same our Rule under the Gospel for look what Christ as our common Person did actively without us in obeying the law of God that for the kind is by his Word and Spirit wrought and effected in time within us Christs obedience to the Law doth not free us from obedience in the same kind but in the same way or degree Christ obeyed the Law as it was a Covenant of works and obeyed it perfectly now for so much as relates to the way or degree of obedience Christs active obedience hath freed us from but not from obedience in the same kind as for example Christ prayed this doth not free us from prayer Christ repented this doth not free us from Repentance Christ was thankful to his Father this don't free us from thankness Christ was meek lowly patient humble Self-denying submissive to his Fathers will this doth not free us from the like Duties and Qualifications it frees us that we are not bound to performe these things perfectly or in the way of a Covenant of works but not at all from the things themselves but rather the obligation is greater by how much we have not only the law but Christs Life which is the pattern of ours as Mat. 11.29 Heb. 12.1 2 3. 1 Pet. 2.21 22 23. Ephes 5.1 2. obliging us hereunto Argum. 6. If the Moral Law in the substance of it is no other than the law of Nature then is it a Rule in Gospel-times for it would be absurd to say the Gospel sets us at liberty from the law of Nature so as that it is no sin to violate Natures law to neglect that which Natures law teacheth to doe and to doe that Natures law teacheth to abhor and the first is true Rom. 2.14 15. For when the Gentiles which have not the law doe by nature the things contained in the law these having not the law are a law unto themselves which shew the work of the law written in their hearts c. the Gentiles doing by nature the things contained in the Law shewing us that the very things of the law are in nature the Moral law it is only a written external copy of the law of Nature Argum. 7. If it be a sin and offence in Beleevers under the Gospel to doe contrary to what the Moral law requires then is it a Rule to them for where there is no Rule can bee no offence where is no law is no transgression But who in his right wits would not say that put case a beleever should commit Adultery blaspheme God prophane the Sabbath bee a Murderer Thief Adulterer c. that he doth not sin if he sin hee transgresseth a Rule and if so then the Moral Law which forbids these things is a Rule to him Argum. 8. If Saints in Gospel-times are bid in an especial manner to remember the Moral Law then is it a Rule in Gospel-times But the antecedent is true Mal. 4.4 Remember the law of Moses my Servant which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel with the Statutes and Judgements In vers 2. he speaks of Christs appearing in the glory and lustre of his Righteousness with his bright Sun-beams in the Gospel and of the Saints imbracing of his light and flourishing under it and after all bids them remember the law of Moses why after this discovery of these things doth he call upon them to remember the law of Moses but to shew that the Moral Law given by Moses though not as given by him should remaine a Rule to Saints in the purest and brightest Gospel-times therefore the consequent 2 Though the Moral Law is a Rule yet only as it is in the hand of Christ That it is not a Rule to beleevers under the Gospel as given by Moses is clear 1 Because as such they are as hath been shewed dead to it and it is dead to them therefore cannot be their rule 2 Then their obedience should be a fruit of fear for in Moses's hand it came with terrour in Thundring and Lightning to beget fear and accordingly in those who were under the same did produce it But now the obedience of Saints under the Gospel is not a fruit of fear but of faith Luke 1.74 75. That hee would grant unto us that we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies might serve him without fear in holinesse and righteousnesse before him all the daies of our life 2 Tim. 1.7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear but of power of love and of a sound minde 3 Then beleevers must unavoydably be under a curse Gal. 3.10 For as many as are of the works of the Law are under a Curse for it is written Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the Book of the Law to doe them It is not said as many as are under the reigning or condemning power of the Law but the Works of the Law if a man be but under the mandatory power of the law as given by Moses he is under a curse 4 Then should a Beleever be bound over to personal performance of what the law requires I prove it thus Whatsoever the Law saith i. e. as given by Moses it saith to them that are under the law Rom. 3.19 Now wee know that what thing soever the law saith it saith to them who are under the law But the law saith do all this do it in thine own person therefore if a Beleever be under it as such he is bound to personal performance and if so how will he escape condemnation seeing in his own person he cannot according to the obedience it requires obey the same 5 Then Beleevers should be under the commands of a Covenant of works for the law in Moses's hand was a Covenant of works for it is set in direct opposition to grace Rom. 6.14 For sin shall not have dominion over you for yee are not under the law but under grace which could not bee were it not a Covenant of works and it requires works for justification as doth the Covenant of works Gal. 3.10 6 Then their obedience should bee Legal not Evangelical for obedience to a Covenant of works can bee no other 7 Beleevers are under the command of the New Covenant and therefore the commands of Moses being the commands of the Old are not their Rule But now this Law as it is in Christs hands is a beleevers Rule Quest But how or in what way are wee to conceive of the Law as it comes in the hands of Christ Answ This is the great Question without opening wherof all we have hitherto said comes to nothing For answer therefore hereunto we shall consider how the Law came in the hand of Moses when it came as the Rule of a Covenant of works which opened will help us in the consideration of the other how it comes in Christs hand as it is our Gospel rule If you would know how the Law came in Moses
Fiddle my Pot and Tobacco-pipe singing and making merry and jovial and behold that very sin then committed it thrust a spear into the side of Christ O vile creature therefore that I was that ever I did thus the other day I sat dressing and trimming and pricking up my selfe curling and laying out my haire by handfulls three houres together and altogether neglected prayer c. and now I see that sin wounding Jesus Christ The other day I was with my Queans in such a corner c. railing at these Round-heads Independents Sectaries c. and now I see this also wounding Jesus Christ The other day I was speaking evill of my brother grudging against him proud arrogant c. and now I see this piercing the side of Jesus Christ 2 By bringing a pardon in hand to the soul looking upon Jesus Christ brings a pardon in hand to the soule Now a man being convinced of sin and then his sin aggravated to the highest and then a pardon brought this will breake his very bea rt for his sinne to thinke that eyer hee should do thus When a man comes to thinke thus I am the vilest sinner that hath been in all the Country O but yonder Christ hee hath been pierced for my sins and behold I see him And to assure mee that hee is pierced for my sinnes behold God the Father through the wound that was made in his side hath given mee an Acquittance and here I have my pardon in hand which though it hath cost mee nothing yet Christ hath paid dear for it and thinking and beleeving thus hee reflects upon himselfe and his sinnes and his heart melts all into tears and O saith the soule that ever I should do thus that ever I should do thus and now it calls it selfe Wretch and Foole and Devil it hath walked so towards God and it is so incensed against his sinnes that were they flesh and blood to bee fought with as wee fight with men it would presently try its life with them 4 By assuring him of a Crown and Inheritance that God hath laid up for him The Soule lookes upon Christ as pierced and as it is convinced of sinne hath sinne aggravated and a pardon brought So also by looking upon Christ it hath assurance given it of a Crowne it shall one day enjoy O saith the soule now I behold that very thing viz. my sinne which kept mee from enjoying of a Crowne and Kingdome Christ hath taken it away A Crowne from all Eternity was prepared for mee and nothing is in the way to keepe mee from possessing of it but this I have been a filthy sinfull and a foolish creature and have both forfeited my Crowne to Gods Justice and given the same to the Devil But behold yonder Jesus Christ hath bought this Crowne againe for mee satisfying Gods Justice and by force hath taken the same from the Devil and hee gives it mee freely though hee hath paid his dearest blood for it When the soule looks upon this and considers the infinite love of Christ in it and its wretchedness that it should cause Christ to suffer thus much it is even melted and broken to peeces The most effectual means to kill and subdue Sin One SERMON on 1 John 2.1 If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous IN the former Chapter the Apotle laies before Beleevers that plenteous Redemption that is in Jesus Christ and the precious vertue and merit of his Bloud to cleanse poor Sinners from their sins vers 7. But if wee walk in the light as he is in the light we have fellowship one with another and the bloud of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin and also what riches of pardoning grace and mercy are in God to poor sinners In the first verse of this Chapter hee makes use of these things to stirre up to holinesse of life and modification of sin in all Beleevers These things write I unto you that you sin not as if he should say I doe not write these things that now you might live as you lift and sin boldly because Christs Bloud is so efficacious and Gods Grace so free no nothing lesse but I write these things that from such considerations you might be more provoked to holinesse of life and the mortification of sin in you the end of these discoveries and the use you should make of them is purity not prophaneness holinesse not licentiousnesse These things write I that you sin not By the way observe two things Obser 1. That the end of Gospel Revelation is to keep men from sin 1 John 3.8 He that committeth sin is of the Devil for the Devil sinneth from the beginning for this purpose the Son of God was manifested that he might destroy the works of the Devil Acts 26. â—â— To open tâ—eir eyes and to turne them from darknesse to light and from the power of Satan unto God that they may receive forgivenesse of sins and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me Rom. 8.3 4. For what the Law could not doe in that it was weak through the flesh God sending his owne Son in the likenesse of sinful flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh that the righteousnesse of the Law might bee fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit And this must needs be the end of Gospel-Revelation because 1 God sent Christ to this end Tit us 2.13 14. Looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ who gave himself for us that hee might redeeme us from all iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works 2 The Gospel is preached to this end Acts 14.15 We also are men of like passions with you and preach unto you that yee should turne from these vanities unto the living God c. 3 The Spirit is given to this end to make us holy 4 It was the end of all Gods administrations it was the end of the Legal administration Gal. 3.19 Wherefore then serveth the Law it was added because of transgressions till the seed should come to whom the promise was made c. which administration being weak and not able to doe it as Rom. 7.9 10 11. For I was alive without the Law once but when the Commandement came sin revived and I dyed and the Commandement which was ordained to life I found to be unto death for sin taking occasion by the Commandement deceived me and by it slew me Chap. 8.3 4. For what the Law could not doe in that it was weak through the flesh God sending his owne Son in the likenesse of sinful flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh that the righteousnesse of the Law might bee fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh but after the spiit Heb. 7.19 For the Law made nothing perfect but the bringing of a
resolution too but sayest thou well yet sin I will overcome thee then thou fallest to praying thy selfe against it and gettest others to pray for thee and runnest to this Minister and the other and â—readest thy case before him and askest his advice what thou shouldest do in it notwithstanding all this thine own endeavours or any help they can afford thee thy sin is still too strong for thee well then When there is no other way thou knowest left thou fallest to keeping of Fasts makest vows and covenants and doest as good as swear to the Lord of heaven and earth that henceforth thou wilt bee as godly as passes and never sin against him more nor do as thou hast done and then it may bee before two dayes or a week come at an end thou breakest all and art now in a worse case than ever and even at thy wits end O poor souls This is the way you go in to get holinesse to have your sins mortified and this is the fruit of it after all your striving and strugling tugging and pulling to fetch your sins out by head and ears they abide there still and the reason is because you go about it in a way of working whereas you should look for all from Grace and so study the Grace of God more Sin it is like Sampson binde them with ever so many iron fetters of the Law it will snap them all to peeces Though in some these fetters chain sin which is because sin is willing to bee chained that so hereby they may bee lulled asleep in a good opinion of themselves and thereby deceive their owne souls yet others whom God out of love will not suffer to bee gulled in this manner finde it otherwise they see and know by woful experience that all these fetters are but like so many twine threads bind a Lion with a twine thread and what doe you you were as good and better sit still and doe nothing for he will but tear and rent you the more So sin by all this doth but rage the more The Apostle excellently sets this forth Rom. 7.8 9 10 11. But sin taking occasion by the Commandement wrought in mee all manner of concupiscence for without the Law sin was dead For I was alive without the Law once but when the Commandement came sin revived and I dyed and the Commandement which was ordained to life I found to be unto death for sin taking occasion by the Commandement deceived me and by it slew me Sin taking occasion Sin made an advantage of the Commandement to bee more insolent Without the Law sin was dead Sin lay still and did not shew that livelinesse which was in it till the Commandement came to restraine it and then it began to bestir it self the Commandement would have laid bonds upon it then sin which lay asleep and as it were dead before gets up saith the Commandement you shall be curbed and bound nay but saith Sin I will not be bound saith the Commandement you shall not doe thus nay but saith Sin I will doe it and the more because you say I shall not Therefore poor Soule hast thou been toyling and sweating and tiring thy self with thy Vowes and Covenants one year after another to master thy sins and is all hitherto to no purpose then poor Soule take another way for hitherto thou hast been out of the way labour to get a sight of the rich grace of God to poor sinners and then thy heart will from a holy ingenuity say What is there such abundance of grace in God to poor sinners is hee willing to pardon me a poor Sinner give mee Heaven and make mee blessed for ever and shall I bee such a Wretch as to nourish such a deadly enemy to him in my bosome as this my sin is O no no I le never bee so base and unworthy and deal so ungratefully with so good a God I tell thee poor Soule that such considerations as these are will more weane thy heart from sin and beget a hatred thereof within then ever all the thunderings or terrors of the Law either will or can doe The Advocateship of Jesus Christ a great ground of the Saints comfort and support under sins and infirmities IN One SERMON on 2 Joh. 2.2 If any man sin wee have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous THe last opportunity I read these words unto you but was then besides my own intention when I pitched on them taken up in the way that nothing was spoken to them I come now to the words wherein the Apostle seems to prevent an Objection which some poor soules from what hee had said before would bee ready to make thus Object You tell us that these precious Gospel-truths which now have been declared to us are revealed for this very end that wee should not sin if so what will become of us who have heard these things over and over and yet still do what wee can wee fall into sin and are ever and anon overcome thereby sure wee are of all most miserable wee are undone for ever Answ If any man sin wee have an Advocate with the Father as if hee should say Poor soul wouldest thou not sin because the Grace of God is so free and yet doest thou sin For all this bee not discouraged do not throw away all thy hope for put the case wee do sin yet there is remedy Wee have an Advocate with the Father In the words wee have 1 The SVPPOSITION of anevill If any man sin which wee are not to understand as though the thing spoken in way of supposition were a thing which might possibly bee or not bee for it is not so the thing is a certaine thing that every man doth sin none is or can whilst hee is here bee exempted from sin and so indeed it is not a supposition or a thing supposed to bee but a thing which really is As if the Apostle should say Well grant it that you sin for there is none in this world exempted from sin any man may sin as well those which are Fathers as you which are children it is not said have sinned but do sin relating as well to sin pre sent and yet to come as sin past 2 The prescription of A REMEDY and that is Christ Jesus our Advocate and Propitiation Wee have an Advocate with the Father or rather these words are laid down as a bottome or foundation for the faith comfort and support of poor Saints against and under all their sins and infirmities Of the first viz. the evil supposed Doct. The best and dearest of Gods children are not priviledged from sin whilst they are here Sin is a leprosie that cleaves to us all more or lesse whilst wee are in this world Wee never read of a Saint so holy in Scripture but look him over and wee shall finde some spot upon him here or there Noah Abraham David Peter Paul none of them were without their
Therefore the latter is truth also Arg. 11. If the substance of those things which are required in the Moral law are either commanded in the Gospel or promised to Gospel-times then doth the Law remaine a rule to Saints even in Gospel times But the first is true To give particular instance Doth the Law in the general require of us to love God with all our heart soul might strength and our Neighbour as our selves And doth not the Gospel every where command these things Come to the first Table Doth the first Commandement require of us to love serve obey one God and the true God Doth not the Gospel require this Doth the second Commandement require of us that wee should worship God in his own way forbidding all false Idol-worship Doth not the Gospel also do this 1 Cor. 10.20 21. 2 Cor. 6.14 15 16 17. Doth the third Commandement require sanctification of Gods Name and doth not the Gospel even this also Jam. 5.12 Doth the fourth Commandement injoyn us to keep holy the Sabbath and is not this promised to Gospel-times yea the purest times of the Gospel Eze. 44.24 and I take it for this reason the Command of the Sabbath is mentioned both in the Moral the Ceremonial and Judicial law in the Judicial law to teach us that the keeping holy one day of seven is natural in the Moral to teach us it is Moral in the Ceremonial to let us see that it is Evangelical the Ceremonial law being but the Gospel in Types and Figures Come to the second Table Doth the fifth Commandement require obedience to Superiours And have wee not the very words of it Eph. 6.2 And as for the other five wee have them all summed up together Rom. 13.9 Therefore must the Law bee a rule in Gospel-times Arg. 12. If the Moral law in the substance thereof is no other than the Law of nature then is it a rule in Gospel-times for it would bee absurd to say the Gospel sets us at liberty from the Law of nature so as that it is no sin to violate the Law of nature either by neglecting what it teacheth to do or acting what it teacheth to abhor But the antecedent is true Rom. 2.14 15. The Gentiles doing by the light of nature the things contained in the Law doth prove this that the very things of the Law are in nature the Moral law being as a written external copy of the Law of nature Therefore the consequent Arg. 13. If it bee sin in a beleever under the Gospel to do contrary to what the Moral law requires then is the Moral law a rule to him For where there is no Law there is no transgression Rom. 4.15 But who in his right wits would not say that put case a beleever should commit Idolatry blaspheme God prophane the Sabbath bee a Murderer Theese Adulterer c. that hee doth not sin if hee sin hee transgresseth a Rule and it so then the Moral Law which forbids these things is a rule to him Arg. last If Saints in Gospel-times are commanded in an especial manner to remember the Moral law then is it a rule to such in Gospel-times But the antecedent is true Mal. 4.4 why after the rising of the Sun of righteousness and Saints thriving and flourishing under his bright and warme beams are wee commanded to remember the law of Moses but to shew that that very same Moral law which was once given forth by the hand of Moses was to remain a rule to Saints even in the purest and brightest Gospel-times The conclusion is That the Moral law or the Law of the Ten Commandements doth still remaine as a rule to Saints in Gospel-times Hence it follows that by abolishing the Moral law as Hagars rule the rule of the Old Covenant we have not abolished it as a rule nor lost any iota of the substance of the Moral law but rather confirmed the whole in Sarahs the New Covenants hands In a word the summe of my Discourse hitherto about the Moral law amounts to this viz. That the Moral law is now by Christ the great King and Law-giver of his people transplanted from a more barren into a more fruitful soyle from an Old Covenant into a New and better Covenant which Covenant because it is everlasting therefor the Law being now therein is become permanent and everlasting also Yea to the end that the Law might be stable and continue for ever it was therefore necessary it should bee transplanted hither the Covenant in which it was before being as the Apostle tells us decayed and waxen old yea ready to vanish away Heb. 8. last So that wee may truly say with the Apostle Do wee make void the Law through faith God for bid nay we establish the Law 3 Hence wee may learn That the very same worke or duty for the substance or matter of it done by one may bee a Legal worke done by another an Evangelical The difference betwixt Legal and Evangelical works is not a material but a formal difference Hagars children keep the same Law and do the same works for substance that Sarahs do Hagar holds forth the Moral law to her children and saith this is my rule obey it Sarah likewise holds it forth to her children saying And this is my rule obey it So that there is no difference betwixt the seed of Hagar and Sarah as to the substance or matter of that rule they walk by for both have materially one and the same rule proposed to them and both strive and indeavor a conformity to that rule yet the action of the one is but a Legal worke the action of the other an Evangelical The reason of this difference lyes in what hath been formerly said Hagar proposeth her rule to those that are her seed as a bare rule telling them onely what is their duty and pressing them to the doing hereof by severe Threats on the one hand in case they bee found defective but in a tittle and alluring promises of reward on the other in case they prove obedient in all things to her commands but gives them no strength to walk up to that rule so as that they may either escape the evill of the threat or obtaine the good of the promise Hence Hagars Children in case they could perfectly obey yet their obedience could bee no more but a pure legal obedience that is obedience springing from themselves as the efficient cause and motive terminating in themselves as their ultimate end or to speak more plainly obedience done in and by their owne strength to and for their owne benefit either to avoyd some evil feared or procure some good desired which is properly pure legal obedience when what a man doth hee doth by himself and to himself But now Sarah though shee propose the same rule to her seed yet in a different way or manner for together with the rule shee giveth to her Children strength to keep it cutting off withall from this rule the
come to mee and him that cometh to mee I wil in no wise cast out Christ is willing poor sinners should come bee thou O sinner willing to come As bee is a willing Saviour so should wee bee a willing people and who would not bee willing to bee saved when God and Christ are willing to save As the father of the Prodigal met his Son coming so Christ will meet thy soul above halfe way In a word if thou wilt not come thou wilt bee damned for ever There is no other name under heaven given among men whereby thou canst bee saved but by the name of Christ Hee that beleeveth on him which is the coming I speak of shall bee saved but hee that beleeveth not shall bee damned Vse 2. Comfort to the Saints Your salvation is sure you have God and Christ the will of either ingaged for you If the Divine will bee irresistable as it is then your salvation is firme and everlasting because it is grounded upon this will A mans affections are hardly overcome but his will is harder to bee overcome you may overcome the man when you cannot the will the will is such a thing that most men if they can have their will they will have it Now Saints the will of God and Christ is engaged for your salvation God and Christ should not have their wills should you misse of Heaven Who hath or can resist his will Hence likewise learn for your comfort That you shall never want what shall bee for your good here If it bee the will of God and Christ to give salvation to you then surely are they willing to give you all things necessary for your temporal well-being of sustentation here if it be their will to give Heaven to you then surely nothing needful for you between this and Heaven shall bee wanting to you Think you that they are willing to give the greater and not the lesse O trust then for the one as well as the other Use 3. Duty to the Saints Are God and Christ willing to have you saved Then bee you willing to do or suffer any thing for God Doth the Lord lay out himself for your good lay out you your selves for his glory bee you as willing to glorifie God here as God is to have you glorified hereafter Think not any thing you have or can do too much for him who hath not thought himself or any thing hee could do too much for you No Condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus proved in Seven SERMONS SERMON I. Rom. 8 1. There is therefore now no Condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus IN the former Chapter Paul sets forth the great Combate that hee found in himself betwixt the Flesh and Spirit the Old and New Man the law of his members and of his mind the one delights in doing good the other hates it the one wills to do it the other resists the doing of it one serves the Law of God the other the Law of Sin This Combate grows so high and the worser part so prevalent that vers 24. Paul as a poor Prisoner in Bonds cries out O wretched man that I am In this his low condition in comes the Lord Jesus Christ to his rescue and then presently the day is his and he obtaines a glorious victory vers 25. whereupon he celebrates this Christian Triumph in our text There is therefore no Condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus The words are a blessed Triumph founded upon that confidence a Christian hath in and that experience he daily hath of the strength and power of Christ rescuing him from Sin the Law Hell the Devil and all the enemies of a Beleevers Salvation without mincing of them they afford us this truth Doct. Souls interessed in Jesus Christ are persons priviledged and exempted from Condemnation 1 They are freed from Condemnation at present Joh. 3.18 He that beleeveth in him is not condemned i. e. are not for the present under any Sentence of Condemnation as others are 2 They are also freed for future â—oh 5.24 Shall not come into Condemnation that is no sentence of Condemnation or execution thereof shall hereafter pass upon them In prosecution of which blessed comfortable truth I shall shew 1 What is meant by Condemnation which a Saint is freed from 2 VVhy souls in Christ must needs be freed from it 3 VVhat that is which frees them 4 How great and glorious a priviledge this is 5 Answer some Objections and then apply all As touching the First not to speak of the Word which hath various acceptions in Scripture but of the thing it self Condemnation holds forth three things 1 The passing a Sentence of Death upon a Malefactor this is a part of Condemnation now in Adam all men sinned and Gods Justice passed a Sentence of Condemnation upon all upon Adam himself actually and all his Posterity vertually as in his loines This sentence the Law of God passeth upon every individual man actually at his first coming into the VVorld and so all according to the Apostle Ephes 2.3 are borne children of wrath and all men from the first man to the last are under an actual sentence of Condemnation 2 The effects of the Sentence passed which are punishments inflicted on Soul and Body out of wrath and for satisfaction of Justice Before the Fall man lay under no punishment but the whole man had the Divine Image stamped upon it the Soul was endued with those Divine properties and perfections of Knowledge Righteousness and true Holiness the Body free from sufferings and immortal Man falling God out of wrath strips him of his Image the Soul in a great measure is deprived of those glorious perfections of Knowledge Righteousness and true Holiness the Body becomes passible and subject to Mortality so that the Excellencies of Soul and Body are lost and these are but the effects of the Sentence which the Justice of God did immediately pass upon Man so soon as he was fallen 3 The final execution of this Sentence and that is the heavie and insupportable Wrath of God lighting upon Soul and Body in Hell hereafter Taking Condemnation for either and all of these a Soul interessed in Christ is freed from it 1 From the Sentence passed true a Sentence was vertually passed upon him in the fall of Adam his common person but this was reversed in the standing of Jesus Christ the second Adam and his common person so actually also the Law of God passeth a Sentence upon him at his first coming into the World which is againe actually reversed at his conversion so as that a converted Soul stands free from any sentence arising either from Adams guilt or his owne Obj. But how can the Law in Equity and Justice passe an actual Sentence upon a man who before his coming into the World is justified in his common person Ans Though a Saint be justified long before in Christ yet the Law may pass an actual
is usual in Scripture-language to give the name of Flesh to the one and Spirit to the other The Law is called Flesh Rom. 4.1 compared with 2. What shall wee say then that Abraham our Father as pertaining to the Flesh hath found for if Abraham were justified by works hee hath whereof to glory but not before God Phil. 3.4 Though I might also have confidence in the flesh if any other man thinketh that hee hath whereof he might trust in the flesh I more Comp. with the 6. v. concerning zeal persecuting the Church touching the righteousnesse which is in the Law blamelesse The Gospel is called a Spirit 2 Cor. 3.6 Who also hath made us able Ministers of the New Testament not of the letter but of the Spirit Both are together under these names or titles Gal. 3.2 3. This onely would I learn of you received yee the Spirit by the works of the Law or by the hearing of faith Are yee so foolish having begun in the Spirit are yee now made perfect by the flesh What hee calls works of the Law and hearing of faith in vers 2. hee calls Flesh and Spirit in the third Again the old man is called Flesh Gal. 5.19 Now the works of the Flesh are manifest which are these adultery fornication uncleanness lasciviousnesse c. compared with Rom. 6.6 Knowing this that our old man is crucified with him that the body of sin might bee destroyed that henceforth wee should not serve sin The new man is called Spirit Ezek. 36.26 A new heart also will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you c. both together are under these names Rom. 7. last So then with the minde I my selfe serve the Law of God but with the Flesh the Law of sin Gal. 5.17 For the Flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the Flesh Matth. â—6 41 The spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weak Now that there is good reason why wee should take both these and not one to hee here meant I think the scope shews us for the Apostle having spoken of both these things in the former Chapter and proceeding onwards to a glorious triumph in this hee takes the rise of this triumph from the consideration of the premises and that of both of them for one alone as may by good reason be made to appear had not been a sufficient bottome for such a triumph as if hee should say These things being so that through Jesus Christ as hath been cleared wee are delivered from the dominion of the Law and also from the tyranny of the old man in us there being now no longer any reigning Law over us nor reigning old man in us I therefore do conclude That there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus there being no enemy that can do it the Law without and the old man within which onely were able to do it having now no condemning power over them which persons that hee might give an infallible note and character of hee still keeping the scope describes them to bee such Who walke not after the flesh but after the spirit i.e. They are such persons who being by Christ set free from the Dominion of the Law and Tyranny of the old man do not walk after the one or the other and on the other side being by Christ brought under the power of the Gospel and regiment of the new man they do now walk as becomes in some measure Gospel Saints and new creatures These things being laid down and premised wee are to understand the words thus Walking after the Flesh i.e. Either first Legal walking to walk after or according to the Law Or secondly Corrupt walking i. e. to bee wholly and constantly swayed ruled or lead by the principles dictates or motions of the old man or unregenerate part Walking after the Spirit i.e. Either first Gospel-walking to walk after or according to the Gospel of Jesus Christ Or secondly Renewed walking to walk according to the rule principle motions and dictates of the new man or regenerate part in a Saint Now in saying that these two are to be understood by Flesh and Spirit I do not exclude any of those laid down in the general explication of the words no I do think that by Flesh the Apostle may mean all those viz. mans wisdome reason understanding outward priviledges c. and the contrary to these by Spirit But I name these two onely with their contraries because I think that although the other are included in Flesh and Spirit as general termes yet here these are chiefly intended being most agreeable to the Apostles scope and what hee had said in the former Chapter which gives rise to this verse I shall therefore begin with the words as they lye in the first sense to bee understood of Legal and Gospel-walking and so wee have in them two Propositions 1 Legal-walking is walking according to the Flesh 2 Gospel-walking is walking according to the Spirit 1 Legal-walking is walking according to the Flesh In the opening of this I shall shew 1 What I mean by Legal-walking or what it is to walk Legally 2 When a mans walk may bee said to bee such that is a pure Legal-walk 3 Why Legal-walking is called Flesh or walking according to the Flesh 4 That those persons who are freed from condemnation for such our Text imports do not walk Legally or after the Flesh in this sense 5 Answer an Objection and Lastly conclude with Application Of the first viz. What I mean by Legal-walking or what it is for a man or woman to walk legally Answ Legal-walking in the sense wee are now to speak to it is this To make the Law as the same is a Covenant of works the rule of our lives and actions and the alone touchstone to try our conditions by To walke after the Law or according to the Law as the Law is a Covenant of works that is Legal-walking That so wee are to understand here I prove thus because Legal-walking is here called Flesh and the Law is no where in Scripture called Flesh but as the same is considered under this notion as it is a Covenant of works If you take the Law in its self that is for the matter of it the substance of those things the Law requires so the Apostle saith the contrary of the Law Rom. 7.14 The Law is spiritual the matter or substance of the Law is spiritual injoyning spiritual duties requiring spiritual performance and designing to make the creature spiritual so that the Law in its selfe is not Flesh but rather it is a spiritual and an everlasting rule of righteousness But now look upon the Law whensoever it is spoken of under this notion as it is the old Covenant or a Covenant of works and then it is called Flesh I will give you but a few places in Gal. 3.2 3. before quoted when the Galathians were gone from the Gospel to the Law
