sin is there is matter of condemnation There 's not a man to be found on earth who upon this account and in this sense is not obnoxious and liable to a sentence and state of Condemnation for * 1 Kings 8.46 there is no man that sinneth not * Jam. 3.2 in many things we offend all * 1 Joh. 1.8 if we say we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us Besides those actual sins which break forth in external acts which are committed upon deliberation and with consent of which all are more or less guilty I say besides these there is in all a corrupt wicked depraved Nature which Nature puts forth it self in evil motions sinful propensions strong inclinations to what is evil O that Fomes Peccati those Motus Primo-primi as the Schoolmen call them those inward ebullitions of indwelling sin in impure and filthy desires set forth in Scripture by Concupiscence what shall we say to these are not they sinful is there not in them matter of Condemnation if God should enter into judgment and proceed according to the rigour of his Justice and the purity of his Law surely yes If it be prov'd that they are sinful unquestionably then it follows that they expose a person to Condemnation now how full are our Divines in the proof of that Concupiscence the first risings and stirrings of Corrupt Nature even in renewed and regenerate persons are properly and formally sinful whether they consent or not for Consent is not so of the Essence of sin but that there may be sin without it that may have some influence upon the degree but not upon the nature of the thing it self Those evil thoughts and motions in the Heart with which the best are so much pestred are not meer infirmities attending the present state of imperfection but they are plain iniquities there is sin in them The Apostle speaking of them sets the black brand of sin upon them Rom. 7.7 What shall we say then is the Law sin God forbid nay I had not known sin but by the Law for I had not known Lust except the Law had said thou shalt not covet The holy Law forbids these inward workings of the sinful Nature as well as the exterior acts of sin therefore they are ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã a breach of that Law and being so therefore they are sinful They flow from sin they tend to sin and yet are they not sin when Lust hath conceiv'd it bringeth forth sin Jam. 1.13 This is the Doctrine of our (a) Art 9. Church of the ancient (b) August lib. 1. contra duas Pelag. Ep. cap. 13. lib. 3. contra Julian cap. 3. with several others cited in Chamier tom 3. lib. 10. c. 10. Fathers of the Body of (c) Vide Cham. tom 3. lib. 10. c. 4. c. Chemn Exam. Decr. 5 Sess p. 93. c. Calv. Instit lib. 3. c. 3. Daven Det. Qu. 1. Ward Determ Theol. p. 136. c. Protestants and they make it good by several Arguments of great strength The (d) The Council of Trent anathematizeth all who hold Concupiscence in renewed persons and after Baptism to be sin Sess 5. Bellarm. de Amiss Grat. lib. 5. cap. 7. Valentia de Pec. Orig. cap. 7 8. Perer. Quaest ad Cap. 7. in Ep. ad Rom. Disput 7 8 9. Papists are wholly of another mind And whereas 't is said here in the Text There is no Condemnation c. they carry it so high as to affirm that in reference to Original Sin the depravation of Nature Concupiscence the inward motions and inclinations of the Heart to sin after Baptism Faith Regeneration there is no matter of Condemnation or nothing damnable in them who are in Christ He that will please to cast his eye upon the (e) Non tam significat nullam esse Condemnationem justificatis in Christo ob Concupiscentiam quà m nihil esse in eis condemnatione dignum Bellarm. de Am. Gr. lib. 5. cap. 7. Tollitur damnatio quantum ad Culpam quantum ad poenam Primus Motus habet quod non sit Peccatum Mortale ex eo quod rationem non attingit in quâ completur ratio Peccati c. Aquin. in loc c. Et consistit differentia in hoc quod inillis justificatis nempe in Christo nihil committitur damnabile propter donum Christi tam externum quam internum Intendit itaque per nullam damnationem nullum actum quo meremur damnari Et dixit hoc ad diffetentiam Primorum Motuum qui sunt etiam apud justificatos in Christo ut intelligamus illos non esle materiam damnationis Primi enim Motus non reddunt Sanctos damnabiles tum ob eorum imperfectionem tum quia absorbentur a copiâ Sanctarum actionum continuarum Cajet in loc Hinc patet nec concupiscentiam nec aliud quippiam in renatis esse peccatum damnatione dignum A-Lap Non quod volo ago c. ex iis sequitur involuntarios esse Concupiscentiae motus in renatis ac justis quibus proinde ad poenam imputari non possint Est Quamvis Caro contra Spiritum insultans molestias exhibeat iis qui sunt in Christo Jesu nihil tamen est in iis damnatiois quia dum non consentiunt non ipsi operantur illud sed peccatum quod per Concupiscentiam habitat in Corde Soto Citations here set down which are taken especially out of their Expositors upon the Text may see that this is the Interpretation which they put upon it What no matter of Condemnation nothing damnable in them who are in Christ this is much too high Our Adversaries I suppose though they deny any merit of Condemnation upon the forementioned things yet surely they will not deny but that sin in its full Act merits Condemnation if they will be so absurd the Apostle plainly determines it Sin when it is finished brings forth death Jam. 1.15 Now is there not too much of this to be found even in Saints in Christ and therefore are not they worthy of Condemnation True indeed Sin whether in the conception or in the finishing is not * Ad haec respondetur dimitti Concupiscentiam Carnis in Baptismo non ut non sit sed ut in peccatum non imputetur Aug. de Nup. Conc. lib. 1. cap. 25. imputed or charged upon them and so there is no Condemnation but yet as considered in its own Nature it merits Condemnation it doth so ex Naturâ rei exjudicio Legis onely 't is not so in point of Fact and in Event ex indultu Gratiae as one expresses it Sin is sin in the Children of God and it merits Condemnation in them as well as in others whence is it then that there is no Condemnation to them meerly from the Grace of God who doth not impute this sin to them As Solomon told Abiathar he was worthy of death yet he
the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe ch 3.22 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood c. v. 24 25 26 Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness ch 4.3 Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him but for us also to whom it shall be imputed if we believe on him that raised up the Lord Jesus from the dead who was delivered for our offences and was raised again for our justification v. 23 24 25 Therefore being justified by faith we have peace with God thorough our Lord Jesus Christ ch 5.1 Especially read what the Apostle writes in drawing up the Parallel betwixt the two Adams ch 5.15 to the end of the Ch. I say read and consider what is before asserted over and over concerning Justification and then tell me whether the Apostle might not well thus infer There is therefore c. and whether there be not strength enough in these premises to bear the weight of the Conclusion There is therefore now no Condemnation c. for unquestionably the Illative therefore upon which the Proposition is bottom'd like the Handle in the Dial points to all that the Apostle had been speaking of concerning justifying Grace 2. The Priviledge is farther sure upon Sanctification From their Sanctification Such as are in Christ are always sanctified wherever the Union is with the Son there is Sanctification by the Spirit now such as are sanctified shall never be condemned Rev. 20.6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first Resurrection on such the second death or Condemnation hath no power Sanctification doth not carry in it such a direct and intrinsick opposition to Condemnation as Justification doth nor is it any meritorious ground of Non-condemnation Yet where there is Sanctification there shall be no Condemnation for upon this the power and dominion of sin is taken away * Dum non essent in Christo consentirent concupiscentiae erat illis damnatio Nunc autem cum sint in Christo repugnent concupiscentiae nihil damnationis est illis quamquam ex carne concupiscant quia non pugnatores sed victi damnantur nec est damnabile si existant desideria âârnalia sed si eis ad peccatum obediatur Anselm This must be understood of Condemnation in Event and that too as grounded upon the meer Grace of God vigorous resistance is made against it the bent of the heart is for God there 's the participation of the Divine Nature the Image of God is renewed in the Soul the Creature in part is restored to that original rectitude which was before the Fall with many such like considerations upon all which the sanctified person is secured from Condemnation God hath such a love to Grace it being the work of his own Spirit and to gracious persons they in sanctification being made after himself as 't is exprest Eph. 4.24 that he will never suffer such to perish eternally Grace merits nothing yet it secures from the greatest evils and entitles to the greatest good Nothing shall save where Grace is not nothing shall damn where Grace is The Sinner shall not live the Saint shall not dye O this Sanctification though it be imperfect yet how great good doth result from it Paul had sad remainders of sin in him but withall Grace was in him he had his double self as the Moralist expresses it ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã his renewed self and his unrenewed self the Law was spiritual but he was carnal sold under sin what he would not that he did what he would that he did not he was led captive by the Law of sin and death here was his unrenewed self Yet where he complains most of Sin even there he discovers much if not most of Grace he had a sinning Nature but he allow'd not himself in sin he consented to the Law that it was good it was not he that did so and so but sin that dwelt in him to will was present with him though how to perform he did not find he delighted in the Law of God in the inward man with his mind he served the Law of God c. here was his renewed self Do not these things evidence Grace was all this spoken in personâ irregeniti as some tell us No doubtless the Apostle here speaks as a * With my mind I serve the Law of God Ego qui in me significo quemlibet justum sub gratiâ constitutum Anselm Quod meo judicio tantam vim tantam emphasin habet ut illi planè humanae naturae corruptionem ignorare videantur si qui sint qui eam cum tali animi constitutione consistere posse putant nisi aliundè sit aliquatenus immutata Amyral Consid cap. sept Ep. ad Rom. p. 16. He might have gone higher âhaââ aliquatenus immutata gracious man and in the person of gracious men And what doth he infer from all this There is therefore now no Condemnation c. Oh saith Paul I have sin enough to humble me but yet sin shall not damn me there 's too much of it in me but yet it hath not my heart with my mind I serve the Law of God the main bent of my heart is for holiness the corrupt Nature is very strong in me but yet it hath not its full strength its entire unbroken power and dominion over me that through Grace I am freed from I am though but imperfectly yet truly sanctified and hereupon though I may lie under much trouble here yet I am safe as to my eternal state there is therefore now no Condemnation to me I desire it may be observed that he doth not only infer Non-condemnation from the work of Grace in him spoken of in the closure of the former Chapter but as soon as he had laid down in common this great happiness of persons in Christ he presently confirms it as to himself from his sanctification and the dethroning of sin in him by the regenerating Spirit For the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the Law of Sin and Death And with respect to others he much enlarges upon it Rom. 6.5 6 7 8 21 22 23. Well then persons in Christ they being justified and sanctified are above the danger of Condemnation and these are the two great Pillars upon which the Therefore in the words is built From their union with Christ The Text affords us another Argument or Ground of Non-condemnation and that lies in the Subject it self There is no Condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus why so because they are in Christ Jesus for these words are not only descriptive of the persons to whom the priviledge belongs but they are also argumentative and contain a
Ministers Christians reprove him yet hee 'l sin let him resolve purpose vow promise covenant yet hee 'l sin tell him of Heaven or Hell that hee 'l waste his Estate impair his Health undoe his Family ruin his Body nay his precious Soul 't is all one yet hee 'l sin come Plague Pestilence War Fire yet hee 'l sin set the Law of Scripture before him yet hee 'l sin nay as to some acts set the very Law of Nature before him yet hee 'l sin here 's the Law of Sin to some purpose the power and strength of Sin in their ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and yet all graceless and Christless Souls are under this though not all in the same way or in the same degree But Sin never rises thus high in Gods people they are more easily stopt and kept off from sinning against God you know the stream in a Flood runs very fiercely and will not be stopt by any opposition it teares and breaks the banks which would give a check to it but let the Flood be but over and then it comes to it self again and its motion is not so boisterous and impetuous so 't is with the true Christian possibly in some single act under some strong temptation upon some fit of passion he may break thorough all that lies in his way as a let or hinderance to him in sin but when the sudden gush of Corruption and the power of the temptation are a little over he comes to himself again and then the Word and Spirit do easily stop him in what is evil 4. When 't is sinning and no sense of sin no after-repentance for it then 't is the Law of Sin and that power of it which is onely in the unconverted Sin always rules most where 't is least felt but it never arrives at the highest pitch of dominion where the Soul groans under it as its burden As it was with Paul the corrupt Nature was too powerful in him but he was very sensible of it he cry'd out O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death Thus too it is with all gracious Souls they may have much of sin in them yea it may be so strong in them as that in some particular acts they may be overcome by it yet 't is but peccatum vincens non regnans Sin conquering not commanding because they are greatly humbled in the sense of this and because they ever recover themselves again by true repentance ô how do they mourn and grieve over Corruption especially when it hath been too hard for them if you read of Davids sins you shall also read of Davids tears Now when 't is thus 't is never the Law of Sin Sin bewailed is never Sin reigning but when a man sins insensibly and impenitently there 's no after-shame or after-grief in him for sin no rising again after falling verily in this man 't is the Law of Sin But so much for the answering of this Question and also for the Explication of the Point in hand VSE For Information In the applying of it there is but one Vse which I shall insist upon and that shall be for Information Is it thus that every person before regeneration is under the Law of Sin it informs us of two things 1. Of the bondage of the Natural state 2. Of the power efficacy necessity of restraining and renewing Grace 1. Branch of Information concerning the bondage of the Vnregenerate 1. Here 's a sad demonstration of that bondage which attends the Natural State and those who are in it Such being under the Law of Sin and that importing what you have heard it doth hence it follows that they are under bondage the very worst bondage and thraldom that is imaginable This Sinners will not believe nor lay it to heart but so it is they being Sins Subjects and governed by its Laws they are no better than Slaves and Vassals for so all its Subjects are We pity those who live under Tyrants Vsurpers hard Masters c. and judge their bondage to be very great but alas what is that if compar'd with this of graceless Souls living under the tyranny usurpation dominion of Sin O poor Creature art thou out of Christ unsanctified and unregenerate and consequently acted ruled governed by Sin know thy self thou art in a spiritual sense no better than a slave yea there 's no servitude or vassalage in the world comparable to thine the poor Christians who are Captives and Bondmen under the barbarous Turks or such who are condemn'd to Mines and Galleys are in a better condition than thou who art under the power of thy base Lusts The state of Nature is a quite other thing than what men imagin it to be they think there 's nothing but freedom and liberty in it such who are in it fancy none live so free and happy a Life as themselves but God knows 't is quite otherwise while they promise themselves liberty they are the servants of corruption for of whom a man is overcome of the same is he brought into bondage as the Apostle speaks 2 Pet. 2.19 There are very many sad attendants upon Vnregeneracy as blindness darkness death enmity distance and alienation from God c. but none worse than the spiritual bondage which accompanies it I add too there 's none of all these which Sinners are with more difficulty convinced of and more hardly brought to believe than that which I am upon We see it in the Jews Joh. 8.33 We be Abraham 's seed and never were in bondage to any man how saist thou we shall be made free never in bondage to any man that was false were they not once in bondage in Egypt which therefore was called the house of bondage Exod. 20.2 where they were under hard bondage Exod. 1.14 were they not again in bondage in Babylon yea were they not now in bondage under the Romans but this not being the bondage which Christ aimed at he passed by this their vaunting of their exemption from it and fell upon their spiritual bondage whith respect to which he told them whasoever commits sin is the servant of sin So go to many now and tell them they are under servitude they will not believe it what they in such a condition no they are so and so descended such and such is their birth and parentage they have such noble blood running in their veins they live in the enjoyment of such priviledges have so many under them at their beck whilst they themselves are commanded by none they can go and come and do as they * ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Plutarch Mor. p. 35. list being free from that ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã wherein the Stoicks placed bondage and yet are they Slaves Yes notwithstanding all this they may be so and are so if Sin hath the rule and regency over them they have all liberty but that which is the best and are exempted from
r. were born P. 249. l. 10. r. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã P. 254. Marg. r. Legi P. 278. l. 24. r. fain P. 307. l. 24. r. init P. 325. l. c. r. speak P. 347. l. 8. r. other P. 349. Marg. r. sciri P. 354. l. 1. r. is not P. 374. l. 3. r. on P. 403. Marg. r. desiisset P. 405. Marg. r. Lombard P. 408. Marg. r. immortalem P. 423. l. 3. r. where Pa 540. Marg. r. primis P. 560. l. 23. dele do P. 580. l. 3. r. formally P. 606. Marg. r. Lucium P. 608. l. 14. r. quoad hoc The HEADS treated upon in the several CHAPTERS Ver. I. There is therefore now no Condemnation Of the Exemption of Believers from Condemnation Chap. 1. p. 1. c. to them which are in Christ Jesus Of the Saints Vnion with Christ Chap. 2. p. 41. c. who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit Of the Holy and Spiritual Life in opposition to the Sinful and Carnal Life Chap. 3. p. 87. c. Ver. II. For the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the Law of Sin and Death Of the Sinners being made free by the Power of the Spirit from the Power of Sin and Death Chap. 4. p. 142. c. Of the Law or Power of Sin under which all men are by Nature Chap. 5. p. 168. c. Of Regenerate Persons being made free from the Law of Sin Chap. 6. p. 202. c. Of the power of the Holy Spirit in the making of persons free from the Law of Sin Chap. 7. p. 227. c. Of the Law of Death Chap. 8. p. 249. c. Ver. III. For what the Law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh Of the Laws inability to justifie and save Chap. 9. p. 251. c. God sending his own Son Of Christs Mission and Gods sending him Ch. 10. p. 281. c. Of Christs being the Natural and Eternal Son of God Ch. 11. p. 318. c. in the likeness of sinful flesh Of Christs Incarnation and abasement in Flesh Chap. 12. p. 371. c. and for sin condemned Sin in the flesh Of Christs being a Sacrifice and expiating Sin thereby Chap. 13. p. 456. c. Ver. IV. That the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us Of the Fulfilling the Laws righteousness in Believers Chap. 14. p. 565. c. who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit Spiritual Walkers the Subjects of the foregoing Priviledge Ch. 15. p. 619. c. THE Grand Charter OF BELIEVERS OPENED ROM 8.1 There is therefore now no Condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit CHAP. I. Of Believers Exemption from Condemnation The Introduction to the Work The Excellency of the Chapt. Its main Scope and Parts How this first Verse comes in Paul in the preceding Chapt. compared with himself in this The Proposition divided into its Parts The Praedicate in it No Condemnation first opened Two Observations raised from the Words The first spoken to Seven things premised by way of Explication As 1. 'T is not no Affliction or no Correction but no Condemnation 2. 'T is not no Matter of Condemnation onely no Condemnation de Facto this enlarg'd upon against the Romanists 3. 'T is Gods Condemnation onely which is here excluded not the Condemnation of Man oâ of Conscience or of Satan 4. Of the âmpoât and significâncy of the Pârâiâle Now in his placeâ 5. No Condemnation may be rendred Not one Condemnation 6. Of the Indefiniteness of the Proposition with respect to the Subject 7. That the Positive is included in the Negative The Observation it self more closely handled Condemnation opened is to the Quid Nomânââ and the Quid Rei It relates to Guilt and Punishment to the Sentence and State 'T is either Virtual or Actual The Point confirmed by Parallel Scriptures by a double Argument in the Text. The First is couch'd in the Illative Therefore which points to Justification and Sanctification both of which prove no Condemnation The Second is grounded upon Vnion with Christ. Use 1. To show the Misery of such who are not in Christ Jesus The dreadfulness of Condemnation set forth in five Particulars Use 2. To exhort all to make sure of No Condemnation Six Directions touch'd upon about it Use 3. To excite such as are in Christ to be very thankeful Use 4. Comfort to Believers I Purpose with Gods leave and gracious assistance in the revolution of my Ministerial Labours to go over this whole Chapter 'T is a very great undertaking and I am very sensible how much it is above me I have only this encouragement I serve a good Master one who both can and I trust will help me in it and carry me through it for he uses to give strength where he calls to work And 't is no matter what the Instrument is if he will be pleased to use it the mighty God by weak means can effect great things * Math. 21.16 out of the mouths of Babes and Sucklings he can perfect praise to himself Here is indeed a rich and precious Cabinet full of Grace to be opened yet a Key of small value may open it if God please to direct the hand Therefore in all humble yet steddy relyance upon him whose Grace alone is * 2 Cor. 12.9 sufficient for me I shall now enter upon this work though it be vast and difficult Of the Excellency of this Chapter And in the midst of all my discouragements which are very many God knows yet I find my self under a strong inclination to engage in it when I consider the transcendent excellency preciousness usefulness of that matter which the Spirit of God lays before us in this Chapter Who would not be willing to take pains in a Mine that hath such treasures hid in it where the breast is so full who would not be drawing from it I think I should not hyperbolize should I say of it Search all the Scriptures I 'le except none turn over the whole Word of God from the beginning of Genesis to the end of the Revelation you will not find any one Chapter into which more excellent sublime Evangelical Truths are crowded than this which I am entring upon The Holy Bible is the Book of Books in some though not in equal respects this Chapter may be stiled the Chapter of Chapters From first to last 't is high Gospel 't is all Gospel its Matter being entirely Evangelical and 't is all the Gospel either directly or reductively in having in it the very sum marrow pith of all Gospel-revelation 'T is indeed the Epitome Abridgement Storehouse of all the Saints Priviledges and Duties You have in it the Love of God and of Christ displaid to the utmost and shining forth in its greatest splendor Would any take a view of the Magnalia Dei with respect to his glorious
