boasteth not but onely of his Apostolicall calling and his faithfull discharge thereof to the end he may stoppe the mouthes of the false Apostles Thus to confesse the good things we haue to the glorie of God beeing vrged thereunto is lawfull boasting nay it is sometime necessarie making much for the maintenance of the Gospell as Pauls boasting made much for the good of the Church of Corinth Againe there is a twofold lawfull boasting one before God another before men Rom. 4. 2. Of the former the Apostle speakes in this verse of the latter in the 2. Cor. 12. He gloried not in the testimony of a good conscience before god but onely before men Before God he glorified in nothing but in the sauing knowledge of Christ and him crucified And whereas it may besaide that this his boasting in regard of the false Apostles as also his glorying in the testimonie of his conscience 2. Cor. 1. 12. and in his infirmities 2. Cor. 11. 30. were not in the crosse of Christ. I answer they were for his glorying ouer the false Apostles in teaching freely was in the good and prosperous successe of the Gospel which is the doctrine of the crosse and his glorying in the testimonie of his conscience in that it was washed by the blood of the crosse as Paul speakes Coloss. 1. 20. In his afflictions in that they were the afflictions of Christ and he by them made conformable to him But it will be said that he gloried in his reuelations in his paines and trauell in preaching the Gospel and in the multitude of Churches which he had planted Ans. First he did it beeing vrged thereunto secondly he did it to defend his calling and the credit of the Gospel and therefore this boasting was not vnlawfull nay it was necessarie and in the Lord. For when we are compelled we may confesse the good things we haue if we doe it sparingly and for the edification of others that they may be bettered by our example and that they seeing our good workes may glorifie God our heauenly father Matth. 5. 16. Here we see what glorying is Vnlawfull namely when men ascribe vnto themselues either that which they haue not or more then they haue or as proceeding from themselues their wisdome strength industrie in sacrificing to their owne netts and burning incense to their owne yearne Habac. 1. 16. or in boasting of them without necessarie cause either for their owne vaine glorie as Nebuchodonosor did Dan. 4. or not for Gods glorie as Herod did Act. 12. And if this glorying be so greata sinne surely boasting in wickednes as Doeg did Psal. 52. 1. must needes be most damnable as when the greatest swearers and swaggerers count themselues the best companions the greatest Idolaters and superstitious persons most religious the greatest oppressours surfeters drunkards fighters most valiane and couragious c. Now this may be done three waies either ignoraÌ„tly as wheÌ„ Paul gloried in his cruel persecuting of the Saints before his coÌ„uersion Act. 26. 11. or presumptuously when men glorie in wickednes notwithstanding they be perswaded in conscience that it is euill and then it is the sinne of Sodom Isa. 3. 9. or malitiously to despite God and then it is the sinne against the holy Ghost The second point to be considered in the words is the thing wherein he will glorie called here the Crosse of Christ Sane in the Crosse of our Lord Iesus Christ. The words in the originall translated saue are exceptiue as if he should say I will glorie in nothing except in the crosse of Christ and exclusiue onely in the crosse of Christ and in nothing els Albeit they are sometime aduersatiue as Gal. 2. 16. and Apoc. 21. 27. There shall enter into it no vncleane thing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but they that are written c. where the words are not exclusiue for then it would follow that some which worke abomination should enter into heauen but aduersatiue as Matth. 12. 4. and Luk. 4. 20. which may serue by the way to cleare the text Ioh. 17. 12. Those thou gauest me haue I kept and none of them is lost but the child of perdition that is but the child of perdition is lost For the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as I take it are not so well translated by the exceptiue coniunction nisi as by the aduersatiue sed seeing here is no exceptioÌ„ made of Iudas as though he had beene giuen to Christ afterward had fallen away which exposition must needes be made if the words be read nisi filius perditionis Further by the Crosse of Christ the Apostle vnderstandeth synecdochically the all sufficient expiatorie and satisfactorie sacrifice of Christ vpon the crosse with the whole work of our redemption in the sauing knowledge where of he professeth he will glorie and boast For Christ is made vnto vs wisdome righteousnes that as it is written He that glorieth should glorie in the Lord euen to make boast of him all the day long as the Psalmist speaketh And the reason why Paul professeth that he will glorie onely in the Crosse of Christ is because Christ crucified is the treasurie and storehouse of the Church seeing that in him are hid not onely the treasures of wisdome and knowledge Coloss. 2. 3. but of bountie and grace Ioh. 1. 16. and of all spirituall blessings Eph. 1. 3. For first by Christ crucified we haue reconciliation with God remission of sinns acceptation to eternall life Secondly we haue the peace of God which passeth all vnderstanding peace with God with Angels with men with our selues with the creatures Thirdly we recouer the right and title which we had in the creation to all the creatures and blessings of God 1. Cor. 3. 22. Fourthly all afflictions and iudgements cease to be curses and punishments and become either trialls or corrections Lastly death it selfe is no death but a sleepe for all that die in the Lord are said to sleepe and to rest vpon their beddes Isa. 57. 2. Indeede if we looke vpon death through the glasse of the Law it is the very downefall to eternall destruction but if we consider it as it is changed by the death of Christ it is but a passage from this transâ—torie life to eternall life Christ by his death hath taken away sinne the sting of death so that though it seaze vpon vs yet hauing lost it sting it cannot hurt vs. So that in a word in Christ crucified are all things that a man can glorie of If we would glorie in knowledge and wisdome He is the wisdome of the father seeing that all treasures of wisdome and knowledge are hid in him and therefore Paul desired to know nothing among the Corinthians but brist and him crucified 1. Cor. 2. 2. for this knowledge is eternall life Ioh 17. 3. If in the loue and fauour of great men by him we are highly aduanced into the loue fauour of god Eph. 1. 6. If in
present vs with their bodies and so must we present our bodies and soules to God The first ende of this giuing is that Christ might be a sacrifice and ransome for sinne The knowledge of this point is of great vse First it workes loue in vs on this manner We must in minde and meditation come to the crosse of Christ. Vpon the crosse we are to behold Christ crucified and in his death and passion his sacrifice in his sacrifice for the sinnes of his enemies his endles loue and the consideration of this loue will mooue vs to loue him againe and the father in him Secondly the consideration of his endles paines for our sinnes in the sacrifice of himselfe must breede in vs a godly sorrow for them for if he sorrow for them much more we Thirdly this knowledge is the true beginning of amendment of life For if Christ gaue himselfe to redeeme vs from iniquitie we must take vp a purpose of not sinning and neuer wittingly sinne more Lastly this knowledge is the foundation of comfort in them that truly turne to Christ. For the price is paid for their sinnes and they which are eased of their sinnes are blessed Psal. 32. 1. And in temptation they may boldly oppose the satisfaction of Christ against hell death the law and the iudgement of God and if at any time they sinne they must recouer themselues and remember that they haue an Advocate with the father Iesus Christ the iust 1. Ioh. 2. 1. And whereas Paul saith that Christ gaue himselfe for our sinnes he teacheth that euery man must applie this gift and sacrifice of Christ to himselfe This applying is done by faith and the right manner of application is this We must turne to Christ and in turning by faith applie and when we applie Christ by faith we must withall turne Faith goeth before conuersion in order of nature yet in the order of teaching and practise they are both together They which vse to applie Christ and his benefits vnto themselues and yet will not turne themselues to Christ misapplie and presume because the right apprehension of Christ is in the exercises of inuocation and repentance The second ende for which Christ gaue himselfe is that he might take vs out of this euill world And hence we are taught three things First that we must be grieued and displeased at the wickednes of the world as Lot was 2. Pet. 2. 7. Secondly that we must not fashion our selues to the wicked liues of the men of this world but we must in all things prooue what is the goodwill of God and doe it Thirdly seeing we are taken out of this world we must not dwell in it but our dwelling must be in heauen Reuel 13. 6. the beast out of the sea perfequutes them that dwell in heauen that is such as dwell on earth and for affection haue their conuersation in heauen And seeing this must be so we must not loue the world but loue the comming of Christ and euery day prepare our selues against the day of death that we may enter into our owne home And whereas Paul calls this world an euill world he doth it to signifie that there is nothing in men but sinne till they be regenerate yea that ciuill vertues and ciuill life that are excellent in the eyes of men are no better then sinnes before God It is the errour of the Papists that men may thinke and doe some thing that is morally good without grace The cause that mooued Christ to giue himselfe is the will of God Hence it appeares that God giues Christ to no man for his foreseene faith or works For there is no higher cause of the will of God The foreknowledge of things that may come to passe goes before will but the foreknowledge of things that shall come to passe and therefore the foreknowledge of faith and works followes the will of God Because things that shall come to passe are first decreed and then foreseene The will here mentioned is said to be the will of God that is the first person the father for when Christ is opposed to God then God signifies the father And he is most commonly called God because he is God without communication of the godhead from any whereas the Sonne and holy Ghost are God by communication of godhead from the father And this God is called our father by Paul And hereby he signifies that the scope of the Gospel is first to propound God vnto vs not only as a creator but as a father secōdly to inioyne vs to acknowledge him to be our father in Christ and consequently to carrie our selues as dutifull children to him in all subiection and obedience They which doe not this know not the intent of the Gospel and if they know it in deede they denie it The conclusion annexed to the salutation To whome be glorie for euer teacheth vs so oft as we remember the worke of our redemption by Christ so oft must we giue praise thāks to God yea all our liues must be nothing els but a testimonie of thankfulnes for our redemption And all our praise and thankes to God must proceede from the serious affection of the heart signified by the word Amen that is so be it 6. Imaruell that you are so soone remooued away to another Gospell from him that hath called you in the grace of Christ. 7. Which is not another Gospel but that some trouble you and intende to ouerthrowe the Gospell of Christ. Here beginnes the second part of the Epistle in which he giues instruction to the Galatians And it hath two parts one concernes doctrine the other manners The first part touching doctrine beginnes in this sixt verse and continues to the 13. verse of the 5. chapter The summe of it is a reproofe of the Galatians for reuolting from the Gospell and it is disposed in this syllogisme If I be immediately called of God to teach and my doctrine be true ye ought not to haue reuolted from my doctrine But I was called immediately of God to teach and my doctrine is true Therefore ye should not haue reuolted from my doctrine The proposition is not expressed because it was needelesse The minor is handled through the whole Epistle The Conclusion is in the 6. and 7. verses the meaning whereof I will briefely deliuer So soone that is presently after my departure remooued carried away by the perswasions of false teachers to another Gospel to another doctrine of saluation which in the speech and opinion of the false teachers is another manner of Gospel more sufficient and more excellent then that which Paul hath deliuered From him that is from me beeing an Apostle who haue called you by preaching the Gospell of Christ. In the grace that is haue called you freely without any desert of yours to be partakers of the fauour of God in Christ. Which is not another which pretended Gospell of the false Apostles is not indeed another gospell from
that is to binde them to a necessarie obseruation of the ceremoniall lawe Here let vs marke the practise and pollicie of the deuill Libertie from sinne death and the ceremoniall lawe is the treasure of the Church and therefore the deuill seekes to ouerthrow it by holding men in bondage vnder abolished ceremonies Thus at this day they of the popish Church are in bondage vnder an heape of humane traditions beeing indeede a yoake farre heauier then that of the ceremoniall-lawe Againe when men professe the name of Christ the deuill is content with it and he indeauours with all his might euery where to hold them vnder the bondage of sinne and to hold them in his snare at his will Thus vnder the name of Christianitie there be swarmes of Atheists Epicures Libertines worldlings and prophane persons At this time according to auncient custome we celebrate the memoriall of the birth of Christ and yet no time so full of disorder as this For the most that professe Christ take and challenge to themselues a licentious libertie to liue and doe as they list and this kind of libertie is flat bondage But they that are seruants of Christ indeed should take heede of this bondag◠For beeing free from sinne they should be seruants of nothing but righteousnesse Rom. 6. 18. They that be of a corporation stand for their liberties what a shame then is it that men should loue bondage and neglect the spirituall libertie which they haue by Christ. Thus we see howe the false brethren vrged circumcision now let vs come to Pauls refusall The first point is that they would not giue place for an houre It seemes they were requested to vse circumcision but once but they would not yeeld so much as once because their acte would haue tended to the preiudice of Christian liberty in all places Here we learne that we may not vse the least ceremonie that is in the case of confession before our aduersaries that is when they seeke to oppresse the trueth by face or by fraud and make ceremonies signes and tokens of the confession of any vntrueth Iulian the Emperour sitting in a chaire of estate gaue gold to his souldiers one by one withal cōmāding to cast of frākincense so much as a graine into the fire that lay vpon an heathenish altar before him Nowe Christ in souldiers refuse to do it and they which had not refused afterward recalled their acte and willingly suffered death Againe here we learne that we are not to yeeld from the least part of the trueth of the Gospel that God hath reuealed to vs. This truth is more pretious then the whole world beside and heauen and earth shall rather passe then the least tittle of it shall not be accomplished The commission of the Apostles was to teach them to doe all things which God had commanded Therefore the vnion or mixture of our religion with the popish religion is but a dreame of vnwise Politickes for in this mixture we must yeeld and they must yeeld something but we may not yeeld a iot of the truth reuealed to vs. There is no fellowship of light with darkenesse 1. Cor. 6. Colacinthus a naughtie pot hearbe marred a whole pot of pottage 2. King 4. 40. Christ saith in the like case of the Pharisies Let them alone they are the blinde leaders of the blind Math. 15. 14. We may yeeld in things indifferent but not in points of religion In matters of this world we may be indifferent and of neither side but in matters of God we may not There is no halting betweene two religions The second point is they gaue not place by way of subiection The reason is the Apostles were of highest authoritie simply to be beleeued in their doctrine And they had extraordinarie authoritie to punish them that rebelliously withstood them Act. 5. 5. 10. Act. 13. 20. 2. Cor. 10. 6. For this cause they were not to stand subiect to the iudgement and censure of any man They willingly suffered their doctrine to be tried yet were they not bound to subiection as other ministers of the new testament are 1. Cor. 14. 32. 1. Ioh. 4. 1. It may be said if they would not giue place by subiection howe then gaue they place Answer There is two kinds of yeelding one by tolleration without approbation the other by subiection which is the greatest approbation that can be By the first it may be Paul was content to giue place but not by the second Here we see howe we are to yeeld to the corruptions of the times in which we liue whether they be in manners or in doctrine We are to giue place by meeke and patient bearing of that which we cannot mende but we are not to giue place by subiection The third point is the ende of Pauls refusall That the truth of the Gospell might continue that is that the Gospel might be preserued in puritie and integritie in all things And by this Paul giues vs to vnderstand that if circumcision be made a necessarie cause of iustification and saluation the truth of the Gospel doeth not continue Here let vs obserue that when iustification or saluation is ascribed to workes or Sacraments the truth of the Gospell giues place and falshood comes in the roome Wherefore the religion of the Church of Rome is a meere deprauation of the Gospel for it makes workes to be the meritorious causes of iustification saluation Nay which is more it teacheth men to worship a peece of bread and to invocate dead men and to kneele downe to stockes and stones 6 And of them that seemed to be great what they were in times past it makes no matter to me God accepteth no mans person for they that are the cheife did not communicate any thing to me Here Paul laies downe the second signe of his approbation namely that in conference he learned nothing of the cheife Apostles And this he expresseth in the first words in which the concealement which he vseth is to be obserued For hauing begun a sentence he breakes it off in the middle and conceales the latter part and leaues it to be supplied by the reader thus Of them that seemed to be great I was not taught or I learned nothing The like forme of speaking is vsed 1. Chron. 4. 10. Where Iabez saith If the Lord blesse me and be with me concealing the end of his sentence I will be thankefull thus and thus In the roome of this concealement Paul puts an answer to an obiection For some man might take exception against his former speech thus Thou callest the Apostles Great but thou speakest fainedly for thou knowest they were but poore fishermen To this he makes answer thus What they were once it makes no matter to me Then he renders a reason of his answer God accepts no mans person This done he proceeds and renders a reason of his first speech he learned nothing of the cheefe Apostles because they did
goe together For good counsell beats downe wickednes and bad example sets it vp againe Thus beleeuers in Christ are great offenders when reformed religion and vnreformed life are ioyned together as often they are For then vnreformed life builds the kingdome of sinne which Christ hath destroied Further we are here taught to be constant in that which is good Tit. 1. 9. and to hold fast the Gospel which we professe We haue put vnder foote the Popish religion for this many yeares our dutie is to be constant herein and no way to build either in word or deede that which we haue to the vttermost of our power destroied 19 For I through the law am dead to the law that I may liue vnto God In these words Paul sets downe a second reason to prooue Christ to be no minister of sinne in abolishing the iustice of the law And the reason is framed thus We Iewes iustified by Christ are dead to the law not to liue as we list but to liue to the honour of God Therefore Christ in taking away the iustice of the law is not the minister of sinne Here three points are propounded the first is that the person iustified is dead to the law the second that he is dead to the law by the law the third that he is dead that he may liue vnto God For the better vnderstanding of the first point we must seach what is meant by dying to the law Here the law is compared to an hard and cruell master and we to slaues or bondmen who so long as they are aliue they are vnder the dominion and at the command of their masters yet when they are dead they are free from that bondage and their masters haue no more to doe with them Here then to be dead to the law is to be free from the dominion of the law And we are free in foure respects First in respect of the accusing and damnatorie sentence of the law Rom. 8. 1. Secondly in respect of the power of the law whereby as an occasion it prouoketh and stirreth vp the corruption of the heart in the vnregenerate Rom. 7. 8. Thirdly in respect of the Rigour of the law whereby it exacteth most perfect obedience for our iustification Thus Paul here saith that he is dead to the law Lastly in respect of the obligation of the conscience to the obseruation of Ceremonies Col. 2. 20. Thus are all persons iustified by the faith of Christ free from the law Hence we learne that the Papists erre and are deceiued when they teach that the Law and the Gospel are one for substance of doctrine For then they which are iustified by Christ should not onely be dead to the law but also to the Gospel Now the Scripture saith not that persons iustified are dead to the Gospel They erre againe in that they teach that persons iustified by the merit of the death of Christ are further to be iustified by the workes of the law For he that is iustified by Christ is dead to the law but if we be iustified by workes then are we by Christ made aliue to the law Thirdly here we see how long the dominion of the law continueth and when it endeth The law raignes ouer all men without exception till they be iustified When they once beginne to beleeue in Christ and to amend their liues then the dominion of the law ceaseth and they then are no more vnder the law but vnder grace Here all such persons as liue in the securitie and hardnes of their hearts are to be admonished to repent of their sinnes and to beginne to turne vnto God For they must know that they liue vnder a most hard and cruell master that will doe nothing but accuse terrifie condemne them and cause them to runne headlong to vtter desperation And if they die beeing vnder the law they must looke for nothing but death and destruction without mercie For the law is merâ—ilesse This consideration serueth notably to awake them that are dead in their sinnes Againe all such as with true and honest hearts haue begunne to repent and beleeue let them be of good comfort For they are not vnder the dominion of the law but they are dead to the law and vnder grace hauing a Lord who is also their mercifull Sauiour who will giue them protection against the terrours of the law and spare them as a father spares his child that serues him and not breake them though they be but as weake and bruised reedes and as smoaking flaxe The second point is touching the meanes of our death to the law and that is the Law Here some by the law vnderstand the law of faith that is the Gospel Rom. 3. 27. And they make this to be the meaning of the words By the law of Christ that is by the Gospel I am dead to the Law of Moses But this sense though it be a truth yet will it not stand in this place For it is the question whether by the gospel we be freed from the law Now Paul a learned disputer would not bring the question to prooue it selfe Therefore I take the true meaning of the words to be this By the law of Moses I am dead to the law of Moses It may be demanded how this can be considering the law is the cause of no good thing in vs For it is the ministerie of death and condemnation 2. Cor. 8. 7. 9. Againe that which the law cannot reueale it cannot worke but the law neither can nor doth reueale faith in Christ the death to the law nor repentance c. therefore the law is no cause to worke them It may peraduenture be said that the law workes repentance and sorrow for sinne I answer there is a double Repentance One Legall the other Euangelicall Legall is when men haue a sight of their sinnes and withall are grieued for the punishment thereof This repentance is wrought by the ministerie of the law it was in Iudas and it is no grace of God but of it selfe it is the way to hell Euangelicall Repentance is when beeing turned by grace we turne our selues to God This repentance is a gift of grace and is not wrought by the law but by the ministerie of the Gospel Again there is a Legall sorrow which is a sorrow for sinne in respect of the punishment this is no grace and it is wrought by the law Euangelicall sorrow is sorrow for sinne because it is sinne This indeede is a grace of God but it is not wrought by the law but by the preaching of mercy and reconciliation and it followes in vs vpon the apprehension of Gods mercie by faith The law then beeing the cause of no good thing in vs it may be demanded I say how we should be dead to the law by the law Ans. Though the law be not a cause of this death to the law and so to sinne yet it is an occasion thereof For it accuseth and