from the Covenant of grace to the old Covenant of works to look for life and justification The Apostle then calls the Law Flesh So in Chap. 4 21 22 23 c. The Apostle speaking exprefly of the two Covenants the New and Old or of Grace and Works whereof one viz. the old Covenant was Hagar the bond-woman the other Sarah the free-woman he in plain language calls Hagar the bond-woman i. e. the old Covenant Flesh vers 23. and 29. So also Rom. 7.5 wee have a place pertinent to our purpose When wee were in the Flesh i.e. when wee were in or under the old Covenant and did walk by the Law as it was a rule of the old Covenant there were by the same continually occasioned risings and stirrings of sin within us here the Apostle in plaine termes calls the old Covenant Flesh as before Now that the Apostle doth here speak of the old Covenant is clear from the next verse But now we are delivered from the Law that being dead wherein we were held as if hee had said now we who are beleevers are delivered from the Law as it is a Covenant of works Why because the Covenant of works it self by which wee were held once and bound to the performance of the Law is dead What was it that wee were held by why the Law as a Covenant of works as Gal. 3.23 But before faith came wee were kept under the Law shut up unto faith which should afterwards be revealed Now that wherein we were held is dead therefore the old Covenant is that 's the meaning so that here hee speaks of the old Covenant So also in the next words that we might serve in newness of spirit and not in the oldness of the letter i. e. that all our obedience which now we perform to God might be inward and spiritual according to the way of the new Covenant we are under i. e. arising from new Principles put into us new thoughts and new apprehensions of God begot within us new strength and assistance given us new ends in our working and not in that way of outward and litteral performance which was the way of the old Covenant here he speaks plainly of the old Covenant shewing the difference betwixt that obedience which that produceth and that which the new Covenant brings forth therefore what he calls Flesh in the former verse by weighing the scope can be no other but the old Covenant which he speaks of in this I could bring many other places but these may suffice to shew us that when the Law is called Flesh we are to understand the Law as it is the Covenant of Works the Law of the old Covenant which being so by legal walking in this place which the Apostle calls Flesh wee are to understand walking according to the way of the old Covenant walking after the Law as the same is a Covenant of works 2 But when may a mans walk be said to bee such a pure legal walking or a walking after the Law as it is a Covenant of Works Answ 1. When a mans obedience ariseth from and is drawn out meerly by the Law when the Law is principle motive and all in a mans obedience when a man doth this good avoyds that evil from no other principle upon no other ground or motive but because the Law saith doe the one avoyd the other There are three things in the Law which doe draw forth that obedience which is purely legal 1 There are Commands and Prohibitions in the Law commands of Holiness prohibitions of Sin 2 Threatnings of punishments 3 Promises of reward annexed to these commands and prohibitions of the Law now when I doe a thing barely because the Law commands me to doe it or promiseth me a reward in or for my doing thereof or threatneth with some penalty to be inflicted in case I neglect it and contrariwise when I forbeare a thing barely because the Law forbids it and promiseth me a reward in or for forbearing and threatens me if I doe not forbear it this obedience is purely legal and an obedience to a Covenant of works upon this score Adam in Paradise had he stood should have obeyed First there was a Prohibition Eate not then a Threatning In the day thou eatest thou shalt dye which did include in it the promise of the contrary good that in case he did not eate he then should live all which obedience of Adam's had he never fallen could have been no other but obedience to a Covenant of works he being under no other Covenant So I say Put case a man should be never so exact and punctual in his obedience labouring to walk up to every command of God and to avoyd every sin yet if the root principle or motive of this his obedience be the Law the Command the Promise and Threatning of the Law if there be no other principle or motive but the Law if the Law be the roote and rise of all though he should strive to live like an Angel pray ten times a day fast and weep and mourn for his sins till he can mourne no longer watch against and resist sin with the utmost care industry and diligence strive to bee as holy as passes yet all this his obedience would be but legal a walking after the flesh a yeilding obedience to the law as it is a covenant of works 2 When a man in all his obedience proposeth life justification salvation to himself as his end in what he doth then doth he walk legally after the Flesh and according to the rate of the covenant of works In the first making of the covenant of works with Adam in Paradise Life was proposed as his reward and had Adam stood and obeyed according to the promise and tenour of that Covenant the fruit of life would have been his end And how men did look upon the same in the renewal thereof with Moses upon Mount Sinai is very evident from the rooted principles which were in those persons with whom this covenant was made an example whereof we have in the Pharisees Scribes and others of those dayes wherein they lived who did expresly affirme and maintaine that Justification and Salvation was attaineable by the works of the Law and therefore they were so zealous for the same and gave themselves up to the observance thereof to the end they might bee justified and saved which very principle of theirs is that the Apostle both in our text and in many other places in the Romanes and Galatians calls Flesh so that a man then walks legally according to the flesh when by his obedience to the law he seeks to obtaine Life Salvation and Justification When a man because he prayes and heares and mournes and laments for his sins and strives against them maintaines an opinion in himself that because of these things God loves him that he will justifie him give him life and salvation yea that God because of these his duties his prayers
his tears his fastings his humiliations his lamentations his leaving of sin and doing of good stands engaged as it were to give him Heaven and Salvation he then walks legally when the course and stream of his life and actions runs this way that all his prayers humiliations resolutions covenants resisting of sin c. is to this very end that God hereby would be moved to pardon his sins justifie him give him Heaven and eternal life which had hee not some hope to procure by these things hee would neither pray nor hear nor mourn for sin nor doe any thing else he then most certainly walks legally after the flesh 3 When a man in his obedience hath altogether respect to the external or outward part of the Law contenting himself if that be but done never looking to the internal or spiritual part thereof his walking is legal and after the flesh In this manner did the Scribes and Pharisees those great Legalists apply themselves to the keeping of the Law by a litteral observance of what it required accounting it kept when the external works which the Law required should be done was performed or the outward act of sin shunned which the Law willed them to forbear Upon which ground according to the principles and practices of the Pharisees Paul saith of himself that hee whilst hee continued a Pharisee was touching the righteousness of the Law blameless Phil. 3.6 upon this ground likewise doe the Papists assert their Opus operatum the work done as sufficient to Justification and Salvation never regarding how the same is done Now whensoever a man in Prayer hearing the Word or any other Duty hath only respect to the external part contenting himself with that if that bee done never looking to the spiritual performance thereof he walks legally 4 When a man blesseth himself in his obedience and pronounceth himself happy because of that he walks legally Thus Paul whilst hee was a Pharisee did blesse himself in his way Rom. 7.9 I was alive without the law once i. e. so long as I gave up my self to an outward observance of the law being without the law in respect of the true spiritual meaning thereof I was alive in my owne conceit I thought all was well with me and that I was a happy man Thus likewise the proud Pharisee Luke 18.11 12. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself God I thank thee that I am not as other men are extortioners unjust adulterers or even as this Publican I fast twice in the week I give tithes of all that I possesse how doth hee blesse himself in his way of works and crow it over the poor Publican because hee was a Sinner and had no works When therefore a man blesseth himself in his obedience and thinks himself some body pronouncing himself happy because of this as many men will say I thank God all is well with me I have no doubt about my Salvation I am not nor never was I a Drunkard or Swearer c. I was never given to cheat or cousen as others my Neighbours will doe but I pray and read good Books and hear good Sermons c. a man then walks legally after the flesh 5 When a man performes his obedience ever and altogether in his owne strength the law as a covenant of works it calls for obedience but it gives a man no strength but what he hath of his owne to doe it Hence it is called a voyce of words Heb. 12. and a killing letter 2 Cor. 3. because it requires obedience under penalty of death and knowes the creature hath no strength to obey and yet gives him none and so by its very command it kills all those that are under it Now when a man sets himself to keep the law in his owne strength neither finding nor knowing nor feeling nor looking after nor desiring any other strength to enable him to doe his duty then his owne he then walks legally after the Flesh and all his obedience is obedience to a covenant of works Thus much of the Second particular what remaines I leave unto the next opportunity Why Legal walking is walking after the Flesh SERMON IV. Rom. 8.1 Who walk not after the flesh WEe are now upon the Character of those Persons who are freed from Condemnation they are such who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit Flesh and Spirit in this place by the acception of the termes in other places and the consideration of the scope of the Apostle in this are as I told you the last day to be understood either of the Law and the Gospel or the old and new man Walking after the flesh that is either legal walking or walking after the corrupt principles of the old man Walking after the Spirit that is either Gospel walking or walking after the renewed principle of the new man I began with the words in the first acceptation as they hold forth Legal and Gospel walking and so I laid downe these Propositions viz That Legal walking is walking after the flesh Gospel walking is walking after the Spirit Concerning the first I have shewed 1 What I mean by Legal walking 2 When a man's walk is a Legal walk I now proceed to the third 3 Why Legal walking is called walking after the flesh Ans 1. Because there is nothing of the Spirit of God that goes along with a legal walk The Spirit was not given by the Covenant of works and therefore so long as a man walks in the way of that Covenant there is nothing of the Spirit of God that goes along with him Now we usually call that flesh that hath not Spirit in it take a man when he is dead wee say hee is flesh nothing but flesh because the Soul and Spirit is gone so take a legal Walker hee is flesh his walking is flesh because there is nothing of the Spirit of God in him nor his walking hee praies but there is nothing of the Spirit of God in his prayers and therefore though hee pray dayes and weeks and months together all is but flesh he mourns and humbles himself for sin resolves vowes and strives against it but doing all this in a legal manner there is nothing of the Spirit of God in all this and so all is but flesh 2 Because Legal walking is walking in the way of Nature the Covenant of works was given to Adam as out common person and sois in the Nature of every man Rom. 2.14 15. For when the Gentiles which have not the law doe by nature the things contained in the law these having not the law are a law unto themselves which shew the work of the law written in their hearts their conscience also bearing witness and their thoughts the meane while accusing or else excusing one another Now in Scripture phrase Nature is called flesh Joh. 3.6 That which is borne of the flesh is flesh i.e. that which is borne of meer Nature can be no more but
Nature for this reason legal walking may be called Flesh 3 Because of the weakness of such walking Flesh is put in Scripture for weakness so Isa 31.3 Now the Aegyptians are men and not God and their Horses Flesh and not Spirit when the Lord shall stretch out his hand both hee that helpeth shall fall and hee that is holpen shall fall downe and they all shall faile together Spirit hath strength in it but flesh without spirit is a weak thing the more any mans spirit decaies the weaker he growes Now legal walking may be called a walking after the flesh in regard of the weaknesse of those persons who walk in a legal way they are pittious poor weak Creatures there is nothing as a godly man saith in such but wishing and woulding and covenanting and promising and protesting and vexing and fretting no strength at all one day they vow they will leave their sins and the next day they run into them one day they will weep and mourn and howl for the neglect of such a duty and the next day they will neglect it again thus they tugge and pull and worry and weary themselves but are never the near nothing comes of all this they wish and would and have good desires c. but walking legally all is but flesh and flesh is weak so as that after all they are by all their toyling and labouring and the adoe they keep to mend their hearts and tame their lusts as farre from the attaining the one or the other as when they began as far from their journies end after many dayes months and years travells as when they first set out 4 And lastly Because the Flesh or unregenerate part is in a manner maintained alive by such walking my meaning is the more any man walks or acts in a legal way the more active sin is and the stronger his lusts grow and the more doth sin get ground of him As the Gospel will take an advantage to bring a Soul which walks after the Gospel to be more holy and beleeving by his very slips sins and infirmities so the Law doth take an advantage from the very outward holinesse of those who walk after the Law to make them more prophane and licentious than otherwise did they not presse after some outward holinesse and conformity to the Law they would be This the Apostle clearly teacheth us Rom. 7.8 9.10 11. Without the law sin was dead How dead what had sin no life in it till the Law came did the law put life into sin which was not in it before No not so but the meaning is that sin did not shew that livelinesse that was in it although it were there before and not begotten by the law yet till the law came up close to it it did not appear but sin lay as though it had been dead being not so vigorous and active when it saw no law to restraine it as afterwards it grew to be when it saw it self restrained by a law when sin saw the Commandement come to lay bonds upon it then sin which lay as though it had been asseep or dead revived started up and broke all the bonds of the law to peeces Saith the Law Sin I will have you bound and curbed aye but saith Sin I will not be bound and because you will goe to binde me I will stirre and act the more then the Flesh or unregenerate part accidentally gets strength by the law and therefore legal walking may well be called walking alter the flesh 4 That those persons who are freed from Condemnation being such as my text speaks of doe not walk legally or after the flesh 1 If such are dead unto and delivered from the law as it is a Covenant of works then doe they not walk after the law as such for a man cannot be said to walk after that which is both dead unto and delivered from But now those persons who are freed from Condemnation are dead unto and delivered from the law as it is a Covenant of works for this see Rom. 7.4 Wherefore my brethren yee also are become dead to the law by the Body of Christ that yee should be married to another even to him who is raised from the dead that we should bring forth fruit unto God How are Beleevers dead to and delivered from the law Not as the same is a rule of Christian life for so the Apostle afterwards speaks for it ver 12 14. Wherefore the Law is holy and the Commandement holy and just and good for we know that the law is spiritual In this sense hee consents to it vers 16. I consent unto the law that it is good yea delights in it vers 22. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man yea serves it and conformes himself thereto vers 25. So then with the minde I my self serve the law of God but as the same was a Covenant of works holding forth Life and Salvation by doing which was the very sense that those whom the Apostle in this Chapter disputes against did put upon the law and the works thereof as is clear from Acts 15.1 And certaine men which came downe from Judea taught the Brethren and said except yee be circumcised after the manner of Moses yee cannot bee saved and therefore the Apostles exclusion of the law from beleevers must needs lye in that sense which they would have inforced the same upon them viz. as a Covenant of works or as a way or means by observance of which they might obtaine life justification here and eternal salvation hereafter 2 If such have the Spirit of God in them and are led guided and governed in their waies and walkings thereby then doe they not walk after the law as a covenant of works Where is Legal walking is nothing of the Spirit because the Covenant of vvorks gives not the Spirit but now such have the Spirit of God in them Rom. 8.9 But yee are not in the Flesh but in the Spirit if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ hee is none of his and in their walkings are led and acted thereby vers 14. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the Sons of God therefore doe not walk after the Law altering but a word or two and the Apostle from the very same premises makes my conclusion for mee Gal. 5.18 But if yee be led of the Spirit yee are not under the law 3 If the obedience of such persons be true Gospel obedience then doe they not walk after the law as a Covenant of works for then their obedience should be legal obedience to a Covenant of works being legal But the first is true as I prove thus either there is no Evangelical obedience in the world or if there be it must be found in those who are not freed from condemnation in those that are that there is Evangelical obedience none
