John 1.1 Rom. 2.14 But it has received a newer and later Edition under Moses and yet a Newer under the Gospel by Christ and his Apostles and a Newer still when the Spirit writes a Clear and Regular Copy thereof from the Law upon the Hearts of Men which is called The engrafted Word 1 John 2.7 8. You may find the same Law called New and Old and it 's usual in Scripture to call that that is renewed New 2. The Gospel brings the Law under a New Authority The Reverend Mr. Baxter says well That ever since the Fall the very Law of Nature has been in the hand of Christ Psal 75.3 The Earth and all the Inhabitants thereof are dissolved I bear up the Pillars of it Selah All things had turned into a meer Chaos if he had not stept in to preserve an Order upon a New Bottom and there is no Order without a Law or Rule Ver. 31. of the Context it is said Faith that is the Gospel doth Establish the Law Christ could not be King or Governour of the World without a Law and his Law must reach as far as his Government is extended He could not Judge the World but by a Law Psal 93. 97. The Earth's Commanded to Rejoyce and the multitude of Isles to be Glad because such a Lord Reigns and from the 7th of the Acts 31 to 39. we may see 't was Christ that Delivered the Law upon Mount Sinai for he is said to be the God of Abraham and yet to be an Angel and more fully and particularly Mat. 5.17 he Delivers the same Law Mat. 28. Gospel-Ordinances are solely founded upon his Authority 1 Cor. 5. Church-Censures to be administred in his Name 3. The Gospel gives to the Law a New-Spring or Principles of Obedience Adam received Ability from God to obey but the Ability was due and it is now forfeited and lost We are created in Christ Jesus unto good Works The End of the Commandment is Charity out of a Pure Heart and of a good Conscience and Faith unfeigned Rom. 8.3 The Law of the Spirit of Life It is this Living Sprit that enables us to fulfill the Law I might add to this the Newness of Security it being by Promise Jer. 32.40 I will put my Fear into their Hearts that they shall not depart from me And the Newness of the Order the Promises stand here first and then the Precepts God puts his Law in our Hearts before we Obey 4. The Gospel gives to the Law New Ends This is a Common End with the former that it directs our Duty and acquaints us with the Nature of God but it doth not now stand as that which we are to be justified or Condemned by There is a Righteousness of Faith that now comes in Room of that Righteousness of the Law so as it hath lost that Old End it has gained some New Ones 1. To teach us the knowledge of Sin 2. What Christ has done for us And 3. What Need we have of him 4. What we have Received from him And 5. Fits and Prepares us to be Fellow-Companions of his and though it's Obedience doth not give Right to Heaven it serves for a certain Mark of the Right to Heaven Rev. 22.14 Blessed are they that do his Commandments that they may have Right to the Tree of Life The Text says not that doing gives a Right but that all have a Right who do 5. The Law receives from the Gospel New Motives Ends and Motives differ as Future and Past Creation Provision and Providence were the Motives of our First Duty but now Christs Redeeming us and the Spirits Callng us are Great Motives to obey the Law We see Dilivery from the Bondage of Egypt was a Motive to the Isralites 6. There is a New Manner of Acceptance Acceptance was formerly Bottomed upon the Exact Conformity of our Rightousness to the Law but Now Faith is the Reason of Acceptance Without Faith 't is impossible to please God What soever is not of Faith is Sin All is to be done and accepted in the Name of Christ Works before were Accepted for their being a Fulfilling of a Law now they are for Christs Fulfilling the Law for us the Imperfection or Sinfulness of the Action is Pardoned on his Accompt 7. The Gospel Renders a New Measure of Law Obedience Acceptable not that the Law is Altered in its Perfection for Perfection in Faith is still required and Perfection in Patience Let Patience have its Perfect Work but the Work is made up between the Spirit and the Son the Defects in Measure Manner or Circumstances are Forgiven if it be the Sprits Work I may add here Repentance because Perpetuity was one of the Measures of former Obedience and Repentance Comprehends the whole Duty of the Law but it only Implies an Interruption that our Obedience has been for a considerable Time stopt it is to be wise after Folly and to be Obedient after Rebellion The Chief Circumstance it differs in from former Obedience is a leavihg off to do Ill so Repentance must be Obendience to the same Law was Broken 8. The Gospel adds many New Objects to the Duties of the Law By the Law we were to have no Gods for our God but one Now we are also to have No Mediator but one There is but one God and one Mediator between God and Men so that Commandment