it wish my Epistle brief that you may be taken up with the seasonableness and pertinency of the Subject A piece which I assure you doth very particularly express the temper of its Author who could have walked abroad as easily as most in a gorgeous dress of rich learning but he was as well versed in this part of self-denial and resolved to practice it as he was vers'd in Authors and knew how to use them He preacht it to you that you might understand it and his Son-in-law hath taken care it should be printed that you might read and remember it I wish that among the many eagerly snatcht occasions men take to publish their own Conceptions More would take this course and print for the use of particular places some of the choice and profitable Sermons of their own Ministers as soon as might be after their death when in all likelihood the mourning remembrance of their dead Minister will enhance the value of his living Sermons whilst the sense of their loss in the death of his person would increase the care of some at least that they lose not his Counsels Exhortations Reproofs and Comforts which by this means do survive him I know many are so obstinate in their Vnbelief and so unperswadable to Obedience they will not promise to believe or obey unless one arose from the dead to witness to the Promises and to require their Obedience God shew them mercy opening their blind eyes and perswading their hard hearts If there be any such among your Inhabitants of Mayfield and alas in so great a Parish there are too too many Behold here is that which of all courses seemeth to come nearest to such a condescension Though your Minister be not sent from the dead yet providence sends as it were from his Grave And if you will not obey Commands nor follow Counsels nor be warned by Cautions in his writings you would not be perswaded if he came from the dead But of you in particular I have no jealousie to whom this Epistle and the Book is dedicated Instead of perswading you to read it of which I am perswaded you are very forward of your selves I shall adventure and I hope with no more boldness than success to move you to bestow many of these Books among your poorer Neighbours who will gladly read Mr. Maynard's Book when perhaps they have as little mind to read other mens Works as they have knowledge of their persons Promote knowledge of Christ and saving Grace by the means which are most likely to do it hereby you shall through the blessing of the Lord turn many to righteousness and shine as the brightness of the Firmament for ever which is that great thing that with hope of success is for you all and for the rest of the Church-of God the prayer of From my Study in the house of the Right Honourable the Countess of Manchester at Waltham-Abbey April 3. 1674. Yours in our Common Lord both Servant to your Souls and Coheir of your Hopes H. Hurst The Contents of the several Chapters Chap. I. NO justification by works to Gentile or Iew transgressours of the Law and how yet the Iew had advantage by the Law which is not voided by doctrine of Faith Corrupt nature dispute perversely against the truths of God partly out of ignorance and mistakes Christ's righteousness the matter of our justification Prepossession of false opinions pervert the Scripture this ruin'd the Iews obstructed the Gospel among the Greeks Pride natural to us and opposite to the Gospel Love of sin of the world pervert truths of the Gospel the danger of this as rejecting the remedy or turning it to the increase of the disease Errors easily increas'd How Errors found in godly men while sometime the carnal are free from them Chap. II. Grace abhors the Perverting of truth So Moses Elijah c. St. Paul c. For hereby God is dishonoured the New Nature is thwarted Errors broken out are hardly limited easily overgrow the truth So the bulk of Popish Errors did So Arianisme did Errors divide the Church So the Errour of the Necessity of Circumcision the Errour about keeping Easter in Victor's time Pope's Supremacy now divides the Church Such
divisions occasioned by Preaching old forgotten truths but the fault in those that will not endure such doctrines Satans malice and some mens weakness So the inundation of Popish Superstitions broke in How much we should resent these things their danger Toleration of them discussed in the Objections for Errours answered Chap. III. Objections against truth many times are double falshoods this riseth from Ignorance Credulity malice and want of Arguments to confirm errours No strange or new thing that men erre and are slanderous Protestant Ministers are no promoters of Antichrist but his great Adversaries lessening them greatens Antichrists interest Seducing Sectaries expedite Antichrists affairs Satan hath still hindered reformation by such ways Chap. IV. A Threefold Law first given to the Gentiles with the Iews the other given only to the Iew. Law of nature and its use The Ceremonial cannot justifie nor the Moral yet neither made void by Faith Faith confirms the Ceremonial Law what this is 't is of God how long to last abus'd or not understood by many of the Iews who precisely observed Ceremonial cleanness palpably neglecting moral purity In what sense doctrine of Faith doth not abolish the Ceremonial Law The dispute between Iews and Samaritans and whence it arose when and how long continued Divine worship in spirit and truth not limited to any place Law Ceremonial a School-master to bring us to Christ full of deep mysteries and spiritual realities cleared by the Gospel These unfolded in explication of Circumcision seal of that promise I will be their God which contains all grace and comfort is made good to us in Christ the Covenant sealed by Circumcision the same that is sealed by Baptisme Passeover what its occasion the circumstances of it its meaning in each particular applied to Christ. Actual faith in Christ delivers from Curse of the Law should excite to thanfulness holiness exercise faith preparedness for our duties godly sorrow Feast of first Fruits when enjoyned excite to endeavour a rising to newness of life Chap. V. Few Creatures appointed for Sacrifices three sorts of Beasts two of Fowls all meek resembling Christ as we should Korban whence derived how apply'd to Christ through whom we are made nigh to God Burnt offering 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It s import to us the rites in offering it blindness of the Iews and to be pittied deep slaine of sin it is deadly to the sinner or his surety Christs Bloud precious shed that we should not live in sin The continual burnt-offering Christians should offer morning and evening as most likely the Iews did pray and praise God in their Houses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 its signification Imputation of sin to Christ speaks Gods love of Compassion to sinners sin base and shameful The blood of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sprinkled before the Lord on the Golden Altar the meaning hereof It s inward fat burned what meant some other rites in the offering it and their import 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what it was noted Christ and how a sufficient sacrifice therefore fit to be trusted in How the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 noteth the Christians sacrifice and apply'd Oyle used in the meat offering its purport with other rites of it explained Salt with all Sacrifices and its meaning The Covenant of Salt The drink offering wherein it consisted The Peace offering what and on what occasion meaneth whole Christian duty in general to be offered to God through Christ. Peace-offering might be male or female part of it to be burnt part for the Priest part for the offerer hence our Communion with God inferr'd How Sacrificers are partakers of the Altar Priests under the Law were sacred persons especially the High-Priest type of Christ whose is an eternal Priesthood The Garments of the High-Priest and their meaning viz. the holiness beauty and glory of Christ in general A more particular view of each part of the Garments their import and our instruction Ordinary Priests were in a sort types of Christians who are to be spiritual Priests and Sacrifices Ministers of the Gospel no where called Priests in the New Testament Tabernacle and Temple agreed in some differed in other particulars how each signified Christ to dwell with us in much humility and love we ought therefore to unite our selves to him estrange our selves from sin scandalous sins should not be cause of gladness in any who observe them in others Temple and Tabernacle signify'd each be liever Sin defiles the whole man the heart first the outward man next sin begins in the heart Altar made of Shittim wood the meaning covered with brass its purport the Godheadpreserving the humane nature under its sufferings Where the Altar was placed its meaning The Altar of incense its meaning The Ark what in it and their Import The mercy seat the Cherubims looking down towards the Ark. The fire used in Sacrifices its meaning Christs love to us undergoing such sufferings for us requireth love from us to him This fire came from Heaven never was to go out such should Christian zeal be Chap. VI. Sacred observances as restraint from unclean beasts so not in their own nature the meaning equalleth all mankind in their Original Gods Soveraignty in chusing Israel incomprehensible His infinite goodness calling the Gentiles who should be thankful and take heed of unbelief and all sin Our liberty to use all wholesome food Blood whether now forbidden Probably a Natural though secret reason why so many Creatures were forbidden to Israel Prohibition of eating blood Acts 15. explained Festivals Religious among the Iews noted our Christian joy What feasts these were At the time of the feast of Harvest Christ sent down the Spirit on his Apostles who were to gather in the Harvest of the Gentiles Feast of ingathering about our September the meaning of it well applyed in three or four particulars The feast of Trumpets the type of Preaching the Gospel and calling to faith and repentance who are deaf to this shall be astonied at the last Trumpets sound The various washings in use among the Iews well unfolded shew Christ the accomplishment of them and our Christian duty of dayly purging our selves in the fountain of his blood Chap. VII St. Pauls design to deliver to us the doctrine of justification by grace This clear'd by reducing all men under an examen The Gentile examined and cast by Law of nature transgressed The Iew examined and cast by the written Law moral transgressed There is a Law of nature this not nulled by Faith What this Law is in the particular description of it T is engraven on the heart given by Christ yet different from that he gives Believers who follow him It was a perfect rule before the fall it is yet of great use though much impaired The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he was to be served and worshipped that he created all being himself eternal and omnipotent wise and good This Law declared what is good and what evil in some
l. 16. r. Consequents p. 44. l. penult r. exhort p. 53. l. 12. r. tolerable for Chap. IV r. V. p. 125. in the margin for Officers r. Offerer p. 130. l. 33. dele him p. 153. l. 22. r. persons p. 160. l. 1. for An r. any p. 212. l. 2. for no r not p. 239. l. 21. r. woman p. 240. l. 17. for state r. stead p. 243. l. 6. r. enduring p. 263. l. 25. r. For. Rom. 3. 31. Do we then make void the Law through Faith God forbid yea we establish the Law CHAP. I. THe holy Apostle in this divine Epistle according to the wisdom given unto him as his fellow Apostle saith of him having laid down that great fundamental truth of the Gospel that righteousness and everlasting life is to be obtained by faith that is by the perfect Righteousness of Christ imputed to Believers by God the Father and applied by Faith proveth it by shewing that none are justified any other way and this he cleareth by making it evident that all sorts of men Israelites and Gentiles are sinful and guilty before the Lord and therefore none of them justified by any works of their own in the fight of God He proveth the Gentiles to have sinned against the law and light of Nature and Reason the Israelites to have sinned against that Law not only so but against the written Law and that both Ceremonial and Moral against thâ— Ceremonial Law in that they rested in the outward observation of it not looking to the substance and end of it and so their Circumcision was made uncircumcision The moral Law condemned them because their corrupt natures were enmity against it contrary unto it they sinned against it in omissions commissions their best performances fell far short of the full perfection of it and therefore they all stood condemned before the Lord whose exact justice alloweth of no righteousness but that which is every way perfect These things being cleared from the 17th verse of the first Chapter to the 20th verse of this third Chapter Then he declareth another way of justification revealed in the Gospel even by the full satisfaction and perfect righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ imputed by God the righteous Judge of all the world to Believers and applied by faith And having proved this in the latter part of this and in the two next Chapters he inâ—â—rtâ—th thâ—se words in the end of the third Chapter Do we then c. although he had not finished his discourse of free justification by faith through the righteousness of Christ yet he wouâ—d put in a caveat against the licentious â—buse of this excelâ—ent Doctrine though it seemeth a little out of order not tying himself so precisely to method as to neglâ—ct the vindicating the honour of Christ and the preventing or removing of such a mistake upon which poor souls are apt to make Shipwrack So that in these words we may note first a Question or Objection Do we make void the Law through faith secondly an Answer 1. By way of detestation or abhorrence God forbid or let it not be far be it from us 2. By way of denial implied in a contrary Assertion and that with advantage We are so far from making void the Law through faith that by this doctrine we establish the Law Do we make void the Law Do we make the Law a vain empty useless thing of no force Do we take away all authority and binding power from the Law through faith through the Doctrine of the Gospel teaching men another way of obtaining justification and righteousness by the perfect righteousness of Christ apprehended by faith without any respect unto or consideration of the works of the Law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let it not be far be it from us Yea we establish the Law we give more honour to the Law we acknowledge more fully and truly the perfection purity authority of the Law than they do which teach and seek righteousness by the works of the Law From this objection may be noted this point That Ignorance and malice is apt to mistake slander or pervert the most precious Truths of the Gospel or thus The corrupt Nature of man is apt to corrupt the most precious Truths of the Gospel So in this present Chapter For the Apostle having before proved the people of Israel had as much need of the Righteousness of Christ to save them from condemnation and to justifie them and present them as righteous before God as the Heathen their sins and guilt being as great as that of the Heathens or rather greater It seems hereupon some were ready to argue What advantage then hath the Iew and what profit is there of Circumcision As if they had said this doctrine taketh away all difference betwixt Iew and Gentile it giveth unto Israel the peculiar people of God no more priviledge or dignity in things pertaining to God than to the worst of Heathen Idolaters it was to no purpose that God distinguished them from other Nations by the ordinance of Circumcision Thus is corrupt Nature apt to corrupt the precious Truths of the Gospel But the Apostle shews that the Iews had much advantage over the Gentiles chiefly because that unto them were committed the Oracles of God They had the word of God the writings of Moses and the Prophets given by the inspiration of the holy Ghost directing them to the Messias to whom they were to seek for Righteousness and in whom they were to believe that they might be justified They had Sacrifices prescribed them by the wisdom of God as special helps to strengthen their faith in the perfect Sacrifice of Christ the Redeemer and therefore they had much advantage above the Heathens if they improved it for their eternal good and yet notwithstanding all this it was as impossible for them to be justified by their own works and righteousness as for the Heathens and they had as much need of Christ and his righteousness for justification as aâ—ese In this the Iews had the advantage above the Heathens that they had far better means to lead them unto Christ than the Heathens Herein they were both alike that neither the one nor the other could be justified and saved by their own works but only by Christ and his righteousness Again in this regard the condition of the obstinate and unbelieving Iews was worse than that of the profane Gentiles that they sinned against greater light and means not improving their priviledges and advantages but receiving the grace of God in vain Then followeth another objection If mans unrighteousness commendeth the Righteousness of God if Gods Righteousness in justifying sinners be the more gloriously manifested by reason of mens wickedness how then can it stand with the righteousness of God to punish men for sin and again if the glory of God his rich Grace do appear and shine forth so much the more admirably by the heinousness of peoples sins why should
eminent Saints of his to err in some things that men may learn not to think of men above that which is meet but to give that great prerogative of infallibility to the God of truth alone who hath revealed his Truth in the holy Scriptures and therefore Christians should try all spirits and doctrines by this Rule bring them all to the Law and to the Testimony concluding that if they speak not according to this Rule it is because there is no light in them no light in their doctrine so far as it will not endure the trial of Scripture light yea the Apostle speaks very high in this case Though we or an Angel from Heaven preach any other Gospel unto you than that which we have preached let him be accursed If it were possible for a blessed Angel to preach false doctrine we must reject and cleave to the Scripture against all contradiction For answer to the Second Question In as much as Satan and the corrupt nature of man are the cause of Errours and Heresies What is the reason that many carnal persons both such as are of civil conversation and fair moral principles and also such as are loose and licentious yea openly profane are free from errours in such places and ages where when false doctrines abound whereas they are such in whom the corruption of nature raigneth and such as are held captive by Satan according to his will For answer to this I conceive First that some such persons being naturally quick of apprehension and judicious may be so clearly convinced of some truths that though many deny them and oppose them yet they will stand to them especially when there is liberty for all sides to hold and profess what they list and a man may stick to the Truth without loss and danger in such cases natural Conscience is a strong tye upon mens spirits to cause them not willfully to deny a known Truth Secondly Some may affect the reputation of constancy being loth to be noted for light vain and fickle persons and therefore in as much as it was their lot to be trained up from their childhood in the truth they will cleave to it howsoever others cast it off so long as they see they may do it with safety They account it a childish thing to hearken to every novelty and vain fancy as indeed it is and therefore not becoming their gravity It may be they would have been as obstinate in error had they happened to have been taught it in their youth as now they seem to be constant in the Truth Is not this apparent in divers at this day who stand firm in doctrinal truths and remain perversely stiffe in old Ceremonyes and superstitious observances which have no footing in the holy Scriptures because they have been trained up in both On the one side they were trained up under sound doctrine concerning the main points of faith On the other side they received some superstitious observances by tradition and therefore they will part with neither Thirdly I suppose Satan having possession of carnal persons another way doth not much tempâ— some of them to renounce the Truth and entertain errours because they are not such as are likely to do him any special service in promoting false doctrines Fourthly many carnal persons may be engaged to stand for the Truth against errors because some whom they respect or upon whom they depend or of whom they look for some advantage go that way Fifthly many carnal persons seem to be indifferent in matter of Religion They are serious and hearty about things that bring in profit in following their business or in pursuing their pleasures in satisfying their lusts they think it no great matter what men hold or profess in matter of doctrine When the Iews accused the Apostle Paul for teaching false doctrine saith Gallio the Roman deputy If it be a question of words and names and of your law look ye to it for I will be no judge of such matters See how slightly he speaks of matters of Religion as if they were but empty words whereas the Question between Paul and the Iews was one of the weigtiest that ever was in controversie scil Whether the Lord Jesus were the Christ And so Festus another Roman Governour relating Pauls Case to King Agrippa accused by the Iews said When the Accusers stood up they brought none accusation of such things as I supsed but had certain questions against him of their own superstition and of one Iesus which was dead whom Paul affirmed to be alive It seemeth he thought these things to be frivolous queries not worthy of the cognizance of so great a Magistrate as himself whereas the Râ—surrection of Christ from the dead which was in question between Paul and his adversaries was such a fundamental point as that mans salvation depended upon it Thus it seemeth many are kept from embracing errours because they hold it a matter of no great weight what men profess in point of Religion But let all that mind their salvation receive the love of the Truth and walk in it hating and shunning every false opinion and every false way out of sincere love to the Lord Jesus Christ and true zeal for his Glory So much of the Question or Objection CHAP. II. THe Answer is first by way of abhorrence or detestation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let it not be or far be it from â—s which our translaturs render God Forbid I suppose because this English phrase is used in cases of like nature howsoever the Apostle by these words signified that he abhorred and detested such a consequence as to make void the Law by the doctrine of free justification through the righteousness of Christ applied by Faith Hence may be noted this point That gracious hearts do exceedingly abhor those opinions which corrupt or oppose the truth of God Heresies and false doctrines are odious to the godly 1. This may appear in many examples and first in the old Testament Moses did exceedingly abhorre the wicked counsel of Balaam whereby he taught the Midianites to deceivâ— the people of Israel so as to draw many of them from the worship of God to Idolatry and therefore saith he to the people arm some of your selves to the war and let them go against the Midianites and avenge the Lord of Midian which they did and slew the Males and five Kings of Midian and Balaam himself who gave this wicked counsel But Moses was not satisfied with this execution but was wroth with the officers of the Host and said unto them have ye saved all the women alive Behold these caused the Children of Israel through the counsel of Balaam to commit trespass against the Lord in the matter of Peor and there was a plague among the congregation of the Lord and then he commanded them to kill all except the women children which were Virgins And it seemeth that
Capital punishments as Fines Banishment Imprisonment But for Blasphemers I know not what authority under Heaven hath power to dispense with that Law so expressely delivered by the God of Heaven He that blasphemeth the name of the Lord he shall surely be put to death Seventhly Some I believe think they have a Protection for Hereticks to preserve them from the hand of justice in that Parable of the Tares where the Housholder would not have the Tares rooted up lest the Wheat should be plucked up with them but would have both grow together until the Harvest I answer 1. I see not how this can exempt Hereticks from punishment more than perjured persons Theeves Traitours Rebels Adulterers Murderers or other Malefactours For what are Tares but all sorts of persons that are not Wheat to be gathered into the Barn And therefore in the exposition of the Parable the Tares are declared to signifie all things that offend and them that do Iniquity And therefore I conceive these Servants are not the Magistrates who are not forbidden but commanded to use their power for a Terrour to evil works but the Angels whom the Lord will not have to pluck up all the Tares before the Harvest day scil the end of the world And in the exposition of the Parable I find nothing either restraining civil Magistrates or Church Officers in proceeding against notorious and scandalous offenders 2. Parables are not to be pressed and urged in every particular circumstance but the Scope is to be considered And I conceive the Scope and design of this Parable is to shew that there shall be a mixture of good and bad in the world until the last day when the separation shall be made And therefore in the third place How earnest should we be in praying to the Lord to preserve our selves and others from being led away with the errour of the wicked to reduce those that are led aside to open their eyes and humble their hearts that they may acknowledge their failings and return to the Truth to frustrate the subtil devices and mischievous attempts of deceivers to fill the Magistrates with a spirit of wisdom zeal and courage to improve their authority for the Lord Jesus Christ in putting a restraint upon the enemies of his Name and Truth to stir up in them bowels of compassion towards poor souls who are dayly in danger to be insnared and bewitched by them Besides all the other mischiefs done by false Teachers I conceive this one were enough to stir up all that truly fear God to desire their restraint that they draw many poor creatures from publick ordinances from the ordinary means of knowledge grace and salvation And how can they do the Divel a more acceptable service or open a readier way for Popery Profaneness Atheisme and all manner of wickedness to break in upon us So much of the Apostles Answer by way of abhorrence or detestation CHAP. III. NOw followeth the other part of his Answer by way of Negation oâ— Denyal Concerning which I grant it to be an Affirmation in respect of the form of the words if they be considered as a sentence by themselves but consider this clause as an Answer to the former Question or Objection and so it is a Denial and more than a Denial in regard of the matter of it it is a Denial with advantage The Question or Objection is Do we make void the Law throâ—gh Faith implying that the doctrine delivered by the Apostle concerning justification by faith doth make void the Law that is that by maintaining this doctrine that they who receive Christ by a lively faith applying his righteousness obedience and satisfaction to themselves and relying wholly upon him for justification and salvation are accepted of God as truly righteous without any consideration at all of any works of theirs done in obedience to the Law that they hereby do make void the Law or take away the use and authority of it This the Apostle doth most strongly deny by affirming the contrary yea we establish the Law If he had said no more but this we do not make void the Law through Faith it had been a denial of that which was objected But to add strength to his denyal he affirms the contrary that the doctrine of justification by faith is so far from making void the Law that it confirmeth and establisheth the Law So that the Apostle shews that there was a double falshood in this Objection For if the doctrine objected against had neither made void the Law nor established it it had been false to say it did make void the the Law but to say it made void the Law when it was so far from making it void that it did establish it was a double falshood Again it seemeth the objection was made both against the doctrine and them that taught it Do we make void the Law through Faith scil the Apostle and other Gospel-preachers And the Answer cleareth both Yea we establish the Law The doctrine which we preach and we in preaching this doctrine are so far from making void the Law that both our doctrine and we in teaching it do establish the Law Hence may be noted this Point That such things have been Objected against the Truth and them that stand for the truth as are doubly false I conceive there is an Objection implied in the speech of our Lord Christ Think not that I am come to destroy the Law or the Prophets I am not come to destroy but to fulfill It seemeth some either did Object or were inclined to object against the Son of God that he came to destroy the Law and the Prophets Now he shews that there was a double falshood in this surmize for 1. He did not come to destroy them 2. He came to fulfill them in such an exact and perfect manner and measure as the best of men that ever came before him were never able to do So when he had cast the Divel out of a dumb man that was possessed so that the dumb spake and the multitude marveiled saying it was never so seen in Israel the Pharisees said he casteth out Devils through the Prince of Devils There was a double falshood in this envious and Blasphemous cavil They accused him as a confederate of the Devil who both by his doctrine and works made it appear that he came to destroy the works of the Devil The Lord Christ having said I am the light of the world he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness but shall have the light of life The Pharisees said unto him Thou bearest record of thy self thy record is not true This was doubly false for he is the truth it self and neither did nor could speak any untruth So when the Lord Jesus had opened the eyes of one that was born blind on the Sabbath day Some of the Pharisees said This man is not of God because he keepeth not the