know God onely in part therefore we loue in part and consequently we doe not fulfill the law Againe the Scripture puts all men euen the regenerate vnder the name of sinners to the very death Isa. 64. 4. All our righteousnes is as a defiled cloth Prou. 20. 9. Who can say my heart is cleane Iob cannot answer God for one of a thousand Iob. 9. The righteous man shall pray for the pardon of his sinnes in a time when he may be heard Psal. 32. 6. If we say we haue no sinne we deceiue our selues 1. Ioh. 1. 9. The Papists say that all these places are meant of veniall sinnes Ans. There are no veniall sinnes which in their owne nature are not against the law of God but only beside it The stipend of euery sinne is death Rom. 6. 23. If we were perfectly sanctified and consequently fulfillers of the law in this life then Christ should not be a Sauiour but an Instrument of God to make vs our owne Sauiours And to say this is blasphemie Lastly that which man could doe by creation so much the law requires at our hand but man by creation could loue God with all the powers of his soule and with all the strength of all the powers which now since the fall no man can doe It remaines then for an infallible conclusion that it is impossible for any man in the time of this life to fulfill the law The vse This point serues notably to condemne the follie of the world The Israelites say at Mount Sinai that they will doe all things which the Lord shall command them Exod. 19. 8. The young Prince said that he had kept all the commandements from his youth Mark 10. 20. Our common people say that they can loue God with all their hearts and their neighbours as thēselues Secondly this doctrine serues to confute sundrie Errours of the Papists who blasphemously teach that a man after justification may fulfill the law in this life that a man may for a time be without all sinne that works of the regenerate are perfect and may be opposed to the iudgement of God that men may supererrogate and doe more then the law requires The groūd of all these conclusions is this They say there is a double degree of fulfilling the law The first is in this life and that is to loue God truly aboue all creatures and to loue our neighbour as our selues in truth The second is to loue God with all the powers of the soule and with all the strength of all the powers and this measure of fulfilling the law is reserued to the life to come I will briefly consider the reasons and the ground of this blasphemous doctrine Obiect I. God promifeth the Israelites that he will circumcise their hearts that they may loue him with all their hearts with all their soules and with all their strength Deut. 30. 6. And thus Iosua turned to God with all his heart with all his soule and with all his strength according to all the law of Moses 2. king 23. 25. Ans. The phrase with all thy heart is taken in a double signification Sometime it is opposed to a double heart and then it signifies a true and vpright heart without guile or dissimulation Thus they of Zebulon are saide not to fight with a double heart 1. Chron. 12. 33. but with a perfect heart v. 38. Where marke the opposition of an whole or perfect heart to a double heart In this sense are the places before named to be vnderstood Neuerthelesse the whole heart soule and strength in the summe of the morall law signifies all powers of the soule and all the strength of all the powers Thus doth Paul Rom. 7. expound the law when he faith the law is spirituall and by the prohibition of lust giues the meaning of the whole law For concupiscence or lust comprehends the first thoughts or motions Obiect II. Noah is saide to be iust and perfect Gen. 6. and God commands Abraham to walke before him and to be perfect Gen. 17. 1. Paul saith Let as many as be perfect be thus minded Phil. 3. 15. Answ. There is a double perfection perfection of parts and perfection of degrees Perfection of parts is when a man hath in him after he is regenerate the beginnings of all vertnes and the seedes of all graces by which he endeauours to obey God in all his lawes and commandements Perfection of degrees is when the law is fulfilled both in matter and manner according to the rigour of the law Now the former places speake onely of the perfection of parts and that is such a perfection in which we are to acknowledge our imperfection and it is no more but a true and generall indeauour to obey God Isa. 38. 1. Obiect III. Sundrie holy men are saide to fulfill the law Dauid turned from nothing that God commanded him all the daies of his life saue in the matter of Vriah 1. king 15. 5. Zacharie and Elizabeth walked in all the commandements of God and that without reproofe before God Luk. 1. 6. Ans. There are two kinds of fulfilling the law one Legall the other Euangelicall Legall is when men doe all things required in the law and that by themselues and in themselues Thus none euer fulfilled the law but Christ and Adam before his fall The Euangelicall manner of fulfilling the law is to beleeue in Christ who fulfilled the law for vs and withall to indeauour in the whole man to obey God in all his precepts And this indeauour ioyned with the Purpose of not sinning is called the righteousnes of Good conscience and though it be not really a fulfilling of the law yet it is accepted of God as a fulfilling of the law in all thē that are in Christ. For God accepts the indeanour to obey for perfect obedience Thus Dauid Zacharie Elizabeth and others are said to fulfill the law Obiect IIII. We pray that we may fulfill the law when we say Let thy will be done in earth as it is in heauen Ans. We pray not that we may fulfill the law in this but that we may striue as much as may be to attaine to the fulfilling of the law That is the scope of the petition We desire not to be equall to the Angels and Saints but onely to imitate them more and more and to be like to them Obiect V. Rom. 7. 18. To will is present with me therefore say they in will the law may be kept though the flesh relent Ans. When Paul saith that to will was present he doth not signifie that he could perfectly will that which is good For his will beeing partly renewed and partly vnrenewed the good which he willed he partly nilled and the euill which he nilled he partly willed Obiect UI. Christ tooke out flesh that the righteousnes of the law might be fulfilled in vs. Rom. 8. 4. Ans. The righteousnes of the law is fulfilled in vs not because we doe all things required
seemes there was more time betweene the promise and the law Ans. The meaning of Moses in this place is thus much that the dwelling of the children of Israel while they dwelt as pilgrims was for the space of 430 yeares and that in â—art of this time they dwelt in Egypt as strangers The words may thus be translated The dwelling or Peregrination of the children of Israel in which they dwelt in Egrpt was 430 yeares And this peregrination beginnes in the calling of Abraham and endes at the giuing of the law In Pauls example we see what it is to search the Scriptures not onely to consider the scope of whole bookes and the parts thereof but to ponder and waigh euery sentence and euery part of euery sentence and euery circumstance of time place person This is the right forme of the studie of diuinitie to be vsed of the sonnes of the Prophets The second reason vsed by Paul is in the 18. v. it may be framed thus If the law abolish the promise then the inheritance must come by the law but that cannot be He prooues it thus If the inheritance of life eternall be by the law it is no more by the promise but it is by the promise because God gaue it vnto Abraham freely by promise therefore it comes not by the law The opposition betweene the law and the promise shewes that Paul in this Epistle speakes not onely of the ceremoniall but also of the morall For the greatest opposition is betweene the morall law and the free promise of God Let vs againe marke here the difference betweene the law and the Gospel The law promiseth life but to the worker for his works or vpon condition of obedience The Gospel called by Paul the promise offers and giues life freely without the condition of any worke and requires nothing but the receiuing of that which is offered It may be obiected that the Gospel promiseth life vpon the condition of our faith Ans. The Gospel hath in it no morall condition of any thing to be done of vs. Indeede faith is mentioned after the forme and manner of a condition but in truth it is the free gift of God as well as life eternall and it is to be considered not as a worke done of vs but as an instrument to receiue things promised This difference of the law and the Gospel must be kept as a treasure for it is the ground of many worthie conclusions in true religion And the ignorance of this point in the Church of Rome hath bin the decay of religion specially in the article of Iustification Thirdly we must here obserue the opposition betweene the Law and the free promise of God in iustification of a sinner For if life come by the law it comes not by the promise saith Paul And Rom. 4. 14. If they which are of the law are heires the promise is of none effect By this we see the Church of Rome ouerturnes and abrogates the free promise of God For they of that Church teach that the first iustification is by meere mercie and that the second is by the workes of the law But the law and the promise cannot be mixed together more then fire and water the law ioyned with the free promise disanulls the said promise Lastly in that Paul saith God gaue and freely bestowed the inheritance by the promise it must be considered that this Giuing is no priuate but a publike donation For Abraham must be considered as a publike person and that which was giuen to him was in him giuen to all that should beleeue as he did Art thou then a true beleeuer doest thou truly turne vnto God here is thy comfort the inheritance of eternall life is as surely thine as it was Abrahams when he beleeued For thou art partaker of the same promise with him and when God gaue him life he gaue thee also life in him Againe persons backward and carelesse must be stirred vp with all diligence to vse all good meanes that they may beleeue truly in Christ and truly turne to God For so soone as they beginne to beleeue and to turne vnto God they are entred into the condition of Abraham and if they continue they shall sit downe with Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the kingdome of heauen and after this life they shall rest in the bosome of Abraham For that which was done to Abraham shall be done to all that walke in his steppes 19 Wherefore then serues the law it was added because of transgressions vntill the seede was come to which the promise was made and it was ordained by Angels in the hand of a Mediatour 20 Now a Mediatour is not of one but God is one Paul hath prooued before that the law doth not abolish the promise his last reason was because then the inheritance should be by the law which cannot be Against this reason in the 19 and 20 verses there is an obiection made and answered The obiection is this If life and iustice come not by the law the law then is in vaine And this obiection is expressed by way of interrogation Wherefore then serues the law The answer is in the next words It is added for transgressions that is for the reuealing of sinne and the punishment thereof and for the conuincing of men touching their sinnes Rom. 3. 19 20. Moreouer Paul sets downe the time or continuance of this vse of the law when he saith till the seede came to which the promise was made that is till Christ come and accomplish the worke of mans redemption Here two questions may be demanded The first is whether the law serue to reueale sinne after the coÌ„ming of Christ For Paul saith it is added for transgressions till Christ. Ans. The law serues to reueale sinne euen to the end of the world yet in respect of the legall or Mosaicall manner of reuealing sinne it is added but till Christ. For the law before Christ did conuince men of sinne not onely by precepts and threatnings but also by Rites and Ceremonies For Iewish washings and sacrifices were reall confessions of sinne And they were an handwriting against vs as Paul saith And this manner of reuealing sinne ended in the death of Christ. Col. 2. 14. Againe the Ministerie of condemnation which was in force till Christ at his comming is turned into the Ministerie of the spirit and of grace 2. Cor. 3. 11. For vnder the law there was pleÌ„tifull reuelation of sinne with darke and small reuelation of grace but at the comming of Christ men saw heauen opened and there was a plentifull reuelation of sinne with a more pleÌ„tifull reuelation of grace and mercie And in this respect also the law is said to be till Christ. The second question is whether the seede of Abraham were before Christ or no Ans. All that followed the steppes of Abrahams faith before Christ were his seede Yet were they not that seede that is the principall seede who is Christ who is the seede
are of minde that all Iudiciall lawes are abrogated and some are of contrarie mind that all Commonwealths are to be gouerned by them But they are both deceiued and the meane betweene both is the truth Know then that of Iudiciall lawes of Moses some are abrogated some are not Such lawes as are meerely Iudiciall that is iudiciall and not morall and doe particularly concerne the nation of the Iewes the land of Canaan the times before Christ the things of the old Testament are abrogated Of this kind is the law that commands the brother to raise vp seede to his brother Deut. 25. 5. The law of Tenths is partly ceremoniall and partly iudiciall and specially concernes the land of Canaan For as countries are richer or poorer then Canaan so must their allowance to the Ministerie be more or lesse The seuenths the eights the ninths the eleuenths the twelfths and not the tenths And the allowance of Tenths stands not in force in this other Commonwealths by the Iudiciall law of God but by positiue laws of countries For if it did then Ministers should not meddle with their Tenths either for the gathering or for the disposing of them but they should be brought into storehouses by certaine ouerseers and they should dispose of them according to the neede of euery Minister 2. Chron. 31. Malac. 3. The law that the theefe must either restore fourefold or be a bondman concernes Canaan and those countries In Europe specially in the Northerne and Westerne parts a straighter law is required For the people are much giuen to idlenes and consequently to robbing and they are of fierce disposition and therefore with theft ioyne violence and disturbance of the common peace And for this cause excepting in some cases theft is punished with death And this must not seeme hard For euen the Iewes when the theft was aggrauated with other circumstances might punish it with death 2. Sam. 12. 6. And it is in the power of the Magistrate when sinnes are increased to increase the punishment Now Iudiciall lawes that are in foundation and substance morall are not abrogated but are perpetuall For the better discerning of them I giue two notes The first is this If a Iudiciall law serue directly and immediatly to guard and fense any one of the ten Commandements in the maine scope and ende thereof it is morall in equitie and perpetuall because the end and vse of it is perpetuall I will giue sundrie examples It is the law of God that he of the Israelites that shall intise them to goe and worship other gods shall be put to death Deut. 13. 6. This law serues to maintaine and vphold the first commandement the ende whereof is to inioyne vs to take the true God for our God and this ende is most necessarie both for Gods glorie and for the saluation of men and therefore whatsoeuer thing or person ouerturneth or abolisheth this ende it must be cut off from the societie of men Here note by the way that they which haue bin borne baptised and brought vp among vs and yet afterward become Masse-priests and seeke malitiously and obstinately without ceasing to seduce our people deserue in this respect to be put to death Example 2. Thou shalt not suffer a witch to liue Exod. 22. 18. This law againe is a fense to the first commandement For Witches renounce God and humane societie and therefore are worthely cut off though they doe no hurt euen because they make a league with the deuill Example 3. He that blasphemeth the name of God shall be put to death Leuit. 24. 16. Vnderstand this law of manifest and notorious blasphemies that pearce through God as the words import and then it is a maine fense to the third commandement For Gods name may in no wise be abused and troad vnder foote and therefore blasphemers pearcing God are to be cut off This is the very law of Nature as appeares by Nabuchadnezzar who gaue in commandement to his people that whosoeuer blasphemed the name of the true God should be put to death Dan. 3. 29. Here note that manifest and conuicted Atheists if they be put to death haue but their deserts Example 4. He that curseth father or mother shall die the death Leuit. 4. 9. This law is a necessarie fense to the fifth commandement and vpholds the honour that is due to parents Examples 5. He that smites a man that he die shal die the death Exod. 21. 12. To this law there is no exception made but one and that is when a man is killed at vnawares And it is for his equitie perpetuall For it is a maine and direct fense to the sixth commandement Consider an other reason Num. 35. 33. The whole land saith the Lord shall be defiled with blood till his blood be shed that killeth a man Example 6. The adulterer the adulteresse shal both be put to death Leuit. 20. This Iudiciall serues to vphold and maintaine chastitie which is the ende of the seuenth commandement Marke withall the reasons Leuit. 20. 22 23. Least the land spne you out and for these things that is for suffering this and other sinnes vnpunished the Gentiles were cast out It may be said that Christ did not condemne the woman to death which was taken in adulterie Ans. He came to be a Mediatour and not a Iudge or Magistrate It is alleadged that Dauid was not put to death for adulterie Ans. He was the highest in the kingdome there was none to iudge him Againe it may be saide that if adulterie be death then innumerable persons must die Ans. We must doe that which we finde to be the will of God and the euents of things must be left to God The second note whereby we may discerne a iudiciall law to be morall for his equitie is this If it follow necessarily and immediatly from the light principles and conclusions of nature For example Deut. 22. 5. The man shall not put on the things that appertaine to the woman nor the woman the things that appertaine to the man This law is more then Iudiciall for it is a Rule of common honestie practised in those countries by the light of nature where the written law was neuer knowne And things good and honest which nature teacheth are morall and must be done This is Pauls rule Doth not nature teach this 1. Cor. 11. 14. This I speake not to censure and condemne the lawes of this or any other commonwealth but onely to shew how farre Iudiciall lawes haue moralitie in them and stand in force The third question is what is our guide now in the time of the new Testament seeing the Regiment and law of Moses is abrogated Ans. The outward guide is the Doctrine of the morall law and of the Gospel It is therefore called the rodde and the staffe of God Psal. 23. and the rodde of his mouth Isa. 11. 4. The inward guide is the spirit of God writing the lawes of God in our hearts and
made by their children without or against their consent Ans. The scripture giueth them authoritie either to ratifie such contracts or to make them void Num. 30. 6. the father may make void the vow of the child pertaining to Gods worship much more a matrimoniall promise If a yong man deflowre a maide and this be found in equitie he is to be compelled to marrie her Deut. 22. 28. yet by Gods law this may not be except the father consent Exod. 22. 17. The third question is whether a marriage made without and against the consent of parents be a marriage or no Ans. It may be called a politicke or ciuill marriage because it is ratified in the courts of men according to humane lawes and by this meanes the ishue is freed from bastardie Neuerthelesse it is not a diuine or spirituall coniunction or marriage as it ought to be because it is flat against the commandement of God Touching the callings of children they are to be ordered and appointed at the discretion of parents For if the parent may order the vowe and the marriage of the child then much more the calling Here take notice of the impietie of the Romane religion There are three especiall estates whereby man liues in societie with man the Church the Commonwealth the familie In the Church that religion sets vp another head beside Christ in the Commonwealth it sets vp an authoritie that serues to curb and restraine the Supremacie of Princes in causes Ecclesiasticall In the familie it puts downe the authoritie of the father for it ratifieth clandestine contracts and it giues libertie to children past twelue or fourteene yeares of age to enter into any order of religion against the consent of their parents Againe parents must be put in minde to know their authoritie to maintaine it and to vse it aright for the good of their children specially for their saluation And children must be warned in all things honest and lawfull to yeeld subiection to their parents and in this subiection shall they find the blessing of God Againe here is set downe the office of parents and that is to prouide meete ouerseers and Tutors for their children after their departure When Christ vpon the crosse had the pangs of death vpon him he commends his mother to the tuition of Iohn Ioh. 19. 26. When widdowes and Orphanes are wronged God himself takes vpon him the office of a Tutor in their behalfe Exod. 22. 22. And this shewes that it is a necessary dutie to be thought vpon Thirdly here the dutie of children is set downe and that is that they must be subiect to their Tutors and gouernours as to their owne fathers and mothers Ruth loued Naomi and claue vnto her as to her owne mother Ruth 1. 16. Christ was subiect to Ioseph who was but a reputed father Luk. 2. last The sonnes of the Prophets obay their masters as their owne fathers 2. king 2. 12. and so doe the seruants to their master 2. king 5. 13. Nowe I come to the second part of the similitude v. 3. Euen so we that is the Iewes and all the people of God in the olde testament Were children were as children in respect of the Christian Church in the new Testament Were in bondage The Iewes are said to be in bondage in respect of vs because they were subiect to more lawes then we are and they wanted the fruition of the liberty which we inioy They had the right of sonnes but they inioyed not their right as we doe and this is their bondage For otherwise libertie in conscience frō hell death sin they had euen as we now haue Rudiments of the world that is the lawe or Ministerie of Moses and it is so called in respect of a more full and plentifull doctrine in the ministerie of the newe Testament And it is called the Rudiments of the world because Iewrie was as it were a little schoole set vp in a corner of the world the lawe of Moses was as it were an a b c or Primar in which Christ was reuealed to the world in darke and obscure manner specially to the Iewes The vse Here we see that the people of the old Testament were for right heires as well as we and therefore they had right to all the blessings of God The difference betweene vs and them is onely in the manner which God vsed in dispensing the foresaid blessings to vs. Againe the fathers of the olde Testament before Christ were but as children in respect of vs now Thus much saith Paul in expresse words And they were so two waies First in respect of the Mosaicall regiment because they were kept in subiection to more lawes then we Secondly they were so in respect of reuelation because God hath reuealed more to vs then to them Read Luk. 10. 24. It may be said we now are the best of vs but children to Abraham and the Prophets whether we respect knowledge or faith Answ. It is so If we compare person and person but it is otherwise if we compare bodie with bodie and compare the Christian church with the Church of the Iewes before Christ then we exceede them and they are but children to vs. This must teach vs all to be carefull to increase in knowledge and in the grace of God that we may be answerable to our condition And to liue in ignorance as the most doe is the shame of vs all For in respect of the time we should all be teachers Heb. 5. 12. and yet God knows the most are very babes For aske a man how he lookes to be saued he will answer by seruing God and by dealing truely Now his seruing of God is his saying of his praiers and his praiers are the Beleefe and the ten Commandements This is a poore seruing of God fitter for babes then for men of yeares It is further to be obserued that Paul saith the fathers of the old Testament were in bondage vnder the lawe after the manner of seruants specially by reason of rites ceremonies And hence it followes that the obseruation of a religion in which are manifold bodily rites and figures is a kind of bondage and pertaines to the Church for the time of her infancie or minority Let this be remembred against the Romish religion for it is like to that of the Iewes in the olde Testament standing for the greatest part in bodily rites in differences of meates and drinkes in differences of times places garments in exercises and afflictions of the bodie in locall succession in the collation of grace by the worke done and such like This is manifest to them which know◠the masse which indeede is nothing but a masse of ceremonies Therefore the Romane religion is a childish and babish religion and if it were of God yet is it not fit for the church of the newe Testament that is come forth of her minoritie Religion that stands in the afflicting of the body is but a shadow and an
