be in him a well of water springing up unto everlasting life It is impossible that such a man should die for this reason He that receives the life of Christ through the spirit of Christ he receives a true being a divine nature and it is unpossible that one drop of the divine nature should perish 〈◊〉 very person that hath the divine nature he hath the spirit of Christ he hath Christ as he raises persons from the dead and as hee delivers them from the power of sin and as hee quickens them as himself is a quickning spirit And so much for answer of the second querie but 3. Queree What doth the Apostle meane heere by the law of sinne and death from which the spirit of life in Christ sets us free T Answ o which I answer His meaning is either one or both of these two things either 1. By the law of sin and death he must meane the power of sin or 2. By the law of sin and death he means that law which gives sinne a being and gives it power to destroy Now though the first of these may be heere included yet hee mainly intends the second in this place as I shall shew by and by but if he doe here any thing ayme at the first in this place it is as sin is a law and sin may be said to be a law under these two significations 1. As it hath a mighty power in 〈◊〉 or 2. As it hath a certaine kinde of confused rule 1. It hath a mighty power for so saies the Scripture the flesh lusteth against the spirit and where there is lust there is love and love is as strong as death either in good things or in evill and so sin hath its power but 2. It hath a kinde of uncertaine rule and method for there is a method in pleasure and lust and sinfull joy after a carnall manner and so sinne is a law but that which the Apostle here means is 2. The law which is the Law that occasions sinne which the law of the spirit freeth us from to this purpose observe but the 23. verse of the 7th Chapter which runs thus But I see another law in my membrs warring against the law of my minde and bringing me into captivity unto the law of sin Where we see the Apostle speakes of three lawes 1. The law of the spirit which he calls the law of his minde 2. The law of Concupiscence which he calls the law in his members which he saies brings him into Captivitie to the third law Which he calls the Law of sinne and is the law which occasions sinne For here is law against law bringing into Captivitie to law The law of sin in his members rebelling against the law of the spirit in his minde or his inward man for saies Paul I doe see another law in my members and this law in his members was the power of sin working through concupiscence and lust carrying him contrary to God rebelling saies he against the law of my minde meaning against the law of the spirit in his heart or the spirit in his heart as a law And so as he saies in another place The flesh lusteth against the Spirit leading me captive to the law of sinne Meaning by the law of sin here in the last place that law of which he speakes in the Text. The law of sinne and death which is the Law that occasions sinne and death or the Law of Commandments and this appears in the verse following the Text For the Apostle having said in the Text that the saints are free from the Law of sinne and death in the next verse hee shewes what that law is in these Words For what the law could not do in that it was weake through the flesh God sending his owne Sonne c. What was that which the law could not do that the Sonne of God did for us Answer 1. the Law could not make us holy 2. The Law could not free us from sinne 3. The law could not free us from condemnation But one the contrary it brought under guilt brought us under the curse Now what law did this The law of Comandments which saies the Apostle was weake through the flesh And it may bee said to bee weake through the flesh thus 1. In that wee are weake and through the fleshare not able to walk exactly to the law nor to come up to the Rule of it in our conversation And so are not able to obtain life by it Therefore God hath given us life in another way even through his Son or 2 In that the law as it is written upon tables of Stone though it be holy just and good hath no power as it is in the Letter to convay its selfe into us to inable us to walke according to the rule it prescribes unto us And this law is stiled the law of sinne and death in these three respect which the Scripture holds forth unto us 1. In that it discovers sinne 2. In that it is the strength of sinne 3. In that it brings men under the curse and so lyable to death 1. It discovers sinne For the Apostle tells us Rom. 7.7 I had not known sin but by the law For I had not knowne lust except the law had said Thou shalt not covet and he tells us further that where no law is there is no transgression The law is holy and therefore it discouers unto men their unholinesse And 2. As the law discovers sinne and makes sin to be exceeding sinfull so it is the strength of sin The sting of death is sinne and the strength of sin is the law 1 Cor. 15.56 where were the strength of sin were in not for the Law and 3 It brings men under the curse and under death For so saves the Apostle it is written Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that is written in the Book of the Law to do them And so being under the curse the effect of the