of Nature consisting of those notions of good and evil which were left or new written by the Lord in the minds of men and women after that the nature of mankind was corrupted by sin which Law though it be now imperfect yet in many things it sheweth the difference between good and evil and hath power over the Conscience to inform convince excuse and accuse The other two delivered peculiarly to the people of Israel are the Law of Ordinances of Ceremonies and the Law moral And the Apostle proveth that none of these Laws can justifie the strictest observers of them all men and women being naturally corrupt and possest with principles of opposition against the purity and perfection of the moral Law and those that are renewed by grace being but imperfectly conformed to the Law As for the Law of Ceremonies it is in its own nature no perfect rule of righteousness but consisting of figures and shadows and such earthly and carnal observances as had a mystical signification of spiritual and heavenly things The Law of nature is comprehended in the moral Law delivered in the Scriptures first published to Israel and then communicated together with the Gospel to the Nations of the world So that that which is imperfectly written in the minds of men naturally is perfectly declared by the Law written by the finger of God in Tables of stone scil the ten Commandments and more fully opened in other parts of Scripture And therefore though it was expedient for the Apostle to speak distinctly of them in the former part of his discourse to convince both Israelites and Heathens of their unrighteousness and gâ—ilt yet in this place I conceive the Law of nature and the written Law may well be comprehended under one and so I take the Apostles meaning to be that by the doctrine of free justification through the righteousness of Christ both the Ceremonial and moral Law are established To begin with the former observe this point That the Law of Ceremonies is established by the doctrine of the Gospel Or thus The doctrine of free justification through the righteousnes of Christ apprehended by faith establisheth the Ceremonial Law For the right understanding of this we may consider First In general What these Ceremonial institutions were Secondly How they were misunderstood or abused by ignorant and carnal Israelites Thirdly How they are established by the Gospel or doctrine of justification by faith First These Ceremonial Ordinances were instituted by the Authority of God himself as parts of his outward worship and figures of heavenly and spiritual things to be observed untill the death of Christ. 1. They were instituted by the authority of God himself So Circumcision was commanded immediately by God himself to Abraham and his posterity So the Lord gave express directions to Moses and Aaron concerning the Ordinance of the Passeover and Moses being fourty days and fourty nights in the Mount received Ceremonial Laws from the Lord to be observed by the people Secondly They were parts of Gods outward worship Some of them more directly and properly as the Sacrifices which were to be offered to the Lord only so also the sweet Incense and divers others Other of them more improperly as things subservient to the worship of God as the Altar of burnt-offerings the Ark the Golden Table c. Thirdly They were figures of Heavenly and spiritual things Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the Tabernacle For see saith he that thou make all things according to the patern shewed thee in the Mount Fourthly They were to be observed until the death of Christ. Above when he said Sacrifice and offerings and burnt-offerings and offering for sin thou wouldst not neither hadst pleasure therein which are offered by the Law Thâ—â— said he that is Christ Lo I come to do thy will O God He taketh away the first that he may establish the second By the which Will we are sanctified by the offering of the body of Iesus Christ once for all The Ceremonies of the Law were to continue until Christ offered himself in sacrifice and then they were to be taken away and to give place to his all-sufficient Sacrifice and accordingly the Lord Christ himself manifested in the flesh and made under the Law did in his own person observe the Ceremonies of the Law But at his death the veile of the Temple waâ— rent in twain from the top to the bottom which I conceive signified both the abolishing of legal Ceremonies and the opening of the way into the heavenly sanctuary by the death of Christ. Now there being great abundance and varieties of these Ceremonial institutions I conceive they may be reduced to four heads 1. Sacraments 2. Sacrifices 3. Sacred persons and things subservient to holy uses 4. Sacred observances 1. Sacraments and those ordinarily were two 1. Circumcision whereby they were solemnly admitted into the Church and visibly sealed as parties to the Covenant 2. The passeover wherein they were admitted by faith to feed upon Christ the Lamb of God who taketh away the sins of the world slain in the eternal counsel of God before the foundation of the world and to be actually Sacrificed in the fulness of time 2. Sacrifices 1. Whole burntofferings 2. Meat-offerings 3. Sin-offerings 4. Thank-offerings or Peace-offerings and among these especially the daily burnt-offering presented to the Lord morning and evening every day in the year 3. Sacred persons and things Such were the Priests and Levites especially the High-priest The holy places 1. A Tabernacle 2. A Temple with the several parts Consecrated days and times the feasts of the passover of Pentecost of Tabernacles the new Moons the weekly Sabbaths as limited to the last day of the week c. The utensils of the Sanctuary the Altar of burntoffering the golden Altar of Incense the Loaves the Table of shew-bread the Ark Mercy-seat c. 4. Sacred observances Their divers washings and purifyings absteining from divers creatures as unclean with very many usages injoyned In the second place consider how these things were understood or abused by ignorant or carnal Israelites I conceive 1. That many of them had little or no knowledge of the mystical signification or spiritual meaning of these types and shadows they did not see Christ in them 2. That they rested in the outward work If they were outwardly Circumcised they looked not after the Circumcision of the heart mortification of sin self-denyal regeneration having fed upon the Lamb with unlevened bread in the feast of the Passeover they minded not the Lamb of God nor sought after the unleavened bread of sincerity and Truth When they offered Sacrifice they looked no farther than the beast that was slaine not minding the perfect all-sufficient sacrifice of Christ. It seemeth they were
so far from this that when Christ according to the antient Prophesies and types had offered up himself in Sacrifice for the sins of the world they made his death an occasion of stumbling and took that to be an argument that he was not the Christ which was one of the main evidences that he was the Christ. In their legal washings how did they rest in the purifying of the flesh without any care to wash their hearts from wickedness Did not they rest in the High-priest of the order of Aaron without minding an eternal High-priest after the order of Melchisedeck A multitude of such instances might be given Thirdly They seemed to have minded the outward observation of these ceremonial ordinances more than the keeping of the moral Law So the Lord complaineth by the Prophet Isaiah that they rebelled against him knew him not forsook him provoked him to anger revolted from him had hands full of blood and yet it seemeth they were very forward in the ceremonial observances bringing a multitude of Sacrifices burnt offerings of Rams fat of fed beasts Bullocks Lambs He-Goats Though these were more costly yet they were more forward in these services than in moral duties cleansing their hearts and hands from sin c. Is there not a notable evidence of this in the actings of those Iews who killed the Lord of life They seemed to be so scrupulous in point of Ceremony that they would not enter into the Court or Judgement-Hall least they should be defiled but that they might eat the Passeover and therefore Pilate the Judge was fain to come out of the Court and wait upon them to hear what they could say against him and it seemeth being wearied with going in and out at last he removed and sate upon a Judgement-Seat without doors in the mean time these wicked murtherers were so violently bent to shed innocent blood that they defiled themselves with the guilt of a most heinous sin straining at a Gnat and swallowing of a Camel Fourthly It seemeth they relied upon these Ceremonies or the observation of them as a part of that righteousness whereby they hoped to be justified in the sight of God The Lord having planted a Church at Antioch Certain men which came down from Iudea taught the Brethren Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses ye cannot be saved Saith the Apostle I testifie again to every man that is Circumcised that he is a debtor to do the whole Law Christ is become of none effect to you Whosoever of you are justified by the Law ye are fallen from Grace Doth not this intimate that they relied on the Ceremony of Circumcision in part for justification and under Circumcision I understand other Ceremonies of the Law Fifthly I conceive it is very clear that they thought these legal Ceremonies were to be obserfor ever unto the end of the world So in the place mentioned before they said Except ye be Circumcised c. And so it seemeth they counted it blasphemy to say that the Lord Jesus should change the customes delivered by Moses Thirdly The Question is How the Doctrine of the Gospel concerning free justification through the righteousness of Christ apprehended by faith doth establish this Law of Ceremonies To this I Answer 1. Negatively 2. Affirmatively 1. Negatively This doctrine of the Gospel doth not establish the Law of Ceremonies by confirming and continuing the observation of it but on the contrary take it away So Stephen bâ—ing accused for saying that Jesus Christ should change the customes delivered by Moses told the Iews that Moses said unto the children of Israel A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your Brethren like unto me him shall ye hear The Lord Christ was the great Propher by whose spirit Moses and the rest of the Prophets were inspired And as he had directed Moses to deliver these Ceremonial ordinances to Israel to be observed untill his manifestation in the flesh and departure out of the world again so now he was to be heard as one of unquestionable authority declaring unto the Church his will and pleasure concerning the ceasing of these observances That passage between the Lord Christ and the woman of Samaria is notable to this purpose He by telling her of her sinful course had convinced her thus far that she made this acknowledgement Sir I perceive thou art a Prophet and therefore it seemeth thought that he might be able to resolve a Question of great moment wherein she desired satisfaction and that was this Our Fathers worshipped in this Mountain and ye say that in Hierusalem is the place wherein men out to worship the Father I conceive the occasion of this controversie between the Iews and Samaritans was this The Samaritans were the posterity of those Heathens whom Salmanasser King of Assyria had placed there instead of the Israelites whom he carried away Captive and embraced a corrupt Religion mixed of Heathenisme and Judaisme Toward the end of the Persian Monarchy Manasses the Brother of Iaddus the High-Priest married the Daughter of Sanballat a prime man of Samaria whereupon he was required of his Brother to lay down his office his Marriage being condemned by the Law Manasses acquainted Sanballat with his loss and let him know that though he loved his Daughter yet he would not for her sake lose so great a dignity as that of the Priesthood Sanballat answered him that if he would keep his Daughter for his wife he would make him an High-priest and with the license and consent of Darius King of Persia build a Temple upon Mount Gerizim for that purpose But Darius being overthrown in battel soon after by Alexander of Macedon he made this suit to him bringing him eight thousand Souldiers to serve him in the Wars and readily obtained his desire So that this became a receptacle to divers fugitive or apostate Iews who were guilty of breaking the Law by proâ—aning the Sabbath eating meats forbidden or the like crimes This Temple having stood about 200 years was ruined by Hircanus about a hundred years before Christ his coming in the flesh or more Now as they that embrace errours and corrupt inventions of men in things pertaining to Religion and religious worship are obstinate in cleaving to their fancies so the Samaritans would make comparisons between their Temple which was founded without warrant from God yea against his word and the Temple of Hierusalem which the Lord owned for the peculiar place of his worship Yea and after their Temple was laid desolate they seemed to please themselves with the imagination of the holiness of the ground on which it once stood and therefore saith the woman our Fathers worshipped in this Mountain c. as if Mount Gerizim were still an holy Mount though the Temple was down and so there was great enmity between the Iews and Samaritans But observe the Answer which the
