or Vertue in a Mans Conversation towards God or Man is natural as to the Principle for what are Principles of Action in a Man by common Gift of Knowledge or Honest Inclinations are natural Principles Before the Law given to Moses we may find footsteps of all the Ten Commandments for Abel believed in God which is the Duty of the first and Sacrificed which is the Duty of the second and in the third Generation when but very few Families on the Earth and not above three to wit Adam Seth and Enos's that were Worshippers except we Charitably Hope some were Proselites of the Cainitish Race publick worship was established for then Men began to call upon the Name of the Lord This was Obedience both to the second and third Commandment which did suppose Obedience to the fourth to wit a sanctifying some publickly known Time for Worship whose Determination God by Positive Command had fixed though from a natural Reason to wit the Seventh-day in which God had rested from the greatest and best of Works he had yet done in the World The fifth and the seventh Command is manifest in the Practice of Marriage for therein was the Period of Subjection to Parents terminated in leaving Father and Mother and an Aera of faithfulness to the Wife begun express't in cleaving to her and it is probable that last and crowning Duty of Childrens Subjection to their Parents is taxed as broken by these Sons of God who took unto themselves Wives according to their own Choice Gen. 6.7 The sixth and ninth Command were both broke by Cain who murdered his Brother and then not only denied it but denied the Knowledge of such a Fact Gen. 4.8 9. The eighth and tenth Command are thought by some especially the Quietists to have been neither Commands nor broken because there could be no Coveting of enlarging Property but rather of Men to share of the common good and Sin gave occasion to particular Commands though of such a General Nature But we find Adam guilty of both in coveting of a Diety and robbing God of his Property when but one Tree was reserved in all the World for an acknowledgment of Gods having the Primitive Right And we find Gen. 6. that the abounding Lusts of the Heart was the cause of the Deluge and all Lust is coveting The Ordinance of Circumcision was appointed to be a Monument and Conviction of the Lusts of the Heart and the Necessiâ—y of Mortification the Sweat of the Brow and toil of labour were appointed as the means of our Maintenance and the Nimrodical Hunting was a robbing men of what God had blessed their labour in So we find the Moral Law in this Law of Nature The next Enquiry is about the Evangelical Law whether any Prints of that is to be found under it yea or not and taking the natural Law most properly and as here the Apostle explains it in his Discourse for a Sign of Divine Will about our Duty as revealed in Nature or by Creation and Providence we may find footsteps of it here 1. For the Duties of it here are both Faith and Repentance rendred concludable from Divine Forbearance and Goodness Rom. 2.4 Not knowing that the Goodness of God leadeth thee to Repentance but after thy hardness and impenitent Heart c. 2. As there are Evangelical Duties so Evangelical Influence Chap. 1.18 Who hold the Truth in Vnrighteousness here was a Truth preserved alive against their Wills and as Gen. 6.3 the Spirit of the Lord was said to strive with men and 1 Pet. 3.20 Those Souls that are now in Prison had once the Spirit of Christ dealing with them and also Evangelical Acceptance If the Vncircumcision keep the Righteousness of the Law shall not his Vncircumcision be counted for Circumcision for Circumcision is not that which is outward in the Flesh but in the Man whose Praise is of God Therefore the Law of Nature being excluded there is an Evangelical Law excluded which Suarez calls the Con-natural Law and Gratian says Jus naturale est quod in lege Evangelio continetur and Mr. Baxter says It is the first Edition of the Covenant of Grace which two ways was published to all the World 1. By Natural Light discovering God Merciful in his Nature 2. By External Proclamation 1. Once to Adam that there should come a Seed of the Woman who should tread down the Head of the Serpent 2. In Noah and 3. In Christ For altho' none comes to the Father but by the Son and there is no other Name given under Heaven by which men might be saved yet it doth not follow that particular and distinct Knowledge of the Messiah was absolutely Necessary for that many Infants who were saved have not and the Disciples who lived with Christ were doubtful about it yea Peter forbid him to yield to Death when he was very nigh to suffer for it The Third Law excluded is the Moral Law whereof the Decalogue qui 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 receives all things is the Summe To take the Moral Law according to common Sentiments there is by it these three things added to the Natural Law 1. A Positive Institution with great Solemnity from Mount Sinai with several Positive Determinations that are not immediately concludable by the Light of Nature 2. The Spiritual Extension of the Moral Law is manifested through Corruption much of the Law of Nature was obscur'd as whether Fornication or Usury were Sins or Thoughts of the Mind before Formal Consent or latent Inclinations to Unlawful Things A third Edition is of Life and Authority to the Sanction men very much Question whether a Man was liable to Eternal Death for evil Inclinations Yea or No but this Law is added because of Transgression that is both to discover it as the Apostle says Rom. 7. I had not known Sin if the Law had not informed me so the Conviction of Sin was weak until the renewed Sanction of the Law has made it more terrible Sin gets many fair Colours Covetousness gets the Name of Frugality until the Spirit discover both the Sin and the Curse doubtful Duties are establish'd weak and faint Notions reviv'd corrupt Thoughts are corrected the need of a Saviour more Manifested and the Jewish State settled in a more perfect Condition than any State in the World Now we find this Law is excluded for Rom. 3.20 For by the Law is the Knowledge of Sin there is no Law discovers Sin so as the Moral The Natural Law discovers Sin but neither so powerfully nor so plainly the express Word of God discovers the Malignity of Sin the Root and Original of Sin and the dreadful Issue and Event of Sin more plainly and clearly and removes all those Fogs and Mists that created many doubts by which we were apt to think great Sins small small Sins none and no Sins so hateful in the sight of God as they are The Ceremonial Law discovers Sin but by Accident its Primitive Intention
for his Work trust him he is surely faithfull but never trust his Enemies you may gain your own personal Foes by Favours but never think to make God's Foes your Friends if you intend to act for God you may sooner lose ten Friends than gain one of them all your Favours will only make them Ridicule you if not put them in a Capacity to Injure you Not only may the things expected but the Expectation it self encourage you in the Administration of your Office for they who truly hope for such things at your hand will be constant Supplicants at the Throne of Grace for Piety Prudence Patience Candor and Courage for you That you may not only have a Power Faithfully to discharge your Trust but with Ease Pleasure and Success you may perform every Duty of the Station and at last descend from the Chair with an Honour greater than the Hope and Joy of your Friends at your Ascension to it in this Catalogue he counts it his Honour to be who is Your Humble Servant Walt. Cross THE HYPOTYPOSIS OR Schematical INDEX ROM 4.1 1. THe Supposition all Sinners are Justified one way whereof Abraham was a famous Pattern Page 1. 2. The Prerogatives of Abraham Prince of the Fathers p. 2. 3. The Grammatical Syntax asserted and proved viz. That according to the Flesh belongs to finding not to Abraham p. 5. 4. The Comprehensiveness of the word Flesh and sense of finding as to the Flesh 5. The Importance of the Rhetorical way of expressing this sense What shall we say then p. 12. ROM 4.2 I. An Introduction from the Momentuousness of the Doctrine of Justification p. 15. II. The Proposition that Abraham was not Justified by Works which contains four Material Parts 1. The Subject Abraham before spoken to the other three are in the Predicate or Attribute 1. Justification 2. Works 3. By. As to the first 1. The Forensical Sense of the word Justifie is asserted and proved p. 20. 2. The Correlative Priviledges are explained 1. Redemption p. 24. 2. Reconciliation p. 25. 3. Adoption p. 26. 3. The Sentence or Index of Justification viz. 4. Regeneration p. 28. 4. The Time of Justification p. 36. As to the second part Works 1. The Nature and Properties of Evangelically good Works are explain'd p. 37. 2. The Erroneous Limitations of Works refuted p. 39. As to the third part By in every Causal or Meritorious sense Works are affirm'd to be excluded p. 42. III. The Discourse on the first Argument because no Matter of Glorying has three principal parts 1. The Formation of it p. 45. 2. The Minor or Truth of it prov'd from 1. Man's Being p. 49. 2. Man's Nature Free-will p. 55. 3. Man's Guilt p. 77. 4. Man's Impotence p. 87. 3. The Major or Strength of the Argument that all Works affords ground of Glorying p. 99. ROM 3.27 I. The Litteral Explication of the Text. p. 107. II. The Supposition or Axiom the Justification of a Sinner must be in such a way as excludes boasting III. The Negative Proposition that Boasting is not excluded by the Law of Works contains 1. The Nature of the Evangelical Law p. 110. 2. The Pharisaical sense of the Law when Christians p. 116. 3. That all Laws requiring Works of us are excluded from Justification because they exclude not Boasting therefore there is excluded 1. The Nature of a Law in general p. 126. 2. The Natural Law p. 129. 3. The Moral Law p. 132. 4. The Mosaical p. 134. 5. The Evangelical p. 136. IV. The Affirmative Proposition that the Law of Faith excludes Boasting and therefore by it we are Justified contains 1. The Nature of an equal Interpretation or Exposition of a rigid Law p. 142. 2. That Christ was under a Law p. 149. 3. The Nature of that Law and its Righteousness p. 152. 4. That he Obeyed it in our room p. 155. 5. That the Law of Faith is this Mediatorial Law p. 157. Correct Page 1. line 21. for when justified r. who was justified Pag. 165. line 23. in some Copies for it 's right r. taught ADVERTISEMENT A Compend of the Covenant of Grace By Walt. Cross M A. Sold by H. Barnard at the Bible in the Poultrey Price 6 d. ROMANS IV. 2. For if Abraham were Justified by Works he hath whereof to glory but not before God THe Doctrine contain'd in this Verse is of great Moment and requires our most earnest Attention and most narrow search and enquiry into its Nature and all its Circumstances for it is How shall we be Justified before God how shall we behave our selves before such an awful Tribunal When he riseth up what shall I do and when he Visiteth what shall I answer says Holy Job Wherewith shall we come before the Lord and bow our selves before the most High will he be pleas'd with thousands of Rams or ten thousands of Rivers of Oyl shall I give my First-born for my Transgression the Fruit of my Body for the Sin of my Soul That God would plead with Isâ—ael made her Mountains tremble and the Foundations of her Earth to shake Mic. 6. It 's David's Deprecation Enter not into Judgment with thy Servant for in thy sight shall no Man living be justified Psal 143. How can Man be just or Justified with God for if he will Contend with him he cannot answer him one of a thousand Job 9.3 But it is a most certain thing That we must all appear before the Judgment-seat of Christ 2 Cor. 5. Rom. 14.12 Psal 139. and that every one of us must give an Account of himself to God We cannot decline it Darkness cannot hide from his sight nor Distance remove from his Presence We cannot flye from his Spirit tho' we had the Wings of the Morning He is higher than the Heaven what can we do lower than Hell whether can we go from the Depth of the Sea or the uttermost End of the Earth his Hand can bring us back He has appointed a Day Act. 17. wherein he will judge the World in righteousness Eccl. 12. and he will bring every Work into Judgment with every secret thing whether it be good or evil 1 Cor. 4. He will bring to light the hidden things of darkness and will make manifest the Counsels of the Heart Heb. All things are naked and open to the Eyes of him with whom we have to do If there be a God there is a Governour and if there be a Governour there must be a Judgment Can we be his Creatures and his Subjects and will he be so Careless as not to take an Account of us Humane Government is but an Image of his There can be no Shaddow without a Substance Doth a Summons from Man fright us Doth the very Name of an Arraignment a Court a Judge an Appearance at a Humane Barr shake off our Security and rouse our Phlegmatick Constitution and put us into a most serious thinking frame and shall not the certain Warning of this
undertake all these Tribulations on this Condition that in my day thou shalt raise the Dead even all who have died from the first Adam until now and all those that shall be Created and shall save them c. The Conclusion I draw from this large Narrative is That no part of Evangelical Obedience is here wanting Faith and Repentance the influence of the Spirit Jesus a Lawgiver and Principal Meriter Sincerity an acceptable Measure c. And suppose them not all of a Mind yet Charity will ever make us conclude the Believers to be of the best Mind among them And the Error here oppos'd in this Church at Rome by the Apostle is the same that now in the Church of Rome is oppos'd by the Protestants 2 Thes 2.7 This was that wherein the Mystery of Iniquity did already Work the Doctrine of Merit was already begun and no other Error can be found to have such a fair appearance when the Apostle wrote to the Thessalonians the Church at Thessalonica was free of the Error and she of all the Churches only was and may be therefore the Mystery of it was reveal'd to them Mr. Squire of Shore-ditch says on this Epistle to the Thessalonians That the placing of Faith between Mercy and Merits is like the Infant between the two Mothers if divided it must be destroyed It s like the Pale Horse Death sits on it and Hell follows it is a damnable Assertion without peradventure and a Bellarmine after his long Dispute for Merits concludes that it is most safe to trust in Mercy alone And what way Rome had her first beginning by that way she is most likely to attempt her Restauration and by opposing Merit our first Reformation began which has this for its Glory it s a Restauration of Christianity to its Primitive Purity and while we preserve this Doctrine she will never corrupt or stain our Souls however she may prevail to oppress our Bodies But it is to be lamented that so many bearing the Name of Protestants are so deeply tinctur'd with this Doctrine of Opera Tincta Works Meriting because tinctur'd with Christs Merits The Third Enquiry shall be a more close Examination of the Extensiveness and Comprehensiveness of this Law of Wâ—rks that is excluded from being the Rule or Law of our Justification Because boasting would not be excluded from us by it if justified by it and on the most sincere Scrutiny I can make I find all Laws and all Works as perform'd by us are excluded the Arguments for Proof of it I shall reduce to these five Heads 1. The Nature of a Law in general is excluded 2. The Natural Law is 3. The Moral Law is 4. The Mosaical Law is And 5. The Evangelical and our Evangelical Obedience to it is excluded 1. The Nature of a Law in General is for every Law is a Law of Works and a Law of Works is excluded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Law signifies either in general Doctrine as Isa 2.3 Out of Zion shall go forth the Law and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem Joh. 10.34 Is it not written in your Law I said ye are Gods That is no Precept See Joh. 15.25 Gal. 4.21 Or it is taken properly and then it signifies a Doctrine of Works hence Works and Law are reciprocal without Law Rom. 3.21 is the same with 4.6 without Works We are justified not only without the Law of Works but by a Righteousness without the Law Gal. 3.21 If there had been a Law given which could have given Life verily Righteousness should have been by the Law Works is no Distinctive Addition as Dr. Tuck of Cambtidge says but Explicative Rom. 2.13 The doers of the Law shall be justifi'd to do the Law and Works are the same in the Apostles style they are of so nigh kindred he adds it to tell us what he means by Righteousness of the Law viz. Works Commanded by and Conform to the Law the whole Constituent parts of the Description of a Law manifests this first its generical Nature it s a just Act of a Superiors Will. We call Statutes or Laws Acts of Parliament it s their Will what the Subject should do Psal 33.8 He commanded and it stood fast Psal 143. Teach me to do thy Will and in the Lords Prayer Thy Will be done 2. The Author of a Law is the most Supream Power Dominative Power as the Master over the Servant the Father Husband Tutor c. Juridical Power is not Judges are but Administrators Applyers of the Law to particular Cases and Persons they are Jussa Populi rogante Magistratu the Peoples Commands ratified by the Supream Magistrate It 's very diminutive English of Jussa when it 's called Votes that is only Wishes the old Saxon word is Lowe Consent because a Covenant between Prince and People is the Spring of Laws But why all this Authority The Command needs it it 's to Work hard Work is required and we need Awe to put us on hence Exod. 19. 