thy selfe vnder the curse of the law and for thine offences by it bound ouer to euerlasting death If thou should est be proclaimed an Outlaw or a writ of rebellion should be serued on thee it would make thee at thy wits ende Now behold the law proclaimes thee a traytour and rebell against God through heauen and earth The law shuts heauen against thee it sets hell and death wide open for thee and it armes all the creatures of God against thee Therefore it stands thee in hand to looke about thee and to flie from the sentence of the lawe to the throne of grace for mercie and forgiuenes It hath bin the fashion of all holy men to acquaint themselues with this one lesson that they were by nature vnder the law specially then when they were to humble themselues in the presence of God Daniel in his praier ascribes shame and confusion to himselfe Dan. 9. according to the voice and crie of the law and the prodigall sonne confesseth that he had sinned against his father and against heauen and that he was vnworthy to be accounted a child of God according to the law iudging and condemning himselfe The third point is what is the price wherby men are bought or redeemed from vnder the law Ans. The obedience of the Sonne whereby he stood in subiection to the law for vs as Paul signifies in the words immediatly going before It may be said how can the obedience of one man be a price of redemption for an other I answer we must consider Christ not as a meere man but as God-man and by this meanes his Obedience is of infinit merit and efficacie Againe we must consider him not as a priuate but as a publike person representing all the Elect in his obedience to his father And by this meanes his Obedience ferues for all that beleeue in him Againe it may be alledged that the law saith Thou shalt loue thou shalt not lust c. And the soule that sinnes that soule shall die Ezech. 18. 20. And a man shall not redeeme the life of his brother Psal. 49. 7. Ans. The law requires that euery man performe obedience and make satisfaction in his owne person and the law knows no other obedience But this must be considered that the law is but one part of the reuealed will of God and that the Gospel is an other distinct part reuealing more then the law euer knew And the Gospel teacheth a Translation of the law in respect of obedience from our persons to the person of the Mediatour and thereby it addes an Exception to the law The fourth point is who are partakers of this Redemption Ans. They which see and feele and bewaile their condition that they are vnder the law and flie from the sentence thereof to the throne of grace for mercie Christ came to saue sinners Matth. 9. that is such as are conuicted by the law and know themselues to be sinners He offers ease to them that trauell and are heauie laden Matth. 11. 28. He preacheth deliuerance to captiues Luk. 4. 18. Here we are to bewaile the miserie of our people that know not themselues to be vnder the law nay they loue and delight to be vnder it For they alleadge for themselues that they say their praiers duly and truly that they meane well to God-ward and deale truly with men and therfore they thinke God will haue mercy on them and haue them excused for all their offences The last point is what benefits arise of this deliuerance from vnder the law Ans. They which turne to God and beleeue in Christ reape foure benefits hereby The first is that no sinne shall haue dominion ouer them Rom. 6. 14. Here marke by the way that they which are in Christ cannot wholly fall from grace For they which wholly fall away are vnder the dominion of sinne The second is that God will accept the indeauour to obay for obedience because they are freed from the rigour of the law Read Malac. 3. 17. The third is that they haue libertie to liue and serue God without feare of damnation or any other euill Luk. 1. 74. The last is that afflictions cease to be curses and are turned to blessings and for this cause they are delaied and qualified for the good of them which are afflicted Psal. 89. 32. J will correct them that offend with a rodde but I will not take my mercie from them Prou. 3. 11. Grieue not for the correction of the Lord for he loueth whome he correcteth Ierem. 10. 24. Correct vs in iudgement and powre forth thy wrath vpon the nations that haue not knowne thee This must teach men that professe or teach Christ not to be discouraged when they are abused railed on slaundered or cursed For if they be from vnder the law and so from vnder the sting of a guiltie conscience nothing shall hurt them They must be content for a while to suffer the snatches and bitings of the deuill for in the ende his head shall be bruised in peeces To ende this point it may be said if we that beleeue be not vnder the law then we may liue and die as we list Ans. We are free from the law as a yoke but not free from it as it is the rule of obedience and good life And because we are freed from the bondage of the law therefore we must be a law to our selues we must be voluntaries Psal. 110. 4. without constraint freely yeelding subiection to the will of God and not for feare of hell and the last iudgement The third and last degree is the Fruition of adoption in these words that we might receiue the adoption of sonnes Here two questions are to be considered The first is How the Church of the new Testament is saide to receiue the adoption which was before receiued in the old Testament Ans. In scripture a thing is often said to be done when it is done more fully and plentifully Christ tells Nathanael that he shall see heauen open Ioh. 1. 51. that is more plainly opened For it was not shut in the old Testament And the holy Ghost was not yet Ioh. 7. 39. that is in the full measure And the way into the Holiest was not open while the Tabernacle was standing Hebr. 9. 8. that is plainly made manifest And in this place Beleeuers of the new Testament receiue the Adoption because they receiue it in a more full and plentifull manner in that the spirit of children is powred forth vpon them in larger measure whether we regard Illumination or the gifts of regeneration This must teach vs that liue in these latter daies to put on the condition of sonnes and daughters of God in reuerence obedience and thankefulnes Butalas among the multitude it is farre otherwise For the most liue euen as Atheists in ignorance according to the lusts of their owne hearts The faith and repentance which they professe is but Ceremoniall faith and Repentance The second question
our selues on Christ by faith Fourthly the law was written in tables of stone the Gospel in the fleshie tables of our heart Ier. 31. 33. 2. Cor. 3. 3. Fiftly the law was in nature by creation the Gospel is aboue nature and was reuealed after the fall Sixtly the law hath Moses for the mediatour Deut. 5. 27. but Christ is the mediatour of the new testament Heb. 8. 6. Lastly the law was dedicated by the blood of beasts Exod. 24. 5. the new Test by the blood of Christ. Heb. 9. 12. Here then falls to the ground a maine pillar in Popish religion which is that the law of Moses and the Gospel are all one law for substance and that the difference lies in this that the law of Moses is darke and imperfect and the Gospel or the law of Christ more perfect because he hath as they say added Counsells to precepts Againe the law they say without the spirit is the law properly and with the spirit it is the Gospel But all this is false which they teach For the two Testaments the law and the Gospel are two in nature substance or kind and the difference lies not in the presence or absence of the spirit And whereas the Papists make two iustifications the first meerely by grace the second by workes besides the two Testaments they must establish a third Testament compounded of both and it must be partly legall and partly Euangelicall otherwise the twofold iustification cannot stand For the law propounds onely one way of iustification and the Gospel a second The doctrine therefore that propounds both is compounded of both God did not approoue the polygamie of Abraham yet doth he vse it to signifie the greatest mysterie of our religion Here we see a great point of the diuine prouidence of God who ordereth and vseth well the things which he doth not approoue This is the foundation of our patience and a meanes of true comfort Ioseph thus comforts himselfe and his brethren that God ordered and disposed their bad enterprise to his and their good Gen. 45. 6 7. Here againe Paul sets downe two properties of the Testament of workes or of the law The first is that it came from mount Sina And here lies the difference betweene the law and the Gospel the law is from Sina the gospel from Sion or Ierusalem For there it was first to be preached and thence conueied to all nations Mich. 4. 1. Ezech. 47. 1. The second propertie of the law is that it gendreth to bondage because it maketh them bond men that looke to be saued and iustified thereby And this it doth by reuealing sinne and the punishment thereof which is euerlasting death and by conuincing all men of their sinnes and of their deserued condemnation In this respect it is called the ministerie of death 2. Cor. 3. 6. and Paul saith that after he knew his sins by the lawe he died and the lawe was the meanes of death vnto him Rom. 7. 10. Here is another difference between the law and the Gospel The lawe genders to bondage the Gospell genders to life For it is an instrument of the spirit for the beginning and confirming of our regeneration and saluation and so is not the law which is no cause but only an occasion of the grace of God in vs. Where as Ierusalem that now is is said to be in bondage as Sina and Hagar It is to be obserued that there is no Church in the world nor people which is not subiect to Apostasie For God had made great and large promises to Ierusalem Psal. 122. and 132. and yet for all this Ierusalem by refusing Christ and by establishing the iustice of the lawe is comne into bondage and depriues herselfe of the inheritance of eternall life Therefore it is a falshood which the Papists teach that the infallible assistance of the spirit is tyed to the Chaire and Consistorie of the Pope so as he and consequently the Church of Rome cannot erre Here againe we see what may be the future condition of England For it may be said of it hereafter England that now is is not that which it hath bin namely a maintainer of the Gospell of Christ. Therefore we must not be high minded but feare and now take heed of the first beginning of apostasie The holy Ghost Heb. 3. 12 13. set down the degrees thereof and they are fiue in number The first is the deceit of sinne the second is the hardening of the heart after men are deceiued by sinne the third is an euill heart which growes vpon hardnesse of heart the fourth is vnbeleefe whereby the word of God is called in question and the trueth thereof and after vnbeleefe followes a departure from God and Christ. That this may not be we must carefully avoid all the deceits of sinne as namely couetousnes ambition lust c. Againe as Agar figures the lawe so doth Ismael all iusticiaries that looke to be saued by the law Here then we see the condition of the world the greatest part whereof are Ismalites For the Turke and the Iewe looke at this day to be faued by their workes The Papist ascribes his conuersion not wholly to grace but partely to grace and partly to nature or the strength of mans will helped by grace And thus are they borne after the flesh as Ismael was And our common people though in shew they professe reformed religion yet indeed a great part of them are Ismaelites For they looke to be saued by their good seruing of God and by their good deeds and they little thinke on Christ and his merits And thus they depriue themselues of all title to eternall life Therefore it stands them in hand to condemne nature and the strength thereof and to renounce their owne workes and to rest onely on the promise of mercie for eternall saluation thus shall they be the children of the promise and heires of God Lastly in that Ierusalem is in bondage like Agar or mount Sina we see how vaine are the pilgrimages to the holy land how needlesse were the warres made for the recouery thereof 26. But Ierusalem which is aboue is free which is the mother of vs all Here Paul shewes what is figured by Sara namely the new Ierusalem which is the Catholike Church Heb. 12. 22 23. Reuel 21. 2. And it is here so tearmed because Ierusalem was a type thereof in sixe respects First God chose Ierusalem aboue all other places to dwell in Psal. 132. 13. And the Catholike Church is the companie of predestinate chosen to be a particular people to God Secondly Ierusalem is a citie compact in it selfe by reason of the bond of loue and order among the citizens Psal. 122. 3. In like sort the members of the Catholike Church are linked togither by the bond of one spirit Thirdly in Ierusalem was the sanctuarie a place of Gods presence and of his worship where also the promise of the seed of the woman was preserued
till the comming of the Messias and now the Catholike Church is in the roome of the sanctuarie in it must we seeke the presence of God and the word of life therefore it is called the pillar and ground of truth 1. Tim. 3. 15. Fourthly in Ierusalem was the throne of Dauid Psal. 122. 5. and in the Catholike Church is the throne or scepter of Christ figured by the kingdome of Dauid Reu. 3. 7. Fiftly the commendation of a cittie as Ierusalem is the subiection obedience of the citizens now in the Catholike Church all beleeuers are citizens Eph. 2. 19. and they yeild voluntarie obedience and subiection to Christ their king Psal. 110. 2. Isai 2. 5. Lastly as in Ierusalem the names of the citizens were inrolled in a register so the names of all the members of the Catholike Church are inrolled in the booke of life Reu. 20. 15. Hebr. 12. 23. Againe the Catholike Church dwelling here belowe is said to be aboue in heauen for two causes First in respect of her beginning which is from the Election and grace of God and from Christ the Mediatour of whose flesh and bone we are that beleeue Eph. 5. 30. The iustice whereby we are iustified is in Christ our holinesse and life flowes from the holinesse and life of Christ as from a roote Secondly the Church is said to be aboue because it dwels by faith in heauen with Christ for the propertie of faith is to make vs present after a sort when we are absent Heb. 11. 2. The vse This beeing so we are admonished to liue in this world as Pilgrimes and strangers 1. Pet. 2. 11. and therefore we must not set our loue vpon any earthly thing but our mindes must be vpon the countrie to which we are trauelling And whatsoeuer is an hinderance to vs in our iourney we must cast it from vs that we may goe lightly and if we haue any wrongs done vs either in goods or good name we must the rather be content because we are out of our countrie in a strange place and hereupon we must take occasion to make haste to our iourneys end that is to our own citie and last abode Thus did the Patriarches Heb. 11. 13 15. Secondly we must carrie our selues as Burgesses of heauen Phil. 3. 20. And this we shall do by minding seeking affecting of heauenly things by speaking the language of Canaan which is to inuocate and praise the name of God Lastly by leading a spirituall life that may beseeme the citizens of heauen Many faile in this point when they come to the Lords table they professe themselues to be citizens of the citie of God but in their common dealings in the world they play the starke rebels against God and his word and liue according to the lusts of their blinde and vnrepentant hearts Thirdly when Paul saith that Ierusalem which is aboue is free c. he shewes that the Catholike Church is one in number no more Cant. 6. 8. My doue is aboue and the onely daughter of her mother Ioh. 10. 16. One sheepefold There be many members but one bodie 1. Cor. 12. 12. Fourthly hence we gather that the Catholike Church is invisible For the companie of them that dwell in heauen by their faith cannot be discerned by the eie Iohn saw the heauenly Ierusalem descending from heauen yet not with the bodily eye but in spirit Reuel 21. 10. The things which make the Catholike Church to be the Church namely election vocation iustification glorification are inuisible The papist therfore erreth when he teacheth that the Catholike Church is a visible companie vnder one Pastour namely the Pope And the places which they bring to prooue the visibilitie of the vniuersall Church concerne either particular churches or the churches which were in the daies of the Apostles or againe they speake of the inward glorie and beautie of the Church Free that is redeemed from the bondage of death and sin and so from the curse of the lawe Of this freedome I will speak more afterward The mother of vs all shee is called a mother because the word of God is committed to the keeping of the Church which word is seed 1. Pet. 1. 23. and milke 1. Cor. 3. 2. and strong meat Heb. 5. 14. And the church as a mother which by the ministery of the said word brings forth children to God after they are borne brought forth shee feeds them with milke out of her owne breasts which are the Scriptures of the olde and newe Testament Here a great question is to be propounded namely where we shall find this our Mother For it is the dutie of all children to haue recourse vnto their mother and to liue vnder her wing The aduocates of the Popish Church Priests and Iesuits say we must be reconciled to the Church and See of Rome if we would be of the Catholike church To this purpose they vse many motiues I will here propound seauen of them because heretofore they haue bin scattered abroad among vs. The first motiue The Church of Rome hath meanes of sure and certen interpretation tradition councels fathers we haue nothing but the priuate interpretation of Luther Melancthon Caluin c. Answ. Scripture is both the glosse and the text And the principall meanes of the interpretation of scripture is scripture it selfe And it is a means when places of scripture are expounded by the Analogie of faith by the words scope and circumstances of the place And the interpretation which is sutable to all these is sure certen and publike for it is the interpretation of God Contrariwise the interpretation which is not agreeable to these though it be from Church Fathers and Councells is vncerten and it is priuate interpretation Now this kind of interpretation we allow and therefore it is false that we haue onely priuate interpretations and that all the interpretations of the Church of Rome are publike Secondly I answer that we are able to iustifie our Interpretations of Scripture for the maine points of religion by the consent of Fathers and Councells as well as they of the church of Rome The second motiue We haue no diuine and infallible authoritie to rest on in matter of religion but they of the church of Rome haue Ans. In the Canonicall scriptures of the Prophets and Apostles there is diuine and infallible authoritie for they are now in the new Testament in stead of the liuely voice of God And this authoritie we in our Church acknowledge Secondly I answer that the church hath no diuine and infallible authoritie distinct from the authoritie of scriptures as the Papists teach but onely a Ministerie which is to speake in the name of God according to the written word The third motiue We haue no limitations of opinion and affection but they of the church of Rome haue I answer first we suffer our selues to be limited for opinion by the Analogie of faith and by the written word and so doth
it pertaines to the conscience The vse indeede of our libertie is in outward things as meate drinke apparell c. but the libertie it selfe is in the conscience And thus it differs from ciuill libertie which stands in the moouing of the bodie in the choise of bodily actions and in the free vse of our goods Christian libertie hath two parts a Deliuerance from miserie and Freedome in good things Deliuerance hath foure parts The first is a Deliuerance from the curse of the law for the breach thereof Rom. 8. 1. There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ. And this comes to passe because there is a translation made of the curse from our persons to the person of Christ. Gal. 3. 13. The second deliuerance is from the obligation of the law whereby it binds vs to bring perfect righteousnes in our owne persons for the attainment of euerlasting life according to the tenour thereof Doe this and liue And this deliuerance is procured because there is a translation made of the fulfilling of the law from our persons to the person of our Sauiour Christ. From these two deliuerances ariseth the Pacification of the conscience partly for our Iustification and partly for our conuersation Touching iustification A sinner in his humiliation and conuersion hath by this doctrine a Libertie without respect to his owne workes or to his owne fulfilling of the law to rest on the meere mercie of God for the forgiuenes of his sinnes and the saluation of his soule and to appeale from the throne of diuine iustice to the throne of grace and to oppose the merit of Christ against the wrath and iudgement of God And this hath bin alwaies the helpe of the godly in their distresse Read 2. Chron. 33. 12. Ezra 9. Dan. 9. Psal. 32. 31. 130. 143. Consider the example of the Publican and the Prodigall sonne who condemne themselues and make their appeale to the court of mercie and grace Here some man may say how shall I know that I am freed from the rigour of the law and from the curse thereof Ans. Thou must first set thy selfe at the barre of Gods iudgement and there must thou arraigne accuse and condemne thy selfe this done thou must vse thy libertie and make thine appeale to Gods mercie and grace for pardon by asking seeking knocking and thus at length shalt thou be resolued touching thy deliuerance Moreouer touching conuersation our consciences are setled thus In that we are freed from the Rigour of the law God in mercie accepts the will and indeauour to beleeue repent and obay for faith repentance and obedience He spares them that feare him as a father spares his child when he indeauours to doe that which he can Mal. 3. 17. The law requires perfect obedience at our hands yet God of his mercie lookes more at the will to obay then the perfection of obedience This must be a stay to our mindes when we see more corruption then grace in our selues and our obedience tainted with many spots of disobedience The third Deliuerance is from the obseruation of the Ceremoniall law of Moses Col. 2. 16. And hence ariseth an other deliuerance from the bondage of humane Traditions as Paul saith If yee be dead with Christ from the Elements of the world why are ye burdened with traditions Col. 2. 20. The fourth Deliuerance is from vnder the tyrannie and dominion of sinne Rom. 6. 14. Let not sinne haue dominion ouer you For ye are not vnder the law but vnder grace In the first tonuersion of a sinner Originall sinne receiues his deadly wound and the dominion thereof is diminished according to the measure of grace receiued The second part of Christian libertie is a Freedome in good things and it is fourefold The first is a freedome in the voluntarie seruice of God Luk. 1. 74. We are deliuered from our enemies that we may serue God in righteousnes and holines before him all the daies of our liues without feare Paul saith that the law is not giuen to the righteous man 1. Tim. 1. 9. because he is a law to himselfe and freely does good duties as if there were no law to bind him The cause of this freedome is the Gift and donation of the free spirit of God Therefore Dauid praies Stablish me with thy free spirit Psal. 5. 1. And Paul saith Where the spirit is there is libertie 2. Cor. 3. 17. And The spirit of life which is in Christ is a Law to vs and frees vs from the power of sinne and death Rom. 8. 2. It may be obiected that this freedome in the voluntarie seruice of God is bondage For Christ saith Matth. 11. 29. Take my yoke vpon you And we are as straightly bound to the obedience of the law of God as Adam was by creation nay more straightly by reason of our redemption by Christ. Ans. The more we are bound to obedience the freer we are because the seruice of God is not bondage but perfect libertie The second freedome is in the free vse of all the creatures of God Tit. 1. 15. To the pure all things are pure Rom. 14. 14. And the reason is because the dominion ouer the creatures lost by Adam is restored by Christ. 1. Cor. 3. 22. And hence it is that Paul calls the forbidding of marriage and of meates with obligation of conscience a doctrine of deuills 1. Tim. 4. 1. The third freedome is a Libertie to come vnto God the father in the name of Christ and in praier to be heard Rom. 5. 2. Eph. 3. 12. Whereas according to our naturall condition our sinnes are a wall of partition betweene vs and God and cause vs to flie from the presence of God and though we crie vnto God and fill heauen and earth with our cries so long as we are in our sinnes we are not heard of him The fourth freedome is a Libertie to enter into heauen in the day of our death Christ by his blood hauing made a way Heb. 10. 19. Thus we see what Christian libertie is The vse followes The Anabaptists gather hence that among Christians there must be Magistrates they must haue power to make lawes beside the lawes of God but this power they haue not because Christians haue a free vse of all the creatures of God by Christian libertie Ans. We must distinguish betweene the libertie it selfe and the vse of it And the Magistrates authoritie deales not with the libertie which is in the conscience but with the vse of it and he doth neither diminish nor abolish the vse of any of the creatures but restraines the abuse and moderates the ouer common vse for the common good Thus Magistracie and Christian libertie may stand together and the rather because libertie is in conscience and the Magistrates authoritie pertaines to the bodie Here is further comfort for all the godly for euen by Christian libertie their consciences are exempted from the power of all creatures men and Angels 1. Cor. 7.