Lord Christ gave her Jesus saith unto her Woman beleeve me the hour cometh when ye shall neither in this Mountain nor yet at Hierusalem worship the Father Ye worship ye know not what we know what we worship for salvation is of the Iews But the hour cometh and now is when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and Truth for the Father seeketh such to wrship him God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in Truth The woman saith unto him I know that Messias cometh which is called Christ when he is come he will tell us all things Iesus saith unto her I that speak unto thee am he I conceive in this Answer the Lord Christ sheweth 1. That both the Iews and Samaritans were in an errour for it seemeth both of them thought that the Lord had confined his most solemn worship to one certain place throughout all ages as one party said at Mount Gerizim the other at Hierusalem and that the Ceremonies and Sacrifices there used should be alwaies continued Bus the Lord Christ told the woman that God had not limited himself to either of these places and that the time was now at hand when it should be as free to worship God in any other place as in either of these 2. He passeth sentence for the Iews against the Samaritans in this Controversie So far as concerned the present state of things saith he ye scil ye Samaritans worship ye know not what We scil we Iews know what we worship for salvation is of the Iews Ye Samaritans do ye know not what in your worshipping ye know not God aright ye have no warrant from his word either for your Temple once standing on this Mount or for limiting the worship of God to this place or for the way of worship Ye blindly follow the groundless Traditions of your Fathers But we know what we worship we follow the directions of God himself delivered by Moses and the Prophets both for the place and manner of Gods worship for salvation is of the Iews They are the Church of God to whom God hath committed his oracles teaching the way of Salvation and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ the Saviour of the world was to come 3. He confirmeth and amplifieth the first part of his Answer shewing that the Lord in a short time would set up a more spiritual way of worship in his Church more sutable to his spiritual Nature to which these carnal ordinances and Ceremonial ordinances should give place Secondly I Answer affirmatively that the doctrine of the Gospel and in particular this Gospel-doctrine of free justification through the righteousness of Christ doth establish the Ceremonial Law For 1. Then is a thing established when it attaineth its proper end Now by the Gospel the Law of Ceremonies attained its proper end For 1. The end of it was to be a School-master to bring men to Christ. Circumcision sealed the righteousness of faith which Circumcision it self could not give but was to be found in Christ it taught men to look after the Circumcision of the heart which was to be had in Christ alone by union with him by faith and partaking of his spirit The Passeover pointed out unto them Christ the Lamb of God without spot which taketh away the sins of the world The Sacrifices directed them to Christ the perfect Sacrifice The blood of the Sacrifices led them to the sprinkling of the blood of Christ which alone was sufficient to take away sin Now these and other Ceremonies attained their end in Christ and in the justification of sinners through the blood death satisfaction righteousness of Christ apprehended and applied by faith according to the doctrine of the Gospel and so this Law of Ceremonies was established and the validity of it declared But on the other side they that pretend so much zeal for Circumcision and other Ceremonies of the Law making it a part of the matter of their justification and resting in the bare outward observance as pleasing to the Lord in it self did cross the main end of the Ceremonial Law and propose such false ends as were impossible to be attained Secondly The doctrine of the Gospel making Christ the end of the Law for righteousness in whom wisdom righteousness sanctification redemption and salvation alone is to be had sheweth that the Ceremonial Ordinances were no empty shadowes and vain appearances like those of the Heathen but significant signs and Types full of deep Mysteries of exceeding great weight and importance pointing at the person of the Lord Jesus his office his actings his sufferings and the fruits and benefits of these whereas they that so stiffely opposed the strict observation of the Ceremonies of the Law against the doctrine of Christ delivered in the Gospel what did they make of them but begerly elements empty appearances without fruit use or profit So that the Preachers of the Gospel did honour the Ceremonial Law though they took away the observation of them by declaring the substance whereof they were shadowes and the observers of the Ceremonies in the times of the Gospel did greatly disparage them Thirdly The doctrine of the Gospel doth still establish the Ceremonial Law as an illustration of the mystery of Christ in the Gospel and sheweth that great use may still be made of them that way for the Ceremonies were as it were visible Prophesies of Christ and the things of Christ. And as Prophesies are dark before they are fulfilled but clear after they are accomplished and do much illustrate the events so these Ceremonies were obscure resemblances of Christ but now since what they signified is fulfilled the comparing the Types with the Antitypes giveth much light The Use which I intend to make of this point is to compare some of the principal Ceremonies of the old Testament with the Mysteries of the Gospel that so we may more clearly see how they are established by Christ and that we may improve them for our edification And first to begin with the Sacraments of the Ceremonial Law and there in 1. Circumcision The institution of this Sacrament is laid down Genesis the sevententh saith the Lord to Abraham This is my Covenant which ye shall keep between me and you and thy seed after thee every man child among you shall be Circumcised and ye shall Circumcise the flesh of your foreskin and it shall be a token of the Covenant betwixt me and you And elsewhere Moses saith to the people of Israel Circumcise the foreskin of your heart and be no more stiffe-necked This sheweth that the Circumcision of the flesh directed them to the inward Circumcision of the heart the mortification of sinful lusts inordinate affections and all sorts of corruptions To which agreeth that of the Apostle Circumcision is that of the heart in the spirit and not in the letter whose praise is not
of men but of God The same Apostle saith that Abraham received the sign of Circumcision and seal of the righteousness of faith These Scriptures compared together shew that Circumcision did seal the Covenant of Grace between God and his people on the one side confirming the promises of God to them as a seal added to the blood of his Covenant on the other side engaging them to answer the ends of the Covenant by Circumcising their hearts mortifying their corruptions and forsaking their sins The sum of Gods promises sealed by the Sacrament of Circumcision is delivered in these words I will establish my Covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting Covenant to be a God unto thee and to thy seed after thee I conceive this conteineth as much as all the promises of the Gospel For what is there in all the promises concerning pardon of sin justification adoption the graces of Sanctification the comforts and joyes of the holy Ghost Communion with God strength against temptation protection against the assaults of Satan and the world hearing and answering of prayers support under afflictions victory over death everlasting life and salvation and other promises and priviledges granted to Believers in the Gospel I say what is there in all these which is not comprehended in this promise I will be their God God is all sufficient he is all in all and when he giveth himself he giveth all good things and blessings and this was sealed by Circumcision Now this promise and Covenant is fulfilled in Christ for out of Christ men and women are both strangers and Enemies to God and have no interest in him The Lord is so far from being their God that he is their Enemy saith the Apostle When we were Enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son The best of men and women are in a state of enmity with God until they are reconciled by Christ. And that Covenant sealed by Circumcision wherein the Lord promised to be the God of Abraham and of his seed was the same for substance with that where he saith I will bless thee and make thy name great and thou shalt be a blessing and I will bless them that bless thee and curse him that curseth thee and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed I conceive the promise of Christ is twice included here when it is said I will make thee a blessing and again in thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed Abraham was made a blessing and the Nations and families of the Earth were blessed in him in this regard because Christ according to the flesh or humane nature was to issue out of his loynes according to that in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed that is in Christ. So that Abraham found that in Christ which was sealed to him by Circumcision Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness and he received the sign of Circumcision a seal of the righteousness of faith which he had yet being uncircumcised Circumcision attained its end in Christ and he was the substance of this shadow in him believers are reconciled to God and he becometh their God and they are made his people being justified by his righteousness and by his spirit they are circumcised in heart their corruptions are mortified and their body of sin destroyed which is an evidence of their union with Christ and justification by him and this may move us to labour to be found in Christ that we may be circumcised in heart that the power of sin may be killed in us that we may be conformed unto his death our sinful lusts and affections being crucified by virtue of his death on the Cross that so as the Apostle saith we may be circumcised with the circumcision made without hands in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the Circumcision of Christ. 2. In as much as circumcision was a seal of that Covenant whereby God gave himself to his people to be their God in Christ and a seal of the righteousness of saith and so of the pardon of sin and justification through the righteousness of Christ apprehended by faith It is clear that all the Arguments of the Anabaptists fall to the ground which they build either upon the pretended difference of Baptisme and circumcision or of the Covenants sealed by them or upon the incapacitie of Infants for it is evident that the same Covenant which is confirmed by Baptisme was also sealed by circumcision and if Infants under the old Testament were capable of circumcision how are they made uncapable of Baptism under the Gospel And accordingly you may observe how the Apostle compareth baptisme and circumcision together and sheweth how the latter cometh in place of the former for having warned believers not to hearken to those who would bring them in bondage unto Iewish Ceremonies he telleth them ye are compleat in hi scil in Christ aâ—d so need not to observe those shadows of the Law in whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ. So that they have the same circumcision in Christ w ch their Fathers had under the Law and therefore needed not the outward circumcision But lest any should think thus our faith under the Gospel needeth outward helps to confirm it as well as theirs under the old Testament he addeth these words ver 12 Buried with him in baptisme wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God who hath raised him from the dead as if he had said instead of Circumcision ye have the Sacrament of baptisme signifying the same thing and sealing the Covenant of grace and righteousness of faith Secondly The other Sacrament was that of the Passeover this was instituted by the Lord while Israel was in Egypt and was first celebrated that same night that they came out of that house of Bondage The sum of the ordinance was this that every family should chuse a Lamb a male of the first year without blemish they were to separate it from the rest of the flock on the tenth day of the Month setting apart four days until the fourteenth day at even when it was to be killed they were to take of the blood and strike it upon the two side-posts and on the upper door-posts of the houses wherein the Lambs was to be eaten and the same night they were commanded to eat the flesh of the Lamb roasted with fire and with unleavened bread and bitter herbs but if any family were too little for a Lamb it was to joyne with the next and they were to eat it in hast with their loines girded their shoes on their feet and their staffe in their hand as men prepared to travel
The reason that was given for it is this in effect that the Lord that night would pass through the Land oâ— Egypt and smite all the first born both of man and beast among the Egyptians but would spare those houses of the Israeliteâ— when he saw the blood of the Lamb on the door-posts This in it self was a great deliverance but there was a far greater mystery and deliverance intended which was accomplished in Christ. First then The Lamb was a figure of Christ whom Iohn Baptist according to his office pointed out to the people saying Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world and another day Behold the Lamb of God And the Apostle saith Christ our Passeover is Sacrificed for us And the Apostle Peter saith Ye were not redeemed with corruptible things as Silver and Gold from your vain conversation received by tradition from your Fathers but with the precious blood of Christ as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot As the Lamb appointed for the Passeover was to be without blemish so Christ the Lamb of God was without all blemish or spot of sin actual or original being conceived by the divine power of the holy Ghost in the wombe of a pure Virgin Again as the Lamb of the Passeover was taken from the rest of the flock so Christ in regard of his humane Nature was taken from the rest of mankind and made one person with the Son of God that he might be all-sufficient for this great end scil to take away the sins of the world The Lamb for the Passeover was set apart certain days before it was slain Christ was set apart in the eternal counsel of God fore-ordained before the foundation of the world And as the blood of the Lamb was to be put upon the door posts of the Israelites houses that so the destroyer might pass over them and not destroy any of them whereas the first-born were slain in those houses that were not marked with the blood of the Paschal Lamb So the most precious blood of Christ is to be sprinkled by faith upon the souls of Believers his blood death satisfaction righteousness is to be applied to their souls by faith unfeigned that so the destroying curse of the Law and wrath of God may not abide upon them but pass over them while others who have no interest in this Lamb of God and his most precious blood lye open to the curse of the Law and the wrath to come So that we see also how this Ceremony and Sacrament of the Passeover attained its end in Christ and is accomplished in him and in that sense established And in particular this is declared in the doctrine of justification through the satisfaction and righteousness of Christ apprehended by faith For as the houses marked with the blood of the Paschal Lamb escaped the destroyer so those souls who by faith unfeigned apply the blood and righteousness of Christ to themselves are delivered from condemnation and accepted of God as righteous Let us labour to improvâ— this First As the Israelites were never delivered out of Egyptian bondage until they kept the Passeover so let us assure our selves that As it had been impossible for any men and women to get out of the slavery of sin and Satan unless the Lamb of God had been slain for thâ—â— Redemption so none are actually redeemed and delivered from this woful bondage untill they keep the Passeover in a spiritual manner until they imbrace Christ the Lamb of God and feed upon him by the lively actings and exercisings of faith unfeined Many may be convinced of their misery and sigh for hard bondage as the Israelites did in Egypt but they cannot be made free unless