Selected quad for the lemma: law_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
law_n	good_a	sin_n	transgression_n	4,384	5	10.5404	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A89411	Several works of Mr. Iohn Murcot, that eminent and godly preacher of the Word, lately of a Church of Christ at Dublin in Ireland. Containing, I. Circumspect walking, on Eph. 5.15,16. II. The parable of the ten virgins, on Mat. 25. from ver. 1. to ver. 14. III. The sun of righteousness hath healing in his wings for sinners, on Mal. 4.2. IV. Christs willingness to receive humble sinners, on John 6.37. Together with his life and death. Published by Mr. Winter, Mr. Chambers, Mr. Eaton, Mr. Carryl, and Mr. Manton. With alphabetical tables, and a table of the Scriptures explained throughout the whole.	Murcot, John, 1625-1654.; Winter, Samuel, 1596?-1665.; Chambers, Robert, minister in Dublin.; Eaton, Samuel, 1506?-1665.; Manton, Thomas, 1620-1677.; Caryl, Joseph, 1602-1673.; J. G.	1657 (1657)	Wing M3083; Thomason E911_1; ESTC R202939	754,107	852

greater measure and therefore we may understand this of a general state of the Saints before the coming of Christ the arising of this Sun of righteousness indeed hath shone into the very chambers of death themselves to let us see tha● there is not that real terrour in it that otherwise except himself had gone through it and broken the bars of it and pluckt out the sting and sanctified it as a passage to our Glory as well as to his own we should still have been in as great bondage as they were in this respect and therefore Simeon saith Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace according to thy word now he had embraced the Lord Christ not only in his bodily arms but had a clearer discovery also of him to his soul doubtless and the sence may help faith also But then secondly According to the measure of the faith of his people is the degree of their liberty from this bondage alas it is terrible to many of us yea such as do believe but their faith is weak and the perswasions of sense are strong and hold down the soul many times but the Lord Jesus came to deliver his people also from this bondage and according to the degrees of his manifesting himselfto the soul will the soul go forth from these fears and though Aristotle died doubtful whither he should go and yet cried out Ens entium causa causarum miserere mei Yet the Apostle and those that attained that pitch to know that when our tabernacles are dissolved we have an house eternal in the heavens to know the sting of death and victory of the grave is swallowed up by Jesus Christ it left its sting in his side to know that when we are dissolved we shall be with Christ and know how much better that will be to the soul that is well studied in these things and grown strong in the faith that is in Jesus he will desire to be dissolved and to be with Jesus O here is a going forth now a liberty and freedom indeed by the arising of the Sun of Righteousness upon us Ninthly A freedom or liberty from the Govenant of works What saith the Law Do this and live continue in every thing that is written now when the soul cometh to see how spirittual the Law is and how earnal he is and sold under sin that it binds not only the thoughts but the desires of the heart that there must not be so much as a vain thought pass through his soul but if there do this Covenant knoweth no mercy alas this keepeth the poor creature under much bondage and trouble and doubting concerning his condition now we must know that this is not a bondage of Gods putting upon us though he gave us the Law but of our own making the Lord gave the Law with Evangelical purposes it was added because of transgression it was added that the Covenant of Grace that it might convince poor creatures of their condition by s●n and not to be their Saviour or a Covenant of life to them When the Commandment came sin revived and I died saith the Apostle that is the work of it indeed but now we would needs make it to be a Covenant of works and look upon it so and therefore do what we did in obedience to this Law as for life expecting to be saved by our own works and so the Hebrews the Jews to whom that Law was first given we see how they would not submit they would not stoop to have this yoke taken off from them they would not submit to the righteousness of Ged but would have a righteousness of their own they had two strings to their bow and as long as either of them would hold they would not yield to be righteous by the righteousness of God in Christ the one was their freedom by Birth They were the seed of Abraham and not the seed of the Bond-woman and therefore what need they care for this liberty the other was their own works they made account their own penny was good silver enough though the Lord knoweth it was but reprobate silver they went about to establish their own righteousness they would be justified by a Covenant of works And so there were some that came and endeavoured to turn aside the Galathians to another Gospel by teaching them they should again put their necks under this yoke not only of Ceremonies though that be one thing to the Jews if not to the Gentiles that never were under it but it is the Law the Moral Law as a Covenant of Works else to what end doth he mention the curse therein And if ye be justified by the Law Christ shall not profit you you are fallen from the Doctrine of Grace Well now the Lord Jesus when he is revealed to a soul delivereth him from this though I must tell you it is an harder matter to get