in the eye of the world We walk in the Flesh 't is as if he had said we are poor frail mortal men as well as others made with them of the same flesh living in the same flesh and incompassed with the same infirmities of flesh and there is nothing from our outward condition and appearance to gain us any honour esteem or success amongst men thus saith the Apostle we walk in the Flesh But then he adds we do not war after the Flesh h. e. we do not carry on our work and business as we are the Apostles and Ministers of Christ by the flesh it is not humane power or any fleshly advantage which we go upon 't is only a divine power that helps assists and prospers us by vertue of which God's work in our hands doth and shall go on in spite of all opposition from Men and Devils This clearly seems to be the Apostles meaning for it immediately follows v. 4. The weapons of our warfare are not fleshly and carnal but spiritual and mighty through God Well! but now walking in the Flesh or after the Flesh here in the Text carries a quite other sense along with it For the finding out of which we must first enquire what is meant by Flesh Now as to this Enquiry to give you the several acceptations of the word Flesh would be both tedious and unnecessary Expositors generally agree about its sense in this place only I find some few a little varying in their Explications of it They by Flesh here understanding at least wise taking in that sense as well as that which is usual and common the Jewish * Fortasse per Carnem Ceremonias Legis intelligit vultque dicere Christianos illos à condemnatione exemptos liberos âffe qui Christo Jesu serviunt non carnali illâ ceremoniarum observatione sed spirituali Mussus Ceremonial Law with the several rites ceremonies appurtenances thereof and so they make the Words to run thus Such are exempted from condemnation who serve the Lord Jesus Christ not according to the fleshly observation of the Ceremonies of the Law but in a spiritual and evangelical manner Now 't is true those may come under this title of Flesh for they are called carnal ordinances Heb. 9.10 and Paul in part speaking of them calls them Flesh over and over Phil. 3.3 4. Yet I conceive they do not fall within the great intendment of our Apostle in these words Our * There is therefore now no obligation lying on a Christian to observe these Ceremonies of Moses's Law Circumcision c. nor consequently danger of damnation to him for that neglect supposing that he forsake those carnal sins that the circumcised Jews yet indulged themselves in and perform the evangelical obedience in doing what the mind illuminated by Christ directs us to that inward true purity which that circumcision of the flesh was set to signifie that is now required by Christ under the Gospel Dr. Hammond learned Annotator in his Paraphrase upon the Text and also upon the following Verses though for the main he opens it as Others do yet he makes it more specially to refer to the Jews as under the Law and to Christians as under the Gospel What there may be of that notion in the Words I shall not meddle with but rather come to the general and unquestionable interpretation of the word Flesh as 't is here used Where I will consider it 1. more generally 2. more particularly Of Flesh in its more general Notion 1. More generally So Flesh in Scripture commonly notes that corrupt sinful depraved vitiated nature that is in man as he comes into the world This Nature is variously set forth Sometimes by the old man so Eph. 4.22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the Old man c. Sometimes by the Law in the members warring against the Law of the mind so Rom. 7.23 Sometimes by Sin in the general so Rom. 7.8 Sin i e. the corrupt Nature taking occasion by the commandment wrought in me all manner of concupiscence Sometimes by indwelling sin so Rom. 7.17 Sometimes by the sin which doth so easily beset us so Heb. 12.1 And sometimes by Flesh so here and so in several other places Joh. 3.6 That which is begotten of the flesh is flesh Joh. 1.13 Born again not of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God Rom. 7.18 I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing and v. 25. So then with the mind he means the renewed and sanctified Nature I serve the Law of God but with the Flesh he means the corrupt Nature the Law of Sin Gal. 5.17 The Flesh lusteth against the Spirit c. Once indeed in Scripture this corrupt Nature is set forth by Spirit Jam. 4.5 The Spirit that is in us lusteth to Envy but usually 't is set forth by Flesh And several Reasons might be given of that appellation I 'le name some few but will not in the least enlarge upon them The sinful Nature in man is stiled Flesh Why the corrupt Nature is set forth by Flesh 1. Because 't is convayed and propagated as the Flesh is 2. Because 't is propagated by the Flesh or by fleshly generation 3. Because 't is very much acted in the Flesh or fleshly part 4. Because 't is nourished strengthened and drawn forth by the Flesh or by fleshly Objects 5. Because of its baseness sordidness and degeneracy And by the most of these things the corrupt Nature in Man is distinguished from the corrupt Nature of the Apostate Angels Their's is set forth by * Eph. 6.12 spiritual wickedness because it vents it self in spiritual not in carnal acts such as are envy hatred pride blasphemy fretting at God himself and at his dispensations c But Ours is set forth by the Flesh because 't is conveyed through the Flesh and acted in the Flesh and drawn forth by the Flesh What it is to walk after the Flesh in the general notion of it Now if you take Flesh in this general notion then to walk after it it 's this To have the corrupt sinful Nature to be a mans principle and guide and Not to walk after the Flesh 't is not to have that Nature to be ones principle and guide For the Text brings in these two Flesh and Spirit as different and opposite principles and guides and therefore they who make Flesh their principle and guide they walk after the Flesh as they who make the Spirit their principle and guide they walk after the Spirit Take men our of Christ and such as are unregenerate they walk after the Flesh how why Flesh is their principle and Flesh is their guide the Flesh is that which they act from there 's their principle and 't is that which they act by there 's their guide That which is the spring of action that 's the principle that which puts upon and orders
Popish Objection closes with another interpretation of the Words but there 's no necessity for that as I conceive In short as was said in the handling of the foregoing Verse we are for inherent righteousness as well as our Opposers though they are pleased very freely to * Becanus Opuse de Justif Calvinist c. 2. Costeri Enchir. c. 6. p. 220. Campian Rat. 8. Against which Calumny vide Chamier tom 3. lib. 1. cap. 2. calumniate us as if we denied the Thing because we deny it to be the Cause or Ground of Justification We are for infallibilis nexus an inseparable connexion betwixt Justification and Sanctification where there is the blood there is the water also for Christ came by both 1 Joh. 5.6 We further hold that Regeneration Habitual and Actual Righteousness are the indispensible Conditions of eternal life and absolutely necessary thereunto Nay some worthy * Pareus in Respons ad Dub. 2. pag. 773. With some eminent Divines of our own Divines go so far as to make them Causa sine quâ non even with respect to Justification But all this is nothing unless we make them the proper formal cause of Justification which we cannot do that being a thing so diametrically opposite to Gospel-revelation This block being removed out of my way now I proceed The Law of the Spirit of Life c. In the Former Verse you had contrary Principles Flesh and Spirit in this you have contrary Laws here is Law in opposition to Law the Law of the Spirit set against the Law of Sin the Law of the Spirit of Life against the Law of Death the Law of Sin inslaving us against the Law of the Spirit freeing us from that slavery In the Words something is imply'd and something is express'd That which is imply'd is this That all Men the very best of them for a time viz. till they be converted are under the Law of Sin and Death That which is express'd is this that Believers by the Law of the Spirit of Life are made free from the Law of Sin and Death The Opening of these things will be my present business for I cannot well pitch upon the Doctrinal Observations till I have cleared up the Sense of the Words and the Apostles main Scope and design in them The Words summ'd up under three General Heads First General Opened viz. the Gracious Deliverance In order to which I will reduce the whole Matter contained in them to these Three Heads A Gracious Deliverance the Subject the Author or Efficient of that Deliverance 1. Here 's a gracious Deliverance hath made me free from the Law of Sin and Death As to the First of these if you consider them as distinct the being made free from the Law of Sin for the better understanding thereof I desire you to take notice of the following Particulars 1. That by Sin the Apostle chiefly aims at the Root Sin the Sin of Nature or the sinful depraved Nature which is in falt'n Man 'T is the same with the Flesh spoken of before as also with the indwelling Sin the Law in the members c. in the foregoing Chapter This is that Sin which hath the greatest power in and over the Soul Particular and Actual Sins do but derive their power from this all that dominion and strength which they have is but delegated the Supream Sovereign Original dominion of Sin is seated in the corrupt Nature there chiefly is that Law of Sin which Believers are freed from yet in subordination to this the power of particular sins and deliverance from that is here also to be taken in 2. The Apostle doth not say that Believers are simply and absolutely made free from Sin onely that they are made free from the Law of Sin There 's a * Non sunt idem Peccatum Lex peccati Peccatum est vitium inhabitans in Carne Lex Peccati dominium peccati quod in Carne non regenitorum plenè exercet Ab hoc peccati inhabitantis dominio efficacia Spiritus regenerantis liberat fideles fraenando illud non vero penit ùs tollendo Pareus Attendendum quod non dicit Non enim Gratia hominem impeccabilem reddit sed fomitis vim minuit c. Corn. Muss Nos it a à morte peccato liberati fumus ut tamen horum malorum non parum adhuc supersit Pet. Mart. great difference betwixt Sin and the Law of Sin a total freedome from the Former none have in this life no not they who are most under the Law of the Spirit The dearest of Gods Children must wait for that till they come to Heaven the onely place and State of Perfection there they shall be perfectly compleatly freed from sin yea from the very Being of it but here the utmost that they can arrive at is to be freed from its power in Regeneration and from its guilt in Justification The Text therefore doth not speak of absolute freedom from Sin for that being unattainable here below is yet to come and so it falls under the glorious liberty of the Sons of God mentioned Verse 21 but the being made free in the Text is spoken of as a thing that is past hath made me free c. and therefore it must be limited to freedom from the Law of Sin onely 3. There is in this life a Twofold Freedom from Sin the One respects its Guilt the Other its Power 'T is a Law in both respects in reference to Guilt as it binds the Creature over to answer at Gods Barr for what he hath done and makes him obnoxious to punnishment in reference to Power as it rules commands and exercises a strange kind of Tyranny and Dominion over the Sinner Now Believers are freed from Sin in both of these respects namely as was said but just now in Justification from the guilt in Regeneration from the power of it But here a Question must be resolved viz. Which doth the Apostle here speak of which of these two parts of the Saints Freedome from Sin is here primarily and principally intended For Answer to which Divines do somewhat differ about it (a) Non damnatur nisi qui Concupiscentiae Carnis consentit ad malum Lex enim Spiritus vitae in Christo Jesu liberavit te à Lege peccati mortis ne scil consensionem tuam concupiscentia Carnis sibi vindicet August contra duas Pelag. Ep. lib. 1. cap. 10. Liberavit quomodo nisi quia ejus reatum peccatorum omnium remissione dissolvit Lex Spiritus vitae in Chrislo ut quamvis adhuc maneret in peccatum tamen non imputetur Idem de Nup. Concup lib. 1. cap. 32. Austine took in Both and therefore he sometimes opens it by the One sometimes by the Other Amongst Modern Expositors (b) A jure peceati i. e. à reatn c. Pet. Martyr Liberatio haec non est Regeneratio quâ liberamur ex parte à peccato inhaerente sed est
peccatorum remissio quâ liberamur non ex parte sed plenè perfecteque à peccatorum quorumcunque remissione Rolloc Paulò post satis patebit de absolutione gratuitâ loqui c. Calvin Some interpret the Words of Freedome from the guilt of sin they making them chiefly to point to that grace which is given out in Justification (c) Liberavit regenerando ad novam vitam Baza Ut intelligamus Legem Spiritus non solum hoc in nobis agere quòd non condemnemur propter imputationem justitiae sed vim peccati in nobis extinguere ut jam non regnet in nobis peccatum sed Gratia virtus Christi Muscul Others interpret them of Freedome from the power of sin they referring them to that grace which is proper to Regeneration The Opinion of the Latter I prefer and shall follow in the insuing Discourse I conceive the Law of Sin mainly refers to the power of Sin and therefore the freedome from the Law of Sin must also mainly refer to the being freed from the power of Sin As to the taking away of its Guilt that the Apostle speaks to in the following Verse for that 's the condemning of it there mentioned in this Verse the taking away of its dominion was chiefly in his eye You have him Chap. 7. sadly complaining of the Law in his Members of the Law of Sin now nothing more evident than that he thereby designs to set forth not Sins guilt but that great though not full power and strength which Sin had in him and if that be the proper notion of the Law of Sin there then why not here And besides the Word here used ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã hath made free both in Scripture and also in Common Authors usually notes the freeing of One who is under bondage and slavery it doth not so properly note the freeing of a Malefactor from his Guilt and from that condemnatory sentence which he deserves as the freeing of a Slave or Captive who is under the Tyranny and Dominion of another and so it falls in exactly with that notion of freedome which I am upon Therefore the Arabick Translator well renders it by Emancipavit me à lege peccati mortis and * Tertull. de Resur Carn cap. 46. legit manumisit me Fuimus enim quasi mancipia peccati mortis sed à Christo manumissi libertate donati sumus A-Lapide Tertullian by Manumisit me in allusion to the Manumission of the Romans when they set their Servants or Slaves at liberty O when a man is once regenerated he hath a blessed manumission he being made free from that cursed servitude wherein he liv'd before under this cruel Master Sin I say this is the strict and proper notion of the word which though 't is true it be here applied to Death as well as to Sin yet that is either in a more large and improper Sense for the Apostle having first spoken of freedome from sin and set it forth by that term which was proper to it he was not sollicitous to be so accurate as to vary his expression for the Other but would make the same to serve for both or else because there is a bondage in Death as well as in Sin and therefore ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã will agree with it as well as with sin And I desire that this may be considered which I lay a great stress upon the Apostle in this Verse speaks of the Spirit personally considered as in the next Verse of the Son personally considered also it being so we must then interpret their several making free from sin according to that which is proper to them in their personal consideration Now 't is the Spirits personal act to free by regeneration from Sins power as 't is the Sons personal act by satisfaction to free from Sins guilt therefore the First is meant in this Verse where the Spirit is mentioned as the Second is meant it the next Verse where the Son is mentioned 4. The Law of Sin 'T is a Metaphor which our Apostle often uses and in which he seems much to delight you have it often Rom. 7. V. 21. I find a Law that when I would do good evil is present with me V. 23. But I see another Law warring against the Law of my mind and bringing me into captivity to the Law of sin which is in my members V. 25. With my mind I my self serve the Law of God but with the flesh the Law of sin What this Law of sin is and in what respects it passes under this Appellation hereafter shall be opened at present onely in General observe that this metaphorical expression notes the (a) Ex adverso Legem peccati mortis appellat Carnis imperium quae inde consequitur mortis tyrannidem Calv. A peccato inhabitante quod instar Legis mihi imperabat malas actiones ad eas me impellebat Piscat Est Lex peccati quia ad peccatum movet incitatque velut Lex quaedam Estius A Lege peccati i. e. à Lege fomitis quae inclinat ad peccandum vel à Lege peccati i. e. à consensu operatione peccati quod hominem tenet ligatum per modum Legis Aquin. Dum absolvuntur à Dominio peccati super ipsos ab obligatione conformandi voluntarias suas operationes Legi peccaâi à quo vinculo non absolvebat Lex Cajetan A Lege peccati h. e. à dictamine jure dominatu reatu concupiscentiae A-Lap Power Dominion Tyranny of sin Some make the Law of sin to be no more than barely sin it self but I think it carries a special reference to and super adds the Adjunct of Sin the power of it And (b) Elegantiùs vertisset à jure peccati Erasin Some would have us read it the Right of sin rather than the Law of sin the matter comes much to one So much for the being made free from the Law of Sin In the opening of which as yet I have not taken any notice of the O pinion of Some who make the Law of Sin to be the Old Mosaical Law but by and by I will It follows and Death Now this is either one and the same with sin as being onely an Epethite for it so (c) ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Oecum Apostolus conjunctionem interposuit codem tamen sensu ac si peccatum mortiferum ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã dixisset Piscat Several expound it Sin and Death that is deadly Sin or Sin which is of a deadly nature As the Spirit of life is the living spirit so Sin and Death is no more than deadly sin 't is an expression like that of the Poet Pateris libavit auro i. e. aureis pateris Or else you may take it as distinct from sin and so there is a double Deliverance held forth in the Words One from the Law of Sin an Other from the Law of Death thus the most
Duty as the Soul is quickned so proportionably 't is comforted In order therefore to this how doth it concern you to improve the Spirit of God as the Spirit of Life who can thus animate and enliven you but he he who freed you from the Law of Sin and Death must also free you from all that dulness and deadness of Spirit which sometimes possesses you therefore when David was desiring this mercy he puts the Spirit before it Thy Spirit is good c. Quicken me O Lord for thy names sake Psal 143.10 11. Indeed as none can cleanse the filthy heart but the purifying Spirit nor soften the hard heart but the mollifying Spirit so none can enliven the dead heart but the quicking Spirit When the Child was dead the Prophet sent his staff but that would not do the work the Child did not revive till the Prophet came himself so you may have quickning Means and quickning Ordinances and quickning Providences but if this quickning Spirit doth not come himself you will be dead still O therefore whenever you find the Heart under inward deadness presently carry it to this quickning Spirit for quickning Grace I would not have any here mistake me to put a wrong interpretation or make bad inferences from what hath been spoken so as to slight neglect cast off External Means Ordinances Duties because they are but dead things of themselves and 't is the Spirit onely which gives life Some infer such a practise from the premises but they do it very unwarrantably For 't is true that the Spirit of Life onely quickens but then he doth this for men when they are in the use of and in attendance upon the Means he first quickens to duty and then in duty and by duty his way and method is to give out his enlivening influences when the Soul is waiting in holy Ordinances And therefore these must be highly valued and duely attended upon though it be the Spirit onely which works in them effectually upon the heart 'T was the the Angel moving the Waters that did the Cure yet the poor Cripples were to lie by the Pool side so 't is here 'T is a good Caveat therefore that of Musculus upon the Words Ista Spiritus Dei efficacia c. that efficacy of the Spirit saith he is always to be pray'd for yet we must take heed that we have a due respect for those outward Means which the Spirit will have us to make use of But no more of this ROM 8.2 For the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the Law of sin and death CHAP. V. Of the Law or Power of Sin under which all Men are by Nature The whole Matter in the Words drawn into several Observations The main Observation broken into Three The First of which is spoken to viz. That every unregenerate person is under the Law of Sin That Law of Sin is opened in the twofold notion of it Two Questions stated 1. How doth Sin act as a Law in the Unregenerate 2. How it may be known when 't is the Law of Sin or wherein doth the difference lie betwixt the Power of Sin in the Regenerate and in the Unregenerate The Point applied by way of Information to inform us 1. of the bondage of the Natural State The Evil and Misery of that set forth in some Particulars 2. To inform us of the necessity power and efficacy of restraining and renewing Grace Both spoken to HHaving opened the Words and fixed upon that Interpretation of them which I judge most proper and genuine The Observations raised from the Words which was my work the last time I come now to fall upon those Observations which are grounded upon and do best therewith It hath been already observed First that the Holy Spirit of God is the Spirit of Life this I have given some short account of and will add nothing further upon it I might Secondly observe That this Spirit of Life is in Christ Jesus the regenerating Spirit is in Christ though not as the regenerating Spirit according to our common notion of Regeneration This was also cleared up in some Particulars when I was upon the Explication of the Words and in the following Verses I shall have occasion to handle it fully therefore here I 'le pass it over There 's a Third Observation which takes in the principal matter in the Text that therefore I shall onely insist upon namely That all regenerate persons by the Law of the Spirit of Life are made free from the Law of Sin and Death For this is that which Paul here affirms concerning himself and he speaking here not as an Apostle but as One regenerate quatenus regenerate that which he saith of himself is applicable to all such they all are made free from c. The General Observation broken into Three This being more generally laid down just as it lies in the Words of the Text and it being very comprehensive I will therefore more particularly branch it out into three Observations 1. That every man in the world as he is in the natural and unconverted state 1. Obs before the Spirit of Life or the regenerating Spirit takes hold of him is under the Law of Sin and Death 2. That such who are truly regenerate are made free from the Law of Sin and Death 2. Obs 3. That 't is by the Law of the Spirit of Life that these are made free from the Law of Sin and Death 3. Obs Each of these Points are of great weight and importance therefore I shall distinctly and largely speak to them First Observ handled I begin with the First which you may shorten thus Every unregenerate man is under the Law of Sin and Death In the handling both of this and also of the two other I shall mainly direct my Discourse to the Law of Sin as to the Law of Death that I shall onely speak to in the close of all This first Doctrinal Proposition is not so express in the letter of the Words as the two following but 't is strongly implied and very naturally deducible from them Paul himself that * Acts 9.15 chosen vessel who was so eminent in the Love of God the Graces of the Spirit the work and priviledges of the Gospel till it pleas'd the Lord savingly to work upon him was under the Law of Sin for he says here he was made free from it implying there was a time when he was enslaved under it As to the civil freedom of a Roman he tells us he was born to that Acts 22.28 but as to Evangelical freedom from the command and bondage of Sin he doth not say he was born free but made free this was not the result of Nature Birth or any such thing but the meer effect of divine grace Further he saith the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus hath made me free whence it follows that till
this Law of the Spirit had taken hold of him he was under the Law of Sin before the mighty power of the regenerating Spirit did effectually work in him to convert and sanctifie him Sin had its full power and dominion over him He gives a sad account of this Eph. 2.3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh fulfilling the desires of the flesh c. And Tit. 3.3 For we our selves also were sometimes foolish disobedient c. 'T is true even after Conversion you have him complaining of the Law of Sin Rom. 7.21 I find a law that when I would do good evil is present with me c. but there was a great difference between that Law of Sin which he was under before conversion and that which he was under after conversion as you shall hereafter understand And thus it is with all men in the world before regenerating Grace in the natural and unconverted state all are under the Law of Sin Every man is born a subject and vassal to Sin and is as he comes into the world under the power tyranny and domination of a cursed Nature Sin is that truly Vniversal Monarch which hath all men before they be converted under its Empire and Soveraignty let them be High or Low Bond or Free in other respects till they be renewed and rescued by the Law of the Spirit of Life they are all under Sin 's command and regency For the proof of this in the General I shall onely refer you to Rom. 6. from the 12. to the end where you have the Law of Sin and the Sinners bondage under its dominion set forth in great variety of Expressions I will not recite any of them 't is best to take them together as they lie in the whole discourse of the Apostle For the better handling of the Truth before us I will 1. Open this Law of Sin and show what is included in it and why that is set forth by this Metaphor Then 2. prove that Men whilst unregenerate are under this Law of Sin How Sin is a Law what this imports Yet since without any prejudice or disadvantage to the Matter contained in each of these Heads they may be spoken to conjunctly as well as apart and because too the putting of them together will somewhat shorten the work therefore that shall be my Method The word Law as a * Dr. O of the Power c. of Indwelling Sin ch 1. 2. Worthy Person hath observed to my hand is taken either properly or improperly Properly so it is the Edict or Sanction of a person or persons in Authority wherein he or they do order and enjoyn something to be done backing his or their Commands with promises of rewards as also their Prohibitions with threatnings of punnishment this is the nature of a Law in the strict and proper notion of it Now if you insist upon this its exact consideration and take in all in this Description so Sin cannot be said to be a Law or to impose a Law upon the Creature the reason is obvious because it hath no Right of Dominion or rightful Authority which is essentially requisite to the Law-maker and to the validity and obligation of the Law The power of Sin is but usurp'd it hath dominion de facto but not de jure God never gave the corrupt Nature in Man any Authority to be or to make a Law which should bind his Creatures He himself hath made excellent Laws which are unquestionably and universally obligatory and he hath set up Magistrates his Vicegerents to whom he hath delegated a power of making Laws which shall in a lower degree be obligatory also but now for Sin what hath that to do with this Law-making or Law-obliging Authority So that this Consideration of a Law doth not at all suit with it yet there is something in the Description that will suit with it well enough insomuch that it may be truly called the Law of Sin Sin is a Law as it commands the Sinner For 1. A Law is a commanding thing It lays its imperative injunctions upon men and expects their Obedience it doth not barely notifie or represent to Men what they are to do or not to do nor only advise and persuade them to do so and so but it commands Authoritatively It carries dominion in it Rom. 7.1 Know ye not the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth this is wrap'd up in the very nature of it and is inseparable from it Now in this respect Sin is a Law it commands the Sinner to act so and so lays its precepts upon him in a very imperious manner assumes a strange kind of Authority over him though justly it hath none therefore you read of the reigning of Sin of obeying Sin of the dominion of Sin Rom. 6.12 14. this is the nature of a Law in general in reference to which Sin hath this appellation of a Law In this respect such as are in the Natural State may too justly be said to be under the Law of Sin for it hath the Command over them and doth from time to time lay its Commands upon them the Subject is not more under the Law of his Soveraign nor the Servant of his Master than the Sinner is under the Laws of Sin it commands very proudly and he as tamely obeys O there 's the Law of Sin There are indeed two things in a Law 't is a commanding and 't is a condemning thing it first commands men to order their actings according to what it prescribes and if they do not so do in case of disobedience then they are by it try'd and condemn'd Unregenerate persons are in both of these respects under the Law of Sin 1. Sin hath a commanding power in them O that is upon the throne in their Hearts it rules them and with a strange kind of Soveraignty orders them to do what it pleases it * ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Kings and * ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Lords it over them as the words are Rom. 6.12 14 And as there is this domination on Sins part so there is subjection on the Sinners part no sooner doth it command but 't is presently obey'd it doth but speak the word and 't is done if it will have such a Lust gratified the Sinner readily yields to it As the Centurion speaks of his Soldiers Matth. 8.9 I am a man under authority having Soldiers under me and I say to this man go and he goeth come and he cometh do this and he doth it just such a power or soveraignty hath Sin in and over graceless persons they are at its beck according to its commanding propensions they order and steer their Course may they not therefore be said to be under the Law of Sin Then 2. for the Other property of a Law as 't is a condemning thing that belongs to Sin too ô 't is not