Thou shalt have no other Gods before me says also Thou shalt have no other Mediator The Apostle Paul says There are many called Gods and called Lords but to us there is but One God and One Lord. We are to love our Brethren by the Law of Nature but Now we are to sympathize with them from that Change that is made in Nature by Sin Bear ye one anothers burdens and so fulfill the Law of Christ The Angels have now new Objects of their Duty since the Fall for they serve the Mediator they protect and defend his Church We were to trust in a Righteousness of our Own for Life by the first Law but the Righteousness of another is a New Object the Gospel brings in 9. There are many positive Precepts added to the Law by the Gospel The Law of Nature is so large as to comprehend all Duty under this Axiom That we are to do whatsoever God enjoyns or reveals but beside it has subdivided Axioms in particular to which all Kind of Duties are specifically reducible The Fourth Command doth now as well require the Observation of the First day of the Week as it did formerly of the Seventh for the Injunction and the Blessing are both annexed to the Sabbath not the seventh and the Jews themselves reduce all the Sacred Time to it The Second Command doth Now comprehend all positive Ordinances under the Gospel Baptism Lords Supper Ministry Church Order and all other external Worship they are as justly reducible to that Command as Circumcision Sacrifices and Legal Washings were Mr. Baxter says acutely That
of God neither as to Law or Fact as to the former there is no dispute the latter these Arguments may Confirm 1. Man would be then an ungovernable Creature which is a great Absurdity for God intended the Care and Government of the Creatures he made he could not make him Happy or Miserable in Spirit if not free his Will and would he make one that might disorder his Harmony and frustrate his Designs whether God would or no 2. Such a Power in Man would limit an Infinite Being it would limit his Will he worketh all things according to the Counsel of his Will Eph. 1.11 The distinction has Absurdity enough in it of those who say 't is true in Natural things but not in things Moral 3. It limits God's Power as to all Civil Affairs in the World for still his designs must depend on the Inclination of Man 4. The Knowledge of God This Conclusion is so apparent for what is uncertain in it self cannot certainly be known that Poieret denies God's foreknowledge of Sin and that until it came to pass there was not one Thought or Idea of it in God And Pomponatius denies his Knowledge of Future Contingencies 5. It would both rob God of much Praise and Glory and rob poor Sinners of much Hope and Comfort For 1. The Doctrine of Perseverance is undetermined by it No Person could have any Assurance from his highest Attainments in Grace Paul could not have had any Confidence of God's perfecting the begun Work of Grace Phil. 1.6 if that had been true Nor Peter have concluded God's establishing strengthning and settling the dispersed Jews from their being called 1 Pet. 5.10 Those Chains of Grace between Predestination Calling Justification and Glory would be very easily solvible 2. God's Providential Care Mat. 6.31 If God so cloath the Grass of the field shall he not much more cloath you Oh ye of little Faith is overthrown by it 3. The Work of Conversion Luke 11.25 I thank thee O Father because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed unto Babes is derogated from Goâ— by i. 4. The Scripture positively asserts the contrary both in Morals and Spirituals Exod. 34.24 Neither shall any Man desire thy Land when thou shalt go up to appear before the Lord thy God thrice in the year There was then a brave opportunity for the Enemies to invade Israel when all the Males were at Jerusalem and not one Man in all the Land not one Man in all the Countrey left to defend any Fort Passage City or Castle the Lord promiseth not only that he would protect it which he could have done by many miraculous ways but he promiseth though they should fight against it all the Year over yet at that time they should not desire it John 6.44 No man can come to me except the Father draw him every Man therefore that hath heard and hath learned of the Father cometh unto me Phil. 2. He worketh to will and to do Psal 110. The people shall be willing in the day of thy power Jer. 20.9 Thou art stronger than I and hast prevailed the manner how is expressed before O Lord thou hast deceived me and I was deceived But the Original is Thou hast enticed or overperswaded me Then I said I will not make mention of him nor speak any more in his Name but his word was in my heart as a burning fire I was weary with forbearing and I could not stay 5. The Efficacy of Effectual Calling is ascribed to the Efficacy of Divine Influence on the Heart of Man and not to Man's Will or the Rethorick of Ministers 1 Cor. 2.4 that Efficacy is