clearly off it then many do imagine and even the people of God themselves shall find that too often they are turned aside to the bondwoman from the free from the Covenant of Grace to a Covenant of Works Again from the Law as provoking for that is the Bondage chiefly the Apostle speaks of Rom. 7. But the more clearly and fully the Grace which is in Christ is revealed to us with the greater power he ariseth upon us the more fully are we set free from it Here we might discuss the question how far we are delivered from the Law and how far by Jesus Christ I will rather reserve that to another place and proceed to conclude this part Tenthly There is a kind of bondage the people of God are under even that weakness and straitness and deadness of heart towards God you know that sickness doth weaken a man exceedingly in so much that he can scarce go upon his legs he is a prisoner a great while under that weakness from all action to purpose let but a poor prisoner be under hardship a while in the prison and how feeble will he be and scarce worth the ground he goeth upon a while longer he is a prisoner under that weakness so it is here therefore saith the Psalmist Then will I run the ways of thy commandments when thou shalt enlarge my heart Now the Lord Jesus when he cometh in with pardon speaking peace smiling upon the soul filling the heart with joy unspeakable this joy of the Lord is the strength of the soul he goeth forth even as a man to his labour in the morning when the Sun ariseth that drousiness heaviness deadness under which he was a prisoner before being now removed Eleventhly There is a liberty and freedom also from outward afflictions for these are also an appendix of the Law a part of the execution of it and therefore the Lord doth set his people free from the fear of these before they come which is a kind of bondage upon them Secondly From the presence of

with us at all but then when we do actually thus pollute our selves he takes occasion to depart to leave us to those evils and to fill us with our own back-slidings Thirdly Take heed of sinning against conviction against light this is dangerous indeed you may come to be shut up in darkness for this to be bound in affliction and iron to endure sad things upon your spirits for if the Spirit of Christ who convinceth you this or that is a sin be so far slighted as you heed it not what if he then forbear and is it not righteous he should forbear to shine upon your graces that you should see any thing that is ought in you So that you shall walk in darkness and see no light will not this be a paying of you home in your own coyn David could not be ignorant what his sin was before he committed it and yet you see he ventured upon it and what it cost him Fourthly Take heed of deliberate sinning when a man hath time of consideration of his sin to argue the case pro and con as we use to say and doth revolve with himself O this is sinful if I do it I rebell against God I do what in me lies to undo my self O but saith lust man it shall be satisfied God is merciful there is time enough to repent or it will easily be healed afterward Now upon such deliberations as this if a man will sin there is much of the will in it and so much the more wicked and therefore now the spirit must needs be grieved what can such a poor creature expect but to be brought under bondage as you see it in David his plotting and contriving the death of Vriah these sins in cold blood when a man is not under the sudden violent heat of a temptation and yet will sin O this grieves him much if a pot be on the fire and the scum rise we throw it out we expect it would rise but if no fire be under and yet a scum arise O this is so loathsom it is not to be endured Fifthly Take heed of Ranker and Malice of grudgings of heart one against another as the Apostle saith grudge not one against another prejudices heart-burnings grudgings upon injuries real or conceived and imagined O this grieveth the Spirit who is a Spirit of pure love and will have them that look to enjoy him to be a people of love to cover much bear and forbear and forgive in love for love will cover a multitude of offences Sixthly Take heed then of pride of being lifted up for the Spirit of Christ is a Spirit of humility O he loveth to dwell in the lowly spirit if we be lifted up we rob him of his honour to arrogate that to our selves which he hath been working for us to think we are something of our own of our selves he will let us know to our sorrow that we have nothing in our hearts but darkness and bondage and sin and that all was from him Seventhly Take heed of unthankfulness for what he hath done for us when the Spirit of the Lord Jesus shall be at all this pains with us contest with the quarrellings and disputings of our own hearts against our own peace and comfort and answer all our objections and still our complaints and seal up love upon our hearts remove our trembling and fears dispell our darkness cleanse our loathsom hearts in a great measure of those lusts that did so much prevail against us and we shall forget this now and not return to him the praise but either to grow into carnal security and when we have rest from that which galled us with the nine leapers go our waies never mind whence we received it or else so much pore upon the remainder of our sins as not to exalt that grace whereby we are in so great a part delivered O this grieveth him and therefore he may justly let us step back again or let loose upon us again those lusts that we were delivered from their strength