onely of a commanding but also of a condemning nature And which is not usual where it commands and is obeyed there it condemus which shows the difference betwixt the Law of sin and all other Laws they do not condemn where they are obeyed 't is onely the breach or non-performance of them which makes a person liable to Condemnation but herein lies the cursedness of the Law of Sin upon the obeying of it it becomes a condemning Law and it onely condemns where 't is obey'd But observe how this comes about for there is a difference in this double Act of the Law of Sin to command that is Sins proper and natural act to condemn that is Sins act onely eventually or meritoriously it rules of it self directly and propenly but it condemns onely as it lays the foundation of Condemnation by another for there is another Law which formally is the condemning Law viz. the Law of God upon the violation of it And this speaks the inexpressible misery of the Unregenerate they are under that Law which tyrannically commands them here and which upon their obeying of it will most certainly condemn them hereafter Sin a Law as it backs its Commands with Promises and Threatnings 2. Secondly that I may further clear up this Expression of the Law of Sin let me compare it with other Laws Divine and Humane Take the Law of God or Men they are usually back'd with * Some therefore defins a Law Ordo rectam gubernandi rationem includens ex prudentiâ prodienâ transgredientibus prenam obtemperantibus praemium decernens See Wendel Polie l. 2. c. 11 Rewards and Punnishments and 't is convenient it should be so if not for the strengthening of the Laws in themselves yet however for the furtherance of mens Obedience to them for men generally do not obey them upon the Authority of the Legislators or the intrinsick goodness of the Matter of the Law but as they are thereunto either allured by Rewards or deterred by Punnishments these are the things that do most prevail with them to yield their Obedience to the Laws both of God and Men. Answerably now to this Sin Indwelling in the Corrupt Nature will be backing its Commands with Promises and Threatnings it will be pretending to Rewards and Punnishments which though in themselves they are but sorry things yet they have a great power and efficacy upon besotted Sinners For instance Sinner saith Sin I enjoyn thee to fall in with me and my ways to do as I bid thee do I will that thou dost go and swear and steal and be filthy and profane Sabbaths and please the flesh c. here 's the Laws or Commands of Sin well how doth it strengthen and back them why thus Sinner do but obey me and here are such Profits Pleasures Delights Honours Preserments all of which upon thy complyance with me shall be thine if thou wilt but be my loyal Subject and do what I would have thee thou shalt live at ease flourish in the world pass thy days in mirth be respected by all with a great many more Promises of this nature therefore why do'st thou demur why do'st not thou presently submit and obey Particularly you read of the pleasures of sin Heb. 11.25 now it represents and heightens these to Sinners and by them urges and almost enforces Obedience to its Commands O saith Sin do but hearken to me and do thus and thus then what a delightful pleasant Life will you live how will all Comforts then flow in upon you then your good days will begin when you once resolve to comply with my Laws but 't will never be well till then And are all these promises and sollicitations of Sin in vain no! the poor deluded Sinner believes hearkens yields closes with them and knows not how to resist its Commands back'd with such promises and rewards But if these soft and mild insinuations these enticing and alluring Arguments will not do Sin then appears in the Lionsshape and begins to menace and threaten it alters its language and saith Sinner wilt thou cast off my Laws and chuse to be subject to some Other then look to thy self and take what follows wilt thou engage in a course of Duty and fall in with a strict and godly life then know what will be the fruit of this much better than thine O thou cursed Lyar thou must expect the loss of all that is good the undergoing of all that is evil thou must look for nothing but prisons reproaches derision contempt poverty persecution and what not thou must bid adieu to all thy Comforts prepare for the carrying of an heavy Cross live a pensive afflicted Life this will cost thee deer expose thee to the loss of Liberty Estate Relations Credit nay of Life it self O how doth Sin to draw and hold the Sinner in vassalage to it self and to keep him off from the way of holiness bestir it self and summon in all its Threats and Menaces And may not unrenewed Souls too truly be said to be under the Law of sin in these respects with what efficacy doth it entice them to what is evil by what it promises and deter them from what is good by what it threatens Do not these promises and threatnings of Sin carry it with men in their natural state the former for Sins of Commission the latter for Sins of Omission that they know not how to withstand them O that what we do see every day was not too full a demonstration of their being under the power of Sin as promising and as threatning By this you understand what there is in a Law in the strict notion of it that is applicable to Sin upon which the Apostle might ground his Metaphor of the Law of Sin 't is a commanding thing and it urges and seconds its Commands with promises and threatnings both of which are proper to a Law One thing further I desire you to take notice of and 't is this that Sin considered as simply commanding so 't is not a Law but it then becomes formally and compleatly a Law when it commands and the Sinner obeys so that he owns the power of it and willingly subjects himself to its dominion ô now 't is a Law indeed As it is in the Laws of Vsurpers they meerly as imposed by them are no Laws because not made by persons in lawful Authority but if a people freely own these Usurpers and willingly put themselves under subjection to them them to them their Laws become valid and obligatory so here as to Sin it hath not the least right to any dominion over the Soul it hath no power but what is by usurpation and therefore its Laws are meer nullities but yet if men which is the Case of the Unconverted will voluntarily put themselves under its Government and consent that it shall rule them to them de facto it becomes a Law and hath the force and authority of a Law though de jure it
can challenge no such thing This for a Law in its proper sense Sin is a Law according to the improper acceptation of a Law 2. Secondly the word Law is taken improperly for any thing that hath an impelling or impulsive virtue in it which though it be not strictly and properly a Law yet it may pass under that appellation because it hath the virtue and force of a Law and doth that which a true and proper Law uses to do And so an inward operative lively Principle that which efficaciously moves and acts a man or impells and urges him so and so to act may be stil'd a Law because of its powerful and authoritative influence in and upon the man in his acting a Principle is a Virtual Law or that which is equivalent to a Law inasmuch as it inclines urges impells with power and efficacy to such and such operations which are suitable to it And therefore when Sin is the Principle which acts a person in his general course and which doth efficaciously excite and impell him to those things which are suitable to its own nature I say when 't is thus there Sin may be called a Law and there 't is the Law of Sin So that when Paul here supposes himself before his Conversion to be under the Law of Sin he means that then Sin was his principle the sole and active principle in him that which with a strange kind of power and efficacy did urge excite impell him to wicked and sinful acts all along in that state The Law of Sin notes the power of Sin as hath been shown now that is twofold Moral or Physical I will not upon several accounts undertake to justifie this distinction in the rigid acceptation of things I onely make use of it to help your conceptions in that which I am upon Sins moral power lies in its being a Law for that 's the power of a Law its physical power lies in its being a Principle for that 's the power of a principle As to its Moral power it directs and regulates prescribing to the Sinner what it would have him to do and in a sense commanding him to do accordingly as to its Physical power it doth so and so excite and act by its inward effectual powerful inclinations and impulsions I distinguish here between a Law and a Principle because I now consider the Latter strictly in it self and not according to the improper application of the word Law to it And I make use of this distinction of Sins twofold power not as designing to assert any specifical difference betwixt them possibly something might be objected against that I onely design thereby to set forth the several ways and modes wherein Sin doth exert its power for though 't is very true that Moral and Physical power as considered in themselves and when applied to such and such things are distinct kinds of power yet when they are applied to sin they are but different modes the Nature of the thing admitting nothing more Now to bring this to the Point in hand Unregenerate persons are under the Law of Sin inasmuch as in that state Sin the depraved Nature is the principle which acts them and which strongly effectually nay impetuously inclines and excites them to what is sinful Every Agent hath its principle which acts it strongly and irresistibly as Natural Agents in natural acts have their principle working with great efficacy in them the Fire burns and cannot do otherwise because 't is determin'd and influenc'd by that natural principle which is in it so Moral Agents in Moral acts have their efficacious principles too which work as strongly and powerfully in them the difference being always preserv'd 'twixt Natural and Free Agents But now these principles are very different according to mens different state where 't is the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus there the Spirit is the principle and the New Nature too in the Soul as the principle doth with a great deal of power and efficacy excite and quicken to what is good 2 Cor. 5.14 The Love of Christ constraineth us But where it is the Law of Sin there Sin is the principle which doth also strongly excite to what is evil The Natural man hath no other principle than this and 't is very active in him it ever workng with great power and strength to draw out his corruption and so he is under the Law of sin I conceive this Law of Sin as to its most proper import notes the activeness and efficacy of a principle rather than the authority or Soveraignty of a Law though that be the word here used But however 't is best to take in both notions and in both the Doctrine holds true so long as any man is unrenewed Sin is both a Law to him to command rule and govern him and also a principle powerfully and efficaciously to act him in his whole course in both respects before regeneration 't is nothing but the Law of Sin By which expression the Apostle seems to superadd something to what he had said Ver. 1. he had there spoke of walking after the Flesh thereby intimating the Flesh to be the principle by which men out of Christ do act but now here in calling it the Law of Sin or of the Flesh he intimates the power and strength of that principle in those persons 't is a commanding principle in them which takes in the sum of both the significations which I have been enlarging upon it rules and acts them as it pleases it hath over them the authority of a Law and in them the energy or efficacy of a principle both of which do center and are comprehended in one word the power of Sin So much for the First Thing to show what the Apostle means by the Law of Sin and in what respects 't is so stiled 1 Quest Wherein doth Sin act as a Law in the Vnregenerate Two Questions here arise the answering of which will give further light into the Doctrine the First is this How or wherein doth Sin as a Law exert and put forth its power and dominion in and over unregenerate persons In the answering of this should I fall upon particulars Answ to set forth the various workings of Sin in the matter or kind of them or the various arts and methods of Sin in the manner of its working it would occasion a discourse too large for my present design I will therefore limit my self to two General Heads under which the several particulars will fall The Law of Sin shews it self partly with respect to what is Evil and partly with respect to what is Good You may understand its workings in the Vnregenerate by its workings in the Regenerate for 't is the same in both onely in different degrees Now how doth it work in these that you shall see in our great instance in the Text Paul complaining of this Law as in himself shews how it did
put forth its power and strength in him namely thus 1. it did strongly excite impell and draw him to what was evil so Rom. 7.15 That which I do I allow not what I hate that do I V. 17. It is no more I that do it but sin that dwelleth in me V. 19. the evil which I would not that I do V. 23. I see another law in my members c. 2. it did strongly oppose resist hinder him as to what was good V. 15. what I would that do I not V. 18. To will is present with me but how to perform that which is good I find not for the good that I would I do not V. 21. I find then a Law that when I would do good evil is present with me Thus Sin acted in Paul in whom its power and strength was much broken and thus it doth in a much higher degree act in the Vnregenerate in whom it is in its full strength and vigour 1. Sin in such exerts its power in its vehement urging and impelling of them to what is evil I say to what is evil for indeed all its impulsions are to that Sin is for nothing but Sin Sin in the Habit is altogether for Sin in the Act Indwelling Sin is wholly for dwelling in Sin it bends and works entirely that way urget ad Peccata Peccatum And no wonder that it so doth since the principle always moves and excites to those acts which are consentaneous to it self therefore Sin agreeing with Sin the sinful Nature solely stirs up a person to that which is sinful And how entire restless unwearied impetuous is it in this the truth is though there was no Devil to tempt the graceless Sinner yet that Law of Sin which is in himself would be enough to make him sin in a great measure as he doth as to many Men and many Sins of those men 't is but the Devils over-eagerness which puts him upon tempting of them for without that the thing would be done to his hand as dry wood would burn without blowing Corrupt Nature is continually egging solliciting exciting the unsanctified man to what is evil 't will not let him alone day or night unless he gratifie it and its motions are so urgent and violent that he poor creature either cannot or will not make any considerable resistance What an instance was Amnon of this he was under the Law of Sin it had such a power and Soveraignty over him and was so impetuous in its workings in him that he walked sadly pined away fell down-right sick and all because he knew not how to satisfie that Lust which wrought so strongly in him towards his own Sister read 2 Sam. 13.2 c. So Ahab Sin put him upon the coveting of Naboths Vineyard and this it did with such violence that he would eat no bread because he could not have his will 1 Kings 21.5 Solomon tells us of some who sleep not except they have done mischief and their sleep is taken away unless they cause some to fall Prov. 4.16 O the Law of Sin it sollicits to this and that evil and its sollicitations thereunto are so pressing and earnest that it will receive no repulse yea the Sinner is so over-powered that he is even carried away with it like an empty Vessel in a fierce and rapid stream In whatever point the Wind stands it blows so fiercely so strongly that there 's no standing against it I mean whatever the Lust be in which the Sin of Nature vents it self whether Vncleanness or Ambition or Coveteousness or what you will that comes with such a force and violence upon the natural man that he falls before it and yields to it We speak much in another sense of the Law of Nature truely the grand Law of Nature as depraved is to command and incline men to sin against God and this it must needs do with a mighty power and efficacy in those in whom 't is wholly depraved 2. Secondly this Law of Sin shews it self in its opposing and hindring of what is good 'T is a Law which always runs counter to Gods Law it will be sure to further what that forbids and to hinder what that commands for it always sets it self in a direct opposition thereunto Doth that call for such and such Duties are there some Convictions upon the Sinners Conscience about them doth he begin a little to incline to what is good how doth Sin now bestir it self to make head in the Soul against these convictions and good inclinations how doth it endeavour to nip the blossoms to stifle and smother the initial propensions to what is good to kill the Infant in the Cradle as Herod would have done with Christ to make all Conceptions in order to Obedience and Holiness to prove abortive There is in Sin a fixed rooted aversation to whatever is holy and spiritual which it puts forth to its utmost wherever 't is upon the throne it doth not onely work a loathness to duty but a loathing of duty it countermands where 't is in its full power all the motions and excitations of the blessed Spirit thereunto O sometimes the Spirit comes to a man and says thou hast neglected prayer hitherto 't is high time now to set upon it thus long thou hast liv'd and all this time thou hast not minded the reading of the Scriptures the hearing of the Word preached c. come now let them be minded all thy days thou hast been a stranger to holiness now be holy thou hast been a despiser of Christ hitherto now love fear receive honour him thus the good Spirit would draw on the Sinner to what is good Well! is indwelling Sin quiet now O no! it puts forth it self with its greatest vigour and strength in opposition to the breathings of the good Spirit it saith Sinner let Word and Spirit say what they will do thou hold on thy course keep on thy way God is merciful fear it not Duty is burdensome meddle not with it what need is there of all this praying hearing believing repenting holy walking c. These are the bold oppositions and subtil insinuations of Sin against what is good set forth by the lustings of the Flesh against the Spirit Gal. 5.17 these are its cursed renitencies and reluctancies against duty Now till the regenerating Spirit comes with his victorious grace to conquer them the Sinner is wholly under their power so that they do most effectually and prevailingly keep him off from what is good You have it exemplified in the Young-man Matth. 19.22 in Felix Acts 24.25 and in several others This is the very Case of men before Conversion whether you consider the Law of Sin as it puts forth it self with respect to Evil or with respect to Good the Unconverted are under it it hurries them on to what is wicked and as powerfully holds them off from what is holy in both respects they are entirely under the command of it as a Law
and entirely acted by it as a principle 't is no better than thus and worser it cannot be with unregenerate persons Let this general Answer to the First Question be sufficient 2 Quest Of the difference betwixt the Law of Sin as 't is in the Regenerate and as 't is in the Vnregenerate A Second is this How may it be known when persons are under the Law of Sin or How may we distinguish betwixt the Law of Sin as 't is in the Vnregenerate and as 't is in the Regenerate For even the Latter find too much of this Law in them Paul here saith he was freed from it and yet in the foregoing Chap. he sadly laments it as you have often heard renewed and sanctified Souls do by sad experience feel the corrupt Nature strongly urging and pressing them to what is evil and as strongly opposing and hindring them in what is good yea in both often prevailing may not they therefore as well as Others be said to be under the Law of sin if not where lies the difference or what is it that doth indeed denominate a man to be under that Law This being a Question of great importance I shall be larger in the answering of it than I was of the Former Answ yet not so large as the Nature of the Subject would admit of nor as Some of our own Divines are who write upon it I shall reduce all to Three Heads 1. First where the whole bent and tendency of the heart is towards sin that the propensions of the Soul thereto are entire and unmixt there 't is the Law of sin and that Law of sin which is proper to the Vnregenerate this speaks Sin to be upon the throne indeed that its power and dominion is habitual plenary and absolute A Child of God may have very strong corruptions in him and they sometimes too may break forth into external acts the sinful Nature may vehemently incline him to what is evil and sometimes prevail too yet the bent of his heart is for God against Sin and the stream doth not run wholly one way he hath propensions unto good as well as unto evil whereupon he is not under the Law of sin But take an unsanctified person 't is otherwise with him his heart is in sin and set for sin that 's the thing to which it altogether bends inclines and works there is not a stronger bent in heavy bodies to descend or in light things to ascend than there is in such an one to sin against God and further he 's not divided in what is evil he 's all of a piece the sinful Nature in him is entire and doth all now where 't is thus certainly there 't is the Law of sin Paul in his saddest complaints of this Law as in himself yet says It is no more I that do it but sin that dwelleth in me 't was not he that did it because the bent of his heart was against it and he says With the mind I my self serve the law of God the habitual tendency and inclination of his Soul was towards Good and as he was himself it was thus with him for he puts I my self onely to the serving of the law of God not to that of the law of sin So that though the Law of sin was in him yet he was not under it strictly as the Law of sin Sin had too great a strength in him but it had not the sole and full command of him 2. Secondly when all the several Faculties of the Soul are altogether on Sin 's side and wholly take its part then 't is the Law of sin and that which is proper to the Vnregenerate if this Head be not distinct from the Former yet it may be useful as a more particular explication of it In such persons Vnderstanding Will Affections all are engag'd on Sins side and therein lies its power and dominion over them the Vnderstanding assents the Will consents the Affections answerably are drawn out ô here is the Law of Sin or Sin regnant The Vnderstanding gives in its final and positive dictate that Sin is good represents it as eligible to the Will the Will upon this closes with it embraces it cleaves to it the Affections desire joy delight c. run out upon it where 't is thus the case is determin'd But this must be taken with a threefold Proviso 1. That the assent of the Vnderstanding be deliberate for even a Child of God upon a sudden surprisal pro hic nunc may judge better of sin than it deserves 2. That the consent of the Will be plenary and full for there may be in gracious persons sometimes a broken half-consent to what is evil 3. That both Assent and Consent be understood of a Course in Sin for as to particular Acts no question but one who is regenerate under the power of a temptation may do both of these This threefold Proviso being taken in the thing is clear whosoever shall be so far besotted as upon deliberation to judge a sinful course to be the best course and thereupon shall choose imbrace fall in with and continue in it yea shall delight and please himself in it unquestionably in this man 't is the Law of Sin Sin never gets thus high where Grace is For the proof of which we must recur to our great instance Paul after his Conversion found Sin to be too powerful in him which was his great burden yet notwithstanding the fixed acts of the several Faculties of his Soul were for God against Sin As for example in his Vnderstanding he assented to the goodness of the Law of God but not to the goodness of the Law of Sin Rom. 7.12 wherefore the Law is holy c. in his Will he also consented to this V. 16. If then I do that which I would not I consent unto the Law that it is good and for his Affections he saith I delight in the Law of God after the inward man now these being as I said the fixed acts of the several Faculties in Paul in him it was not the Law of Sin And thus for the main it is with every gracious Soul but for Others in whom Sin hath all all the Faculties Vnderstanding Will Affections in their proper acts being entirely for it 't is evident that they are under the Law of Sin Of all the Faculties the Will doth most discover the power of Sin for there its Dominion and Soveraignty is chiefly seated and acted ô when it once gains that then it ascends the throne indeed that 's the time as it were of its inauguration when 't is invested in all its Regalities It comes to the Sinner and says art thou willing that I should rule thee yes saith he with all my heart I like thy Commands and Government I am thine I submit to thee to be at thy dispose I here swear Fealty and Allegiance to thee c. Dreadful language ô that ever it