and worke and worke but to beleeve on Christ who hath purchased salvation for poor sinners and gives it out freely without any merit or desert of theirs they make this use of it to throw off all If God will save them which is all they have a care for they will do nothing now for God or the glory of God As it is with young trees in the transplanting of them usually most of them wither and come to nothing So take a company of Legal walkers and go about to transplant them bring them from the Law to the Gospel and there are but few of them that will not miscarry and come to nothing in the removing When the Law is gone and the fear of Hell is off their hearts they will do nothing for the love of God or the glory of God I have read of a man that was so exact in duty that hee would never go forth in the morning but hee would first go to prayer by himself and when hee had prayed hee would say to himself Now Devil do thy worst and all the day long would haunt the Ale-houses Taverns and Whore-houses and come home again at night and go to pray Take the generation of Professors throughout the world and their Religion is such a kinde of Religion as this mans was though I will not say they are so prophane as hee every legal conscience is not so large yet usually they go on in a track of duties They will serve God morning and evening and if this bee done though the world and Devil have their hearts all the day besides yet they thinke all is well and that by their morning and evening prayers they make God amends for all their sin their pride their worldlinesse wantonnesse uncleannesse all the day besides There are some Papists they say that alwayes carry a Crucifix about with them and when they have been drunk or unclean or blasphemed God c. Their manner is to take their Crucifix and kiss that and howle over it a while and when they have so done they will return to their sin again So there are many Professors who though they have not their Crucifixes yet somewhat they have which serves them instead thereof which ordinarily is some outward duty and when they have committed any sin they run to their duty and there lick themselves whole and having so done back from their duty to their sin again You therefore that are Professors look to your selves I say look to your selves for as a godly man saith there are many hundred Professors which bear forth a broad profession and make a glorious shew in the eyes of the world who will bee found to bee sons of Ishmael at the last day bare Legal Professors And with this kinde of Profession a man may and many there are which do go bravely through the world with top and top gallant up carrying the applause of Town and Country where they dwell for men of excelling godliness and honesty and yet bee strangers to Jesus Christ and true Gospel-holiness for all this In good earnest therefore look to your selves Professors and consider seriously the ground you stand upon whether it bee Legal or Gospel-ground lest after you have travelled many miles as you come heaven-ward you are found to be nearer hell then when you first set out Use 2. By this wee may also take a scantling of our actions as well as our persons Wee may know what they are and what worth they have in them To know the worth of our actions wee are not to judge by the outward plausibleness of them but the principle whence they flow if the principle bee a Gospel-principle though the action bee ever so poor weake and mean in it self and despicable in the eyes of others yet the action is good and accepted of God If the Law bee the principle though the action bee ever so glorious yet it is Flesh and abominable to God Why doth the Apostle Heb. 11. so highly commend the works of the godly Patriarchs many of which for the outward act were poor and low and mean but because the principle whence they did flow was a Gospel-principle they sprang from faith the worthiness of the principle makes the action though ever so poor and low in it self worthy And why are the howlings of Cain the tears of Esau the humiliations of Ahab the confessions and repentance of Judas so branded in Scripture but because the principle whence they did flow was Legal the principle being Flesh though ever so shining and glorious otherwise to bee filthy and abominable to God The Apostle tells us Rom. 8. Those that are in the flesh cannot please God So let mee say There is never an action which is an action of the Flesh as every pure Legal action is that either is or can be pleasing to God Yea the actions of Saints themselves having Flesh in them would bee abhorring to God did not Christ the High Priest of the Saints seperate between the precious and the vile in their actions and present onely the precious to his Father So displeasing is Flesh to God that even the actions of those whom hee loves as the apple of his eye would bee a stinking smell to him were there any thing of Flesh in them when they come before him Why is it said of Paul at his conversion Behold hee prayeth why then hee prayed before hee was a Pharisee and the Pharisees used to make long prayers they made a trade of praying why because though hee prayed before yet so long as hee was a Pharisee and walked Legally all his praying was but a little of the Flesh and God will not own it by the name of praying But now when there was a beam of Gospel-light darted into his soul and a little of the Spirit of God in his prayer God streightway owns it Behold hee prayeth Paul made many prayers before whilst hee was a Legalist and God will not own one of them and now he makes but one with a little of the Spirit and God streightway owns that So there is many a man and woman that sayes over a prayer sometimes and thinks God indebted to him when alas poor soul when the reckoning day comes wherein hee expects his reward for his worke hee shall finde to his woe that God will not owne any of these his prayers but God will say to him as to those hypocritical fasters the Prophet speaks of When yee fasted fasted yee at all to mee even to mee saith the Lord So will God say Man woman thou hast prayed but didst thou pray to mee at all to mee were not all thy prayers because thou wast afraid of hell or because thy conscience whipped thee to it or thou hadst a design hereby to get credit amongst thy friends and neighbours c. Is this praying to mee Or will God say to them as Christ said to those Mat. 7. who come to him with Lord Lord in their mouthes wee have
Law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Kingly Law or the Law of Christ as King of Saints This distinction Christ teacheth us Mat. 5. where repeating and opening of the Moral Law he saith it was said of old thus and thus i. e. thus Moses said thus the Law as it was Moses his Law said but saith he I say unto you i. e. thus the Law as it is my Law saith unto you This Paul well knew and therefore Rom. 7. handles the Law under this two fold consideration as Moses his Law he saith we are dead to it delivered from it and have nothing to doe therewith as Christs he saith he did approve of it delight in it and endeavour to conforme thereto So Rom. 8.2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death he makes a clear distinction betwixt the Law as it was in Moses his hand administring sin and death to those under it and in Christs giving spirit and life and he saith that beleevers by being under the Law as Christs are freed frâ—m as Moses's And in Gal. 2.19 For I through the Law am dead to the law that I might live unto God He tells us that by vertue of being under the Law as it is in the hand of Christ he tells us he was dead to it as in the hand of Moses These things laid down I say Gospel walking is to make the Law of God i. e. the Moral Law as it is the Law of Christ the rule of our lives and actions For the making out of this three things are to be proved 1 That the Moral Law in Gospel-times is a Rule to Beleevers else making it our Rule cannot be Gospel-walking 2 That it is a Rule only as in the hand of Christ 3 That to obey and observe the Law as it is in the hand of Christ is truly and properly Gospel-walking The first I make good by these Arguments Argument 1. If the coming of Christ doth not destroy the Law as a Rule but fulfill or compleat the same then is the Law in Gospel-times a rule to beleevers But the first is true Matth. 5.17 Think not that I am come to destroy the Law or the Prophets I am not come to destroy but to fulfill What fulfilling is the fulfilling here spoken of Not so much Christs fulfilling the Law for us as our common person though this bee a truth as the perfecting or compleating of the Law I came to fulfill the Law that is to compleat the Law to fill up the Law which the Jewes took by halves or peece-meals and this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth properly signifie to replenish perfect or fill up a thing being as some say a Metaphor taken from a Ship under sayl whose sayls are filled with wind and this Christ's own speaking to the end of the Chapter clearly shews he going on to declare the spiritual sense and meaning of the Law beyond what the Jewes understood thereof or Moses had discovered to them Therefore the latter Argum. 2. If the Moral Law bee a perpetual and everlasting Rule to Saints in all Ages then to Saints in Gospel-times But the first is true Mat. 5.18 for Verily I say unto you till heaven and earth passe one jot or one tittle shall in no wise passe from the Law till all be fulfilled As long as Heaven and Earth remaines so long doth the Law remaine and the fulfilling thereof remaine Here observe by the way that the Greek word translated fulfilled is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which doth not signifie as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used in the precedent verse to perfect or fill a thing up but to doe or performe a thing Now there is a two-fold fulfilling or performing of the Law a fulfilling or performing thereof in Christ as our Head and common Person this was perfectly accomplished by and in Christ when hee was here and there is a fulfilling or performing of the Law in us the Members this because it is imperfect and wrought by degrees goes perpetually on increasing till wee come to bee wholly like our Head and this I take it is that which is here spoken of which shall remaine as long as Heaven and Earth remaine i. e. as long as Heaven and Earth stands Saints shall goe daily on fulfilling of the Law till in the end their obedience comes to bee perfect as Christs was Argum. 3. If the preaching of Faith doth not make voyd the Law but establish the same then doth the Law still remaine as a Rule to Beleevers in Gospel-times But the first is true Rom. 3.31 Nay we establish the Law i. e. by the preaching of the Gospel wee doe not over-turn the Law make men Libertines and free them from the obedience of the Law no but we establish the Law set it upon a better and surer bottome than it stood on before and bring men to a more free full and spiritual observance thereof than they will bee brought any other way therefore the latter Argum. 4. If the substance of those things which are required in the Moral Law are commanded in the Gospel promised to Gospel-times then doth the Law remaine a Rule to Beleevers still But the first is true as for example Doth the Law in general require of us to love God with all our heart with all our soul with all our might and with all our strength and to love our neighbour as our selves and doth not the Gospel every where command these things Doth the Law require of us to love serve and obey one God and the true God and doth not the Gospel doe this Doth the Law require us to worship God in his owne way forbidding all Idol worship and doth not the Gospel doe this 1 Cor. 10.20 21. 2 Cor. 6.14 15 16 17. doth the Law require us to sanctify Gods Name and doth not the Gospel too Jam. 5.12 Doth it require the sanctifying of the Sabbath and is not this promised to Gospel-times Ezek. 44.24 in the purest Gospel which shall be when the Jewes are called they shall hallow Gods Sabbath and I take it for this reason the command of keeping the Sabbath is mentioned both in the Moral Ceremonial and Judicial Law in the Judicial Law to teach us that the keeping holy one day of seven is natural in the Moral to teach it is Moral and in the Ceremonial Law to teach us the command of the Sabbath is Evangelical the Ceremonial Law being but the Gospel under Types and Figures Doth the Law require obedience to Superiours and doth not the Gospel yea is not the Fifth command in expresse words commanded Ephes 6.2 Doth the law forbid Murder Adultery Theft False-witness-bearing coveting anothers goods and right and are not all these forbid in the Gospel Rom. 13.9 therefore the law remaines a Rule to beleevers under the Gospel Argum. 5. If Christ as a common person did yeeld obedience to the Moral Law then is the
his hand if we look into Scripture it tells us three things concerning it 1 It came with bare commands It had commands Do this and live and these commands were bare commands commands without any life or power and therefore it is called a voyce of words Heb. 12. 2 It came with fearful threatnings and terrible denunciations of wrath to the disobedient to scare men from sin Gal. 3.10 Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the Booke of the Law to do them 3 It came with alluring promises of life and salvation to the obedient Rom. 5. For Moses describeth the righteousnesse which is of the Law that the man which doth those things shall live by them Thus the Law came as it came in the hand of Moses and was the Rule of a Covenant of works but now as it comes in the hands of Christ and is our Gospel Rule I mean the Rule of Saints under the Gospel for to other men the Law still remains in force as it was given by Moses to it comes without either of these 1 It doth not come with bare commands as Moses his Law did it hath commands and more spiritual than the Law had in the hands of Moses but these are not bare commands commands without any life or power no but there is a power and efficacy that goes forth with every command of the Law as it is in the hands of Christ there is an exceeding aptness of power inabling the soul to do what it commands so that a poor soul receiving the Law from the hands of Christ is not left lame and dead unable to follow the voyce of the Law but it findes life and power coming in with the command It bids the soul pray and gives the Spirit to inable to cry Abba Father it bids it avoid evill and do good and inables it to do the one and the other Thus the soul is not left liveless and strengthless it doth not go about wishing and woulding O that I could obey O that I could keep the Law O that I could leave sin bee more holy c. and finde no strength to any of these no but it findes inward life and strength so that it no sooner hears the voyce of the Law but it findes some power to yeeld obedience to that voyce Thus I say though Christs Law as well as Moses's hath commands yet these are not bare commands a voyce of words but commands with power the word and the power going together 2 It doth not come with terrible threatnings and denunciations of wrath it doth not say Man Woman do this or thou art damned avoid that or thou art damned it hath no such language But the Law as it is in the hands of Christ it saith thus O thou beleeving soul here is work for thee I come to bid thee work thou must pray read and meditate of the word of God love God with all thy heart love thy neighbour as thy selfe do good to all as thou hast opportunity avoid all sin c. but I do not tell thee that put case thou failest either in neglecting any thing I command thee or doing any thing I forbid thee that thou shalt be damned I tell thee not so but know the contrary that though through weaknes and infirmity thou shouldest fail in the one or the other yet thou shalt never be damned damnation is gone Christ hath delivered thee from that thou shalt never bee damned But yet I say unto thee do as I bid thee because thy Father takes pleasure to see his childe which thou art dutiful and obedient and it will grieve him shouldest thou do otherwise yet however though thou failest which yet take heed of because of grieving thy Father yet know this thou shalt never bee damned my curse shall never light upon thee for it hath been already upon the head of Christ thy Surety who hath born it All therefore I have to say to thee is to shew thee what thou shouldest do and how thou shouldest walk but I have no curse for thee I cannot curse thee though I would 3 It doth not come with alluring promises of life and salvation to the obedient The Law in the hand of Christ it doth not come with a voyce Do this and live It doth not say Soul if thou wilt obey mee thou shalt have heaven But saith the Law thou poor sinner who hast closed with Christ know for certain Heaven is thine already salvation is sure to thee thou hadst the grant of this and it was made sure to thee by an unchangeable deed of gift from thy Father upon thy beleeving day and therefore should I promise thee this in case thou wouldest hearken to my voice I should promise thee nothing at all because I should promise thee no more than what thou hast already and none can ever deprive thee of for all this is thine yea as I cannot promise thee this in case thou shouldest obey mee so needest thou not fear losing of this if through thine own weakness or the prevalency of thy corruption thou shouldest fall and disobey mee But this is that I am thee Messenger of there is another viz. the Gospel which hath been before mee and assured thee heaven is thine but that I am the Messenger of is onely to tell thee how it becomes thee being a childe of God and an heir of heaven to walke and how thou shouldest express thy thankfulness to thy Father for his unspeakable love which thou shalt abundantly do if thou wilt endeavour in all things to observe mee and therefore poor soul bee thou now an obedient childe do thy Fathers will because hee hath proclaimed to thee in the word of his grace that hee hath given heaven to thee O therefore serve him and behold here I shew unto thee and point out the way in which hee would have thee do it Thus the Law as it comes in the hands of Christ it hath not bare commands nor threatnings nor curse no promises of life and salvation in it but it comes without any of these 3 That to yeeld obedience to the Law as it is in the hands of Christ is Gospel-walking 1 To walke in the way of the New Covenant is Gospel-walking for the Gospel and New Covenant are the same But to yeeld obedience to the Law as it is in the hands of Christ is to walke in the way of the New Covenant for the Law as it is in the hands of Christ is a part of the New Covenant the thing that the Law as such requires of beleevers being there promised and given to them therefore it is a part of the New Covenant 2 To serve God without fear and from love is Gospel-walking Luke 1.74 75. 