vs put a further beginning to our actions then nature can afford causing vs to doe them in faith whereby we beleeue that our persons please God in Christ that our worke to be done pleaseth God that the defect of the worke is pardoned Secondly the spirit makes vs doe our actions in a new manner namely in obedience to the written word Thirdly it makes vs put a new end to our actions that is to intend and desire to honour God in the things that we doe For example A man is wronged by his neighbour and nature tells him that he must requite euill with euill yet he resolues to doe otherwise for saith he God in Christ hath forgiuen me many sinnes therefore must I forgiue my neighbour And he remembreth that vengeance is Gods and that he is taught so to aske pardon as he forgiueth others And hereupon he sets himselfe to requite euill with goodnesse This is to liue in the spirit The vse By this rule we see that most of vs faile in our duties For many of vs professing Christ liue not according to the lawes of nature in our common dealings We minde earthly things and therefore we are carnall It is a principle with many that if we keepe the Church obserue the Queenes laws which are indeed to be obserued and auoid open and grosse sinnes we do all that God requires at our hāds Hereupon to walke in the spirit is thought to be a worke of precisenes more then needes And they which deeme it to be a worke of precisenes walke not in the spirit And indeede they which haue receiued the greatest measure of the spirit must say with Paul that they are carnall sould vnder sinne Rom. 7. 14. Secondly this rule telleth vs that we must become spirituall men such as make conscience of euery sinne and doe things lawfull in spirituall manner in faith and obedience and not as carnall men doe them carnally It may be saide that Ministers of the word must be spirituall men I answer if thou whatsoeuer thou art be not spirituall thou hast no part in Christ. Rom. 8. And the rather thou must be spirituall because a naturall man may doe the outward duties of religion in a carnall sort Thirdly we must not iudge any mans estate before God by any one or some few actions either good or badde but by his walking or by the course of his life which if it be carnall it shewes the partie to be carnall if it be spirituall it shewes him to be spirituall The benefit that ariseth by the keeping of the rule followes in these words Ye shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh Flesh the corruption of nature the roote of all sinnes Lusts inordinate motions in the minde will and affections Thus largely is lust taken in the tenth Commandement which condemneth the first motions to euill Fulfill fulfilling is not a simple doing of euill but the accomplishing of lust with loue pleasure and full consent of will as also perseuerance in euill by adding sinne to sinne A question How farre doth the child of God proceede in the lust of the flesh Answ. He is assaulted by the lusts of the flesh but he doth not accomplish them More plainly there are fiue degrees of lust Suggestion delight consent the acte perseuerance in the acte Suggestion and delight whereby the minde is drawne away are incident to the child of God Consent is not ordinarily and if at any time the child of God consent to the lusts of his flesh it is but in part and against his purpose because he is ouercarried Likewise the acte or execution of lust is not ordinarily and vsually in the child of God if at any time he fall he may say with Paul I doe that which I hate Lastly perseuerance in euill doth not befall the child of God because vpon his fall he recouers himselfe by new repentance In this sense S. Iohn saith He that is borne of God sinnes not 1. Ioh. 3. 9. The vse Hence it followes that the lust of the flesh is in the child of God to the death and consequently they doe not fulfill the law neither can they be iustified thereby as Popish doctrine is Secondly our dutie is not to accomplish the lusts of the flesh but to resist them to the vttermost Rom. 13. 14. Thirdly here is comfort for the seruants of God Some man may say I am vexed and turmoiled with wicked thoughts and desires so as I feare I am not Gods child I answer againe for all this despaire not For if thou hate and detest the lusts that are in thee if thou resist them and wage battell against them if beeing ouertaken at any time thou recouer they selfe by new repentance they shall neuer be laid to thy charge to condemnation Rom. 8. 1. It is here made a prerogatiue of Gods child when the lusts of the flesh are in him not to accomplish them or to liue in subiection to them 17 For the flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh and they are contrarie one to another so that ye cannot doe the things which ye would These wordes are a reason of the former verse thus If ye walke in the spirit ye shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh for the flesh and spirit beeing contrarie mutually refist and withstand one another so as ye can neither doe the good not the euill which ye would Paul here sets forth a spirituall combate of which sixe things are to be considered The first is concerning the parties by whome the combat is made namely the flesh and the spirit The flesh signifies the corruption of the whole nature of man and the spirit is the gift of regeneration as hath beene shewed It may be demanded how these twaine beeing but qualities can be said to fight together Ans. The flesh and the spirit are mixed together in the whole man regenerate and in all the powers of the soule of man Fire and water are said to be mixed in compound bodies light and darknes are mixed in the aire at the dawning of the day In a vessell of luke warme water heat and cold are mixed together we cannot saie that the water is in one parte hott and in another cold but the whole quantitie of water is hott in parte and cold in parte Euen so the man regenerate is not in one part flesh in another part spirit but the whole mind is partly flesh and partly spirit and so are the will and affections through out partly spirituall and partly carnall Now vpon this mixture it comes to passe that the powers of the soule are carried and disposed diuerse waies and hereupon followes the combat The second point concernes the meanes whereby this combate is made and that is a two sold Concupiscence expressed in these words the flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh The lust of the flesh shewes it selfe in two actions The first is to defile 〈◊〉
and to conforme our mindes consciences wills affections in all things to the foresaid will of God Rom. 12. 2. Let all such as desire to be spirituall remember and make conscience to practise this The third is the Priuiledge of beleeuers in the last wordes Ye are not vnder the law Vnderstand this in respect of the curse and condemnation of the law for otherwise we are all vnder the law as it is the rule of Good life The priuiledge then is that God doth not impute the defects of obedience to such as truly beleeue and repent but he accepts their imperfect obedience as perfect and absolute This serues to comfort them that greeue because they feele the want of Sanctification in themselues For if they can and doe will that which is good and indeauour themselues in the course of their liues according to their will let them not feare ouermuch when their obedience is defectiue because they are not vnder the rigour of the law and therefore God accepts the will and indeauour to obay for obedience And the consideration of Gods mercifull acceptation must stirre vs vp to an earnest care and conscience of all good duties 19 Moreouer the workes of the flesh are manifest which are adulterie fornication vncleannes wantonnes 20 Idolatrie witchcraft hatred debate emulations wrath contentions seditions heresies 21 Enuie murthers drunkennes gluttonie and such like whereof I tel you before as I also haue told you before that they which do such things shal not inherit the kingdom of God Paul before deliuered his rule in generall tearmes Giue no occasion to the flesh and fulfill not the lusts of the flesh Now he proceedes further in way of declaration to make a Catalogue or rehearsall of the particular workes of the flesh which were in vse and knowne to the Galatians And this he doth for waightie cause For we are full of blindnes and see not our corruption and we are full of hypocrisie and therefore readie to esteeme our selues spirituall when we are carnall And therefore this Catalogue serues fitly as a table or glasse to discouer the corruption of mans heart by the fruits thereof After Pauls example euery man shall doe well to make a Catalogue of the sinnes of his whole life By this meanes shall we better know our selues and take a manifest view of our sinnefull condition In this Catalogue I consider three things the condition of the workes of the flesh the kinds of them and the punishment thereof The condition is that the workes of the flesh are said to be manifest not onely to God but euen to men that haue the light of reason and naturall conscience Hence it followes that there is matter sufficient for the condemnation of them that neuer knew the Gospel For though the flesh it selfe be secret and hidden yet the workes of the flesh are manifest to the naturall man And this must further admonish vs neuer to hide or excuse our sinns but freely to confesse theÌ„ before God and before men also when neede requires Whether we confesse them or no they are manifest and the ingenuous confessing or vncouering of them is the way to couer them Psal. 32. 1. 4. Touching the kinds or sorts of the workes of the flesh they are in number seâ—uenteene and I may reduce them to foure heads The first sort are against chastitie the second against religion the third against charitie the last against temperance The workes of the flesh against chastitie are foure and they are placed in the first ranke for iust cause for by them men are brought to reprobate mindes Rom. 1. 28. and to be without sense or feeling Eph. 4. 19. and the bodie which should be the temple of the holy Ghost is made a stable and a stie for the deuill Adulterie it is the incontinencie of persons married or of persons vvhereof one at the least is married or betrothed I say betrothed because one and the same punishment is designed to married and betrothed persons and therefore the sinne is like in both If adulterie which is the breach of wedlocke be a worke of the flesh then damnable is the decretall of Pope Syricius that marriage it selfe was the pollution of the flesh It may be obiected that young widdowes by marrying haue damnation and breake the faith of baptisme 1. Tim. 5. 12. Ans. They are not saide to breake the faith of baptisme because they marrie but because they waxe wanton against Christ and so marrie that is cast off the reines of obedience by committing fornication and then for to couer their offence they marrie This I take to be the right sense of that place Adulterie is named in the first place and that for speciall cause For as it is a common so is it also a great sinne For it is the breach of the couenant of marriage made in the presence of God and vnto God and therefore it is called the couenant of God Prou. 2. 17. It is the punishment of idolatrie Rom. 1. 24. It is a sinne greater then theft Prou. 6. 30. 32. The committers of this sinne cut off themselues from humane societie and become men of death women of death according to Gods law And it will neuer be well with humane societie till adulterers be made fellons their liues taken from them and their goods confiscate Lastly this sinne brings the ruine of the families of adulterous persons and it sets a fire in them that burnes to destruction Fornication it is the incontinencie of single persons Marke how it is made a manifest worke of the flesh Hence it follows that fornication is no light matter or a thing indifferent as some haue taught It may be obiected that it is numbered among things indifferent Act. 15. 29. for with strangled and blood is ioyned fornication Ans. The Gentiles indeede esteemed it as a thing indifferent and hereupon it may be it is ioyned with things indifferent But the iudgement of the Church was otherwise and this opinion of the Gentiles is confuted by Paul 1. Cor. 6. Againe it may be obiected that the Lord commanded the Prophet Ose to take vnto him an harlot Ose 1. 2. Ans. It was done in type or figure and then the wordes of the Lord carrie this sense Take vnto thee a wife of fornications that is prophecie and publish that thou art like one that takes a wife of fornication Againe if the thing were done indeede yet did not the Prophet take an harlot to liue in fornication with her but at Gods commandement to liue with her according to Gods ordinance namely in marriage Againe hence I gather that there is no warrant for the Toleration of fornication For it is a foule and manifest worke of the flesh Magistrates may not doe euill that good may come thereof Rom. 3. 8. Whosoeuer doth euill must feare because the Magistrate beares the sword to punish Rom. 13. 4. And the commandement of God was that there must be no whore in Israel Deut. 23.
the law The aduocates of the Romish Church answer that our knowledge loue and obedience are perfect for the condition and estate of this life as we are viatores which is sufficient though they be not perfect for the condition of the life to come when we shall be comprehensores which is not required at our hands in this life for they make a double perfect fulfilling of the law one for the tearme of this life which is to loue God aboue all things and our neighbour as our selues The other after this life and that is to loue God with all the soule with all the powers and faculties of the soule and with all the strength and vigor of all these powers And this distinction they make to be the ground of their opinion touching the fulfilling of the law and iustification by workes c. But it is a sandie foundation and therefore that which is built vpon it cannot stand For besides that it is a fond and friuolous distinction forged by the Schoolemen without warrant of Scripture or consent of Antiquitie it is manifestly false For there is one onely rule of righteousnes and not two one onely generall sentence of the Lawe more vnchangeable then the lawes of the Medes Persians euen as vnchangeable as God himselfe which is that He which continueth not in all things written in the Law to doe them is accursed So that he which loueth not God with all his soule minde and might with all his valdè suo that is with all the faculties of his soule and all the powers of all these faculties and that in this life is accursed And it is absurd which they teach that a man is not bound for the tearme of this life thus to loue God but onely in the life to come For looke what man could doe by creation in the state of innocencie the same and so much the Law requires at his hands in the state of Apostasie But Adam by creation could loue God with all his soule with all the faculties of his soule and all the powers of all these faculties therefore the same perfect absolute and entire obedience is now required at his hands For the sentence of the law Cursed is he that continueth not in all things c. is not onely giuen to men glorified but to those that are in the state of grace And S. Paul doth so apply this sentence to men euen in this life t 〈…〉 he pronounceth all that are of the workes of the law to be vnder the curse Againe if this were so the Iewes had no cause to feare the seueritie and strictnes of the law as they did when they said If we heare the voice of the Lord any more we shall die considering they were able to keepe and fulfill it according to this Popish opinion Neither would God haue promised them a Messias or Mediatour to redeeme them from the curse of the law but would rather haue comforted them in that their so great feare and astonishment by giuing them to vnderstand that they were not bound to the full and perfect fulfilling of the law for the time of this life Besides the patheticall exclamation of Paul O miserable man that I am c. Rom. 7. 24. and that saying of Peter in calling the Law a yoke which neither we nor our fathers were able to beare Act. 15. should be childish and ridiculous if that which is impossible in the law as Paul speakes did not appertaine vnto vs. The third argument If a man could fulfill the Law he should not stand in neede of a Mediatour For if righteousnes be by the Law Christ died in vaine Gal. 2. 21. It is answered that Christ died in vaine if men by the strength of nature could fulfill the Law but the fulfilling of the Law is by grace and so his death is not in vaine for by vertue of the obedience of Christ we are enabled to fulfill the Law But this were to make Christ no Sauiour but onely an instrument whereby we fulfill the Law and are our owne Sauiours whereas the Scripture saith that he is made vnto vs righteousnes 1. Corinth 1. 30. not that we are made righteousnesse by him That we are made the righteousnesse of God in him 2. Corinth 5. 21. not by him as an instrument That we are complete in him Coloss. 2. 10. and not complete of our selues by him Lastly the Scripture shutteth vp all men vnder sinne euen the most sanctified Prou. 20. 9. 1. Ioh. 1. 9. Iob confesseth he cannot answer one of a thousand Iob 9. 3. and Dauid saith If thou Lord shalt marke what is done amisse who can abide it Psal. 130. 3. and Paul saith of himselfe that he found no meanes to performe that which is good Rom. 7. 18. He saith further that it is impossible to be kept by reason of originall corruption Rom. 8. 3. It is answered that all these places and examples must be vnderstood of veniall sinnes which make men sinners indeede yet are not against but beside the law and therefore though a man commit them yet he may fulfill the law for all that Ans. the coÌ„mon receiued opinion in Schooles that some sinnes are mortall others veniall of their owne nature is a witlesse distinction For if all sinnes deserue death as Paul teacheth Rom. 6. 23. either veniall sinnes are no sinnes or they must needes deserue death Moses saith that he that abideth not in all things written in this Law is accursed Deuter. 27. 26. where the wordes this Law may not be restrained onely to the Catalogue of great and hainous sinnes which are there reckened vp but extended to all sinnes as Paul applies it Gal. 3. 10. pronouncing him accursed that continueth not in all things written in the lawe not this law So that euery sinne euen the least sinne in thought makes a man subiect to the curse and so in rigour of diuine iustice deserues eternall death And it is but a poore shift to say that some sinnes are against the Lawe as all mortall sinnes and others besides the Lawe as veniall For the doing of that which God forbiddeth is a sinne not beside but against the Lawe But idle words iesting and gibing c. which the Popish Doctours account veniall sinnes are expressely forbidden in the word Matth. 12. 36. Of euery idle word that men shall speake they shall giue account at the day of iudgement And Paul forbiddeth all foolish talking and â—esting as things vncomely Eph. 5. 4. Therefore they are not beside but flatte against the lawe Secondly they answer that these places and the like are to be vnderstood of seuerall workes and actions of the Saints whereof some were good as Dauids sparing of Saul c. some euill as his adulterie murther and numbering of the people and not of the same particular workes Answ. It is false For Paul speaking of the same indiuiduall worke saith that it is partly good and partly euill I finde
Achan sinned and the people fell slaine before the men of Ai therefore euery man doth not beare his owne entire burden The like may be said of the children of the Sodomits and of the first borne of the Egyptians who bare the burden of their parents sinne Ans. The people were punished for their owne sinnes and so was Dauid albeit not in his owne but in their persons for God punished him in his kind in destroying the people with that fearefull plague in whose great multitude he had gloried so much Indeede their punishment was occasioned by his sinne but caused by their owne for no man though neuer so holy is without sinne and therefore none but deserue punishment nay it is Gods mercie that we are not consumed Lam. 3. 22. And albeit all the infants perished in the Deluge and in the ouerthrow of Sodome and Gomorrha which could neither imitate nor approoue the actions of their forefathers yet their death was deserued For though infants be truly called innocâ—â—ts in regard of actuall sinne yet they are not innocents in regard of originall for from the wombe they carrie a woluish nature which prepares them to the spoile though they neuer did hurt the Scorpion hath his sting within him though he doe not alway strike and though a Serpent may be handled whilst the cold â—ath benummed him yet when he is warmed he will hisse out his venomous poison Mans practise doth cleare God of vniustice in this behalfe in killing the young cubbes as well as the old foxe the wolues whelps as well as the damme Albeit if we speake of their finall estate and come to particulars we are to leaue secret iudgements to God The example of Achan is more difficult seeing that for his sinne 36 of the people were slaine Iosh. 7. 5. and his whole familie rooted out v. 25. who were not consenting to his fact nor guiltie of his sinne Yet something may probably be said in this case First that they were guiltie of this his sinne in part in not punishing theft so seuerely as they ought to haue done which was a meanes to embolden Achan to steale the execrable thing Secondly that priuate good must yeeld to the publike as the life of euery particular person to the generall good of the whole Commonwealth thus souldiours in the warres redeem the publike peace by the losse of their own liues now the manifestation of the glorie of the wisdome power and iustice of God is the publike good of the whole Church therefore mens priuate good euen their liues must giue place to it especially considering he neuer inflicts temporall punishment for the publike good but he respects therein the priuate good of his Elect whome he corrects in iudgement not in â—urie Thirdly howsoeuer Achan did beare the burden of his owne sinne this iudgement might be inflicted vpon them for their good for temporall punishment yea death it selfe is sometimes inflicted for the good of those that are punished as we see in the children of the Sodomits many whereof no doubt were taken away in mercie lest malice should haue changed and corrupted their minds and sometime for the terrour of others to be a warning peece to make them take heede and sometime for both as it may be it was in this particular Fourthly sinne committed by a particular man that is a member of a politike bodie doth after a sort belong to the whole bodie thus the Lord saith that blood defileth the land which caÌ„not be cleÌ„sed of the blood that was shedde therein but by the blood of him that shedde it Numb 35. 33. And thus Achans sinne though not knowne to the people made the whole armie guiltie before God till he was put to death Iosh. 7. 11 12. Lastly if the tithing of an armie for the offence of some fewe haue beene thought lawfull and iust why should the death of 36 men seeme vniust for the sin of Achan especially considering it was to make the people more prouident to preuent and take heede of the like euill If these reasons satisfie not yet let vs rest in this that Gods iudgements are often secret but alway iust See August lib. quaest in Iosh. q. 8. and Calvin in 7. cap. â—osh Obiect UII If euery man must beare his owne burden Dauid shall as well beare the burden of his murthering Vrias by the sword of the children of Ammon as Saul the murthering of himselfe with his owne sword Peter his denying Christ as Iudas his betraying him c. Ans. By the sentence of the Law euery one is to beare his owne burden and to satisfie for his owne sinne in his owne person but the Gospel the second part of Gods word makes an exception which is that they which haue their sinnes set vpon Christs reckening shall not giue account for them againe and those that haue the burden of them laide vpon his shoulders who hath borne our sinnes in his bodie vpon the crosse 1. Pet. 2. 23. shall not beare the burden of them themselues at the last iudgement Therefore true beleeuers which haue Christ their suretie satisfying the rigour of Gods iustice for them shall not answer or satisfie fortheÌ„ themselues for they are freed by him from a threefold burden First froÌ„ the burden of ceremonies so consequently of humane lawes and ordinances which were a yoke as Peter saith which neither we nor our fathers were able to beare Act. 15. Secondly from the burden of miseries and crosses which befall men in this life He doth ease vs of this burden by his word and spirit either in remoouing them away Psal. 81. 7. or in giuing strength and patience to beare them 2. Cor. 12. 9. or in mitigating proportionating them to our strength 1. Cor. 10. 13. Thirdly from the burden of sinne as well originall as actuall in beeing made sinne that is accounted a sinner and made a sacrifice for sinne for vs as also by easing them that are heauie laden in pacifying the perplexed conscience Matth. 11. 28. It will be said if Christ beare the burden of our sinnes euery man shall not beare his owne burden Ans. Both be true and may well stand together for Legally euery man is to beare his owne burden the Law requiring personall obedience or satisfaction or both Euangelically Christ our suretie doth beare the burden of them and satisfie the iustice of God for them 1. Pet. 2. 23. Use. Hence we learne first that no man can pay a ransome for his brother or redeeme his soule from death or satisfie the iustice of God for his sinne seeing that euery man by the tenour of the Law is to beare his owne burden and by the Gospel none can be our suretie but Christ. Secondly here we see the nature of sinne that it is a burden to the soule for it is heauier then the grauell of the earth and the sand of the sea It is a burden to the wicked Angels for it waighed them froÌ„ the