and never prized the mercy that we learn to admire that grace much more might be added but this shall suffice The next use of the point shall be for satisfaction to some doubts since we are delivered and set free from the Law as you have heard from that It may be thought First that the Law was an evil that it is such a priviledge of the Saints to be delivered from it Secondly It may be doubted how far we are set free from it and therefore I will speak a little to each of them for the first First the Apostle meeteth with it or rather prevents it for seeing that carnal reason would be so ingenuous as to find out that cavil among others against the Doctrine of faith and of freedom from the bondage under the Law as the strength of sin specially What shall I say then saith the Apostle is the Law sin that we are said to be delivered from it and that sin hath its strength from it and so deliverance from sin is a deliverance from the Law as the strength of it Or is the Law death since sin by this means doth work death No saith the Apostle the Law is holy just and good the Law giveth no occasion to sin but sin takes occasion sin will not endure to be contradicted it sucks poyson out of that holy and good Law of God meeting with opposition it swells and rageth so that indeed it is sin that is the evil the Law is holy and good O but the Law it works wrath and works death and can this then be good and how can it be such a mercy to be delivered from it is it a favour to be put into golden fetters supposing the Law to be good and holy yet since it is as we may say ginns and fetters and bolts though of gold to hold the poor soul in to keep him in and up as in a prison is this so good then To this I answer It is true by the Law is the knowlege of sin I had not known lust except the Law had said thou shalt not covet whether in the last command or in each command now I will not dispute but the first motions thoughts risings and bubblings of corruption I had not known them to be sin but that the Law hath said thou shalt not covet Why but was that then that was good made death to me saith the Apostle You must know the Apostle speaks here of a death which is the receiving as I may say the sentence of condemnation in his own spirit by conviction for this is all his knowledge of sin that sin by the commandment might appear to be exceeding sinful this is the dying there mentioned sin revived and I dyed which is in order to liberty to make the poor creature see his necessity of Jesus Christ that so he might make out after him to make a pardon welcome therefore he casts poor sinners

and Harts of the field that you stir not my beloved before he please stir him not by any unseasonable importunity nor by any provocation drive him away for if you do this will be offensive to the Roes creatures easily frighted away that are wild and but beginning to be tamed now this is wise walking and that of the Psalmist The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and a good understanding have they that keep his commandments his praise endureth for ever the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom this is the head the top of wisdom the principal part for this comprehends the first part of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or rule that is to say that which guides us to a right worshipping of God in Spirit and in Truth which is the first thing this is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the godliness the Scripture so often maketh mention of to be exact in this is the beginning the first born of wisdom and the end of wisdom is to keep his Commandments all his Commandments respecting man and God or else fear of God is put for the inward principle of obedience and keeping the Commandments for the real demonstration of it in a holy and righteous conversation which way ever you take it a good understanding they have that keep them so that it is an effect and argument of wisdom Be wise now therefore O ye Kings be instructed ye Judges of the earth they are usually or would be wise men already I but there is one piece of wisdom that the Laws of men teach not but the School of Christ and that is Kiss the Son lest be he angry ye perish from the way or in the way and so another Scripture saith This shall be your wisdom in the sight of the Nations if ye keep the Commandments of the Lord they shall say surely this Nation is a wise and understanding people I will beleave my self wisely in a perfect way saith the Psalmist if ye walked in a perfect way and exactly it would be wise walking indeed and therefore you shall find that all grace and ability and strength whereby we are enabled to walk the ways of God aright it is called Wisdom get Wisdom get Understanding Wisdom is the principal thing and what is this but an ability to walk the ways of God exactly no more for proof For the further confirmation of this Doctrine take these Considerations First It is wisdom to propound a right end to chuse the chief good for his chief end is a principal part of wisdom the Heathens professing themselves wise they became fools they thought they were able by the creatures to run up to the first being and so the first and chief good but wofully they were mistaken A fool he is that works for no end as many men do they bowl away the greatest part of their lives without any mark that they aim at that is good this is the folly which is bound in all mens hearts it is wisdom then to have a mark whereat men aim in all their actions and to have this mark the chief good the