light of the Spirit in the light of the Lord and as in the day being children of the light bring all your actions into the light and let them all be according to the light Let the light of the Spirit in the Word bee the rule of all your actions and of all your holy performances in every thing you doe search the Scriptures whither it be so or no try all things by the light of the Spirit and hold fast that which is good Take up nothing upon trust from others but be sure to have a light from the Spirit for what you doe And 3. As you are alway to be viewing the Lord Iesus and to walke in the light of the Spirit you are so also to walke in the Spirit as to walke in the puritie of the Spirit bringing forth the fruits of the Spirit Let your conversation be as in heaven while you are upon earth walke in the Spirit and be fruitfull in every good word and worke quench not the Spirit but be fervent in spirit serving the Lord. Let all your desires be to be ever in the performance of all holy duties Let it be your meate and drinke to be instant in prayer to Pray continually to Pray without ceasing to be continually offering up spiritual sacrifices to your God in the Spirit to hate the garment spotted by the flesh to contemn and despise the worlds vanities love not the world nor the things thereof as they are in themselves but set your affections upon the things which are above Thus Saints walke you in the spirit that a sweete frame and disposition alwayes may appeare in you in doing good unto all loving your enemies blessing them that curse you doing good unto them that despightfully use you and if it be possible live peaceable with all men walke inoffensively towards them that are without and those within yeeld to all men their due be subject to the higher powers even the powers that are ordained of God both Kings and Magistrates as farre as the word warrants being subject to the ordinances of men for the Lords sake so farre as they are not contrary to the minde of God and yeeld tribute to whom tribute is due honour to whom honour and feare to whom feare is due Be of a meeke and quiet spirit in every passage of your conversation Let the love of the brethren be in you abundantly be as ready to do a brother good as to do thy selfe good in honour preferring one another simpathising with the condition of others and rejoyce with them that do rejoyce and weepe with them that weepe being tender hearted and bearing one another burdens forgiving one another even as God for Christs sake forgave you and though there may be differences in judgement among brethren yet let there be a union in affection Considering that there are severall degrees of light given out to severall saints some have higher measures of light then others have And what if thou hast more light then thy brother do not despise him because he is more ignorant for what hast thou that thou hast not received but consider that though he be now other wayes minded God shall reveale it to such a one in his owne time and besides it may be thy brother which seems to be much inferiour to thee in some things may exceede thee in the knowledge of the misteries of Christ in some particulars And againe though thy brother seeme to be in darkenesse unto thee in some particulars yet it may be it is through thy ignorance that dost not see that light that doth appeare to him and though it doth not now appeare unto thee yet it may appeare though now it seeme an errour to thee Therefore in the meane time though you differ in iudgment yet be one in afectition and be followers of God as deere Chidren and walke in love as Christ also hath loued us and hath given himselfe for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweete smelling Sauour remember how the Lord Jesus hath saide hereby shall men know that you are my disciples if you love one another Oh therfore let the spirit of love sweetly appear in you and dwell in love And let also humblenesse and lowlynesse of minde appeare in you and condesend to men of low estate and so walke in the frvtes of holynesse in the spirit that it may apeere to all that the Spirit of God and of glory resteth upon you and in the Apostles words whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are pure whatsoever things are of good report whatsoever things are lovely thinke one these things for the spirit is powered upon you now saies the Apostle 1. Cor. 3.17 18. the Lord is that Spirit and where the spirit of the lord is there is libertie and therefore you all with open face beholding as in a glasse the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord. Lastly the last exhortation to the Saints is to walke in the joyes of the Spirit The Spirit is your comforter and have you the comforter why theâ— should you be sad why should thy heart be troubled banish therefore 〈◊〉 sinfull sorrow and sadnesse from your hearts you that are saints Reioyce in the Lord ye righteous and let all the Children of Zion be joyfull in their kings yea reioyce evermore and againe I say reioyce your God hath given you the comforter for this very end therefore be filled with joy in the Holy ghost Indeed had you not the spirit you might be commanded to rejoyce long enough yet never be able to rejoyce but now the Comforter is come now the Spirit is given unto thee What wantest thou now to make thee joyfull doth he not take of the things of the father and of Christ and show it unto thee doth he not reveal to thee even the bosome thoughts of thy God No man hath feene or can reveale the Father but the sonne which came from the bosome of the Father and he by his spirit reveales the thoughts of the love of your God vnto you from all eternity ye and the