20. God sets an Emblem of his Power and Authority before his Law 3. The Effects are 1. Obligation 2. Command and Prohibition 3. Punishment or Impunity by permission but all terminate in Works And tho' the Mediatorial Law which was the most severe Penal Law that ever was Sufferings being the great Duty yet the Fruit of it is called Work and Doing I come to do thy Will and to work the Work of his Father 4. The Subjects of the Law are by way of Eminency call'd Subjects Rom. 3.19 They that are under the Law are call'd so from its Energy and working Efficacy in them And therefore tho' only a rational Creature is a doer of a Law mov'd reasonably by Fear or Hope yet the Efficacy occasions Metaphors in mute Creatures Job 38. Hast thou commanded the Morning since thy Day and our Inclinations to Wickedness are call'd the Law of the Members and Rules of Art are call'd Laws Custom which is a Habit of working is call'd a Law 5. The Matter or Object is Work something to be done Th. A. A Law is a Rule directing our Acts what is to be done and what not And again It 's Divine Wisdom as directive of all our Acts and Motions Biel. It 's a sign of Right Reason dictating what we are obliged to do and what not 6. The Properties are Rom. 7.12 Holy Just and Good 1. Holy from the Matter it distinguishes between Holy Actions and the Vile ones 2. Just from the Manner not to give Laws where not Subjects or where they neither Protect nor can Punish The Law-giver must be able to Save or Destroy what he gives Laws to Jam. 4. therefore it 's ridiculous for Man to give Laws to a Spirit or Conscience in Matters religious and where he has Power he must distribute Burdens and Works by Proportion according to Ability to bring one part of a Nation under Penal Laws and another under Priviledges is not an equal distribution except
when Offenders or highly meriting Mat. 23. It was a great sin in the Pharisees to bind Burdens on others they touch'd not themselves 3. Good Salus Populi suprema Lex Plato says a Law is a Manner of Governing by fit Means to the best End No Priviledges that is Privae Leges ought to be granted without this Prospect Knowledge of Sin and Wrath are the Consequents of Divine Law but neither End nor Fruit of them but of the Transgressors 4. Publickly Proclaim'd 5. Firmly ratified by Sanction Laws are made that the Innocent may be safe among the Wicked that the Wicked's Boldness may be bridled the Law is not for a righteous Man 7. There is no kind of Law but what requires Works as its Object the Negative forbids Works the irritating make void Works according to the kind of Works they are distinguish'd Natural of Nations Civil Canonical Priviledges Poenal Customs Counsels Moral Judicial Ceremonial Evangelical and consequently the Law of Faith is not meant the Law requiring Faith for then it would be a Law of Works for Joh. 6.29 To believe is to work the work of God Gal. 5.6 Faith works by Love and the Pharisees even before Conversion as is before prov'd own'd Faith as a most acceptable Work to God so there would neither be fit distinguishing Terms of the opposite Propositions nor any Refutation ot the Apostle's Adversaries by this Sense of it it must therefore either be taken largely for the Doctrine of Faith that is the Gospel the Object of our Faith according to the Cloud of Protestant Commentators or which is Materially the same the Law that is the Object of our Faith and as such he had been before describing the Righteousness we are Sav'd by and Justifi'd by to be a Righteousness Rom. 1.17 3.22 Reveal'd to Faith to be believ'd in now this Righteousness must have a Law which is the Mediatorial Law as the other is the Mediator's Righteousness He was made under the Law to redeem us from under it Gal. 4.5 Mat. 5. He came to fulfill the Law we are Justified by his Obedience to the Law for us So by the Law of Faith is not by the Law as Directing and Commanding our Works but by the Law as believ'd to be fulfill'd by Christ in our room There can be no Pretence or shew of Reason for the other Opinion but on this bottom that by Works and Faith are meant different kind of Works But then why should the general term Comprehending all kind of Works be us'd for one Species Would that be a good Division to say God governs the Earth not by an Animal but by a Man or not by a Spirit but by an Angel and there is no ground in the Context to take the word thus by Synecdoche as shall next be prov'd For there is no Divine Law under which we are but what we may find excluded by the Apostles Arguments 1. The Natural Law and its Works are excluded Rom. 3.9 We have before proved both Jew and Gentile that they are all under sin V. 19. All the World is guilty before God not from insufficiency of the Law for Rom. 2.26 If the Vncircumcision keep the Righteousness of the Law shall not his Vncircumcision be counted for Circumcision for the Law of Nature now is the same with that in Innocence only there is a Change in the Matter Positive Laws do not bind ad semper and the Negative Laws are all the same still the Law says one thing to a married Person and another to an unmarried So tho' the Law command other things to fallen Man than to innocent Man it is not another Natural Law All the Natural Law Tertullian says was broken in Eating the Forbidden Fruit there was Theft yea Sacriledge in stealing God's Proprium there was Murder of himself and his Posterity there was Coveting there was want of Love to God and Obedience too yea Idolatry to an Incarniz'd Devil having more esteeming and adoring Thoughts of the Devil than God So the Matter of the Law is the same and the Measure of it too viz. what Reason observes or may observe to be its Duty from Divine Providence Rom. 2.5 The goodness and forbearance of God leads to Repentance The Author God the Principle Love to God the End God's glory and our good is still the same its Sanction is Perishing and Salvation Rom. 2.12 They that sin without Law perish without Law and if they observe it it shall be Circumcision to them but all are Sinners all have broken it their Conscience accuse them they detain the Truth in Vnrighteousness they did what they knew deserv'd Death Rom. 1.32 2. The Natural Law being excluded all Law is excluded for they are all reduceable to it and consequently it is comprehensive of them Mr. Baxt. Method p. 392. In illo tamen omnes eaedem fuere virtualiter aut eminenter It is the Mother and Root of them all but the further the Branches are removed from the Root the lesser they are and the more invisible and stand at a greater distance from it 1. These are its Primitive Axioms That good is to be chosen and evil to be refused and the greater the good is for Weight or Duration with the greater Desire and Endeavour to be pursued That we are to do that which is becoming us and to do as we would be done by in the like Circumstances The second Order is more determined to wit God is to be worshipped by true loving trusting adoring and Obediential Thoughts that the Innocent is not to be Hurt the Honest Man is to be Befriended the Superior to be Reverenced the Inferior to be Condescended to and the Indigent to be Supplied and many other Laws about Patience Fortitude Sobriety and Temperance The third Order is more particular Vices and Vertues are specified by which Theft Adultery Murder and the like are forbid The fourth Order is less apparent and evident to wit about Revenge Fornication Usury and Self-Murderers in some Cases which gives occasion to Civil and in some sence Canonical Laws also These are two ways reduced to the Natural Law First because both Civil and Religious Society and consequently Government is constituted by this Natural Law Rom. 13.1 There is no Power but of God the Powers that be are ordained of God Their Authority is both established and limited by his and therefore their Laws ought to be subordinate to his which is the second Connexion For Rulers are not a Terror to good Works but to the Evil. Hence a Penal Law obliging to Sin or to suffer is a most unjust thing for it is a Terror to good yet a Conformity to the Laws of God is pretended to by all Law-givers even under Paganism The Moral Law is more properly this Law it self than reductively belonging to it for where Moral and Natural is opposed it is in Sciences not in Laws for what 's Moral as to the Object to wit Praise-worthy or Blame-worthy Vice
and ten Years after Christ oh the 12th Chap. 3. he cites Deuteronomy 29.1 These are the Words of the Covenant and thus expounds it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Covenant is nothing else but a Law and the Midrash on Leviticus distinguishes thus between Statutes Judgments and Laws in Chap. 26.46 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Law is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Doctrine Learning and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Statutes are Midrashoth Glosses Expositions and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Judgments are Hadaenin Decisions of Cases in Law and Aben Ezra on psal 19.8 gives this Etymon of it the Law is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Law because it shows the Right way and Converts Souls by taking away their Doubts and Fears But since they mean by Doctrine of Faith the Gospel and the Gospel being regulated by this Mediatorial Law Law of Faith and Doctrine of Faith are the same things and it is usual in Scripture to use a Law and its Works of Righteousness promiscuously Hence without the Law and without Works are the same and so the Law of Faith and the Doctrine of Faith are the same for it 's a Doctrine of what was done in Conformity to this Law Thirdly The Opposition between the two Members in this Text doth Confirm it for Law of Faith cannot be here understood a Law requiring Evangelical Faith as a specifical distinct Duty from the Works the other Law did require For first Faith it self is a Work 2 Thes 1.11 The Work of Faith with Power 1 Thes 1.3 Remembring your Work of Faith and in John To Work the Work of God is to Believe For thus there would be no Distinction betwixt the Law of Works and Law of Faith for the Moral Law required Faith in God and the Ceremonial Law required Faith in him that was Typified by their Sacrifices But to come nigher to this Opposition as it is explained by the Socinians and Arminians it must either lie in the Object or in the Precept or Duty but in none of them As to the Object God and Christ there is no Essential difference there for either it must be between the Persons and then there must be three Faiths specifically distinct Or it must be between the Office and Nature and we cannot say there is any greater Distinction there between God and Mediator than between God and Creator God and Preserver or Governor or Sanctifier all which are Incitements and Motives of our Faith or Love or as Mr. Durham calls it Objectum Considerationis or as Cloppenburgh Objectum Formale sub qua but not Ratio formalis quae vel propter quam and such distinct Formalities make no distinct Worship or Faith We see the Lords bringing the People out of Egypt is set down as an Incitement to their Observation of the Moral Law I am the Lord thy God which brought thee out of the Land of Egypt it is far from making a new Law distinct from the Moral so Gods becoming our Redeemer and delivering us out of the Regions of Darkness and Prisons of Bondage is the strongest Motive that ever was and this Sinning against such a Motive which is a Sin against the Gospel is the greatest Sin and as there is no specifically distinct Object in the first Table so there is none in the second to render our Evangelical Obedience to it distinct from our Moral For the Sympathizing with our Neighbour under Adversity as it s said Bear you one anothers Burdens and so fulfill the Law of Christ it is no farther remote from Loving our Brother being only Charity denominated from his Condition than not stealing of his goods from him killing of him bearing false Witness against him or those other Precepts are but it 's called the Law of Christ because that kind of Love was the Spring of all his Obedience to the Mediatorial Law the principal part of his Work was to bear our Burden but the Socinians are in a greater difficulty here than others who deny the Deity of Christ and yet do Religiously Worship him Their Work should be how to find out a new Table not how to find out a new Law to place a kind of Obedience in that is neither proper to God nor Man nor are they altogether free of this Task who thô they own the Mediator to be God yet as such talk of a specifical distinct Law of Duties to him from what we owe to God as to Repentance the Ability to perform it and the Acceptance of it being interrupted and imperfect Duty flows from the Gospel yet there is a Necessity that the Law it is regulated by be the same Law that was broken It was Mans Duty to Love God to fear him to have Faith in him and to obey him he has now by Sin omitted these Duties what is else the Essence of his Repentance but the repeating and renewing of it again that he that broke the Law now keep it If he observe not the Law he did violate it is no Repentance Repentance and Primitive Obedience differ no more than the Image of God that Man was created in and Regeneration which is a renewing of him to the same likeness of Knowledge Righteousness and Holiness as the Divine Nature is the rule of this Image both in one and the other else it were no Image so that Holy and perfect Law of God founded on what is his due from what he has been and is to the Creature called the Moral Law is the same Rule to our Actions distinct Formalities in Objects make distinct Sciences and Arts and may occasion distinct Precepts or Acts for it is an imperfect Law if it reach not to every Condition of the Subject Hence Suarez says The Law of Nature before and after the fall differ only as the Acts of the same Law in Time of Peace and War The Law says one thing to a Married Man and another to an Unmarried it has distinct Statutes to every Condition but the Law is one A Law meets with many changes and yet remains the same as a Man doth and is yet the same Man in Essence 1. In Use it may serve for directing the Obedient convincing and condemning the Guilty and be the same Law still So the Moral Law was that we were to be justified or condemn'd by in the Primitive State that use of it ceases when the Soveraign Prince Pardons then the Dignity of the Intercessor or his own Bowels of Mercy is his Measure So God now proceeds with us according to what our Mediator has done for us that is the Law of Faith not according to what we have done It is strange to say Faith in a Mediator will justifie and not Faith in God or that Faith in God belongs not to the Moral Law or that it s now having a Pardon for its Object and before a Reward brings it under another Law the Angels have many a new Duty and new Object of Faith but their Law remains the same 2. The