they keep this Passeover If the Son shall make you free ye shall be free indeed If ye be found in Christ and feed upon this Lamb of God ye shall be free indeed not otherwise Secondly Admire with all Thankfulness the infinite goodness of God who before the foundation of the world provided such a precious remedy for poor sinners even a Lamb without blemish and without spot â—eparated from the rest of the flock one of the seed of the woman set apart from among all the rest of the children of men and personally united to the eternal Son of God that so he might be a full and perfect propitiation for sin Thirdly As Christ is a Lamb without spot so let all that will be saved by him labour to be more conformed to him in holiness purging themselves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit for every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself as he is pure What is that but an unsound self-deceiving hope which doth not stir up the soul to conform it self to Christ in purity and holiness Fourthly Labour with all diligence for faith unfeigned whereby ye may sprinkle the most precious blood of Christ upon your Souls applying his death suffering satisfaction righteousness to your selves that ye may escape the destroying curse of the Law and wrath of God that being justified by faith in the blood and righteousness of Christ there may be no condemnation unto you What had it profited the Israelites that the Lamb for the Passeover was slain if they had not followed the Lord his direction in putting the blood upon the door posts of their houses What shall it profit any that live under the Gospel that Christ the Lamb of God is slain and in the preaching of the word set forth as it were crucified before their eyes if they do not sprinkle their souls in particular with his blood rightly applying his satisfaction and righteousness to themselves Will not the Lord look upon them rather as Egyptians then Israelites and deal with them accordingly Fifthly As they did eat the Lamb at the feast of the Passeover So let Christians endeavour every day to keep this feast unto the Lord by feeding upon this living bread upon the body and blood of Christ in lively actings of faith upon him and more especially in the use of his ordinances his word and the holy Supper As they kept the Passeover with unleavened bread so let us keep the feast not with old leven neither with the leven of malice and of wickedness but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth The Lord Christ warned his Disciples to beware of the leaven of the Pharises and of the Sadduces and though at the first they mistook his meaning yet afterward they understood it of the doctrine of the Pharises and Sadduces so he said unto his Disciples Beware of the Leaven of the Pharises which is Hypocrisie So that all manner of evil outward and inward in heart in opinion in conversation may be comprehended under this Leaven and they that will rightly feast with Christ and feed upon him must
saved whether by their own works and performances or by the grace and free favour of God imputing to them the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ and working faith in their hearts by his spirit thereby enabling them to receive Christ and apply his righteousness to themselves 2. For the deciding of this question or the determining this controversie the hearts lives and actions of men were to be tried and examined by a rule of righteousness which the supream Law-giver had given unto men 3. The Apostle in this dispute having to do with two sorts of people 1. The Gentiles or such as were strangers to the commonwealth or Church of Israel who had no written Law of divine Authority among them he dealeth with them another way and goeth about to convince them of their guiltiness and unrighteousness and sinning against the Law of Nature 2. The people of Israel who for many hundred years had been the peculiar Covenant-people or Church of God and who had the moral Law of God written briefly with the finger of God in Tables of stone and more largely opened in other parts of Scripture by holy men inspired and moved by the holy Ghost These he trieth by this more full and perfect Law and proveth them guilty of sin against the Law and so concludes that both Israelites and Gentiles were guilty before God and there was none of them righteous by his own works no not one and therefore all of them were to go out of themselves and to flee to Christ by faith that being found in him they might be freely justified by his righteousness I conceive therefore that the Question or Objection in this Text being occasioned by the Apostles former discourse doth concern all those Laws which he mentioned before by which he proveth that men could not be justified scil the Ceremonial Law the Law of Nature and the moral Law written and accordingly the Answer taketh in all Yea we establish the Law But because these two do concern the same things forbidding the same sins and commanding the same duties and what is more imperfectly contained in the Law of Nature is far more perfectly declared in the Moral Law written I do not hold it so necessary to shew how these two are severally established by the doctrine of the Gospel for if this be made evident concerning the moral Law written which being more large and full comprehendeth the Law of Nature in it it will follow that the Law of Nature is established also Notwithstanding in as much as the Apostle hath shewed that none can be justified by the light and Law of Nature I think fit to speak something briefly of that also as conceiving it to be included in this Objection and the Apostles Answer to it The point then which I observe is this That God hath given to men a light and Law of Nature This I take to be plainly expressed in divers passages of the first and second Chapters of this Epistle and twice implyed in this verse 1. In the Objection Do we then make void the Law through faith Doth the doctrine of justification through the righteousness of Christ applied by faith excluding all other ways of justification make the Law of Ceremonies the Law moral the Light and Law of Nature as formerly mentioned of no effect altogether void of no force or use 2. In the Answer We establish the Law and as the Law of Ceremonies and the Law moral so the Law and light of Nature so that the Apostle sheweth according to the point that God hath given unto men a light and Law of Nature That which may be known of God is manifest in them for God hath shewed it unto them for the invisible things of God are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made even his eternal power and Godhead so that they are without excuse◠because that when they knew God they glorified him not as God c. Where it is manifest the Apostle speaks of the Law and light of Nature common to men in general even to those that had no light of Scripture nor written Law of God For when the Gentiles which have not the Law do by nature the things contained in the Law these having not the Law are a Law unto themselves which shew the work of the Law written in their hearts their Conscience also hearing witness and their thoughts the mean while or between themselves accusing or excusing one another For the underderstanding of this point let us consider 1. What this Light or Law of Nature is It may be described thus It is the knowledge which God hath given unto man in their natural estate since the fall of men whereby he hath in some degree made known unto them himself and the good they ought to do and the evils they ought to shun 1. It is given of God so in both those places of Scripture mentioned before in the one 〈◊〉 is said God hath shewed it unto them in the other they shew the work of the Law written in their hearts Now who can write immediately upon the heart and soul but God who is the Father of spirits who formeth the spirit of man within him and therefore I do not call it the Law of Nature in this sense as if it were propagated from Adam by natural generation but because it is given of God to men as generally as if it were born with them The Prophet sheweth that God giveth to the Husbandman his skill and knowledge for his God doth instruct him unto discretion and doth teach him this also cometh forth from the Lord who is wonderful in counsel and excellent in working So the Lord saith of Bezaleel I have filled him with the spirit of God in wisdom and in understanding and in knowledge and in all manner of workmanship to devise cunning works to work in Gold and in Silver and in Brass c. So that if God be the giver of skill and ability for arts and handy-crafts we need not doubt but he is the Author of the light and Law of Nature given unto man whereby they see a difference between truth and falshood good and evil and the Lord may give excellent gifts of this kind to such men to whom he giveth no sanctifying and saving graces 2. It is a knowledge So it is said they knew God they have a knowledge So it is said of Christ that was the true light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world The Son of God giveth this common light generally to men This light differeth much from that light of life which Christ giveth to them that follow him whereof he speaketh Chap. 8. I am the light of the world he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness but shall have the light of life This is meant of a spiritual saving light leading men to everlasting life which is given to none but them that follow Christ
saved Whosoever shall call on the Name of the Lord shall be saved How then shall they call on him on whom they have not believed It must be a prayer of faith and where sound faith is there are other saving graces And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard And how shall they hear without a Preacher so that the light of Nature was not sufficient unto salvation 2. In special I conceive the Law and light of Nature was defective and imperfect 1. In it self I suppose it did not make known unto men the great Mystery of Trinity in unity three persons in one God nor the state of perfection wherein man was created nor his woful fall and revolt from God Their own experience taught them that the Nature of man was inclined to evil the powers of the soul disordered the senses misleading the affections the affections leading reason captive but they had no light to discover to them the first cause of all this mischief they were as far to seek concerning the Remedy That great depth of the Incarnation of the Son of God of God manifest in the flesh for mans Redemption was hidden from them their own Consciences accused them and condemned them as guilty but they had no light to shew them how divine justice might be satisfied they knew not of the blood righteousness sacrifice satisfaction of Jesus Christ God and man that is sufficient to take away sin and to make peace between God and sinners The light of Nature could not enable them to see into the mystical union between Christ and believers by his spirit and their faith The doctrines of free justification by the righteousness of Christ imputed of Regeneration Adoption Sanctification Communion with God Resnrrection unto glory are not revealed by the light of Nature This light did nor shew them how to walk before God unto all pleasing it did not teach them the right way of mortifying their lusts of walking in the spirit it did not discover to them the special institutions of God and ordinances of his worship Secondly It was defective and imperfect by reason of the subject the soul of man in which it was This light and Law of Nature being given to men in their corrupt natural estate is much darkned by the Natural blindness errours vanities lusts that are in the minds and hearts of men as if a man write upon fowl and blurred Paper how much is lost of that which is written and how hardly is it read sometimes a sentence broken off in the midst here and there half words one letter mistaken for another so the light and Law of Nature being put into the defiled hearts and souls of men hath many defects in it Thirdly It may be considered of what use this light and Law of Nature was sith it was defective and not sufficient to lead men to salvation It might be useful 1. For the glory of God who by this means had a witness in the hearts and Consciences of men of natural men yea of Heathens that he loved righteousness and hated wickedness their own Consciences pleading for God against them 2. It was of use for the preservation of humane societies in families â—nd Common-wealths keeping men within some limits of common honesty and preventing those outrages which the violence of mens lusts and the power of Satan might hurry them into 3. I conceive it might be useful as a remote preparative for the receiving of the Gospel in some to whom the word of salvation was tendred for though the pride and prejudice of mens natural spirits might cause them to resist the holy Ghost speaking in the Gospel preached yet the light of nature well improved finding nothing in the doctrine of the Gospel contrary to it but far above it might incline the minds of many to attend to a far higher and more glorious light shining in the doctrine of salvation I speak of this but as a remote preparative whereby ingenuous spirits might be moved to give heed to the Gospel but it must be a far higher cause even the mighty power of Christ his spirit that can bring them to receive the Gospel in an effectual and saving way Fourthly How doth this light and Law of Nature leave men without excuse I conceive First Because they did in many things shut their eyes against the light not seeking to increase that light received by improving their reason and understandings as one Candle lighteth another so one degree of light improved begetteth another and so there is lumen de lumine light as it were springing from light whereas light smothered endeth in darkness 2. Because they did not act according to that light received nor walk according to those natural abilities which they had The Heathens lived in gross Idolatry against the light of Nature whereby they might have learned that dead Images were utterly unfit to represent the living God Carnal Christians sin against the light of Nature as in many other things so I conceive in not submitting to that higher light of spiritual Mysteries so as to receive the love of the Truth that they may be saved The use of this may be 1. To inform us that Acts againt the Law of Nature are sings against God not only as they are against his written Law but also as they are against the Law of Nature because as the point sheweth God hath given unto men this light and Law of Nature the impression of this Law of Nature upon the hearts and souls of men is one of the acts of his legislative power I conceive when the Prophet saith The Lord is our Iudge the Lord is our Law-giver the Lord is our King he will save us he speaketh of God in reference to his Church to whom he hath a more peculiar Relation of this kind He gave them his Law written in the Scripture and he raigneth over them as a King in a special maner Blessed is the Nation whose God is the Lord and the people whom he hath chosen for his own Inheritance the Church is the Lords Inheritance A King may have an hereditary Kingdom which he maketh greatest account of and he may have other tributary Kingdoms subject to him to which he giveth Law also So David was King of Israel in a peculiar manner but he had also the Kingdoms of Edom Moaâ— Ammon Syria c. under him The Lord looketh upon the Church as his peculiar Kingdom and to them he hath given a perfect Law in writing in the holy Scirptures but besides that he hath a universal soveraignty and Dominion the Authority of a Law-giver over all the Nations of the world Iews Turks Indians c. The Lord most high is terrible he is a great King over all the Earth And again God is King of all the Earth And so he is a Law-giver to all the Nations of the Earth If he giveth