exceeding love where with he hath loved you he reveales the glorious designes of God in the Lord Jesus for thee and the vnsearchable riches of his grace And if so how comes it to passe that you that are Saints some of you are so disquieted and sadded in your spirits Walking as though you had still the spirit of bondage which we have not now received and your hearts are so filled with sorrow Certainly this is not the minde of your God This is not a fruite of the Spirit but of the flesh for the fruits of the Spirit are love joy peace c. But these distempering sadnesses and feares come from the flesh as you may observe it in your selves when you give way to the flesh and live below and not a bove in the spirit as to the pleasures of the world and upon creature comforts sorrow hath seazed upon you and your hearts have bin fild with feare for fear sorrow is natural to the flesh but you have the Spirit therfore reioyce ever more walking a bove the flesh alwaies hearken you to the sweet voice of the Spirit and be you alwaies singing and making melodie in your hearts to the Lord being fild with joy unspeakable and full of glory Which the Lord 〈◊〉 these times of horror and feare to 〈◊〉 godly men giue in abundantly vnâ—â— all them that love our Lord Jesus Chriâ—â— and his apearing and coming Now vnto the King Immortall all Invisible and the onely wise God be honour and glory for ever and ever AMEN FJNJS
Christ by the Spirit of life in him hath freed us from the law Now in the Second place 2. The spirit of life derived from Clrist to us frees us we may see how the spirit of life as it is in us derived from Christ frees us from the Law and that is onely in these two waies 1. Declaratively 2. Operatively 1. 1. Declaratively The Spirit of life in us frees us from the law declaratively that is as the Spirit of Christ in us declares us to bee free from the law and no more under the law but under grace For as our saviour saies John 15.14 speaking of the spirit He shall reserve of mine and shew it unto you and John 16.16 The Spirit of truth which proceedeth from the Father shall testifie of me so the Spirit of Christ as it is in the Saints declares to the Saints the things that are freely given to them of God and testifies to them of the Lord JESVS that hee hath taken away the hand writing of Ordinances that was against us that was contrarie to us nailing it to his Crosse and declares how the Lord JESVS hath freed us from all our sinnes and presented us holy and unblameable and unreproveable without spot or wrinckle in the sight of God It is he that declares to us that the Lord Jesus hath fulfilled all righteousnesse for us and in a word is become the end of the Law for righteousnesse to every one that beleeveth I say its the Spiirit in us that declares these things and many others unto us and without the Spirit no man can comfortably and truly know the things that are freely given to us of God But then 2. As the law of the Spirit of life in Christ sets us free from the law declaratively so the Law of the spirit of life in Christ as it is in us sets us free from the Law operatively or by way of operation therefore the Apostle Rom. 8.11 tells us that if the spirit of him that raised up Iesus from the dead dwell in you he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortall bodies by his spirit that dwelleth in you Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his but if he be Christs you have the Spirit of Christ and if you have the Spirit of Christ it will not be idle it will notly still it will quicken your mortall bodies yea it will mortifie the deeds of the body it will burne up all your corruptions It will through the declarations of the love of Christ and the grace of God constraine you to walk holily and to deny all ungodlinesse In a word the Spirit of Christ works in the Saints mightily and by its operations in us sets us free from the Law and so sayes the Apostle Rom. 7.6 We are dead to the law sayes he to this end that we should serve in the newnesse of the Spirit and not in the Oldnesse of the Letter after a more spirituall and glorious manner then they of old could being under the law doe for the Law was weake but what the law could not doe the Spirit can 〈◊〉 having more abundant glory then ever the law had The Spirit being able to convey power into the creature to fulfill all that he requires of it For it brings life along with it whereas the letter killeth Rom. 3.6 Now the Spirit freeth us from the letter in carrying us forth to worship God in the spirit In a word which is the misterie of the law of the Spirit through the Spirituall fulfilling of the law in us it frees us from the law which the Apostle further makes cleer Rom. 8. When in the second verse hee had said we were freed from the law in the fourth verse he saies it is that the righteousnesse of the law might be fulfilled in us who walke not after the fiesh but after the Spirit So the Spirit in fulfiling the law frees us from the law and freeing us from the law fulfils the law in us And thus we have seene how the Spirit of life in Christ hath sett us free from the law And now am I come to shew the necessitie of the Spirits freeing 〈◊〉 from the Law The necessitie of our freedom from the law by the spirit of life in Christ for these reasons Necessarie it was 1. BEcause if there had been no freedome from the Law by Christie then no flesh could be saved 2. Because else no flesh could be saved for the Law brings us under the curse But now God sends his Sonne and puts his Spirit without measure upon him that he might free us from the curse of the Law In what a wofull case and in what a miserable condition had we been in every one of us