2 Tim. 1.7 2 Cor. 5.14 But to yeeld obedience to the Law it is in the hands of Christ is such for what is there in the Law to cause fear if wee look upon it in the
hands of Christ there are no terrors threatnings no curse no noise of death hell and damnation though I break the same all these things being gone And on the other side is there not much to cause love heaven eternal life is given before ever I strike a stroak do one action that the Law requires of mee set one step in a way of obedience all my sins are pardoned in Christ and through him before ever I commit them is not here much to beget love and to make mee out of love to yeeld obedience to the holy Law of God who hath pardoned my sins made mee an heire of life eternal and all without my merit or desert therefore I say this obedience having not slavish fear in it but arising from love must needs bee Gospel-walking 3 That obedience which is the fruit and effect of the working of Gods holy Spirit in us is Gospel-walking for not the Law but the Gospel or New Covenant gives the Spirit which helps us to obey But now all obedience to the Law as it is in the hands of Christ is such for to such as take the Law of Christ Christ first gives his Spirit then his Law as Ezek. 36.27 I will put my Spirit within you What then And I will cause you to walk in my wayes First the Spirit to inable to obedience then the Law and they do obey it Therefore all such obedience is Gospel-walking Other Questions there are behinde which I cannot reach at present I shall onely minde you of this that what hath been before spoken serves to correct two great mistakes 1 A MISTAKE of some men of the one hand who are so much for the Gospel and do so cry it up that they throw the Moral Law quite out of doors as though there were no room for that in the Gospel Temple They think that grace and good works are so inconsistent one with the other that they can never stand together and therefore that grace may bee all the Law and good works shall bee nothing at all whose mistake is corrected from what hath been said and proved that the Moral Law remaines a Rule to Saints in Gospel-times 2 A MISTAKE of some others on the other hand who out of zeal for the Moral Law do hand over head urge and press the same as the Rule of Saints never considering how or in what sense the same remaines a Rule and by so doing they bring the glorious Sons of Sion the free-born Saints of the Gospel under the power and commands of a Covenant of Workes ere they are aware Whose mistake is corrected by distinguishing of commands as they are Moses's and Christs In the first sense the Law is not a Saints Rule and it is dangerous so to make it in the latter it is and it is sweet and comfortable so to receive it Therefore you that are Saints and Beleevers hence learn two things I Not to reject the Moral Law as a Rule to order your lives and conversations by but with love delight and chearfulness approve of imbrace and obey the same 2 Not to take the Moral Law for your Rule as it comes out of Moses his hand for then you bring your selves under the power of a Covenant of Workes and your soules will bee continually filled with terror fear and trembling covered over with darknesse lying under apprehensions of wrath and altogether weake and unable to do what is commanded But take it out of the hands of Christ and then with Paul you will say The Law if holy just and good I consent to the Law that it is good I delight in the Law of God after the inner man yea with my minde I my selfe do serve the Law of God Which Gospel-walking the Lord bring you and I daily more and more unto Amen When a mans walk may bee said to bee a Gospel walk SERMON VI. Rom. 8.1 Who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit BY this time you know the meaning of these Phrases which you have oft heard to bee meant either of Legal or Gospel walking Walking after the Old or New man I have spoken or Legal walking and am now upon Gospel walking The last day I shewed you what Gospel walking is I now proceed to another Question viz. 2 Quest When may a mans walk bee said to bee a Gospel walke or a walking after the Gospel I answer I. When the Rule of a mans obedience is a Gospel Rule i.e. the Law as it is in the hands of Christ. Of this having spoken at large the last day I shall wholly wave it now 2 When the principle of a mans obedience or walking is a Gospel principle Quest But what is the Gospel principle Answ This Gospel holds forth two great things viz. a crucified Christ to bee beleeved on and the Powring out of the Spirit of Christ into the hearts of beleevers The first respects our Justification the latter our Sanctification or our obedience and walking Now as Christ crucified is the great Principle in the business of our Justification whence alone that flows from the knowing and beleeving on a Crucified Christ so the Spirit of Christ in the hearts of Saints is the great Principle in the matter of our obedience whence that flows Hence Rom. 8. the Sons of God are said to bee lead by the Spirit of God i.e. the Spirit doth not onely teach a beleever what is his duty but doth as it were take him by the hand and lead him to it help and guide him in it There is more held forth in the word leading than in teaching I teach another when I write him a copy and lay it before him and tell him how hee should hold his pen and order and guide his hand but now when I do not onely do this but take his hand in mine and write therewith I may bee better said to guide or lead him So the Spirit of God teacheth a beleever when it makes discovery of any truth to him hee was ignorant of before and shows him what duty that truth calls for from him but when it doth not onely do this but also inables the soul to receive this truth and to walk up to what this truth calls for conforming the soul to the truth or will of God then doth it exercise its leading power in the soule And therefore Ezek. 36.27 God saith I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walke in my wayes c. In the Gospel or New Covenant the Spirit of God put into a beleever is the causing constraining principle to obedience and holy walking As in the Old Covenant though the fruit seem never so glorious yet the principle or root of all obedience is Flesh So in the New Covenant though the outward fruit seem never so mean and weak yet the principle or root is the Spirit All Gospel graces and works are fruits of the Spirit as Gal. 5.22 23. But the fruit of the Spirit is love joy
hands of them all 1 Divine JVSTICE and displeasure Man was no sooner faln from God but he fell into the hands of Justice Justice having the Creature in bonds will not release him without satisfaction made Christs owne who were in the bulk of fallen Mankind being now with the rest in the hands of Justice Christ goes and surrenders up his own life in the stead of theirs and by dying conquers Iustice and so wins those which were his owne for whom lie dyed out of Justices hands 2 SIN As man by the fall was a prisoner to Justice so a subject to Sin Christs own being in this vassalage with the rest under the guilt of sin and power of it Christ that hee might ransome and redeem his own incounters this enemy likewise giving a deadly blow to it as Rom. 6.6 Knowing this that our old man is crucified with him that the body of sin might bee destroyed that henceforth wee should not serve sin and by this his ingagement hee gains his own out the hands of sin from under the guilt of it and the dominion likewise This remarkable conquest of Christ over sin in the behalf of his own we have recorded 1 Cor. 5.55 56 57. O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory The sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the Law But thanks bee to God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ Where wee have a list of those potent enemies that Christ by conquest hath rescued his own out of the hands of three of them being brought in together the first is Death which through Christs Conquest is swallowed up into victory vers 54. The second is Sin The third is the Law over all which Christians through Christ have the victory vers 57. and may boldly triumph O death where is thy sting 3 Which is one in die former List and none of the least or weakest is the LAW Man fallen from God falls under the curse and condemnation of the Law the Law curses him and condemns him darts down all its thunderbolts upon the head of the sinner Christ now seeing his own among the rest lying under a curse a sentence of condemnation that hee might regain his own hee puts himself under the Curse and saith Curse mee O Law but deliver and let go my own the Law streightway bends all its power against Christ and turnes the edge of its curses upon him but falling upon a mighty one the Law is vanquished and overcome and all its Curses being plucked out of its hands Christ taketh up his own and in a triumphant manner carries them away from under the curse of the Law This is lively set forth Gal. 3.13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us for it is written cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree 4 The WORLD Christs own in the Text are said to bee in the world how in the world in the world as a friend No but in the world as a mortal enemy that hates malignes them would if it could eat them up Joh. 15.19 If yee were of the world the world would love his own but because ye are not of the world but I have chosen you out of the world therefore the world hateth you Christ seeing his own in the hands of such an Enemy ingageth this Enemy likewise and will not quit the field till hee hath got the Conquest and broken the power of this Enemy and so redeemed his own as Joh. 16. last These things I have spoken unto you that in mee yee might have peace in the world yee shall have tribulation but bee of good cheer I have overcome the world 5 The DEVIL The Devil is the Laws and Justices Jaylor Man by his falling from God coming under the power of the Law and Justice falleth into the hands of this Jaylor Christ seeing his own in the croud among the rest now in the hands of this powerful and cruel Jaylor that hee might ransome his own hee falls upon this Jaylor pitcheth a field with this potent Prince of darkness and having given him a total foile hee carries his own away as the glorious and triumphant spoyles and trophies of his victory This Conquest is set forth Col. 2.15 And having spoyled principalities and powers hee made a shew of them openly triumphing over them in it 6 And lastly HELL Hell is the Devils prison Christs own among the rest through mans fall and the enmity of Satan the Jaylor were in danger to bee cast into this prison Christ seeing this assaults the Jaylor breaks open the prison doors and in token of victory hath the Keyes of the prison delivered into his hands As when a General conquers a City or Castle the Keyes in token of victory are delivered into his hands So Christ having conquered the Jaylor and broken open the prison hath the Keyes delivered to him And hereby Christ frees his own from all fears of being cast into this prison for the Keyes are not now in the hands of Satan the Jaylor who is their enemy but in the hands of Christ who is their loving friend and hath therefore gotten the Keyes into his hand that they might not bee cast in Rev. 1.18 I am hee that liveth and was dead and behold I am alive for evermore Amen and have the Keyes of Hell and of Death Lay all together and it will evidently appear that Christ hath a right a glorious right unto his own by Conquest for hee hath fought for them with many potent enemies and by the strength of his Almighty Arm wrested them out of the hands of them all who therefore now himself alone and no other hath the right the onely right to challenge them as his own 4 They are Christs own by Compact or Covenant The Father having by Covenant put them into Christs hands They are not onely given as before but given by Covenant for when Christ stood a common person a Covenant was drawn up betwixt the Father and him in which Christ Covenanted on his part to satisfie the Fathers Justice the Father again Covenanted to give to Christ a seed this is expressed Isa 53.10 Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him he hath put him to grief When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin hee shall see his seed hee shall prolong his dayes and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand This Covenant as saith a godly man of our times is Dialogue-wise expressed Isa 49. where Christ at the first and second verses begins shewing his Commission and Qualification and asking what hee should have for so great a work God answers vers 3. and offers low onely the Elect of Israel Christ who was now making his bargain thought these too few and therefore saith If that were all hee should labour in vain vers 4. yet tells God hee would do his work though it were but for these
passed for the poor sinner it is definitive there can bee no alteration of it nor appeal from it because it is the sentence of the highest Judicature a sentence passed in the highest Court which no subordinate power can change or alter Hence likewise in this respect Jesus Christ is of all other Advocates the most useful because hee pleads in such a place where if hee do procure by his mediation an act to bee but once passed in the behalf of the poor sinner whose cause hee pleads there can never bee any repealing of that act but it remains like the Laws of the Medes and Persians irreversible In our Courts of Law a man may have a sentence passed for him to day and against him to morrow and one Court repeals what another enacts yea the Laws and Ordinances of the superior Courts are subject to mutation and alteration but now Christ pleads as an Advocate in such a Court where every Law is binding for ever sentences passed are unalterable O poor sinner if through the mediation of Christ thou hast an acquittance given thee of all thy sins and debts thou owest God it is unalterable If a grant of any favour it is unalterable If a right or title to any inheritance afterwards to bee injoyed it is unalterable What poor sinner is there that would not now run to Christ as an Advocate for the pardon of his sins grace heaven c. which if once granted to him shall bee his surely unchangeably for ever even for ever 2 Hee is an Advocate that is gifted and qualified for the worke Many times a just and righteous cause suffers through the weakness of him that hath the mannaging of it But now Christ is an able Advocate a gifted Advocate one fit for the work See Isa 42.1 2 3 4. Behold my servant whom I uphold mine Elect in whom my soul delighteth I have put my Spirit upon him hee shall bring forth judgement to the Gentiles Hee shall not cry nor lift up nor cause his voyce to bee heard in the streets A bruised reed shall hee not breake and the smoaking flax shall hee not quench Hee shall bring judgement unto truth Hee shall not faile nor bee discouraged till he have set judgement in the earth See how God hath fitted him God upholds him puts his Spirit on him c. But there are two things in a more especial manner which speak his fitness and qualification as to the work 1 Hee shall mannage all his causes very tenderly and so as hee will bee sure they shall not bee the worse by his taking them in hand vers 3. If it bee a poor bruised cause which will hardly hold together hee will bee sure so to mannage it as that it shall not bee broken If it bee a pitions cause that hath abundance of evill in it but a very little that can bee said for it to make it good hee will bee sure hee will not let that little bee lost 2 Hee will bee undaunted notwithstanding all the opposition hee meets with and all the flaws hee findes in the cause hee pleads and never give over till the judgement goes of his side and hence Matth. 