establish another here is little Gospel A second difficulty is we must either say Christ has purchas'd to us Pardon for Sins against the gospel-Gospel-Law or for none at all but that one Sin of Adam's if the Moral Law be abrogat'd after the Fall we never sinn'd against any Law but the Gospel's for we were under no other Law according to him but how contrary is this to the Nature of the Gospel whose greatest Cordial is Remission of all Sins against the Law He brings a twofold Remedy or Solution to these Difficulties 1. The Gospel renders all the Duties possible it Commands hence is it call'd the Power of God and Law of the Spirit And the Reason why the Law was imperfect before the Gospel was because there was not Power to obey a perfect Law God cannot Command what is impossible This is no less oppress'd with Difficulty than the Distemper it 's brought to Cure For 1. Doth God lose his Right because we lose our Power the Devils have no Power to obey do they therefore not Sin he was a Lyar and Murderer from the beginning he continues it doth he not Sin in it If Sin be worse than Suffering and there be no Sin in Hell Hell is better than this Earth Some would help him at this strait with the Distinction of Moral and Physical Impotence God cannot justly command what is Physically impossible but he may what is Morally so but he Scoffs at it as an Impotent Brat of Amyraldus nurs'd by Mr. Baxter and Mr. Truman and I think it affords little relief For when the Impotence is insuperable yea more unconquerable than Physical Impotence wherein is there a greater Foundation to Justice because Sinners like to have it so are we not Mad and Distracted and may we impose on Fools what we will because they may like it it looks like Tickling a Man to Death But 2dly Granting that which is certainly false that the Gospel renders all it requires both Morally and Physically possible it makes not the Gospel better than the Law for in Innocence all commanded was more than barely possible But the second and grand Remedy is that thô the Law require perfect Obedience yet not under the Penalty of Death there is no Law that threatens Death to every Sin but to particular kind of gross Sins 1 Cor. 6.19 Gal. 5.19 Yea only to Impenitence This is the Gospel Law this is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but still difficulties attend it and divide the Parties 1. Some say this is an aequi-just Interpretation of the Moral Law others of the Gospel Law 2. Some say this is a Law and Constitution Evangelical by it self others that it is an Administration of the Law by Soveraign Power set in a Throne of Grace but not Law 3. Some say this is proper to the Gospel Law others that the Moral Law did admit of it also and that if â—ve had had only an Inclination to eat of the Forbidden Fruit which in the Rigor of the Law was a Sin and refrain'd from compleating the Act which was the Violation of the Covenant formally she should not have dy'd It were too operose to follow all these Tracts the Multitude of them would render one Jealous that they are not the Kings High-way but some private Paths that do derogate from the True and Living Way In General this doth Enervate the Law of God the Law of Faith establishes the Law but this doth Emasculate it and turn it into a meer Counsel and Advice What else is a Law without Sanction Yea no Law so there is no Sin but Impenitence and indeed they call the rest Venial peccadillo's Secondly It is repugnant to the Moral Law to admit of Aequity because it is most aequal in it self those Laws admit of Chancery and Aequity that would in some Circumstances become rigorous and cruel but there is no such thing in the Divine Law It would be contrary to Aequity and so unjust to establish a Law requiring partial Love to God and partial Obedience Thirdly This Doctrine opens a door to Antinomianisme and History tells us it sprung from such a Mistake that Faith and Repentance were taught and commanded by the Gospel and they contain'd all necessary to Salvation so the Law was needless And Lemborgh says much the same The Gospel needs no Law to be a Schoolmaster to lead to Christ it has more terrible Threatnings of its own than the Law has to drive men to Christ with that Scripture Phrase belongs to the Ceremonial Law Fourthly This would put an Honour on the Mediatour above God that Imperfect Obedience to his Law might merit Heaven or what is of as much worth an Interest in Christ a right to his Merits but no less than Perfect Obedience to Gods Law can merit it Fifthly It would much derogate from Gods Honour who is now content to give his Favour and his Rewards on easier rates than before he would have had perfect Service now partial will serve And consequently Sixthly Boasting would not be excluded by the Law of Faith for Man might boast God was come to Easier Terms he should lose Glory by the change of the Covenants not gain But
rouse us out of our sleepy Condition and entirely monopolize our Thoughts Yet because of our Dullness to hear things concerning our Eternal State I shall propose these Helps to render us serious about it 1. The Majesty and Holiness of the Judge the Voice of the Arch-Angel the Trump of God the Train of Saints and glorious Appearance at the Great Day will add nothing to it he is as Holy as Just as Powerful now as then as nigh to us now as then When his Seat is upon the Conscience is he not as nigh as when he makes a Cloud his Theatre the Matter to be try'd the same now that then all the Business of that Day depends upon this A sight of this God by Faith and the Belief of our being now in his Presence would put us in the same frame we shall be in then as we may see from Job 40.4 5. 42.5 Behold I am vile what shall I answer I will lay my hand upon my Mouth once have I spoken but I will not answer I have heard of thee by the hearing of the Ear but now mine Eye seeth thee wherefore I abhorr my self in dust and ashes Job's Faith would make Job's Temper 2. Exactness of the Law we are under as his Creatures it 's holy just and good it allows not nor indulges any Sin in Thought Word or Deed and is fenc'd with the most severe Sanction In the Day thou eatest thou shalt dye Cursed is he that continueth not in all things written in the Book of the Law to do them Gal. 3.10 This may fill Sinners with Terror Isa 33.14 The Sinners in Zion are afraid fearfulness hath surpriz'd the Hypocrite who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings 3. Our Condition Sinners Transgressors of this Law Rebels against this Sovereign God There is none righteous no not one Jews and Gentiles all are under Sin there is no Pagan but he approaches God with his Sacrifices and Prayers as an Offender Propitiation Pardon Reconciliation is that he looks after Every one that has an Exercise of Conscience whose Heart is not entirely hardened has this for his principal Care What shall I do to be saved Acts 2. 4. This is the Summ of the Gospel the principal End of all Divine Revelation to teach how this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this guilty Person this Enemy this Ungodly Man may be Justified Rom. 1.16 17 18. for these come all to one thing How Saved how Pardon'd how Justified how Reconcil'd how Sanctifi'd how in Covenant of Peace with God how shall I escape Hell how shall I enjoy Heaven Christ is the one true and living way Christ is the one Mediator Christ is the Surety of the Covenant We are Justified thorough the Redemption that is in Christ that Jesus Christ is the Object of the Gospel Gen. 3.15 Rom. 1.2 3 4. Heb. 7.25 This is the End of the Law Gal. 3.24 Rom. 10.4 And this is the End of Ordinances Salvation is by Faith and Faith by Hearing A 5th Help to render us studious about it is Satans Pains and alas his Success too in either Corrupting it in our Thoughts or keeping us from Thoughts of it Satanae solamen sicut solamen miserorum est habere socios A ring-leader of Rebels drew all to his Party he could or can and all Mankind he has brought unto the same Condemnation with himself But our God from his special Compassion to us poor miserable Men who are deceiv'd by Satan has invented this way of our Salvation thorough Christ which is a Delivery from Satan's Tyranny into the sweet Government of Christian Liberty this he endeavours to hinder by Blinding Mens Eyes that they may mistake it 2 Cor. 4.3 If our Gospel be hid it is hid to them that are lost whose Minds the god of this World hath blinded His Device among both Pagans and Jews in the old World was to trust to their own Sacrifices that God in Mercy would accept the Blood of a Beast for the Life of a Man or one Man for many The Jews took the Ceremonial Law for a Remedying Law Gal. 1.6 7. The Apostle calls it another Gospel that is none and v. 4. tells what the Gospel is But all Sacrifices being laid down among the Christians after Christ's sacrificing himself Satan attempts other Methods 1. The grossest That Christ dy'd only for an Example and that his Self-denyal to Natural Inclinations might move us to be deny'd to our sinfull and that his Powerful Interest in his Father and Prayer to him inclines him to Pardon on easie Terms so that now half-work may be taken for the whole 2. Others That Christ's Sacrifice did obtain a Pardon but not for all kind of sins some for Original Sin only some for sins in Ignorance also some for all sins before Conversion for others their own good Works Merits Penances together with the Priestly Absolution must pay or appease A 3d. Opinion is That Christ Merited that we might Merit immediately we are accepted for our own Works but remotely for Christs for on his Account our own are acceptable Christ has purchas'd a Covenant of Grace for all which Promises Remission of Sin Helps of the Spirit and a right to Heaven under the easie Conditions of Faith and Repentance by these a Man is just in respect of this Covenant that requires no more and by this Justice and Righteousness he is Justifi'd but it is on the Account of Christ's Merits that this is reckon'd Righteousness and this Covenant or Law of Grace is given that accepts such imperfect Holiness for Righteousness This Righteousness is Meritorious says Grotius Luk. 17. because it consists in the Willingness of the Mind the Obedience is due but to do willingly Merits As to the Order of the Covenant it Merits an Interest in Christ's Righteousness By this Doctrine all are equally Justifiable by Christ's Righteousness but all do not equally partake of Gifts to perform the Conditions Nor is there any Promise of Ability to perform these Conditions for then some of the Promises would be absolute Our Justification is by our own Works but our Justification on such Imperfect Works is of Christ or we are oblig'd to Christ for this easie Law but the Works of the Law are our own and we must be try'd by them And yet some Protestants say this Evangelical Law requires greater Perfection than the Law of Nature Bull. Examen p. 173. and that no other Law threatens Eternal Death or Promises Eternal Life but it and all since Adam are born under this Gospel-Law alone as to Eternal Concern I think this deserves the Title of Neonomianism and justles both Christ and his Gospel out of doors for then there is no Pardon of Sin by Christ for none can transgress the Law they were or are not under and according to themselves Christ did not suffer for Sins against the Gospel but they admit any Absurdity for
Estates and may forfeit the one sometimes without the other 7. There is a Priority in Justification to Adoption tho' not in Time yet in Order of Nature this follows consequentially from all the rest John 1.12 The right to Sonship follows Justifying Faith Tit. 3.7 being Heirs follows being Justified Rom. 8.17 We are first Children then Heirs and a Spirit of Prayer and Divine Conduct for a Holy Life answers Adoption First Life then Estate in Order of Nature The Arguments brought against it by the Learn'd Forbesius are answerable First To Adopt is the Act of a Father and the Acts of the Father in the Trinity are before the Acts of the Son and Spirit Resp That Order holds more in their Concurrence to one Act than in distinct Acts for Justification is the Act of the whole Trinity so is Adoption 2. That Order holds more in Antelapsarian than Sublapsarian Actions for in the latter Redemption which is Christ's Act is first for there Actions flow not from God immediately as God The Second What is first in Christ is first in us but Christ is a Son first before Justified as a Redeemer Resp This is true in the Order of Intention for we are first design'd Sons to be the Companions and Fellows of that only begotten but 't is not true in Order of Execution 3. We are Christs Brethren by Adoption Resp He is a Brother by Incarnation and fitted for being our Redeemer by it It is not our Brotherhood by Adoption fitted Christ for Redemption but his becoming our Brother by Incarnation The relation of the absolute Blessings Regeneration Sanctification c. may be understood by the following head A Second Help for more distinct Knowledge of this Blessing is what supplies the room or place of the Justificatory Sentence By Virtue of what Act of God upon the Arraign'd Person doth he become formally free from the Curse of the Law By what doth he publickly manifest such a particular Person pardon'd Resp There are four apparent Competitors for this place 1. The Voice of the Gospel declaring all that believe are justified Act. 13.39 but the Voice of the Law and the Voice of the Judge are of distinct Natures The Gospel is in room of the Law it 's the Constitution of Christ's Kingdom and it is also in room of the Records of a Court it shews in general what is Constitutive of Justification Rom. 5.19 By the Obedience of one shall many be made righteous and is Decisive of them that are Justified or to be Justified and them that are not or shall not be Joh. 3.36 He that believeth on the Son hath Life and he that believeth not shall not see Life But the Judg's part is to make an Authoritative Application of this Law or Constitution to an individual Person this the Scripture doth not All that Christ dy'd for are Justifiable by the Gospel Constitution but they often live a considerable time before they be actually Justified 1 Cor. 6.11 Such were some of you but you are sanctified but you are justified Mr. Baxt. Confes p. 40. There is a treble Pardon constitutive by God as a Law-giver declarative by God as a Judge determining our Right and Executive in not inflicting the Poenalty The Gospel doth the first the second is that in question There are others such as the Testimony of the Spirit in a Person 's own Conscience and the solemn Sentence at the Day of Judgment which I referr to the several Courts our Cause is try'd in That which I shall conclude on as bearing nighest resemblance to it is God's Act of Regeneration his first Gift of Saving Faith and Sanctifying Grace that beside its absolute Nature in Conforming the Soul to Christ and raising his Image in it it has a relative signification of Divine Favour that is better than Life God by that Deed or speaking Action says All thy sins are blotted out thy Iniquiâ—ies forgiven thou art a Freeman in the State 1. 2 Cor. 3.17 Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is Liberty Rom. 6.7 He that is dead is freed Orig. justifi'd from sin 2. As soon as ever man sinned Gen. 3. he became guilty and as soon as guilty the Punishment of spiritual Death followed so if as soon as sinn'd condemn'd as soon as Christ's Righteousness applyed he is justifi'd the receiving such a blessed Fruit of it as the Spirit is a sure Application of it there is as present and effectual Vertue in the Medicinal Potion for Life as there was in the Poyson to Death 3. Eph. 1.14 The Spirit of the Lord is an Earnest of the Inheritance wherever he is and since he ensures Adoption much more he ensures Justfication 4. Regeneration makes us Sons and the Priviledge of a Son is more than that of a Subject 5. Rom. 5.10 11. Whenever we are reconciled we are justifi'd for they are but different representations of the same Priviledge and Sanctification takes away the Enmity 6. When the Spirit is given to us we receive a great Trust many Talents and called to a great Office in Christs Kingdom to praise and glorifie him to propagate his Kingdom created unto all good Works Sir Walter Raleigh and with him all Lawyers judg'd his being put in a place of Office and Trust did virtually contain a Pardon in it It implies much weakness in Government or Governours to employ Traytors Rebels and Criminals in places of Trust who must strive for their Lives to hinder the just administration of the Government which would take away their own Life 7. Mat. 9.2 When Christ the Judge of the World verbally pronounces Forgiveness he signifies all imports one thing Arise and walk Eyes be ye open Be thou healed Or Thy sins be forgiven thee His gifts are in a comprehensive Cluster there is a strong Chain of connexion among them and he may name what is most easie hence are they so united and involved into one another by Scripture Titus 3.5.7 1 Cor. 6.11 Rom. 8.30 Act. 5.31 And 8. There is not only the Example of Christs Justifying but the Example of his being justify'd Who was justified in the Spirit 1 Tim. 3.16 All the Works of the Spirit on him and by him were God's justifying him His Resurrection was his declared Justification Rom. 4.25 It was the Pattern of ours besides other great Influences on ours By it was he taken from the Prison of the Grave and acquitted from the Judgment where try'd therefore our spiritual Resurrection Rom. 6.7 is call'd Justification 9. Ancient Custom shews that Authority did intimate their Sentence by symbolical Actions and things as well as words Ovid. Albis atrisque Lapillis The White Stone was sent as a Symbol of Absolution to the Person whose Name they wrote upon it Pierius in his Egyptian Hierogliphicks gives this Account of the Rights of a Slaves Manumission That he was Cloath'd in White Raiment and his Patron 's Ring put upon his Finger and did eat at his Master's Table The Scripture