had not the Lord Jesus come and freed us from the curse of the Law But now God hath created Christ Jesus to be a blessing to the world to take away the old Covenant and to make a new Covenant else no flesh could be saved and it was impossible any man should have eternall life for the voice of the Law is he that sinneth shall die Now as the Apostle saith all have sinned and it being so that what the Law sayes it sayes to them that are under it then assuredly unlesse we be freed from being under it all must die so that we see a necessitie of being freed from the Law because else no flesh could be saved But then 2 We are by the Law of the Spirit freed from the Law for this end that the righteousnesse of the law might be fulfilled and wrought in us through the Spirit And therefore the Saints are said to have the Law of God written in their hearts and to bee all taught of God and having the spirit they are said to grow up in the spirit and to increase with the increase of God and so Paul tels us he presses forward toward the mark And the spirit is given to the Saints that they may all come to be perfect even to the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ And though it be true the Saints have not yet obtained perfection to which they presse while they are here as Paul professes of himself Phil. 3.12 Yet the time shall come when in the spirit they shall be all presented perfect and without spot in the sight of God Not but that we are so already as God lookes upon us all washed in the bloud of Christ and though it be true that the flesh lusteth against the Spirit now yet I say we shall never cause growing up unto perfection untill we do attain unto perfection and therefore sayes the Apostle when he who is our life shall appear 1 Ioh. 3.2 then shall we uppear with him in glory and shall be like him as he is for then shall we attaine unto a full perfection when that which is in part shal be done away being then perfect
Jesus is not held forth in the Law for the law is not of faith Life by Christ Jesus is not held forth in the law but the man that doth it shall live in them So that the law is not able to bring us to CHRIST but the law was our Schoolemaster untill CHRIST And therefore sayes the Apostle before CHRIST came the Saints were under the law as under a Tutor or Governour but when the fulnesse of time was come God sent forth his Son made of a woman made under the law to redeem them that were under the law that we might receive the adoption of sons and being sonnes he hath sent forth the spirit of his Sonne c. So that CHRIST being come we are no longer under a Schoolemaster but being sonnes have the spirit of CHRIST JESUS now to be our guide Whereas before the Saints were under the Law as a guide as a Schoolemaster untill Christ But this will more cleerly appear if you looke upon the Covenant that GOD made with them of old And this was the Covenant that God made with them that they should observe all the lawes and all the Statutes and judgements that God had given them which are set downe in the 20.21.22 and 23. Chapters of Exodus in which iâ— set downe besides the ten precepts that were afterward written upon tables of stone Divers other Lawes and Ordinances and then in the 3. vers of the 24 chapter it is said Moses came and told the people all the Words of the LORD and all the judgements and all the people answered with one voice and said all that the Lord hath said we will doe and then verse 4. it is said Moses wrote all these words of the Lord and Moses offered burnt offerings and sacrificed peace-offerings and took the Booke of the Covenant and read in the audience of the people and they said all that the Lord hath spoken will we doe and be obedient And Moses took the blood and sprinked on the people and said behold the blood of the Covenant which the Lord hath made with us concerning all these words so that this was the Coveant that God then made with his people as appeares also Exod. 34.27 28. Where the first Tables being broken Moses goes up againe to mount Sinai the Lord there making a recapitulation of those things in the forementioned Chapters he saies againe to Moses after the tenor of these words I have made a Covenant with Israel and Moses wrote upon the Tables the Words of the Covenant the ten Commandments which Moses the man of God who also faithfull in all his house againe presses upon the people all along his whole fifth Book called Deuteronomie declaring from the Lord the blessings and cursings that did attend the fulfilling and breaking of it So that this was the Covenant and this was the rule by which they were to walke but most Peculiarly the ten precepts are said to be the covenant Exod. 34.28 as in the forementioned place though yet the rest of the statutes and laws and judgements were not excluded so that this is evident that this is the covenant that God made with his people when he tooke them by the hand and led them out of Eâ—â—pt and according to this rule they were to walke in which was sett before them life and death blessings and cursâ—ings But this letme adde that though the Saints were under this covenant vntill Christ yet besides this they were under a covenant or a promise of free grace too which way given to Abraham in that promise In thy seede shall all the nations of the earth be blessed which all the Saints vnder the law beleeved for saies the Apostle The law which was four hundered and thirtie yeers after could not disanull it And therefore the Saints vnder their Ceremonies saw a Christ then although but darkly and in a figure as Heb. 9.9 yet all the Saints had an eye vnto the Lord Iesus though yet vntill the coming of Christ they were still