curse is death and therefore saies the Apostle if you walke after the flesh ye shall dye and it is the very title that 's giuen to the law as though there were nothing else in it The ministeration of condemnation and the ministeration of death 2. Cor. 3.7.9 In the 7 verse the Apostle cales it the ministeration of death ingraven in stones and in the 9. verse the ministeration of condemnation Thus you see how the lawis held forh in scripture to be the law of sinne and death now what this law being weake through the flesh could not doe God hath sent Iesus Christ to doe for us and in us and therefore he hath freed us from that law and given us another law even the law of the Spirit that the righteousnesse of the law might be fullfilled by the spirit in us as apears verse 4th And now being freed from this law sinne shall not have dominion over us for we are not vnder the law but under
This was the glorious designe of God to make persons righteous in Christ as Christ had gathered up all truth and righteousnesse in himself So he being our Head should fulfill righteousnesse and truth in us by the Spirit And that 's the second reason of the point But then 3. 3. That God might be all in all and the creature nothing at all The third reason why we are freed from the law through the Spirt is this that God might be all in all and the creature nothing at all God hath gathered up all into Christ that we might not be saved by fulfilling the law or by any other way that he alone might be all in all that the Creature may not have whereof to boast therefore he doth all freely by his grace and by the law shall no man living be justified for if righteousnesse were by the law then might men have whereof to glory but the great designe of God is his owne glory which he will not give to another and therefore hath he freed us from the Law and glorified the riches of his grace towards us that beleeve in that we through the spirit are freed from the law which brought us under the curse that wee should not bee under the oldnesse of the letter but be of the Circumcision which worship God in the spirit and rejoyce in Christ Iesus and have no confidence in the flesh I should here come to the uses of all but there two or three queeries first to be answered The first is that which Saint Paul both makes and answers having Rom. 7.5 6. declared this truth here hold forth in the Text that we are dead unto the law and freed from the oldnesse of the letter that we migot serve in the newnesse of the Spirit this queree he makes to prevent it in others Is the Law sin then To which the Answer may be in the Apostles words God forbid I say God forbid that any man should so conceive that that which was given immediately from God is sin No saies the Apostle the law is Holy and the Commandment holy just and good It speakes nothing but holinesse and there is nothing but puritie in it I need stand no longer in this to confirme the truth of the puritie of the law it is so apparent But 2. Queerie 2 The next queerie will be that which the same Apostle in another * Gal. 3.19 place also makes and that is this Wherefore then serveth the law Answe Answ The Gospell holds forth this to be the use of the Law viz. To convince every man and woman of their miserable condition out of Christ and this it doth as will appear if you consider this That no man can come into the presence of God or be advanced to the beatifical vision but those that are pure those that are holy For as the Apostle tels us without holinesse no man shall see God so that no unclean thing shall stand in the presence of the most holy God for he is of purer eyes then to behold iniquitie and therefore he hath given forth this Law as a rule for all to walk by in generall it being a holy Law and hath declared that in it he sets before men life and death blessings and cursings but man having in him by nature the seed and root of all corruption hath therefore a will to do evill but none to do good and having first lost his first image can never keep this law for all have sinned and all come short by nature of the glory of God held forth in this Law and therefore being in this condition must at last needes sinke into the bottomlesse pit and the burning Lake where the Worme dyeth not and the fire is not quenched if there be not a Mediator stepping in betweene to bring in everlasting righteousnes in which sinners may stand compleat before God and to redeem them from this Law which because of sinne puts them into this deplorable condition So that now all do see may see or shall see their miserable condition by the Law not having a Saviour and that is now the use of the Law And so much in effect the Apostle holds forth 1 Tim. 1.9 10. Having spoken in the former verses of some that would be Teachers of the Law and turning from the Gospell he bids Timothy to change them to teach no other doctrine then the doctrine of the Gospell Now sayes he the end of the commandement is purity and love the Law holds forth puritie But some sayes he that would be Teachers of the Law know not what they say nor whereof they affirm It seems they either did as the Pharisees seek righteousnesse in the Law or went it may be a little further mixing law and Gospell preaching that men must be saved partly by the Law and partly by Christ or some such