proceede further to a reall learning of Christ and that is to beleeue in the sonne of God to die to their sinnes by the vertue of his death and to liue to God by the vertue of his life This is a reall liuely learning of Christ. They that must conuert others it is meete they should be effectually conuerted Iohn must first eate the booke and then prophecy Reuel 10. 9. And they that would be first Ministers of the Gospell must first themselues eate the booke of God And this booke is indeede eaten when they are not only in their mindes inlightned but their hartes are mortified and brought in subiection to the worde of Christ. Vnlesse Christ be thus learned spiritually and really diuines shall speake of the word of God as men speake of riddles and as Preists in former time said their mattens when they hardly knewe what they saide Againe students in euery faculty are with Paul to learne Christ and that as he learned him Such persons desire and loue good learning nowe this is the best learning of all to learne to knowe and to acknowledge Christ. The knowledge of Christ crucified is Pauls learning The knowledge of the remission of our sinnes is the learning of Dauid that great prophet For this title he giues to the 32. Psalme The vnderstanding of Dauid Lastly all men are on this reall manner with Paul to learne the same For he is an example to all that shall beleeue in him to life euerlasting 1. Tim. 1. 12. Paul biddes vs doe the good things which we haue seene in him Philip. 4 9 Hoc vrge The third point is the end of Paules conuersion in these wordes that he might preach him among the gentiles Here I consider what he must preach namely the sonne Christ and to whome I namely among the nations Againe of the preaching of Christ I consider two thinges the first is why Christ must be preached rather then Moses Answer there be two causes One is because Christ is the substance or subiect matter of the whole Bible For the summe of the scriptures may be thus gathered together The sonne of God made man and working our redemption is the sauiour of mankind but Iesus the sonne of Marie is the sonne of God made man working our redemption therefore Iesus the sonne of Marie is the sauiour of mankind The maior is the summe of the old testament the minor is the summe of the new and the conclusion is the scope of both The second cause is The law is the ministerie of death and the Gospell which is the doctrine of saluation by the sonne is the instrument of God to beginne and to confirme all graces of God in vs that are necssarie to our saluation Therefore the doctrine principally to be preached is the Gospell and not the lawe Secondly it may be demanded what it is to preach Christ Answer it is a great worke and it containes 4. ministeriall actions The first generally to teach the doctrine of the incarnation of Christ and of his three offices his kingly office his propheticall office and his priesthood with the exequution therof The second to teach that faith is an instrument ordained of God to apprehend and to applie Christ with his benefits The third is to certifie and to reuele to euery hearer that it is the will of God to saue him by Christ in particular so be it he will receiue Christ. For when the Gospell is preached God thereby signifies vnto vs that his will is to giue vs life euerlasting 1. Ioh. 5. 11. The last is to certifie and to reueale to euery particular hearer that he is to apply Christ with his benefits to himselfe in particular and that effectually by his faith that a change and conuersion may followe both in hart and life 1. Ioh. 3. 23. And thus when these things are rightly performed Christ is preached Hence it appeares that to learne Christ is not only to know him generally but also effectually to apply him to our selues by our faith that there may be a change and renouation of the whole man They which learne Christ must thus learne him els can they not be saued The second point is that Paul must preach to the gentiles there be two causes of it one that the prophecies of the calling of the gentiles might be fulfilled Psal. 2. and 110. Isai. 2. The second because at the death of Christ the deuision which was betweene the Iewes and gentiles was quite abolished Eph. 2. 13. Here I obserue the difference betweene Apostles and ordinary Ministers Their charge is a sett and particular congregation whereas the charge of an Apostle is the whole world The 4. and last point is the obedience of Paul to the calling of God in that he went and preached the Gospell Here a question may be demaunded whether Paul performed his obedience by vertue of the grace which he had formerly receiued without the helpe of new and speciall grace or noe Answer noe His obedience proceedes from the first grace helped or excited by speciall grace In the regenerate that haue power to doe good God workes the will and the deede in euery good worke Phil. 2. 13. And it is a certaine truth we doe not that which we are able to doe vnlesse God make vs doe it as he made vs able to doe it Therefore to the dooing of euery new acte there is new and speciall grace required In Pauls obedience I consider 3. points 1. When he obeyed Immediatly How without deliberation or consultation when In Arabia and Damascus For the first in that he obeied God in going to preach im mediatly we learne how we are to answer and obey the calling of God that calles to amendment and newnesse of life namely in all hast without deferring of time Hebr. 3. 8. To daie if ye will heare his voice harden not your hartes and v. 13. exhort one another while it is called to day Psal 119. 60. I made hast and did not delaie to keepe thy commandements And there be good reasons why we should no longer deferre our conuersi on to God The ende of our life is vncerten and looke as death leaues vs so shall the last iudgement find vs. Secondly when we delay our repentance we add sinne to sinne and so treasure vp wrath against the day of wrath Rom. 2. Thirdly when we deferre to obey and turne to God we growe to perfection in sinne and sinne beeing perfected bringes forth death I am 1. 14. Lastlie late repentance is seldome or neuer true repentance For when men are dying their sinnes forsake them and they doe not commonly forsake their sinnes God hath called vs in England more then 40. yeares together and yet many of vs haue not listned to the call of God but deferred to obey let vs now presently amend and turne to God least if we still deferre the time of our repentance Gods iudgements come forth in hast vpon vs. The manner of his
by workes of mercie Tit. 2. 5. It may be obiected that there is a Cooperation of works and faith I am 2. 21. I answer that this Cooperation is not in the act of iustification nor in the worke of our saluation but in the manifestation of the truth and sinceritie of our faith without hypocrisie And for the declaration and approbation of this faith and workes ioyntly concurre Here then we see it is a pestilent and damnable doctrine of the Papists when they teach iustification by the workes of the law Let vs here be warned to take heede of it The fourth point is the Meritorious cause of our iustification and that is Christ. Here it may be demanded what is that thing in Christ by and for which we are iustified I answer the Obedience of Christ Rom. 5. 19. And it stands in two things his Passion in life and death and his Fulfilling of the law ioyned therewith For by faith the law is established Rom. 3. 31. Christ was sent in the similitude of sinnefull flesh that the rigour of the law might be fulfilled in vs Rom. 8. 4. and Christ is the perfection of the law for righteousnes to all that beleeue Rom. 10. 4. He that doth not fulfill all things contained in the Law is accursed Gal. 3. 10. Seeing therefore we cannot performe the things contained therein by our selues we must performe them in the person of our Mediatour who hath satisfied for the threatnings of the law by his passion and hath fulfilled the precepts of the law by his obedience in all duties of loue to God and man We owe to God a double debt One is that we are to fulfill the law euery moment from our first beginning both in regard of puritie of nature and puritie of action And this debt was laid vpon vs in the creation and is exacted of vs in the law of God The second debt is a satisfaction for the breach of the law For this double debt Christ is be become our Suretie and God accepts his obedience for vs it beeing a full satisfaction according to the tenour of the law For the better conceiuing of this obedience foure questions may be demanded The first is when this obedience beginnes and ends Ans. Satisfactorie obedience performed by Christ beginnes in his incarnation ends in his death Christ saith Ioh. 4. 34. It is my meate to doe my fathers will and to finish his worke But when was it indeede finished A little before his passion he said Ioh. 17. 4. I haue finished the worke which thou gauest me to doe Againe in the surrendring of his soule he saith It is finished Ioh. 19. 30. S. Paul saith Christ was obedient to the death of the crosse Phil. 2. 8. The triumph of Christ beganne vpon the crosse Col. 2. 15. and he could not triumph before he had made a full and perfect satisfaction for vs. When Christ had procured deliuerance from hell and Right to life euerlasting he there made a perfect satisfaction for vs to the iustice of God And this he did in his death vpon the crosse For by the death of the Mediatour we receiue the promise of euerlasting inheritance Heb. 9. 15. and with one oblation vpon the crosse he perfected them that are sanctified Heb. 10. 14. and they cannot be perfected without the perfect obedience of Christ. Christ rose from death and ascended into heauen in our roome and stead and this he could neuer haue done vnlesse he had made a perfect satisfaction in death Here it may be asked If satisfactorie obedience end in the death of Christ to what vse serue the resurrection and ascension of Christ and his fitting at the right hand of the father Ans. They serue also for our iustification but after an other sort For they serue to applie communicate to vs and to put vs in possession of the benefits which Christ hath procured for vs and purchased by his death S. Paul saith He asâ—â—nded to giue gifts 〈◊〉 and to fill all things Eph. 4. 8. 10. And Christ saith When I am exalted I will draw all men to me Ioh. 12. 32. And he liues for euer to make intercessionâ— for vs. Heb. 5. 27. The second question is how Christ could obey beeing God and satisfie for vs beeing man Ans. Christ must be considered not meerely as God or as man but as God-man or Man god For the Godhead doth not redeeme vs without the manhood nor the manhood without the Godhead Neuerthelesse Christ as God and man may both obey and satisfie For as there are in Christ two natures so there are two distinct operations of the said natures And as the said natures vnited make one Christ so the operations of the natures concurring and beeing vnited in one make the compound worke of a Mediatour Therefore the Obedience of Christ beeing the worke of a Mediatour hath in it the operations of both natures The practise exercise or exequution of obedience is from the manhood therfore it is said that Christ bare our sinnes in his bodie vpon the crosse 1. Pet. 2. 24. that he suffered in the flesh 1. Pet. 4. 1. that he made a liuing way by the vaile of his flesh Heb. 10. 20. that we are reconciled in the bodie of his flesh Coloss. 1. 22. Obedience iâ— properly a subiection of the will in reasonable creatures to the will of God now the will of the Godhead of Christ admits no subiection to the will of God because the the will of the Godhead or of God is one and the same in all the persons Christ therefore yeeldes subiection onely in respect of the will of the manhoode in which he performes obedience Moreouer the operation of the Godhead is to make the saide Obedience meritorious and satisfactorie for all that shall beleeue In this respect Paul saith God was in Christ reconciling the world vnto himselfe 2. Cor. 5. 18. and that God shedde his blood Act. 20. 28. namely in that nature which the sonne of God assumed Hence ariseth the value price and dignitie of the obedience of Christ. The third question is how the Obedience of Christ should be made ours Ans. By the freedonation of God For Christ is really giuen vnto vs in the word and sacraments and consequently the obedience of Christ is made ours euen as when a peece of ground is made ours the commoditie thereof is ours also The fourth question is how the obedience of Christ should be our iustice Ans. It is not our iustice in naturall manner for then it should be in vs but by a diuine and supernaturall manner namely by Gods Acceptation in that he accounts it ours euen as truly as if it were in vs. And because God accepts it for ours it is ours indeede for his willing and approouing of any thing is the doing of it and he calls the things that are not as if they were Thus we see what the Obedience of Christ is And here two errours must be auoided The
terrifieth and condemneth vs and therby it occasioneth or vrgeth vs to flie vnto Christ who is the cause that we die vnto the law As the needle goes before and drawes in the third which sowes the cloth so the law goes before and makes a way that grace may follow after and take place in the heart Thus must this place be vnderstood and all other places that speake of the law in this manner as Rom. 7. 8. c. The third point is touching the ende of our death to the law and that is that we may liue to God It may be demanded what life this is whereby we liue to God Ans. There is a naturall and a spirituall life Naturall life is that which we receiue from Adam by generation and it is the function of naturall faculties in liuing moouing vse of senses and reason Spirituall life is that which we receiue from Christ by regeneration and it is the action motion or operation of the spirit in vs. This life is called by Paul the life of God Eph. 4. 18. And this is the life which he speakes of in this place And it is described by many things First by the ende and vse of it For it serues to make vs to liue to God that is to the honour and glorie of God And we liue to God by liuing wisely godly iustly Tit. 3. 12. Wisely in respect of our selues godly in respect of God iustly in respect of men That we may liue wisely we must obserue two rules The first we must labour with all diligence and with all speede that we may be worthie to stand before the sonne of man at his comming And therefore we must labour to be in Christ hauing true faith and good conscience Eph. 5. 15. Luk. 21. 36. Consider also the example of Paul Act. 24. 16. It is true wisdome to be wise for our soules and for euerlasting happines and it was the follie of the foolish virgins that they did not surnish themselues with the oyle of grace in time conuenient The second rule we must in this world come as neere heauen and the happines of life euerlasting as may be Psal. 3. 14. And for this cause we must ioyne our selues to the assemblies where the word is preached praier made and sacraments administred for there is the gate of heauen Consider the practise of Moses Heb. 11. 25 26. and of Dauid Psal. 84. 10. Againe beeing absent from heauen both in bodie and soule yet we must haue our conuersation there by the cogitation of our mindes and by the affections of our hearts Phil. 3. 21. That we may liue godlily seuen rules must be remembred The first we must bring our selues into the presence of the inuisible God yea we must set our thoughts wills affections and all we doe in his sight and presence and we must euermore remēber whatsoeuer we doe that we haue to deale with God himselfe In this regard Enoch is said to walke with God Gen. 5. 24. Abraham and Isaac before God Gen. 17. 1. and 48. 15. and Dauid Psal. 116. 9. and 139. all and Cornelius Act. 10. 33. and Paul 2. Cor. 7. 17. The second we must take knowledge of the will of God in all things whether it be reuealed in the word or by any euent It is not enough to know Gods will but when time and place serues we must acknowledge it Rom. 12. 2. Col. 1. 10. The third we must bring our selues in subiection to the knowne will of God and captiuate all our senses vnto it and suffer God to set vp his kingdome in vs. Rom. 12. 1. The fourth when we haue offended God we must instantly humble our selues before his maiestie confessing our offences and making instant deprecation for mercie Thus did Ezra chap. 9. and Daniel chap. 9. and Dauid Psal. 32. 3. The fifth in all our miseries and aduersities we must be silent in our hearts by quieting our wills in the good will of God Psal. 4. 4. Examine your selues and be still Psal. 37. 7. be silent to Iehoua Consider the example of Aaron Leuit. 10. 3. of Dauid Psal. 39. 9. of the Iewes Act. 11. 18. The sixth in all things we doe or suffer we must depend on the goodnes prouidence and mercie of God for the successe of our labours and for ease or deliuerance out of miserie This is to liue by faith and as Peter saith 1. Pet. 3. 17. to sanctifie God in our hearts The last in all things we must giue praise and thankes to God and that for our miseries and afflictions Iob 1. 22. for in them God mingles his iustice with mercie whereas he might vtterly condemne vs. That we may liue iustly in respect of men two rules must be obserued The first we must make God in Christ our treasure and our portion and his fauour and blessing our riches Then shall not the vile sinnes of auarice and ambition beare sway in vs and then shall we learne with Paul to be content in any estate Phil. 4. 11. because howsoeuer the world go we haue our portion and treasure The second we must loue God in louing of man and serue him in doing seruice to men by the offices and duties of our callings They which labour in their callings for this end to get riches honours and to set vp themselues in this world prophane their callings and practise iniustice For not selfe loue but loue to God in duties of loue to men must beare sway in all our actions Thus we see what it is to liue to God Now we are all to be exhorted to order our liues in this manner For first of all we are Gods and therefore we must glorifie God both in our bodies and soules 2. Cor. 6. 20. Secondly the end of our iustification and redemption is that we may liue to God And it is great wickednes to peruert the order of God by liuing to our selues and the iusts of our hearts Thirdly there be three degrees of life one is in this life a spirituall and a renewed life the second in death when the bodie goes to the earth and the soule to heauen the third in the last iudgement when bodie and soule reunited enter into the presence of God Therefore that we may be saued we must liue vnto God in this life for we can neuer come to the second degree of life but by the first And we must not imagine that we can steppe immediatly out of a leud and wicked life into euerlasting happines in heauen Lastly the grace of God in the ministerie of the Gospel hath appeared and long taught vs and called vpon vs to liue vnto God Therefore vnlesse we be ashamed and confounded for our sinnes and beginne with all speede to liue vnto God it will be worse with vs then with Sodom and Gomorrha and many other nations 20 I am crucified with Christ Thus I liue yet not I any more but Christ liues in me And in that I now liue in the
the naturall obseruation of the law without the death of Christ. But it is false which they say For Paul here speakes against Christian Iewes who ioyned the law and the Gospel and looked to be iustified both by Christ and by the works of the law and not by workes of the law done by strength of nature but by works of grace CHAP. III. 1 O foolish Galatians who hath bewitched you that ye should not obey the truth to whome Iesus Christ before was described in your sight and among you crucified THat we may see how this chapter depends on the former we must repeat the principall argument of the Epistle If I was called of God my doctrine be true then ye should not haue reuolted to an other Gospel but I was called of God and my doctrine is true therefore ye should not haue reuolted to an other Gospel The first part of the minor that Paul was called of God was handled in the first and second chapters The second part that his doctrine is true is handled in the third fourth and fifth and is propounded in this verse Moreouer the Conclusion of the argument set downe Chap. 1. v. 6. is here againe repeated namely that the Galatians should not haue reuolted to an other Gospel And withall Paul here notes the causes of their Reuolt and they are two One is follie O foolish Galatians The other is the deceit of false teachers who hath bewitched you Whereas Paul saith O foolish Galatians that we mistake not his example three questions may be demanded The first is In what respect he giues this hard iudgement against them Ans. Three things are subiected to Iudgement the doctrines of men the liues of men and the persons of men Doctrines are to be iudged by the word and the liues of men yet ordinarily the persons of men are not to be iudged For the saying is true that three things are not subiect to iudgement the Counsels of God the Scriptures and the persons of men And in this place Paul giues iudgement not against the Galatians themselues or against their persons but against their new conceiued doctrin and against their practise in Reuolting The second question is whether this iudgement be righteous and true iudgement Ans. It is because it is vpon good ground For first of all Paul giues this censure by vertue of his calling because his office was to reprooue and correct vice Tit. 1. 9. and 2. 15. Secondly it was in truth For indeede they ouerturned the passion of Christ and therefore he could not call them lesse then fooles Thirdly this iudgement was giuen in loue For Paul intended and desired nothing in this speach but their good and amendment Vpon like grounds Isai calls the Israelites people of Sodome and Gomorrha Isa. 1. Christ calls the two disciples foolish and slow of heart to beleeue Luk. 24. 25. Paul calls the Cretians lyers and slow bellies Tit. 1. 12. But Matth. 5. 22. may be obiected where he is said to be in danger of a Councill that saith Thou foole Ans. The place is to be vnderstood of them that charge men with follie with a mind to reproch them and in way of reuenge which Paul in this place doth not The third question is whether we may vse like iudgement against men Ans. Vpon like grounds we may if we haue a warrant and calling from God so to doe For all iudgement is Gods Rom. 14. 10. if this iudgement be in truth if it be in charitie for the amendment of the parties and for the good of others Otherwise if these grounds faile vs we may not giue iudgement against any man but must follow the iudgement of charitie which thinks no euill hopes the best and construes all things in the best part 1. Cor. 13. To come to the second cause Paul saith Who hath bewitched you that is who hath deceiued you as if ye were bewitched by some inchantments Here Paul takes it for a confessed truth that there is witchcraft and witches And that we may the better conceiue his meaning two questions are to be propounded The first is what is the witchcraft here meant Ans. It is a Satanicall operation whereby the senses of men are deluded For the deuill can by certaine meanes delude and corrupt the phantasie or the imagination and cause men to thinke that of themselues which is otherwise There is a disease called Lycanthropia in which the braine beeing distempered men thinke themselues to be wolues and carrie themselues as wolues And in this disease the deuill hath a great stroke Againe the deuill can delude the outward senses as the hearing and the sight Thus Iannes and Iambres turned their roddes into serpents before Pharaoh and brought frogges by deceiuing the eye and not in truth Exod. 7. and 8. Thus the witch of Endor made a counterfeit of Samuel to rise out of the earth 1. Sam. 28. The second question is if this witchcraft be an operation of Satan howmen should be said to doe it for Paul saith who or what man hath bewitched you Ans. Men doe it by league and confederacie with the deuill The inchanter charmes by ioyning societies Psal. 58. 5. The deuill seekes whome he may deuoure and therefore where he finds a fit person to worke vpon he infinuates and offers himselfe And after men be in league with him he hath a word and sacraments for them as God hath and he requireth faith as God doth And looke as theeues some lie in the way some in the wood and they in the way when a bootie comes giue a watchword to the rest and then all are at hand together Euen so when men in league with the deuill vse charmes imprecations curses praises superstitious inuocations according to his appointment and other Satanicall ceremonies a watchword is likewise giuen vnto him and he is straight at hand to doe the intended feate Thus and no otherwise are men said to bewitch or delude the eye That which Paul saith to the Galatians if he were now liuing among vs he would likewise say to vs O foolish nation who hath bewitched you We are wise in matters of the world but in matters concerning the kingdome of heauen the most of vs are fooles besotted and bewitched with worldly eares and pleasures without sense in matters of religion like a peece of waxe without all forme fit to take the forme and print of any religion And we must take heede least this our foolishnes and intoxication of our senses lead vs headlong to perdition And therefore we must learne the way of life in humilitie Psal. 25. 9. We must obey it and in obedience we shall learne it Ioh. 7. 17. We must as heartily loue the word of God as in minde we conceiue it least by not louing of it we be giuen vp to strong illusions to beleeue lies 2. Thess. 2. 10. Lastly we must pray to God to be taught and guided by his word and spirit in things pertaining to
in the law but because we haue faith in vs and by that faith we apprehend the obedience of Christ in fulfilling of the law Obiect VII Rom. 13. 8. Loue is the fulfilling of the law and the regenerate loue their neighbours Ans. If we could loue our neighbour as our selues perfectly we should then fulfill the whole law But our loue is imperfect Obiect UIII He that is borne of God sinnes not 1. Ioh. 3. he that sinnes not fulfills the law Ans. He that is borne of God sinnes not that is he doth not commit sinne or make a practise of sinne He may fall of frailtie yet then he recouers himselfe and doth not keepe a course in sinning This is the meaning of S. Iohn Obiect IX The commandements of God are not grieuous 1. Ioh. 5. Ans. They are not grieuous three waies first in respect of remission because they that beleeue in Christ haue the transgression of the law pardoned Secondly in respect of imputation because Christs obedience in fulfilling the law is imputed to euery beleeuer Thirdly in respect of inchoation For they that beleeue receiue the spirit of God wherby they are inabled to indeauour themselues to obey God in all his commandements Otherwise in respect of our owne personall obedience they are a yoke that no man can beare Obiect X. The workes of God are perfect Deut. 32. 4. Good workes are workes of God therefore they are perfect Ans. Workes that are meerely workes of God which he worketh by himselfe and not by man they are all perfect and thus must the text in Moses be vnderstood Now good works are works of God in vs and withall they are our workes hauing their beginning in the minde and will of man and hence they are defiled For when the first and second cause concurre in a worke the said worke takes vnto it the condition of the second cause Water pure in the fountaine is defiled when it passes by the filthie channell Obiect XI If God haue giuen vs an impossible law he is more cruell then any tyrant Ans. When God first gaue the law he also gaue power to fulfill the law If the law be impossible it is not Gods fault but mans who by his owne fault hath lost this power of keeping the law The ground before named of the double fulfilling of the law one for this life the other for the life to come is false For there is onely one generall and vnchangeable sentence of the law Cursed is euery one that continues not in all things written in the law to doe them I now come to other vses of the former conclusion If the law be impossible then must we seeke for the fulfilling of it forth of our selues in Christ who is the ende of the law for righteousnes to them that beleeue Hence it followes necessarily that our iustification must be by the imputation or application of Christs iustice vnto vs. Because we cannot fulfill the law we must make it a glasse to see our impotencie and what we cannot doe and it must be our schoolemaster to driue vs to Christ. And by our impotencie we must take occasion to make praier to God for his spirit to inable vs to obey the lawes of God Thus come we to be doers of the law and no otherwise Againe it may be demanded considering we cannot fulfill the law how our works can please God Ans. In euery good worke there is something that is Gods and something that is ours alone The defect of the worke is ours alone and that is pardoned to the beleeuer That which is good in the worke is from God and that he approoueth as beeing his owne And thus euery good worke is said to please God Lastly after that we haue begunne to please God in obedience to his lawes considering we fulfill them not all boasting of our goodnes must be laid aside and we must humble our selues vnder the hand of God euen to the death Read the practise of Dauid Psal. 143. 2. and Psal. 130. 3. Iob. 9. 1. 11 And that no man is iustified by the law in the sight of God it is manifest For the iust liueth by faith 12 And the law is not of faith but he that shall doe these things shall liue in them The meaning By the law that is the law not onely ceremoniall but also iudiciall and morall Indeede the occasion of Pauls disputation in this place is taken from Circumcision pertaining to the ceremoniall law but he inlarges his disputation from one part to the whole law For they which thought Ceremonies necessarie to iustification would much more thinke morall duties necessarie And that Paul speakes here of the morall it appeares by the 10. verse where he alleadgeth a sentence that specially appertaines to the morall law Cursedis euery one c. Againe the law may be considered two waies in the iustification of a sinner first as it iustifieth without Christ. Secondly as it iustifieth with Christ and both waies it is excluded from iustification and here specially in the second regard For the intent of the Galatians was to ioyne Christ and the law in the worke of our iustification Before God that is in the iudgement of God before whose iudgement seat we must all appeare and be iudged The iust shall liue by faith The scope of these words is this The Iewes were oppressed by the Babylonians and it was further told them by the Prophet that they should be ledde into captiuitie by the saide Babylonians Now in this distresse of theirs the Lord sets downe the dutie of the faithfull Iewes namely that they must stay themselues by their faith in the Messias and consequently that they shall haue safetie in this life in the middest of all dangers and in the ende haue eternall life And Paul applies this text to his purpose thus Life eternall comes by faith and therefore true righteousnesse before God is by faith For righteousnes is the foundation of life eternall and therefore it is called iustification of life Rom. 5. 17. The law is not of faith The meaning of these words must be gathered by the opposition in the latter part of the verse but he that doth these things shall liue in them And the meaning is this The law doth not prescribe faith in the Messias neither doth it promise life to him that beleeueth in the Messias but to him that doth the things contained in the law In these wordes Paul addes a new argument to the former thus Iustice is by faith the law is not of faith therefore the law is not our iustice Or again thus He that is iustified is iustified by faith the law iustifies no man by faith therefore the law doth not iustifie The conclusion is first in the 11. verse The proposition is expressed and confirmed by the testimonie of the Prophet Habacuk The assumption is in the 12. verse The vse Whē Paul saith No mā is iustified by the law in the sight of God he makes