held vnder the law being then vnder that covenant though now the Lord hath made a new covenant with his people since the comming of Chirst in the flesh as we find Ier 31.32.33.34 which is quoted by the Apostle Hob. 8. Behold the dayes come saith the Lord that I will make a new Covenant with the House of Israel not according to the Covenant I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to leade them out of Egypt to wit the Covenant before mentioned which my Covenant they brake although I was an husband unto them saith the Lord but this shall be the Covenant that I will make with them saith the Lord. And surely this is a new Covenant not according to the tenor of the old Covenant but a new Covenant established upon better promises Heb. 7.11 and 8.6 and therefore sayes the Author to the Hebrewes God finding fault he sayes behold the dayes come wherein I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel Heb. 8.8 And verse 13. In that he saith a new covenant he hath made the first old Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away So then it is not according to the old covenant But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those dayes faith the Lord I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts and will be their God and they shall be my people and they shall teach no more every man his brother and every man his neighbour saying know the Lord for they shall all know me from the least of them unto the greatest of them saith the Lord for I will forgive their iniquities and I will remember their sin no more This is the new covenant and this is a glorious new covenant indeed And should I here go about to hold forth the glory of it though but in some perticulars and shew wherein it excels the former covenant having that in it which never any former covenant had this beings new covenant It would swell into a large volume but because I am but answering of this quaeric Whether the Law were given for a Rule I shall here speak but to that onely thus that it was unto the Israelites before the comming of Christ for they were then under that covenant though now God hath made 3 new covenant with his people and they are not under the old that being as the Holy Ghost sayes vanished away and so all that are in Christ Jesus are under a new covenant according to which they are to walk which comes nothing short of but farre exceeds in holinesse and spiritualitie the old covenant and as many as walk according to this rule of the new covenant in Christ Jesus peace be on them and mercy and upon all the Israel of God But this let me adde That though the Saints be now freed from that
to be a law in regard of his mighty operation in the Soule it brings downe light and truth and life and power into the soule and workes exceeding strongly in the soule and when it comes what is able to withstand the Spirit What is greater then the Spirit What is stronger then the Spirit If the spirit comes it bears down all opposition Though the flesh lust against the spirit yet the spirit is two strong for the flesh so that it divides the very jonts and marrow So that the Spirit is a law above the law the law is weake and cannot take place in the hearts of men But when the spirit comes with its law it prevails against all and takes place The flesh profiteth nothing saith our Saviour it is the Spirit that quickneth If the spirit quickneth it hath life in it and where life is it is full of activity for life is manifested in this in that it is full of motion quicknesse and agilitie and in beating off every thing that doeth offende it or anoy it So the spirit being a spirit of life it hath a mighty power in it Although the soule be filled with sin and guilt and in that condition cloathed also with ignorance which doth so inviron the foule as it cannot stir in any other way nor hath the least motion of good in it yet when the spirit comes he beares downe all he destroyes all and therefore it is called the spirit of burning in the scripture And when Christ comes to Baptise he is said to Baptise with the holy Ghost and with fire so that when the spirit comes nothing can stand before him and he brings both light and heate and motion in him and is most powerfull in operation But then 3. The spirit may be saide to be a law or to have a law in it as it is a sure and true guide and as it leades every soule in a right and true way And therefore our Saviour tells vs The spirit of truth shall leade you into all truth And indeed the Spirit guides securely and guides safely guides surely and guides Purely for the spirit cannot erre and he that hath the spirit knowes the minde of God and is guided to fullfill the minde of God as farr as he hath the spirit for the spirit is a blessed guide and a blessed rule and about the law for although the law it s true is righteous holy and good yet alas it Cannot bring forth power to inable the Creature to walke suteable to its selfe It is onely the Spirit hath that power and not the law Therefore the Spirit he is the law of the Saints he shews them the truth teaches them the truth and leades them in the truth and gives them power to walke according to the truth for its the spirit that guides the Saints to Christ who is the truth its selfe and so The spirit guides the Saints in the waies of holynesse through the Spirit they mortifie the deeds of the body and live through the spirit they are guided to denie themselves to abandon their owne parts and their own indowments and their owne righteousnesse and to see all in and to fetch all from a Christ Through the Spirit the Saints put away the garment spotted by the flesh and forsake their vaine conversation wherein in times past they