like doctrine But positively to say what it was I cannot nor is it much materiall to our purpose But sayes the Apostle though they know not what they do yet we know what we do and what the use and end of the Law is we know it is pure and holds forth purity to all and all that come short of the purity thereof are under the curse thereof being out of Christ and not pure in him and righteous in him knowing that the Law is good if a man use it lawfully that is if it be rightly applyed if we preach the Law and all the terrors thereof unto all that are out of Christ and are not righteous by him Knowing sayes he that the Law was not made for a righteous man but for the lawlesse and disobedient for ungodly and prophane c. the law is made for these and so it discovers their miserable condition unto them And so Paul sayes the Law discovered sin to him and he never knew sin before the Law discovered sinne him and made iâ— to be exceeding sinfull So that this is now the use of the Law it makes all the world to become guilety before God and declares to altheir miserable condition out of Christ And so much for answer of the second quaerie But then 3. Queere 3 Another quaerie will be this Was not then Law given for a Rule of Life unto the people of GOD when it was delivered upon Mount Sinai Answ Answ Yes the Law was given for a rule unto his people Israell who were then the peculiar people of God and this the Apostle cleerly holds forth Gal. 3.24 where he tels us plainly the Law was a Tutor or a Schoole-master untill CHRIST For the Law was our Schoolemaster untill Christ And so the word runs in the Originall and not as it is in our ordinary Translation The Law was our Schoolemaster to bring us to Christ For this is not the sense of it but is contradictorie to what the Apostle had before delivered in the 12. verse where he sayes The Law is not of Faith That is Justification by Faith in the Lord
to be a law in regard of his mighty operation in the Soule it brings downe light and truth and life and power into the soule and workes exceeding strongly in the soule and when it comes what is able to withstand the Spirit What is greater then the Spirit What is stronger then the Spirit If the spirit comes it bears down all opposition Though the flesh lust against the spirit yet the spirit is two strong for the flesh so that it divides the very jonts and marrow So that the Spirit is a law above the law the law is weake and cannot take place in the hearts of men But when the spirit comes with its law it prevails against all and takes place The flesh profiteth nothing saith our Saviour it is the Spirit that quickneth If the spirit quickneth it hath life in it and where life is it is full of activity for life is manifested in this in that it is full of motion quicknesse and agilitie and in beating off every thing that doeth offende it or anoy it So the spirit being a spirit of life it hath a mighty power in it Although the soule be filled with sin and guilt and in that condition cloathed also with ignorance which doth so inviron the foule as it cannot stir in any other way nor hath the least motion of good in it yet when the spirit comes he beares downe all he destroyes all and therefore it is called the spirit of burning in the scripture And when Christ comes to Baptise he is said to Baptise with the holy Ghost and with fire so that when the spirit comes nothing can stand before him and he brings both light and heate and motion in him and is most powerfull in operation But then 3. The spirit may be saide to be a law or to have a law in it as it is a sure and true guide and as it leades every soule in a right and true way And therefore our Saviour tells vs The spirit of truth shall leade you into all truth And indeed the Spirit guides securely and guides safely guides surely and guides Purely for the spirit cannot erre and he that hath the spirit knowes the minde of God and is guided to fullfill the minde of God as farr as he hath the spirit for the spirit is a blessed guide and a blessed rule and about the law for although the law it s true is righteous holy and good yet alas it Cannot bring forth power to inable the Creature to walke suteable to its selfe It is onely the Spirit hath that power and not the law Therefore the Spirit he is the law of the Saints he shews them the truth teaches them the truth and leades them in the truth and gives them power to walke according to the truth for its the spirit that guides the Saints to Christ who is the truth its selfe and so The spirit guides the Saints in the waies of holynesse through the Spirit they mortifie the deeds of the body and live through the spirit they are guided to denie themselves to abandon their owne parts and their own indowments and their owne righteousnesse and to see all in and to fetch all from a Christ Through the Spirit the Saints put away the garment spotted by the flesh and forsake their vaine conversation wherein in times past they walked through the spirit the Saints are guided to deny all vngodlynesse and worldly lusts and to live soberly and holy and Godly in the present evill world through the spirit they are taught to love with an vnfained love the houshold of faith puting away malice and envie and the leaven of discention and wickednesse through the spirit the Saints