all bondage but that which is the worst The * ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Plato Alcib 1. Moralists by the Light of Nature had true notions about this for they could say that Vertue and Goodness onely did entitle to Liberty that Vice and Wickedness were always attended with Servitude The * Persius Sat. 5. An quisquam est alius liber nisi ducere vitam Cui licet ut voluit licet ut volo vivere non sum Liberior Bruto Liber ego unde datum hoc sumis tot subdite rebus An Dominum ignoras nifi quem vindicta relaxat Servitium acre Te nihil impellit nec quicquam extrinsecùs intrat Quod nervos agitet sed si intus in jecore aegro Nascantur Domini qui tu impunitior exis Satyrist falls severely upon some high pretenders to Liberty because they were their own Masters at their own dispose did what they pleased were not they free he answers them sharply shewing there might be external and Civil Liberty and yet they might be under bondage if Vice had the mastery and command of them nay if any one Vice or Lust did prevail over them whether Covetuousness or Intemperance c. that would be enough to prove them no better than Vassals and Slaves let their outward condition be never so high and good Now surely we may be more clear and positive in this than they who by Scripture-light know more of the Law of Sin than they could do by the bare light of Nature Every regenerate * Vide Philon. Jud. in Tract cui titulus Quod omnis probus liber p. 670. good man is free but every unregenerate wicked man is a very slave and under most dreadful thraldom Now it being thus that I may the better convince your of the evil and misery of this bondage and also excite you to the most vigorous endeavours to get out of it let me lay a few particulars before you As The Evil and Misery of spiritual Bondage resulting from the Law of Sin set forth 1. Consider that bondage to Sin is always accompanied with bondage to Satan Whoever is under the Law of Sin he is thereupon also under the Law of Satan for Sins and Satans power always go together the truth is these two are as it were Allies and Confederates nay they are copartners in dominion they ever share in the government of the Soul and rule jointly so that he who is under the power of the one is under the power of the other also There is an oneness of interest and dominion betwixt them as Satan gets up Sin gets up and as Sin gets up Satan gets up too The Devil's Reign depends upon the Reign of Sin where 't is not the Law of Sin his power is very low 't is said of him that * Eph. 2.2 he rules where or in whom why in the Children of disobedience where 't is disobedience to the Laws of God and obedience to the Laws of Sin there Satans Kingdome is very high there he rules and doth what he will as he is said to take some men captives at his will 2 Tim. 2.11 Now is not this a dreadful thing the most deplorable bondage that a Creature can lie under what to be the Devils Subject a Slave to him who is in chains himself ruled by him who is the grand Rebel and the Head of all the lower Rebels against God what more woful Sinner when wilt thou consider it shall a damned Creature be thy Lord and Soveraign shall he be thy Ruler here who will be thy tormentor hereafter wilt thou live in jubjection under him who is but a Jaylor and Executioner of Gods displeasure what bondage can be so great so much to be detested as this 2. Secondly let be considered what sin is both as it is in it self and also as it manages its power command and regency in and over the Sinner 1. Look upon Sin in it self 'T is the basest the vilest thing that is the whole world hath nothing in it of so vile a nature as it 'T is that onely thing which God never made other things may seem to be vile and comparatively they may really be so yet they being Gods Creatures there is something of excellency in them but as for Sin God hath nothing to do with it onely as he doth dispose and over-rule it to his own glory 'T is the onely thing that God cannot do there are many things which he will not do but Sin is the onely thing which he cannot do God can make a world uphold a world destroy a world he can do all onely he cannot sin Now whoever thou art let this be thought of shall a thing so vile and base so contrary to God's Nature shall that have the Rule and Command of thee how can the Spirit of a Man bear a thing so indecent so unworthy of him but if he will stoop to what is so much below him what slavery and bondage must needs result from it It 's sometimes matter of affliction to us to see vile and base men exalted to places of high power and dignity Psal 12.8 The wicked walk on every side when the vilest men are exalted yet this must be submitted to because the all-disposing God in the methods of his wise providence hath a hand in it as we read Dan. 4.17 that the most High ruleth in the Kingdom of men and giveth it whomsoever he will and setteth up over it the basest of men But that a man by his own Act and Choice should set so base a thing as Sin upon the throne and put himself under the dominion of it this is most strange and indeed would be incredible did we not see it done every day To be subject to a Prince of high extraction that hath Greatness and Majesty in him who refuses that but to be subject to a fellow taken off from the Dunghil that was born for the Kitchin not the Throne to hold the Plow rather than the Scepter who can bear that the application is obvious as to that which I am upon Sin is of so vile a nature that every heart should rise against its power All subjection doth not infer bondage but when 't is to a Person or Thing that is below ones self then 't is bondage now that 's the case as to Sin 'T is sad that that which is so much below us in worth and excellency should be above us in power and dominion 't was Noah's Curse upon Cham to be a Servant of Servants Gen. 9.25 what a servant or slave is he who is a servant to Sin and the several Lusts thereof 2. Look upon Sin in the management of its power and by that you will the better see into the evil and misery of that bondage which arises from subjection to it What are the Laws of Sin always evil Usurpers amongst men often make good Laws our own Histories as to matter of Fact
tell us that some of our Kings who had the worst Titles made the best Laws and indeed they had need use their power well who get it ill But now Sin doth not only usurp that power which of right belongs not to it but it also manages its power very wickedly particularly with respect to the Laws which it makes and imposes upon its Subjects ô 't is sad living under its government The Philosopher tells us that the intention of the Legislator is to make his Subjects good certainly 't is either so or it should be so but when Sin gets upon the throne and assumes a legislative Authority to it self its intention is only to make its Subjects bad for the worse they are the better they suit with it 'T is a blessed thing to live under the Rule of Christ because of the holiness purity goodness of his Laws but 't is a woful thing to live under the Rule of Sin because its Laws are quite contrary hellish and wicked for here it holds true like Lord like Law Nay the Laws of Men I do not say all have real goodness in them so far as they are founded upon * Lex est nihil aliud nisi recta à Numine Deorum Ratio imperans honesta prohiâ ens contraria profectò ita se res habet ut quoniain vitiorum emendatricem Legem esse oportet commendatricemque virtutum ab eâ vivendi doctrina petatur Cicero de Legib. l. 1. Reason and designed for good Ends viz. to excite persons to what is good and to restrain them from what is evil and so far 't is the happiness of any to live under them and their duty readily and cheerfully to comply with them But 't is not thus with the Laws of Sin inasmuch as they are always contrary to right and sound Reason and always tend to what is evil which therefore so far as any man is subject to he must needs be miserable 'T is commonly said Ex malis moribus bonae Leges bad manners sometimes produce good Laws but bad Laws especially when they are written in the heart and are the principle of action as the Laws of Sin are can never produce good manners if Sin make the Law I know what will be the Life Further this Sin is not onely out of measure sinful in the exercise of its power where it is uppermost but 't is also out of measure tyrannical There have been too many Tyrants in the World but never was there such an one as Sin all the Nero's Caligula's Domitians c. that ever lived were nothing to it this first acted the part of a Tyrant in them before they acted the part of Tyrants over others The tyranny of Sin appears in many things I 'le instance in a Few 1. Its Commands are innumerable there 's no end of its Laws and * In corruptissimâ Republicâ plurimae Leges Tacit. multiplicity of Laws always speaks either a bad people or a bad Prince 2. Its Commands are contrary one Law thwarts another the poor Sinner under its dominion is haled contrary ways that he scarce knows whether to go or what to do Lust clashes with Lust one draws one way and another another so that the poor inslaved Soul is at a loss and knows not how to please all Tit. 3.3 serving divers Lusts ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã divers for their Number and divers for their Nature and Kind also O quam multos habet Dominos qui unum non habet how many Lords and Masters hath he who hath not Christ onely for his Lord 3. 'T is very rigorous in its demands it must have full Obedience or none at all Eph. 2.3 fulfilling the Lusts of the flesh partial and half-Obedience will neither satisfie an holy God nor an unholy Nature and as God for whom the All is too little so Sin too for which the least is too much is for the doing of all it requires 4. Its Commands are never at an end Let the poor bondman sin to day he must sin again to morrow and so on in infinitum yea the more he doth in obedience to it the more it grows upon him in its Commands just as Tyrants and hard Masters use to do 5. When Sin once gets upon the throne 't is so imperious and cruel that its Vassals must stick at nothing Be the thing never so base the costs and hazards never so great yet if Sin calls for the doing of it it must be done Sinners you must waste you Estates blast your Credit impair your Health destroy your Bodies damn your Souls you must part with God peace of Conscience Heaven it self you must quit all that is good and venture all that is bad in its service and in compliance with its Edicts ô what an imperious insolent insatiable thing is Sin here 's the Tyrant indeed both in Titulo and also in Exercitio And now is not the poor unregenerate Sinner very miserable who lives under such a Tyrant is not his bondage exceeding great who that is not highly besotted would be willing to continue under Sins power that may be brought under the holy gracious excellent government of the Lord Jesus 3. Thirdly the Evil of this bondage arising from the Law of sin appears from its principal Subject 't is a Soul-bondage Of all Evils Soul evils are the worst Soul-famin is the worst famin Soul-death the worst death Soul-plagues the worst plagues and so here Soul-bondage is the worst bondage The bondage of Israel in Egypt was very evil yet not comparable to this which I am upon because that was but corporal and external but this is spiritual and internal when the best part is inslav'd that must needs be the worst slavery There may be a servile condition without and yet a free and generous Soul within as * Errat siquis existimat servitutem in totum hominem descendere pars melior ejus excepta est corpora obnoxia sunt adscripta Dominis mens sui juris est c. Sen. de Benef. l. 3. c. 20. Seneca observes of Servants but if the Soul it self be under servitude then the whole man the very top of man all is in servitude Sin is of so proud and aspiring a nature that no place will serve it for its pallace or principal Seat but the very Soul ô there it delights to have its residence and to exercise its dominion And this is its subtilty as well as its pride for it knows if it can but rule the Soul that then the Soul will easily rule the Body as the main Fort within the Town being gained that will with ease command all the outward Forts And 't is the whole Soul too that Sin must have God who made it will have the whole Heart and Sin which designs to enslave it will have the whole Heart too 't is not satisfied with this or that Faculty but all must be subject to it it must reign in the Vnderstanding
God hath no love there the Sinner must dye eternally You have in the Text the Law of sin and the Law of death coupled together ô what a dangerous thing is the Law of sin where Sin hath its full power over the creature to make him wicked Death upon this will have its full power also to make him miserable So Rom. 6.16 Know you not that to whom you yield your selves servants to obey his servants you are to whom you obey whether of sin unto death or of obedience unto righreousness V. 21. For the end of these things is death V. 23. the wages of sin is death And is it so who then would be Sins servant who would serve that master who pays no better wages than death you that are Servants would you enter into the service of One that would pay you such wages such a master sin is and such wages it doth pay ô therefore quit its service be wise for your Souls be sensible of the danger of continuing under the Law of sin otherwise this Law of sin will soon be turned into the Law of death And indeed it is this which ends in death 't is not barely sin which condemns but 't is the Law of sin which condemns when it hath the Supream and Soveraign commanding power in the Soul and reigns there as Lord paramount then 't is killing and damning And now Sirs may not that which hath been spoken be sufficient to convince you of the evil of that bondage that miserable hereditary bondage which you all lie under so long as you are in the natural and unregenerate state and will you not be prevailed with to endeavour speedily to get out of it by the Law of the Spirit to be made free from the Law of Sin You may be freed from this bondage if you will Christ is come as for other ends so for this to give liberty to the captives and to open the prison to them who are bound Isa 61.1 to knock off Sinners bolts and chains and to make them free indeed Joh. 8.36 in his name I do this day tender freedom to you and deliverance from Sins vassalage will you not accept of it And here 's the Law of the Spirit too to make you free from the Law of Sin why then shall not this be done Will you still like Sins yoke I assure you Christ's is not so easie but Sins is as uneafie will you have its dominion yet kept up in you are you loath to part with your old Master then your ears must be boared for Sin and Sathan * Exod. 21.5 6. as the Servant under the Law was to be served who might have been set at liberty from his Master but he had no mind to it If it be thus I can say nothing more onely pray that the Lord will convince you what the reign and power of Sin is what a miserable bondage attends it that you may with the greatest earnestness press after Conversion and the Law of the Spirit of Life in order to freedom from it So much for the First Branch of this Vse of Information 2. Branch of Information concerning the Necessity c. of restraining and renewing Grace Secondly it informs us further of the Necessity Power and Efficacy of restraining and renewing Grace I 'le speak to them apart 1. For restraining Grace By which I mean that grace whereby God keeps in mens corruptions and sets bounds and limits to them in Sin so as not to suffer them to be as vile and wicked as otherwise they would be That such a thing is done by God all grant he that bounds the Sea that it doth not break forth and overflow all 't is most elegantly set out Job 38.8 10 11. Who shut up the Sea with doors when it brake forth as if it had issued out of the womb And brake up for it my decreed place and set bars and doors And said hitherto shalt-thou come but no further and here shall thy proud waves be stayed as also Jer. 5.22 which have placed the sand for the bound of the Sea by a perpetual decree that it cannot pass it and though the waves thereof toss themselves yet can they not prevail though they roar yet can they not pass over it I say he that thus bounds the Sea that unruly body doth also bound the wickedness of mans heart a far more unruly thing than the Sea it self this God keeps in or lets out as seems good unto him You see it in the case of Abimilech whose Lust did strongly work in him towards Sarah but saith God Gen. 20.6 I withheld thee from sinning against me therefore I suffered thee not to touch her the like you have in several other instances Now this Law of Sin proves both the necessity and also the mighty power and efficacy of this restraining Grace for the making out of which be pleased to take notice of the following Particulars 1. That the most of men are under the Law of Sin All are born under it and the most continue under it for the most are in the state of Nature and in that state the Law of Sin carries it Here and there you have a Soul brought in to God converted savingly wrought upon * Jer. 3.14 one of a city and two of a family but the generality of men are strangers to this work and therefore they are under the full power and dominion of a cursed nature It being so how necessary is restraining grace for the less there is of regenerating grace the more need there is of restraining grace 2. Men naturally being under this Law it doth vehemently and impetuously put them upon sin for herein lies its being a Law and a Principle as you have heard The depraved Nature doth not barely dispose men to sin or faintly persuade them to sin but it doth powerfully and efficaciously incline urge impell nay necessitate them to sin they cannot cease from sin 2 Pet. 2.14 3. It is not this or that sin which this Law urges men to but if it be left to it self it urges to every sin yea to the very worst of sins This indwelling sin contains all sin in it the corrupt Nature is the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the Seminary or Seed-plot of all wickedness in that one sinful habit all sinful acts do lie seminally and radically and Sin where it is a Law is for all Sin it will excite instigate provoke not onely to lesser evils such as the world puts a fairer interpretation upon but also to those which are most enormous hideous and horrid as Atheism Blasphemy Murther Theft Adultery c. 4. This Law of Sin hath great advantages in and over men for 't is a Law that is in them an innate ingenit inbred Law 't is written and engraven in their very nature Sin is now connatural to them yea 't is as natural in some respects for apostatized man to sin as 't is for the fire to burn
or the stone to descend I have told you and there is too much of truth in it that the great Law of Nature it being considered as depraved is to sin against God This Law of sin is written in the heart and that gives a mighty power and efficacy to it and must needs strongly incline a person to comply with it as God when he would have men readily and effectually to close with his Will * Jer. 31.33 he writes his Law in their heart and that being done they cannot but do what that Law enjoyns just so it is with Sinners in reference to the Law of Sin upon the writing of it in their hearts These things being considered and put together what 's the reason that there is no more sin in the world God knows there is too much of it the Law of Sin is too prevalent in the hearts and lives of the most but yet I say what is the reason that there is no more of it for certainly this Law of Sin leads the Unregenerate to do more evil than what many yea any of them do Doubtless there are divers who are fully under Sins power who yet are kept from many external gross acts of it and are not altogether so bad as it and Satan would have them to be Sometimes it breaks forth in this or that unconverted person but why doth it not do the same in every such person and sometimes too it breaks forth in this or that act but why doth it not so do in every act yea in the grossest acts whence is it that every unconverted man is not a Cain a Judas a Nero c. the Law of Sin inclining him to all this wickedness I answer the reason why it is not so is wholly grounded upon the restraining grace of God It pleases God for the Good of the World of humane Society especially for the good of his own people to keep in and bound that wicked nature which is in wicked men that it shall not in all such at all times in all acts proper to it vent it self as it pleases And was it not for this mighty restraint which God in his Providence lays upon Sin and Sinners there would be no living in the world there would be nothing but killing and slaying and stealing c. and in a word the perpetration of all villanies imaginable Was it not for this whither would not the Law of Sin carry men they being under the full dominion of it what would they stick at ô but God restrains them he lets out so much of their corruptions as may be to his own glory and the residuum or overplus he keeps in according to that of the Psalmist Psal 76.10 Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee the remainer of wrath shalt thou restrain How necessary therefore is restraining grace 't is necessary in respect of the good much more in respect of the bad even they do need it for themselves but these much more for others Ravenous and fierce Creatures must be kept in chains or else they would worry and tear all that should come within their reach if God had not Devils and Men in chains they would be so exorbitant that the world could not long subsist blessed be God for restraining mercy And how doth this also hold forth the mighty power of this mercy when Sin lords it at such a rate in the hearts of men hath such an absolute power over themâ doth so impetuously urge them to all kinds and degrees of evil that yet they should be so bounded and limited that some Order and Decorum should be kept up in the world ô the power of restraining providence 'T is like the Fires not burning into which the Three Children were cast or like the Lions not tearing of Daniel when he was in the very midst of them which certainly proceeded from the mighty restraint which God laid upon the One and upon the Other in the suspending and hindring of them in their natural operations 't is no less power that which God puts forth in the restraining of mens sinful Natures that they do not so fiercely break forth in all wicked acts as otherwise they would And if this be so admirable in the restraining of Men how much more admirable is it in the restraining of Devils their power rage malice wickedness is greater by much than that in men ô therefore why do not they do all the mischief they could and would why do not they destroy and worry all before them especially as to the Saints whom they most hate why do they not tear them in pieces every day why no thank to themselves they cannot do it because God restrains them binds and bounds them as he pleases here 's the great demonstration of the power of restraining Grace 2. Secondly it shows us also the necessity power and efficacy of Renewing Grace There 's more in this Grace than in the former in restraining grace Sin is a little curb'd and kept in but yet it retains its inward strength and power as 't was with Sampson when he was onely bound or as 't is with fierce Creatures when they are in cages or chains but in renewing grace Sin is subdued conquered much weakened in its strength divested of its former absolute power not onely kept in but brought under and the Soul brought over to the will and command of God Now this being effected in and by renewing grace 't is evident that there is a mighty power and efficacy in that Grace for that which frees from so great a power as that of Sin before Conversion must needs have a great power it it If renewing grace was a weak thing or did act in a weak manner it could never do what it doth was there not the Law of the Spirit in it the Law of Sin would be too hard for it 'T is not to be imagin'd that Sin will ever be persuaded to resign or tamely to quit its power and dominion which it so dearly loves and so fiercely contends for no it must be forc'd to this and plainly overpower'd or else 't will keep what it hath therefore in regeneration God comes with that effectual almighty grace which shall infallibly pull Sin off from the throne let it do its worst with that power which all the power of Sin cannot withstand and so the work is done As you see in the case of Peter that I may open it by an allusion you read Acts 12.5 c. how he was kept in prison bound with two chains the Keepers before the door kept the prison besides he had Souldiers by him and he sleeping betwixt them one would think that now Herod had him fast enough and yet Peter is brought out how why the Angel of the Lord comes in the strength of God awakens him bids him arise makes his chains fall off from him breaks open the prison doors and so sets him free The like you read of Paul and