either in Matter or Manner The Use I shall make of this is of Refutation for since none can pretend to be justified by any Works but such as are good and acceptable in the sight of God and none are such that want the foremention'd Qualifications all the distinctions of Adversaries about the Kinds of Works are to no purpose That this may be more evident I shall rank them under these four Kinds 1. The Socinians who say that the Apostle means Works in their Perfection that are excluded from a divine condescendency to our Impotency he will not require what we cannot perform but will justifie us for what we can Resp 1. If we did and always had perfectly fulfill'd the Law we should have been justifi'd by its Works Rom. 2.13 The doers of the Law shall be justified 2 Tit. 3.7 Not by works of righteousness which we have done 2. It would heinously reflect on the Holiness of God as a Law-giver or Judge to make an Imperfect Law or to Judge a Man just for Imperfect Performance of a Perfect Law Gal. 3.10 Cursed is he that continues not in all things c. The Second Opinion is of them who exclude the Mosaical Law and these of two and may be more sorts 1. Some exclude only Ceremonies and indeed the Controversie began about them Act. 15. the Instances by Paul most mention'd are of that kind Gal. 2.14 16. and by their resemblance of a Remedying Nature the Jews mistook them for the thing it self Thus Lombard and the Schoolmen Alphons a Cast Dom. a Soto But the Law the Apostle speaks of as the Rule of the Works he excludes cannot be Confin'd so narrowly for Rom. 2.15 it 's a Law that the Gentiles had Rom. 3.20 28. a Law that bound all Flesh a Law by which the Knowledge of sin Rom. 4.14 a Law that worketh Wrath. 2. By others the whole Works of the Mosaical Law are excluded in the Pharisaical Sense of them that is as separated from the Essential Duties of the Covenant as given to Adam Noah and Abraham Respon 1. I grant that the Pharisees did mistake the Law in its Extent and Intent too the former Christ corrects Mat. 5. but it 's very reasonable to think that they who had now embraced Christ to whom the Apostle writes had forsaken that Error for the Apostle's Dispute is of another kind not what was their Duty or Work but what place this Work or Duty had with respect to its Reward Whether or not it was truly Meriting and his Business is to prove that let their Works be what they would they could never serve for this Use and the Apostle tells them Rom. 10.4 5. that they did not know Christ compleatly viz. that he was the End of the Law who would put such a Value on their own Works Sir Nor. Knat Observes on Rom. 2.14 that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Work of the Law signifies the Office of the Law this was to Convince a Man of Sin that he might fly to Christ as Galat. 3. 't is called a School-master to bring us to Christ The Law is the Mean He is the End The Moral Law was a Mean to make them sensible of their Need of Christ and the Ceremonial was a Mean to represent him as the End of the other as One who was a Sacrifice and gave satisfaction for their Breach of the Law 2. The Apostle gives no Countenance to this Opinion in his Phrase for Galat. 3.21 If there had been a Law given c. There is an Impossibility in any Law or its Works prescribed to Adam Noah or Abraham since Man was a Sinner to Merit in any sense Justification at the Hand of God 3. Romans 3.20 21 22. The Apostle calls the Works he excludes Works of the Law not in any abstracted sense but Works that the Law required and the Mosaical Law comprehended all the former Laws under it as Joh. 7.32 Ye received Circumcision of Moses not that it was of him but of the Fathers And when the Mâ—saical and the Christian Constitution are opposed Mosâ—ical comprehends the whole Old Testament State 4. The Righteousnesses that are in this Epistle opposed are God's and Mâ—n's not Adam's essential Duties in the first Edition of the Naked Covenant and Moses his in the Political Administration of it Rom. 3.22 The Syriac renders it thus The Righteousness of God by the hand of Faith on that Jesus Christ Not a Righteousness that is God's Gift and is acceptable to God by Virtue of his prescribing it as the Condition he required a Righteousness that lay in the Fruits of Faith or in the Nature of Faith from its Conformity to the Law of the Covenant but a Righteousness that Faith as a Hand takes hold of 5. This Law the Apostle speaks of comprehends all inward Obedience all Righteousness Vid. Ch. 3. and 7. of this Epistle nay the Pharisee Mat. 22. did conclude Love to God to be the great Duty of the Law 3. The third Opinion is of Grotius who if the Writings that go under his Name and have so much Corrupted the Age be his own he was both a Papist and Apostate or if Mr. Baxter's Grotian Errors and that other Book called Grotius Papizans or Walleus in N. T. Preface be to be Credited indeed his Doctrine on this very Point of Justification is a very great Proof it as his Comments on the Epistles doth testifie especially this for tho' they are as Corrupt as he in their Disputes yet rarely in their Expositions are any Papists so Corrupt His Doctrine is thus 1. Works that are only External Civil deserving Praise of Men and by Humane Strength performable are excluded from an Interest in Justification 2. Faith of God is an Esteem of his Attributes and Faith of Christ is the Knowledge of him and his Doctrine 3. To Justifie is to Purifie to Cleanse from Vice so the Works are hypocritical the Faith historical and that which Devils has the Justification papistical Resp 1. It 's very improbable that the Apostle should Dispute so Nervously that a Man cannot be Internally Sanctified by External Works and as improbable that any should be so absurd to maintain it that a Man may become Just by Hypocritical Performances that external Civility is internal Holiness 2. That Law Rom. 7.7 14. requir'd more than external Works 3. Abraham had better Works than External and Paul when he knew nothing by himself yet not thereby Justified did not mean only External 4. They were what Works the Law requir'd and the God that searcheth Hearts nevâ—r made a meer External Law to Judge Men by 4. The fourth Opinion is that which is common among Papists 1. Works before Faith are excluded but not after Faith Sorrow for Sin without the Aids of Grace doth not Merit Preparatory Works to Grace doth not Merit though some and that generally allow a Congruity and Fitness to them others as Becanus deny it This is no more true
has an influence upon it all and yet the Scripture tells us this is the manner of Grace's influence viz. To renew the Will by enlightning the Mind 2 Cor. 3.18 3. Obj. Stat pro ratione voluntas that we often have no other Reason of our acting but our meer Will or as some say I will because I will Resp That saying either is the saying of a Polititian who means he will Conceal his Reason or of a Fool that knows not what he says 4. Obj. Ignorance much excuseth a Fault but if our Wills did always follow our Intellects then all our Sins would be Sins of Ignorance and so not so full of Aggravation as otherwise Resp The Scripture calls all our Sins Errors Heb. 9.7 Which he offered for himsâ—lf and the Errors of the People And both the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and thâ— Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifie to Mistake or Err and the very first sin of Man is called a being deceived 2. There is an Ignorance that aggravates as well as an Ignorance that excuses for he that has given Diligence and Pains to know the Will of God and State of his own Soul he that has attended upon Ordinances for encreasing the Knowledge thereof is less guilty than he who remains Ignorant of what the other knows by his Negligence I shâ—ll conclude this with these two Inferences 1. That there then was an Error or Mistake in the first sin of Angels as well as Man tho' they had no Outward Tempter yet their own glistering Beauty and glorious Excellencies appearing in their own Mind were too abstractly Considered and too precipitantly doted upon 2. That the great Object of our Prayers and Diligence should be to attain true Knowledge Wisdom is the principal thing we ought daily to Watch at her Gates that the Eyes of our Vnderstanding may be enlightened that we may know what is the Hope of his Calling and what is the Riches of the Glory of his Inheritance to know more of God's Love and Power toward them that believe to know more of the Beauty of Holiness Vileness of sin and Vanity of the Creature The fourth Proposition is That the Will of Man is not free to all things Every thing is Confin'd to its own Sphere the Carnal Man to Carnal things the Spiritual Man discerneth all things yet that is Confin'd to spirituals here below for neither Peter nor Paul could Converse rationally about Heavenly things This necessarily follows from the former Proposition viz. That the Will of Man is confin'd to the Understanding Indeed the Appetite is in this sense larger that it Craves a greater Good than the Eye of the Mind can point out to it but in particular Choice and Prosecution it can only seek after such as the Mind demonstrates to it Ignoti nulla cupido and it will be further prov'd under the last Topick viz. Man's Impotency The third Topick or General Argument for our Humility is our Guilt This is the Argument the Apostle insists so largely upon to prove by it that we are not justifi'd by Works or to render the Gospel which brings the Tydings of a Justification by Faith more acceptable First We are Naturally guilty Eph. 2.3 and we are by Nature the Children of wrath even as others a Child of Wrath is one liable to Wrath or guilty of Wrath as Judas is called a Son of Perdition Joh. 17.12 And so we read of a Son of Hell Mat. 23.15 and Children of the Curse 2 Pet. 2.14 Deut. 25.2 a Child of beating is translated worthy to be beaten But the great Controversie is What is meant by being thus liable to Wrath by Nature There be two ways that they who deny Original Sin explain it First some say it signifies only truly Children of wrath as in Gal. 4.8 By Nature were no Gods Resp 1. We grant they are truly so but where doth ever the word Nature signifie no more For these Gods wanted a Divine Nature Spirituality Independency c. and the Rule of interpreting Scripture is to let every word signifie as much as it can 2. The obviated contrary would be such as none ever pretended viz. and were in Opinion the Children of Wrath even as c. the Jews were not in their own Opinion thus Gal. 2.5 A second way is By Custom Children of Wrath they found their Interpretations on these two things The Context speaks of their Conversation 2. The word Nature signifies sometimes Custom 1 Cor. 11.14 Nature teaches that if a Man have long hair it is a shame unto him Resp 1. He mentions two kinds of Sins beside Conversation viz. Flesh and its Lusts Wills or Desires by way of Genealogy succeeding one another 1. Flesh 2. Lusts 3. Conversation or Fulfillment of them There are two things here to be proved That we are Flesh Antecedent to any Custom 2. To be Flesh is to be sinful For the former see John 3.3 every thing born of flesh is so 1 Cor. 3.3 it 's common to Man as Man in this State are ye not carnal and walk as men For the latter see Rom. 8.6 7 8 9. The Apostles design is to prove that the Jews were not only as guilty as the Gentiles in Conversation but in Lusts and fleshly Dispositions and so naturally Acts are before Custom but a natural Principle before Acts. It 's Nature before Custom teaches that Lesson which brings forth longer and more Ornamental Hair in Women than Men Rev. It s a Natural Character of distinction of Sexes 2 Custom is called second Nature Like Nature or acquired Nature not Nature simply and teaches nothing of this Matter for in some Countreys Men nourish and dress it in others not but Nature constantly distinguishes and these distinguishing Characters are called Nature Rom. 1.26 27. Two Ways Nature is most usually taken 1. For the Internal Causes the Principium motus the Disposition or Constituti of a thing Rom. 2.14 The Gentiles do by Nature the things of the Law Or 2. for Birth as Rom. 2.27 The Gentiles are the uncircumcision by Nature in opposition to the Jews who by Birth had the priviledge of Circumcision belonging to them Gal. 2.15 Both these are here comprehended the Arguments for it are these 1. Flesh and Nature here seem to be one thing for the reason of our being Children of Wrath is because we had our Conversation in the lusts of the Flesh By Flesh in Scripture is understood that Natural byass and tendency to Carnal things that is in every Man from his Birth Hence it 's call'd a fleshly Mind a Carnal Mind and in my flesh dwells no good thing and this fleshly Disposition is Nature to us for whatsoever is born of the flesh is flesh There is substantial Flesh of which we are born and then there is this fleshly disposition that is the property As it is said That what is born of the Spirit is Spirit The one is the Holy Ghost the other a Holy Habit