call'd a Powerful Spiritual Demonstration there is a tripple Demonstration the one is to our Sense when we see with our Eye and hear with our Ear the other is to Reason when the Connection between Terms or Properties of things are clear and evident but this third Kind seems to be the Lords immediate proposing clear Apprehensions of the thing to the Soul of Man which is called a speaking to the Heart Hos 2.14 I will allure her and will spâ—ak to her Heart which is particularly described 2 Cor. 3.18 We all with open face beholding as in a Glass the Glory of the Lord are changed into the same Image from Glory to Glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord. There is first the Image or Idea which is a Glorious and ravishing Apprehension of God Secondly There is the Glass wherein this Idea is represented which is either the Scripture as the Mean of Conveyance or rather the Intellect of Man because it is by an immediate Efficiency of the Spirit and the Apostle is discoursing of the Jews who had that Glass of the Scripture but could not receive this Idea into their Minds from it by reason of a Vail on their Minds they were blinded but this Vail is done away in Christ So there is a double operation the first is a disposing of the Mind so as these Objects may be suited to it for there is no Love but where there is a Likeness Different Pallats reliâ—h different Dishes the Eye cannot be made to see by outward light without a due Disposition for receiving and reflecting this Light the Pharisees could see no takingness in the Doctrine of Humility while they received Honour one of another nor any goodness in Charity while they remained Covetous The Gentiles thought the Gospel foolishness while they judged their own imperfect Rigeteousness acceptable to God or their Sins so small that the loss of a Beast in a Sacrifice could make a sufficient recompense And so it is said of every Natural Man that the things of God are foolishness unto them and that they cannot discern them because they are spiritually discerned But when he is Spiritual he discerneth all things So this subjective Influence is the making of a Man Spiritual which is call'd a New Creation a Regeneration a Resurrection The third thing is the Author of this Perswasion or of this Image raised in the Mind the Spirit of the Lord. The fourth thing is the inflâ—ence it hath upon the Soul we are changed into the same Image So that whether the Objective Operation or the Subjective have the precedency is a Question among Divines But this Text sets the amiable and most perswading and charming Object of God presented to the Soul as that which moulds the Soul in a likeness to its self as we see in Bodily things passionately seen marks a Child in the Womb of the Motâ—er This is call'd A drawing with the Cords of a Man that is not by Violence as with Cart-ropes but with bands of Love Hos 11.4 and the constraining Power of Love 2 Cor. 5.14 And when the Word is blest to be an Instrument of it it is called an ingrafted Word or a Divine Seed Lastly This Doctrine of Denying God an Absolute Empire and Government over the Will of Man to turn it which way
saying She had tried them which said they were Apostles and found them liars she was molested with them not corrupted From the Third of Philippians we find that Church was corrupted by 'em for he calls such Teachers Dogs evil Workers the Concision and from his own Experience tells 'em he was once such an one that trusted in the Flesh but now solely in Christ and his Righteousness It is against both these Parties that the Apostle here disputes but principally against these latter sort as we may see by the state of the Question Ver. 28. Justified by Faith without the deeds of the Law His Disputes with the former were of another Kind viz. To convince the Gentiles that Christ was the and the only Mediator against the Jews that Jesus was the Promised Messias But here the Question is If we be justified by Faith mixt with the Deeds of the Law or without it And therefore we may conclude That whatever Truth the unconverted Pharisees held these Converts much more held and that they did not plead these Works of the Law intentionally to exclude Christ or his Righteousness whom they had embraced Partly from the Scripture and partly from their own Writings I find this Account of their Doctrine of the Law 1. They were very zealous and laborious in all External Worship they kept the Sabbath to a height of Superstition and their Prayers were very long Matt. 23.14 2. In Justice between Man and Man they were so exact as to tythe Mint Annise and Cummin 3. And tho Christ in every thing blames them for Hypocrisie yet he owns their Charity and Alms but their Hypocrisie was more in Practice than Profession For 4. In Mat. 22.37 they owned Love to God and their Neighbour with all their Heart Soul and Mind to be the first and great Commandment Which includes a 