right end whereto all should he directed to make him who is the Alpha the Omega it is no small peice of wisdom The eys of a fool are in the ends of the earth but wisdom is before him that hath understanding here and there and every where vvhen they should be fixed upon some mark or stop to which all should be directed as the Apostles vvere he had his mark in his eye still and they should let their eys look right on this is wisdom indeed Now this is one peice of exact walking and a main one too thus to eye the first and chief good that is to say God himself for our last end to propound him to our selves as the center of our souls wherein alone we can rest with satisfaction Whom have I in heaven but thee and there is none upon earth I desire in comparison of thee this was a wise man indeed this is the first Wisdom consists in the provision of the end Secondly To provide and make use of the right means to this end in general is another piece of this Wisdom the wise mans eys are in his head if a man have never so good an end and yet know not which way to compass it nor how to go about to gain it this is a fool when a man hath the mark in his eye to set the byas the wrong way and so to go clear off this end argues not skill but weakness his heart is at his left hand and indeed herein is most evident the power of Wisdom to discover the right means for such an end as will make a man happy and to know how to make use of them and accordingly to improve them for that end the Wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way now who is it that doth this but the circumspect exact walker others they turn the byas another way some to prophanness others to heresie c. they tread not the track at all as if a man intending to go South-ward takes his course quite Northward clean contrary So men intend heaven but their course bends hell-ward sure this is folly no no Jesus Christ is the Way the Truth and the Life and he alone and therefore this is Wisdom brethren to know who is the Wisdom of the Father to come to him close with him walk in him as we have received him Thirdly It is Wisdom and great Wisdom for men then to take the nearest way and easiest way to a thing Labour in vain is not the character of a wise man that doth movere non promovere● now it is labour in vain to go a further way about or a worse way to an end when there is a nearer and better frustra fit per plura quod fieri potest per pauciora how many miles doth a Spaniel run in his excursions to no purpose whereas if he kept close after his Master he would not nor need to tyre himself so much nothing near and so it is with many a soul that doth follow Jesus Christ indeed but they follow him not closely do rove and ramble many times and then are fain to come in again to the way by the weeping cross the by-paths being rough and harsh and full of pricking bryers and wounding thorns no surely brethren the rule of holy walking is the straitest path that leadeth most directly to heaven there is no nearer way then God hath there chalkt out for us and therefore the exact walker that keepeth closest to this rule to walk according to this rule he goeth the nearest way men dream they have a nearer and an easier way then this strict and strait path but alas it is but a dream when they awake they find they are far wide from the vvay and therefore are drawn

indeed Christ is said to have a thousand and they two hundred Sheckels the Keepers of the Vineyard that is to say a fifth part of what he hath Indeed in other goods we have less good in them and a mixture of snares specially in our time of flesh and weakness to weild them aright they are not so desirable in the highest degree David was loth to be the Kings Son in-in-Law Seemeth it to you a light thing to be 〈◊〉 Son in-Law to a King it is a greater burthen then yo 〈…〉 are aware of to carry it answerably to such a condition Favourites places are slippery and dangerous many envious eyes are upon them to watch their halting much ado to keep the heart humble in such a case but now this good the chief good there is no snare in the fulness of enjoyment of him but the more fully the more happy the more Grace the more Glory and therefore for a man to take up with less here is not Wisdom but folly and great weakness therefore the Apostle puts them on That they should not lose any thing of what they had wrought that they might have a full reward and so neglect not slubber not over your services be exact in them lose not so many Prayers so many Sermons so many Sacraments as you do when you do them so carelesly for want of a litle acurateness you lose them and lose of your reward for there is fruit redounding to your account in the day of Christ Eighthly It is a piece of Wisdom also for a man to make sure his title to an inheritance if worth the having who would be so fooled as to neglect this among men where the good is scarce worth the looking after now here is an inheritance incorruptible that fadeth not away an inheritance of the Saints in light and glory and is it not wisdom to make it sure not to be at uncertainties sure you will all conclude it is now this is the way and no other circumspect exact and diligent walking do all diligence it is not an idle loose profession Brethren that is accompanied with assurance no but a diligence there must be a working and working out and with fear and trembling there must be an adding to Faith Vertue c. for if you do these things ye shall not fall and an entrance abundantly shall be ministred into the everlasting Kingdom Now what wise