12.20 A bruised reed shall hee not breake and smoaking flax shall hee not quench till hee send forth judgement unto victory What is here read truth is there victory noting that whatsoever difficulties or discouragements hee meets with hee will not bee daunted nor give over till hee hath gotten victory in judgement obtained to have the sentence passed on the sinners side bee the cause ever so poor or tottered or bruised that hee pleads Many times when an Attorney or Councellor resolving to bee just sees the cause so ill that hee thinks hee shall make nothing of it hee is discouraged and will not undertake it But now Christ will not bee daunted nor discouraged at the oppositions and discouragements hee meets with but will proceed till hee hath gotten victory in judgement 3 Hee is an Advocate that hath a lawfull call to the Bar. In our Common and Civill Law there are degrees of Lawyers wee have our students at Law our Councellors and Serjeants and sometimes it so falls out that a studient of the Law is better able to plead the Clients cause than a Serjeant yet because hee hath not his degree upon him hee is not called to the Bar and so being not called to the Bar hee cannot plead Sometimes perhaps such a one stands by and hee sees a poor mans cause through the weakness of him that mannageth it go to the wall and hee could help him and would willingly do it but now because hee hath not a call to plead at the Bar hee may not Now Jesus Christ is such an Advocate which is not only gifted and able but hath also a lawful call to the Barre to plead Heb. 5.4 5 6 10. And no man taketh this honour unto himself but he that is called of God as was Aaron so also Christ glorified not himself to bee made an High Priest but he that said unto him Thou art my Son to day have I begotten thee as he saith also in another place Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedeck vers 10. Called of God an High Priest after the order of Melchisedeck God called him out to the work he is Christ i. e. anoynted to it yea he is alone called to it there is no other joyned with him as Co-partner with him in this Office which makes his call to the Barre of Gods Justice to plead there in the behalf of poor Sinners so much the greater because the Cause it self of poor Sinners must wholly faile if hee doe not undertake the mannaging of it 4 He is a faithful Advocate Advocates among men are unfaithful oftentimes the poor Clients cause oftentimes perisheth not so much from the unskilfulnesse or weaknesse as the unfaithfulnesse of him whom hee entrusts it with But now Christ is a faithful Advocate and therefore in the text as he is called an Advocate so he is also called the Righteous And so Heb. 2. he is said to bee a faithful High Priest hee is such an Advocate as will not deceive his poor Clients Thou mayest O poor Soul trust thy Cause with Christ he will not deceive thee it is a great jealousie many times a poor man hath and perhaps from ground enough that his Lawyer deceives him Put thy case over to Christ thou shalt be freed of this jealousie 5 He is an Advocate that hath the Law and Justice on his side Many times a good Advocate loseth his Cause because the Law is against him and it would be injustice should he carry it Law and Justice are above the Lawyer But now Christ is such an Advocate as hath Law and Justice for him they are both of his side here the Lawyer if I may so speak is above the Law and here it is Law because the Lawyer saies it in others the Lawyer
many even of as many as do beleeve therefore that obedience is not the souls righteousnesse 2 Faith is a Law-duty and the work of faith a Law-work though the object of faith be of Gospel-revelation now if a Law-work be the condition of the New Covenant It is not a Covenant of grace but works Rom. 11.6 If it bee of works it is no more grace else work is no more work 3 A man might stay upon Old Covenant works because the condition of his Covenant as Hezekiah did 2 King 20.4 and Abijah did 2 Chron. 13.12 But a man may not stay upon his faith nor intreat favour for his faiths sake but for Christs sake The Old Covenant made premises unto performances the New Covenant makes promises of performances Many promises indeed are made of comfort to them that mourne of rest to them that are weary of pardon to them that confesse but not because they mourne are weary or confesse In promises of this nature faith findes footing not in a condition but in a connexion as also when the promise saith The barren shall bring forth I will poure water upon dry ground here is no condition for barrennesse and drinesse is none but here is a connexion unto faith a heart full of groans an eye full of tears a life full of reformation may bee good signes but bad grounds faith knowes nothing but Jesus Christ 4 The condition of the Old Covenant was to bee performed in the power of him that was in Covenant and was no part of the Covenant to be given of God in which respect it is compared unto Pharoahs Taskmasters who required the whole tale of Bricke but gave no straw Faith is no such condition because the work of God wherein hee is mindful of his Covenant and Engagement though not to the creature yet to himself and to his Son on the behalfe of the creature 2 Cor. 4.13 Eph. 1.17 18 19 2.8 Hagar hath seed but in a natural way an Ishmael who was of the Law of Works after the flesh Sarah also hath seed but in a supernatural way an Isaac who was of promise of faith of the Spirit Gal. 4.29 Works were the condition of the Old Covenant and not Fruit Faith is the fruit of the New Covenant and not the condition 5 What is properly conditional in the constitution is certainly uncertain in the event all the good covenanted for hangs upon the condition as that which may bee injoyed or lost The Old Covenant was so according to the tenour whereof Ishmael the childe thereof is cast out But the New Covenant is not so not a Covenant which way bee broken Heb. 7 22.-9.15 16 17. being of the nature of a Testament Luke 22.20 1 Cor. 11.25 therefore not a Covenant properly conditional or having faith for a condition as Works were in the Old Covenant I shall adde no more under this head lest I bee reproved for furnishing so large a Porch to so little an house The New Covenant is a Covenant of Grace distinguished from the Old in the fulnesse thereof The Old Covenant had but the shadow of good things but the shadow of Election Vocation Justification c. The High Priest was but a shadow So the Temple the Sacrifice the Peace Heb 10.1 2. None fully purged or fully pardoned or furnished with a full answer to every charge and challenge of the Law Heb. 9.9 But the New Covenant hath the substance being full of Christ it is full of grace and truth For by one offering hee hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified Heb. 10.14 Under this Covenant no more conscience of sin Heb. 10.2 not that a man is past sinning or past feeling but because hee is past charging Rom. 8.33 34. No more conscience of sin as transgression of the Law which is a Law of sin and death Rom. 8.2 No more conscience of sin as a debt to that Law and so needing new Sacrifice but as Christ made satisfaction once and at once Rom. 6.10 Heb. 7.27 1 Pet. 3.18 so hee is made righteousnesse The Old Covenant was a weak Covenant not in commanding or condemning power it is able to damn a whole world for disobedience but in helping a poor miserable undone creature Rom. 8.3 What can the Sun do for a blinde man a Physitian may help nature but cannot give it the Old Covenant is like unto those Physitians upon whom the woman that had the Bloody-issue waited twelve years and spent all her substance being never the better but the worse The New Covenant is like unto Christ if wee touch but the hemm of that Garment there is healing which doth not onely declare a Law for the heart but also write it upon the heart not impose a duty onely but dispose unto obedience administring not onely the letter but the Spirit 2 Cor. 3.6 The Old Covenant is like unto Moses the Minister thereof who could not lead the people into Canaan The New is like unto Joshua a Type of our Jesus under whom the Tribes received their Inheritance Compare the times of Moses and Joshua and you will finde a fulnesse of grace in Joshuahs time Compare the times of the Old and New Covenant you will finde a fulnesse of grace in the New Covenant time exceeding fulnesse comparative with the former time 1 Moses his Spies brought up an ill report upon the good Land Numb 13.32 but Joshuahs returned with glad tidings Jos 2.23 Vnder Moses the Land is seen as a Land to bee obtained by warlike performances and the enemies being mighty they are discouraged Under Joshua the Land is seen as a Land of Promise to be given unto them in faithfulnesse Reformations under the Old Covenant commonly miscarry men are discouraged and run from Moses backe again into Egypt when corruption and temptation shew themselves men say as the Prophets servant Alas what shall wee do Under the New Covenant mans eye being open unto the Lord they can say with the Prophet There are more for us than bee against us and with the Apostle Wee can do all things Jesus Christ strengthning of us 2 Moses led the people toward the Land within sight of it and left them Joshua led them into Canaan Under the Old Covenant men may bee toward the Kingdome and nigh unto it but under the New they enter it and possesse it Agag may bee taken prisoner and bound under the one but hee is hewn in sunder and destroyed under the other 3 Under Moses Circumcision was neglected during the time that Israel was in the Wildernesse Under Joshua it was renewed Jos 5.5 9. So under the Old Covenant men are driven from iniquity by fear of punishment or dragged on in a way of duty by hope of reward the heart not yet set against that nor for this Vnder the New Covenant the heart is circumcised to love the Lord and thereby sweetly drawn after him 4 No Jubilee was kept by Moses nor by the people in his time but
Moral Law as Idolatry Oppression c. 3 Arg. That Law which stands in a direct opposition to the Law written in the heart must belong to the Old Covenant for Heb. 8.9 10. The Apostle opposing the Old and the New Covenant together makes the opposition or the New Covenants part to lye in this as one principal thing I will write my Laws in their hearts therefore the Law which stands most opposite unto this Law of the heart must bee a part yea a main part of the Old Covenant But this is the Law written and engraven in Tables of stone and that is die Moral Law And that indeed the Law written in Tables of stone doth in Pauls sense stand in direct opposition to the Law of the New Covenant written in the Tables of the heart is evident 2 Cor. 3.3 where the Apostle himself hath set these two in direct opposition each to the other 4 Arg. That Law which is a killing letter and a ministration of death and condemnation is of and belongs to the Old Covenant which is dear because the Apostle tells us it was to bee done away 2 Cor. 3.6 7. i.e. God in the first institution of it had an intent to abrogate it for future yea is done away vers 11. i.e. abrogated to beleevers now under the Gospel But now God instituted nothing with purpose and intent to abrogate it for future nor is there any thing once instituted by God now abrogated but what is of did belong to the Old Covenant therefore such must that Law bee which is a killing letter c. But this is no other but the Moral Law ergo 5 Arg. The Moral Law is expresly declared to bee a part of the Old Covenant This wee have Heb. 9.1 with vers 5. The first or old Covenant had in it both Ordinances of divine Service and the Tables of the Covenant i.e. Moral Law and Ceremonial both 6 Arg. That Law which the Apostle Paul disputes against in the seventh of the Romans is of the Old Covenant because the Apostle declares that Law that hee disputes against to bee abrogated vers 4.6 But nothing as I have said is abrogated but what is of the Old Covenant But the Law the Apostle doth there dispute against is no other but the Moral Law for hee speaks of that Law that makes discovery of sin which is the Moral Law yea makes particular mention of the last Precept of the Law Thou shalt not covet vers 7. Therefore the Moral Law as well as the Ceremonial and Political is of the Old Covenant 7 Arg. That Law which the Apostle disputes against throughout this Epistle proving that wee are not nor cannot bee justified by it is the Old Covenant as is evident because hee brings in this Allegory of Hagar and Sarah as the close of his disputationâ— strengthning all his former Arguments by it as by a most convincing demonstration to this effect Hagar the Old Covenant is commanded of God to bee cast out therefore the Law cannot justifie Now in case the Law the Apostle had been disputing against had been one thing and Hagar the Old Covenant another there could have been no conclusion these two therefore must bee one and the same But now the Law the Apostle disputes against throughout this Epistle is not the Ceremonial onely but the Moral also For 1 The Apostle disputes against that Law that the Galatians sought justification by but this was not the Ceremonial Law onely as is proved in my first Argument but the Moral also 2 The Apostle disputes against that Law which would frustrate the grace of God and render Christs death in vain in case righteousnes were attainable by it For this is one of his Arguments Chap. 2.22 I do not frustrate the grace of God c. But in case righteousness were attainable by the Moral Law it would as much frustrate the grace of God and render Christs death in vain as it could do though the same were attainable by the Ceremonial Therefore the Moral Law as well as the Ceremonial is the Law the Apostle disputes against 3 That Law the tenor whereof runs thus Do this and live is the Law the Apostle disputes against as Gal. 3.12 where the Apostle sets that Law which saith Do this and live in opposition unto Faith which is the thing hee pleads for But this is the tenor of the Moral Law Deut. 5.33 Levit. 18.5 ergo 4 That Law which pronounceth a dreadful curse and brings all those unavoidably under this curse that stand under it is the Law the Apostle disputes against as his urging the curse of the Law as a mighty Argument against justification by it Gal. 3.10 doth clearly prove But this is no other but the Moral Law ergo 5 That Law which Christs death was ordained to satisfie for the breach of it and thereby to remove the curse of it from beleevers is the Law the Apostle disputes against as vers 13. makes appear But this was the Moral Law ergo 6 That Law which is so opposite to the Promise that in case the inheritance were by it it could not bee by the promise is the Law the Apostle disputes against which his Argument urged vers 17 18. proveth But this cannot bee the Ceremonial Law which in it self carried no contrariety to the promise but maintained a sweet concurrence and harmony with the promise being indeed no other but the promise vailed the promise clad in Types and figures therefore must bee the Moral which therefore is the Law the Apostle disputes against ergo 7 That Law which was added because of transgressions and ordained by Angels in the hand of a Mediator is the Law the Apostle disputes against Chap. 3.19 for lest they should think that by his former Arguments hee had wholly destroyed the Law and made it uselesse he therefore brings in these words as an answer to the Question what use the Law ordained by Angels could bee put to if it could not justifie so that it is plain the Law here mentioned is the very same with that Law hee had before bent his Arguments against But the Law added because of transgressions and ordained by Angels in the hand of a Mediator none do or can deny to bee the Moral Law ergo 8 That Law which was a School-master to Gods people under the Old Testament to teach them duty and correct them for their faults is the Law Apostle disputes against as is clear because upon the coming of faith hee casts the School-master out of doors vers 24.25 i. e. abrogates the Law of the School-master But now the Law which was the School-master to teach Gods people under the Old Testament and correct them for their faults was not the Ceremonial Law which was unto them a help comfort and reliefe against their faults but the Moral ergo 9 And lastly That Law which requires of us that wee should love our neighbour as our selves is the Law the Apostle in this