are guided so to walke as to shine as lights amidst a crooked and perverse generation In a word through the spirit the Saints are guided having discliamed all their owne righteousnesse to doe that which the Jewes could not doe by the light of the law even to submit to the righteousnesse of Christ that is to cloath themselves through faith with the glorious robes of the righteousnesse of the Lord Jesus whereby they see themselves compleat in him and thus the spirit is a pure and a sure guide and in these three respects the Spirit may be said to have a law and so much may suffice for answer to the first queree But 2. Queree 2 In that the Apostle here tells us of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus and doth not say the spirit of life in us but the spirit of life in Christ The queree will be how the spirit of life is said to be in Christ Answer To which I answer The spirit of life is said to be in Christ under two considerations 1. As hee is the Fountaine of life 2. As he communicates the spirit of life unto all his people 1. As the Lord lesus Christ is the fountaine of life as the fulnesse of all life dwells in him for so sayes the Apostle It pleased the Father that in him should all fulnesse dwell 1 Cor. 15.47 45. and the same Apostle also saies he is the Lord from Heaven and that the first Adam was made a living soule but the second Adam was made a quickning spirit and therefore our Saviour tells us the flesh profiteth nothing but it is the spirit that quickens and the words that I speak unto you they are spirit and they are life There is such a fulnesse of the spirit in Christ that whatsoever Christ speakes is spirituall and carries a spirituall signification along with it for indeed the spirit was in him without measure so that in him is life originally or he is the fountaine of Life but then 2. The Spirit of life is in him by way of communication all that of the spirit that is communicated unto us is communicated unto us in and by the Lord Iesus Have wee any life any strength any beautie upon us any grace conveyed unto us It is all conveyed in and through the Lord Iesus Christ And therefore our Saviour tells the Jewes that he was the bread of life the bread of Heaven that came down from Heaven And whosoever did eate of his flesh and drink of his blood should live for ever he breathed the Holy Ghost on his disciples and poures upon every one that beleeves on him rivers of living water rivers of his spirit for he conveies fulnesse of spirituallitie and divine strength into them That man therefore that hath the spirit of life in Christ conveyed into him through the spirit of life in Christ living in him is the most beautifull creature in the world for he carries divine sweetnesse and beautie upon his spirit And he that hath this spirit derived from Christ hath true life in him other men may be alive and yet dead but that man that hath the life of Christ through his spirit that works in him such a soul shall live for ever such a soule shall never die but it shall
Law yet they being spirituall see a spirituall beautie and glory in it they see it is holy and just and pure they see the Characters of the glory of God upon it and cannot have slight and undervalewing thoughts of it as the manner of some is though they are not to have over-valewing thoughts as to think to be justified thereby or to think they are to walk no further then that rule for justification this I say they cannot do for the spirit in the Gospell leades them further then the Law yea it leades them to serve in the newnesse of the spirit and not in the oldnesse of the Letter that the Law might be fulfilled in a spirituall maner though they are not to tye themselves to that only but to go further yet what is there in the law that the Spirit in the Gospell doth not spiritually hold forth Either in the ten Commandements or all those other Statutes and judgments and ordinances given to them of old I say what is there which is not spiritually held forth in the Gospell Though not in the outward Letter Although the Saints do not now nor are now to fulfill it in the Letter as I might instance in circumcision and many other things yet all these things are to be fullfild spiritually in them And thus though the Saints are freed from the Law yet they are to walk by a higher rule and a higher Law the Law of the Spirit and he is a pure and a sure guide And he that hath not the Spirit for his guide he knowes not what it is to be united to the Lord Jesus for he that hath not the spirit of Christ is none of his and as many as are led by the spirit of God are the sonnes of God and iâ— is the spirit of God indeed that leades the Saints into all truth That Spirit that comes from God leades them up to God And thus have I briefly answered this quaery and showed by comparing the two covenants together that the Saints are free from the Law and that they are not under that covenant for for that is made old c. So that they are not First under the condemning power Nor secondly are they to seek to be justified by the workes of it Nor thirdly are they to take the Law as it lyeth in the Letter Rom. 7. in all the parts of it as a rule to walk by But heer lest I should be mistaken by any slight or vain spirits who may be apt to conclude that the Law is utterly to be