in the Mind So as the Seed of Grace in a Regenerate Man is called the Divine Nature So this Flesh or Carnal Disposition it is our Corrupt Nature and it is called Flesh from its opposition to the Spirit for as Substances Flesh and Spirit are opposite in the Scripture so also Spiritual and Carnal Disposition untill a Man hath a higher principle he only can converse about Carnal things Carnal and Earthly things are equivalent they did partake of your Carnal things So Galat. 6.12 2 Cor. 5.16 Phil. 3.3 The strength of the Argument lies thus That since by our Birth and by our Natural Disposition we are Carnal therefore by our Birth and Natural Disposition we are liable to Wrath. By our Birth we are Flesh John 3.3 That which is born of the flesh is flesh and the Text says this Flesh renders us liable to Wrath. 2. We are liable to Wrath from all the successful Temptations of the Prince of the Air for all the results saith the Context are Disobedience Now Satan both can and doth act us before any acquired Custom or Habit and according to the Common Notions of the Soul there is no apparent repugnancy why his suggestions may not be thrown into the Soul and succeed too before we are born 3. Nature and Grace here are opposed as Comprehending the two entire States of Man by Nature you are the Children of Wrath but by Grace you are saved So Nature comprehends the whole of a Mans Life before Grace else he may be sav'd without Grace except Nature were taken in this sense his Argument would be in two considerable Points defectible 1. In shewing as to Eternal Concerns that by Birth and Nature the Jews and Gentiles condition were alike as well as by Conversation 2. In depressing the Jews false grounded Pride who reckon'd all the Seed of Abraham in a sinless Condition untill adult Gal. 2.15 Is it supposable that when the former is so true and the latter so dangerously false and both the Apostles design in the very place that there should be nothing in his Argument to signifie them or that when no word more proper than this word Nature could be thought on that that word should be us'd in a most improper sense I might add four more to enforce this 1. Authority Austin and Prosper did interpret this Text of Original Sin 2. Etymology the word Children is changed it is not the same that in the second is called Children of Disobedience but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies our Birth 3. The other Texts of Scripture Psal 5. and Job I was conceived in Sin and born in Iniquity Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean 4. Matter of Fact Infants dye suffer Miseries Pains that are the Effects of Wrath in Scripture Language if they were not lyable to them how should they generally and frequently suffer them 2ly We are personally guilty To prove that all Men are guilty is because the Scripture describing the Heraldry of our Sinfulness doth not derive it from our Actions but derives the Evil of our Actions from our Persons We are Corrupt trees and therefore bring forth Corrupt fruit That which cometh out of a man defiles a man and Satan like when he speaks a lye speaks his Own John 8 44. If God from a Man's Birth do determine his Will and so sanctifie him it may stop this Course but being left to himself he cannot but sin for Nature will follow its own Course For the Wicked drink in Iniquity as the fish do the water they go astray from the Womb speaking lyes and being left to himself as soon brings shame as Wise Solomon observes Mat. 12.3 4. being evil ye cannot speak good An evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things Tit. 1.15 Vnto them that are defil'd every thing is impure Prov. 21.4.27 the plowing and praying of the Wicked are Sins Hag. 2.12 they defile whatever they touch the dead Carkass and other defiling things under the Law did typifie them The Nature of God is the Rule of ours antecedently to his Will being the Rule of our Actions and the want of Conformity to the Rule is a Sin and where the want of his Image is there is the want of a Likeness or Conformity to him this may be called a Personal Guilt antecedent to our Guilt by Actions and is a Confirmation of the former and much of the same Nature with it 3dly We are universally Guilty This is the Apostles great and demonstrative Argument to prove that we are not justified by Works 1. He supposes Salvation possible attainable 2. That a Righteousness was necessary to it for the Judge could not be just in justifying the Unjust 3. This Righteousness must be inherent or imputed a Righteousness to be believ'd or a Righteousness to be done by us a Righteousness by Works or Faith by our own Righteousness or anothers by a proper Righteousness or Vicarious what Soveraign Authority in Justice might accept in its room the former is by the Law the latter is by the Gospel the former is that the Apostle rejects with most industrious pains and strenuous proof For it 's a disjunction that admits of no Medium if guilty by the Law only sav'd by the Gospel 4. He proves that we are universally guilty as to the Law 1. The Gentiles are from Chap. 1.18 to Chap. 2.17 Because they knew God but did not glorifie him they detain'd the truth in unrighteousness they condemn'd in others what they did themselves their Conscience accus'd them for transgressing the Law wrote on their minds 2. He proves the Jews guilty and that in measure above the Gentiles from Ch. 2.17 to Ch. 3. From their having more Knowledge and worse Lives by which they made the Gentiles blaspheme their Religion and the Author of it 2. By doing the same things or things of like Nature they taught from the Law of God was not to be done After the obviating of an Objection against that Argument from Ch. 3. to v. 9. he there begins a New Argument to prove all guilty to v. 20. by the Authority of the Old Testament the Jews and Christians only owns the strength of the Argument but it 's Conclusive Universality doth not only prove the Jews are guilty but all v. 9. both Jews and Gentiles v. 10. None righteous no not one v. 19. All the World guilty before God The Citations are so interwoven as to guard against all Exceptions Negatively None righteous Positively All gone out of the way Subjectively understanding none understandeth Will none seeketh after God Words v. 13.14 Their throat is an open Sepulchre c. Works v. 15. Their feet are swift to shed blood Objectively against Men v. 16. Destruction and misery are in their ways Against God viz. There is no fear of God before their eyes Which may sufficiently discover the unreasonableness of their Opinions who to limit this Guilt and make some room for Works in
gratefull or ungratefull to our Taste according to the Disposition of our Palat. Our Will is our Spiritual Appetite and according to its Natural Disposition its Sympathy or Antipathy arises We are a Generation of Vipers there is Poyson in our Constitution and being evil we cannot speak good Mat. 7.18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit This Indisposition is granted both by Arminians and their Antagonists but the Dispute between them is Whether 't is a Sin or no. The Divine Nature in Holiness Righteousness and Knowledge is as much the Measure and the Rule of the Disposition of the Mind of Man as the Divine Law which is the Copy of that Holy Nature is the Rule and Measure of Mans Actions and therefore since Sin is an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Want of Conformity to the Law there is a sinfulness in our very Natures though undoubtedly it wants much of the Sinfulness and Guilt that our actual Transgressions have the one is our Misery and our Grief the other is Matter of our Repentance and Amendment It seems to receive a Diminution in that 5th of Romans that they have not sinned after the similitude of Adam The Scripture elsewhere aggravating the Sins of Adult Persons says They have Transgressed like Men but the Original hath it like Adam This Moral Impotency is as unconquerable as Natural Antipathies Mark 10.25 It is easier for a Camel to go through the Eye of a Needle than for a rich Man to enter into the Kingdom of God The Text represents a Penetration of Dimensions which is beyond a Miracle to be easier than for an Unregenerate Man to mortifie his Earthly Inclinations Transubstantiation is easier to be Believed than that a Man can Convert himself when he will tho' receiving all External Helps for in this young Man here was a good Natural Disposition Jesus loved him here was a good Education All these have I observed from my Youth here was an excellent Preacher Jesus Christ himself here was a Carefull Attention for he went away grieved at the Proposal of the Choice Christ offered him Treasure in Heaven for parting with Treasure on Earth but that he could not do Lastly Because the Scripture asserts that we are made Willing by Divine Power John 6.44 No Man can come to me except the Father draw him Psal 110. Thy People shall be willing in the Day of thy Power 1 Thes 1.5 Our Gospel came not to you in Word only but also in power Secondly There is a Natural Impotency as well as a Moral 1. Because this Impotency is in our Natural Constitutions Psal 51.5 I was shapen in Iniquity and in sin did my Mother conceive me Neither the Grammar nor Sense gathered from the Context will allow David to be bemoaning here his Parents Transgression for that could not make up a part of his Repentance and here David doth oppose it unto that Truth that God desired in the hidden and inward Parts of Man Job 14.4 Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean If the First fruit be Holy so is the Lump if the Root be Holy so are the Branches We are by Nature the Children of Wrath read Mat. 7.18 and 12.34 Since this Averseness is born with us Universal to all I think it may be call'd Natural tho' in the Will so the Moral Impotency is Natural 2. The more Moral Impotency that a Man is under the more Guilty he is But there is an Impotency in Man to good that in some part tho' not wholly doth excuse Guilt as the Infants in Nineve It is said All dye because all have sinned but none can be so Uncharitable towards Poor Infants whose Impotency is greater than the Adult's to think that therefore they are more guilty Rom. 5. 3. The Invincibleness and Unconquerableness of this Impotency being represented under such an utter Impossibility doth manifest a Defect in all the other Powers as well as the Will as impossible as for a great Camel to go thorough the Eye of a Needle it requires as great a Power as Creation and the Resurrection of one from the Dead doth Eph. 1.19 it requires the exceeding greatness of his Power the Energy of his mighty Power If all the other Faculties were fitted for their Office especially the Understanding it might and would sway the Will since the Will follows its Conduct as is prov'd before for the Gospel proposes such Objects with such a Certainty that would surely Captivate and Conquer the Will if there were no Defect in discerning it and Paul the Apostle complains of the Defect of other Powers To will is present with me but how to perform that which is good I find not Christ blames the Disciples for the Weakness of the Flesh when the Spirit was willing Suppose our Wills intire our Animal Spirits would not serve us to Obey the Law of Innocency and this Incapacity is from our sin so a Man is as Guilty by this Impotence as in Omissions of Duty thorough Drunkenness and I cannot think but a Man is Guilty of Blood that Kills his Neighbour in Drink or doth not deliver him sinking in the Water because his Drunkenness has made him uncapable the Impotence is voluntarily Contracted Gal. 5.17 The Flesh lusteth against the Spirit so that ye cannot do the things that ye would Was there no Sin in the Impotence since they were willing 4. The Understanding is a distinct Power from the Will and antecedent in Manner of working and there is an Impotency ascrib'd to it 1 Cor. 2.14 The Natural Man cannot know spiritual things The Contrivance of our Salvation which is the Effect and Glory of Divine Wisdom appear'd to the Grecian Philosophers seriously Studying the Case a ridiculous Dream of a weak Brain Act. 17.19 The Epicureans and Stoick Philosophers tho' they heard him again and again and tho' his Speech was Divine yet the Conclusion was Laughter and Mockery Resurrection of the Dead was a strange and incredible Doctrine to Pagans Heaven and Hell a Day of Judgment and Destruction of this World were Chimera's and Fancies Caecil the Philosopher thus O wonderful Foolishness and incredible Boldness they Contemn present Torments and yet fear future Pains they fear not Death but fear to dye after Death their Fear is foolish and their Hope fallacious of Comfort at the revival from Death for they are not Contented with the furious Opinion of the Dissolution of the World threatning the very Stars with Fire but they tell old Fables of a Birth after Death from the Cinders and Ashes Epictetus said the Galileans were Melancholly Persons who willingly chose Death from Hopes of good things afterward Christianity appears as foolish to Politicians the spiritual Kingdom of Christ is to them a Castle in the Air When Pilat John 18. heard that Christ's Kingdom was not in this World he thought it was not worth his Attention some imaginary Business Nor had the Vulgar
Abomination next to the Condemning of Innocent Thirdly No Man has any inherent Righteousness of his own whether Jew or Gentile Fourthly That all Righteousness is by a Law on this Subject he shews there is a Tripple Law The Natural Law and it's Righteousness from Chap. 1.17 to Chap. 2.17 he excludes both the Law and it's Righteousness from any Ability of this kind 2. The Mosaical and Moral Law from that Verse 17. to the 21st of the third Chapter he also excludes that Law and it's Righteousness from being able to justifie Sinners From Verse 21. he begins positively to assert and explain a third Righteousness which he calls the Righteousness of God or Righteousness of Faith and a third Law a Law of Faith All which is Evangelical for in the beginning of the Epistle he had described the Gospel and his own separation to the Office of preaching it and laid down this Doctrine Chap. 1.16 17. That it was the Power of God unto Salvation to every Believer and the Reason it is so is because therein is the Righteousness of God revealed This Righteousness after having excluded the Law with it's Works he most accurately explains from Verse 21. to the Text where he begins a Discourse which is a Conclusion from the former and a Proposition to the latter part of the Context built upon this fifth Axiom That there is a Necessity of the Justification of Sinners being in such a Method that may utterly stop their Mouth from either Glorying or Boasting God has his Glory for his ultimate End in all his Actions but there is a particular Reason that the Glory be entirely his in this great Action for a Sinner is Gods Enemy there is a Controversie between them if the Peace or Reconciliation should be so made up as Man should have any thing to brag of God were so far the Yielder and conquer'd party Man were the Victor and Triumpher in this Affair whatever Glory we ascribe to Man we derogate so much from God This may be clearly illustrated by the Transactions of Peace between Armies Nations Besiegers and Besieged they contend as much for having the Glory of the Peace on their side as for having the Victory of the War on their side And we find the Scripture punctual in ascribing the Glory to God in all the particular parts and points of this great Contrivance 1. Election Eph. 1.4 2. Permission the very letting of Man fall in Sin Strangius says Sin is none of Gods Mediums but the Permission of Sin is Rom. 11.22 Gal. 3.22 3. The Calling of Man Tit. 3.5 4. The sending of the Son into the World 5. The ordaining of such weak Ordinances for means of Conversion and Edification 6. The Calling of Men when they stand at greatest disadvantage for Conversion and so all the other parts of this whole Project and likewise we find the Scripture in nothing more punctual than in describing Man's Guilt and Impotency his Wickedness and his weakness and every thing that may contribute to humble and vilifie him in the sight of God And Satan is in nothing more diligent than to propagate this Lust of Pride it was his own first Sin and the Foundation of his Kingdom and he maintains it as the principal Pillar thereof Carnal Pride is a very strong Hold in his Kingdom it is a very difficult thing to be denied to Credit Honour and Reputation among Men But Spiritual Pride is a more subtil Sin and not easily discernable far less conquerable And if Satan can maintain this one hold we are never like to be sound about this Doctrine of Justification whatever may be our Speculative Opinions in Profession if we retain a Practical Sentiment of a Self-distinguishing Work we run a very great Danger as to our Souls Therefore as ever we would obtain this incomparable Priviledge we would endeavour to walk humbly with God and to get Self-abasing