of the Law The law Iustifies none we must therefore be either freed from the law or not at all Iustified For as many as are of the works of the Law are under the curse for it is written Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things in the book of the Law to doe them Gal. 3.10 Deut. 27.26 But here is our freedome Gal. 3.13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us Hee became a curse for us and was made for our sakes as the greatest sinner he stood in place as David the Adulterer as Peter the Denyer as Paul the Persecutor Wee must see our Christ wrapped as well in our Sinnes as in our flesh He was numbred with the Transgressors and he bare the sinne of many Esa 53.12 He was made sinne for us who knew no sinne that we might bee made the righteousnesse of God in him 2 Cor. 5.21 Thus is hee pleased to call our sinnes his and he speakes in David his Type Psal 40.12 Mine iniquities have taken hold upon mee so that I am not able to looke up they are more than the hayres of my head Christ standing thus a sinner the law accused him and after accusation kild him But hee hath satisfied and the Law is overcome we have learned to triumph O death where is thy sting The sting of death is sinne and the strength of sinne is the Law but thankes be to God which giveth us the victory through Iesus Christ our Lord 1 Cor. 15.55 56 57. When the Law curseth sends out Writs sues out Attachements wee plead Immunity and send the law to Christ by whom we aree freed 2. From the power of sinne the other evill of servitude Yeeld your selves unto God Ante legem non pugnamus sub â—ege pugnamus sed vintimur sub gratia pugnamus vincimus in pace ne pugnamus quidem Aug. in Rom. 6. for Sinne shal not have dominion over you for ye are not under the Law but under grace Rom. 6.14 They are incouraged to the Combat by a double motive the goodnesse of their cause the easinesse of their conquest When wee are freed from the Law which onely commands but gives no strength to obey rather takes away our strength addes strength to sinne then are we under grace which beside that it forgiveth that which is past Quae praeterquam prioradimittit ad futura quoque cavenda animat Chrys it doth arme us to take heed of that which is to come as Chrysostome sweetly expounds the Romans To whom the holy Apostle glorieth Rom. 8.2 The Law of the spirit of life in Christ Iesus hath made mee free from the Law of Sinne. From the a Osiander accusing the b Calvin power the c Lyranus bond the d Erasmus right the e Chrysost guilt of sinne the f P. Mart. law of the members 2. We are freed not only from the evils but from the burdens of servitude 1. From the Coaction of the Law for the Law doth burden a man and hinder the alacrity of his obedience A precept of the Law is Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart with all thy mind with all thy strength To bee empty of all other loves to set the sole affection upon God Here the most perfect faile for though our love unto God be sincere yet we are many times drawne off with other lusts But the Law tels us He is cursed that continues not in all Now we see what ever we endevor we are still under the Curse our workes are Mala quia imperfecta therefore evill because not perfectly good This dulleth the heart and discourageth it from any offer The peevish eye of a froward Master makes the servant heartlesse What should I do any thing seeing whatsoever I doe I cannot please This is the burden of the Legally righteous the taske it set they must either doe it or smart for neglect The Israelites are beaten iâ— they bring not in their tale of bticke Exod. 5.14 But here is our Liberty God spareth us as a man spares his owne sonne that serveth him Mal. 3.17 The Command is given Let not sinne reigne in your mortall Body and the Promise is added with the Command Sinne shall not have dominion over you The Law cannot coact us but grace unloads us removes our burthens and sweetens our labours 2. Wee are freed from Indifferents when they prove burdens 1. Things The Iewes were bound to use and refuse many things the Vsing and Refusing of which had else beene Indifferent They must abstaine from Swine from things strangled and the like We have liberty of a freer use of Gods creatures being not subject to ordinances Touch not Taste not Handle not Col. 2.20.21 2. Men. We are not subjected to such commands as whereby they would bind the conscience Now the constitutions of men are either 1. Civill and politicall These wee have a rule for that wee must obey them though in 1 Cor. 7.23 hee seeme to give exemption Yee are bought with a price be yee not the servants of men yet Rom. 13.1.5 we have that other