walked through the spirit the Saints are guided to deny all vngodlynesse and worldly lusts and to live soberly and holy and Godly in the present evill world through the spirit they are taught to love with an vnfained love the houshold of faith puting away malice and envie and the leaven of discention and wickednesse through the spirit the Saints are guided so to walke as to shine as lights amidst a crooked and perverse generation In a word through the spirit the Saints are guided having discliamed all their owne righteousnesse to doe that which the Jewes could not doe by the light of the law even to submit to the righteousnesse of Christ that is to cloath themselves through faith with the glorious robes of the righteousnesse of the Lord Jesus whereby they see themselves compleat in him and thus the spirit is a pure and a sure guide and in these three respects the Spirit may be said to have a law and so much may suffice for answer to the first queree But 2. Queree 2 In that the Apostle here tells us of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus and doth not say the spirit of life in us but the spirit of life in Christ The queree will be how the spirit of life is said to be in Christ Answer To which I answer The spirit of life is said to be in Christ under two considerations 1. As hee is the Fountaine of life 2. As he communicates the spirit of life unto all his people 1. As the Lord lesus Christ is the fountaine of life as the fulnesse of all life dwells in him for so sayes the Apostle It pleased the Father that in him should all fulnesse dwell 1 Cor. 15.47 45. and the same Apostle also saies he is the Lord from Heaven and that the first Adam was made a living soule but the second Adam was made a quickning spirit and therefore our Saviour tells us the flesh profiteth nothing but it is the spirit that quickens and the words that I speak unto you they are spirit and they are life There is such a fulnesse of the spirit in Christ that whatsoever Christ speakes is spirituall and carries a spirituall signification along with it for indeed the spirit was in him without measure so that in him is life originally or he is the fountaine of Life but then 2. The Spirit of life is in him by way of communication all that of the spirit that is communicated unto us is communicated unto us in and by the Lord Iesus Have wee any life any strength any beautie upon us any grace conveyed unto us It is all conveyed in and through the Lord Iesus Christ And therefore our Saviour tells the Jewes that he was the bread of life the bread of Heaven that came down from Heaven And whosoever did eate of his flesh and drink of his blood should live for ever he breathed the Holy Ghost on his disciples and poures upon every one that beleeves on him rivers of living water rivers of his spirit for he conveies fulnesse of spirituallitie and divine strength into them That man therefore that hath the spirit of life in Christ conveyed into him through the spirit of life in Christ living in him is the most beautifull creature in the world for he carries divine sweetnesse and beautie upon his spirit And he that hath this spirit derived from Christ hath true life in him other men may be alive and yet dead but that man that hath the life of Christ through his spirit that works in him such a soul shall live for ever such a soule shall never die but it shall
or the new man is holy and pure and senceare Ye the Apostle tells us verse 24. it is Created according to the Image of God in Righteousnesse and true holinesse Let those therefore that thus despise the law and therefore take libertie to walke after the flesh to fulfill the deceitfull lusts of the old man know that they deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ and if they so continue they have no part in him Therefore I would beseech these persons seriously to consider and deeply to pensitrate in their thoughts 1. That the Law is an expresse character of the Glory of God It had such a glory in it as made Meses the minister thereof his face to shine even by reason of that glory that is in it and can you have low thoughts of it 2. The law is Holy Just and and good and dare you slightly to esteeme of it 3. It was the delight of all the Saints since God gave it by the hand of Moses It was their meditation day and night and sweete as honey unto them yee sweeter then the hony combe and how then can you undervalue it And Lastly it is that that shines gloriously in the Lord Jesus and that which he fulfilled in every tittle of it For he came not to destroy the Law but to perfect it to fulfill it perfectly that in his Righteousnesse who fulfilled the Righteous law all those that doe belong unto him and are drawne by a supernaturall worke of God in their spirits to beleeve in him may be presented without spot and wrincle before God! O therefore have high thoughts of it and set it up in your hearts and let it be the sweet subject of your meditations day and night as it is in the Lord Iesus as it is in him fulfilled for you if you doe belong unto him and as it shall be satissied also by the Spirit who are his And though you cannot now attaine to walke in the puritie of it and the perfection of it here yet you shall be perfect in the spirit when you are unclothed of this earthly house and cloathed upon with the house which is from heaven when that which is perfect is come and that which is in part shall bee done away So leaving these men in these contemplations I come to the next use And 2. Vse To discover the sad condition of all that walâ—e after the flesh Vse 2 IT serves to discover and lay open the sad condition of those that walk after the flesh that spend their daies in