Sentiments of our Selves I come now to the Minor Proposition or second Doctrine which the Text expresses by way of Dialogism What is not and what is the way of Justification that excludes Glorying I shall begin with the Negative part viz. That Glorying is not excluded by the Law of Works The Sence of it is That if a Person can be justified by Works he doth not want Matter of Glorying for God doth not require Humility of a Man beyond his due if his own Works can answer for him before the Tribunal of God he has in Justice viz. Distributive merited his Life and where there is Matter of Merit there is Matter of Glory There are a great many attempts to diminish this Proposition viz. If a Man be justified by Works he has Matter to Glory by the Law of Works 1. Some say it is only the Ceremonial Law and it's Works 2. Others say it is only the Judicial Law and External part of the Moral which made up the Jews Civil Law 3. Others say only the Moral Law is excluded so far as obeyed without Grace 4. Others say it 's the Mosaical Law in the Pharisaical sense thereof 5. Others say 'T is the Law as requiring Perfection 6. Others as Meriting But 7. It has been the most Universal Sentiment among Protestants that all Law is excluded and all Inherent Works in sinful Men as Righteousness or being conformed to that Law It is more easie to fix upon this Question Whether or not the Evangelical Law and it's Works be excluded yea or not For though all these six Ways differ in what Law is excluded yet they generally agree that the Evangelical Law with it's Evangelical Obedience are not here excluded but put in opposition to the former and comprehended under this Notion of the Law of Faith The first thing Needfull is to enquire into the Nature of this Evangelical Law which is the Influence of the Gospel upon the Law The Moral Law and the Gospel are the two Ingredients whereof our Christian Religion is Constituted and being thus Compounded have an Influence one upon another and the Law by reason of the New Modes and Relations it receives from this blessed Yoak-fellow in the Covenant of Grace is called a New Law and a New Commandment and an easie Yoak and light Burden The New Constitution of the Law that we are under is one of the blessed Fruits of Christ's Death and this makes the Preaching of the Law Gospel to us for the Gospel strictly taken Rom. 1. to the 17. v. and Rom. 3. from the 21. to the 26. v. is a Narrative of Christ his Nature Person Offices States with the blessed Fruits thereof to us and the Manner of Application to us by the Power of the Holy Sprit But in particular the Moral Law is by the Gospel a New Law that is a Renewed Law after Man's Fall Jure the Law was quite Obliterated but he who is the Light that enlightens every one that comes into the World has re-wrote some Fundamental Parts of this Law in their Consciences
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
the Law of Nature is what a reasonable Nature observes to be due from that Relation that is between Men and God or Men and Men Mutatâ Naturâ mutatur Lex Naturae To Love our Enemies to be Charitable to the Poor to Repent of our Offences had been Paradoxical Duties to a sinless Man but now they are plain Duties of the Law of Nature 10. From these very Circumstances the Gospel brings a greater clearness and particularness to the Duties of the Law than the Law it self since the Fall The Blessed Trinity that great Mystery which is the adequate Object of our Worship is more manifested by the Gospel than ever the Law could have done the Example of Christ fulfilling all the Law before the Eyes of Men has not only cast an Honour but a lustre upon it as it never had before the formal Reasons of Duties were never so discovered as they are by the Gospel besides those Comments that in the Gospel he and his Apostles have made of it 11. The Gospel has yet a greater Influence upon the Law in removing of it's rigorous way of exacting Obedience of Fallen Man it has a Coercive Irritating and Condemning Power upon them First A Coercive because by the Terror of its Threatnings it Commands what Man abhorrs and when the poor Sinner obeys he doth it as a Brute for fear of blows 1 Tim. 1.9 The Law is not made for a righteous man but for the lawless and disobedient c. The Quietists say that properly the Name of a Law arises from the Contention and War between Man's Inclinations and Duties but when the Law is Writ in our Minds and becomes our Delight it is a Gospel not a Law however when the Gospel brings in Light and Strength it becomes a very easie Yoke The Law of the Spirit encreases it's strength and the Law of the Members decay and dye We obey by a kind of perswasion God's Efficacy is so gentle upon the Soul Galat. 5.8 This perswasion cometh not of him that calleth you Secondly It has an irritative or Pollutive Power It 's an Old Proverb Nitimur in vetitum Our desire encreases by being forbid Sins taking occasion by the Commandment wrought in me all manner of Concupiscence for without the Law sin was dead Some think that Swearing Prophaning the Name of God and Adultery arises chiefly from this Natural Contradiction in us to the Nature of God if Persons thought them no Sins they would never so much delight in them Thirdly It has a Condemning Power 2 Cor. 3.9 it 's called a killing Letter The Gospel is a City of Refuge There is no Condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus who has satisfied the Law for all interested in him This is a Newness altering the Law from what it was to Man sinful not sinless 12. The Law which of it self is the Spring of Terrors for the strength of Sin is the Law becomes a Handmaid to Consolation in and thrô the Gospel partly by its discovering to us that Christ has fulfilled the Law for us this is the Marrow of the Gospel and by it the Law of Works is turned into a Law of Faith Partly as it is an instrument to interest us into the Gospel partly as the Law fulfill'd or satisfy'd by Christ is seen by Faith By the Law we have the Knowledge of Sin James 1.24 That 's a Glass to see our selves in 2 Cor. 3.18 The Gospel is a Glass to see Christ in the more vile and horrible the Looks of the one appears the more aimiable appears the other The Law is a Judge Rom. 7.9 to kill the Man by Sentence and to revive Sin Man by Nature and Satan's deceitfulness is very secure and a great Self-flatterer but if the Spirit of the Gospel enliven the Law it makes a Man conclude all the Threatnings on himself and bring him under a Spirit of Bondage He cries I am accursed I possess the Sins of my Youth my Sin is ever before me I am undone So the Gospel Spirit takes the killing Letter of the Law and rouses him out of his Lethargy it makes a Man weary and heavy laden it makes People a People prepared for the Lord for then he begins to see what he thought Righteousness Guilt and what he thought Gain Loss 13. The Gospel Spirit makes a Bridle of the Law to restrain Sin The Wicked cry Let us cast off these Cords from our Neck but when the Spirit comes a little Child may lead them By this Law restraining Grace Works Men are perswaded to forbear Evil by the Lords Terrors what would become of either the Gospel or the Church if it were not for this Use of the Law Farther the Law is a Rule for directing Evangelized persons how to live and it is a Pattern from which the Spirit transcribes a Copy into the Heart of Man It is a Mean of Conversion The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the Soul The Gospel is much honoured when the Saints walk orderly according to this Rule The Second Enquiry is about their Opinion whom the Apostle here opposes viz. What a Christianiz'd Pharisee is For Act. 15.5 such they were I do not say they were the only but the principal party he opposes how far their Faith and Profession reach'd and wherein that Error did consist is next to be considered We find they were of two Kinds Some that did oppose the Mosaical Law to the Gospel as the Unbelieving Pharisees Or the Natural Law as the Pagan Philosophers The one did overvalue Ceremony the other Morality We find the Apostle often disputing against both against the former Rom. 9.3 Philip. 3.1 Gal. 3.5 against the latter 1 Cor. 1.23 Coloss 2. Acts 17.19 The former Party did compose the Law with the Gospel Acts 15.5 Certain of the Pharisees who believed said it was needfull to Circumcise 'em Gal. 2.21 If righteousness be by the Law Christ dyed in vain this Argument would have been of little strength against the Pharisees who crucifi'd him and thought he dy'd a Malefactor but of great Influence against them who mixed Moses and Christ Law and Gospel and expected Salvation from their mutual Concurse The latter denyed the reality of Jesus his Satisfaction and Righteousness but these did deny the Fulness of it they would eak or add to it and except it were the Church of Thessalonica we find by Paul's Epistles that there was not any Church but what was molested and partly corrupted by this Error In the Epistles to Corinth the Apostle calls them false Apostles deceitful Workers transforming themselves into the Apostles of Christ 2 Cor. 11.13 In the Epistle to the Galat. he calls it another Gospel by which they were Bewitched We find the Church of Ephesus is Forewarned of such Acts 20.30 And in the Book of the Revelation they are Charged of Falling from their First Love yet it is Doubtful whether that came by this Error or not For Christ Appoves of her Orthodoxy
is to represent a Cure We only see the Malignity of the Distemper by the Strength and Power of the Medicine the first Edition of the Natural Law was to direct to Duty and to prevent sinning but the principal end of this Edition is to make Trangressors sensible of the Number and Aggravations of their Sin and so to be a Schoolmaster to bring to Christ 2. That Law is excluded that worketh Wrath Rom. 4.15 For the same Law cannot bring a Man both under the Curse and under a Blessing both to be a Ministration of Death and Life the same cannot be both matter of Justification and Condemnation and there is no Law renders a Man liable to Wrath as this doth for being Guilty Wrath is unavoidable by it 3. The particular Vices nominate from the 9th verse to the 19th which hinders Men from being justified by this Law discovers this Law to be Moral whereof they are Transgressors The Fear of God that comprehends inward spiritual Worship not following the Way of Peace that shews want of Love to their Neighbour and what can be more Spiritual than Vnderstanding of God and Seeking of God and in the second Chapter Theft Murther and Sacriledge and want of Heart Circumcision are mentioned as Reasons why they could not be justified by the Law 4. That Law and its Works are excluded which is of universal Extension Chap. 3. 19. That all the World may become Guilty before God but that 's only the Moral which is but circumstantially distinct from the Natural 5. All Works that we have done are excluded Titus 3. Not by Works of Righteousness which we have done but all own Moral Obedience to be our Works 4. The Mosaical Law is excluded for farther Explication of this we may find it meet with a double Acceptation as it is a Politick or Spiritual concerning the Soul or Civil a Type or Antitype for their whole State was significant for the former as it was their Common-wealth Law it did comprehend Ceremonies the Judicial Law and the External part of the Moral this made up their Civil Constitution and its faults were punishable by the Magistrate It had only Temporal Promises and Penalties and it was twofold either most severe as the Common Law threatning Death for Non-performance to a Tittle and this did 1. Represent the Moral Law or 2. It was remedial for smaller faults for Types must not be enlarged to have overthrown the Common-Wealth and therefore there were no Sacrifices for Murther and Adultery and the like Lev. 20. But 2. There was a Chancery or a Remedying Law to prevent these Penalties in many Cases Acts 13.39 If there had been in all Cases the Order of the Common-wealth had been turn'd into Confusion This we may see in Heb. 7.8 9 10 Chap. This was the Ceremonial Law Levit. 15. A Man for burying the Dead was liable to perpetuâ—l Exile which was a necessary Moral Duty had it not been for this Relief Now all grant this Law literally taken is excluded from our Justification and some lay the stress meerly here viz. in the Insufficiency of the Law as that which God never intended to justifie any Man as to Aeternal concerns by but we see on the contrary it was the insufficiency of the Obedience that did prevent it not the Law it self 2. The Mosaical Law is to be taken Spiritually and this in Correspondence to the Type must be twofold also Either as a most severe Law requiring Perfect Personal and Perpetual Obedience in Thought Word and Deed and Threatning Death for every offence I have proved already this Law is excluded or 2. As a Remedy for all Transgressions and Failures against that exact Law for the Parallel of a Remedy as to some offences Acts 13.39 is excepted and this was the Law as fulfilled by Christ Jesus for us for he it was and his Obedience who was obedient to the Death that was represented by all these Ceremonies that were Tipifying Remedies under the Law he was the City of Refuge he was the Propitiating Sacrifice his Blood sprinkles both Book and People and only Purifies as to Conscience and this is the Gospel or Law of Faith by which we are justified and by which our Mouth is stopt as to all boasting we being no ways fulfillers of it For he alone did tread the Wine-press of the Fathers Wrath of all the People there was none with him he built the House and he ought to bear the Glory by one Sacrifice he hath for ever perfected them that are Sanctified They who plead for a Remedying Law to be obey'd by us ought to find Scriptures interpreting the Typical Remedying Law to represent it but they all Terminate and End in Christ and therefore the Law is remedial as satisfi'd or obey'd by him the Mediatorial Law is the Remedying Law Indeed the Quietists Interpret a Broken Heart and Contrite Spirit to be typifi'd by the Sacrifices because called Sacrifices that God will not despise but then they deny Christs Sacrifice for the Type must Point at one thing else it would be of an uncertain sound other things are by Allusion but nothing is more plain in all the Scripture than that he is the Antitype of all that Remedying Law The Armin. System by Limbourgh says The Dedication of our selves to God as living Sacrifices Rom. 12.1 Or Alms and Charity were represented by the Thanksgiving Offerings not the expiatory Sacrifices we must be Priests in a justifi'd State a fellow of the High-Priests before we can offer acceptably This was the Gospel and Law of Faith and differ'd from ours only as symbols from express Words a gradual difference in Clearness and Obscurity and rendred the promis'd Seed of the Woman bruis'd after the manner of an Expiatory Sacrifice the Object of the Old Testament Faith 5. The Evangelical Law and its Works are here comprehended under the Law of Works for the Distinction lies more in the Manner of Obedience and Acceptance of the Works than in the Preceptive or Sanctive Nature of the Law 1. The Works of all Men are excluded by the deeds of the Law there shall no Flesh be justified Rom. 3.20 The Expression seems to be borrowed from the 143d. Psalm v. 2. Enter not into Judgment with thy Servant for in thy sight shall no Man living be justified They to whom Paul writes were Saints Rom. 1.7 Beloved of God called to be Saints Galat. 1.2 4. They were the Churches of Galatia in whose State Paul enrolls himself Ver. 4. Who gave himself for our Sins Abram is brought in here as an Example having his Works excluded from giving any Right to Justification and David who was a Man according to Gods own Heart is brought in as another Instance expecting Gods imputing Righteousness without Works And indeed the Apostles Arguments for Justification without Works would be of small Strength against any Man except Believers in Christ Galat. 2.21 If Righteousness câ—me by the Law then is Christ dead