graces of Christ derived from him to Christians are compared to that precious ointment under the Ceremonial Law that was made of principal spices pure Myrrhe sweet Cynamon sweet Calamus and Cassia sweet Aromatical choice ingredients which being artificially compounded together what a sweet and fragrant smell did it yeild But how far doth the sweet savour of that spiritual ointment the graces of the spirit derived from Christ to true Christians excel this material ointment How great is their guilt in the sight of God that profess themselves Christians that is anointed of God and yet cherish in their hearts noisome and unsavory lusts and wallow in the mire and in the stinking sinks of abominable sins who profess themselves Christians i. e. anointed with heavenly gragracâ—s and yet remain graceless and profane 3. The Name Christian signifieth a Disciple a Scholar a follower of Christ. How great is thy sin 1. If under this name thou livest in ignorance dost thou not herein cast a great reproach upon the Lord Jesus Christ Hast thou been 20 30 40 years his Disciple his Scholar and hast thou learned little or nothing all this while Hadst thou any sincere love to Christ and his doctrine how is it that thou hast profited no more 2. Wilt thou call thy self a Christian that is a Disciple or follower of Christ and dost thou not cease to act and walk contrary to him in drunkenness in riot revellings chamberings wantonness c. Dost thou not herein highly dishonour Christ in calling thy self a Christian or follower of Christ Is not this as if thou shouldst say Christ taught thee these things and walkt before thee in such ways as these Oh take heed lest thou be found guilty of a kind of real and implicite blasphemy Is it not either a mocking of Christ or an implicite blaspheming of Christ for people to call themselves Christians that is followers and scholars of Christ and to go on from time to time in lewd and wicked courses How grievous is the sin of them that live under the Gospel and are more obstinate more stubborn more hardned in their sins than divers of the Heathens So the Lord Christ sheweth that the Heathens of Tyre and Sidon would have repented in sackcloth and ashes if the same means had been afforded them which Corazin and Bethsaida had The men of Nineve shall rise in judgement with this generation and shall condemn it because they repented at the preaching of Ionas and behold a greater then Ionas is here If the Ninevites abounding in wealth and pleasure their City being the head of the Assyrian Monarchy an Heathenish people did so far relent at the preaching of Ionas who came among them from a strange Nation Oh trembâ—e to think of your account if ye continue to harden your hearts against so many sermons so many messages brought unto you in the name of Christ and confirmed by his Authority Will ye be able to hold up your faces before the men of Nineve in the day of Judgement How grievous is the sin of professed Christians living under the light of the word and Gospel of Christ who on the one side having nothing in them better then the wiser sort of Heathens And 2. Live in such practices as the better sort of Heathens abhorred and scorned 1. How many living under the Gospel have nothing in them better then some of the Heathens nothing practically better no better frame of soul no better resolutions and affections nothing of Christ his regenerating spirit nothing of his renewing grace nothing of the new creature It may be they have some more knowledge of Christ and his Gospel then Heathens so have the Divels but they have no better hearts than Heathens 2. How many such live in the ordinary practice of such sins which the wiser sort of Heathens abhorred and scorned How disgraceful was drunkenness by the light of Nature to sober Heathens and how did they despise drunkards What discourses have Seneca and Pliny against drunkenness setting it forth not only as odious but as ridiculous shewing the baseness and sillyness of such courses Yea Are there not many Turks at this day who would scorn to make themselves such sotts as many professed Christians do What notable passages hath Tully against chearing and indirect dealing in matter of Contracts Bargains c. The like may be said of many other Cases Let us then lay to heart the abounding of sin and wickedness among us against the light and Law of Nature aggravated by the light of the written Law the everlasting Gospel of Christ and yet humble our selves and cry mightily unto the Lord if it be possible that his wrath may be turned away from us and let us every one in particular exceedingly tremble to be found Christians in name and Heathens in heart and life and therefore worse than meer Heathens CHAP. VIII I Proceed now to the Moral Law concerning which the Apostle saith it is established by the doctrine of Justification through the Righteousness of Christ apprehended by faith without any consideration of the works of the Law performed by the person justified By the the Moral Law I understand the Law written in the Scripture whereof we have a brief sum or Abridgment in the ten Commandments which again is contracted into a narrower compass Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all soul and with all thy mind This is the first and greatest Commandment and the second is like unto it Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self The Law thus abridged is largely unfolded in other parts of Scripture with the additions of many threatnings against disobedience and promises to obedience 1. then I intend to propose a general point of doctrine and then to point at the particulars comprehended in it The general doctrine is this That the Gospel teaching the free justification of Believers without consideration of any works of theirs done in obedience to the Law but through the Righteousness of Christ alone applied by faith doth establish the moral Law So it is shewed in this Text Through faith the Law is established That which I desire to clear unto you is how or wherein the moral Law is established by faith this may be shewed 1. Negatively 2. Affirmatively And so we may come to the several branches or special doctrines comprised in this general 1. Negatively thus The moral Law is not established but declared to be of no use for the justification of sinners in the sight of God by the doctrine of justification through the Righteousness of Christ imputed of God and applied by faith Or more briefly for help of Memory thus Iustification by faith in Christ excludeth justification by the works of the Law This ye may take as a point of doctrine implied in the Text if it be compared with the Apostles foregoing discourse to which it hath relation For the Apostle speaketh of it
own bottoms Israel which followed after the Law of righteousness hath not attained to the Law of righteousness Wherefore Because they sought it not by faith but as it were by the works of the Law Those Israelites that were zealous of the Law and sought to be justified by it while they were not in Christ their zeal was not according to knowledge and they might take a great deal of pains and use earnest endeavours to attain Righteousness to approve themselves just in the sight of God but all was in vain they attained not to such a Righteousness as could bear them out in the sight of God the righteous Judge of all the world They were like men that run very swiftly but run quite out of the way and never come near the mark But some may say Our case is not like that of the unbelieving Israelites for we look for justification forgiveness of sin and salvation by Jesus Christ. I Answer It is not the hearing of Christ preached nor an historical faith believing that none can be justified but by the righteousness of Christ no nor a conceipt that we are justified by him that makes your case differ in the main from that of unbelieving Israelites ye have some Notions which they had not but ye are in the same state wherein they were i. e. ye are out of Christ and therefore while ye content your selves with this condition your endeavours after righteousness are like those that run out of the way And therefore in the second place See your extream need of the Lord Iesus and go out of your selves flee to him and give your souls no rest untill ye are found in him Consider as ye cannot be justified by your own righteousness or works done in obedience to the Law whether ye look upon your selves as ye are in your selves or upon the purity perfection and severity of the Law or upon the infinite justice holiness or majesty of God so on the contrary Christ and none but Christ is able to justifie you by his righteousness in all these respects 1. He is a Lamb without spot and blemish and that from the first moment of his conception So the Angel said to Ioseph Thou Son of David fear not to take unto thee Mary thy Wife for that which is conceived in her is of the holy Ghost the blessed Spirit framing a body for Christ in the womb of a Virgin free from all stain of sin There was never any thing in him contrary to the perfect purity of the Law no inclination to evil Saith he The Prince of this world cometh and hath nothing in me Satan could find nothing of his in Christ to fasten upon no sinful infirmities or Corruption in the least degree and therefore in respect of Christ himself he could have no power by his instruments to take away his life but in regard of the sins of others which he took upon himself and for which he voluntarily gave himself an offering and a sacrifice 2. If we look to the Law Christ hath that in him which is wanting in us he answereth the exactest Purity and highest perfection of the Law He was perfect in Love That which we have Psal. 40. is applied to Christ by the Apostle Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire mine ears hast thou opened burnt offering and sin-offering hast thou not required then said I Lo I come in the volumn of the Book it is written of me I delight to do thy will O my God yea thy Law is within my heart his heart was filled with the love of God and full of the Law of God he was freely ready to do or suffer any thing for his Fathers glory As the Law is holy so he is the holy and the just one As the Law is spiritual so he was annointed with the holy Ghost He received the spirit not by measure He is a quickning spirit As the Law is a perfect rule of Righteousness so Christ fulfilled all Righteousness 3. He endured the uttermost rigour and severity of the Law He bare the penalty of it Cursed is euery one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the Law to do them Then it followeth Christ hath redeemed us from the Curse of the Law being made a Curse for us for it is written Cursed is every one that hangeth on a Tree The Curse of the Law is enough to swallow up all the guilty souls in the world and to keep them under for ever but Christ bare this Curse and overcame it he payed the uttermost farthing that was due to the justice of God for the sins of his people he fully discharged all those vast summs wherein they were indebted Saith the Apostle Christ hath loved us and given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savor Christ through the eternal spirit offered himself without spot to God What tongues of men or Angels are able to declare the weight and worth of that which is noted in this expression That Christ gave himself an offering and sacrifice for sins What could the extreamest severity of the Law require more than this when the Son of God gave himself to satisfie it 4. He is every way able and fit to stand before the infinite justice purity holiness Majesty of God he is the express Image of his Fathers person and the brightness of his glory and he is able to bear the brightness of his glory Of him the Father witnessed This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased He being in the form of God thought it no robbery to be equal with God He being God and man as he was man did undergo the penalty and Curse of the Law and by the power of his Godhead overcame it and being God and man he is able to bear the brightness of his Fathers glorious Majesty and to stand before his perfect justice saith the Scripture When he had by himself purged our sin he sate down on the right hand of the Majesty on high Now then in as much as the Lord Christ is every way a compleat and most perfect Saviour Labour out of a deep sense of your lost condition in your selves and your extream need of him his satisfaction and righteousness to go out of your selves to break off your sins by repentance to flee to Christ to close with him by faith unfeigned that being found in him his righteousness may be imputed to you of God and accounted yours and ye may be accepted through him Be exceedingly earnest with the Lord to work in you that pretious faith of his elect Cry unto him to stretch out his hand to put forth the divine power of his spirit and grace to draw you effectually that you may come to Christ and being cloathed with his righteousness ye may not be found naked but the shame of your sins may be