vanity their yeers in folly I say in folly for so I may call the best actions greatest wisdome and accutest parts of naturall men For it is all foolishnesse with God This point I say informes them of their sad condition and truely it is very sad and dolefull of what degrees soever they are but before I declare it let me Characterize some few particular degrees of them that they may behold their owne image and be afraid that so if it may be they may bee wonne to come to the Lord Jesus that they may walke after the Spirit The severall degrees are these 1. Art thou such a one as walkest in such practises as these adultery fornication uncleannesse laciviousnesse idolatrie witchcraft hatred variance emulation wrath strife sedition heresies envyings murder Drunkennesse revellings such like and wallowest in these practises as Swine wallowes in the mire with a kinde of pleasing contentment Then thou art one that walkest after the flesh But 2. Some may please themselves and think that because they are not notoriously such persons therefore they are not such as walk after the flesh but again Dost thou minde the things of the flesh Art thou taken up with carnal contentments and carnall pleasures And though thou scornest the vile and filthy practises of some and dost not walk in those wayas that are notoriously evill and base in the eyes of men yet if thou delightest altogether in carnall things and when thou hast thy honours and a high esteem amongst men and delicious fare and pompous apparell and fleshly pleasures and things succeed according to thy minde then thou art where thou wouldest be and art like a worm alwayes crawâ—ing upon the earth and creeping upon dunghils never mounting up higher nor having all thy delights and thy joyes nor placing thy affections on the things above nor dost by faiths Eagle-eye pierce the heavens and see him that is invisible as Moses did and dost not behold the Lord Jesus as thy treasure there that there thine heart might be also dost not behold him there as having taken thy nature upon him and having in it by crucifying of it and shedding his blood washed away thy sins and is raised up again that thou mightest be raised also unto newnesse of life and to live together with him in glory Now I say if this be thy condition that thou dost not behold these glories to the joy of thy soul and placest not thy delights here but mindest the things of the flesh only then thou still walkest after the flesh Rom. 8.5 For they sayes the Apostle that are after the flesh do minde the things of the flesh but they that are after the spirit the things of the spirit But then 3. But dost thou go yet further And dost not onely despise fouler and grosser sinnes But dost in some sort see a vanitie in all the creatures under heaven and canst finde no contentment in them and therefore labourest and seekest by thine own strength to finde out a way to please God that so thou mayest obtain the favour of God and therefore endeavourest to walk innocently towards all men and though thou failest in many things yet thou thinkest by thy good meanings to please God so though thou canst not do as others do yet thou pleasest thy self in this estate and thinkest it is good But this is still to walk after the flesh for here 's no Christ no spirit in all this Again 4. Although thou goest further then all this and dost not onely mean well but as thou mayest think do well too and art strict in observing the Law to thy power and art frequent in performing of duties and observing fasts and in giving largely to the poore yet all these things and many more mayest thou do and that out of a zeale toward God and yet thou still walkest after the flesh For Matth. 5 20. our Saviour tels them That except their righteousnesse exceed the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees they should not enter into the Kingdome of Heaven Though the Pharisees did strictly observe the law were frequent in performance of duties made long prayers fasted twice a weeke and were liberall to the poore c. And the Apostle Paul Rom. 10.4 tells us of the of the Iewes that hee could beare them record and they had a zeall of of God Though not according to knowledge for saies he they being ingnorant of the
no so it is their delight so it is sweete unto them Although they seeke not righteousnesse by it but by the Lord Iesus who hath fulfild it for them which the Lord teach thee by his Spirit to do whoever thou art that brandest any Saint with this title And thus I thinke I neede not say more in this particular to take off men from casting this Aspersion upon the Saints and that for this reason Because I doe not here speake unto those who have given up their names to Iesus Christ who ever they are for they are not I hope to bee charged herewith nor are they so much out of their way as to give out such expressions of their brethren in whom the Spirit of the Lord Iesus is or if they have through weakenesse or mismisinformation herein failled a word is enough for them Their spirits are so tender and as for others it is not much materiall if they so breake out still For the seed of the Bondwoman be alwaies enemies to the children of the Freewoman Onely heere they may see though they cast this aspersion upon them it is but false And so much therefore shall suffice for that use But 6. Vse To informe the saints of their priviledges Vse 6 IS is so that the Saints through the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus are freed from the Law From the Curse of the Law and from the oldnesse of the Letter c. Then let the Saints be heere informed of their priviledges and their uspeakable happinesse 1. You that walke afer the Spirit this