Law it can never be Justified by the Law If it be accepted tho' imperfect upon the account of Christ the Person who performs it must first have an Interest in Christ for in him we are Created to good works It is on the account of this imperfection of Works in themselves and as to such an Office and End that the Prophet says in the Name of the Church Isaiah 64.6 We are all as an unclean thing and all our righteousnesses are as filthy raggs And so the Apostle Philip. 3.8 I count all things but dung that I may win Christ Bellarmine exclaims against Chamier and other Protestant Writers for calling Gospel Holiness Dung and Rags and therefore denies it to be comprehended in this Text of the Apostle but thinks it to be understood in the 9th Verse by that Expression The Righteousness which is of God by Faith But these Arguments move me to think otherwise 1. In the 6th Verse he particularized Pharisaical Righteousness Touching the Righteousness which is in the Law blameless but here in the 8th Verse he comprehends more than what he had before said I count all things but loss Now there can be nothing greater than Legal Righteousness but an Evangelical Righteousness as to that Concern and therefore the Evangelical must be comprehended under all if any thing more be which 2. Doth appear from the Constellation of particles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the English cannot emphatically enough express yea doubtless without all peradventure or exception I count all these things named and all things else but loss c. 3. The change of the Tense of the Verb I counted V. 7. when I was first Converted and my Eyes were once opened I presently counted all my former Gains in Opinion Loss V. 8. I do count all things still Loss a known Christ is above all I have yet gain'd I can only persevere in my Opinion but among all my New Priviledges and Gifts since I was a Christian I count that the best 4. There is reason enough for calling our Sanctity dung 1. In comparison of Christ do count them but dung that I may win Christ How intolerable and unchristian-like is that Pride that thinks it too mean an Abasement put upon his own Sincerity too vile a Comparison to compare an Intâ—rest in our own Righteousness as an Interest in Dung in comparison of an Interest in Christ's and this Comparative Sense is the Apostle's Dung that I may win Christ and that Sense makes me conclude he particularly eyed his Evangelical Righteousness For Professors to whom he spake and wrote could be under no Temptation of placing any Righteousness else in the room of his Thorough what a Magnifying Glass must a Man see his good Purposes when not One of Ten executed his well intended Vows most basely broken thorough small Temptations his Prayers or Preachings Alms or Ordinances to think Dung too diminishing a Metaphor and therefore conclude the Apostle could not mean Gospel-Holiness Adam's Holiness was Dung in comparison of it Angels Holiness is Dung in comparison of it its Value was from the Divinity it was the Blood of God the Sufferings of Immanuel the Righteousness of God and who can measure the distance between the Creator and Creature the Angels for all the good Service they have done in and to the Church or their own spotless Holiness ascribe all Blessing Honour Glory and Power to him Rev. 5.12 13. all their Works could not merit Pardon for the least sin of the most sinless Saint There are two more respâ—cts in which our Gospel Holiness is Dung 1. For their Infirmity and Imperfection Christians are call'd Saints from begun Holiness in them which makes them differ from the World where none at all And the difference is great to be acted by the Holy Ghost in any measure and to have the Devil wholly ruling Lord and Master of his own House but it 's more than seven times a day the Saint falls in the Dung he is but a Babe 1 Cor. 3. Carnalness and Babes in Christ are consistent A 2d. Respect is as to this Use or place of being the Matter or Merit of our Justification Disorder is Dung Order is Beauty and Comliness and the want of it or what is contrary to it is ugly vile Silver and Gold is Dung as to feeding our Bodies it 's not suitable The Fruits of the Spirit are precious but in us Dung as to this End of Justification they are Dii stercorei tho' mâ—de oâ— Gold 5. V. 9. And be found in hiâ— is more applicable to a Political or Relative Interest than a Spiritual there is an equality from the very Phrase to be in him as a Political as well as Spiritual root to be in him as a Debtor in the Surety as well as a Branch in the Vine but there is a Superiority from the general Scope of the Words which all own to be spoken in relation to Justification and the parallel Language of Scripture doth manifest it Rom. 3.20 Therefore by the Deeds of the Law shall no flesh be justified How like is it to this Phrase Not having my own righteousness which is of the Law So Rom. 3 22. Even the Righteousness of God which is by Faith of Jesus Christ How like is that to the latter part of the Verse But that which is through the Faith of Christ the righteousness of God through Faith Justification being a relative thing this being found in him is most probably of that Nature and Kind 6 His own Legal Righteousness which is here renounced comprehends his Evangelical Righteousness For 1. Evangelical Righteousness is a Man 's own Scripture allows the Expression Faith is God's Gift yet it is ours Rom. 1.8 Your Faith is spoken of Mat. 9.2 Jesus seeing their Faith V. 22. Thy Faith has made thee whole Hosea 14.8 From me is thy fruit found Though God is the Efficient or Author yet the denomination is from the Subject Prayers are ours but the Spirit of God is the Author 2 Cor. 8.8 To prove the sincecerity of your Love that Grace is God's Gift also Good Works are ours but God begins and perfects them Phil. 1.6 Eph. 1.15 After I heard of your Faith in the Lord Jesus and love unto all the Saints vid. Rev. 3.10 2. As Evangelical Righteousness is ours as well as Adam's innocent Righteousness or Sinners common Gifts for God is the Author of both so it is a Legal Righteousness for a Principle and a Rule are not opposite Faith's being the Principle renders it more legal or more conformed to the Law 3. The very Order of the words Being found in Christ is put before not having mine own righteousness which in order of Nature follows a renunciation of Pharisaical Legal Righteousness The first Husband to wit the Law must be dead before we be marryed to a second to wit Christ as it is expressed Rom. 7.1 2 3. 4. The Apostle's expressing of his own Experience and his daily
Condition Eph. 1.5 Having predestinated us unto the Adoption of Children to the Praise of the Glory of his Grace if the Intention was Free why not the Execution Rom. 9.11 That the purpose of God according to Election might stand not of Works but of him that calleth Rom. 11.6 There is a Remnant according to the Election of Grace and if by Grace then is it no more of Works otherwise Grace is no more Grace but if it be of Works then is it no more Grace otherwise Works are no more Works This Opposition is not between Grace and External Works but between the very Nature of Grace and Works they are repugnant they can no more be the Moral Causes or Motives of any one Action than one individual thing can be White and Black in the same part So our Calling is Free 2 Tim. 1.9 Who hath sav'd us and call'd us with an Holy Calling not according to our Works but according to his own Purpose and Grace as Purpose gives Measure to Calling so Calling gives Measure to Justification Rom. 8.13 Whom he did predestinate them he also Call'd but it is equally free Rom. 3.24 Being justified freely by his Grace What is wrought in the Soul by Calling has no more Influence in our Justification than our Justification has on our being Glorified Whom he Justified them he Glorified But Justification can never merit Glory being Gods Act but is only a Prior Blessing in Order this Equality of Freedom solves an Objection which is to many in appearance a great Argument for Admission of our Evangelical Obedience unto a Subordinate Merit or ground of Right to our Justification The Objection is founded on these Scriptures Rom. 4.14 If they which are of the Law be Heirs Faith is made void and the Promise is of none Effect Gal. 2.21 If Righteousness come by the Law then Christ is dead in Vain Chap. 5.4 Christ is become of none effect to you whosoever of you are justified by the Law ye are fallen from Grace The Objection is thus formed Our Works are no farther excluded from Justification than they exclude Faith Christ and the Promise from Justification but Evangelical Obedience Gospel or gracious Works do not exclude Grace for they are the Fruits of Grace nor Faith for they flow from it nor the Death of Christ for that has purchas'd it nor the Promise for they are conveyed through it therefore Gospel Obedience is not excluded from Justification Resp 1. This Evangelical Obedience does not exclude Grace Faith Christ and the Promise from our Sanctification thus explain'd Because it owns good Works to flow orderly from them all but it does not suffer them to have an equal Freedom in our Justification because these Works though the Fruits of Grace they are as much ours as Adams Works were For God was the Author of the Ability by which they were wrought therefore when what is ours truely and properly is a Legal or Federal Condition in order to enjoying the one and not the other makes a great difference between the Freedom of the one and the other All Christians Experience witnesses the Labour Pains and Sweat that is necessary to Mortification of Lusts and Exercise of Grace and by this Opinion we must look on Justification as the Reward of our own Labour thô we must look on Sanctification as a Free Gift 1. In particular there is a Derogation from the Fulness of Christ his Satisfaction to the Law was not Compleat if our Obedience to the Law be one Penny of the Price 2. From Grace that will be all or nothing in this Affair according to Rom. 11.6 it will admit of no Composition if Works come any way in as a Plea they must either be perfect or we must be condemned for there is no Law in Scripture requires less than Perfection the Law that requires Faith requires perfect Faith and the Law that requires Patience requires perfect Patience Therefore we must fall from Grace that is be certainly Condemned if justified by the Law So Works won't admit of Grace more than Grace will admit of Works Grace will have nothing the Law will have Perfection the Composition is a Contradiction 3. It derogates from Faith that is from its Office which is alone in this Work and that as receiving not as doing we are justified by Faith as we are nourished by our Appetite Hence is it call'd Eating Drinking Hungring Thirsting it is the Food not the Appetite that nourishes us 4. It derogates from the Promise because it Promises Remission of Sin Inheritance of Life freely but this puts in an exceptive Clause of something on our part first to be done Faith will be only Applicative alone in the Office tho' not in the Subject or not at all Christ will be alone the Meriting Cause or not at all Grace alone the End and Motive or not at all and therefore these Arguments are as strong against Compounders of Grace and Works as against Opposers because the Compounding is an Opposing Divine Wisdom and Order A Man that Digs tho' the Spade be borrow'd of his Master will not think his Wages Charity at Night but on as exact Justice due as he that digg'd with his own A Man that walks twenty Miles a day after his Lame Leg restor'd will never impute the Journey to the Physician And thus Christ and Free Grace tho' inabling us to Work would lose their Honour and Glory in Justification I am now come to the last part of the Text viz. The Law we may be justified by without ground and danger of boasting which is the Law of Faith All Christians are generally agreed that this Law is the Evangelical Law the Law of Chancery or Equity but all are not agreed about the Nature and Kind of that All agree that there can be no Salvation or Justification by the Moral Law in its full Rigour requiring Perfect Personal and Perpetual Obedience requiring the Righteousness of our Persons as well as our Works since Sin There must be some Room for Equity or none for Hopes there is a Triple Application of this Equity some applies it to the Sanction of the Law some to the Duty of the Law and some to the Persons subject to the Law The first is Originisme saying the Equity lies in the Mitigation of the Punishment an Eternal Death by Desert is turned into a Temporary by Justice of Equity and a Perpetual Hell into a Transitory Purgatory The second Opinion applies it to the Duty and Works of the Law before there was required Perfect Obedience now imperfect will serve if it be Sincere Divine Government is content to take a Penny in a Pound and of this Way there are several Explications The Socinians who deny Christs Deity and Satisfaction do hold that it 's of meer Soveraign Mercy but Arminians and Papists hold the Merits of Christ as the Fruit of that Soveraign Mercy to be the immediate Foundation of this Justice of Equity They say he
has Conditionally died for all and sincere Obedience to this new Law of Faith is the Condition which they say is called Faith from the Facility and Easiness of obeying it because it requires no more Obedience but with a Proportion to our Faith and the Measure of our Faith is the Perspicuity and Assurance of Divine Revelation The Socinian and Arminian deny Merit but that is from the Odium of the Word only for Crellius the Socinian says No Master of Justice and Equity would rob his Servant of a due Reward for a fault or two God would not lay such a snare in the way of Wicked Men to deprive them of Hopes and discourage them from Duty And Poppius the Arminian describes the Christian Religion by those Works that consist in Obedience to the Commands of God and Christ and on respect to which depends the Reward of Eternal Life yea which he is not to have without the Work be Plenè Consummatum intirely and fully Perfect And the Papists mean no more by Merit they do not think their Works merit Heaven by a strict Commutative Justice that is us'd in Bargains nor Distributive in the rigour of the first Covenant but in Justice attemper'd with Equity and tinctur'd with the meriting Blood of Christ a Justice arising between a Foederal Promise and the most mean Condition And the Sincere as well as Learn'd Mr. Baxter says in his Catholick Theology he only differs from them in the Word because offensive and that we ought rather to rejoice the Papists have so much Truth among them than reject the Truth because they hold it But whether he dy'd in this Opinion that our Works gave such a Right to the Reward I doubt for in his little Book against Dr. Crisps Errors he says I formerly believ'd the formal Nature of Faith to lye in Consent as he elsewhere explains it the Marriage Consent that binds to all the Duties of the Married State and so gives Right to all the Priviledges but now says he â— Recant it which he could not do so often as he us'd without great Measures of Humility I believe says he it lies in Trust this makes the Right to lie in the Object for it is I depend on Christ as the Matter or Merit of my Pardon my Life my Crown my Glory But thirdly the Gospel which is the equal Interpretation of the Law in its exactness plainly teaches us that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Equity is to be apply'd to the Subject of the Law and the Law by immutable Justice requir'd Death but there was place for Equity in change of Persons a Sponsor or Surety might be admitted to dye and some way there must be Infiniteness in the Death because an Infinite Majesty offended but the Law left it doubtful whether the Infiniteness must be in the Duration of Suffering or Dignity of the Sufferer and Equity has interpreted it of the latter As if a Father was permitted to suffer for a Son or a Summe should be paid in Gold which the Words of the Law required to be paid in Silver or Copper For Equity is saith Aristotle a Correction of the Law wherein it is deficient in Words by reason of its Universality Or I think better an Explication