expounded Let every soule bee subiect to the higher powers for the powers that bee are ordained of God Who resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God Wherefore yee must needs bee subiect for conscience sake 2. Ecclesiasticall These concerne either 1 The matter of Gods worship then we renounce them as great presumptions for Divine worship cannot have institution from humane command 2. Or the manner of worship tending to decency Here Constitutions may order not bind order the carriage not binde the conscience But concerning both these and those Constitutions I meane both Ecclesiasticall and Civill I would deliver my selfe a little more fully and to that end wil present a few conclusions touching Indifferents their nature and extent 1. An Adiaphoron or Indifferent is Res media a middle thing which stands so to two extremes that it may alike incline to both And in the ordinary though not proper use of the word Medium Abnegationis Medium Participationis Aquin. it is a Medium betweene morall good and evill Now such a Medium is either of meere Abnegation so all Substances whether naturall or artificiall are Res mediae Indifferent things or of some participation which so farre agrees with either extreme as the extremes agree between themselves so no Substances are properly Indifferents but Actions only Actions therefore which are neither commanded nor forbidden and which in their intrinsicke nature have neither obedience nor disobedience are indifferent 2. Indifferent Actions in their owne intrinsicall nature nothing differ among themselves but are all equally far from good and evill But there are some which for the most part have evill circumstances accompanying them and therfore sound in the worse sense as if they did incline to evill as to be an accuser may be indifferently good or
then we shall bee enforced to acknowledge that Christ is a Minister of sinne A Minister of sin is hee which teacheth us what to doe for Righteousnesse and so terrifies and shuts us under sinne thus in stead of a Saviour Christ should bee a tyrant a destroyer But this were false and abominable to conceive therefore the Apostle addes his Absit God forbid Moses onely was a Minister of sinne Christ is a giver of righteousnesse and the Scriptures are wont to promise it only by the benefit of him The Redeemer shall come out of Zion In the 18. verse hee amplifieth the former argument comparing the law to a Building a similitude frequent used elsewhere by Paul who cals himselfe A wise master builder 1 Cor. 3.10 I have puld downe that frame and structure of the Law that it may not reigne in the Consciences of Christians if I return to the Law which I have formerly forsaken I shall manifest my selfe to bee a deceizer so the vulgar or as the Greeke carryes it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I declare my selfe to bee a sinner a Transgressor and as the Greeke Scholies adde still obnoxious to death and damnation Hee hath given us his owne Character the true difference of Preachers True ones they destroy the Law and build up the faith of Christ Iusticiaries false Popish Teachers destroy the kingdome of Christ while they raise up the Building of the Law and maintaine their owne Righteousnesse The Argument is continued in the 19. verse no recourse is to bee had unto the Law againe for by the Law I am dead unto the Law Deo vivit qui sub Deo est Legi autem qui sub lege Aug. that I might live unto God So that now the Law hath no power over us which he speaks directly against them who say Wee must live unto the Law if we meane to live unto God Nay wee are dead to the commands of the Law not onely free but dead so though the Law live still it hath nothing to do with us a slave once dead is no longer subiect to the hard usages of his tyrannous Master though he call upon and urge him he heares not obeyes not because he is dead So are we to the Law in this businesse of iustification Here is mention of a law and a law some understand both to signifie the same By the sentence of the Law it selfe I am dead unto the Law it selfe tels us that it is not perpetuall but Christ is the End of it when Christ comes it ceaseth to rule This affords a fit sense yet I see not but that of Hierome may be rather admitted who understands the former of the Evangelicall Law the Law of Faith the Exposition is sweet Our Savior is become our law by him wee are dead unto that of Moses Now the Binding Law is bound it selfe by Christ and wee by him are set at liberty By this interpretation we are fallen necessarily upon that great Question of Christian Liberty which because it fals in so fitly into this verse I wil spend some more words