Master of a Ship would come into his harbour tattered and torn full of leaks and ready to sink if he might come in with the sails filled in a gallant manner which he may do by an acurateness of stearing a right course to avoid the rocks and sands who would chuse to go through a narrow wicket as it were hard and sharp when he might have a wide door opened to him O brethren it is wisdom to make your calling sure every man in distrust will tell you so and when you come to die and look death in the face your souls will say that it is wisdom indeed then to have assurance well an exact walking with God is that way to procure it let men say what they will of peace and assurance while they walk loosly they must give me leave to suspect all that I know that sin will undo our peace if we carelesly fall into it For the Application of this then In the first place it may serve to wipe off that slandero●s imputation of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the false accuser of the Brethren and of the wayes of God and of God to us that he casts upon Religion as if it were a thing that were besotting it made men fools this is a slander the Devil hath gotten much by and therefore he useth it much men are loth to be accounted fools and think that to take upon them the strict course of Religion is the next way to it they could never have the liberty nor the free use of their wits and wisdom and policy nor the free use of the Creature nor the good that is in them any more Brethren this is false it is the greatest wisdom in the world ●ure you will say to be wise to Salvation to be wise to a little Popularity and Fame by ostentation of Science falsly so called to be wise to get a good Estate in the World to grow rich this is a poor thing Brethren but to be wise to Salvation is that will stand a man in most stead when for all his other wisdom and the effects of it he shall be at his wits end Beside indeed this is the way to be wise for a mans name for a mans Estate for his Posterity also for who is it that giveth power to get wealth is it not the Lord and is not circumspect walking before him to all wel-pleasing the way to be blessed blessed in basket blessed in store and if he blow upon it and curse it you may sow much and it will come to nothing you may put it into a bag but there are many holes out of which it will run so many lusts unhealed so many holes and for his name you are mistaken it is to be righteous their name shall be had in everlasting remembrance it shall be embalmed the name of the wicked rotteth and stinketh the remembrance of them is loathsom Wisdom it self is folly to a fool and so is the Wisdom of God to Salvation foolishness to the wise men of the World but this their way and judgement is their folly and no greater evidence of folly then to judge the ways of God foolishness Well the foolishness of God as you count it is wiser then men you think it is foolishness to spend so much time in the service of God less ado would serve the turn as the Heathen Seneca derided the Christians that they lost the seventh part of their time that is to say the Sabbath because they spent it not in the service of the world and vanity as they did and so do you when a man is diligent and exact in his times and hours spends so much time in waiting upon God you think he is a fool he will be a beggar but when you and he come to lye upon a death-bed together then tell me who is the fool as very a fool as he was thou wilt then wish thou hadst been such a fool and oh that thou mightest die his death So if some be tender and scruple at the taking an unjust gain in his trading that which others can easily swallow they think this man is a fool he will never do any good with his Trade he will be a beggar Alas they know not that a little with Righteousness with a good Conscience is better then great Revenues without Right a little with Gods Blessing which maketh rich giving contentation and giving the sweet of Mercy making them give down their sweet to them is better then much without it and

tenderly and freely ministred to a yoke-fellow as afterward by the opening of the parable it appears well now thus doth the Lord Jesus dwell with us as many as believe he cherisheth us and nourisheth us 1. He lay's his people in his bosom The Church is said to lay him between her breasts which only is an expression of her love to him not for that he needed any cherishing from thence as David did from Abishai when he was old he must have a young virgin to keep warmth in him This is the case here if we had not such cherishing from Jesus Christ alas brethren we should quickly be benummed and frozen and stiff and unfit for any service he calls us to where should the spouse in her fainting swouning fits lye but in her Husbands bosome this the Prophet setteth forth in another simile of a shepheard the Lambs that are feeble and are not able to go or drive the pace of others he puts them in his bosom saith the Text thence they may gather heat and so the Chicken from the wings of the Hen there is warmth and cherishing so the son of righteousness when they are spread over a soul there is healing and strength in them 2. But then they eat of his bread and drank of his cup when he was upon Earth you know he did eat and drink with his Disciples he desired to eat that Passover with them O blessed are they that eat bread with him at his Table in his Kingdom he speaks of drinking wine new with them that which is a refreshing to them is a refreshing to him as I may say what is the satisfaction of a