cast aside now and is no more to be lookt upon but they may live as they list I must further declare that though beleevers are now free from the condemnation of the Law and though they are not to take the whole Law as it lyeth in the Letter of it to be the rule of life as was the Pharisaicall and now is the Popish manner yet this Law is still to be taken as a rule as it is in the spirit or as it is held forth in the Gospell For as I said before the Law is spiritually held forth in the Gospell And so not onely the ten Precepts is to be taken as a Rule and is morall but other Lawes besides them which were given with the ten Precepts are rules for Saints now and are morall also because the Gospel holds them forth also As for instance that Law of doing good to our Enemies Exod. 23.4 5. and that Law that forbids oppression of the poore and of the Widdow the fatherlesse children and of the stranger Exod. 22.22 23 24 and 23.9 As also that of keeping just weights and just ballances and that of reverencing the ancient and the gray head c. These and others are I say morall as well as the ten Precepts because they are helâ— forth in the Gospell and therefore are they rules by which Saints are strictly injoyned to walk by In a word all that which is written in the Law and the Prophets is freely and fully and sweetly to be embraced and practised by all beleevers as the Gospell holds it forth And doubtlesse the Spirit of Christ doth lead those that are his so to do whatsoever the practises of others are But now on the other side I would not have any to think that those other lawes which are abolished in the Gospell I mean in the outward litterall observation of them as those typicall Ceremoniall and Leviticall lawes are to be in the least practised by Beleevers now but we are to receive all laws from the hand of Christ now and not from the hand of Moses As the Lord Iesus now hath explained them himself and by his spirit in his servants in the Gospell and not as Moses laid them down And thus much in answer c. Now by this time wee see this truth cleere That the Saints have obtained a freedome from the Law by the law of the Spirit of life that is in Christ Jesus And it comes now to bee applied in severall uses and it is of use to both those two sorts of people which doe divide the world Those that walke after the flesh and those that walke after the Spirit First those that walke after the flesh And 1. Vse To rebuke and admonish those which really are Antinomians against the Law and would make voide the Law Vse 1 IN the first here is a word of reprehension to those that having a loose and carnall spirit do contemne and despise the Law upon this consideration because they heare that in the Gospel it is the priviledge of the Saints that they are not under the Law but under Grace therefore doe these men turne the Grace of God into wantonnes take libertie in waies of licenciousnesse as though they might live as they list turning the Glory of God against the Glory of God The Glory of his Grace against the Glory of his Holinesse and of such the Apostele speakes for there were such also in his time Jude 1.4 And he saies they are ungodly men turning the grace of God into wantonnesse and denying saies he the onely Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ And truely they may well be said to denie the Lord Jesus For were the Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ within it would fulfill in them the righteousnesse of the Law and they would now serve though not in the oldnesse of the letter yet in the newnesse of the Spirit Their spirits would be carried out into a conformitie to Jesus Christ and the Glorious Image of God would bâ— renewed in them in a word they would be a new creature If any man be in Christ he is a new crature A new creature What is a new creature You may the better know it if you look upon its contrary The old man which the Apostle describes Ephes 4.22 Put off the old man which is corrupt according to the deceitfull lusts Now if the Old man be corrupt and deceitfull the new creature
or the new man is holy and pure and senceare Ye the Apostle tells us verse 24. it is Created according to the Image of God in Righteousnesse and true holinesse Let those therefore that thus despise the law and therefore take libertie to walke after the flesh to fulfill the deceitfull lusts of the old man know that they deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ and if they so continue they have no part in him Therefore I would beseech these persons seriously to consider and deeply to pensitrate in their thoughts 1. That the Law is an expresse character of the Glory of God It had such a glory in it as made Meses the minister thereof his face to shine even by reason of that glory that is in it and can you have low thoughts of it 2. The law is Holy Just and and good and dare you slightly to esteeme of it 3. It was the delight of all the Saints since God gave it by the hand of Moses It was their meditation day and night and sweete as honey unto them yee sweeter then the hony combe and how then can you undervalue it And Lastly it is that that shines gloriously in the Lord Jesus and that which he fulfilled in every tittle of it For he came not to destroy the Law but to perfect it to fulfill it perfectly that in his