Gen. 25.23 I mean the corrupt nature must be an underling to that which is sanctified if Hagar will be content to live in the house in a state of inferiority well and good that for a time must be submitted to but if she will be presuming to vie with her Mistress for authority and rule and nothing will serve her below that she must then be made to know her self the application is obvious To make the thing unquestionable pray consider what that in special is which is done by God at the converting of a Soul 't is this very thing the dethroning of Sin and Satan and the inthroning of Christ and Grace where God converts he doth in effect say Sin thou must now come down and Christ and Grace shall now ascend the throne When ever the Sinner is regenerated in the first moment of that state Sin is divested of its usurped power and regency and the Kingdom of Christ in and by Grace is set up in him now Christ's kingdom and Sins kingdom are incompatible where he reigns it shall not for he is impatiens consortis but especially he will not have such a base thing as Sin to share with him in the government of the Soul Where Christ comes and takes possession he always abolishes the Law of Sin and instead of that sets up another Law for new Lords will have new Laws and different Lords different Laws Therefore in the work of Conversion God promises to write his Law in the heart Jer. 31.33 But this shall be the Covenant that I will make with the house of Israel I will put my law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts now upon the doing of that the Law of Sin is defac'd antiquated and canoell'd for since contrary Laws cannot be together in their full force the former must be abolish'd upon the introduction of the latter Once more in the Text you have the Law of the Spirit of Life brought in in opposition to and in order to the abolition of the Law of Sin which being considered it affords a very weighty argument for the proof of the Truth in hand The Law of the Spirit is the mighty power of the Spirit put forth in the regenerate Soul for the rescuing of it from the power of Sin and the bringing of it under the Rule and Scepter of the Lord Christ now shall this Spirit put forth such a mighty power for this very end and yet Sin continue as high in its Soveraignty as before what advantage then would the Believer have by the Law of the Spirit if the Law of Sin should yet be kept up in him Certainly when this great Spirit shall vouchsafe to exert his great power there must be some great effect produced by it and what can that be but the delivering of the poor Captive-Sinner from Sins bondage the destroying of Satans kingdom and the setting up of Christs sweet and gracious Government in the Soul but I spend time in the proving of that which indeed needs not much proof In the application of the Doctrine which I judge will be more useful and necessary I might here take occasion to confute those who misunderstanding this passage being made free from the Law of Sin do from thence infer and argue for the Saints perfection in this Life But having given you all that this freedom contains in it which comes exceeding short of perfection I think I need not I 'm sure I will not speak any thing further for the obviating and refuting of that proud Opinion He that here saith he was made free from the Law of Sin elsewhere saith also * Phil. 3.12 he had not already attained nor was already perfect c. and surely he went as far nay much further than any of our modern Perfectionists God make us sensible of imperfection in this State and ever to be pressing after and waiting for that perfection which only belongs to the future state I might also from hence infer the happiness of such who are truly regenerate and the preciousness excellency advantage of regenerating grace ô how happy are they who are delivered from Sins yoke and how precious is that grace which instates the Soul in such liberty VSE 1. How we may know whether we be made free from the Law of Sin But passing by these things I will in the first place desire you to make diligent search whether you be thus freed from the Law of Sin O Sirs how is it with you what can you say of your selves about this You heard in the former Point that all in the Natural State are under this Law Adam hath entail'd this bondage upon all his posterity had he not flan we had come into the world with the Law of God written in our hearts but now we are born with the Law of Sin written in them are we therefore brought out of the state of Nature In this Point you have heard that they who are Regenerate are made free from it so that if you be not such you are concluded to be yet under the Law of Sin these two do mutually prove each the other if it be the state of unregeneracy 't is the Law of Sin and if it be the Law of Sin 't is the state of unregeneracy Well! it highly concerns you to be most seriously inquisitive about this 'pray therefore bring it down to your selves one by one and ask how is it with me am I under the Law of Sin or am I made free from it some Law or other I must be under for every man in the world is so therefore what is the Law which hath the authority over me is it the Law of Christ the Law of Grace or is it the Law of Sin hath not the sinful Nature in me the dominion of a Law and the efficacy of a Principle is not all that which makes up the Law of Sin to be found in me To help you in this Enquiry I need not say much more than what I have already said do but look back to the explication of Sins being a Law as also to the Answer of that Question How this may be known and there 's enough to direct you in examination and passing judgment upon your selves Yet however a little further to help you herein and also to quicken you to the more serious searching into it let me tell you there are very great and dangerous mistakes in this matter ô how far may Sinners go and how well may they think of themselves and yet for all that be under the Law of Sin men catch at false evidences and lay that stress upon them which they will not bear Let me instance in a few particulars to show how far persons may go and yet not be made free from the Law of Sin or to set forth the weakness of some grounds which men build upon for this How far men may go and yet be under the Law of Sin 1. They
thy fetters love thy dungeon be fond of thy bondage and prefer it before liberty what is this but madness not to be parallel'd what ingratitude is this to thy Saviour what cruelty to thy self as to thee I may well alter Tiberius's ô gentem c. into ô animam ad servitutem natam Further I pray you think of this if Sin rule you will Christ save you you cannot but know the contrary you know that he rules wherever he saves that he will be the Governour Where he is the Saviour that Sins yoke must be taken off and * Matth. 11.29 his yoke taken up or no salvation and yet shall Sin be obey'd and be thy Lord and Sovereign rather than Christ The business comes to a narrow issue let Christ rule thee and hee 'l save the but let Sin command thee and 't will condemn thee the Law of Christ and of the Spirit is the Law of Life but the Law of Sin is the Law of Death but these things have been insisted upon O that this Spirit which frees from the Law of Sin would shew you what there is in the Law of Sin men do not endeavour to get out of it because they are not convinc'd of the evil that is in it did they but know what it is they would choose to dye rather than to live under it And as for you let me ask you how you carry it in other respects you hate the Tyrant without will you love the Tyrant within you groan under the Laws of men when they are a little heavy shall there be no groanings under the far heavier Laws of Sin you will not be called slaves to any will you be content to be indeed slaves to Sin is a barbarous Turk cry'd out of when a Devil and a cursed Nature are never regarded But one Consideration more as God made you at the first you had nothing to do with this Law of Sin no he made you for his own government to be subject to himself his Law was written within you to command and act you in your whole course how then came Sin by this power how did it get up thus into the throne why onely by the first Apostacy from God Adams Fall was Sins Rise its reign commenc'd from mans rebellion 't is a meer upstart and intruder God never design'd this power to it will you now by your liking of it and continuance under it give an after-ratification or approbation of its power It hath depriv'd you of your primitive liberty and will you not endeavour to regain it when Sardis was taken by the Grecians Xerxes commanded that every day when he was at dinner one should cry aloud Sardis is lost Sardis is lost that hereby he might be inminded of what he had lost and stirr'd up to endeavour the regaining of it ô Sirs your Original Liberty is lost Sin hath got it out of your hands this we proclaim in your ears from time to time that you may never be quiet till you have recovered it and yet will you do nothing in order thereunto will you e'ne sit still under this inexpressible loss ô that 's sad All this hath been spoken to set you against Sins dominion to excite you to the most earnest endeavours to be rid of its soveraignty to cause you to fly to the Spirit of Life that you may be made free from the Law of Sin to work holy purposes in you that Sin shall no longer reign over you that you may say with the Church Isa 26.13 O Lord our God other Lords besides thee have had dominion over us but by thee onely will we make mention of thy name O that I might prevail with some Soul to say with respect to Sin Ah Lord other Lords have had dominion over me lust pride passion covetuousness sensuality have ruled me just as they pleas'd but I desire it may be so no longer I am resolved now onely to be subject to thy self ô do thou dethrone Sin and inthrone thy self in me let me be brought under universal hearty ready subjection to thy Laws and let not the Law of Sin carry it in me any longer c. One Direction given for the Sinners being freed from Sins power In what ways and by what means a poor enslaved Sinner may be made free from the Law of Sin is a very weighty enquiry and I would hope that some Sinners being convinc'd by what hath been spoken have it in their thoughts For answer to it there 's one Direction only which I shall at present give 't is this Get into the regenerate state regenerate persons are the adequate Subjects of this freedom they and none but they are freed from Sin as a Law Paul so long as he was unconverted was as much under this Law as any person whatsoever but as soon as it pleased God to convert him he was made free from it This deliverance depends upon the state it must be the state of regeneracy till which Sin will keep up its regency and soveraignty in the Soul ô as you have heard when Grace once comes into the heart the kingdom of Sin goes down and the kingdom of Christ goes up therein but never before All your strivings endeavours convictions purposes promises will never make Sins throne to shake and fall till you be renewed and sanctified Therefore pray much for the regenerating Spirit and attend much upon the regenerating Word in order to this great work Joh. 3.5 Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God Jam. 1.18 Of his own will begat he us by the Word of truth c. 1 Cor. 4.15 In Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the Gospel 't is this Spirit and this Word which must renew and bring about the new birth in you and so deliver you from the power of darkness and translate you into the kingdom of Gods dear Son as the Apostle speaks Col. 1.13 But this will be more properly enlarg'd upon when I shall come to the third Observation therefore here I 'le say no more about it VSE 3. To such who are made free from the Law of Sin first by way of Counsel 3. I will direct my self to those who by the Spirit of Life are made free from the Law of Sin something to them 1. by way of Counsell 2. by way of Comfort By way of Counsel I 'le urge three duties upon them 1. The first is hearty and deep humiliation and this is incumbent upon such partly upon what is past and partly upon what is present Regenerate persons to be deeply humbled though they be made free from the Law of Sin First hath the Lord been so gracious to any of you as to bring you out of the Natural bondage to dethrone and bring down this Sin which did at such a rate domineer over you ô you must be deeply humbled upon your taking a view of what is past
as a free Denizon of it who doth so little know how to value such a priviledge Go thy way therefore and be a slave again since thou knowest not how to carry it as becomes one that is free Now I say if God should deal thus with any of you would it not be sad true he will never wholly reverse what he hath done in you and for you but thus far he may go he may let corruption at some times and in some acts prevail over you and he may wholly deprive you of the sense and comfort of your spiritual liberty and would not these be bad enough To walk suitably to it Let me under this Head press another thing upon you viz. to walk suitably to this your freedom wherein doth that consist why in this in being holy and very holy If you so be this will suit with the deliverance from the Law of Sin which you have upon regeneration and which you must therefore be because 't is one great end of God in doing that for you Luk. 1.74 75. That we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies might serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life 'T is observable how God ushers in the Ten Commandements with his delivering the people of Israel out of the Egyptian bondage thereby to lay the greater obligation upon them to obey and keep those Commandements Exod. 20.2 I am the Lord thy God which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt out of the house of bondage then the several Commandements follow And as to that particular Command of keeping the Sabbath you find God enforcing of it with this Argument only Deut. 5.15 Remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt c. O how holy how obedient should they be whom God hath brought out of the state of spiritual bondage the obligation rising higher from this deliverance than from the former Christians you should be very holy partly from a principle of gratitude partly because now the life of holiness is made more easie and facil if you be not so now the power of Sin is broken in you it must be from your sloth or something worse * ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Oec Some observe upon the latter-Clause of the preceding Verse who walk not after the flesh c. that now under the Gospel 't is much more easie to live the heavenly life than it was formerly under the Law so that say they if men do not live that Life it must be charg'd meerly upon their own negligence so here I say persons being delivered from the Reign of Sin to them now 't is much more possible nay easie to be holy in their walkings than sometimes it was and therefore if they do not so walk 't is meerly from their idleness and sinful neglects Sirs now the holy Life is made practicable to you what an engagement doth this lay upon you to live it The Apostle here according to that Connexion of the Words which some pitch upon brings in freedom from the Law of Sin as the ground of not walking c. therefore they who are in Christ do not follow the sinful and carnal but the holy and spiritual course because they are freed from Sins power I 'm sure as to the thing 't is the duty of such so to walk upon this account Let me add a third Consideration regenerate persons upon this must be very holy that there may be some proportion 'twixt Nature as renewed in the way of Holiness and Nature as depraved in the way of Sin 'pray observe it so long as depraved Nature was upon the throne you were very sinful therefore now when renewed Nature is upon the throne you should be very holy I do not from hence plead for an equality that I very well know is not possible and the reason is because corrupt nature before Conversion was entire not broken or weakened by any contrary habit or principle but 't is not so with the renewed Nature after Conversion for that hath Sin mingled with it striving against it making opposition to it therefore men cannot be so entirely good after grace as they were entirely evil before grace yet I may and I do plead from hence for some proportion whilst Sin ruled you you were very sinful therefore now Christ and Grace rule you you should be very holy So the Apostle argues Rom. 6.19 20. As you have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness For when ye were servants to sin ye were free from righteousness therefore which though it be not express'd yet 't is imply'd proportionably now when you are the servants of righteousness you should be free from sin Upon this threefold Consideration such as are made free from the Law of Sin should be holy Against Sins actual and partial dominion Now that I may be somewhat more particular about this Sin being that which is opposite to Holiness and much of the nature of holiness lying in refraining from sin and also the dominion of any particular sin very ill agreeing with deliverance from the Law thereof therefore in both of these respects I would caution all regenerate persons against it but 't is the latter only that I shall speak a few words unto Where I would be very earnest with you who have passed under the regenerating work of the Spirit to take heed even of the actual and partial dominion of Sin and there is great need of this admonition for though upon regeneration you are secur'd from its Habitual and Vniversal dominion yet as to some particular Sin and some particular evil acts it may have that which looks too much like dominion though strictly and properly it be not so Here therefore I desire you to be very careful that you do not suffer any one sin to reign in you for how would this consist with your being made free from the Law of Sin since as hath been said the power of any one sin and subjection thereunto if it be full and free plenary and voluntary doth as certainly prove its dominion as the power of many nay of all ô take heed that this and that sin do not rule or be too high in you 'T was Davids prayer Psal 19.13 Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins let them not have dominion over me then shall I be upright and I shall be innocent from the great transgression he goes further and takes in all Psal 119.133 Order my steps in thy word and let not any iniquity have dominion over me Saints are not so freed from the Law of Sin by the Spirit but that there is need of daily prayer and that there be all endeavours and care on their part against it and their care must reach even to this that not any single iniquity may have dominion over them
The particular prevailing Sin to be most watch'd against and resisted And here especially you must be careful and vigilant about that particular sin to which you are most strongly enclin'd or which hath the greatest strength in you about the Diotrephes-sin the Herodias or darling-Sin that which is as the right eye or the right-hand I say your eye must be chiefly upon this that it do not prevail and domineer over you Every man in the world hath some one Sin which is uppermost in him which carries it before all the rest to which all do vail and stoop 't is pride in one fleshly lust in another greediness after the world in a third and so on Nay a Child of God too usually hath some particular sin which is predominant in him which though it doth not absolutely reign in him for then he would be under the Law of Sin yet comparatively it doth i. e. it hath a greater power over him than any other sin hath David calls it his iniquity Psal 18.23 Look as the Saints though they have every Grace in them all being planted together in the new Nature yet there is some particular grace which shows it self more eminently in one than in another as faith in Abraham meekness in Moses patience in Job zeal in Hezekiah c. So e contrà though they and others have every sin in them radically and seminally in the corrupt Nature yet there is some particular sin which ordinarily vents it self with more strength than the rest which having the advantage of the Constitution Education Calling Condition c. is stronger than others how that may be known * See Burg. Resin Part 2. p. 232. With many Others Divines show in several things but I must not stay upon it Now you that are regenerate look to your selves here act your greatest vigilancy and make your strongest opposition with respect to your particular sin here 's your weakest part and therefore here you must set your strongest guard as Keepers of Garrisons use to do as he said * 1 Kings 22.31 Fight neither with small nor great save only with the King of Israel so I would say to you fight against neither small nor great but only against the King sin or Master sin in you This is to kill Goliah himself which being done all the Philistins fly to stab Sin at the very heart upon which wound it must needs dye and here 's the great evidence of sincerity I was also upright before him and I kept my self from my iniquity Psal 18.23 and herein deliverance from the Law of Sin mainly shows it self Regenerate persons to be very thankeful for their being made free from the Law of Sin 3. Thirdly you that are upon regeneration thus freed from Sins power I am to bespeak your thankfulness your highest and most hearty thankfulness for so great a mercy In the doing of this what hath God done for you ô whilst you pity Others who are under Sins bondage bless God for your selves who are delivered out of it The remainders of Sin call for your deepest humiliation but withall the not reigning of Sin calls for your highest thankefulness Are you made partakers of such liberty and will you not be thankful is there any deliverance from any servitude whatsoever like to this Sin is the worst of Evils the power of Sin the worst of Sin are you delivered from that ô admirable mercy Israels deliverance out of Egypt and Babylon the rescuing of Subjects from the dominion of Tyrants the fetching poor Captives out of chains and bonds are good things yet all but very nothings in comparison of the freeing a Soul from the power and vassalage of Sin and this is done for you shall not the Lord be greatly blessed for it Here 's a great part of that benefit which you have by Christ as a Redeemer for what doth Redemption point to but to the Sinners release from his spiritual captivity and bondage by Sin what did Christ come for but to * Isa 61.1 proclaim liberty to the captives c. Now as you were Captives in Gods hands by reason of guilt so Christ redeem'd you by paying down a price or ransom for you as you are Captives in Sins and Sathans hands so he redeems you by power for they are no other way to be dealt withall by rescuing you out of their dominion and slavery in spite of all the resistance they can make and Christ redeeming both these ways so he becomes a full and compleat Redeemer So that your being made free from the Law of Sin is a a part of Christs redeeming love and what the Spirit of Life doth therein it is but in conjunction with Christ in the carrying on of that love and if so have not you great reason to be very thankful 'Pray look into that precious promise the matter of which is that God will not onely pardon your iniquities but also subdue them he being every way as gracious in the latter as in the former Micah 7.18 19. Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage c. He will turn again he will have compassion upon us he will subdue our iniquities 't is as great a mercy to have Sin subdued in its power as pardoned in its guilt you magnifie God for the one ô do the same for the other also If God himself had not brought about this freedom you had been without it forever Alas you your selves in the time of the natural thraldom never thought of or desired it you were altogether unable to accomplish it nay you were set against it and oppos'd it to your utmost the Law of Sin was in the heart and had the heart you lik'd and lov'd its government above any other all your strength was engag'd for it insomuch that God was fain to conquer not only Satan and it but your own selves too and by a mighty power to make you willing to accept of deliverance out of its servitude what ground of thankfulness is here Once more why should you be made free when others are let alone what was there in you to move God to vouchsafe this distinguishing mercy you had indeed been eternally undone without it but was he under any necessity or motive but what was from his own grace to do it for you ô you that are renewed shall not the Lord be admired by you 'pray be much in blessing of him for all Mercies but amongst the rest be sure you never forget to bless him for Sin-subduing Sin-dethroning mercy See how Paul upon this account blesses God for others Rom. 6.17 But God be thanked that ye were the servants of sin but ye have obeyed from the heart the form of doctrine which was delivered you He that was so thankful for others surely would be so much more for himself and so he was Rom. 7.24 25. O wretched man that I am
of Sin for though that puts forth a great efficacy in the manner of its working yet it doth not rise to such a pitch or degree of efficacy in what is evil as the Spirit of God doth in what is good Set corrupt Nature never so high yet 't is but a finite thing and so hath but a finite power but the Spirit is an infinite being and in his saving and special workings he puts forth an infinite power and therefore He must work more efficaciously than Sin can do the Law of the Spirit must carry it against and notwithstanding the Law of Sin for though both pass under the same appellation of Laws yet they are Laws of a different kind and nature with respect to their power and efficacy This Law or power of the Spirit is that which I will speak to and for the better opening of the Truth in hand which mainly points thereunto I 'le do two things Two things propounded for the opening of the Observation 1. I 'le speak to the necessity sufficiency efficacy of the power of the Spirit in order to the freeing of men from the power of Sin 2. I 'le shew in what Way or Method the Spirit doth work and exert his power in his rescuing of Souls from Sins power In the First of these Heads three things are put together which must be spoken unto apart The Necessity of the Spirits power to free from Sins power 1. First of the necessity of the power of the Spirit Concerning which I may confidently affirm that 't is indispensably absolutely necessary for the divesting Sin of its long possessed soveraignty no less a power than the mighty power of this Spirit can bring down Sins power ô it s no easie thing to rescue the poor enslaved captive-soul out of its bonds Omnipotency it self is requisite thereunto that 's the * Luk. 11.21 22. strong man which keeps the palace till Christ through the Spirit which is stronger than it comes upon it and overcomes it Israel had never got out of their bondage under Pharaoh if God himself had not brought them out of it through a mighty hand and by an out-stretched arm as you read Deut. 5.15 and so 't is here Let 's bring it to a particular case take a Sinner who is under the Law of Vnbelief as there are too many such God knows nothing shall ever free this Sinner from the power of his unbelief unless a divine and an almighty power from above be put forth upon him 'till this be done all the Calls Commands Invitations Promises of the Gospel are all weak and ineffectual therefore 't is said to be the faith of the operation of God Col. 2.12 and the Apostle pray'd that God would fulfil the work of faith with power 2 Thes 1.11 and says the Prophet who hath believed our report and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed Isa 53.1 without the revealing of Gods mighty arm there 's no believing and you read that God in sanctification and the working of Faith doth put forth the exceeding greatness of his power according to the working of his mighty power which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead Eph. 1.19 20. what can be spoken higher than this You see the Law of the Spirit is necessary to the freeing of a person from the Law of Vnbelief and is it not so in all other things wherein Sins power shows it self The power of Nature which some do so much magnifie can never conquer the power of Sin alas 't is impar congressus there 's no eaven match betwixt them and besides Natures greatest strength is on Sins side its relicks onely where 't is good are for God against Sin but its full and entire strength as 't is bad are for Sin against God God hath but its shattered sorces as it were but Sin hath its full Body what can enfeebled Nature what will depraved Nature do against Sin Let it be considered if the power of Grace in the Regenerate be so small that by that alone without the concurrence of divine and special assistance from above they can do nothing which Christ affirms Joh. 15.5 no not so much as think a good thought as the Apostle affirms 2 Cor. 3.5 what then can be expected from meer Nature in the Vnregenerate in whom Sin is in its full strength as to the weakning or subduing of it In things of a spiritual nature the Scripture doth not onely deny the act but the power too Joh. 6.44 No man can come to me except the Father draw him 1 Cor. 2.14 The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God c. neither can the know them because they are spiritually discerned Jer. 13.23 Can the Aethiopian change his skin or the Leopard his spots then may ye also do good that are accustomed to do evil So in that which I am upon 't is not onely the Sinner doth not free himself from the Law of Sin but of himself without the mighty power of the divine Spirit he cannot so do he that is not strong enough to subdue some one particular Lust how shall he be able to subdue the whole body of Sin in all its united and combined force as he that cannot conquer one single Souldier can much less conquer the whole Army If God leave a man to grapple with Sin meerly by his own strength woe be to him The necessity of the Spirits power to free from Sins power made out in some Particulars That the power of the Spirit is absolutely necessary to free from the power of Sin will be very evident if you consider those several advantages which it hath for the securing and holding up of its power in the Sinner As 1. 't is in possession 2. It hath been so a long time may be twenty forty theescore years to be sure from the time of the Sinners coming into the world for its power and his birth are of the same date now Vsurpers in possession and who have long been so are not so easily conquer'd 3. It s dominion is entire it hath all on its side the whole Soul is for Sin insomuch that when the Spirit of God comes to grapple with it he finds nothing there to side with him or to take his part which argues the necessity of his infinite power When there is a party within a Kingdom ready to fall in with the foreign force that comes to depose the Tyrant he may with more facility be vanquished but if all the people unanimously stick to him then the conquest is the more difficult As Christ once said * Joh. 14.30 the prince of this world cometh and hath nothing in me so the poor Sinner may say the Sin-subduing Spirit comes but he finds nothing in me to close with him 4. The natural man likes the power of Sin it hath his heart which is worst of all for the securing of its empire he