upon it more largely THE DOCTRINE OF CHRISTIAN LIBERTY THe knowledge of this Question is very necessary and yet dangerous Necessary that the consciences of men bee not kept unstablished Dangerous because carnall men doe wantonly abuse it I intend not so much as maybe spoken of it but so much as may bee fit for this Comment and an ordinary Sermon There is a various Liberty 1. A liberty in causes and effects that mutable order between an Agent an Effect both voluntary That the Agent may either worke or not worke such an Effect This is oppos'd to Necessity 2. A liberty in the Will a naturall faculty of the reasonable creature to chuse or refuse an object of its owne proper motion Libertas in genere est status secundum quem quis est sui Juris et alteri nō obligatus Armin disp pub 20. Thus the reasonable is left to his owne Election This is opposed to Coaction 3. That Liberty which is the right of a creature either Person or Thing to worke of its owne proper motion according to naturall Law with the enjoyment of uninterrupted convenient good things together with which it workes and the freedom from such defects as are hinderances and burdenous to that natural law The two former are not here meant onely this third which is opposed to servitude is proper to this place yet not in al respects for againe this Liberty is twofold Civill and Spirituall The latter is that which concernes our Question concerning which I would propose to speake of 1. The Description of it 2. The Ends of it 3. The consequents from it 1. Concerning the Description we have found it in the third kind of Liberty which is opposed unto slavery and may therefore call it A spirituall Immunity from the evils and burdens of the servitude of the Law 1. It is an Immunity therefore it supposeth wee were once bound The words in our Common-Law which gives light unto this peece of Divinity Immunity Freedom Franchise Enfranchisement do all signifie an exemption from somewhat wee were under before The word Liberty is of a more restrained signification Bracton lib. 2. cap. 2. and notes a privilege held by grant or prescription whereby a man enjoyes some favour beyond an ordinary subject But the other words are more expressive Manumittere Manumittens manumittendum manutenebat quam deinde cum solveret inquiebat Hunc liberum esse volo Iustinian which signifies to Make Free is properly to send one out of his hand because so long as a slave continues in his servitude he is in the hand of his Master Liberty from the law is the delivering us from that hand or power of the Law by which wee were formerly held So a Franchise is a privilege from ordinary Iurisdiction and that is called a Franchise Royall An 15. Ric. 2. cap. 4. An 2. Hen. 5. cap. 7. in some Statutes where the Kings Writ runneth not Such an exemption hath the Christian from Mosaicall Power yet we were once under it Crompt Iurisd f. 141. Brit cap. 19 Bract. lib. 2. Bract. lib 5 Tra. 5. For againe in our Common-Law wee say a man is Enfranchised when hee is Incorporated into some society or body Politike Hee that by Charter is made Denisen of England is Enfranchised Now a Denisen is an Alien enabled My readings in this businesse out of the compasse of my proper study may mistake but that I entend it for is true that wee were before Aliens till we became incorporate into the body of Christ by which onely we plead our Freedome 2. It is a Spirituall Immunity therefore not Civil againe therefore not Carnall Wee are neither exempted from obedience to men nor God 3. An Immunity from the evils burdens of the Law or more largely of servitude 1. From the evils of servitude They are two 1. From the curse
Paul whole worke but to paint out Christ Himselfe had determined to know nothing but Iesus Christ and him crucified And hee will teach but what he might savingly know And my speech and my preaching was not with inticing words of mans wisedome 1 Cor. 2.24 Our preaching must be plaine and lively plaine that Christ may bee truely painted before us lively that in the fresh knowledge of his death hee may bee crucified among us They are bad Preachers that paint themselves in their owne colours instead of Christ While in our ordinary Sermons we doe unnecessarily tell you how many Fathers wee have read how much we are acquainted with the School-men what Criticall Linguists we are or the like 'T is a wretched ostentation we doe over much affect our owne picture and paint unto you our owne Schollership It is not fit that Divinity should bee sordidly attended but with such words as may both take the sense and the understanding Yet there is most wisedome and efficacy in Gods Oratory the sacred Scrrpture-expression