covered and ye may have holy boldness and confidence before the Lord. What a blessed priviledge hath the soul which can say with the Apostle I am crucified with Christ nevertheless I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me How happy shalt thou be if finding thy self in Christ and finding Christ dwelling in thine heart thou canst assure thy self that thou art washed in his bloud from all thy sins that he hath crossed all thy sins out of the Debt Book of Gods justice that he is thine Advocate with the Father and the propitiation for thy sins pleading thy cause at the right hand of God and bearing thy name among the rest of the Israel of God upon his breast-plate for a memorial continually Bend thy care and endeavour to the uttermost toward this one thing necessary to make sure of Christ and his most perfect Righteousness 5. Renounce all trust abhor any degree of confidence in thine own Graces duties services Grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ watch alwayes fear alwaies bring forth much fruit labour to do holy duties in sincerity with servency of spirit strive after perfection more more that thou maist fill thy mouth with arguments abundance of evidence that thou art truly united unto Christ by a lively principle of faith unfeigned and so justified by his Righteousness but do not entertain the least thought that way as if all that thou hast done or canst do should make the least satisfaction to the justice of God for any of thy sins or any way help toward thy justification In a word Take heed of splitting thy soul against either of these two Rocks either on the one side deceiving thy self with a dead faith without holiness and fruits of faith and so thinking thy sins to be pardoned and thy person justified when it is nothing so Or on the other side resting with any confidence upon any graces or duties Labour after these and look upon them as evidences of the soundness of thy faith but lean not upon them as grounds to support thy faith So much for the Negative Let us now consider the Affirmative whereby it may appear how and in what regard the moral Law is declared to be established by the doctrine of Faith I conceive the Law is established in five respects First By that full obedience performed to the Law by the Lord Iesus Christ. Secondly By that full satisfaction which he made to the Law in bearing the penalty of it Thirdly In the imputation of his perfect Righteousness to Believers Fourthly In that he establisheth the Law as a Rule of obedience for his people Fifthly In that he conformeth his people to the Law and these may be so many branches of the general point and therefore so many special points of doctrine 1. Then observe this point That the Lord Iesus Christ did establish the Law by fulfilling it or He did perform full and perfect obedience to the Law and so establish the Law Wherein you may note two particulars First That Christ did fulfill the Law Secondly That in fulfilling it he did establish it 1. Of the former So he said Think not that I am come to destroy the Law and the Prophets I am not come to destroy but to fulfill I conceive this speech was delivered soon after the Lord Christ began publickly to preach and this was seasonable to prevent or remove dangerous prejudices or mistakes For besides that general expectation of the Messias about that time the Scepter being departed from Iudah and they being subject to a Forreign yoak there were many extraordinary things which happened at the Birth of Christ Then the Testimony which Iohn Baptist gave him the Heavens opening the holy Ghost descending upon him in the visible form of a Dove God the Father by an audible voice from Heaven proclaiming this is my beloved Son in whom I am well-pleased His fasting forty days and forty nights when he was led of the spirit into the Wilderness to be tempted of the Divel His wonderful diligence in preaching in divers places His glorious miracles in healing all manner of sickness and diseases especially in delivering those that were possessed with Divels The great multitudes of people following him from Galilee Decapolis Hierusalem Iudea and from beyond Iordan in somuch that his fame was spread abroad suddenly beyond the borders of the Land of Israel throughout all Syria These and the like things might well raise the peoples expectation and give them occasion to look for some notable change to be wrought by him and as men are lead by divers principles are upon such occasions apt to fancy some one thing some another so it is likely the most did expect that he should set up an earthly Kingdom some might think that he would take away the Law which God delivered to their Fathers by Moses and the doctrine of the Prophets and hereupon some might seek advantage to disparage his person and his doctrine others might hope that he would open a door for carnal liberty as in our dayes upon occasion of far lesser changes some have embraced strange fancies as if the time were come to cast off those ordinances which Christ hath appointed to be used until the end of the world as if an universal liberty must be granted to all corrupt opinions Heresies Blasphemies under colour of favouring tender Consciences Now the Lord to remedy these things telleth plainly that He came not to destroy but fulfill the Law and the Prophets 1. He fulfilled the Ceremonial Law by exhibiting the substance of those Types and accomplishing those things which were signified and represented by them 2. He fulfilled the Prophets verifying their prophesies teaching doing and suffering that which they foretold 3. He fulfilled the Moral Law 1. Doctrinally rejecting the â—orrupt interpretations then received and giving the true and full sense of the Law 2. He fulfilled the Law practically by performing full and perfect obedience to the Law which is the thing in hand So he said before It becometh us to fulfill all Righteousness God sent forth his Son made of a woman under the Law He was made under the Law by his own voluntary act taking upon him the Nature of man and the office of a Mediatour between God and men though as God he was the Lawgiver and therefore having put himself into this estate he was bound to obey the Law fully in every particular and could not have failed in one jot or tittle without being guilty of sin and therefore all those Texts which declare his perfect Righteousness being compared with this do prove that he performed perfect obedience to the Law So where Stephen calleth him the just one and Paul saith He knew no sin scil no sin either original or
but by such a Righteousness as was fully answerable to the Rule of the Law and therefore because in this corrupt state of Nature wherein all mankind are since the fall no man could have performed perfect obedience to the Law in his own person but all must have lain under the sentence of condemnation and utterly perished The Lord Christ having taken upon him the Name of Jesus and the office of a Saviour and Redeemer to save his people from their sins yet would not save them in an illegal and irregular way not by his royal prerogative without respect to the Law but by fulfilling the Righteousness of the Law in his own person and then communicating his perfect righteousness to them investing them with it cloathing them with this spotless and glorious robe of his Righteousness On the other side the contrary doctrine of justification by the works of the Law teaching that men might be delivered from Condemnation and approve themselves as righteous in the sight of God by their own inherent holiness and works performed by them in obedience to the Law did deny the force the vigour and Authority of the Law because the holiness and performances of the best of them did fall far short of the perfection of the Law Now to say that men may be justified by the works of the Law whose works did not answer the righteousness required in the Law was to declare the Law to be void to have lost its power to condemn the transgressours of the Law But Christ having fulfilled the righteousness of the Law and born the full punishment of it and communicated his righteousness to Believers hath dearly and abundantly ratified the Authority of the Law and so as the Apostle saith Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness to every one that believeth The Law attaineth its end in Christ because He hath fully answered and satisfied the Law and communicateth his perfect righteousness to his people that they might be justified and saved without the least prejudice to the Authority of the Law The use of this may be to stir up Believers exceedingly to admire and magnifie the Lord Iesus Christ who being very God the supream Law-giver from whom the Law received all its force and Authority was pleased by a voluntary Act of his love to become man and so to be made under the Law to subject himself to the Authority and power of the Law to perform perfect obedience to the Law and to bear the Curse of it and then as it were to make over and communicate to poor guilty condemned sinners this his perfect righteousness for their justification and salvation and therefore the Apostle prayed thus for Believers that Christ may dwell in their hearts by faith That ye being rooted and grounded in love may be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge It is an height and depth which Creatures cannot reach a breadth and length which they cannot measure but those that have interest in Christ and his perfect righteousness should labour to view and surveigh it diligently that they may see into it more and more and advance and magnifie the Lord Jesus Christ who is Iehovah their Righteousness Secondly This may take down the natural pride of mens hearts the best of Adams posterity except Christ alone would have been accursed and condemned wretches had they not been justified and saved by a borrowed Righteousness by the Righteousness of another even of Christ communicated and imputed to them and accounted theirs Where is boasting then it is excluded By what Law of works nay but by the Law of faith that is by the doctrine of the Gospel which declareth that the only way for men to escape condemnation and to appear righteous before God is to become poor in spirit and as wretched guilty lost creatures to go out of themselves and renounce all hope and confidence in themselves and all their own abilities duties and performances and to flee to Christ alone that they may be justified by his righteousness and accepted of God in him to come as poor naked wretches that have never a rag of their own to cover their shame and to beg of Christ white rayment the spotless covering of his righteousness this doctrine excludeth boasting and confoundeth pride if there be any thing for which thy heart is apt to be lifted up either to think highly of thy self or to despise others remember that if thou art an unbeliever thou standest guilty and condemned before the Lord and so hast cause instead of exalting thy self to be exceedingly abased and to be restless until thou be delivered from condemnation and hast obtained pardon and justification through the righteousness of Christ If thou art a true believer remember thou art justified by a righteousness which was never wrought by thee in any part but wholly and only by the Lord Jesus Christ and out of the riches of grace and mercy communicated and imputed to thee whereof thou wast as unworthy as any of them that lye under the sentence of condemnation Hast thou not then a double cause of humiliation 1. Because of thine own guiltiness and unworthiness in thy self 2. Because so rich a favour was freely bestowed upon thee for the greater the gift is which is bestowed upon unworthy persons the more cause have they to be low in their own eyes the bounty of the giver and greatness of the gift casteth shame upon the unworthiness of the receiver Thirdly This may encourage the worst of men and women the chief of sinners to come to Christ and to turn to the Lord. Here is a perfect Righteousness a full Satisfaction here is a Saviour and Mediator between God and man the man Christ Jesus who hath performed perfect obedience to the Law and suffered the punishment of the Law due to the greatest sinners for the greatest sins and therefore as was noted before he is called Iehovah our Righteousness for though Believers are not justified by the essential Righteousness of Christ as God yet I conceive the infinite worth of the infinite Iehovah God the Son raiseth that righteousness which he hath wrought for sinners to such an unspeakable value as is sufficient for the sins of the whole world How inexcusable then is their neglect who rather lye in their sins then seek to Christ And on the other side what a door of hope is opened to them who are discouraged through the greatness of their sins What can hinder thee from receiving pardon and obtaining full forgiveness Not the greatness of sin for Christ hath done and suffered that which is abundantly sufficient to answer all nothing can hinder thee but an impenitent and unbelieving heart Fourthly Let Christians be stirred up exceedingly to labour after truth of faith and strength of faith for as the Righteousness of Christ is that for
which Believers are accepted as righteous with God so saith is that grace whereby it is applied to the soul the Father of the distressed child cryed out and said with tears Lord I believe help mine unbelief and the Apostles said unto the Lord Increase our Faith Pray earnestly for faith and for strength and increase of Faith that ye may be established in the faith and confirmed in the assurance of your interest in Christ and his perfect righteousness this is the Sheild which quenched the fiery darts of the Devil What may Christians expect that the Devil should rather aim at than the destroying or weakning of their faith to divide them from Christ to dissolve the marriage bond between him and them to strip them of their wedding garment the robe of Christ's Righteousness And what should Christians endeavour more than the strengthning of their faith Fifthly Let all that are in Christ justified by the Righteousness of Christ labour to walk as becometh those that are partakers of so rich a blessing This was one great end of Christ his coming into the world and performing this glorious work of Redemption that he would grant unto us That we being delivered out of the hand of our Enemies might serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life and therefore the Apostle having spoken at large of this doctrine of justification by faith in Christ his Righteousness exhorteth Believers thus I beseech you therefore Brethren by the mercies of God that ye present your bodies as a Sacrifice living holy acceptable unto God c. of him are ye in Christ Iesus who of God is made unto us wisdom righteousness and sanctification and redemption those to whom Christ is made righteousness for their justification to them he is made sanctification conforming them to himself in holiness Justification and Sanctification are 1. Distinct. 