of the Words of the Law according to the Will of the Law-giver in an extraordinary emergent Case Or as Crellius says it is a Justice mixt with Mercy or a Virtue mitigating the Acrimony of the Law from Consideration of Circumstances as St. James says The Wisdom that is from above is Pure Peaceable Gentle and Easie to be entreated full of Mercy and good Fruits the Fruit of Righteousness is sown in Peace And thus generally Protestants expound the Equity of the Law to be Gods admitting yea giving Christ as a Surety for us he was made under the Law as a subsequent Surety The first Covenant did not say Thou Adam either first or second Adam shalt die for then the first Covenant had been the Covenant of Grace still there was no need of another Covenant as the Reverend Mr. Baxter doth strenuously prove but when we were under the Curse of the Law he came in and took our Room and became a Curse to redeem us from it and the Law as fulfilled by him for us is to us truly a Law of Faith according to the Text For farther Explication and Confirmation of which I shall propose these four Heads First That all the Functions and Offices of our Lord Jesus Christ all he said and did or suffered was in Obedience to a Law Secondly I shall a little explain the Nature of this Law and its Righteousness Thirdly That Law he did fulfill for us in our Room and Stead Fourthly That Law and its Righteousness is to us a Law of Faith and consequently the Law here mentioned in the Text it is not proposed to us as a Rule of our Obedience but as a matter of our Faith yea our Faith Interests us in it and makes its Righteousness effectively ours For the Proof of the first We find by Eternal Compact between the Father and the Son in the Mediatorial Covenant the Son came under a Mediatorial Law Psal 40.6 7 8 9. In that Emphatical Account of it we may make these Observations 1. There was a Compact by which he calls God his God O my God 2. By Vertue of that Covenant which was recorded in the Volume of the Book his place was to become a Servant Lo I come I am ready to obey 3. His Service was to fulfill the Divine Will I delight to do thy Will 4. This Will was a Legal Will Thy Law is within my Heart for Law is a just act of a Superiors Will. 5. The Law required him to be a Sacrifice Heb. 10.10 By the which Will we are sanctified through the Offering of the Body of Jesus Christ once for all 6. That no other Sacrifice either pleased God without this or but this Sacrifice and Offerings thou didst not desire 2. By Vertue of this undertaking the Son became under an Obligation to obâ—y this Law Heb. 2.17 Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his Brethren And Luke 24.46 And thus it behoved Christ to suffer and to rise from the Dead Yea this Obligation did extend to the most Minute Particles of his Life John 4.4 He must needs go through Samaria 3. In an answerableness to this Obligation he did all he undertook Hence is it said of him He did all things well and John 8.28 29. I do nothing of my self but as my Father hath taught me I do always those things that please him And Chap. 4.34 My Meat is to do the Will of him that sent me and to finish his Work Psal 69.4 5. Then I restored that which I took not away O God thou knowest my foolishness and my Sins are not hid from thee John 15. It is applied to Christ and Theod. in Lat. Graec. expounds it thus It is
true I am under a Guilt and made a Curse but I call thee to Witness from whose sight nothing is hid that the least of 'em is not mine not the smallest Sins of Folly and Infirmity I restored that which I took not away I never contracted the debt I paid others robbed thee of thy Glory and the World of its Harmony and Beauty but I have restored it all again thô they were mine by Imputation they were never mine by Inherency 4. He has Divine Approbation bearing Testimony that he did so tho' he was condemned in the Flesh yet he was Justified in the Spirit 1 Tim. 3.16 The Deity justifi'd what Man condemn'd Isa 50.8 He is near that justifieth me who will contend with me All the Miracles wrought by him were Divine Testimonies but especially his Resurrection Rom. 1.4 And declar'd to be the Son of God with Power according to the Spirit of Holiness by the Resurrection from the Dead Then he was visibly discharg'd out of the Prison of the Grave having satisfi'd Divine Justice and paid the Price of Redemption to the utmost demand Never was there such a Miracle as a Man having the Iniquity of us all laid upon him and yet compleatly give Satisfaction and receive an Acquittance He was rais'd again for our Justification all the Elect virtually rose in him Hence Eph. 1.19 it is reckon'd one of the greatest Effects of Divine Power that ever was 5. By this Work he receives the Title of a Servant and Surety 1. He was a Servant Isa 49.6 It is a light thing that thou shouldst be my Servant to raise up the Tribes of Jacob his Service is describ'd to Enlighten the Gentiles to be a Salvation to the ends of the Earth c. It was hard Service Soul Travel Isa 53. It was great Service to bring them that sate in Darkness to the Glorious Light of Heaven and the Chain'd Prisoners to the Liberty of the Sons of God 2. He was a Surety and this is evident from the other Title Heb. 7.22 By so much was Jesus made a Surety of a better Testament 6. His Service bears all the Denominations due and Properties that a Law uses to what is regulated by it It 's call'd Work I must work the works of him that sent me it was to him a Law of Works tho' to us a Law of Faith Obedience Rom. 5.29 By the Obedience of one shall many be made Righteous and Righteousness often his temper of Mind under it is call'd fear Heb. 5.7 And was heard in that he fear'd and Phil. 2. The Form of a Servant 7. The Rule of his Life and Offices is call'd a Law Gal. 4.4 He was made under the Law and Command Joh. 10.18 This Commandment have I receiv'd of my Father He was under the Mosaical Law He was Circumcis'd He was under the Evangelical for He was Baptiz'd He was under the Moral for He was Holy Harmless and Vndefil'd He was under the Sanction of that Law as well as its Precept Gal. 3.13 Christ hath redeem'd us from the Curse of the Law being made a Curse for us And all this was but a part of his Subjection to the Mediatorial Law There is a Noble Criticism on 2 Sam. 7.19 The English has it thus And is this the Manner of Man O Lord God But it may be translated thus This is the Law of the Man the Lord God as Dorscheus says on the 2d Psal O Wonderful O all together wonderful Law by which God and Man should be united and according to which an unexpected Divine Dispensation should make that this should be the Prerogative of some individual of the Posterity of David that he should be the Lord God! Oseander inferrs a Reason out of the Context the sence of which he renders thus I understand thee to have spoken of that Messiah whose Law requires that he should be God and Man And it does not want Reason for what is said in the 12 13 14. vers agrees best to this Messiah for it is spoken of a Seed that should rise up after his Death which should proceed out of his Bowels but Solomon was both Born and set upon the Throne before David died yea 't is particularly noted in the 19. ver That this Prophesie was of his House a great way off Secondly It is said vers 13 16. That this Kingdom should endure for ever which is expounded Psal 89.7 by the Duration of the Sun Moon and Heaven Thirdly He shall be to me a Son vers 14. he notes his peculiar Subject as Psal 2.7 12. Heb. 1.5 Gods first born Psal 89.28 This is the Interpretation of Calovius Gerard Thilo and Piscator Secondly As to the Nature of this Law and its Righteousness 1. For the Law it differs much from any other Law 1. In Subject Meer-man and God-man differ very far 2. In the Precept the principal thing it requires is Suffering Joh. 10. I have Power to lay down my Life this Commandment have I receiv'd of my Father Suffering is but in Case of failure in other Laws to make them obey annex'd by Sanction to the Law 3. In the Work it is the greatest Work that ever was commanded by Law Isa 61.1 To bind up the broken-hearted to proclaim Liberty to the Captive and open the Prison-doors to them that are bound Act. 3.21 To restore all things to reconcile such Enemies as a Holy God and his Creature become his Enemies to Justifie the Guilty Adopt Aliens to turn an Hell into a Heaven an extensive Work Earth Heaven and Hell he is to be employ'd about he is to Rehead or Recapitulate all things which are in Heaven and Earth a Work of the greatest Trust ever any was in Isa 22.14 They shall hang upon him all the Glory of his Fathers House the Off-spring and Issue All Vessels hang on that Nail that is a Glorious Throne to his Fathers House 4. In that it has no Legal Sanction no Threatnings there was no need of any since he was so sufficient and faithful nor no possibility for the greatest Penalty was the Duty of the Precept 5. The Promises a Name above every Name at his Name every knee must bow Angels Adore and Worship him he is at the Right Hand of the Throne of God 2. * There is a Distinction of Christs Righteousness by Divines us'd 1. Into Divine Righteousness as he is God his has no Law but the Divine Nature to act becoming 〈◊〉 Official proper to the Office of the Mediator 3. Is â—carious common to Men 〈◊〉 Men and therefore shall 〈◊〉 treated under the Head of â—â—putation but I think both â—ay be Comprehended under 〈◊〉 Law of Faith As to the Works or Righteousness of this Law Rom. 3.21 22. It is describ'd to be 1. Righteousness of God 2. Without the Law 3. Witness'd to by the Law and Prophets 4. It is by Faith As to the first Character of it it is on a fourfold account the Righteousness of God
our Righteousness together by Apposition asserts both his Divinity and Office to bring in a Righteousness Other Jews also as the Talmud and Midrash Tillim So Dan. 9.24 To bring in Everlasting Righteousness it was brought in in the Time of the Humiliation of Christ but was Eternal as to its Efficacy as his Redemption is called Heb. 9.10 Having obtained Eternal Redemption and so is the Gospel called Everlasting and likewise in Isa 53.11 He shall justifie many for he shall bear their Iniquity And Psal 32. Blessed is he to whom the Lord will not impute Iniquity And as all the Prophets testifie this so the Law both Ceremonial and Judicial were Types of it I come to the third thing That Christ obey'd this Law for us I shall leave the Examination of both Extreams to a more proper place and only Confirm the Truth of it in a Scripture style from these four Arguments 1. The Metaphors 2. The Types representing it 3. The Particles signifying Legal Change of Places And 4. From the Assertions and Reasonings of Scripture For the First He is called a Mediator One God and one Mediator Satan was a Make-bate but Christ was Peace-maker a Mediator acts in the Room of both Persons at distance as a King and Prophet he Acts on Gods part as a Priest he Acts on our Part. Secondly He is an Advocate and Intercessor only for us it 's a Part of his Priestly Office 3. I shall omit what the Reverend Mr. Brinsley says That Christ was our Attorney and only a little explain the Title of a Surety Heb. 7. The great Questions are 1. What Covenant Christ was Surety in And 2. On which side he is The Socinians say He is Surety for God to us but both against the Text which makes Suretiship belong to his Priestly Office And 2ly Reason Would any believe a Man more than God But in which Covenant shall we believe him plac'd a Surety in the Mediatorial he is Party so not Surety but the being Party in that makes him Surety in ours The end of Security is to give ground of Trust when the one Party is not responsible or the other distrustful And I think in both but with a difference according to their Nature In the first by way of Satisfaction in the second by way of Caution The first is a Law the second a Testament he became a Sacrifice by the first and as a Testator made the second as to the first Mr. Rutherford says The Legal Bond wherein he put his Name made a five-fold Union between him and us 1. One Legal Object the Law equally obliges both 2. One Debt he restor'd what he took not away it became his Debt tho' of our Contracting 3. One Payment our Suffering is no Satisfaction the Law can pursue none united to Christ 4. One Acceptance by the Governour or Creditor 5. One Legal Effect what the one doth stands for both we rose in him and dy'd in him he takes our Legal Condition he was made under the Law and under that part we were under to wit the Curse and our Names are put in his discharge we share of his Reward He was made Sin for us that we might be made the Righteousness of God in him it is an Accessary Obligation when the Surety is subsequent and so doth not free us we are bound to obey still The manner of Payment was by Satisfaction The Socinians find fault with the Word but it is Scriptural Numb 30.31 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is there translated Satisfaction is the same that 's translated Ransome Attonement Lev. 16. and Numb 5.8 and the Greek answering it is appli'd to Christ Rom. 3.25 A Propitiation and Chap. 5.11 an Atonement for these are but different Respects expiating the Crime ransoming of the Offender and attoning or propitiating the Governour offended 2. In the Covenant of Grace he is Surety by way of Caution and Bail for performing of Conditions renewing our Obedience He became Hostage that we should lay down Arms and submit our selves if he would forgive us All that the Father giveth me shall come to me Joh. 6.37 We are by the Covenant of Grace bound to keep all the Moral Law and he is engaged before we go to Heaven we shall be perfect in it he doth not believe and repent for us but has engaged we shall the Condition is not to be perform'd before we be in Covenant but by the Covenant which Christ by his Spirit has brought us into we are bound to perform it But the Book overgrowing the design'd Bulk I shall come to the Fourth and last Head that this is a Law of Faith which I shall confirm from these six Arguments First From the Denomination Law of Faith that is a Law of Faith that is the Object of our Faith the Phrase is usual Rom. 10.8 The Word of Faith which we Preach Gal. 3.2 The hearing of Faith And Rom. 4.13 The Righteousness of Faith and 1.17 Therein is the Righteousness of God reveal'd from Faith to Faith That is says Sir M. Knat in his Critical Observations the Righteousness that we are interested in by Faith is reveal'd to our Faith that we may believe it and be interested in it and there is great Reason for this Title for the Mediatorial Law is not known by the Light of Nature or Reason but only by the Light of Faith Gal. 3.12 The Law is not of Faith it 's founded in Natural Light but this Law is not it is of Faith 2. If the Righteousness we are justifi'd by be the Righteousness of Faith then the Law of that Righteousness is the Righteousness of Faith but the Mediatorial Righteousness is granted to be so 3. If the Gospel be the Narration of all Christ did for us in himself by his Spirit or Apostles all with the offer of it to us and all this is call'd Faith being the Object of it Gal. 3.23 Before Faith came we were under the Law then justly the Law by which he was regulated in all that Affair was the Law of Faith 4. Since that Law is â—o otherwise to us a Law but to our Faith not to our Works what we should do the Mediatorial Office is too great Work for us but it is a Measure to our Faith we may and ought to believe that Christ did as much for us as that Law requir'd and there are as great things provided and prepared for us as the Promises annex'd to that Law did contain 5. It is a most Pathetical distinguishing Character for all others requir'd Works of Man Secondly It is very agreeable in Matter tho' not in Words to the Interpretation of the Text by Protestant Commentators who say that Law is taken largely for Doctrine and not without Reason for the Jews call all Divine Doctrine Law Hence are these Titles of their Theology Legal Science Doctrine of the Law the Divine Law and Medrilta that is according to Hottinger a Comment on Exodus about two hundred