written in tables of stone is the law the same law of Moses written in the hearts of men by the holy Ghost is the Gospel But I say againe that the law written in our hearts is still the law of Moses And this ouersight in mistaking the distinction of the Law and the Gospel is and hath bin the ruine of the gospel We must here further obserue that beleeuing and doing are opposed in the article of our iustification In our good conuersation they agree faith goes before and doing followes but in the worke of our iustification they are as fire and water Hence I gather that to the iustification of a sinner there is required a speciall and an applying faith for generall faith is numbred among the works of the law and the deuills haue it This kind of beleeuing therefore and doing are not opposite Againe hence I gather that works of faith and grace are quite excluded from iustification because the opposition doth not stand betweene beleeuing and the works of nature but simply betweene beleeuing and doing Lastly it may be demaunded why the Lord saith He that doth the things of the law shall liue considering no man since the fall can doe the things of the law Ans. The Lord since mans fall repeates the law in his old tenour not to mocke men but for other waightie causes The first is to teach vs that the law is of a constant and vnchangeable nature The second is to aduertise vs of our weaknes and to shew vs what we cannot doe The third is to put vs in minde that we must still humble our selues vnder the hand of God after we haue begunne by grace to obey the law because euen then we come farre short in doing the things which the law requires at our hands 13 Christ hath redeemed vs from the curse of the law when he was made a curfe for vs for it is written Cursed is euery one that hangeth on the tree 14 That the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Iesus that we might receiue the promise of the spirit by faith Paul hauing prooued the truth of his doctrine by sundrie arguments in the former part of this chapter he here answereth an obiection the occasion whereof is from the 10. verse It may be framed on this manner If they be accused that continue not in all things written in the law to doe them then all men are accursed and the Gentiles are not partakers of the blessing of Abraham as you haue said Answer is here made that to them that beleeue there is full redemption from the curse of the law And Paul for the better inlightning of his answer here makes a description of our redemption by foure arguments The first is the author Christ hath redeemed vs from the curse of the law The second is the forme or manner of our Redemption in these words When he was made a curse for vs. And this forme is further declared by the signe in these words for it is written Cursed is euery one that hangeth on the tree The third argument is in the end in these words that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles The last is also an other ende that we might receiue the promise of the spirit Touching the Author in these words Christ hath redeemed vs from the curse of the law sundrie things may be learned First of all comparing these words with the 10. verse or comparing the answer and the obiection together we see and are to obserue that the threatnings of the law are to be vnderstood with an exception from the Gospel All are cursed saith the law that doe not continue to doe all things written therein Except they haue pardon and be redeemed by Christ saith the Gospel And thus are all curses of the law to be conceiued with a limitation or qualification from the Gospel Againe in that Christ hath redeemed vs from the curse of the law here is our comfort that neither hell nor death nor SataÌ„ hath any right or power ouer vs so be it we do vnfainedly beleeue in Christ. For we are bought with a price And for this cause we must be admonished not to feare any euill ouermuch as the reuilings and curses of euill tongues withcraft the plague pestilence famine the sword or death For the curse which makes all these and many other things hurtfull vnto vs is remooued from them that are in Christ. And therefore all immoderate feare should be restrained Thirdly our dutie is to glorifie God and Christ who hath redeemed vs and that both in bodie and soule The redeemed must liue according to the will of their redeemer 1. Cor. 6. 20. This is all the thankfulnes that we can shew to our Redeemer for his mercie Lastly here an obiection made by some may be answered If say they we were redeemed by Christ beeing captiues to the deuill the price of our Redemption was paid to him and not to God Ans. We were captiues properly to the iustice of God in the law to the order whereof we stand subiect and by this meanes we are captiues to the curse of the law and consequently to the deuill who is the minister of God for the Execution of the said curse And beeing captiues to the deuill no otherwise then as he is the minister of God for the infâ—â—cting of punishment the price must not be paid to him but to God who is the principall and hath a soueraigntie ouer him and vs. I come now to the forme of our Redemption Who was made a curse for vs. For the better vnderstanding of these words foure points are to be handled The first is what is this curse Ans. A double death the first of the bodie the second of the soule The first is the separation of the bodie and soule The second is the separation of the whole man from God not in respect of his vniuersall power and presence for the very damned haue their moouing and beeing from him but in respect of his fauour and speciall loue whereby God ceaseth to be their God And this is death indeede whereof the first is but a shadow and this is the curse of the law The second point is How Christ was a curse or accursed who is the fountaine of blessednes Ans. He is not so by nature for he is the naturall sonne of God nor by his owne fault for he is the vnspotted lambe of God but by voluntarie dispensation and therefore Paul saith he was made a curse And he was made a curse first because he was set a part in the eternall counsell of the Father Sonne and holy Ghost to be our redeemer and consequently to be a curse In this regard the father is said to haue sealed him Ioh. 6. 27. and he is said againe to be prcordained before all worlds 1. Pet. 1. 20. and giuen according to the counsell and foreknowledge of God Act. 3. 22. Secondly he was made a curse
in that he was in time consecrated to be our Mediatour and so a curse And this consecration was first in his baptisme in which he put vpon him our guilt as we put off the same in ours and secondly on the crosse and passion in which he tooke vnto him the punishment of our sinne And thus was he made a curse It may be obiected that he is the Son of God and therefore no curse Ans. Christ must be considered as the Sonne of God and againe as our pledge and suretie Hebâ— 7. 22. In the first respect he was not accursed but in the second The third point is In what nature was Christ accursed Ans. Whole Christ God-man or Man-god was accursed For the Lord of life saith Paul was crâ—cified and consequently accursed 1. Cor. 2. 8. Yet this limitation must be added that the curse was not vpon the Godhead of Christ but onely in his flesh or manhood For he suffered saith Peter in the flesh 1. Pet. 4. 1. Moreouer the soule of Christ was the more principall seat of the curse as it was the principall seat of sinne Therefore the Prophet saith he made his soule an offering for sinne Isa. 53. 10. and Christ said My soule is heauie to the death The fourth point is How farre forth Christ was accursed Ans. In the first death there are two degrees separation of the bodie and soule and the putrifaction of the bodie separated And Christ entred onely into the first and not into the second For his bodie beeing dead indured no corruption Againe in the second death there are two degrees The first is a separation from God in sense and feeling and the second is an absolute separation from God Into this second degree of death Christ entred not because he saide in the middest of his passion My God my God And this absolute separation could not be without the dissolution of the personall vnion Into the first degree of the second death he entred namely into the apprehension and feeling of the wrath and indignation of God due to mans sinne And this appeares by his bloodie sweat of thicke and clottered blood by his complaint that he was forsaken by his feares and sorrowes in the time of death in which he comes short of sundrie Martyrs vnlesse we acknowledge that he indured further paines of death then euer they did by his condition in that he takes vpon him the condition of the first Adam who vpon his fall was to indure the first and second death Here two questions are to be demanded the first How and in what manner Christ suffered the wrath of God Ans. He indured it willingly of his owne accord he did not onely in minde see it before his eyes but also he felt it it was laid and imposed on him and he incountred with it but it had no dominion of lordship ouer him Act. 2. 24. The second is How much he suffered of the wrath of God Ans. The punishment he suffered was in value and measure answerable to all the sinnes of all the Elect past present and to come the Godhead supporting the manhood that it might be able to beare and ouercome the whole burden of the wrath of God If it be saide that a creature cannot haue an infinite apprehension of the wrath of God I answer it sufficeth that God laid infinite wrath vpon him and that he apprehended it according to the condition of a creature For in so doing he incountred with the whole wrath of God One man in a breach or at a bridge may stand against an whole armie and beare the brunt of it why may not then the manhood of Christ supported by the Godhead beare the stresse of the whole wrath of God Against this doctrine sundrie things may be obiected Obiect I. The Scripture ascribes all to the blood of Christ and therefore to the death of the bodie Ans. By blood is meant a bloodie death by the bloodie death the death of the crosse by the death of the crosse a death accursed or the death of the bodie ioyned with the malediction of the law Obiect II. The suffering of the anger of God was not figured in Sacraments or sacrifices Ans. The beast whereof the burnt offering was made was first tied to the hornes of the altar his blood then was shedde and lastly he was all burnt vpon the alâ—â—â— vnto God and hereby was figured the fierie wrath of God Obiect III. Temporall death or the curse for halfe a day cannot counteruaile eternall death Ans. Yes in Christ. For if man could suffer and ouercome punishment in measure infinite he should not suffer eternally but this no man nor angel can doe and therefore man must suffer punishment for measure finite for time infinite because the punishment must be answerable to God whose maiestie is infinite Now Christ beeing God and man suffered punishment indeed infinite and therefore it was not necessarie that he should indure it eternally Againe here the dignitie of the person helpeth for in that the Sonne of God suffered the curse of the law for halfe a day it is more then if all men had suffered eternall death Therefore the death of Christ in respect of the measure of the punishment as also in respect of the value and dignitie thereof counteruailes death euerlasting Obiect IV. It is hard to say that Christ suffered the paines of hell Ans. The Latin translation commonly receiued hath as much that he could not be holden of the sorrowes of hell Act. 2. 24. And there is no offence to say he suffered the paines of hell so farre forth as this suffering may stand with the puritie of his manhood and with the truth of the personall vnion The vse Friers teach that if Christ had pricked his finger and let fall but one droppe of blood it had bin sufficient to redeeme all the world But they dreame For Paul saith he was made the curse of the law to redeeme vs. This had bin a needles worke if a pricke in the finger or any punishment without death would haue done the deede That Christ became a curse for vs it shewes the greatnes and horriblenes of our sinnes it shewes the grieuous hardnes of our hearts that neuer almost mourne for them it shewes the vnspeakable loue and mercie of God for which we are to be thankfull for euer and that all manner of waies In that the Sonne of God became a curse for our sinnes we are put in minde to see acknowledge and consider them and withall to bewaile them and to humble our selues for them and to detest them more and more vnto the very death For what is more worthie of hatred then that which causeth the Sonne of God to be accursed They which beleeue that Christ by beeing a curse hath redeemed them from the curse of the law doe in truth die vnto all their sinnes and liue vnto God Many indeede professing Christ make no change of life at all and the reason is
2. 6. This beeing so our dutie is to guard and inclose our selues specially our hearts Prov. 4. 23. and all the senses and powers of our soules Psal. 141. 3. by the wholesome precepts and counsells of God Considering we lie open to so many enemies we should continually be armed and fensed from the head to the foote Eph. 6. 13. otherwise we shall vpon euery occasion be ouerturned To come to the 24. v. the Iewes might happily say seeing we are thus kept and shut vp by the law what meanes haue we of comfort and of saluation The answer is made the law is further our schoolemaster Here by schoolemaster vnderstand one that teacheth little children or Petits the first rudiments or elements A. B. C. And the law is a schoolemaster to Christ for two causes One because it points out and shadowes forth vnto vs Christ by bodily rudiments of ceremonies and sacrifices The second is because the law specially the morall law vrgeth and compelleth men to goe to Christ. For it shewes vs our sinnes and that without remedie it shewes vs the damnation that is due vnto vs and by this meanes it makes vs dispaire of saluation in respect of our selues and thus it inforceth vs to seeke for helpe out of our selues in Christ. The law is then our schoolemaster not by plaine teaching but by stripes and correction In this verse Paul sets downe the manner and way of our saluation which is on this manner first the law prepares vs by humbling vs then comes the Gospel and it stirres vp faith And faith wrought in the heart apprehends Christ for iustification sanctification and glorification Paul sets this forth by a fit similitude They that would be the seruants and children of God must come into the schoole of God and be taught of him In this schoole are two formes and two masters In the first forme the teacher and master is the law And he teacheth men to know their sinnes and their deserued damnation and he causeth vs to despaire of our saluation in respect of our selues And when men haue bin well schooled by the law and are brought to acknowledge their sinnes and that they are slaues of sinne and Satan then must they be taken vp to an higher forme and be taught by an other schoolemaster which is Faith or the Gospel The lesson of the Gospel is that men after they are humbled must flie to the throne of grace beleeue in Christ and with all their hearts turne vnto God that they may be iustified and glorified When we haue by the teaching of this second master learned this good lesson we are become children and seruants of God By this then it is manifest that there are two sorts of badde schollers in the schoole of Christ among vs. One sort are they which come to the Lords table and yet learne nothing either from the law or from the Gospel but content themselues with the teaching of nature The second sort are they which learne something but in preposterous manner For they haue learned that mercie and saluation comes by Christ and with this they content themselues not suffering themselues first of all to be schooled by the law till they despaire in respect of themselues nor to be schooled of the Gospel till they beleeue in Christ and repent of their sinnes In a word he is a good scholler in the schoole of Christ that first learnes by the law to humble himselfe and to goe out of himselfe and beeing humbled subiects his heart to the voice and precept of the Gospel which biddes vs beleeue in Christ turne to God and testifie our faith by new obedience In the second part of the comparison 25. v. Paul sets downe one point that at the comming of the faith the Iewes were freeed from the dominion of the law of Moses and consequently that the said law was abrogated The lawgiuer that is the expounder of Moses law was to last but till the comming of Shilo Gen. 49. 10. The law of commandements standing in ordinances was abrogated by the flesh of Christ. Eph. 2. 15. And the change of the priesthood brought the change of the law Hebr. 7. 12. For the better cleering of this point three questions are to be demanded The first is when was the policie regiment or law of Moses abrogated Ans. At the comming of the faith or when the Gospel first beganne to be published to the world which was at the Ascension of Christ. And he in his death cancelled the ceremoniall law and tooke it out of the way Col. 2. 14. When the old Testament ended and the new began then was the abrogation of the law now the ending of the old Testament and the beginning of the new was in the Resurrection of Christ. For then was the beginning of the new world as it were The second question is How farre forth the law is abrogated Ans. The law is threefold Morall Ceremoniall Iudiciall Morall is the law of God concerning manners or duties to God and man Now the morall law is abrogated in respect of the Church and them that beleeue three waies First in respect of iustification and this Paul prooues at large in this epistle Secondly in respect of the malediction or curse There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ. Rom. 8. 1. Thirdly in respect of rigour For in them that are in Christ God accepts the indeauour to obay for obedience it selfe Neuerthelesse the law as it is the Rule of good life is vnchangeable and admits no abrogation And Christ in this regard did by his death establish it Rom. 3. 31. The Ceremoniall law is that which prescribed rites and gestures in the worship of God in the time of the old testament Ceremonies are either of figure and signification or of order The first are abrogated at the comming of Christ who was the accomplishment of them all Col. 2. 17. The second beeing ceremonies of particular order to the times of the old and new Testament concerne not vs. For example In the commandement of the Sabbath some things are morall some ceremoniall some iudiciall That in one day of seuen there should be an holy rest it is morall Rest vpon the seuenth day from the creation is Ceremoniall in respect of order Strictnes of rest from all labour is ceremoniall in respect of the signification of rest from sinne and rest in heauen Therefore the particular day of rest and the manner of rest is abrogated and Christ by his owne example and by the example of the Apostles examples not beeing contradicted in Scripture appointed the eight day or the day of Christs resurrection to be the Sabbath of the new Testament Iudiciall lawes are such as concerne inheritances lands bargaines controuersies causes criminall and they pertaine to the regiment of the Commonwealth If the Commonwealth of the Iewes were now standing they should be gouerned by these lawes For to them were they giuen The case is not like with vs. Some
at the very first moment of his conception Againe obserue that Christ in his manhood increased in grace as in age and stature Luk. 2. And this increase was without all imperfection for in his infancie Christ receiued a full measure of grace fit for that age when he was twelue yeares old he receiued a further measure fit for that age and so when he was thirtie yeares old And thus increase of grace and the perfection thereof stand both together And this increase is not onely in respect of experience and the manifestation of Grace before God and men but also in respect of the habit or gift though the Schooles for 400. yeares haue taught the contrarie euer since the daies of Lumbard The third thing is the Vniting of flesh to the Godhead of the Sonne and that is done when the sonne of God makes the flesh or nature of man a part of himselfe and communicates vnto it his owne subsistance The like example to this is not to be found againe in the world yet haue we some resemblance of this mysterie in the plant called Misselto which hath no roote of his owne but growes in a tree of an other kinde and thence receiues his sappe And so the manhood of the sonne hath no personalitie or personall subsistance but is receiued into the Vnitie of the second person and is sustained of it It must here be obserued that there is a difference betweene the manhood of Christ and all other men Peter is a person subsisting of himselfe and so is Paul and euery particular man but so is not the manhood of Christ and therefore it is to be tearmed a nature and not a person And it is no disgrace but an exaltation to the nature of man that is subsists by the vncreated subsistance of the second person It may be obiected that all beleeuers are ioyned to the sonne of God as well as the flesh of Christ I answer they are so but in an other kind and in a lower degree by communication of grace and not by communication of personall subsistance Thus we see how the sonne was made flesh the vse follows Hence we learne to vse all meanes that we may become newe creatures and be borne of God God becomes man that we men might be partakers of the diuine nature Christ is made bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh by his incarnation that we might be made bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh by regeneration The sonne of God was made the sonne of man that we which are the sonnes of men might be made the sonnes of God To be made flesh is the abasement of the sonne in this abasement he goes on till he become euen as a worme of the earth Psal. 22. 7. so must we abase our selues till we be anihillated and brought to nothing then shall we be like to Christ and filled with the good things of God Our sinnes are a wall of partition betweene God and vs so as we are farre from God and God from vs Isa 59. 2. and this partition is of our own making and by this means we haue no accesse to God of our selues though we pray vnto him and fill heauen and earth with our crie Now the sonne of God made man is Immanuel that is God with vs Isai 7. 14. and his incarnation is a meanes whereby we haue accesse to god and he is nere vnto vs when we pray vnto him in trueth 2. Chron. 15. 2. This must teach vs to drawe nere to God in the hearing and obeying of his word in praier and in the vse of the holy Sacraments If this be not done great is our wickednesse and great shall be the punishment Iob. 21. 14. Psal. 73. 27. The incarnation of Christ is the foundation of all our comfort and all good things which we inioy By it God comforts Adam The seed of the woman shall brnise the serpents head Iacob is comforted by the vision of a ladder reaching from heauen to earth and this ladder is the sonne of God made man Ioh. 1. 51. Iob comforts himselfe in this that his Redeemer of his own flesh as the word signifieth liueth Iob. 19. 25. In the old testament they which sought vnto God came to the Arke or Propitiatorie and there were they heard and receiued the blessings of God Now Christ God and man is in stead of the Arke Rom. 3. 25. and therefore we must come to him if we would receiue any good thing of God The godhead is the fountaine of all good things and the flesh or manhood is a pipe or conduit to conuaie the same vnto vs. If we would then receiue true comfort we must hunger and thirst in our hearts after Christ and by our faith eate his flesh and drinke his blood Ioh. 6. 54. 56. The third point or degree is the subiection of the sonne of God to the lawe expressed in these words made vnder the lawe Here two questions are to be answered The first is who is made subiect to the law I answer the sonne of God And this may not seeme strange that he which is Lord of the law should be subiect to the law for he must be considered as he is our pledge and suretie Heb. 7. 22. and as one that standes in our place roome and stead and before God represents the person of all the elect and in this respect is he subiect to the lawe not by nature but by voluntarie abasement and condition of will The second question is how the sonne of God was subiect to the lawe Answ. By a twofold obedience namely by the obedience of his passion and by his obedience in fulfilling the lawe The obedience of his passion stands before God as a satisfaction for the breach of the law In it consider two things the foundation of the passion and the passion it selfe The foūdation is that the sonne of God was made sinne for vs 2. Cor. 5. 21 that is all the sinnes of all the Elect were imputed to him and he in our roome and place was recounted a sinner The passion it selfe is the curse of the law laid on the sonne of God namely the first death and the paines of the second death which is in effect and substance the paines of hell as I haue shewed in the 3. chap. v. 13. of this Epistle By the second Obedience in fulfilling the lawe the sonne of God performed for vs all things contained therein that we might haue right to life euerlasting and that according to the tenour of the law Leuit. 18. 5. Doe all these things and liue Of this obedience 2. questions are demanded The first is whether it be necessarie for the iustification of a sinner Answ. It is The summe of the lawe is Loue God with all thy heart and thy neighbour as thy selfe Now euery iot and title of the lawe must necessarily be fulfilled Math. 5. 18. Much more then the summe and substance of the lawe And