because Ishmael was borne of the Bond-woman who had no absolute right and could therefore convey none to her seed but Esau of Rebecca who was a Free-woman had a right to convey which Esau despiseth Upon this Principle another follows viz. That carnal and slighty Gospel professors of which Esay was a Type doe prove to bee worse and more vile than meer legalists of which Ishmael was a Type for observe Esau having despised his Birth-right degenerates into a prophane person Heb. 12.16 but Ishmael not so for after that he was cast out of his Fathers Family hee was yet very strict as I shall shew hereafter By what wee have said it is now clear enough that the Moral Law as it is Sarahs Law the Law of the New Covenant so it is not to bee cast out because it belongs to the Free-woman who must not be rejected But for so much of the Moral Law as belongs to Hagar i. e. is a part of the Old Covenant and not brought by Christ into the New all that is to be cast out for it belongs unto the Bond-woman and what saith the Scripture Cast out the bond-woman c. From this double consideration of the Moral Law as it is the Law of Hagar the Old Covenant and as it is the Law of Sarah the New several useful lessons doe arise 1 Hence we may learne how to reconcile such Scriptures as seeme to have opposition and contradiction in them about the Law as namely Rom. 7. where the Apostle tells us vers 4. Wee are dead to the Law and vers 6. delivered from the Law yet saith vers 12. The Commardement is holy just and good vers 14. The Law is spiritual vers 16. I consent saith he to the Law that it is good vers 22. I delight in the Law of God after the inner man vers 25. with my minde I my selfe serve the Law of God How may we reconcile these doth not the Apostle speak contradictions Not so for in verses 4.6 hee treats of the Law as it is the Law of Hagar the Old Covenant and so he saith we are dead to it delivered from it in the following verses he treats of the Law as it is the Law of Sarah or of the New Covenant and so hee calls it spiritual holy just and good consents to it delights in it serves it c. So Gal. 2.19 I through the law am dead to the law i.e. the Law hath set mee wholly free from the Law Is not this a contradiction No for the Apostle speakes of the Law under its twofold consideration as it is the Law of the old Covenant and as the Law of the New and so his meaning is this I through the Law through receiving embracing or having to doe with the Law as it is the Law of the New Covenant am dead to the Law that is am set wholly free from the Law and have nothing to doe with it as it is the Law of the Old Of the like interpretation are those words Rom. 8.2 For the Law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death i.e. By the Law of the New Covenant or the Law as it is the Law of the New Covenant which the Apostle calls the Law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus because the New Covenant-ministration is a ministration of the Spirit a ministration that giveth life 2 Cor. 3.6.8 and hath Christ for the Mediator of it Heb. 8.6 chap. 9.15 chap. 12.24 and the Bloud of Christ as the seal or ratification of it Heb. 9.16 17 18. I am freed or delivered from the Law as it is the Law of the Old Covenant which as such is called A law of sin and death because sin is discovered by the Law of the Old Covenant but not mortified by this discovery but rather enlivened and the soul findes it self inwardly more provoked to it Rom. 7.5 7 8 9 10 11. Hence the discovery of sin which is by the Old Covenant not killing sin but rather making it to increase it consequently kills the soul and so it becomes a Commandement unto deaths a law of death a ministration of death 2 Corinth 3 7. So also Rom. 6.14 the Apostle speaking of Beleevers saith We are not under the law but under grace yet 1 Cor. 9.21 speaking of himselfe who was a Beleever he saith he was under the Law to Christ Are not these contradiction No because in the first place the law is spoken of as it is the Law of the Old Covenant administred by Moses so Beleevers in Gospel-times are not under it in the latter the Law is spoken of as it is the Law of the New Covenant administred by the Lord Jesus so Paul himself and all Beleevers who are willingly subject to Christ are also willingly subject to his Law Againe 1 Tim. 1.9 it is said The law is not made for a righteous man i. e. the righteous person is one that hath nothing to doe with the Law nor the Law with him so that in effect the Law is made voyd to him it is to him as though it were nothing and he to it as though there were no Law in the world yet Rom. 3. last it is said Doe wee make voyd the law through faith nay we establish the law what may we judge of these expressions The answer is still what I have said The Apostle in the former place confiders the Law only as it is the Law of the Old Covenant in which respect he saith it is not made for the righteous man i. e. he hath nothing to doe with it he is not under it in the latter only as it is the Law of the New Covenant and in this respect the preaching of faith doth not nul the Law to the Beleever but doth rather establish it as I am coming to shew Thus we see how this distinction about the Moral Law both doth and will bring all those opposite Scriptures which concern the Law to a sweet concord and harmony one with another 2 Hence wee may learne That the Moral Law doth still remaine as a rule to Saints even in Gospel-times for mark it the Moral Law is Sarahs Rule as well as Hagars now though Hagar the Servant in Gospel-times is an outcast yet Sarah the Mistris still remaines in the Family and governes there The Moral Law therefore as it is Sarahs Rule remaines in as full force even in Gospel times as ever Now because some not understanding this distinction have weakly and unadvisedly cast the Moral Law wholly out of doores as being a thing of no use to Beleevers under the New Testament as there are others that hand over head will bring it in I shall therefore establish this Position that the Moral Law is yea must bee a Rule to Saints even under the New Testament and that by these following Arguments Arg. 1. If the coming of Christ doth not destroy the Law as a Rule but
rather perfect it then is the Law a rule to Saints even in Gospel-times But the first is true Matth. 5.17 Think not that I am come to destroy the Law or the Prophets I am not come to destroy but to fulfill or to fill it up or perfect it as the Original word properly signifies i. e. to compleat the Law by adding that to it which the Scribes and Pharisees by their Traditions had taken from it and to this the whole scope of Christs discourse in this Sermon agrees Therefore must the latter also Avg. 2. If the Moral law bee a perpetual and an everlasting rule to Saints in all ages then to Saints in Gospel-times But the first is true Matth. 5.18 Verily I say unto you Till heaven and earth passe one jot or one tittle shall in no wise passe from the law till all bee fulfilled As long as heaven and earth remain so long doth the Law remain and the fulfilling of it remain The word here rendred fulfilling signifies a performing or doing and so it doth not respect a doctrinal fulfilling as doth the word translated fulfil in the former Argument but a practical Now the Law practically is fulfilled 1. In Christ as head and common person of this Children this fulfilling had its perfect accomplishment when Christ was here on earth 2 In the Saints which are his members This because it is imperfect and wrought by degrees goes perpetually on increasing till wee come to bee wholly like our Head And this latter I conceive to bee that which shall remaine as long as heaven and earth remaines the meaning whereof is Saints shall daily go on fulfilling of the Law till in the end their obedience come to bee perfect as Christs was Arg. 3. If the preaching of faith doth not make void the Law but establish the same then doth the Law still remain as a rule to Saints even in Gospel-times But the first is true Rom. 3.31 Do wee make void the Law through faith God forbid nay wee establish the Law i.e. by the preaching of the Gospel wee do not overturn the Law make men Libertines but establish it i.e. set it upon a better and surer bottome than it stood on before and bring men to a more free full and spiritual observance thereof then they can bee brought unto any other way ergo the latter Arg. 4. If in Gospel-times it bee a manifest Argument of a carnal minde not to bee subject to the Law of God then surely it must needs be a duty incumbent upon Saints and such as are spiritually minded to bee subject to it But the first is true Rom. 8.7 ergo the latter Arg. 5. If love which is the substance of the whole Law bee a duty incumbent upon Saints in Gospel-times then is the Law even in Gospel-times a rule to Saints But the antecedent is true Rom. 13.8 Owe no man any thing but to love one another for hee that loveth another hath fulfilled the Law Gal. 5.14 For all the Law is fulfilled in one word even in this Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self Hence Christ summes up Moses Ten Commandments into two whereof the first is love to God the second love to our neighbour Matth. 22.37 38 39. ergo the Consequent Arg. 6. If the Moral Law in Gospel-times bee given forth to Saints as the Law of Christ the great King of Saints then are Saints in Gospel-times to submit to it as a rule for wee are commanded to yeeld obedience to the Law of Christ Joh. 14.15 Gal. 6.2 And Paul tells us that himself was under the Law to Christ 1 Cor. 9.21 yea it were unreasonable to think that Christ being a King should not have a Law to give forth to his subjects which they ought to obey As upon the translation of the Priesthood out of the hands of the Typical High Priests into the hands of Christ the true High Priest there is made of necessity as the Apostle argues Heb. 7.12 a change or translation also of the Law So may I say upon the translation of the Scepter out of the hands of those Kings and Governours of Israel which were onely typical of Christ into the hands of Christ the great King of Saints and Nations there is made of necessity a translation also of the Law for hee being a King hee must have a Law to rule by But the Moral law in Gospel-times is given forth to Saints as the Law of Christ for love which is the fulfilling of this Law Christ gives forth as his great Commandement Joh. 13.34 Chap. 15.12 17. And hence the Moral Law is called the Royal Law i.e. the Kingly Law or the Law of Christ as King Jam. 2.8 Therefore is it a rule to Saints in Gospel-times Arg. 7. If the Moral law bee not inconsistent with Gospel-liberty then is it a rule to Saints in Gospel-times for there is nothing abrogated under the Gospel but what is inconsistent with Gospel-liberty But the Moral law is not inconsistent with Gospel-liberty the reason is plain because in Gospel-times it is called a Law of Liberty Jam. 2.11.12 So speake yee and so do as they that shall bee judged by the Law of liberty which it could not bee were it inconsistent with the liberty of those time Therefore the Moral law is a rule to Saints even in Gospel-times Arg. 8. That rule which considered in it self is spiritual holy just and good cannot bee abolished to Saints in Gospel-times for if so then should God abolish something that is spiritual holy just and good But such is the rule of the Moral law Rom. 7.12 14. ergo Arg. 9. That cannot bee the liberty of Saints under the Gospel which never was any part of the bondage of Saints under the Law but subjection to the Moral law as a rule was never any part of their bondage but rather indeed their free-dome their joy their delight I mean consider the Moral law simply and nakedly as a rule This is clear Psal 119.14 I have rejoyced in the way of thy testimonies as much as in all riches vers 24. Thy testimonies also are my delight and my councellors vers 45. And I will walke at liberty for I seeke thy Precepts 46. I will speake of thy testimonies also before Kings and will not bee ashamed 47. And I will delight my selfe in thy Commandements which I have loved 72. The Law of thy mouth is better to mee than thousands of gold and silver 97. O how love I thy Law it is my meditation all the day Yea every verse almost throughout this long and sweet Psalme speakes the very same language with these Arg. 10. If the most eminent and enlightned of Gospel-Saints have approved of the Law delighted in it served it then is it a rule to Saints in Gospel-times But the first is true and found in Paul Rom. 7.16 I consent unto the Law that it is good vers 22. I delight in the Law vers 25. I serve the Law c.
threat of death in case of disobedience and the promise of life upon condition of obedience by assuring her seed in giving forth this rule unto them that they are already most certainly freed from death and possessed of life and that therefore shee gives not forth this rule unto them to bee as a way or meanes through the observance of which they may escape the one or obtaine the other but only as a declaration of their Fathers will and their duty that by it they may bee instructed how they ought to walk and to please God Hence the obedience of Sarahs Children so farre as they are subject to their Mother Sarah only receiving their Law out of her hand is pure Gospel obedience i. e. obedience springing from the Spirit of Christ dwelling in them as the principal efficient cause from love and thankfulness to-their Father as the moving cause from an earnest desire that their Father might have some service from them and glory by them as the final cause and this is pure Gospel obedience when God is Agent Motive and End in all we doe 4 Hence wee may learn That a true Beleever as he doth not expect life and salvation from his obedience to the Law so should hee not fear death and condemnation either by his falling short in obedience or by his disobedience This Position will sound harsh in some cares and be accounted a leavened Principle but doe but observe how naturally it flowes from what hath been laid downe and proved for if the promise of life and salvation upon condition of obedience and the threat of Death and Condemnation to the disobedient bee proper to the Law as Hagars Law and if the Law as Hagars Law be now cast out then hath a Beleever nothing to doe with the Law as it is a law promising life to the obedient or threatning death to the disobedient and if so then cannot he expect life and salvation from it though hee should obey it nor need hee fear death though hee disobey it This necessarily follows that which hee hath nothing to doe with is dead to delivered from c. hee can neither expect good no nor fear evil from But the Law as Hagars Law hee hath nothing to doe with is dead to it delivered from it therefore he can neither expect good nor need he fear evil from it Obj. But it will be said Such a principle as this dâ—th open a wide gap to all manner of licention nesse Ans Not so but contrariwise it is co a gracious heart the most powerful motive and the greatest help that can bee to holinesse for as there is nothing moves such a one so strongly as doth this perswasion upon the heart that whatsoever it hath is of the free love of God only and that this love is such as that nothing can separate from it so nothing affords the Soule more firme help and reliefe against sin and temptations to sin than doth the knowledge and assurance of this that sin and temptation though it should conquer cannot condemn for so long as the Soul looks upon a possibility of being condemned by sin if vanquished by it he is in continual fear and therefore whensoever hee findes the motions of sin or temptations to sin stirring in himself hee presently grows weak and faint through this fear I shall bee vanquished and so condemned and as a fainting man is not in a capability to stand up against an enemy assaulting him with full strength so this fainting Soul whose strength through fear is gone before it is assaulted sinkes downe presently under the assault and is without any great resistance made a captive to that thing it hates which thing the Apostle Paul had large experience of in himself when hee said Sinne taking occasion by the Commandement wrought in mee all manner of concupiscence for without the law sin was dead for I was alive without the law once but when the Commandement came sin revived and I dyed and the Commandement which was ordained to life I found to bee unto death for sin taking occasion by the Commandement deceived me and by it slew me Rom. 7.8 9 10 11. But now when a Soul apprehends this that Hagars condemning Law hath nothing to doe with him and can from the clear knowledge of this say beleevingly to sin and temptation when hee feeles it beginning to stirre O sin O temptation though I should now yeeld to thee which is the thing thou wouldest have yet know this that thou shalt never condemn me which is the thing thou seekest hereby he doth as I may say disanimate the strength of sin and temptation and mightily encourageth himself and so adds to his owne strength that whereas be ever before encountred sin with disadvantage hee doth now encounter it with advantage and fights with the greatest resolution that can bee and without faint-heartednesse which faint-heartednesse comes in by the doore of this fear if I am conquered I am undone but if this fear be removed from the heart and the Soul once throughly perswaded of this my condition doth not depend at all upon the event of this Combate but whether I conquer or am conquered that is the same then shall it finde its hands made strong to fight and its heart also mightily resolved Such a state or condition as this I am speaking of there is but it is knowne only of those whom God hath brought out of Hagars School and who are in the School of Sarah my meaning is such as God hath enlightned to see and enabled to receive in the love of it this blessed truth that rigid servile Hagar is an out-cast and hath no longer rule over them having neither punishments to inflict nor rewards to bestow upon them but milde and loving Sarah is their only Mother and hath the sole government of them whose Children though they may be corrected with gentle rebukes yet can they never become out-casts and bee disinherited as Hagars may Till wee come into Sarahs Schoole we cannot learn this lesson yea Sarahs Children whilst they continue in Hagars Schoole will be offended at it Thus we have done with the First Question viz. what we are to understand by the Old Covenant I come now to the Second viz. Quest 2. What kind of Covenant this Old Covenant is Ans This is indeed the knotty Question and if there be any peece of the Doctrine of the Covenants that seemes to have perplexing difficulties in it this is it Before I can deliver my thoughts hereof positively it is necessary that something bee laid downe Negatively in opposition to that common principle which holds this Old Covenant to bee a Covenant of Grace and to differ from the New only in respect of administration so making the Old and the New not to be two diverse Covenants but two administrations of one and the same Covenant the one more dark the other more clear but the Covenant to bee for substance the same and