and wee preach with most authority when we deny our selves I speak not as affecting a sluttish haÌ„dling but a Sermon wel dressed with fit words rather thaÌ„ fine but especially in the evidence of the Spirit with power This way we shall draw the heart into the eare and as wel Touch as Affect So our Saviour taught it was the will of the Father which hee published and hath received that praise by the Evangelist from the Spirit of God He taught as one having Authority and not as the Scribes Mat. 7.29 Obser 3. The doctrine of Christ crucified is set before their eyes Let me now direct you what is the best ornament of your houses and your hearts too The Crucifix Let that be hung every where I meane not a wooden or brasen or though of some purer mettall gold or silver but the saving knowledge and contemplation of Christ in the heart Let him bee before your thoughts as if your eyes saw him stretched along and nailed to the Crosse his head bending in a solemne and yeelding posture his armes spread as if wooing our embraces This let this be all our Superstition not to adore an Image but to make use of more profitable Preaching Images were not brought into the Church till preaching grew slacke I need not instance you the Canon of Eliberis Conc. Elib An. 305. the Iudgement of Origen the zeale of Epiphanius Hieron in Epist Epi. Greg. lib. 9. Epist Ep. 9. the decision of Gregory to his Massilian That of an ancient in the Library of the Fathers is expresse for all Biblioth patr Tom. 9 None of the Antient Catholickes ever thought that Images were to be adored Away with those new superstitions let this be our Crucifix our Image to beleeve in Christ and make use of his death The Apostles reprehension of these Galatians hath kept us from the third Argument delivered in the second vers That by which ye received the Spirit that is it which iustifies you you received not the Spirit by the workes of the Law but by the hearing of Faith Spiritus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There is the Spirit of Son-ship and the Spirit of Gifts Chrysostome understands it of the latter Accepistis Spiritum Sanct. edidistis miracula c. Chrys in loc but the Argument of the place seems to meane the former The Law is not the Minister of the Spirit and life though the Spirit worke by the Law Ioh. 16.8 Therefore they could not receive the Spirit by the works of the Law an assurance of their Sonne-ship But the Gospell is properly the Minister of the Spirit that works confidence faith Now the Spirit is not given but to them that are Iustified and by that by which they are iustified Hee referres the truth of this unto themselves that they might be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the own selfe condemners Hee speakes as Saint Ambrose hath the phrase Loquitur auâ—em ad huc cum Stomacho Amb. in oc still with some stomack against them Or as another urgeth it If I added no more subtle and accurate reasons this were enough which I will now require of you and which the rudest and most unlearned will grant me This would I know Received ye c. Argum. 4 4. The fourth Argument is in the two following verses the third and fourth The Text. VERS 3. Are ye so foolish Having begunne in the Spirit are yee now made perfect by the flesh VERS 4. Have ye suffered so many things in vaine If it be yet in vaine VVHat is foolish and absurd is not to be beleeved or entertained But it is an absurd thing to bee perswaded That such as have begun in the Spirit may bee made perfect in the flesh The one proposition is implyed the Minor is expressed and not without the former vehemence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Are ye so foolish The folly or absurdity will appeare whether we consider the thing logically or physically or theologically 1. It is logically absurd to expect a more noble effect from an ignoble cause to seeke perfection from the flesh 2. It is physically or naturally absurd to attribute more efficiencie to that which is passive than to that which is Active more to the flesh than to the Spirit 3. It is theologically absurd or absurd in Divinity whether we understand it properly or metonymically 1. properly The flesh is as grasse The voyce said Cry All flesh is grasse and all the goodlinesse thereof is as the flower of the field The grasse withereth the flower fadeth because the Spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it surely the people is grasse Esa 40. 