soul brethren but when he eats the flesh of Christ and drinketh his blood when he feeds upon those real dainties and what is the satisfaction of Christ but to see this He shall see his Seed and be satisfied to see his mercy and his bowels the precious fruits of his death and resurrection made over to a soul to see them living by Faith upon them and eating and drinking abundantly to their souls satisfaction this is the satisfaction of the soul of the Lord Jesus also well he nourisheth them it is the Saints priviledge a man will not feed strangers continually at his Table nor enemies but when once this relation is made up this is the result O what filling is to the hungry and thirsty soul they shall be satisfied Fifthly which should have been before this he will purify his Church his spouse the more Communion he hath with her the more pure she is what is humbling in other Marriages is advancement in this blessed Marriage It is said that the virgins which were to come to King Ahashur were to purify themselves before they came to him much ado there was to purify them with oyl of Myrrh which they say was to make the skin smooth to clear the beauty to free them from Wrinckles and to keep it from decaying The sweet Odours were to make them delightful in their savour to make them lovely to the eye of a man so curious they were but the case is otherwise here Alas he is fain to put his comeliness upon us else we should not have beauty at all that he should desire us as you have it in Ezek. 16. And therefore the Apostle to the Ephesians he gave himself for his Church that he might purify it Though we were nasty sluttish lothsom creatures before the Lord Jesus will not have us continue so but wash us in that fountain opened for sin and uncleanness that Jordan with us to wash away our Leprosy And therefore he himself came by water as well as by blood Alas what should the Lord Jesus do with us bretbren if we should retain our swinish disposition to wallow in the myre and then think to come and lye down in his bosom No he cannot away with this he must wash away this disposition and hath done it for all that are his that now they shall no more delight in sin but if they miscarry now it shall be their grief as well as it is his he purifieth his people A sad word to such as yet mallow in their uncleanness a sign they have nothing to do with Christ An encouragement to poor Creatures who labour under the lothsomeness of their corruptions he gave himself that he might purifie to himself a Church he can do it he will do it his blood doth lye in pawn he will not lose the price of his blood nor shall his people lose such mercies as this which cost the heart-blood whatever they go without they shall not go without this Sixthly He will make them fruitful Marriage-communion is a fruitful communion This is the general complaint of the people of God of their barren hearts and empty lives but he will make them fruitful he will not have a barren spouse whether we speak collectively or distributively of the Church of Christ Collectively Jerusalem which is above is the mother of us all a way that is barren and God doth not own with bringing in souls to Jesus Christ hath cause to fear whethether in such a constitution they be the Church of Christ yea or no It is true the Gentiles before they were marryed had no children and the Jews that were the marryed wife when God was casting her off grew very barren but now more are children of the unmarryed then of the marryed woman saith the Lord. But it is clearer to us to speak distributively he will make us fruitful When a man is marryed to the Law which is the strength of sin as the Apostle calls it O how fruitful is he in works of darkness and shall not Jesus Christ be as vigorous and fruitful a husband as the Law can be and sin can be Let Sarahs womb be as dead as it may yet he can make her fruitful Let a mans heart be as dead to good works as you can imagine he can renew strength again as he did Abrahams and Sarahs If he speak the word a green tree is withered if he speak the word a barren tree is fruitful the Apostle his expression we are dead to the Law saith he and so free from our former husband that we might be marryed to another even to Jesus Christ that you might bring forth fruit unto God see what riches of fruitfulness or seeds of it are in the womb of that one Text God is able to make all grace abound towards you that ye alway having all-sufficiency in all things may abound to every good work minde you here is good works and abounding in them that is more yea in every good work good works of all kinds and abounding in them all And whence cometh this he is able to make grace abound towards you though if you had but a Cistern you might be drawn dry or the stream yet there is a fountain which continually overfloweth he is able to make grace abound