it cannot be fulfilled by vs beeing sinners therefore there must needs be a translation of the lawe from our persons to the person of the Mediatour who is to accomplish euery iot of the law for vs. Againe He that doth not all things contained in the law is cursed Gal. 3. 13. He therefore that would eschewe the curse of the law and come to life euerlasting must by himselfe accomplish all things contained in the law and if this cannot be done the law and all the contents thereof must needs be accomplished in the person of the Mediatour otherwise the curse cannot be auoided Lastly we owe vnto God a double debt or tribute The first is homage or subiection to be performed with all the powers of the soule with all the strength of all the powers and that from the first conception The second is a satisfactiō by death for the breach of the law And the lawe is the bond that binds vs to the paiment of this double debt And till the iustice of God in the law be answered to the full this bond cannot be cancelled Therefore the sonne of God the Mediatour must not onely die for vs but also performe homage for vs to God according to the tenour of the law Therefore he saith that he must performe all righteousnesse Math. 3. 15. And Paul that Christ is the end of the law for righteousnesse Rom. 10. 4. It is alleadged that Christ as man fulfilled the lawe for himselfe and therefore not for vs. Ans. The flesh or manhood of Christ considered by it selfe apart from the godhead of the sonne is a creature that owes homage vnto God Yet if it be considered as it is receiued into the vnitie of the second person and is become a part thereof it is exempted from the common condition of all other men and is not bound to performe subiection as all men are For if the sonne of man be Lord of the Sabboth then also is he Lord of the whole law And Paul here saith that the sonne of God is not borne but made vnder the lawe Againe it is alleadged that the blood of Christ taketh away all sinne 1. Ioh. 1. 7. and when all sinne is taken away the law is fulfilled and the person iustified Ans. When S. Iohn saith the blood of Christ purgeth vs from all sin he excludes the blood of beasts and all meritorious means of saluation in man out of Christ he excludes not the obedience which the Mediatour yeelded to the father in all his sufferings Againe it is not true that a sinner is iustified when all sinne is abolished vnlesse iustice be added For iustification is an alteration of a sinner from one cōtrarie to another from euill to good from life to death and therefore sinne must depart and iustice come in the roome thereof That a darke house may be inlightned darkenes must first be abolished and light must come in the stead thereof And that a man may be iustified sinne must be couered and righteousnesse imputed The second question is how the sonne of God performed this obedience Ans. He was obedient to his father to the death and that according to all the duties of loue in the first table for the second table he loued his enemie as himselfe because he gaue his life for man Marke then he did all things contained in the lawe and more too in respect of the duties of the second Table For the lawe binds vs to loue our neighbours as our selues and not more then our selues This obedience therefore is truely to be tearmed a worke of supererogation and there is none in the world beside The vse That the sonne of God was conformable to the law it argues the goodnesse perfection and excellencie thereof Here againe marke the difference between the man Christ and all other men He was not borne subiect to the lawe but made subiect not subiect by nature but by will and by voluntarie abasement All other men are subiect not by will but by nature not made but borne subiect Therefore Paul saith the Gentiles doe by nature the things of the lawe The remainders of the law since the fall are naturall in all men therfore the whole lawe was naturall before the fall Man was at the first created in righteousnes and holinesse Eph. 4. 24. and therefore in a perfect subiection and conformitie to the lawe It is a naturall propertie of a reasonable creature to doe homage to the creator It is an error then in the papist to teach that the Image of God in our first parents was supernaturall The fourth point or degree is the Redemption of man frō vnder the law in these words that he might redeeme them which were vnder the law Here fiue things are to be considered The first is what is meant by beeing vnder the law Ans. The lawe must be cōsidered two waies first as the Rule of life Thus angels are vnder the lawe and Adam before his fall and the saints nowe in heauen And none yeeld more subiection to the lawe then they and this subiection is their libertie Againe the lawe must be considered as a grieuous yoke which none can beare It is a yoke three waies first because it did bind the Church of the olde testament to the obseruation of many and that very costly ceremonies for the maintenance of the altar at Hierusalem was a matter of great charges Secondly it is a yoke because it binds euery offendour to euerlasting death Gen. 2. 17. Gal 3. 13. Thirdly it is a yoke as it increaseth sinne and as it is the strength of it 1. Cor. 15. 56. Rom. 5. 20. and 7 8. And it increaseth sinne not as a cause but as an occasion For the wicked nature of man is the more to doe a thing the more he is forbidden The Israelites are bidden to goe on to Canaan then they like Egypt well They are forbidden to goe to Canaan and cōmanded to stay in the wildernesse but then they will needs go to Canaan Circumcision commanded was lothed of all nations when it was abolished then men of sundrie nations imbraced it as needefull to saluation To be vnder the law then is to be in subiection to it as it is a burden and yoke in the three former respects specially to be subiect to the curse of the law The second point is who are vnder the law Ans. The Iewes before the comming of Christ were vnder the law in respect of Ceremonies and all men naturally are vnder the law in respect of the malediction and curse therof all beeing borne children of wrath Eph. 2. 3. Here comes a lamentable matter to be considered Very few in respect know themselues to be in bondage to the curse of the law For they thinke it an easie matter to obserue the law and it is vsed for a forme of praier whereby men vse to blesse themselues morning and euening Learne therefore this one lesson that thou art by nature in
is whence springs our adoption The answer is plaine in the words from the obedience of the sonne whereby he stood in subiection to the law Here the question of all questions is answered namely what is that thing by which and for which a sinner is iustified before God and saued Ans. The Obedience of the sonne of God made man and made vnder the law for vs. For this is it that frees vs from vnder the law and giues vs the Adoption of sonnes And this alone is it whereby we stand before the Tribunall seat of God which also we are to oppose to the iudgement of God to hell death and condemnation Therefore our common people erre that looke to be saued by their good deedes that is by their good meaning and dealing They thus tread the blood of Christ vnder their owne feete and become Iesuses or Sauiours to themselues Secondly they erre that teach iustification by the essentiall iustice of the Godhead of the sonne for that it is incommunicable and they which are iustified by it are also deified Thirdly the Papist erreth which teacheth iustification partly by remission of sinnes and partly by that which we call inward sanctification which is imperfect and mixed in this life with our corruption and therefore vnfit to absolue and acquit vs before God It may be said what must we doe that we may be iustified and saued by this Obedience of the Mediatour Answ. In the old Testament when a man had sinned he brought a sheepe or an oxe to the doore of the Tabernacle and when the Priest cut the throat of it the partie laid his hand vpon the head of it Exod. 29. 10. And hereby he signified that the beast had done no hurt and that he as a guiltie malefactour had deserued death Now all this was done in figure And it teacheth vs that we miserable sinners must come to God that we must bring our sacrifice with vs namely the lambe of God which is the sonne of God made man made vnder the law that we must present this lambe and the oblation thereof to the father for vs laying our hands on the head of it that is confessing ourguiltinesse and that we haue iustly deserued death and perdition from the presence of God In the last place we must intreat the Lord to accept the blood of the lamb for vs and the whole obedience of the Mediatour Thus shall we be iustified and saued Thou wilt say I will therefore doe this when I am dying I say againe let it be thy daily exercise to the very death Thou wast seauen yeares in learning of thy trade thinke not therfore in an houre or two to worke thy reconciliation with God If thou art many yeares in learning such things as are done by the strength of nature thinke not to attaine to things aboue nature when and howe thou wilt It is a rule receiued of all men that they must blesse themselues now the right way to blesse thy selfe is to plead-guiltie before God and to intreat him to accept the obedience of the Mediatour for thee Uers. 6. Sonnes that is such as inioy the libertie of sonnes Sent forth a speach borrowed from Embassadours which are sent forth with instructiōs what they shal say or do it signifies that the spirit reueales nothing but that which is the will of the father sonne Ioh. 16. 14. Crying making vs to crie Rom. 8. 26. For if the words be taken properly the spirit must pray to it selfe Abba the next word is the exposition Father The sense The father hath sent forth the spirit of his sonne vnto you this spirit sent forth dwels in your hearts dwelling in your hearts it makes you pray to God as to a father◠and all this it doth because you are indeed sonnes of God The scope The question is whether beleeuers of the newe Testament be seruants to the law or children Paul answers no and he giues two reasons The first was in the former verses the second in this And it is drawne from the signe thus Yee haue receiued the spirit crying Abba father therefore ye are sonnes indeede In the words I consider fiue things the person sent forth the spirit of the sonne the person sending God the manner of sending the place whither the spirit is sent your hearts the office of the spirit Crying Abba Of the first the spirit of the sonne it is who is sent forth He is so called first because he proceeds by communication of substance or godhead not onely from the father but also from the sonne Secondly because in his manhood he is annointed and filled with the Holy Ghost aboue measure thirdly because by his death he hath merited the giuing and sending of the Holy Ghost vnto vs. Moreouer the spirit of the sonne is here described First he is a person subsisting of himselfe in that he is said to be sent forth secondly he is a diuine person and no creature because he dwels in the hearts of all beleeuers thirdly he proceeds from the father and the sonne from the father because he is sent of him from the sonne because he is the spirit of the sonne The vse By this we learne that the Intercession of Christ is of force with God For he praied for the sending of the spirit and it is accomplished Read Ioh. 14. 16. And it is a superfluous doctrine to teach the Reall presence of the flesh of Christ in the Sacrament For Christ is departed from vs in respect of his manhood because the spirit is sent Ioh. 16. 7. Thirdly that which the spirit inwardly teacheth is the same with that which the sonne hath reuealed by the Ministerie of the Prophets and Apostles because the spirit is the spirit of the sonne Read Ioh. 16. 14. Doctrines then concerning saluation that are beside or contrarie to the Scriptures as a great part of the Romish religion is are not reuealed by the spirit of God but are the fictions of the deuill The person sending is God that is the father in these words God sent forth the spirit of his sonne Where marke the distinction of the persons in Trinitie There is the father the sonne the spirit of the sonne And here remember that this action of sending forth argues not superioritie in the person sending nor inferioritie in the person sent for equals may send each other by common consent but it argues Order and a distinction of persons in respect of their beginning For the father is of none the sonne is of the father and the Holy Ghost is of both and hence it is that he is sent of both The manner of this sending forth was on this sort We may not imagine that in this sending there was any change of place for the Holy Ghost is euery where But he is said to be sent forth when he manifests his presence by his diuine operation or by speciall supernaturall gifts in the hearts of beleeuers as by the
may they that lic now vnder the Apostasie of Antichrist be recouered Act. 15. 6. And the promise of God is that when two or three come together in his name he will be with them Matth. 18. Lastly the Ministers as here we see are to temper their gifts and speach to the condition of their hearers The Corinthians were babes in Christ and Paul feedes them with milke 1. Cor. 3. 3. to the Iew he became a Iew to the Gentile a Gentile that he might winne some 1. Cor. 9. 18. For this cause it were to be wished that Catechising were more vsed then it is of our Ministers For our people are for the most part rude and vncatechised and therefore they profit little or nothing by sermons A sermon to such persons is like a great loafe set before a child And it is no disgrace for learned Ministers in plaine and familiar manner to catechise for this is to lay the foundation without which all labour in building is in vaine Againe our ignorant people should be content euen in their old age to learne the catechisme for by reason of their ignorance they lie as a pray to the Atheist and Papist and in much hearing they learne little because they know not the grounds of doctrine that are vsually in all sermons And it is a fault in many that they loue to heare sermons which are beyond their reach in which they stand and wonder at the Preacher and plaine preaching is little respected of such The occasion of Pauls desire is in these words I doubt of you or thus I am in perplexitie for you and this Paul speakes as a mother in some dangerous extremitie in the time of her trauel as Rachel was in the birth of Benjamin Gen. 35. And the words carrie this sense I am troubled for your recouerie and I feare it will neuer be Here we learne how daungerous a thing it is to fall from grace though it be but in part For a man cannot recouer himselfe when he will We doe not the good we can vnlesse God make vs doe it Ezech. 36. 27. Cant. 1. 4. Ier. 31. 29. Therefore it is an Errour to thinke that we may repent and turne to God when we will as many suppose And this must be a warning vnto vs to preserue the good things that God hath put into vs and not to quench the spirit And though Paul doubt of the recouerie of the Galatians yet he spares not to send his Epistle to them and to vse meanes And thus in desperate cases we must vse the best meanes and leaue the successe to God Thus the Israelites when there was no other helpe went into the sea as into their death bedde or graue by faith staying themselues on the promise of god Heb. 11. 29. 2. Chron. 20. 12. That which Paul here saith may be saide of many among vs in whome Christ is not yet framed whether we respect knowledge or good life for they giue iust occasion of doubting whether they will euer turne to God or no. 21 Tell me ye that will be vnder the law doe ye not heare the law 22 For it is written that Abraham had two sonnes one by a seruant and an other by a free-woman 23 But he which was of the seruant was borne after the flesh and he which was of the free-woman by promise From the 8. verse of this chapter to the 20. verse Paul hath handled the conclusion of the principall argument of this Epistle touching the Apostasie of the Galatians and here he returnes againe to his former doctrine touching the iustification of a sinner by faith without the workes of the law and he confirmes it by an other Argument the summe and substance whereof is this Your libertie from the law w 〈…〉 prefigured in the familie of Abraham therefore ye are not bondmen to the law but freemen The argument is at large propounded and it hath foure parts a preface in the 21. verse an historie of Abraham and his familie vers 22. 23. the Application of the historie from the 24. verse to the 30. the conclusion v. 31. And first of the Preface Law the word law in the first place is taken properly for the morall and Ceremoniall lawe of Moses and in the second place for the bookes of Moses and namely for the booke of Genesis And in this sense the word is taken when Christ is said to expound the law and the Prophets Luk. 24. And sometime it signifies all the bookes of the old testament Ioh. 15. 15. Vnder the law to be vnder the lawe is to hold our selues bound to the fulfilling of the lawe and to looke for life eternall thereby Doe ye not heare the law that is ye read and heare indeede but ye vnderstand not the scope and drift of that which you read In this preface first Paul meetes with the pride of mans nature whereby the Galatians went about to establish their owne righteousnesse by the lawe when he saith ye that will be vnder the lawe c. with this pride were the Iewes tainted Rom. 10. 3. and the young Prince that came to Christ and said Good master what must I doe to be saued And the Papists of our time who will not be subiect to the iustice of God but set vp their owne iustice in the keeping of the law The like doe the ignorant people among vs who hold that they are able to fulfill the law and that they are to be saued thereby And when they say they looke to be saued by their faith they vnder stand thereby their fidelitie that is their good dealing Againe Paul here notes the seruile disposition of men that loues rather to be in bondage vnder the law then to be in perfect libertie vnder the grace of God This we see in daily experience All professe Christ among vs yet is it euen a death to the most to forsake the bōdage of the flesh Christ we professe yet so as we take libertie to liue after the lustes of our owne hearts When Paul saith doe ye not heare the lawe he notes the cause of our spirituall pride and of the seruile disposition before named namely ignorance in mistaking and misconceiuing the true scope of the law for the Galatians did not consider that Christ was the scope of the lawe but they supposed that the very obseruation of the lawe euen since the fall of man did giue life and iustifie This ignorance was to the Iewes as a vaile before their eies in the reading of the lawe 2. Cor. 3. 14. And this ignorance hath blinded the Papist at this day for he supposeth that the Gospell is nothing els but the lawe of Moses that Christ indeed is but an instrument to make vs keepers of the lawe and consequently sauiours of our selues In the historie of Abraham I consider three things the facte of Abraham in taking two wiues the Euent vpon this fact he had two sonnes by them the condition of these
that there is a great want of the grace of God among â—s Therefore take heede of it 30 But what saith the Scripture put out the bond-woman and her sonne for the sonne of the bondwoman shal not be heire with the sonne of the freewoman The second answer to the former obiection is in these wordes that they which hate the children of promise shall at length be cast out of the house of God Obiect I. These wordes cast out the bondwoman are the words of Sara to Abraham therefore they are not the words of scripture Ans. The words were vttered by Sara but they were afterward approoued by God Gen. 21. 12. and thus they are the voice of scripture Obiect II. Sara is commended for her subiection to Abraham 1. Pet. 3. 6. yet here shee speakes imperiously Cast out the bondwoman Ans. Shee speakes this not as a priuate woman but as the voice and mouth of God and that no doubt by instinct from God And therefore the words shee vttereth are to be esteemed as the commandement of God This her case is extraordinarie and not to be followed Thevse I. All carnall hypoâ—â—ites mockers of the grace of God shall be cast forth of Gods familie though for a time they beare a sway therein This is the sentence of God Let vs therefore repent of our mocking and hereafter become louers of the grace of God as Christ was Mark 10. 21. II. Consolation the persecution of the people of God shall not be perpetuall For the persecuting bondwoman and her sonne must be cast out The rodde of the wicked shall noâ— rest vpon the Lot of the righteous Psal. 125. 3. This is our comfort III. All iustitiarie people and persons that looke to be saued and iustâ—fied before God by the law and the workes of the law either in whole or in part are cast out of the church of God and haue no part in the kingdome of heauen The casting out of Agar and Ismael is a figure of the reiection of all such Behold here the voice of God casting downe from heauen the greatest part of the earth the Turke the Iew the obstinate Papist with the stepmother the Romish church 31 Then brethren we are not children of the seruant but of the freewoman The conclusion of the whole argument following directly from the 27. verse If we be children of the promise then are we children of the freewoman and not of the bondwoman consequently we are iustified and saued without the works of the law by the meere grace of God causing vs by faith to rest on the promise of God whose substance and foundation is Christ. CHAP. V. 1 Stand fast therefore in the libertie wherewith Christ hath made vs free and be not intangled againe with the yoke of bondage THese words are repetition of the principall Conclusion of the whole Epistle Which was on this manner I Paul am called to teach and my doctrine is true therefore ye did euill to depart from it and your dutie was to haue stood vnto it Further they are collected and inferred vpon the conclusion of the last argument vsed in the last chapter thus Ye are children of the freewoman and therefore ye are free and therefore ye should hold fast your libertie In the words two maine points of doctrine are propounded The first is that by nature we are all intangled with the yoke of bondage For the better conceiuing of this I will handle three points the nature of this bondage the signe of it and the vse Touching the nature of it Our spirituall bondage stands in three things The first is bondage vnder sinne which Paul teacheth when he saith I am carnall sold vnder sinne Rom. 7. 14. Here remember that by sinne is meant Originall sinne which hath two parts Guiltines in the first offence of Adam which is imputed to all mankind and the disposition of all the powers of the soule to all manner of euill whatsoeuer And this rebellious disposition is like a leprosie infecting the whole man and it raignes like a tyrant ouer the soule of man by tempting intising and drawing him from one actuall sinne to another so as he can doe nothing but sinne Iam. 1. 14. The second thing is obligation or subiection to all punisâ—â—ment both temporall and eternall And it hath three parts The first is Bondage vnder Satan who keepes vnrepentant sinners in his snare according to his owne will 2. Tim. 2. 26. he rules in their hearts like a God 2. Cor. 4. 4. and hath power to blinde them and to harden their hearts till he haue brought them to eternall death Heb. 2. 14. The second is bondage vnder an euill conscience which sits in the hearts of offendours as an accuser and a terrible iudge and lies like a wild beast at a mans dore readie euer and anon to plucke out his throat Gen. 4. 7. The third is bondage vnder the wrath of God and the feare of eternall death Heb. 2. 15. The third part of this bondage is the obligation to the ceremoniall law It pertaines not to all mankind but onely concernes the Iewes to whome it was a yoke of bondage Act. 15. The signe of this bondage whereby it may be discerned is to keepe a course or practise in sinning Ioh. 8. 34. He that commits sinne is a seruant of sinne or againe a life led according to the custome and fashion of this world in the lust of the flesh or the lust of the eye which is couetousnes or in the pride of life Eph. 2. 2. 1. Ioh. 2. 16. The vse We must learne to see feele acknowledge and bewaile this bondage in our selues Deliuerance belongs onely to such captiues as know themselues to be captiues Luk. 4. 18. and labour vnder this bondage Matth. 11. 28. Thus did Paul when he saith I am sold vnder sinne and O miserable man who shall deliuer me from this bodie of death To feele this bondage is a steppe out of it and not to feele it is to be plunged into it Secondly we must pray earnestly for deliuerance The dumme creatures sigh and trauell till they be deliuered from their bondage much more then must we doe it Rom. 8. 22. Thirdly we must learne to detest whatsoeuer is of our selues because it wholly tends to bondage Lastly we must be content with any affliction that God laies on vs though it be lingring sicknes pouertie imprisonment banishment For God might worthely lay on vs all shame and confusion because we are by nature slaues of sinne and Satan The second maine doctrine is that by grace there is a libertie pertaining to the people of God Here I consider foure things 1. what this libertie is 2. the author of it 3. the persons to whome it belongs 4. our dutie touching this libertie For the first Christian libertie is called the Good or commoditie of Christians Rom. 14. 16. It is a spirituall Right or condition lost by Adam and restored by Christ. I say spirituall because
If ye be iustified by the law ye are abolished from Christ First I gather that the Law and the Gospel are not one in substance of doctrine as the Papists teach for they say the Gospel is nothing but the law made more perfect and plaine which if it were true a man might be iustified both by Christ and the law which Paul saith cannot be Secondly I gather hence that it is a meere deuice of mans wit to say that Christ by his death and passion merited that we should merit by our owne workes our iustification and saluation For if this were true that the merit of our workes were the fruit of Christs passion Paul would not haue said that iustification by the law should abolish Christ vnto vs. For the cause and the effect both stand together whereas Christs merit and the merit of our works agree euen as fire and water And no maruell For the reason why Christ meriteth is the Personall vnion of the Godhead with the manhood which vnion because it is not to be found in any meere man neither is there any true and proper merit to be found Whereas Paul saith Ye are fallen from grace some gather that the children of God may fall quite from the fauour of God Ans. Men are said to be vnder grace two waies First in the iudgement of infallibilitie and thus onely the Elect are vnder the grace of God Secondly in the iudgement of Christian charitie and thus all that professe Christ though indeede hypocrites are vnder the grace of God And in this sense Paul saith that the whole Church of Galatia is vnder the grace of God And they are said to fall from grace not because all were indeede vnder the fauour of God and at length cast out of it but because God makes it manifest to men that they were neuer in the fauour of God Thus Christs enemies are said â—o be blotted out of the booke of lifâ— Psal. 69. 28. when God makes it manifest that their names were neuer written there Secondly I answer that Paul speakes this not absolutely but vpon condition If ye will be iustified by the law And therefore v. 10. he saith that he is perswaded better things of them Lastly here we see it is false that euery man shall be saued by his religion for he that is abolished from Christ is quite out of the â—auour of God And therefore no religion but that which is truly Christian saueth 5 For we in the spirit by faith waite for the hope of righteousnes 6 For in Iesus Christ neither circumcision nor vncircumcision auaileth any thing but faith which worketh by loue The meaning We I Paul the rest of the Apostles and all other Christian churches In spirit that is in the powers of the soule sanctified and renewed In this sense Paul saith that the true circumcision is that which is in the heart in spirit Rom. 2. 29. and Christ saith that true worship of God is in spirit Ioh. 4. 24. And that spirit is here taken in this sense it is manifest because it is opposed to circumcision which is in the flesh By faith we wait Faith apprehends the promise and thereby brings forth hope and faith by meanes of hope makes them that beleeue to waite Hope of righteousnes that is saluation or life eternall which is the fruit of righteousnes Tit. 2. 13. or againe righteousnes hoped for Righteousnes indeede is imputed to them that beleeue and that in this life yet the fruition and the full reuelation thereof is reserued to the life to come when Christ our righteousnes shall appeare and when the effect of righteousnes namely sanctification shall be accomplished in vs. Rom. 8. 23. 1. Ioh. 3. 2. The sense then is this All the Apostles and Christian churches with one consent in spirit by meanes of their faith waite for the full reuelation of their imputed righteousnes and for euerlasting life whereas the false Apostles place their righteousnes in circumcision of the flesh and looke to haue the fruition of it in this life v. 6. In Christ that is in the Church kingdome or religion of Christ. 2. Cor. 5. 17. If any be in Christ that is if any be a Christian he is a new creature Vncircumcision that is the condition and workes of men vncircumcised Auaileth any thing is of no vse respect or acceptation with God Faith working faith effectuall in duties of loue The resolution These wordes containe a second reason where Paul confirmes the former conclusion and it may be framed thus That thing which makes vs waite for the hope of righteousnes that iustifies not circumcision but faith makes vs waite for the hope of righteousnes therefore not circumcision but faith iustifies The proposition is omitted the minor is in the 5. verse And it is confirmed by two arguments The first is the consent of all Churches We waite The second is taken from the propertie of faith in the sixt verse thus It is faith and not circumcision that auailes before God therefore faith and not circumcision makes vs waite Againe in these two verses Paul meetes with an Obiection which may be framed thus If ye abolish circumcision and the ceremoniall law ye abolish the exercises of religion The answer is in stead of them we haue other exercises in our spirit namely the inward exercises of faith hope and loue The vse In the 5. verse foure things are to be considered The first is who waites Paul saith we waite Before he hath iustified his doctrine by the Scriptures now he addes the consent of the Churches Here then we see what is the office of all faithfull dispensers of the word namely to declare such doctrines as are founded in Scriptures and approoued by the consent of the true Church of God Paul an Apostle that could not erre respected consent much more are all ordinarie Ministers to doe it Againe it is the office of all Christian people to maintaine and defend all such doctrines and opinions as are founded in the Scriptures and ratified by the consent of the true churches of God and no other This to doe is to walke in the way of vnitie and peace and to doe otherwise is to walke in the way of schisme and heresie The second point is what is waited for Paul saith the reuelation of righteousnes and eternall saluation Here I obserue that there is no iustification by the obseruation of the law and I prooue it thus The righteousnes whereby a sinner is iustified is apprehended by faith and expected by hope but if righteousnes were by the law men should haue the fruition of their righteousnes in this life and consequently the hope thereof should cease Secondly here is comfort for the godly They complaine of the want of sanctification but they are to know that in this life they shall neuer feele righteousnes as they feele sinne here they must hunger and thirst after righteousnes liuing in some want of it If we haue the first