2. Unseparable neither to be confounded together nor separated from each other They are distinct Sanctification is no cause nor part of justification No man is justified for his holiness but only for the righteousness of Christ. On the other side sanctification and holiness is unseparably joyned with justification whosoever is justified is also sanctified when sin is forgiven it is also mortified Do not flatter your selves with a perswasion of the pardon of your sins and the justification of your persons while ye want the beginning of sanctification Saith the Apostle Ye are washed ye are sanctified ye are justified in the name of the Lord Iesus and by the spirit of our God All that are washed from the guilt of sin in the name of Christ and by the virtue of his blood being made partakers of righteousness unto justification are also washed by his sanctifying spirit and grace from the filth and pollution of sin and made partakers of his holiness In the next place we have the fourth particular That the Lord Iesus Christ established the Law by making it a rule of obedience to his people 1. Christ made the Law a rule of obedience to his people 2. Hereby he established the Law 1. Concerning the former the Lord Christ saith Think not that I am come to destroy the Law and the Prophets I am not come to destroy but to fulfill for verily I say unto you till Heaven and Earth pass one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the Law till all be fulfilled the Law is established as a perpetual rule to direct Christians in the ordering of themselves all the powers of their souls affections of their hearts their thoughts words and actions and therefore Christ himself in divers passages following presseth not only the outward but also the inward observation of the Law a certain man asked Christ this question Which is the great Commandment in the Law Iesus said unto him Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy mind This is the first and great Commandment and the second is like unto it Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self on these two Commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets I conceive the Lord Christ in this answer doth clearly confirm the Law as a Rule of obedience by his Authority 1. He doth as it were open the bowels of the Law and discover the soul and spirit of it shewing that it consisteth in two things 1. Intire and perfect love to God 2. As subordinate hereunto sincere love to our Neighbour 1. Because all things commanded in the Law are either love to God and man or such things as love supposeth as the knowledge of God or such affections thoughts words actions as accompany or flow from love 2. All sins of omission or commission towards God or man are either want of love or such as proceed from the want of love Now in that Christ doth so highly extol these two Commandments which comprehend the substance of the Law he established the Law as a rule of obedience for his people Secondly In this speech he had respect not only to the ten Commandments delivered Exod. 20. but also to the doctrine of the Prophets throughout the old Testament saying On these two c. The Prophets opening and enlarging in particulars what is generally comprized in the ten Commandments and if we compare this with what we had before where he saith he came to fulfill the Law and the Prophets we may gather that he established the Law delivered by Moses and expounded by the Prophets as a Rule of obedience to his people Again how frequently doth the spirit of Christ in his Apostles establish the Law as a rule of obedience for his people What are those things which the Apostles by the Authority of Christ and his Name require of Christians but things commanded in the Law And what are those sins which they call upon Christians to shun but sins forbidden in the Law Let Love be without dissimulation abhor that which is evil cleave to that which is good c. What multitudes of instances might be given in this kind and therefore saith the Apostle The end of the Commandments is Charity out of a pure heart and of a good Conscience and of faith unfeigned These are things required in the Law The grace of God which bringeth salvation to all men hath appeared teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present world The Gospel and word of grace which Christ hath revealed to the world and confirmed by his death teacheth those things which are the substance of the Law and therefore Christ hath established the Law for a Rule by which his people are to act and walk As he which hath called you is holy so be ye holy in all manner of conversation because it is written be ye holy for I am holy The spirit of Christ in the
the Curse of the Law but that was done without the least prejudice to the force and authority of the Law because himself did bear the Curse in his own person and so he did both save his people from the Curse of the Law and yet fully satisfie the Law but herein did Christ put an high degree of honour upon the Law that though he had made full satisfaction to the Law in behalf of his people yet he will have the Law to remain as a Directory and Rule of holiness and righteousness for those that are appointed heiâ—s of salvation He hath made the Law a Rule for the ordering of his Royal family of his spiritual Kingdom The Lord Christ hath exalted the Law to a great height of dignity in that himself being the Law-giver and having united Believers to himself by his spirit and ruling in their hearts by his grace yet requireth them to attend to the Law as the Rule by which they should regulate and order their hearts and wayes The use of this may be first to shew the errour of those who seem to deny the use of the Law for Believers in any kind as if they were to bring them in Bondage under a Covenant of works How usual is it with men to mistake the meaning of the holy Scripture and in special to take those things as absolutely meant which are to be understood only in some respect So in this case because the Scripture sheweth that Christians are not under the Law therefore they seem to say they have nothing to do with the Law and that the Law hath not any thing to do with them but though they are free from the Curse of the Law yet the Law is still of great use to them to guide them in such a course of holy obedience wherein they are to glorifie God and to walk worthy of the Lord to all pleasing The Apostle I conceive speaketh of such licentious libertines and Antinomian teachers who when they speak great swelling words of vanity they allure through the lusts of the flesh through much wantonness those that were clean escaped from them that live in errour while they promise them liberty they themselves are yet servants of corruption for of whom a man is overcome of the same he is brought in bondage Is it not common with many to complain of bondage under the Law who on the other side remain in a miserable bondage under their lusts Secondly This may open the eyes of those self-deceivers who pretend faith in Christ as if their sins were pardoned through his satisfaction and their persons justified by his righteousness without the works of the Law and thereupon sin securely not caring to order their hearts and wayeâ— according to the Law nor to make it the rule of their lives The Apostle notably sheweth the folly of such for having proved that Believers are freely pardoned and justified by the righteousness of Christ without any consideration of their own works done in obedience to the Law insomuch that he saith Where sin abounded grace did much more abound whereas sin abounded in men the grace and free love of God did much more abound and gloriously manifest it self through Christ towards Believers in pardoning their sins and accepting them as righteous thereupon he proposeth a question or Objection What shall I say then Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound as if some licentious person turning the grace of God into laciviousness should say if our best works be of no force or weight at all towards our justification on the one side and the grace of God on the other side be gloriously illustrated by occasion of our sins why should we fear to sin against the Law or be careful to walk according to that Rule The Apostle answereth by way of detestation God forbid or let it not be Let not so vile a thought enter into the heart of any Christian Secondly By way of confutation How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein know we not that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were Baptized into his death therefore we are buried with him by Baptisme into his death that like as Christ was raised up from the deâ—d by the glory of the Father even so we also should walk in newness of life as if he had said they that are justified by the righteousness of Christ applied by faith are by the same faith united unto Christ and therefore dead to sin as Christ died for sin and raised to newness of life as Christ rose from the dead the spirit of Christ thus manifesting the vertue of Christ his death and the power of his Resurrection in them and so leading them in the way of holy obedience according to the rule of the Law They therefore that fancy to themselves pardon of sin justification and salvation through faith in Christ and give up themselves to walk according to their own lusts and not according to the Law of God do highly dishonour Christ and delude their own souls for the Apostle Peter speaking of him And him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour for to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins The Lord Jesus Christ is exalted to be both a Prince and a Saviour to rule and to save as a Prince to give repentance whereby men and women are subjected to his government and to his holy Law and as a Saviour to procure for them forgiveness of sin and justification They then who would have their sins pardoned through Christ but not their souls subjected to the will and Law of Christ they would have but an half Christ they would have Christ the Saviour but not Christ the Prince and this is the way to have no Christ at all no portion nor interest in Christ. I beseech you therefore as you love your souls take heed of this soul deceiving fancy and as you desire Christ for your Saviour so obey Him as your Prince according to his holy Law which He hath established as a Rule of life for his People FINIS Texts of Scripture Explained occasionally 2 Thes. 2. 1 2 3. page 10. Rom. 7. 18. p. 16. Revel 8. 13. p. 50. 1 King 18. 40. p. 59. Mat. 13. 22 30. p. 61. Acts 7. 37. p. 83. Joh. 4. 19 20 21. p. 83. Gen. 22. 18. p. 91. Lev. 1. 4. p. 105. 2 King 3. 20. p. 108. Dan. 9. 21. p. 108. Heb. 10. 5 6 7. p. 115. 1 Cor. 9. 13 14. p. 119. 1 Cor. 10. 18. p. 126. 2 Cor. 2. 4. p. 147. 1 Cor. 6. 18 19. p. 148. Num. 23. 5. p. 158. Rom. 1. 19. p. 179. Rom. 5. 13 14. p. 188. Amos 2. 4 5. p. 191 192 193. Gal. 5. 4. p. 209. James 2. 24. p. 210. 1 John 3. 8. p. 227 c. Luke 9. 30 31. p. 233 234. John 1. 1 2 3. p. 234 235. Mat. 22. 35 to 40.
p. 261 262. 2 Pet. 3. 15. Rom. 1. 17. Parts of the words Doctr. 1. Rom. 3. 1 2. Ro. 3. 5 6 7 8. Rom. 6. 1. c. ver 14. The General Reason of the point 1 Joh. 4. 5 6 Particular Reasons Joh. 1. 5. Eph. 7. 8. Col. 3. 9 10. Mat. 22. 23 29. c. Ignorance greater or less and whence 1 Thes. 4. 15 16 17. 2 Thes. 2. 1 2 3. Luk. 13. 3. Joh. 3. 3. Heb. 12. 14. Prejudicate opinion the cause of perverting the truth through Ignorance Rom. 10. 3. 2. Reason of the Point Tit. 2. 11 â—2 3. Reason of the Point 4th Reason of the Point Mat. 16. 24. 5th Reason of the Point 〈◊〉 16. 14. 〈…〉 1. Use of the the first Doctr. Rom. 7. 18. Act. 13. 46 2 Cor. 2. 16. Rom. 7. 5 1 Pet. 2. 8. ver 12 13. Use 2 2 Thes. 2. 12. Use 3. Two Questions Answered Answ. to 1. Some of note for profession unsound at heart 1 Joh. 2. 18 19. 2. Answ. to 1. Query Some err because their knowledge is but in part 3. Answ. to 1. Quaere God permits it to teach us how to esteem men Gal. 1. 8. Answ. to 2. Query Carnal persons may be constant to some truths and whence 1. Answ. From Natural quickness of judgment 2. Answ. From affectation of a seeming constancy 3 Answ. Satan 〈◊〉 sure of them aâ—other way 4. Ans Hoped advantage from those that hold the truth 5. Answ. From their indifferency to opinions in Religion which keeps them from New ones Act. â—8 15. 25 18 19. 2. Doct. Gracious hearts abhor opinions which oppose the truth of God Proof 1. From examples Of Mâ—ses Num. 31. 3 7 8 14 15. ver 1 2. of Elijah 1 King 18. 40. of Micaiah Ch. 22. 23. of Ieremiah Jer. 28. 15 16. 29. 21 22. ver 31 32. of Iohn Baptist. Mat. 3. 7. 15. 6 7. of our blessed Lord. Mat. 16. 12. Mat. 23. Joh. 10 8. of St. Peter 2 Pet. 2. of St. Iude. Jud. 11. 1 Joh. 2. 19 4. 1. 2 Joh. 7. 10 11. Rev. 2. 6. 14 15 16. ver 20. of St. Paul Rom. 16. 17 18 1 Cor. 15. 2 Cor. 11. 13 14 15. Gal. 1. 8 9 Gal. 3. 1. 5. 12. Phil. 3. 2. Col. 2. 4. 8 18. 2 Thes. 2. 1 Tim. 1. 19. 20. 1 Tim. 4. 1 2. 2 Tim. 2. 17. 2 Tim. 3. 1. ver 6. ver 13. 43 4. Tit. 1. 10. 11. 3. 10. 11. Heb. 13. 9. 10. 2. Proof of the Doctr. by Argument 1. Reason from the glory of God wronged c. Joh. 7. 28. Tit. 1. 2. Joh. 14. 6. ver 17. 1 Cor. 15. 15. 2. Reason Godly have an Antipathy to Heresies Joh. 10. 5. 1. From the New birth Jam. 1. 18. 1 Joh. 3. 19. 2. They are Children of the God of truth Reason 3. Errours destructive to Souls 4. Reason Spreading nature of Errors 5. Reason Errors apt to overtop Truth and how 6. Reason heresies spread speedily Job 1. 7. 7. Reason Errors withdraw Souls from the means of grace 8. Reason Errours devides the Church 1 Cor. 12. 27. Eph. 5. 23. 4. 3 4 5 6. Rom. 16. 17. Act. 15. 1 2. ver 7 24. Phil 3. 2. Beza Caution 1. Eph. 4. 14. 15. Prov. 23. 23. Jude 3. 4. 2 Tim. 1. 13 14 15. Tit. 1. 9 10 11 13. Joh. 7. 41 42 43. 10. 19 20 21. Mat. 10. 24 25 26. Luk 12. 51. Divisions from Satans malice Mans frowardness Act. 14. 1 2 3 4 5. 1. Use. Rev. 8. 13. Rev. 9. 1. Rom. 9. 1 2 3. Gal. 4. 19. Psal. 119. 158. Vse 2. 1. Obj. 1. Plea for tolerating all c. Answered â—um 6. 12. 3. Ex. 22. 28 29. 2. Answer 3. Answ. Answ. 4. Jud. 22 23. 2. Obj. 3. Obj. Answ. Col. 3. 16. 25. 4. Obj. Answ. Obj. 5. Luk. 1. 32 33. Answ. 1 King 18. 40. 2 King 16. 24 25 c. 30. Obj. 6. Answ. Lev. 24. 16. Ob. 7. out of Mat. 13 22 30. Answ. v. 41. Vse 3. Doct. 3. Complicated falshood charged sometimes on truth and the preachers of it Mat. 5. 17. Mat. 9. 34. See Luk. 23. 2. with Mat 22. 21 Joh. 8. 13. Act. 16. 20 21. 17. 6. Rom. 13. Tit. 3. 1. 1. Reason of the Point Act. 17. 18. 2 Cor. 1. 13. Reason 2. From Creduâ—ity Act. 19. 32 33. Reason 3. From malice Act. 24. 5 6. Act. 6 9 10 11 Vse 1. Eccles. 1. 9. Doct. 4. Faith establisheth the Ceremonial Law And how this is to be understood Sect. 1. Sect. 2. Sect. 3. 1. Law of Ceremonies instituted of God and to what end Gen. 17 9 10 Exod 12. 1 c. 24 25. Heb. 8. 5. Heb. 10. 8 9 10. Mat. 27. Instituted Ceremonies are of four sorts 1. Sacraments 1. Circumcision It s use 2. Passeover 2. Sacrifices which were of four kinds Vid. Cap. 5 3. Sacred persons and things 4. Sacred observances Sect. 2. Ceremonies misunderstood by the Iews 1. Many had very little knowledge of their mystical signification 2. They rested in the outward work done 3. They had more care to observe these than the moral Law Isa. 1. Joh. 18. 28 29 38. ch 19. 4. ver 13. 4. They rested on it as Righteousness to Justification Act. 15. 1. Gal. 5. 3 4. 5. They thought these should be perpetuated to the â—â—d of the world Act. 6. 13 14. Sect. 3. How faith doth establish the Law of Ceremonies 1. Negatively not continuing heâ—m Act. 7. 37. Joh. 4. 19 20. 21. ver 25. 26. 2. Affirmatively 1. shewing how Ceremonies attain'd their proper end 1. Leading to Christ. 2. Shewing that they were not empty appearances but Types of great things 3. Illustrating by them it self and the great Mystery of Christ. Vse 1. Sect. 1. 1. Circumcision instituted Gen. 17. 10 11. Deut. 10. 16. and what it signified Rom. 2. 29 Rom. 4. 11. Gen. 7. 17. Rom. 5. 10. Gen. 12. 2 3. Gen. 22. 18. Rom. 4. 3 11. Cor. 4. 11. Col. 2. 10 11 12. Sect. 2. 2. Passeover instituted Ex. 12. 3 c. ver 12 13. The mystical signification of the Passeover 1. Purity and perfection of Christ. Joh. 1. 29 30. 1 Cor. 5. 7. 1 Pet. 1. 18 19. Humane Nature of Christ. Christs being set apart for this work ver 20. Sprinkling of the blood of Christ for salvation 1. Use of the Mystical part of the Passeover Keep the spiritual Passeover with actual and lively faith Joh. 8. 36. Vse 2. Admire and be thankful to God Vse 3. Imitate Christ in his spotless life and nature 1 Joh. 3. 3. Vse 4. Get an unfeigned faith Vse 5. Keep the Passover always but especially at the Lords Supper with love and sincerity 1 Cor. 5. 8. Mat. 16. 6. 12. Luk. 12. 1. Vse 6. Keep it more and more towards perfection Vse 7. Be ever waiting ready for the Lord. Luk. 22. 35 36. 1 Pet. 1. 13. Vse 8. Feed on the Lamb of God with