into fet ters under this Law So that if you look upon it in this subserviency to the Gospel though the creature may be put to much grief by it yet it is good when pardon is proclaimed that a Prince should cast those rebells into prison to make them willing of a pardon the Gospel is a savour of death to death you know and yet it is a sweet savour in them that perish and them that are saved the Gospel is never the worse for that and if the Law prove fetters to a poor sinner to keep him under bondage for ever and bind him over to everlasting Judgement this is through his own wickedness that he will not accept of deliverance in the Gospel where it is preached the Law is never the less good and holy But the second is the main thing how far we are said to be freed from the Law of God and how we are not freed from it First we are delivered from it as a Covenant of righteousness do this and live that is to say be thou exactly conformable to this Law for ever 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 want of suitableness to this Law is a sin and every sin the wages of it is death if thou break it but in one thou art guilty of all Alas Brethren the Law was weak through our flesh and could not justifie it could discover sin as a glass but not purge it it could work wrath work it out but it could not pacifie therefore the Lord Jesus came and took upon him that name the Lord our righteousness and he is now saith the Apostle the end of the Law for righteousness It was a School-master to whip us to fright us out of our selves to Jesus Christ therefore every soul in Christ now is delivered from the Law as a Covenant of life that is clear but this was mentioned before Secondly Now from the rigorous exacting of obedience for according to the Law nothing is obedience except perfect if a man miscarry in one thing he is guilty of all there must be a doing of every thing written yea in the fullest most spiritual sense of it yea a continuance in every thing to the end or else it is not obedience but now the Lord accepteth of the desires of the upright heart he heareth the prayer of such as desire to fear his name the will now goeth for the deed where the poor soul striveth to do and is not able Dear friends how sad a condition were we in many times if the Lord did so rigorously exact our obedience how often do we come to pray and can say nothing in his presence can scarce sigh or groan and in hearing and speaking his Word though we do stir up our selves to watch O how often do vain thoughts run away with our hearts now if we were under this exacting of the Law what would become of us what had become of Paul when he did the things he hated the things he would not c. if he had been under the rigour of the Law If there be first a willing mind that imprimis Brethren doth legitimate all the following Items though never so weak now the Law is in the hand of Christ as a Father who pittieth and spareth us alas what had become of the best of us else long since thus we are delivered Thirdly From the curse of it Gal. 3. 18. our Saviour being made a curse for us so that the curse of it doth not lie upon us to sink us that is to say the weight of the wrath or displeasure of God Nor yet as a compulsion to obedience to this Law as slaves and very wretched sinners may do much for the fear and dread of this curse of God but this the Lord delivered his people from he maketh them a willing people he now sheweth them greater reason against sin then ever they saw now opens to them the grave they see the rottenness of it which they saw not before now he opens his treasures of rich grace in Christ and so by mediation of the understanding works upon the will sweetly inclining it to God though there be a moral swasion by apposition of object as a Lamb is led by a green bush up and down yet this is not all there goeth more to the taking away the stone in the heart and giving a heart of flesh which doth most what lie in the making the will flexible and plyable not so much in sorrow and tears and meltings which doth many times accompany it and sometimes not at all or very little Pharaohs heart was hardened for he obeyed not he was stiff and stubborn and therefore said to be a stone Now I say a moral swasion will not reach to this a man may use much oratory to a stone and yet it remaineth a stone still a Preacher may hold forth sin to be sin and exceeding sinful and hold forth Christ crucified by them and for them before their eyes and yet alas all will not do they remain stones still No no an enclining of the heart he turns the hearts of men whithersoever he will as he did the heart of Esau to Jacob upon his prayer there was more then a swasion and as he did the thief upon the Cross in the midst of his torments and agonies of death then to think upon a Christ then to have his heart towards him that never regarded him in his life-time and in the midst of a people reviling him as you know and upon the Cross suffering and dying and yet then to be wrought upon argues a wonderful divine power put forth upon the will Well then when the will is overcome we are made free to the service of Jesus Christ now we can delight in the Law of God after the inward man it was a weariness to a sinner to hear the Word specially if it came near to him he could not endure to be grated upon and a weariness to pray now he delights in these things So far we are delivered from the curse as the great inforcement of Obedience Fourthly From the provoking power of the Law as you have often heard now that Law that was the occasion of the rebelling of lust is hid in the heart that we might not sin against him this is a great change indeed in a child of God from the former condition when before God would put his yoak upon our souls we writhed and pluckt away our neck would not endure it now it pleaseth us to be under it it is sweet and easie to us now it is a provocation to obedience that before was a provocation unto sin But now on the other hand we are not set free from the Law as a Law a rule of holy walking of new obedience our Saviour did not by fulfilling the Law destroy it but accomplish it because we were not able of our selves to do it he under went the rigour of it and took away all the condemnation of