6 7. It is a withering fading thing But the Spirit is Divine and powerfull and constant because Divine Shall a thing begun by Divine agency be compleated by weake flesh 2. Metonymically the Spirit is Spirituall grace and faith the Flesh is ceremony and the workes of the Law It was an errour brought in by those seducers They would admit of Pauls doctrine concerning Iustification but they wold have the Law added to and give up their sentence peremptory to the councel Except yee be circumcised after the manner of Moses Orig. lib 3. in Rom. 3. yee cannot be saved Acts 15.1 An absurd error As if the beginning of Light should be from the Sunne and the encreasing of it from the nights darkenesse And what else doe the Papists meane when they cal faith Radicem Iustificationis The root or beginning of Iustification The Iesuites explaine themselves when they say They therefore call it the beginning because faith doth dispositively beget charity and meritorious workes by which properly we are iustified formally and materially This is that doctrine which the Apostle hath pronounced absurd and foolish which absurdity is further confirmed in the fourth verse If that were their expectation then had they suffered much in vaine for the Faith which they now reiected The proposition
service The Law must bee given with terror that when they should see and heare and conceive nothing but horrors fire and smoake and clouds and thunders and earthquakes ratling and confused noyses flames darkely yet dreadfully appearing through pillers of smoake they might affrightedly runne from the foot of the mountaine The Text tels us Exod. 20.18 And all the people saw the thundrings the lightnings and the noyse of the Trumpet and the Mountaine smoking and when the people saw it they removed and stood a far off and they said unto Moses Speake thou with us Now they see their cleansing and their holinesse to bee nothing worth Before they were holy very holy now they finde they were not able to abide in his presence Ah Lord how wonderfull art thou and fearefull in thy speakings O royall law and powerful Law-giver There was a Light upon Sinai but it was onely such a flame whereby they might see themselves to be miserable The Law and the Gospell are both Lights the Light in the Gospell is to shew us Christ 't is as the starre which led the Sages unto Bethlem and shewes us the place where the Babe lyes but the Light in the Law is not without smoake or as Lightning from a cracke of Thunder to that end that wee may discerne our selves wretched The Law and the Gospell are both voyces the voyce of the Gospell is a still small voyce it cheares up in speaking the voyce of the Law is a wind and earthquake and thunder 1 Kin. 19.11 12. And both the fire and the noyse is that we might be humbled for then wee are fitted for mercy The whole need not the Physitiā but they that are sick Christ came not to call the righteous but sinners to repētāce We cānot expect help frō Christ til we be sick til we be sinners Ah wee are too sound we are too holy wonder not at such expressions Wee are too holy and while wee are thus righteous Christ doth not call us Hee comes to save sinners that is his worke till wee bee sinners Christ cannot come unto his worke If ever we would have mercy let us see that we need it If we dare challenge mercy we know we shall bee repulsed Come humbly unto God in the acknowledgemēt of wants and doubt not of supply If a Beggar tel me though hee crave a penny yet hee hath mony enough in his purse meat enough in his bagge and friends that wil provide for him he moves me to no compassion but if his distresses cry and he pleades himselfe moneylesse and breadlesse and friendlesse and altogether helplesse I cannot tell how to deny him God would have us such supplicants wee are strengthlesse and meritlesse and altogether worthlesse Mercy Mercy onely This the Law drives us to and then wee are fit for a Bounty 2. This is the Lawes use now let us see the continuance of that use It was added till the Seed should come As the phrase is in another case If the dayes of the Law had not beene shortned no man could have beene saved But the tyranny is now limitted and wee by Christ may cry Victory Liberty We may understand it 1. Literally The Messiah come is the end of the Law All the Prophets and the Law prophecyed untill Iohn Mat. 11.13 2. Spiritually The Law stayes in force but till it hath made us tremble now we leave the Law and lay hold upon the Faith One Deepe calleth upon another Psal 42.7 When all the water-spouts and billowes are gone over us then shall our praier be unto the God of our life The Law when it hath acted its owne part * This is to be understood of the law as given by Moses not as it is a new commandement given by Christ as you shall heare hereafter must goe off the Stage if it have humbled us and brought us low unto the Dust The act is done let it