you see now is your priviledge that though you were by nature under the course and children of Wrath even as others being under the Law Yet now you are free from the curse and from wroath And 2. That though you were once darknesse yet now are you light in the Lord. And 3. Though you were once strangers and alians in your mindes by wicked workes yet now are you drawne nigh to God by the death of his Sonne And 4. Though you were once altogether defiled with pollution and corruption yet now your old man crucified and the deedes of the body are mortified through the Spirit And 5. Though you were once in fear continuaily yet now have you continuall peace in some measure and joy in the Holy Goost and why all this and much more But 6. Trough that priviledge which summes up all others in it In that you are translated out of the kingdome and the power of darknesse into the glorious light and libertie and Kingdome of the Sons of God in Jesus Christ 1. I say your priviledge and glorious prerogative is that though you were by nature under the curse and Children of wrath even as others Yet now you are free from the Curse and from wrath for the Lord Jesus was made a curse for you to free you from the curse of the Law The Lord Jesus lay under the Wrath of the Father that you might lye downe in the love of the Father And that the time of your blood might be a time of love to him so though the Law may curse others yet it cannot curse you For there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus Who can lay any thing to thy charge so as to condemne thee Surely none can Neither Satan nor wicked men nor good men nor thine owne conscience nor Angels Nay God himselfe will not for it is he that justifieth thee or rather Christ that died and now being free from every curse and every condemnation O how blessed is thy condition But 2. Looke yet further upon thy priviledges and see that though thou wert once darkenesse yet now art thou light in the Lord though thou wert in a state of blindenesse and ignorance even as other gentiles walked taking thy swinge in the workes of Darkenesse yet now the Lord Jesus by his Spirit hath been a light unto thee Who is a light to lighten the Gentiles as well as others so that though thou wert altogether kept under and couldest not look up unto God being in darknesse yet now by the light of the Spirit thou art able to behold God in the face of Jesus Christ to know the minde of God and what is the acceptable will of God in some measure and now thou seest and and discernest spirituall things for thou hast now the Spirit to teach thee to know the things that are freely given to thee of God So that 3. Though thou wert a stranger and an alian in thy minde by wicked workes workes of darkenesse yet now art thou drawn nigh to God by the death of his Son and though thou wert once a stranger yet now thou art of the common wealth of Israel Though thou wert once a stranger now thou art a fellow Citizen with the Saints in Sion though thou wert once a stranger and an alian yet now thou art of the Family of God of the Houshold of God And what a servant there I and more A Son an adopted Son Nay a fellow heire with Jesus Christ Nay more thou art a Spouse a Bride the Lambes wife Thou art married to the Lord Jesus Now all the sweetnesses that are to be found in these relations are thine Is it a great priviledge to be a Servant to the Kings person Thou art so most eminently Nay he makes thee his friend too But it is more to be a Sonne Why thou art so It is more to be an heire That is thy priviledge too But is it more to bee a Spouse a Bride a Wife This is thy Royall Prerogative Besides many other relations in which thou standest through Iesus Christ as to be Kings and Priests before God c. And all this though thou wert once a stranger unto God and an Alian unto thy Fathers house and wert defiled with wicked workes so as thy person was loathsome yet even then wast thou received into love and haddest these priviledges conferred upon thee and all through the Lord Jesus and the Spirit of life working in him But 4. Thou that wert once altogether daubed all over with black and bloody staines of Corruption yet hast thou now that old man Crucified and these deeds of the body mortified through the Spirit and although thy life were as a sinke continually sending forth abominable corruption that did even infect the very ayre where thou didst breath Yet now through the Spirit of Holinesse given forth unto thee by the Lord Iesus thou art still mortifying the deeds of the body and still crucifying these Corruptions And that spirit that is in thee will never cease untill he hath totally gotten the victory over all thy coruptions and hath set thee in a perfect State even when thou shalt lay downe this fleshly body and this earthly tabernacle so that still in the meane time thou dost increase with the increase of God and so thou shalt grow in the Spirit and decrease in the flesh As John must decrease but Christ must