strongly defended of old by Austine against the Pelagians and of late by the Dominicans and Jansenists against the Jesuits and I could wish the Controversie had lodged there but there are other persons and parties concerned in it Well! I am thus fal'n upon it but I 'le presently get off from it for it being a point only incidental in my passage I am not bound to stay upon it In short therefore this I assert that Gratia liberatrix est Gratia efficax Soul-freeing Grace is effectual Grace where-ever and whenever the Spirit undertakes to deliver any man out of Sins power he doth it effectually he then puts forth such a mighty power as that he infallibly doth effect what he designed which is all that * Non aliam irresistibilitatem propugnant nostri quam realem efficacem operationem cujus vi effectum certò vel infallibilitèr existit Ames Coron Art 4. c. 3. Dicimus Gratiam efficacem quae operatur velle perficere adeo potenter in opere conversionis quovis opere salutari voluntatem movere ut certò caûsalitèr tollat non resistibilitatèm aut connatam aut adnatam aut etiam omnem actualem resistentiam sed actualem resistentiam vincentem adeo ut gratia semper eliciat consensum acceptationem ac proinde eo momento impossibile sit quod voluntas non annuat aut de facto resistat D. Ward Conc. de Grat. discrim p. 31 32. Divines mean by that so much disliked word irresistibly As the power of Nature take it at its best cannot much further this freedome so the power of Nature take it at its worst as to the final issue shall not be able to hinder it The Scriptures which hold forth the efficacy of saving grace in general are applicable to that particular branch of it which I am upon Cant. 1.4 Draw thou me we will run after thee Joh. 6.45 Every man that hath heard and learn'd of the Father comes to me Jer. 31.18 Turn thou me and I shall be turned Ezek. 36.27 I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and ye shall keep my judgments and do them there 's much in each of these Texts to prove what is before me might I but stay upon them 'T is in the acts of Grace as 't is in the acts of Providence in which sometimes the stream runs with such a mighty force that there 's no resisting of it Isa 43.13 I will work and who shall let it and so I say 't is in the acts of Grace it works with such a power that none can let it Our Apostle himself here before Conversion was as much under the Law of Sin as ordinarily any are and yet as soon as the renewing acts of this Spirit took hold of him he yielded presently and made no prevailing opposition * Acts 9.5 6. indeed at first he was at his Who art thou Lord but 't was not long before he threw himself down at the feet of Christ saying Lord what wilt thou have me to do So much for the threefold consideration of the power of the Spirit with respect to the effect here mentioned making free from the Law of Sin The Ways and Methods of the Spirit in making free from the Law of Sin The Second thing propounded was to show In what Ways or Methods the Holy Spirit doth exert his power in the making a person free from the Law of Sin For the explaining of which we must distinguish of his Workings they are either those which are at the first Conversion by which Sins habitual dominion is destroyed or those which follow after Conversion and continue the whole life by which Sins actual dominion is prevented and kept down by the first he makes free by the second he keeps free from the Law of Sin With respect to each of these workings the Spirit hath his different Ways and Methods which therefore must be distinctly spoken unto 1. As to the first in the general he puts forth his power in and by the doing of the main work viz. the Converting of the Soul He comes and (a) Acts 26.18 turns it from Sin to God brings about the (b) 2 Cor. 5.17 new Creature in it (c) Gal. 4 19. forms Christ therein (d) Col. 1.13 translates it out of one state into another and herein you have the Law or mighty power of the Spirit exerted I say the mighty power of the Spirit for this is a work which calls for such power without which it would never be done ô 't is no easie thing to convert a Sinner indeed there 's nothing more difficult than that is Though all things are alike easie to an Almighty Agent as God and his Spirit are yet as things are considered in themselves and as we conceive of them so some are more easie or hard than others are as here 't is easier to create a World than to convert a Soul the new Creation is more difficult than the old for in the latter there was nothing to oppose or make resistance but in the former there 's Sin Satan a wicked heart within a cursed World without all uniting and combining in all their strength to oppose to their utmost the work of Conversion there the matter was indispos'd and unfit to be cast into such a form and that was all but here 't is not onely unfitness but renitency reluctancy the highest opposition that is imaginable it being so it follows that that must be a mighty power by which the work is done notwithstanding all this resistance The Spirit therefore puts forth such a power whereby he makes * Zech. 4.9 mountains to become plains cuts his way through the very rock conquers all that vast hoast which is mustered up against him in spite of all opposition converts the Sinner here 's the Law of the Spirit Now upon and by this he frees from the Law of Sin for upon Conversion Sin is as much depos'd and pull'd off from the throne as * 2 Kings 11. Athaliah once was then its Reign expires from that time forward it must not any more lord it as before it did but this hath been already spoken to Observe it 't is the Law of the Spirit of Life which frees from the Law of Sin 't is not absolute or meer power that doth it but 't is power as regenerating as changing the heart as implanting the divine Nature by which Sin is brought under How he exerts his power upon the Vnderstanding But more particularly in freeing from the Law of Sin this is the way of the Spirit 1. He effectually works upon the Vnderstanding that being the leading faculty and there being in it several things by which in special Sins dominion is kept up and he working upon reasonable Creatures in that way which best agrees with them as such therefore there the Spirit of God begins and first exerts his power upon that
it doth ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã c. bridle and command the affections and put forth its power over sensual pleasures This is certain the Spirit of God doth authoritatively lead and govern the Children of God in their course and by virtue of that constant regency which it keeps up in and over them Sins power is kept down here also is the Law of the Spirit freeing from the Law of Sin VSE 1. It informs as of the greatness and glory of the Spirit I have done with the Doctrinal part let me make some short Application Where first we see what a great and glorious person the Spirit of God is he 's the Spirit of Life by a mighty power he delivers from the Law of Sin the corrupt nature with all its strength and advantages cannot stand before him that which to the Creature is invincible he overcomes with ease ô he that doth such great things must needs be a great Spirit the excellency of the effect proves the excellency of the agent Some from this very passage fetch an Argument to prove the Godhead of the Holy Ghost (a) ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã c. Cyril Alexandr in Thesaur Assert 34. p. 235. t. 5. Cyril from his being the Spirit of Life (b) ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã c. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Chrys de Spir. Sanct. p. 206. Chrysostome from his making free from the Law of Sin Hast thou not saith he heard Paul saying the Law of the Spirit c. doth the Spirit make slaves free it not having liberty in its own nature if it be created and in subjection it self it cannot make others free The Argument may be thus drawn up He that in the way of primary efficiency is the Spirit of Life to quicken the dead Soul and the Spirit of Liberty to free the enslaved Soul he is God but the Holy Spirit of God in this way is and doth all this ergo I put in these words in the way of primary efficiency because other things as means or instruments by a derived and subordinate power may have some influence upon these things and yet not be God but whoever doth produce them by an immediate primary underived power as the Spirit doth certainly he is more than a bare Creature he is truly God To make free from the Law of Sin is work for a God and for a God only for to this infinite knowledge is requisite in order to the finding out of all the secret recesses and close workings of Sin and also infinite power for none below that is fit to grapple with so great a power as that of Sin so long as 't is finite against finite the match is but equal and so there would be no victory if therefore the Spirit carries through such a work as this it speaks him to be infinite in his knowledge and in his power and consequently to be God But this I do but touch upon here hereafter if the Lord give leave I shall have occasion to speak more fully to it VSE 2. The true Cause of the Sinners being made free from the Law of Sin 2. Secondly we have here the assignation of the true and only Cause of freedome from Sins bondage Mistakes about this are very dangerous and yet nothing more common than for men to run themselves upon such mistakes The Apostle here speaking of his being made free from the Law of Sin what doth he fix upon as the proper Cause thereof doth he resolve it into the power of Nature alas that 's a thing so feeble and weak that corrupt Nature despises it not fearing that that will ever do any great thing against it Doth he resolve it into his own * Neque liberum arbitrium quicquam nisi ad peccandum valet si careat veritatis viâ August de Sp. Lit. c. 3. liberum arbitrium captivatum non nisi ad peccatum valet Aug. adversus duâs Pelag Ep. l. 3. c. 3. Free-will no that he understood little of I challenge the whole world to give me one instance of a Sinner that was ever by the power election and determination of his own Will made free from the reign of Sin The Will as now constituted is so corrupted that 't is rather for the continuance than for the shaking off of Sins dominion ô 't is loath to be delivered even by a foreign power it likes its bondage so well One of the greatest things that the converting Spirit when it so works hath to do is to bow and incline the Sinners Will so as to make it willing to accept of deliverance from Sins yoke and he 's never brought to this till the day of Gods power dawn upon him Psal 110.3 Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power The Evangelist setting down the proper Causes of Regeneration first removes the false ones among which mans Will is one and then assigns the true one Joh. 1.13 Which we born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God the same holds true of that which is a Consequent upon regeneration viz. being made free from the Law of Sin How can he that is a captive himself deliver others out of their captivity how can that bring down Sins power which is it self most under that power This was not the thing in Pauls eye when he was giving an account of his happy state 't was * De corpore mortis hujus non liberum hominis arbitrium neque Legis Sanctum jusiumque mandatum sed sola nos liberat gratia Dei per Jesum Christum Lex euim Spiritus vitae c. Fulg. de Incarn Grat. c. 16. Free-grace and not Free-will that he magnified Again doth he resolve it into any thing out of himself as the Word Ordinances the means of Grace c. no! 't is very true that these God having set his divine stamp upon them he also being pleas'd to accompany them with his own presence and blessing may be productive of high and great things yet as consider'd in themselves they are but means or instruments and therefore do not operate from any natural or instruments and therefore do not operate from any natural or inherent virtue but onely as they are us'd by the first Cause and as the Spirit of Life puts energy and power into them * 2 Cor. 10.4 Our weapons saith the Apostle are not carnal but spiritual and mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds c. the same may be said of all Gospel-institutions O how many live under the most effectual means the Ordinances of God in the most lively and powerful administration thereof and yet Sin stands its ground and keeps up its full power in and over them 'T is not Goliah's Sword that makes execution upon the Enemy unless it be wielded with Goliah's arm the Word is the * Eph. 6.17 sword of the Spirit which
the Spirit He 's the great agent in your Regeneration deliverance from Sins Soveraignty illumination conviction turning to God believing mortification c. from him your light life strength liberty joy peace do all proceed why do you not more love and honour the Spirit O love the Son for what hath been done without but love the Spirit also for what he hath done within the whole management of Soul-work within in order to salvation now lies upon the hands of the Spirit let him be adored and honoured by all Saints 2 To live under the Law of the Spirit As you have found the Law of the Spirit in your first Conversion so you should live under the Law of the Spirit in your whole Conversation There is the power of the Spirit at the first saving work that is here spoken of and there is in what sense you have heard the continuation of it in the whole life now this you are to labour after I mean two things 1. you are to live under the constant influences 2. under the constant government and rule of the Spirit Blessed is the man that hath it always working in him and ruling of him what a life doth he live who ever lives under the Spirits authoritative guidance Col. 3.15 Let the peace of God rule in your hearts c. I and let the Spirit of peace rule in your hearts 'T is a great motive to men to come under the rule of Christ to consider that where he rules there he saves and 't is also a great motive to sanctified persons to live under the rule of the Spirit to consider where he rules there he comforts his governing and his comforting go together he that is acted by the Spirits command and yields up himself to the Spirits guidance shall neither want peace here nor come short of Heaven hereafter 3 To set Law against Law Set Law against Law the Law of the Spirit against the Law of Sin You yet find too much of this latter Law and it goes to the heart of you that Sin should yet have so great a power over you well what have you to do in this case why set Law against Law power against power the power of the Spirit against the power of Sin this should humble you that should support you That power which could baffle Sin when in its full strength can it not subdue it in the remainders thereof that power which could bring you in to God in spite of all opposition is it not sufficient to keep you now you are brought in to God 1 Pet. 1.5 We are kept by the power of God through Faith unto salvation that very power is put forth for your establishment now which was put forth for your Conversion at the first ô fear not the Law of Sin against you so long as the Law of the Spirit is for you When you are beset and enemies press hard upon you see that you improve both for duty and comfort this power of Gods own Spirit Thus I have finish'd the three Observations which take in the summe of this Verse Rom. 8.2 Reader the Contents of this Chapter were insisted upon only in the close of a Sermon I having under the former Head the Law of Sin exceeded the bounds allowed by the Press cannot upon this Head the Law of Death make any considerable enlargement From the Law of Sin and Death CHAP. VIII Of the Law of Death The connexion 'twixt Sin and Death Where 't is the Law of Sin there 't is the Law of Death Regenerate persons are made free from this Law that opened with respect to Death temporal and Death eternal Vse 1. Men persuaded to believe that Sin and Death go together dehorted from thence not to sin Vse 2. Of the happiness of Gods people Of the Law of Death THe Apostle here sets a twofold Law before us the Law of Sin and the Law of Death the former I have been large upon the latter I must dispatch in a few words And Death The word Law is not repeated but according to that interpretation which some put upon the Words 't is to be * Ut Lex ad utrumque ex aequo referatur Erasm Of the twofold Sense of the Words repeated 't is the Law of Sin and 't is the Law of Death too as if the Apostle had said The Law c. hath made me free both from the Law of Sin and also from the Law of Death In the * See pag. 152. opening of them I told you there is a twofold Sense given of them 1. Some tell us there is in them the Figure ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã wherein one thing is set forth by two words therefore they render this and Death as being onely an Adjective or Epethite of Sin thus the Law c. from the Law of Sin and Death that is from deadly Sin or from the Law of Sin which is of a deadly nature 2. Others take the word substantivè making the Law of Death to be a Law by it self as well as the Law of Sin as if this Death was not to be melted into Sin and the deliverance from it into the deliverance from Sin but that they are distinct things and point to distinct deliverances Now both of these Senses are very true and good and indeed I know not which to prefer From the First The Matter contained in them one single point offers it self to us viz. That Sin is a deadly thing From the Second these three which mutatis mutandis perfectly answer to the three former under the Law of Sin 1. That men by Nature and before Regeneration are under the Law of Death 2. That upon Regeneration or such as are Regenerate are made free from the Law of Death 3. That 't is the Law of the Spirit of Life which frees from the Law of Death The due handling of these Heads would take up a great deal of time but I having already staid too long upon this Verse and upon some other Considerations I am necessitated to contract and therefore for the better shortning of the work I must pitch upon another method wherein I may draw all into a narrow compass Three things abserv'd in the Words That Sin and Death go together Three things onely shall be observ'd 1. That Sin and Death go hand in hand together There 's an inseperable connexion or conjunction betwixt them they come here in the Text very near each to the other there 's but an and betwixt them and that too is copulative the Law of Sin and Death And well might the Apostle put them together when God himself in the methods of his Justice and in the threatning of his Law hath so put them together and surely what he hath so joyn'd no man can put asunder When Sin came into the world Death came along with it the one trod upon the heels of the other if man will sin he shall
dye Rom. 5.12 Wherefore as by one man Sin entred into the world and Death by Sin even so Death passed upon all men for that all have sinned Ver. 17. For if by one mans offence Death reigned by one c. here 's Death and the Law of Death too by Sin it hath got a power over men so as to reign over them Had there been no Sin there had been no Death if man had continued in his sinless and innocent state he might have been * Vide Grot. de Sat. c. 1. p. 18. mortal i. e. under a posse mori he being but a Creature and made up of contrary principles but he had not actually dyed much less had he been under a necessity of dying if he had not sinn'd Death did not come into the world upon Gods meer dominion and Soveraignty or meerly upon the frailty of the humane Nature as Pelagians of old and (a) Mors non erat poena vel effectus transgressionis Adami sed conditionis naturalis consequens Socin de Statu primi hominis Vide Praelect Cap. 1. contra Paccium Cap. 5. Socinians of late assert but as the (b) Calov Soc. Prost p. 250. Hoorn Soc. conf vol. 1 l. 3. c. 4. p. 583 c. Franz Scho Sacr. Disp 1. p. 7. fruit and punnishment of Sin Immortality was a part of (c) Molin Enod Grav Qu. de statu Innoc. Tract 3. p. 62. Gerhard Loc. Com. de Imag c. t. 1. c. 4. p. 199. Zââem de Imag. c. c. 8. Art 2. Moretân's threefold state of man p. 1. c. 2. p. 35. Gods Image at first imprinted upon man that image being defac'd mortality took place You know in Gods dealing with our first Parents how he back'd his Command or Prohibition with the threatning of death Gen. 2.17 Of the tree of knowledge of good and evil thou shalt not eat of it for in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely dye they disobeyed this most equitable Commandment and thereby brought death both upon themselves Gen. 3.19 and also upon all their posterity Besides the guilt of this Sin made over to all mankind by imputation there is mens personal sin habitual and actual which renders them yet more obnoxious unto death and that too not onely to temporal but also to eternal death Rom. 6.21 the end of those things is death v. 23. the wages of sin is death The Apostle in James 1.14.15 treats of the first and last of Sin shows where it begins and where it ends sets down its rise progress and final issue But every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed Then when lust hath conceived it bringeth forth sin and sin when it is finished it bringeth forth death Sin is the issue of Lust and Death is the issue of Sin So that our Apostle here in the Text might upon very good grounds link and couple Sin and Death Where 't is the Law of Sin there 't is the Law of Death 2. Observe that 't is the Law of Sin and the Law of Death which is here coupled together so that where 't is the Law of Sin there and there only 't is the Law of Death When Sin is reigning and commanding then 't is ruining and condemning 't is the power of Sin that exposes to the power of death Rom. 6.16 Know ye not that to whom ye yield your selves servants to obey his servants ye are to whom ye obey whether of sin unto death or of obedience unto righteousness 'T is true every sin in its own nature deserves death the Scripture knows no such thing as venial sin it being judge all and every sin is mortal indeed as to event the Apostle saith there is a Sin not unto death 1 Joh. 5.17 but as to merit every Sin be it what it will deserves death Yet God is so gracious as that Sin shall not condemn and end in death where it doth not command 'Pray mark it how in the words the Law of the Spirit is join'd with Life and the Law of Sin with Death as where the power of the Spirit is there is Life so where the power of Sin is there is Death I know the Death in the latter Clause doth not carry a direct opposition to the Life in the former for the Life there referring to Grace and Regeneration and not to Glory hereafter the Death which refers to eternal Condemnation and the misery of the future state cannot be look'd upon as directly opposite to that Life yet there is a truth in the Parallel As upon the Law of the Spirit there is Life spiritual and eternal so upon the Law of Sin there is ' Death spiritual and eternal too Further I know there is a great disparity betwixt the Spirits working Life and Sins working Death the Law of the Spirit works Life in the way of proper Efficiency and Causality the Law of Sin works Death only in a final consequential meritorious way yet here also we may speak by way of Parallel as the power of the Spirit works Life in its way so the power of Sin works Death too in its way That which I drive at is very plain if I be so happy as to express my self clearly about it Regenerate persons are made free from the Law of Death 3. Observe that such who are brought under the power of the regenerating Spirit they are made free from the Law of Death This was Paul's happiness here laid down and 't is the same to all that are regenerate the proof of which I need not insist upon for this deliverance undeniably follows from the former they who are made free from the Law of Sin by that Grace are also made free from the Law of Death it being the Law of Sin which subjects the Creature to the Law of Death The power or right of Death stands or falls by the power of Sin so that if the person be freed from the latter as you have heard every regenerate person is it certainly follows in the course and methods of Gods Grace that every such person shall be freed from the former too for the Law of Death is penal or the effect of the Law of Sin now take away the Cause and the Effect ceases Quest How is this to be understood But a little explication will be necessary How may Regenerate Persons be said to be made free from the Law of Death For answer to this Answ you know Death is either temporal or eternal I do not instance in spiritual Death because though 't is very true that the Saints upon the Law of the Spirit are made free from this Death yet I conceive that is not so much intended here the former lies in the separation of the Soul from the Body for a time the latter in the everlasting separation of both Soul and Body from the love and favour and presence of God This separation from God is