with-draw into the Tyring-roome to be disapparelled Let Musicke now and Grace enter But * i.e. the paedagogy of the law the Law will not easily give place it would be working still When wee are humbled to lownesse to nothing yet then we begin to enquire What shall we doe What shall ye doe It is suggested by the usurping Law and the proud enquiry of Nature not enough humbled We are not now * i.e. To be led on stil and onely by Moses his law to doe it is Faiths Scene We ordinarily meet with this Imposture from the Divels both malice and subtilty Take an instance A man that hath lavisht out his time of health without heed or care or conscience of his wayes when he is laid weake and sicke upon his pillow and his conscience begins busily to present unto him his former sins and the wrath due unto his sinne when now he sees himselfe sinful and therfore miserable apprehends Death and Hel ready to swallow him hee fals upon this resolve I have loosely mis-spent my time heretofore but if I live and recover strength I will mend and endevour to serve God better Mark I pray he thinkes not at all of Faith but onely of his Workes as if he were still under the paedagogie of Moses Ah deluded man see at length the policy of that Tyrant to draw you from Beleeving hee would set you onely on working Let mee speake a bold word but a true one The remedy is as dangerous as the disease for this is to use the paedagogie of the Law still when the Seed should come A man in that case upon the apprehension of wrath should speed himselfe to Christ and when hee hath gained assurances there then his former resolve viZ. of mending his life would bee very seasonable for without this method hee seekes his Righteousnesse but from himselfe Beloved our taske is then at the hardest when we thinke 't is done Be acquainted with Satans methods When the conscience is very much humbled a promise of grace is offered the distressed readily replyes Ah but I have no mony to purchase it withall Suffer not these Law-thoughts to dishonor Christs freenesse Hee offers freely Come and buy without money without price Ah but I have no friends to deale for me It is the Law that speakes still but he is a friend to the friendlesse in him the fatherlesse find mercy But will he respect such a poore worthlesse wretch as I am If I had any thing if I had but that Faith you speake of I could come more confidently to him and expect performances They are proud reasonings under the shew of Humility and 't is the humor of Ephraim Wherewith shall I come before the Lord The Law loves Soveraignty and would still have us his according to the Apostles phrase To bee of the workes of the Law But the Law of Moses serveth but till the Seed comes when faith and grace appeares let Moses resigne the Chaire unto Christ I have spent more lines than I intended upon
morall law still now that the promise and the Gospell are both received yet serves as a Rule and is still Subordinate But because there is weight in this Instruction I will bee more particular in it and discover 1 The comparison of the Law and the Gospell 1 How the agree 2 How they differ 2. The comparison of the Promise and the Gospell 1 How they agree 2 How they differ 1 In the comparison of the Law and Gospell wee must deale as Plutarch in his Greeke and Romane lives to examine the proportions and disproportions so wee shall best finde the just difference 1 How they agree and therein 1. Generally both as the Law was first giuen to Adam and afterward again by Moses So it agrees with the Gospell in the generall consideration of the Author the Matter the End and the Subject 1 The Author of both in a generall consideration was God 2 The Matter of both in a generall consideration was Commands and Promises 3 The End of both in a generall consideration the glory of Gods Attributes his Wisedome and his Goodnesse and his Iustice 4 The Subject of both in a generall consideration Man 2. Specially As the law was given to Adam it agrees with the Gospell in the then possibility of performance 2 How they differ and herein againe consider we the Law 1 As brought to Adam 2 As given by Moses 1 As the law was brought to Adam it much differs from the Gospell 1 In the speciall consideration of the Author God the Trinity gave the Law without having respect to Christ but God gracious and mercifull having respect unto his Christ gave the Gospell Now to apprehend God as hee then entended himselfe to bee knowne meerely as a Creator and a Soveraign rule were to make ourselves miserably uncomfortable 2 In the Speciall consideration of the 〈…〉 the first Covenant wâ—s of mans workes the second of Gods grace the Law Doe this and love the Gospell