Righteousnesse who fulfilled the Righteous law all those that doe belong unto him and are drawne by a supernaturall worke of God in their spirits to beleeve in him may be presented without spot and wrincle before God! O therefore have high thoughts of it and set it up in your hearts and let it be the sweet subject of your meditations day and night as it is in the Lord Iesus as it is in him fulfilled for you if you doe belong unto him and as it shall be satissied also by the Spirit who are his And though you cannot now attaine to walke in the puritie of it and the perfection of it here yet you shall be perfect in the spirit when you are unclothed of this earthly house and cloathed upon with the house which is from heaven when that which is perfect is come and that which is in part shall bee done away So leaving these men in these contemplations I come to the next use And 2. Vse To discover the sad condition of all that walâ—e after the flesh Vse 2 IT serves to discover and lay open the sad condition of those that walk after the flesh that spend their daies in vanity their yeers in folly I say in folly for so I may call the best actions greatest wisdome and accutest parts of naturall men For it is all foolishnesse with God This point I say informes them of their sad condition and truely it is very sad and dolefull of what degrees soever they are but before I declare it let me Characterize some few particular degrees of them that they may behold their owne image and be afraid that so if it may be they may bee wonne to come to the Lord Jesus that they may walke after the Spirit The severall degrees are these 1. Art thou such a one as walkest in such practises as these adultery fornication uncleannesse laciviousnesse idolatrie witchcraft hatred variance emulation wrath strife sedition heresies envyings murder Drunkennesse revellings such like and wallowest in these practises as Swine wallowes in the mire with a kinde of pleasing contentment Then thou art one that walkest after the flesh But 2. Some may please themselves and think that because they are not notoriously such persons therefore they are not such as walk after the flesh but again Dost thou minde the things of the flesh Art thou taken up with carnal contentments and carnall pleasures And though thou scornest the vile and filthy practises of some and dost not walk in those wayas that are notoriously evill and base in the eyes of men yet if thou delightest altogether in carnall things and when thou hast thy honours and a high esteem amongst men and delicious fare and pompous apparell and fleshly pleasures and things succeed according to thy minde then thou art where thou wouldest be and art like a worm alwayes crawâ—ing upon the earth and creeping upon dunghils never mounting up higher nor having all thy delights and thy joyes nor placing thy affections on the things above nor dost by faiths Eagle-eye pierce the heavens and see him that is invisible as Moses did and dost not behold the Lord Jesus as thy treasure there that there thine heart might be also dost not behold him there as having taken thy nature upon him and having in it by crucifying of it and shedding his blood washed away thy sins and is raised up again that thou mightest be raised also unto newnesse of life and to live together with him in glory Now I say if this be thy condition that thou dost not behold these glories to the joy of thy soul and placest not thy delights here but mindest the things of the flesh only then thou still walkest after the flesh Rom. 8.5 For they sayes the Apostle that are after the flesh do minde the things of the flesh but they that are after the spirit the things of the spirit But then 3. But dost thou go yet further And dost not onely despise fouler and grosser sinnes But dost in some sort see a vanitie in all the creatures under heaven and canst finde no contentment in them and therefore labourest and seekest by thine own strength to finde out a way to please God that so thou mayest obtain the favour of God and therefore endeavourest to walk innocently towards all men and though thou failest in many things yet thou thinkest by thy good meanings to please God so though thou canst not do as others do yet thou pleasest thy self in this estate and thinkest it is good But this is still to walk after the flesh for here 's no Christ no spirit in all this Again 4. Although thou goest further then all this and dost not onely mean well but as thou mayest think do well too and art strict in observing the Law to thy power and art frequent in performing of duties and observing fasts and in giving largely to the poore yet all these things and many more mayest thou do and that out of a zeale toward God and yet thou still walkest after the flesh For Matth. 5 20. our Saviour tels them That except their righteousnesse exceed the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees they should not enter into the Kingdome of Heaven Though the Pharisees did strictly observe the law were frequent in performance of duties made long prayers fasted twice a weeke and were liberall to the poore c. And the Apostle Paul Rom. 10.4 tells us of the of the Iewes that hee could beare them record and they had a zeall of of God Though not according to knowledge for saies he they being ingnorant of the