God was against mee and on Davids side I see now it is otherwise God takes my part hath shut up my enemy for mee A Providence seeming to smile upon him in his way makes him conclude God to bee his Friend when it was nothing to Thus much for the Outward blessings themselves The Condition required for the attaining and keeping of these was a diligent observance of what things the Moral and Judicial Lawes considered onely according to the Letter did require If they did what in the Letter of these Laws was commanded as in case they set up no other gods in their Land made no graven Images to worship did not take Gods Name in vain nor prophane his Sabbath nor behave themselves disobediently towards their Superiours nor were guilty of the acts of Murder Adultery Theft c. And so also for the Judicials by this Litteral obedience they came to have a right to all those blessings and mercies whether more common or special which were but meerly outward and temporary that is to say They should in doing these punctually and exactly as was required in the Letter of the Commandement bee blessed with long life in the Land of Canaan multiplication of their Nation advancement of them above other Nations have blessings attending them in City Field fruit of their bodies ground cattel in their basket store in their out-goings in-comings in their Store-houses and all they should set their hands unto have the victory and rule over their enemies bee freed from sicknesses diseases Famine Captivity c. Also they should so doing bee Gods peculiar people and hee would bee their God a Father Husband to them make them a holy Nation to himselfes crown them with peculiar dignity honor c. To the attainment of all these things a bare litteral obedience was sufficient and obedience of this nature was true obedience to the Old Covenant so farre as the same was a Covenant giving and dispensing Outward mercies and Priviledges onely And indeed that such an obedience there was is clear because as outward mercies of peace plenty c. were promised to Israel upon condition of their obedience so were these mercies oft-times enjoyed by them But now should wee conceive a spiritual obedience to the Law to bee the condition upon which these were injoyed then because obedience of this nature they were never able to give it would have been impossible for them to have injoyed these at any time Such therefore must the condition bee for outward mercies as they might perform which performing they had and did keep their mercies and not performing did lose them and come under a curse unlesse they did immediately upon every act of transgression which it were a thing impossible for them to do had the Condition I say been Spiritual obedience in which acts of disobedience are multiplied hourly flye for reliefe to the Ceremonial Law their City of refuge And because there was such an obedience as this required in the Old Covenant upon the due performance of which men might even upon the termes of the Covenant lay claim to outward mercies therefore I take it doth holy Hezekiah hee having kept the Old Covenant according to the Letter thereof when he was to plead for an outward mercy viz. continuance of life urge his obedience Isa 38.3 As also good Nehemiah spreads his obedience before God Neh. 13.14 And this obedience I conceive the young man meant and no other when hee said to Christ All these have I kept from my youth for had hee looked upon the Law in the spirituality of it neither hee nor any man living could ever make such a boast This likewise was the obedience Paul had in his eyes when hee saith of himself before his conversion that hee was as touching the righteousness of the Law blamelesse Phil. 3.6 The opinion therefore of the Jews that outward literal obedience was true obedience to the Law was not false onely it was short it was true obedience as to the attaining outward blessings only it was not the all of obedience the Law required And therefore Christ Mat. 5. where his large discourse upon the Law by way of exposition of it was dawn forth by the Pharises abuse of this opinion doth not in the least condemn the opinion it selfe of litteral obedience as if there were no such kinde of obedience at all sufficient for the attainment of any thing but only condemns their abuse of it and that improvement they made of this viz. That a man might enter into the Kingdome of Heaven and bee saved by it this hee shews could not bee but in case they sought salvation from the Law another kinde of obedience than this must bee given to it Secondly The Old Covenant had as well blessings spiritual and eternal as outward or temporary but yet so as that these were not as the former attainable by this Old Covenant as I shall shew presently Now that the Old Covenant had a Spiritual and eternal blessing held forth in it is manifest 1 From the contrary viz. a curse of eternal death coming in upon the breach of it Gal. 3.10 It is observable as I have formerly noted that these words relate to Moses his Covenant and are therefore quoted thence now if Moses Covenant did hold forth death eternal to the breakers of it then must wee also suppose on the contrary life eternal to bee held forth to him or them that should keep it 2 That opposition betwixt the Law and the Gospel the Old and New Covenant which the Apostle in his Sermons Writings especially in the Epistles to the Romans Galatians doth speak so much of plainly declares this for wherein lyes this opposition but herein viz. That in the one life justification salvation is held forth upon condition in the other freely and absolutely Herein I say lyes the opposition that the very same blessing is held forth in one one way in the other another And that the Law which the Apostle in his Epistles doth set in opposition to the Gospel is to bee understood of Moses his Law and not the Covenant of works made with Adam in Paradise is clear because hee quotes as I have said the very words of Moses curse speaks of the Law which was four hundred and thirty years after the promise made to Abraham which was given upon Mount Sinai which was the School-master Tutor and Governour of Gods people under the Old Testament that Law which the false Apostles did teach and cry up which was not Adams Covenant but the Covenant made by Moses all clearly shewing that the Law standing in opposite termes to the Gospel was according to the minde of the Apostle the Law of Moses if so then the ground of the opposition betwixt them lying in this that the Law gave life and salvation upon condition the Gospel freely it doth necessarily unlesse wee destroy the opposition it self by taking away the ground of if follow That Moses his
Law did hold forth life and salvation 3 The manifold Scripture-phrases and sentences especially in the New Testament which hold forth life in and by doing confirm this as Matth. 19.16 17. Master what good thing shall I do that I may inherit eternal life Note the Question is about eternal life What is Christs answer Why If thou wilt enter into life keep the Commandements Now if the Law did not hold forth such a thing as eternal life to those that should keep it men should the answer of Christ bee false for the matter of it Now although it is true Christ had it in designe to convince the young man and to make him see that indeed hee neither had nor could keep the Commandements though hee boasted of it yet must wee not thinke that Christ to doe this did use indirect meanes speake that which for the very matter of it was false to convince him of that which was a truth Rom. 2.13 For not the hearers of the Law are just before God but the doers of the Law shall bee justified importing plainly that the Law can and doth give forth justification to him whosoever it bee that gives it its condition of doing viz. perfect obedience Rom. 7.10 The Commandement which was ordained to life I found to bee unto death It is clear the Apostle doth here speak of Moses Law throughout the Chapter and hee saith expresly it was to life ordained instituted to life which fully and in termes speaks the thing asserted Rom. 10.5 For Moses describeth the righteousnesse which is of the Law that the man which doth those things shall live by them It is evident from the words of the Apostle that Moses Covenant is here spoken of and as manifest from his scope hee being treating of Justification that the life mentioned is life eternal which two things make good our Assertion Gal. 3.12 The Law is not of faith but the man that doth them shall live in them The Law here is the same Law with that pronouncing the curse verse 10. and that Law is Mosesses the life promised is the same life with that the justified person lives as the connexion of these words with the words of the precedent verse doth make appeare and that life is life eternal Therefore it necessarily followeth that Moses Law or the Old Covenant doth promise lire eternal to the obedient in their obedience that is in obeying it perfectly and eternally they shall have Eternal life And for this reason as I conceive doth the Scripture here and else-where use this phrase of living in them not living by them to shew that though the Law or Old Covenant hold forth a blessing of-life yet it holds it forth no longer then they continue in perfect obedience So long as their obedience is perfect life is held forth and given by this Covenant but whensoever they faulter all former obedience is forgotten and the blessing of life presently removed and the curse of death is inflicted according to that Ezek. 18.24 Lastly To say no more if the Old Covenant did not hold forth blessings Spiritual and Eternal as well as outward and temporal how could Christs active obedience to the Command of the Law or Old Covenant have a causal influence into our Justification Christ as the Apostle tells us Gal. 4.4 was made of a woman under the Law or Old Covenant being under it hee did as the common person of all his elect perfectly obey it for them and in their stead Matth. 3.15 compared with Rom. 8.4 By this obedience of his they are made righteous Rom. 5.19 As by the disobedience of one many were made sinners so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous i. e. Christs active obedience hath a causal influence into the justification of his seed as Adams active disobedience had a causal influence into the condemnation of his seed as Adam brought guilt upon his seed by his disobedience so Christ brings righteousnesse upon his seed by his obedience Upon which account Rom. 10.3 Christ is said to be the end of the Law for righteousnesse to every one that beleeveth i. e. the very thing which the Law as its end requires viz. perfect obedience for the obtaining of righteousnesse or justification Christ in the behalf of all his hath given it and so the Law hath its end viz. perfect righteousnesse performed by Christ their Surety and common person and by his so doing the righteousnesse of the Law comes to be fulfilled in them as Rom. 8.4 and they come to be the righteousnesse of God in him 2 Cor. 5.21 Now I say in case the Old Covenant did hold forth no such thing as life eternal how could Christs obedience thereto have been influential into our justification which yet it is most clear it was could Christ by obeying it obtain more from it then it had to give certainly no yet Christ by obeying it did obtaine spiritual and eternal blessings from it therefore it must needs bee that the Old Covenant hath such to give Obj. It will be said This makes the Law or Old Covenant to be against the promises which the Apostle expresly disownes Gal. 3.21 yea makes it to disanul the promise which hee tells us the Old Covenant cannot doe vers 17. Ans Not so seeing this Old Covenant though it did hold forth life yet did it not hold it forth to this end to give it but for other ends and therefore it holds it forth in such a way and upon such a condition as that it was a thing impossible for any to have life by it though they would but all that would have life must notwithstanding any help it could afford them fly to the promise or perish forever Now though it did hold forth life yet so long as it gave none but rather held it forth in such a way as that the attainment of life by it was a thing altogether impossible Hence the ordaining of it as a Covenant for life was not contradictory to the promise nor could the establishing of it as such a Covenant in the least disanul the fore-going promise had indeed life been attaineable by it it would have destroyed the promise because then life should have been attained in two distinct and contrary waies of which one must necessarily have destroyed the other But the holding of it forth as a Covenant for life but not to this end to give life but for other ends yea in such a way too as that it could not give life though a man should seek it thereby was no contradiction at all to the promise seeing there was still but one way for the attaining of life viz. by the promise whether all that will have life must flye notwithstanding the Old Covenant And therefore minde it when the Apostle had moved the question Is the Law against the promises he doth not in answer say thus No God forbid for if there had been a law ordained for life verily
righteousnesse should have been by the Law but thus if there had been a Law given that could have given life hee doth not at all deny the Law as ordained to life but elsewhere as I have noted already expresly affirmes it to be a truth but the only thing he denies is the Laws giving of life the Law though ordained to life could not give it and upon this very reason the Apostle proves it not to bee against the promises because it could not give life if it could have given life it would have disanulled the promise but though it was ordained to life yet so long as it neither did nor could give this life to any Soul in was not against the promises so that indeed from the very words of the text rightly opened all the strength and force of the objection falls of it self From what hath been said it appears That the mistake of the Scribes Pharisees and the generality of the Jewes in Christs and the Apostles times in the great Article of Justification had not this for its ground viz. a looking upon Moses Covenant to be a Covenant holding forth life eternal for that was a truth and so farre they were in the right but their mistake lay in this viz. A supposition that life eternal was attaineable by it which their unacquaintednesse with the condition of this Old Covenant making it to be all one both in respect of temporal life and eternal viz. a meer literal obedience did rush them into they took the blessing of the Covenant in its full and whole extent as reaching both things temporal and eternal but the condition they halved taking that part which was most easie for them to performe and by so doing made up that most false and dangerous conclusion so much opposed by the Apostle Paul viz. That Justification and Salvation was attaineable by the works of the Law Had they rightly understood the condition upon which spiritual and eternal blessings were given forth as they did that condition which gave them a right to temporal this opinion of Self-righteousnesse would in them have dyed of it self as it did in Paul to soon as ever hee came to this understanding Rom. 7.9 10. Quest But what was the condition required for the giving forth the spiritual and eternal blessings of the Old Covenant Ans A most diligent exact and constant observance of those things that the Moral and Judicial Laws did require not only according to the Letter but the spiritual meaning of them Now that the Law as the same was the Law of the Old Covenant did require spiritual obedience as well as literal is clear from these Scriptures Deut 6.5 6. Chap. 10.12.16 Chap. 11.13 Chap. 26.16 And this Christs Exposition both of the Law Moral and Judicial Matth. 5. doth clearly hold forth for first Christ falls upon the Moral Law and spiritualizeth it shewing that the transgression of the heart in respect of any of the things commanded in that Law was as real a breach of the Law as transgression in act Then upon the Judicial Law shewing that under those Judicial Statutes which were but as the shell were contained more spiritual precepts which they stood as much obliged to if they would have righteousnesse by the Law as the other And that this was the condition of the Law for life eternal is clear because the Law pronounceth the Curse of death eternal unto all those that should not continue to doe whatsoever was written in the Book of the Law Gal. 3.10 now it was not only written in the Book of the Law thus and thus thou shalt doe but also as the fore-quoted Texts doe prove that thou shouldest doe thus and thus keep Gods Commandements Statutes Judgements with all thy heart with all thy might and with all thy soul if therefore a man did according to the Letter keep every Command which was sufficient to procure outward mercies and avert outward Judgements yet if he did not doe this constantly and that with all his heart with all his might and with all his soul i. e. perfectly hee could not bee freed from the curse of death eternal because I say so much is not done as is required in the Book of the Law This perfect obedience to the Law therefore not only according to the letter but the spiritual meaning of it and perseverance herein was the condition upon which the spiritual and eternal Blessing of the Old Covenant were given forth Now because no man living since the fall of Adam was ever able to give such obedience to the Law as it requires but all have done and doe offend against it spiritually in thought word and deed Hence the Apostle concludes no man can be justified by the works of the law Rom. 3.20 Gal. 2.16 chap. 3.11 but rather indeed all men are guilty convinced of sin and cast by it and therefore he saith By the law is the knowledge of sin and every mouth by it is stopped and all the world are become guilty before God Rom. 3.19 20. yea by the workes of the law the Curse is upon every man that stands under them Gal. 3.10 and therefore hee calls the Law or Old Covenant a killing letter a ministration of death 2 Cor. 3.6 7. and a Law of sin and death Rom. 8.2 i. e. in stead of justifying and giving eternal life it doth no other but condemn kill and inflict eternal death upon those under it which also the Apostle found true in his owne experience Rom. 7.10 for which cause he affirmes the Law or Old Covenant to be abolished for the weaknesse and unprofitablenesse thereof Heb. 7.18 19. i. e. because it was altogether unable to give eternal life to any that stood under it or to make them perfect in the businesse of Salvation and therefore there was a necessity of abolishing it and bringing in instead thereof a better hope Yet that none in this great businesse may lye under mis-apprehensions let it be here considered that this inability of the law to give life which the Apostle makes the reason of abrogating or disannulling therof did not arise from any weaknesse that was in the law it self but rather from the weaknesse of those to whom the law was given to performe what it required The law considered in its self was throughly able to have given life could they have obeyed it but the weaknesse was in them that could not by reason of the imperfection of corrupted nature obey it nor give the law it s owne termes for life Hence the Apostle Rom. 8.3 saith that the law could not justifie give eternal life c. because it was weak through the flesh the weaknesse lay not in the law it self but in man through the fall made weak corrupted and depraved and rendred altogether unable to give the law its termes but yet what the law could not give to man for himself because hee being a lump of flesh could not give it its termes it could and