If thou beleevest thou shalt be saved 〈◊〉 faith also or beleeving is not here required as a worke These two are very opposite and mutually destroy each other If by grace then it is no more of workes otherwise grace is no more grace but if it be of workes then is it no more grace otherwise workes is no more workes Rom. 11.6 3 In the speciall consideration of the manner of exhibition the first Covenant stood on mans righteousnesse the second on anothers Christs imputed and made ours the first mutable because upon the mutability of mans will the second firme upon the foundation of Gods immutable wil 't is an everlasting Covenant 4 In the manner of remuneration the reward or the added good was there of debt is here of grace there no other reward was revealed but what earthly paradise afforded but here heaven is set open 5 In the speciall consideration of the subiect 1 The Law was to man innocent the Gospell to man a sinner 2 The Law was to Adam and universally to all his posterity the Gospell onely to the seed to the elect in Christ 6 In the speciall consideration of the End that was for the glory of Gods wisedome and justice this for the glory of his mercy and iustice tempered that Law was a Covenant of Iustice without assisting mercy this Gospell is a Covenant of Iustice and mercy together I see the Iustice of my God fulfilled by my Christ and the mercy of my Father extended in and for Christ 2 As the Law was given by Moses it differs from the Gospell 1 In some maines 1 In the distinct consideration of the Author God as angry gave the Law as reconciled gave the Gospell therefore the Law-giving was accompanyed with signes of wrath the Gospell with the tokens of Gods good pleasure as the Apostle fully puts the differences in that discription of either Hebr. 12.18 19 20 21 22. 2 In the mediatour S. Iohn hath cleared this For the Law came by Moses but Grace and Truth came by Iesus Christ Ioh 1.17 A servant was the Mediatour of that the Lord the Mediator of his 3 In the bloud confirming each that Testament was confirmed by the bloud of beasts this by the bloud of the Sonne of God 4 In the Adiuncts 1. The Law was poore and weak unable to give life but the Gospell is Gods strong Arme the power of God unto salvation 2. The law was a burthen which they were not able to beare the Gospell is a light Burthen and an easie Yoake 5 In the effects the Law is a killing letter the Gospel is a quickening Spirit the Law is the ministry of death and condemnation the Gospell the ministry of Spirit and life Hagar generates unto bondage and they that are of the Law are captive Sarah generates unto liberty and her sonnes are free The law â—s an hand-wrâ—ting of Ordinances against us the Gospell is an acquittance for us the Sermon of the Crosse upon which that Hand-writing is nayled and made of no use When the law shewes me a bill of my sinnes sealed I can shew the Gospell a general discharge See your evidence is not valid 't is cancelled upon the Crosse 2. In some circumstances 1. Of the Subiect wherin the Covenants were written the Law upon tables of stone the Gospell in the fleshy Tables of the heart that former was an hard Covenant without me this is made easie to mee because written in mee 2 Of the place Sinai and Sion Sinai from whence was the Law was a Mount that might not be touched that burned with fire a place of blackenesse and darkenesse and tempest But Mount Sion the City of the living God 3 Of the Time 1. Of promulgation 2. Of duration that till Christ this unto eternity 2 Wee have seene the comparison of the Law and Gospel in their agreemeÌ„ts and differences now the coÌ„parison of the Covenant of Promise and the Gospel 1 They agree together in substance 1 In the efficient cause from the sole gracious mecy of God respecting us in Christ 2 The matter of both the same the obedience of Faith unto life 3 The end of both the praise of Gods glorious grace 4 The subiect the same both made to sinners not that worke but that doe beleeve 5 The effects are the same for both do generate unto liberty 6 Lastly they are both sealed by the same Spirit both were confirmed by oath and therefore neither of them to bee abolished but one to succeed the other the former to bee fulfilled by the latter 2 They differ onely in some accidentals 1 Of the Obiect the Promise respected Christ to come the Gospel Christ now already exhibited 2 Of the Faith the Faith of the Promise was more darke the Faith of the Gospell more cleare for Christ appeared to them in types now as it were face to face 3 Of the Subiect 1 That to them onely this to all people the water of that promise ranne within the Channell of Israel this is an Ocean and