the price of eternall life Phil. 3. 13. Luk. 9. 62. Here comes a common fault to be considered we in respect of profession goe forward yet we looke backe in our course and minde earthly things Lastly we must not be mooued with the speaches of men which are giuen of vs either to or fro They are lookers on and must haue their speaches and our care must be not to heede them but to looke to our course The second dutie of Christian people is that they must not onely be runners but they must runne well And that is done by beleeuing and by obaying the true religion or as Paul saith by hauing faith and good conscience 1. Tim. 1. 18. These are as it were the two feete by which we runne to life euerlasting Vnder faith we are to comprehend the true acknowledgement of God affiance in him and inuocation c. Vnder good conscience is comprised the purpose of not sinning and the care to obay God in all his commandements To applie this to our selues runners we are but alas few of vs are good runners We haue one good foote and that is our faith or religion which is sound and good but we halt on the other foote our care to keepe conscience is not sutable to our religion And three things cause a lamenes or feeblenes in this foote the lust of the eye that is couetousnes the lust of the flesh and pride of life The third dutie is that we must runne the race from the beginning to the ende and finish our course so as we may apprehend life euerlasting 1. Tim. 6. 11. 2. Tim. 4. 7. 1. Cor. 9. 24. And for this cause we must cherish in our hearts a loue and feruent desire of eternall life and by this meanes we shall be drawne on through all miseries and ouerpasse them to the ende Secondly we must hold and maintaine a constant and daily purpose of not sinning And where we are the weakest there must our resolution be the strongest And thus shall we be constant to the death 8 It is not the perswasion of him that calleth you The meaning This opinion of iustification by the workes of the law is not from God who hath called you from bondage to libertie The scope Paul here meetes with a conceit of the Galatians which was this Why dost thou so often and so sharpely reprooue vs for we hould nothing against conscience but are perswaded of the thing which we say To this Paul answers here this perswasion is not of God because it is against the calling of God for he calles you to libertie and this your opinion drawes you into bondage Here we see the cause of mens declining from God and his worde and that is this Men denie credence to Gods word listen to plausible perswasions and so fall awaie Thus Eue fell in the estate of innocencie by listning to the false perswasions of the deuill The Papists â—usle themselues in their superstitions by a presumption that the Church cannot erre and that god wil not leaue his church destitute of the assistaÌ„ce of his spirit Our common people boulster themselues in their blind waies by a presumption that God is all of mercy and that if they doe their true intent serue God say their praiers deale iustly and doe as they would be done vnto they shall certenly be saued Tradesmen often vse many practises of fraud and iniustice and that vpon a perswasion that they haue a charge and family which must be maintained If men now a daies will not blaspheme drinke and riot as others doe they shall be charged with precisenes and that comes vpon a perswasion that it sufficeth to auoid the outward and notorious crimes which are mentioned and condemned in the law Thus the whole world is misled by blind perswasions Secondly hence we learne to close vp our eyes as it were and absolutely to follow the calling of god to subiect all the powers of our soules vnto it Thus did Abraham when he was called to go he knew not whether and Paul without vsing consultation went and preached in Arabia at the calling of Christ. Thirdly Paul here sets downe a note to discerne of false doctrines and opinions in religion If they be sutable to the calling of God they are good if they be against the calling of God they are naught This is Pauls rule God calles vs to libertie therefore the doctrine of iustification by the workes of the law is naught for it drawes vs into bondage In like â—ort God calles vs to free iustification and therefore the doctrine of humane satisfactions and of the merit of workes is naught Againe God calls vs to an vtter deniall of our selues and therefore the Popish doctrine of preparation and of freedome of will in the conuersion of a sinner is naught Lastly it is to be obserued that Paul saith in the time present of him that calleth you for hence it appeares that God continues to call the Galatians euen after their fall in which they fell away to an other Gospel and as much as in them lay abolished themselues from Christ. This shews Gods patience and that there is a possibilitie of mercie after great and grieuous falls It may be saide how long doth God continue to call men vnto him Ans. So long as he vouchsafeth them the benefit of the publike Ministerie Thus then more then fourtie yeares hath God called vs in England And for this cause it is our part to pray to God for hearing eares to be pearced in our hearts and we must answer the calling of God Psal. 27. 8. at the least in the desires and groanes of our hearts And lastly we must in life and conuersation be sutable to the calling of God 9 A little leauen leaueneth the whole lumpe The sense As a little leauen leaueneth and fauoreth the whole lumpe of dow euen so one errour or point of corrupt doctrine corrupteth the whole bodie of Christian religion because all the points of religion are linked and compounded together so as if one be corrupt the rest cannot remaine â—ound and incorrupt The scope The obiection of the Galatians is Put case that we erre in ioyning Circumcision and Christ yet there is no cause why thou shouldest â—o sharpely reprooue vs for it is no great errour to ioyne workes and Christ in the cause of our Iustification Paul answers to this obiection by a prouerbe saying that a little leauen of false doctrine corrupts the whole bodie of religion and one errour though it seeme to be of small moment at the first may at length bring with it the corruption and deprauation of many other points The vse In the example of the Galatians we see what is the common fashion of men namely to extenuate their faults and to make small matters of great offences The Phariâ—ies taught that sundrie of Gods commandements were small and little commandements Matth. 5. 19. To them that make no conscience of sinne great
death yet would a Christian man abstaine from these things because he knowes that they displease Christ and he is gouerned with another spirit to which they are contrarie Also these words are a reason of v. 16. There is no law against them that doe these things therefore walke in the spirit 24 For they that are Christs haue crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts The scope In these words Paul prooues that which he said immediatly before namely that there is no law against spirituall men And of this he giues a double reason One is spirituall men are Christs therefore there is no law against them The second is this that is crucified in spirituall men which the law condemneth namely the flesh with the affections and lusts therefore there is no law to condemne the spirituall man In the words I consider three points The first is What is a Christian Ans. A Christian is one that is Christs saith Paul And he is Christs fiue waies I. by the right of creation And so are all men II. by right of redemption 1. Cor. 6. 19. III. by the free gift and donation of God the father Ioh. 17. 11. this donation is begunne in the eternall Election of God and it is accomplished in our effectuall vocation IV. by propagation For all true beleeuers spring out of the blood of Christ and are of his bone and of his flesh as Eue was of the bone and flesh of Adam V. by our donation in baptisme in which we consecrate our selues to God and to Christ. The vse This must teach vs to resigne our selues to Christ and to suffer him to raigne in our hearts and to take the yoke of the Gospel vpon vs. But alas it is farre otherwise with many of vs. For some liue in the transgression of the very law of nature so farre are they from obseruing the Gospel Others thinke it sufficient to follow the teaching of nature If they worship God in some generall manner if they liue peaceably and hurt no man and meane well as they say then all is well and the doing of further duties is reputed curious precisenes And such persons vsually reduce religion to the practise of nature They will be saued by faith but their faith is nothing els but fidelitie They say they worship God but this worship is nothing els but their good meaning and their good dealing These men are content that Christ shall be theirs but they will not be Christs and suffer him to haue a Lordship ouer them II. If thou be Christs then commend thy soule and life and all that thou hast into the hands of Christ. This was the practise of Dauid Psal. 22. of Christ vpon the crosse of Paul 2. Tim. 1. 12. And this practise is the onely way to obtaine safetie and protection For Christ no doubt will keepe his owne III. Comfort If thou be Christs he will care for thee and nothing shall be wanting vnto thee that is for thy good Ioh. 17. 24. Rom. 8. 33. Therefore remember this lesson Neuer grieue ouermuch neuer care ouermuch neuer reioyce ouermuch in the things of this world If thou werest at thine own disposing and finding it were somewhat but there is one that cares for thee namely Christ. The second point to be considered is what is the flesh Ans. It is the corruption of the whole nature of man For the right conceiuing of this we must make a distinction of three things Mans nature the faculties of nature and the corruption of both which corruption hath two parts the losse of the image of God and a pronnes to all wickednes Moreouer this distinction must be without separation of nature from faculties or of corruption from either so as we may say truly that the nature and the powers of the soule of man are corrupted In the flesh are two things Affections and Lusts. By affections vnderstand inordinate affections which shew themselues and beare sway in carnall men as anger in Cain loue of pleasures more then of God in the men of the last times 2. Tim. 3. 3. immoderate sorrow in Ahab when he could not obtaine Naboths vineyard 1. King 21. 4. Lusts are inordinate and infatiable desires after the things of this world as riches honours pleasures c. of this sort are couetousnes gluttonie pride the lust of the flesh c. The vse By this we see what a Carnall man is namely one that is carried away with some inordinate affection or some inordinate lust Herod did many good things at the aduise and motion of Iohn Baptist whome he reuerenced yet was he a carnall man For he was possessed with an inordinate loue of his brothers wife Iudas a disciple of Christ yet a carnall man because he was carried away with the inordinate lust of couetousnes The third point is touching the office of a Christian man And that is to crucifie the flesh with the affections and lusts For the better conceiuing of this Crucifying must be distinguished It is either the action of Christ or our action Crucifying which is the action of Christ is threefold The first is vpon the crosse where Christ stood in our roome and bare the burden of our sinnes and made an Expiation of them In this respect we are said to be crucified with him Gal. 2. 19. The second is in vs when Christ conuaies the vertue of his death into the hearts of them that are ioyned to him for the causing and effecting of the death of sinne The third is in baptisme whereby Christ seales the two former to them that beleeue Rom. 6. 6. The crucifying which is our action is nothing els but the Imitation of Christ crucified on this manner He was first attached so must we bring our selues into the presence of God He was arraigned so must we set our selues at the barre of Gods iudgement He was accused so must we indite and accuse our selues of our owne sinnes at the barre of Gods iudgement He was condemned and so must we iudge our selues that we be not iudged of the Lord. After iudgement we must proceede to execution of the flesh and that is to vse meanes to crucifie it and they are three The first is by faith to applie to our selues Christ crucified and that is to beleeue not onely that Christ was crucified for vs but that we also were crucified with him Where this faith is sinne shall no more haue domion The second is to beate downe the flesh by the sword of the spirit and that is done by a serious application of the commandements and the threatnings of God to our seuerall affections and lusts The third is to flie the occasions of euery sinne and to cut off the first beginnings of euill The vse This doctrine serues to condemne the drowsie Protestants of our time who professe Christ without making any change in life and conuersation For they are Saints in the Church but in their common dealings they are as worldlings II. Secondly
two respects 1. Because by faith we apprehend the righteousnesse of Christ and so in him who hath fulfilled the lawe for vs we fulfill it and so establish it 2. because hauing our hearts purified by faith we liue no more according to the flesh but according to the spirit and so by inchoaâ—e obedience we fulfill the law Lastly in the end in that both the lawe and the gospel tend directly to the manifestation of the glorie of God Yet they differ in 5. things First in the manner of reuealing the lawe before the fall was perfectly known by nature and since the falliâ— part Rom. 2. 15. The Gospel is not known by nature neither was it euer written in mans heart before or after the fall as Paul saith 1. Cor. 2. 9. Those things which the eie hath not seene nor the eare heard nor the heart of man conceiued are they which God hath prepared for them that loue him therefore the Gospel is called a mysterie Rom. 16. v. 25 26. First because the doctrine of the Gospel was made knowne to men and angels by the reuelation of God Eph. 3. 5. 9. Secondly because there is required a special reuelation worke of gods spirit before a man can yeeld assent vnto it Therefore Paul saith We haue not receiued the spirit of the world but the spirit of God that we might know the things that are giuen to vs of God 1. Cor. 2. 12. Secondly in the subiect or doctrine it selfe and that in two respects First the Law preacheth nothing but absolute iustice to the transgressours thereof the Gospel sheweth how iustice is qualified with mercie from all things from which ye could not be absolued by the Law of Moses by him euery one that beleeueth is iustified Act. 13. 39. Secondly the Law teacheth what manner of men we ought to be and what we ought to doe that we may come to eternall life but shewes not howe we may becom such indeed the Gospel teacheth that by faith in Christ we may be such as the Law requires God hath made him to be sinnâ— for vs who knewe no sinne that we might be made the righteousnes of God in him 2. Cor. 5. 21. Thirdly in the obiect The law is giuen to the vniâ—st lawles vngodly prophane 1. Tim. 1. 9 10. that it may shew them their sinnes and the punishment thereby deserued and so may accuse and condemne them the Gospel is to be published and dispensed onely to the penitent which are contrite and broken in heart mourne for their sinnes Math. 11. Esay 57. Luk. 4. IIII. The law promiseth eternall life vpon condition of works Doe this and liue If thou wiâ—â— enter into life keepe the commandements The Gospel promiseth eternall life freely without any condition of works Rom. 4. 5. To him that worketh not but beleeueth in him that iustifieth the vngodly his faith is counted to him for righteousnes Rom. 3. 21 22. The righteousnes of God is made manifest without the law by the faith of Iesus Christ vnto all and vpon all that beleeue V. In the effects The Law is no instrumentall cause of faith repentance or any sauing grace it is the minister of death 2. Cor. 3. 7. causing wrath Rom. 3. 15. But the Gospel causeth life it is the grace of God which bringeth saluation Tit. 2. 11. for this cause Paul calleth the Law a dead or killing letter the Gospel a quickning spirit 2. Cor. 3. Fourthly it may be demaÌ„ded whether any maÌ„ be able to fulfil the Law considering that Paul biddeth vs beare one anothers burdens and so fulfill the Law of Christ Ans. No meere man can perfectly fulfill the Law in this life This conclusion S. Paul prooueth in sundrie of his Epistles specially by these arguments First by the great and generall deprauation of nature which remaineth in part euen in the regenerate stayning their best actions and making them like a menstruous cloath confessing withall that his best workes are not answerable to the law by reason of the remainders of originall corruption Rom. 7. Now perfect fulfilling of the law cannot stand with corruption of nature and transgression in life For a corrupt fountaine cannot send forth sweete waters neither can a corrupt tree beare good fruit Saint Iames saith He that offendeth in one is guiltie of all and the Scripture pronounceth him accursed that abideth not in all things written in the bookâ— of the law to doe them Popish Doctours answer first that originall corruption which they call the fewell of sinne and the first motions to euill preuenting all consent of will are indeede in the regenerate but they are no sinnes properly But it is false which they teach For euery transgression of the law is a sinne as S. Iohn defines it 1. Ioh. 3. 4. but these are transgressions of the tenth commandement for it either forbiddeth these first motions whether they be primò primae or secundò primae as Schoolemen speake or it forbid doth nothing but the motioÌ„s which are with coÌ„sent of wil which were forbidden in the former commandements and so in effect there are but nine commandements the tenth forbidding no speciall sinne Againe Paul teacheth that these motions preuenting all consent of will are formally opposed to the Law I see another law in my members rebelling against the law of my minde Secondly they answer that Paul Rom. 7. speakes not of himselfe but in the person of the vnregenerate according to the opinion of S. Augustine Ans. Augustine indeede was once of that iudgement but he after retracted that opinion as it is manifest out of his booke of Retractations and the 6. booke against Iulian the Pelagian and that for these reasons First because Paul saith To will is present with me and I doe not the good I would and J delight in the law of God concerning the inward man all which are proper to the regenerate and cannot be affirmed of the wicked Secondly because he makes mention of the inward man which is all one with the new man or the new creature which agreeth onely to the regenerate Thirdly because he saith he is ledde captiue to sinne v. 23. whereas the wicked are not drawne to sinne by force against their wills but runne riot of their owne accord into all wickednes as the horse rusheth into the battell Ierem. 8. 6. Lastly in that he cries out in a sense and sorrow for his sinnes O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from the bodie of this death v. 24. which can not be the voice of the vnregenerate for they feele not the burden of their sinne nor desire to be eased of it but take delight and pleasure in it His second reason is this such as our knowledge is such is our loue of God and man but our knowledge is onely in part therefore our loue is but in part and so consequently our obedience is but in part therfore there is no perfect fulfilling of
it be renewed In the bodie there are more diseases then the Physitians bookes can expresse and as many diseases as there be in vs so many fruits of sinne there are Ioh. 5. 14. The curse without vs is threefold The first is a spirituall bondage vnder the power of the deuil who by reason of sinne works in the hearts of vnbeleeuers Eph. 2. 2. and hath the power of death Heb. 2. 14. The second is an Enmitie of all the creatures with man since the fall And this appeares because when God receiues vs to be his people he makes a couenant with all creatures in our behalfe Hos. 2. 18. The third containes all losses calamities miseries in goods friends good name Read Deut. 28. The curse in the end of this life is death which is the separation of bodie and soule Rom. 5. 13. and death in his owne nature is a fearefull curse and the very downefall to the pitte of hell The curse after this life is the second death which is separation of bodie and soule from God with a full apprehension of the wrath of God And if the paine of one tooth or finger be oftentimes so great that men rather desire to die then liue how great then shall the paine be when all the parts of bodie and soule shall be tormented And the eternitie of this death increaseth mans miserie If a man might suffer so many yeares as there are drops in the sea and then haue an end it were some comfort but when that time is expired man is as farre from the end of his woe as euer he was This in summe and substance is the curse here mentioned and it were to be wished that men would more thinke speak of it then they doe then would there be more conscience of sinne The next point is who are cursed Ans. They which doe not all things written in the law Here is an Item for them that will keepe some commandements but not all Herod would doe some things at the motion of Iohn Baptist but he would not leaue his incestuous marriage with his brothers wife Mark 6. 20. There be at this day that are very forward in good things yet some of them will not leaue their swearing some their lying some their vncleannes some their vsurie But God will not part stakes with man he will haue all or none He that breakes one commandement is guiltie of all Iam. 2. And there is good reason that he which obaies should obey in all For where God renewes he sanctifies throughout and fills them with the seede of all grace that they may performe obedience according to all the commandements of the law Againe he is cursed that doth not all things which the law prescribeth or if he doe them yet doth not continue in all So then he is cursed that breakes the law but once and that onely in one thought for such an one doth not continue in all things Now then O sinnefull man what wilt thou doe to auoid the curse for thou hast in thought word and deede broken the law Doest thou thinke to appease the wrath of God with gold and siluer the whole world and all things therein are the Lords And thou maist not thinke to hide or withdraw thy selfe from the presence of God for all must come and appeare before his tribunall seat in their owne persons Neither may we thinke to escape because God is mercifull for he is as iust as mercifull What wilt thou then doe to escape this horrible curse when thou hast done all thou canst doe thou canst no way helpe or releeue thy selfe The onely way of helpe is this Thou must flie from this sentence of the law to the throne of grace for mercie instantly asking seeking knocking at the gate of mercie for pardon of thy sinnes And that thou maist be incouraged to this dutie consider with me that at thy first Purpose to amend and to turne vnto God thy sinnes are pardoned in heauen Dauid saith Psal. 32. 5. I thought I will confesse my sinnes against my selfe and thou forgauest me Marke the speech I thought The prodigall child Luk. 15. vpon his purpose to returne to his father before he had indeed humbled himselfe in word was receiued to mercie When Dauid said I haue sinned Nathan in the name of God said Thy sinne is forgiuen thee It may be thou wilt say the curse is absolute Ans. The threatnings of the law must be vnderstood with an exception which the Gospel makes on this manner The Law saith cursed is the transgressour and the Gospel saith Except he repent Ionas preached yet fourtie daies and Niniuie shall be destroied yet withall he addes an exception It may be the Lord will repent of his fierce wrath Ion. 5. 9. Againe thou wilt say my sinnes are very grieuous therefore I feare I shall not escape the curfe Ans. Forgiuenes is promised without any limitation to any number or kinds of sinne onely the sinne against the H. Ghost excepted Therefore appeale with boldnes in thy heart to the throne of grace intreat for forgiuenes as for life and death and thou shalt escape the curse The third point is when is a sinner accursed Ans. In present in the time of this life For the Lord saith not he shall be accursed but he is accursed There be among vs whome no sermons or exhortations will amend and such persons thinke themselues without the reach of any danger For they thinke the time is very long to the last iudgement But they are deceiued touching themselues For God with his owne mouth hath giuen the sentence that they are accursed there remaines nothing but the exequution The halter is alreadie about their neckes and there remaines nothing but the turning of the ladder Nay the exequution is alreadie in blindnes of minde and hardnes of heart He that beleeues not is alreadie condemned Ioh. 3. Lastly a memorable conclusion of Paul is here to be obserued That it is impossible for any man within himselfe for the time of this life to fulfill the law of God For Paul here takes it for a confessed and graunted conclusion otherwise his argument will not hold which must be framed on this manner He which fulfills not the law is cursed he which is of workes fulfills not the law therefore he is accursed I further prooue it thus If we could fulfill the law we might be iustified by the law but no man can be iustified by the law or by workes therefore no man can fulfill the law Againe Paul saith Rom. 7. 14. that the law was spirituall requiring inward and spirituall obedience and that he was carnall and therefore not conformable to the law that he was sold vnder sinne that when he would doe good euil was present that he carried about him the bodie of death And all this he saith of himselfe about twentie yeares after his owne conuersion Such as our knowledge is such is our loue to God and man Now we