that the Apostle did very deservedly thus speak of the Law what the Law could not do c. So much for the opening of the matter held forth in these Words let me close this Head with some Application Use 1. To humble us in the sense of our Flesh by which the Law is weakened First Here 's matter of deep humiliation to us How should we lament that sinful Nature that Flesh which is in all of us we all come into the world under a sad and woful depravation of nature Well! suppose we do what of this O this should bitterly be bewailed by us because by reason of this the Law is weak that it cannot do that for us which otherwise it could and would have done As we were created at the first before our Nature was corrupted we were strong to the Law and the Law strong to us we could fulfil its highest demands and it could fulfil our highest desires we were able to keep it and it was able to save us its perfect righteousness was not above us and we had been righteous in that righteousness But now 't is far otherwise Sin hath got into us our Natures are now depraved and vitiated insomuch that even from this Law it self we can look for nothing 't is upon our degeneracy weak'ned to us to all intents and purposes and is not this sad O that there should be such Natures in us as even to debilitate and weaken Gods own blessed Law And would to God the sad effects of the Flesh in us staid here but it goes further it doth not only bring a weakness upon the Law but upon the Gospel too The Gospel it self the new and remedial Law though it be the * Rom. 1.16 power of God yet it would be altogether ineffectual to our justification and salvation if God did not accompany it with a mighty power It tenders and holds forth that in Christ which is every way sufficient for these great things yet we should be never the better for it this too could not do if God in spight of all opposition from our cursed Natures did not over-powre us to believe to close with Christ to accept of restoring Grace in the way of the Gospel Truly if God should leave us to our selves and should not rescue us from the power of Natural corruption neither Law nor Gospel could do our work notwithstanding both we should perish for ever Should not this be greatly bewailed and lamented by us that Sin should be sor rooted in our Nature and have such a strength in us as that it should be too hard both for Law and Gospel and bring both under an inability to do us good And is it so I might then from hence infer that certainly in the fal'n Creature the power of Nature is very low nay that with respect to the keeping and fulfilling of the Law 't is quite lost Pelagius of old with whom Some in latter ages do almost concur only they put a better varnish upon their Opinions held that though Nature by the Fall is somewhat weakened and impair'd in its strength yet still it can do great things yea especially with some ordinary assistance it may enable a man to fulfil the Law of God Now against this the * Quid hic dicent Naturalium virium praedicatores ac doctores Reddant rationem quare per camem infirma fuerit Lex Dei ita ut necessuas humanae salutis opus habuerit missione Christi c. Si virtus judicium rationis tam potens est ut quae bona praecipiuntur agnoscat approbet praestare valeat quomodo in illis non potuit qui sub paedagogio Legis fuerunt c. Muscul Paulus ait Legem sine Christo infirmam esse isti aiunt nos priusquam sunus participes Christi posse bene operari obtemperare Legi Dei P. Martyâ Argument in the Text is considerable is the Law weak and yet is the Sinner strong is that under an impossibility and yet is this and that possible to the creature The Flesh is but extraneous to the Law and yet by reason of that it cannot do but 't is inherent in the Sinner and yet he can do what more absurd Especially it being considered that the Laws weakness is not attributed to it in respect of it self but only in respect of us so that if we now could perfectly obey perform keep the Law its ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã would then cease and if so why was Christ sent but no more of this Secondly Use 2. To vindicate the honour of the Law and to obviate bad Inferences c. 'T is necessary that I should vindicate the honour of the Law and obviate those mistakes and bad inferences which some possibly may run upon from what hath been spoken Three things therefore let me say to you 1 Notwithstanding this weakness of the Law yet keep up high thoughts of it and give it that honour and reverence which is due to it 'T is weak indeed but yet remember whose Law it is as also what an excellent Law it is in it self 't is a perfect draught or model and delineation of Original righteousness 't is the measure standard test of that purity and perfection which man would have had in the state of innocency yea 't is the copy transcript exemplar of Gods own holiness for God framed and modelled this Law according to his own purity and sanctity And let us be what we will still the Law in it self is all this and the same that ever it was though we be not so And therefore we should adore and reverence and magnifie it though now to us accidentally it be thus weak But doth not this weakness reflect disparagement and dishonour upon the Law Answ No not in the least Two things will sufficiently vindicate it as to any such reflections 1. The Apostle only says of it that 't was weak he chargeth nothing upon it but only weakness He doth not say that 't was any way impure or unholy or unrighteous he affirms the contrary * Rom. 7.12 The Law is holy and just and good only he saith 't was weak This the * ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã c. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Chrysost ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã c. Oecum Theophyl to the same purpose ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Theodor. Greek Expositors take notice of and from it apologize for the Law 2. 'T is weak but how comes it to be so why * Ne legem incusare videatur culpam rejicit in carnem i. e. concupiscentiam quae fomes est peccati Estius Vide quanta arte Legem simul extollit deprimit excusat deprimit cum dicit quod non potuit peccatum damnare excusat cum dicit hoc non accidisse ejus vitio sed camis potius extollit quà m maximè cum coâcludit Christum advenisse ut Legi contra carnem subsidium ferret Mussus Transfert
Adam's loins too for his genealogie is carried up to Adam Luk. 3. yet he not descending from him in the ordinary fleshly way his Person was exempted from the guilt of his sin and his Nature from the general depravation 3. Christ was actually Holy there was nothing but holiness in whatever he did all his actings inward and outward did exactly correspond with the Nature and Will of his Father he never was guilty of the least sin in thought word or deed sin was neither contracted nor * Eandem assumsit Naturam Chriâtus sed in ea non peccaviâ Ambros committed by him Grace and Holiness were advanced in him to the highest pitch according to the utmost capacity of the Humane Nature without the least mixture of what is contrary thereunto in a word he liv'd in his whole course a most holy innocent spotless sinless life as the Scriptures which have been alledged do abundantly testifie The Grounds of Christ's Holiness and Sanctity This sanctity and sinlessness of Christ's Humane Nature was necessary upon a double account 1. To fit it for the personal union with his Divine Nature Can it be imagin'd that ever the Lord Jesus would take a Nature tainted with sin and so nearly unite it to himself when the Divine Nature stood at so great a distance from sin can we without blasphemy think that it would assume the Humane Nature had it been sinful into so close an union as that both should make but one person O such a thing was not possible God can take a sinning if repenting Creature into his bosom but he cannot take a sinning Nature into his Person Christ might condescend to take flesh yet be God but he could not have taken sinful flesh and yet be God the humane nature simply considered was not inconsistent with his Godhead but that Nature if sinful was 2. This was necessary in respect of Christ's Office and undertaking for our good In order to which as he must be man so he must be man perfectly holy and righteous for he that is a sinner himself cannot be a Saviour to other sinners then 't would be Physician heal thy self or Saviour save thy self all that such a one could do would be little enough for himself Christ was both Priest and Sacrifice with respect to both he must be without sin as Priest for if sin had been chargeable upon him he must then have offer'd for himself and so have been in the same condition with the Priests under the Law which the Apostle shews he was not Heb. 7.26 27. As Sacrifice too for whatever was offer'd up to God it was to have no blemish in it In allusion to which the Apostle calls him a Lamb without blemish and without spot 1 Pet. 1.19 answerably to the Paschal Lamb Exod. 12.5 and to the two Lambs in the fire-offering Numb 28.3 and he 's said to offer himself without spot to God Heb. 9.14 How could Christ have taken off guilt from us had he had it lying upon himself or how could he have made us righteous had he not been righteous himself therefore 2 Cor. 5.21 He hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him and Isa 53.11 By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many mark it Christ being a righteous Person himself so he comes to justifie and make others righteous so 1 Joh. 3.5 And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins and in him is no sin the connexion is observeable * Si esset in illo peccatum auferendum esset illi non ipse auferret August he that will take away sin from others must have no sin in himself Christ coming for that end therefore in him there was no sin Three things as â one observes from the words were requisite to him that should be the Mediator he must be God he must be Man * Piscat he he must be perfectly and unmixtly holy all these three qualifications you have in the Text Christ was God's own Son there 's his Godhead he was sent in flesh there 's his Manhood he was sent but in the likeness of sinful flesh there 's his purity and holiness Having done with the Explicatory part Use 1. Information I come now to what is Applicatory Where in the first place passing by other things these two we are mainly informed of 1. Of the excellency of the Gospel and Christian Religion 2. Of the excellency of Christ's Flesh or Manhood Of the excellency of the Gospel and Christian Religion 1. First that great Truth which I have been upon informs us of the excellency of the Gospel and Christian Religion The more raised and mysterious the things are which the one reveals and the other believes the more excellent must both of them needs be for this is a Principle grounded upon Reason and strengthned by the Consent of all who pretend to Religion whether it be true or false What more common amongst men when they would argue for the excellency either of that from which they fetch their Religion or of their Religion it self than to cry up the mysteries and to tell us what high sublime mysterious things are contained in them These make a great impression upon mens minds and strongly induce them to believe that whatever hath in it such mysteries must certainly be of God and have a divine Original therefore Heathens themselves as well as Christians have much pleas'd themselves with this and have been great pretenders to such and such mysteries thereby to gain credit and reputation to their way Now let us apply this Principle or common test to the Gospel-revelation and the Christian Religion and then I 'm sure their excellency above all other pretended Revelations and Religions will be evident For look into all those admired and rare Secrets those high and raised mysteries which they who know not the Gospel did so much cry up and magnifie and do but compare them with this one mystery God 's own Son sent in flesh alas what trifles what shallow contemptible ridiculous things are they in comparison of it A God incarnate shames all the little mysteries of the Pagan Religion if so good a title may be given to so bad a thing they all vanish before this and are not able to stand in competition with it Now where is this profound mystery revealed but in the Gospel and where is that revelation believed but in the Christian Religion therefore how excellent must both needs be upon this account The Heathens knew nothing at all of this they dreamt of Men being made Gods but that he who was truly God should be made truly Man this they were altogether ignorant of in all their Religion there was no such mystery The Apostle cryes out 1 Tim. 3.16 Without controversie great is the mystery of Godliness God manifested in the flesh c. his design in these
his invention and contrivance and his only the wisest Creatures in the world had they united all their wisdom could never have thought of such a way for the redeeming of lost man In so desperate a case God himself to speak after the manner of men was fain to set his own wisdom on work to find out a remedy and this was that which he found out and pitched upon O the infinite unsearchable incomprehensible Wisdom of God! The Apostle speaks of the deep things of God 1 Cor. 2.10 of the manifold wisdom of God Eph. 3.10 of his abounding in all wisdom and prudence Eph. 1.8 what may these expressions refer to but to God's deep and most wise designs and methods display'd in the work of man's redemption by a Christ incarnate And which was a great demonstration of his Wisdom see how the remedy was suited to the malady Man at first would be as God and that ruin'd him therefore now God shall be as Man and that shall restore him Man gave the wound and Man shall heal that wound O the wisdom of God! 2. His Power for Christ as he was the Wisdom of God so also the Power of God 1 Cor. 1.24 and as he was so in other respects so eminently in that which I am upon 'T was an act of mighty power for God so nearly to unite the Godhead and the Manhood the bringing of two Natures so distant together in one Person must needs be the product of infinite power For God to make something out of nothing that speaks the greatness of his Power but for God to be made Man there being in some respects a greater distance betwixt the Godhead and the Manhood than 'twixt Something and Nothing this speaks a greater power 'T is much that Soul and Body two such different Beings should be so conjoyn'd as to make a Man that such disagreeing Elements should be reconcil'd in corpore mixto but what are these to the joyning of the Godhead and Manhood in one hypostasis 3. His Justice Is sin committed the holy Law broken doth the Creature lye under guilt God stands upon the vindication of his Honour the making good of his threatnings the satisfaction of his Justice Satisfaction he will have and in that Nature too in which the offence had been committed and because the Creature was altogether unable to make it in order thereunto God will have his own Son to take flesh that he may be in a capacity to obey do suffer what Justice required and when this Son had so assum'd flesh God fell upon him charg'd him with the guilt of all Believers exacted of him that punishment which was due to them would not spare him in the least or ' bate him any thing O the severity and impartiality of God's Justice 4. His Mercy Goodness and Love And doth not this Attribute shine forth as brightly in our Saviour's being made flesh as any of the former Here was the tender mercy of our God Luk. 1.78 God's so loving of the world Joh. 3.16 the great manifestation of his Love 1 Joh. 4.9 his glorious grace and the riches of his grace Eph. 1.6 7. Did ever God give the world such a demonstration of his Love and Grace as in the Incarnation of his Son O matchless infinite unlimited Love and Grace He had done exceeding well for Man as he made him at first for he put him into a very good state stamp'd his own Image upon him made him above all other Creatures to be his favourite but he foolishly sin'd and fell from God and thereby lost all his happiness Well! what did God now do did he let Man alone shut up his bowels against him fall upon him with his utmost wrath did he say Nay since 't is thus let him even rise as he hath fallen since he would be so foolish as for a trifle to break with me let him rot and die and perish for ever I 'le do no more for him O no! not such a word or thought did pass from the gracious God towards his miserable Creature He pitied undone man found out help for him yea sent his own Son to restore him and how did he send this Son why in Flesh but in what Flesh surely it shall be altogether glorious flesh such as shall be of a quite other Nature than that is which we poor mortals have I so it was in some respects but in others but just like to sinful flesh put all this together and was not here Love God will have sin to be punished but then the punishment shall be laid upon his own Son and the sinner himself shall be acquitted O the heighth of Justice and yet O the heighth of Mercy too There 's more of Mercy in God's sending Christ and sending him in this way than there would have been in his absolute pardoning of sin without any sending or any satisfaction because alwayes the more costly a mercy is the more there is of Mercy in that mercy And meer pardon nay Salvation it self have not so much of Mercy and Love in them as what was in Christ's assuming our Nature for as to the first 't is more for a King to put himself into the Traytor 's stead and himself to make satisfaction for his Offence than just to pardon him and as to the second in Salvation there is our advancement but in Christ's Incarnation there was his abasement now 't is more for such a Person as Christ to be abased than 't is for such a Creature as Man to be advanced All which being consider'd what an obligation doth there lie upon us to get our hearts rais'd up unto and drawn out in the highest admiration of God's Mercy God the Son to be admired 't is shewn here also how or wherein Secondly God the Son or Christ himself the Person who was incarnate he too is greatly to be admired with respect 1. to his Love 2. to his Holiness 3. to his Power 1. For his Love which indeed was superlative and admirable transcending the reach of the highest finite capacity Christ knew what our flesh was how much it was below him to take it * Te propter vitamque tuam sum Virginis alvum Ingressus sum factus Homo c. Lactant. de Benefic Christi yet for our good he readily condescended to it and was willing to debase and depress himself if he might but advance and exalt us here was the mirror of Love The greatness of his Person speaks the greatness of his Love * Phil. 2.6 7 8. Who being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal with God But made himself of no reputation c. what a Person was Christ before his Incarnation what a fall was here thereby for such a Person * Jacet in pannis qui regnat in coelis Mundum implens in praecepi jacens Sidera regens ubera lambens c. Conditor Mariae natus ex Mariâ Filius David
the Law perfectly conforming to it in all its holy commands now this his most perfect obedience to the Law is made over reckoned imputed to his members as if they themselves in their own persons had perform'd it The Laws righteousness is not fulfilled in them formally subjectively inherently or personally but legally they being in Christ as their Head and Surety and imputatively so it is This is the fulfilling which suits with the words for 't is said that the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us not by us but in us in us that is not only for our sake and for our good but as Christ's Obedience is ours by imputation If the former senses be rejected this must be received for since the Laws righteousness must be fulfilled in the Saints otherwise what the Apostle here affirms would not be true and since there are but two wayes wherein it can be fulfilled either by themselves or by some other it necessarily follows if they do not fulfil it the first way that the second must take place and so it must be fulfilled by Christ for them and his obedience be imputed to them And this is that Exposition of the words which our * c. Obedientia Christi quae in carne nostrâ exhibita nobis imputatur ut eo beneficio pro justis censeamur Calvin Quomodo justitia Christi in nobis impleta est per Christum Duplici nomine 1. imputative aliena justitia quae Christi est adeoque nostra c. 2. Quod per Spiritum Christi regenerati pro mensurâ Gratiae Dei vitam justitiam eam exprimimus quam Lex Dei exigit Magis placet prior Sententia hoc loco Muscul Vide Bezam in loc Vorstium in loc Justificatio legis quae requirit vel opera vel poenam impleta est in Christo per se ut sic dicam inhaesivè quia ipse praeterquam quod passus est etiam operatus est perfectissime in nobis vero impleta est per fidem ut sic dicam applicative nam per fidem fit ut Christi justitia nostra quodamodo evadat Rolloc See Fulke and Cartwright against the Rhemists Elton upon Rom. 8. p. 97. c. PROTESTANT Divines so far as imputation in general is concern'd do commonly give but about it many things are necessary to be spoken unto both for the explaining and also for the vindicating of it which therefore shall be done by and by Fourth Interpretation The Law is fulfilled in us as Sin is remitted 4. Fourthly the fulfilling of the Laws righteousness say some is no more than the remission of sin He that hath his sins pardoned is a fulfiller of the Law Christ by his death having procured for us the remission of all our sins upon that we are look'd upon by God as if we had done or kept the whole Law thus * Christus suâ morte nobis acquisivit remissionem omnium peccatorum ac proinde effecit ut habeamur pro iis qui perfectam Legi obedientiam praestiterint In Paraphr The righteousness c. quatenus Christus suâ morte eis acquisivit omnium peccatorum remissionem quod perinde est ac si perfectam legi obedientiam praestitissent aequipollent enim haec Nihil peccavisse perfectam legi obedientiam praestitisse In Observ Piscator opens the words And before him Ambrose speaks the same Quomodo impletur in nobis justificatio Legis nisi cum datur remissio omnium peccatorum how is the righteousness of the Law fulfilled in us unless it be in the remission of all our sins To which we may add that of â Retract l. 1. c. 19. Austine Omnia mandata Dei facta deputantur quando quicquid non fit ignoscitur all the commands of God are deemed to be done when that is pardoned which is not done if it be good or which should not have been done if it be evil Two things I would say against this Interpretation 1. It sounds very harsh to say We fulfil the Law when God is pleased to pardon the violation of it nay the thing is not true God's remitting the breach of the Law and our actual fulfilling of the duty 's of the Law are not aequipollent but distinct and different things Upon remission the Sinner is exempted from the Laws penalty but he cannot upon that alone be said to fulfil it If the Prince be pleas'd to pardon the breaker of the Laws will that amount to the making such an one to be a keeper of the Laws there 's enough upon his pardon for non-punition but nothing more 2. In the justification of Sinners there is not only the remission of sin but also the imputation of Christ's righteousness these are the two parts of justification and which take in the whole nature of it 't is not compleat in the one or in the other apart but in both conjunct I know some very * Wotton de reconc pec part 1. l. 2. c. 3. c. learned persons make remission of sin to be the whole of justification I humbly differ from them When God justifies he doth not only pardon and so look upon the Sinner as not guilty but he doth also â Vide Zanch. ad Eph. c. 5. p. 249. quam plures alios Uti Christus nobis factus ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ita ad salutem atque justificationem requiritur praeter remissionem peccatorum etiam justitiae Christi imputatio quâ vitae jus nobis addicitur c. Hoorneb Socin confut l. 3. p. 658. impute Christ's righteousness upon which he looks upon him as positively righteous this will hereafter be made out more fully if God give leave Thus it is in the justification or righteousness of the Law to the making up of which 't is not enough only to be pardoned and so not to be judg'd a breaker of the Law but there must be the doing of what the Law enjoyns otherwise its righteousness is not fulfilled 'T is one thing to be â Justus dicatur cui peccata omnia remittuntur justitiâ innocentiae quia positâ hâc remissione innocens censetur c. sed non justitiâ obedientiae cui praemium vitae debetur c. Turretin de Sat. Christi p. 273. innocent in the taking off of guilt and another thing to be righteous in the way of positive obedience both are necessary as to that which I am upon and included in it Not guilty is not a sufficient plea or answer to the Laws demands there must be something either in the Sinner himself or in his Surety which may be look'd upon as a formal and actual obeying of it Thus I have given a fourfold explication of the fulfilling of the Laws righteousness in the Saints The third is that which seems to me to be the best viz. this righteousness of the Law is fulfilled in the Saints as Christ for them in his own person
so it was sufficient but besides this the preceptive part of the Law was to be fulfilled the condition of life was to be performed the Sinner was to be made positively righteous Heaven was to be merited now as to these abstractly from the active obedience of Christ the passive was not sufficient Upon his dying Believers shall not die or be damned or be look'd upon as guilty but for their being righteous and entitled to eternal life Christ must actively fulfil the Law for the promise of life is annexed to doing Do this and live Levit. 18.5 Rom. 10.5 There needs no more saith * Blake on the Covenant c. 12. p. 77. a Reverend Person than innocency not to die and when guilt is taken away we stand as innocent no crime then can be charged upon us But to reign in life as the Apostle speaks to inherit a crown there further is expected which we not reaching Christ's active obedience supplied to us not adding to ours but being in it-self compleat is accounted ours and imputed to us Obj. But 't is said 4. Object the Law requires no more than either doing or suffering if one of these be done 't is enough both of them the Law neither doth nor can demand Wherefore if we suffered in Christ and that be reckoned to us it is not required that we should also obey in Christ Answ The truth of the Antecedent is not only questioned but flatly deny'd Answ and the contrary thereunto is proved viz. * See Advers inter Piscat Lucium p. 1. sect 4. Polan in Dan. p. 191 c. Turret de Sat. par 8. pag. 271 c. Bodius in Eph. p. 805. That in statu lapso the Laws obligation is not disjunctive ad alterutrum either to do or suffer but 't is conjunctive or copulative ad utrumque both to do and suffer Indeed say they of this Opinion if man had continued in the state of innocency one of these had been enough namely the active obeying of the Law for he being then without sin could not lie under any obligation to suffer But he being faln stands oblig'd to both to obey as he is a Creature to suffer as he is an Offender So that it was not enough for Christ in suffering to answer the one obligation but he must also by doing answer the other also In the Laws of men one of these is enough but in the Laws of God there being a vast disparity 'twixt the Creatures subjection to him and to men it is not so And as I apprehend it they who differ in this point do too much run themselves upon that absurdity which they would fasten upon those from whom they differ for whereas they charge the Opinion of these that it acquits us from all obeying on our part this principle which they maintain seems to do it much more for it either obeying or suffering be as much as the Law requires then Christ having suffered the utmost of the Laws penalty we are not under any obligation to obey too Obj. It having been said 5. Object that Christ's passive Obedience was necessary to free from guilt and eternal death and his active necessary for righteousness and eternal life against this 't is objected that it supposes a medium betwixt being freed from guilt and being made righteous and so betwixt being freed from eternal death and the having of eternal life which is a great mistake For these are such Contraries as do admit of no meâââm between them and therefore upon the negation of the one the affirmation of the other in a fit Subject must needs follow and so vice versâ As if it be not night it is day if it be not darkness it is light if it be not crookedness it is streightness c. So here if it be not guilt it is righteousness and if it be not eternal death it is eternal life these being Contraries ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Therefore they who grant freedom from guilt and Hell upon Christ's death and yet assert the necessity of the obedience of his life for righteousness and Heaven build upon a false hypothesis Answ To this 't is answered Answ what is here alledged holds true in Natural and Physical Contraries but not in Moral or Law-contraries The Malefactor upon his Princes or the Judges Pardon is acquitted from his guilt and with respect to that he is innocent but yet he cannot upon this be look'd upon as being righteous or as having done what the Law required of him so 't is in that which I am upon 'T is one thing for the Sinner not to be unjust and another thing for him to be just upon the non-imputation of Sin he is the former but the latter he cannot be without a positive righteousness Not to be judg'd as a transgressor of the Law and to be judg'd as a fulfiller of the Law are two distinct things And so as to the other although there be no medium 'twixt natural life and death so that upon the negation of the one there is alwayes the position of the other yet between eternal life and eternal death there is a medium For we may suppose a person to be freed from the one and yet not presently admitted into the other he may be saved from Hell and yet not be taken up to Heaven for he may be annihilated or continued in some state of happiness here below this notwithstanding I only speak of the possibility of the thing not asserting that ever de facto it is so The Traytor may be freed from death and yet not restored to all those high dignities and priviledges which he had before and why not so here 'T is true whoever is freed from Hell is admitted into Heaven but this is not necessary from the nature of the thing as though there might not be a status intermedius but only from the will and ordination of God The necessity therefore of the imputation of Christ's active obedience for righteousness and life is not weakened or null'd by this objection Obj. To put more strength into it 't is further urg'd 6. Object that the Opinion argued against makes Justification to consist of different parts viz. remission of Sin and imputation of righteousness also it makes these different parts to proceed from different Causes as the remission of Sin from Christ's bearing the penalty of the Law and the imputation of righteousness from his fulfilling the precepts of the Law Whereas say some the whole nature of Justification lies in the remission of sin to be pardoned and to be made righteous are in Scripture terms equipollent and synonimous And say others all in Justification is but one act proceeding from one and the same cause that very act which makes the Sinner not guilty makes him also at the same time to be righteous as that which takes away crookedness at the same time makes streight that which expels darkness at the same