increase So thine inperfections must decrease and thy Christ in thee must increase And as the house of David must growe stronger and stronger and the house of Saul weaker and weaker So in thee the Spirit must grow stronger and stronger but the flesh must grow weaker weaker even till the flesh be utterly overcome and mortalitie be swallowed up of life But then 5. Though you were once in continuall feare and under a Spirit of bondage yet now have you continuall peace and joy in the Holy Ghost for you have not received the Spirit of bondage under which you were while you were in the bonds of Satan chains of darknes I say you have not received that spirit of bondage to fear again but you have received the Spirit of Son-ship wherby you seeing God as a reconciled Father do now serve him without fear I mean slavish feare such feare as may in the least trouble or distract your hearts with terrour or horrour for that is contrary to the Spirit of Son-ship And Low can you now feare that in the Spirit behold the Fathers countenance as being reconciled by the Lord Jesus unto him no you cannot for 6. You that were all your life time subject to bondage even to the law and sinne and Satan before the comming of the Lord Iesus into your soules are now freed from it and are now in the glorious light and libertie of the Sons of God in Iesus Christ and now feare I meane slavish is cast away not but that there remains still a sweet feare a filiall feare a feare of love but this is not a trouble but a solace to your souls for it proceeds from sweetnesse and ends in sweetnes it proceeds from love and ends in love The discoveries of love to thee draw it as an effect of love from thee so all slavish or perplexing feare is banished now that thou art in the glorious Kingdom of God in Iesus Christ 7 Vse An exhortaâ—ion to the Saints to walke in the sight of Iesus Christ and in the light in the purity in joy of the Spirit for thou art brought into a kingdome of glory being brought unto the Lord Iesus and in this thou hast all the priviledges that the most inlarged heart can thinke upon and these are your happinesses who are dead to the Law and married to the Lord Iesus And now 7. Vse ANd lastly Is it so that the Saints by the Spirit of life in Christ Iesus have obtained this glorious freedom these glorious priviledges is it thus that the Saints of God have the Spirit of Iesus Christ then here may be a use of sweete exhortation unto them a four fold exhortation 1. Alwayes to be taking sweet views of the Lord Iesus 2. To walke in the glorious light of the Spirit 3. To walke in the puritie of the Spirit and to be fruitfull through the Spirit 4. To walke in the joyes of the Spirit and to rejoyce evermore But 1. You that are Saints seeing you have obtained this freedome the text holds forth by Iesus Christ in whom you have such glorious priviledges Be exhorted to be alwayes taking a view of Iesus Christ and contemplating of that which Christ hath done for you and though yet you know but little be exhorted to know more and to grow in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ Paul counts all things but drosse and dung for the excellencie of the knowledge of Iesus Christ so do you It is your onely happinesse It is life eternall and therefore hee that knowes most of Christ let him improve all the strength of Christ that is given unto him in the use of all the meanes God hath for that end given to us to know more O let it be your continuall exercise to study the Lord Iesus and to meditate of the Lord Iesus let him be your meditation day and night Let the Lord Iesus alway be in your heart when you lie downe and when you rise up in your going out and comming in In all your discourses let the Lord Iesus be held forth when ever you have opportunitie especially those which are cald to the ministerie and have opportunities according to their calling to speake in publicke being made overseers of a flocke be alwayes I say holding forth the Lord Iesus Christ and the knowledge of the Lord Iesus unto the people for how are they said to be ministers of the Gospel and ministers of Christ that are not continually preaching Christ but as too many doe spend the time in which they should preach Christ in discoursing of points of controversie and of the Civil Law and discoursing of the lawfullnesse of war and the like never holding forth the knowledge of Christ or but seldome I doe not nor cannot object against the lawfulnesse of such discourses but I covet to have more of Christ held forth and to have the Lord Jesus set up in the hearts of all And therefore let this exhortation be acceptable to all strive to know more of the Lord Jesus to know him in every particular Dive into and take a view of all his glories and as you have opportunitie hold them forth to others but especially his death Paul makes that as if it were the summe of all the Gospel he was to hold forth Christ crucified and therefore he tells us that he desires to know nothing and glory in nothing but a crucified Christ 1 Cor 2.2 Gal. 6.14 And O how many and how sweet are the benefits of the Crosse and death of Christ take a veiw of this in the text how upon the crosse he took away the hand-writing of ordinances that was against us and freed us from the curse of the law being made a curse upon the Crosse for us Oh therefore grow in the knowledge of a Christ crucified And in a word grow in all the knowledge of of Christ know him in his death and the fellowship of his suffering and the power of his resurrection know him in his union with thee and relations to thee c. And still so prefer the knowledge of Christ above all other knowledge as with the holy Apostle and the holy martyr to cry out I desire to know none but Christ none but Christ And 2. As you that are Saints are to be exhorted to be alwayes veiwing of your Saviour and to grow in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ so having his Spirit poured upon you you are now to walk in the glorious light of the Spirit that it may appear that you are children of the light for this is your priviledge that ye are now light in the Lord the Lord Iesus is your light and your Sun Oh therefore let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorifie your Father which is in heaven shine you amidst a crooked and perverse generation although the blinde world walkes in darknesse yet do you walke in the light in the