5th That Sincerity was in great value with them as Sephar Ikkarim 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God has greatest respect to the Intention of the Heart as David says Create in me a clean Heart So the Lawyer Luk. 10.28 Sir thou hast answered right and St. Paul Act. 23.1 lived in all good Conscience 6. Their own Writings speak much of the Excellency and Vertue of Faith the Author of Nitzakon says He that believes not as he ought his Circumcision makes him not a Jew but he that believes as he ought he is a Jew And in Michlaz Jophi Abram said to be the Father of all Men that followed him in his Faith The Talmud says When Abram was Father of the Syrians only he was called Abram but when he shall be the Father of all the World he is called Abraham The former Nitzakon says Faith consists not in Circumcision but in the Heart And the Author of Sepher Ikkarim says Faith is the Cause of Blessedness and therefore of Life Eternal And again in the same 1 Lib. and 21 Chap. Abraham is praised for his Faith as the Scripture says Abraham believed God and 't was imputed to him for Righteousness And Mat. 23. they were accused by Christ for neglecting Judgment Mercy and Faith It was their practical Omission was reprehended not their Ignorance for these are called the weightier Matters of the Law Since they who did not own Christ speak so much of the Commendation of Faith in Gods Mercy for that was the Object of their Faith as we may see from Sepher Ikkarim on those words in Daniel 9.18 Not for our Righteousness but thy great Mercy The Mercies of the Blessed God are upon all his Creatures from pure Grace not Merit for which the Author further cites Job thus Whâ— hath given to me that it may be repayed Much more must we conceive â—hem to say of Faith and Faith in Christ who own Christ for their only propitiatory Sacrifice and Saviour and such were they against whom Paul disputes And tho the others believed not Jesus to be the Messias yet they believed the Messias to be the Redeemer from Death and Hell by the Merit of his Sufferings as may be seen at large in Raymundus Pugio Fidei Jos Voisin Theologia Judaica Porchet Galatinus Pseiferus and their own Midrashes on the Prophetical Texts of the Messias 7. They highly praise the Confâ—ssion of Sin their Writers on Isaiah 45.22 Vnto Me every Knee shall bow and every Tongue confess say That a four-â—old Confession is to be made to God A Confession with the Mouth a Conâ—ession in Works a Confession with the Heart and with all together and they call the 100 Psalm Mizmor Letodah a Psalm of Confession Bereshet Ketannah says They who overcome their Lusts and confess their Deeds are worthy of the Future Age but he that confesses not is Cursed as Cain who denyed and hid his Sin but Achan Josh 7.29 tho he was troubled in this World he was not in the other because he confessed his Sin From which they gathered a Necessity of particular Confession And in the Conclusion of Reschet Chocme All that dye let them Confess if they cannot let them say Let my Death be an Expiation of my Crimes They own we may see not only a Confession but joyn'd with Forsaking a Mortification of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Original Lust that begins as they say in our first Formation 8. Repentance is a Duty of great Esteem Midrash Shirhâ—shirim 5. 2. Open to me my Sister my Love says thus Open to me one Crevice of Repentance and I will open the wide Gates of Glory to thee Psal 46.10 Be still and know that I am God that is Cease to do evil and let thy Repentance be but as the Twinkling of an Eye and thou shalt know me if Israel could but repent one day they would be immediately redeemed and the Son of David would come On Zach. 9.1 The Burden of the Word of the Lord in the Land of Hadrach It 's askt what 's Hadrach And answer'd It is the Messias who is to bring all the World to the Face of God by Repentance for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies who and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Way or to lead he leads by the Way of Repentance Others thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies sharp and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tender for the Lord is bitter to the Impenitent but tender and Mercifull to the Penitent The Talmud on Psal 25.8 Therefore will he teach sinners in the way that is the way of Repentance for poena peccatoris est poenitentia about which there is a hard Expression of theirs on the 14th of Hosea That they say In two things the Mercy of God exceeds man One is He will be pleased with Words so not Man Another is when All have offended he is reconciled with the Repentance of One. So that all Christs Sufferings by them are called Repentance Lam. 3.43 v. The Midrash Tillim says The Gates of Prayer are sometimes shut but the Gates of Repentance never Repentance is like the Sea that any at any time may go in to wash