Gospel as well as under the Law Page 13 'T is not only No Condemnation to Believers but positive Salvation Page 16 Of the dreadfulness of Condemnation Page 25 How it may be avoided Page 32 Persons exempted from it are to be thankful and chearful Page 37 c. What the Condemning of Sin is Page 460 There may be troubles in the Conscience after Sin and yet Sin may reign Page 212 The Contrariety of the two Walkings Page 95 The Corrupt Nature set forth by Flesh Vide Flesh The Covenant of Redemption touched upon Page 298 Of the New Creature Page 65 Of the crucifying the Flesh Page 66 D. The Law of Death opened Page 152 249 Sin and Death go together especially when 't is the Law of Sin Page 250 How the Regenerate are freed from the Law of Death Page 253 c. Comfort from hence to such against the Fear of Death Page 257 In temptations to Sin 't is good to consider that 't is Sin and Death Page 254 Comfort to Believers as to Death from their Vnion with Christ Page 81 Christ's Death a strong Dissuasive from walking after the Flesh Page 128 The main Ends of Christ's Death made good against the Socinians Page 518 c. Man had not died if he had not sinned Page 250 Of the Saints Dignity from their Vnion with Christ Page 96 Of the Dominion of Sin See the Law of Sin E. The converting Spirit works efficaciously and irresistibly Page 234 Of the spiritualness of a mans Ends. Page 111 Expiation of sin by Christ's Sacrifice Page 449 That finished on Earth not done in Heaven Page 505 The Nature of this Expiation Page 510 The Extent of it Page 511 Vide Sacrifice F. God the Father's Love to be admired in his sending of Christ Page 303 Saints are to think well of God the Father as well as of God the Son Page 305 Faith the Bond in the Mystical Vnion Page 49 Faith to be repeated in fresh applications to Christ Page 553 There are but few in Christ Page 118 Flesh is in the Best Page 91 All particular Sins comprehended in Flesh Page 97 Of being in the Flesh and walking after the Flesh ibid. Flesh taken for corrupt Nature Page 99 Why that is set forth by Flesh Page 100 Flesh considered more Generally Page 99 Particularly Page 101 The Philosophical notion of Flesh and Spirit Page 105 What it is to walk after the Flesh Vide Walking What the Flesh is by which the Law is made weak Page 263 Of Christ's being sent in Flesh that opened Page 375 He did not bring his Flesh from Heaven Page 376 Of the verity of his Flesh against the antient Hereticks Page 377 379 380 That proved ibid. How he was sent in the likeness of sinful Flesh Page 406 c. And but in the likeness of sinful Flesh Page 410 c. Of the excellency of Christ's Flesh Page 417 He as sent in Flesh is to be believed on Page 424 Of Freedom from the Law of Sin Vide the Law of Sin Freedom from its Guilt and from its Power Page 150 Of Christ's Fulfilling the Law Vide Law G. The eternal Generation of Christ the Son of God proved Page 324 c. The difference between that and common Generation Page 356 Its mysteriousness Page 354 Of the excellency of the Gospel and Christian Religion Page 415 The Priviledges of Believers under the Gospel above those under the Law Page 450 Grace set forth by Spirit and the Reasons why 't is so Page 104 c. There should be in Saints a Growth in Spiritualness Page 137 Of the Spirits being a Guide Page 108 Whether Christ took our very Guilt upon him Affirmed Page 490 H. Heaven made credible upon Christ's Incarnation Page 447 Holiness press'd from Vnion with Christ Page 75 From being made free from the Law of Sin Page 225 From the Incarnation of Christ Page 437 The Holiness and sinlesness of Christ's Humane Nature Page 411 The necessity thereof Page 414 The difference of the Humane Nature as in Christ and as in us Page 386 Of the advancement of the Humane Nature by Christ's assuming it Page 451 Christ to be highly Honoured 'T is shewn wherein Page 363 Humiliation the way to Consolation Page 5 6 Saints to be humbled that they were so long under the Law of sin and that sin still hath such a power in them Page 217 c. As also that there should be that Flesh in them by which God 's own Law is made weak Page 271 Humility press'd from Christ's taking our Nature Page 437 Of the HypostaticalVnion Vide Vnion I. About the Idem and the Tantundem With respect to Christ's Sufferings Page 489 To his Active Obedience Page 608 c. Of the Imputation of Christ's Active Obedience Vide Obedience How the imputation thereof is to be stated Vide ibid. The Incarnation of Christ largely discoursed of Page 372 c. His Mission and his Incarnation two distinct things Page 376 The Latter not impossible not incredible Page 386 The Grounds laid down why Christ was Incarnate Page 387 c. Prophesies and Types of it ibid. Seven Propositions insisted upon for the explication of it Page 393 c. What benefit had they by Christ who lived before his Incarnation Page 397 Why he was Incarnate just at that time when he was incarnate Page 398 A firm Assent is to be given to the Verity of Christ's Incarnation as also a firm Adherence to him as incarnate Page 420 c. Many other Duties urged from this Incarnation Page 426 c. As also the Comfort of it to Believers is set forth in several Particulars Page 441 c. Whether if Man had not sinned Christ had been incarnate Neg. Page 406 Of Inclinations Good or Evil and their difference in the Godly and Others Page 110 The severity of God's Justice in Christ's being a Sacrifice Page 543 The Law unable to Justifie Page 266 Whether there be two distinct integral parts of Justification Page 602 In the Justifying of Sinners God proceeds upon the fulfilling of the Laws righteousness Page 610 As to Christ we are justified by Works as to our selves by Faith Page 610 L. Law of Sin what it is Page 151 What the Law of the Spirit is Page 159 All Vnregenerate persons under the Law of Sin Page 169 c. How Sin is a Law opened in the proper improper notion of a Law Page 172 c. Wherein Sin acts as a Law Page 177 How it may be known when it is the Law of sin That particularly opened Page 179 c. All the Regenerate are freed from the Law of Sin Page 154 203 c. They are freed from Sin only as 't is a Law Page 149 203 206 Their freedom from the Law of Sin proved from Scripture and Argument Page 207 c. How fâr men may go and yet not be freed from the Law of Sin Page 210 A serious Exhortation to all to get free from it
What this sending of Christ was not Page 289 What it was opened in Five things Page 290 How this was consistent with his equality with his Father explained Page 294 The Grounds of Christ's being sent Page 296 The Love of Father and Son to be adored upon this Page 302 c. All are to go when they are sent not before Page 307 None to rest in the external sending of Christ Page 309 Christ as sent to be believed on Page 310 Comforts from Christ's being sent Page 313 None free from Sin here Page 8 Sin a vile and base thing Page 190 The Tyranny of it Page 192 Its advantages against us Page 232 It hath not barely a Being but too great a power even in the Regenerate Page 203 The special and most prevailing Sin must be most resisted Page 222 Christ's Death the highest Demonstration of the Evil of Sin Page 541 What the Condemning of Sin is Page 460 Of the breaking of the Heart for and from Sin upon Christ's being a Sacrifice Page 546 SOCINIANS dealt with and these great Truths made good against them 1. That Christ did praeexist before he was born of the Virgin Page 284 2. That Christ was the Son of God not in respect of the things which they alledge Seven of which are instanc'd in and largely refuted but in respect of his eternal Generation Page 323 c. 3. That he who was antecedently the Son of God was in time made the Son of Man or was incarnate Page 393 c. 4. That Christ was a true and proper Expiatory Sacrifice and the true notion of his Expiation is made good gainst them Page 481 c. 5. That he made Satisfaction to the Justice of God Page 515 6. The principal Ends of Christ's Death are asserted and their Ends thereof proved not to be the principal Page 517 c. 7. That Christ is truly and Essentially God Page 349 Sons of God by Creation by Grace by Nature Page 321 Christ God's Son Page 319 Scripture attestations of it Page 319 c. Christ God's own Son Page 321 That opened Comparatively and Absolutely ibid. His bâing the Natural Son of God Co-equal Co-essential Co-eternal with the Father begotten of him by eternal Generation is explained proved and largely vindicated against Opposers Page 323 c. He is not God's own Son partly in respect of eternal Generation and partly in respect of his miraculous Conception c. Page 345 c. Of the different communications of the Divine Essence from the Father to the Son and to the Spirit Page 348 Christ's Godhead inferr'd from his Sonship Page 349 How Christ's Sonship is to be studyed Page 354 c. All are to believe Christ to be the Son of God and to believe on him as such Page 358 How he is to be Honoured as the Son of God Page 363 What Comfort doth arise from Christ's Sonship Page 368 How the Spirit is the Spirit of Life Page 162 How 't is said to be in Christ Jesus Page 161 He is the Spirit of Life Formally Page 162 Effectively Page 163 c. What is meant by the Law of the Spirit Page 158 His making free from the Law of Sin opened Page 228 Of the Necessity Sufficiency Efficacy of the Spirits Power and Operation in that Page 230 c. The Spirit the sole Efficient therein Page 243 How he secures against the Law of Sin after Conversion Page 240 Deliverance from Sins power is to be expected from this Spirit and to be ascribed to him Page 244 c. Of the Spirits greatness and glory Page 241 He is greatly to be honoured Page 247 How the Spirit may be obtain'd Page 70 The Spirit taken Personally and Habitually Page 104 What it is to Walk after the Spirit Vide Walking Of Christ's Substituting himself in the Sinners stead Page 483 The true Nature and Ends of the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper Page 528 c. Christ sympathizes with his Members Page 80 T. The Tabernacle a Type of Christ's Body Page 389 Of the Distinction of the Persons in the Sacred Trinity Page â87 Great relief under Troubles of Coââence from Christ's Incarnation Page 513 U. How Sin reigns in the Understanding Page 181 How the Spirit works on the Understanding in order to freeing from the Law of Sin Page 236 Of the Union Of Three Persons in one Nature Of two Natures in one Person Of Persons where yet both Natures and Persons are distinct Page 44 Of the Hypostatical Union Page 399 Of the Sublimeness and Mysteriousness of it Page 400 Opened in Four things Page 401 c. The Mystical Union opened Page 42 c. That also is a great Mystery Page 43 Of the threefold Union 'twixt Christ and Believers Mystical Page 48 Legal Page 48 Moral Page 48 The Bonds of the former the Spirit and Faith Page 49 Several Scripture-Resemblances by which 't is set forth Page 52 c. Six Properties of it Page 54 c. How Persons may know whether they be under it Page 60 Of Natural and Spiritual Union with Christ ibid. Of External or Common and Internal or Special Union Page 61 Sinners exhorted to labour after this Union Page 68 How it may be attained Page 70 Without Union no Communion Page 69 Several Duties urged upon such who are united to Christ Page 72 c. Several Comforts directed to such Page 78 c. The Mystical Union made credible by Christ's Incarnation Page 444 W. Of Walking not after the Flesh but after the Spirit Page 88 Why the Apostle pitches upon this Evidence Page 90 Spiritual Walking not the Cause of the Priviledge but the Property of the Person to whom it belongs Page 93 The contrariety of the Two Walkings Page 95 Men must be in Christ before they can live the Spiritual Life Page 96 There alwayes was and alwayes will be different Walkers ibid. What it is to Walk after the Flesh opened Page 97 103 c. Walking in the Flesh taken in a good sense Page 98 Of the more gross and the more close Walking after the Flesh Page 120 Men dehorted from Fleshly Walking Page 121 c. The Dehortation enforced with diverse Motives Page 122 c. Directions in order to it page 129 c. What it is to Walk after the Spirit Page 104 106 Opened by the Spiritualness of the Principle Page 106 c. Guide Page 106 c. Affections Page 106 c. Propensions Page 106 c. Ends Page 106 c. All in Christ thus Walk Proved Page 112 This Walking Excellent Page 132 c. Pleasant Page 132 c. Saving Page 132 c. Spiritual Walkers are To be very thankful Page 136 To be yet more Spiritual Page 137 To take the Comfort of it Some Discouragements about it removed Page 139 The Will is the principal Seat of Sins Power Page 181 How the Spirit works upon the Will efficaciously yet without the infringing of its Liberty Page 238 Reader In the drawing up of this Index many things occasionally spoken unto have slipped me but thou wilt find them under those main Heads which I chiefly insist upon to each of which thou art here directed FINIS
to the Lord of Glory but 't is as much your duty to deal thus revengefully with the Flesh O let all cry out in the height of their hatred against it Let it be crucified why but what evil hath it done nay rather ask what evil hath it not done therefore cry out the more let it be crucified And indeed the crucifixion of our Natural Flesh in Christ without the crucifixion of moral and sinful Flesh in our selves will not profit us Paul saith he was crucified with Christ Gal. 2.20 how why in a spiritual and mystical sense so as to be dead to the Flesh and so as to live the spiritual life And the Apostle lays it upon this 1 Pet. 4.1 2 Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh arm your selves likewise with the same mind For he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men but to the will of God 'T is a Scripture somewhat dark but the strength of it lies thus Christ hath suffered for us and we in an analogical sense must be ready to suffer too this is the same mind here spoken of and Christ having suffered hath ceased from sin h. e. so as to dye for sin no more so saith the Apostle you too in your own persons must so dye to sin as no longer to live in it This is the being planted into the likeness of Christ's death Rom. 6.5 and you find the Apostle there in that Chapter from this very Topick the Death of Christ earnestly disuading persons from walking after the flesh I have done with the Motives to inforce the Dehortation What men are to do that they may not walk after the Flesh Before I go off from this Head something must be hinted by way of Direction What is to be done some may say that we may no longer walk after the Flesh I answer 1. Get out of the Flesh For being in the flesh is always attended with walking after the flesh as the State is always according to the Course so the Course is always according to the State if you be in the fleshly state your conversation will be a fleshly conversation Such as the man is such are the principles and such as the principles are such will the practises be also Therefore get out of the state of Nature in which the Flesh rules and carries a man whither it pleases and get into Christ persons out of Christ are all Flesh and thereupon will be wholly followers of the Flesh Spiritual walking discovers the Vnion but first the Union is the ground of spiritual walking that will certainly follow upon being in Christ but being in Christ must necessarily antecede it Till thou beest ingrafted into Christ no good fruit can grow upon thee he that is flesh must needs live and act flesh 2. Get the Spirit and walk after the Spirit 'T is the divine Spirit and the divine Nature from that Spirit which must dethrone and break the power of sinning and sinful Nature Till the Holy Spirit and grace come into the heart the Flesh lords and domineers in the life as you will hear more fully when I come to the second Verse The Apostle joins together Sensual and not having the Spirit Jud. 19. where the latter clause is not onely a further description of the persons spoken of but 't is also the assignation of the cause or reason of their being sensual viz. because they had not the Spirit Till the mighty Spirit of God comes into the Soul by saving illumination and overpowering influences to say efficaciously to a man * Isa 30.21 This is the way walk therein there may be convictions purposes resolutions to the contrary yet still there will be one way or other walking after the Flesh And so for Grace no sooner doth this take possession but the Walking is altered which it never is before to any purpose Prov. 2.10 When wisdom entereth into the heart c. discretion shall preserve thee c. to deliver thee from the way of the evil man c. who leave the paths of uprightness to walk in the ways of darkness who rejoice to do evil c. Your way to be rid of the Flesh is to get the Spirit set a thousand Arguments the most effectual Considerations imaginable before the Sinner to draw him off from this fleshly walking till the regenerating sanctifying Spirit take hold of him they are all weak and ineffective I add Walk after the Spirit Every man will be walking there 's no standing still all will be in motion so long as they are in viâ and every mans Walking will be in one of these two ways either after the Flesh or after the Spirit for non datur tertium And these being contrary do mutually exclude each the other he that walks after the flesh cannot in sensu composito walk after the spirit and he that walks after the spirit cannot walk after the flesh therefore Gal. 5.16 Walk in the spirit and ye shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh the Reason then upon which this Direction is grounded is strong and evident And let me tell you Principles you will and must have some or other which if they be not good they will be bad and so as to Guides Affections Propensions Ends these will be in every reasonable Soul from one cause or another So that if you be not spiritual you will be carnal for one of these two you must be as both you cannot be O let it be the Former that it may not be the Latter 3. Take heed of particular allowed fleshly acts for they make way for that general course which you are to shun Acts produce Habits as well as Habits do produce Acts particular acts of sin especially if allowed and repeated end in a course of sin If you gratifie the flesh in some things it will grow upon you as sad experience proves the Gangrene or Leprosie at the first begins with some particular member but if it be let alone in a little time it diffuses it self over the whole body and so 't is here as to sin A little leaven leavens the whole lump 'T is true as hath been observ'd the Apostle here fixes his Character upon the Course and not upon single acts but he that allows himself in them will not stay there in time hee 'l fall into a wicked and fleshly Course 4. Timely suppress the first risings of the flesh it gains by delays O as soon as the corrupt Nature begins to stir and show it self see that you fall upon it presently make speedy and vigorous resistance to it if you give the Enemy time hee 'l grow stronger and the Conquest will be the more difficult You read Jam. 1.15 of the conceiving of Lust ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã c. Vide Stobaeum in Eclog. Serm. 3. p. 9. when Lust hath conceived
together unless that which we build upon them or infer from them do agree with other Scriptures where the Thing is fully and professedly handled I dare not undervalue the least the meanest particle in God's Word yet I would be loath to bottom a fundamental Article of Faith upon such a particle especially when it admits of various senses as this here doth if it hath not the current of the Word to back it For our Opinion of Justification by the alone righteousness of Christ imputed to the Sinner and laid hold on by Faith we ground it upon several full and entire Discourses where our Apostle doth professedly handle that Argument proving Justification to be according to what we hold But our Adversaries to prove their justification by inherent righteousness very often I do not say always catch at some little single word and that they make the foundation which they build this Opinion upon In short against this For in the Text I mean too onely as they pervert it for in truth they have not so much as even this little Word to favour them we set the whole third fourth fifth Chapter of this Epistle to the Romans where the Apostle in a full discourse upon it doth plainly lay Justification upon imputed not upon inherent righteousness and which of us now do build upon the surest and safest bottom 2. What if this particle supposing it to be Causal doth point to the description of the persons and not to the priviledge some of their own * Stapl. ut prius Tolet. Causam exponit cur qui sunt in Christo non secundum carnem ambulant Authors do carry it so where then is the strength of their Argument from it to prove the fonmal Cause of No Condemnation All that then can be deduced from the Words is this that Grace in the heart is the Cause of an holy life that men upon regeneration are delivered from the Law of Sin and therefore they walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit what is this against us And with respect to their Glosses who questions or denies inherent righteousness or that that doth free from sin provided you take it with a double limitation 1. that the freeing from Sin upon regeneration be understood of the taking away its power 2. that it be not carried so far as quite to justle out imputed righteousness or set so high as to have that attributed to it which is onely proper to Christs righteousness Our * Si Spiritus vitae vivificans Sanctificans c. Ergo liberati sumus à Lege peccati mortis Regeneratione Sanctificatione non solâ Justitiae imputatione Gratia ergo inhaerens est quae liberat à peccato Contz Quaest 1. in Vers 2. cap. 8. ad Rom. Torsit hic locus tà m Calvinum quam Bezam quia inhaerentem Justitiam per veram peccati victoriam luculentèr probat imputativam subvertit Stapl. Antidot p. 625. Adversaries misrepresent our Opinions and trouble themselves in a great measure to prove that which we never deny and then asperse us as though we did deny it 3. 'T is one thing to be the Proof of a thing another thing to be the Cause of that thing Regeneration indeed proves Justification for every regenerate person is a justified person but 't is not the cause of justification for the person is not therefore justified because he is regenerated but because Christ's righteousness by Faith is made over to him 'T is one thing to say therefore a man lives because he hath sense and moves and another thing to say therefore a man lives because he hath a living Soul in him the Sense and motion prove the life but 't is the living Soul which is the cause of life So here the Believer shall not be condemned because the Law of the Spirit of Life c. this evinces the certainty of the thing but 't is not the proper Cause of it So that the For in the Text is onely Nota probationis but not causalitatis and so 't is used up and down in the Gospel in very many places 4. 'T is very true that (a) Legem Spiritus impropriè vocat Dei Spiritum qui animas nostras Christi sanguine aspergit non tantum ut à peccati labe emundet quoad reatum sed ut in veram pietatem sanctificet Calvin Calvin in part doth interpret the Words of regeneration and inherent righteousness but then foreseeing the Objection that would be made upon it he explains himself about it and saith (b) Siquis excipiat veniam ergo quâ sepeliuntur nostra delicta pendete à regeneratione facilis est solutio Non assignari causam à Paulo sed modum tradi duntaxae quo solvimur à reatu Calvin If any shall reply that then pardon or justification doth depend upon regeneration the Answer says he is obvious Paul doth not set down the Cause wherefore we are absolved from Guilt onely the Manner wherein this is done He adds further (c) Perinde valet haec sententia ac si dixisset Paulus Regenerationis Gratiam ab imputatione Justitiae nunquam disjungi 'T is as much as if the Apostle had said that regeneration is never separated or parted from the imputation of Christs righteousness So that he doth not argue for Non-condemnation or Justification from inherent righteousness as the proper Cause of it but onely as these two always go together and as this is the order and method of God wherein he justifies And 't is true too that * Legem Spiritus Vitae nec pro lege fidei c. sed pro ejus efficaciâ per quam peccatum i. e. corruptio ipsaque adeo mors sensìm aboletur ut docet infra V. 10. 11. denique pro Regenerationis gratiâ accipio cui opponitur carnis i. e. Naturae nostrae corruptio Beza Beza doth take in here under the Law of the Spirit Regeneration and Sanctification but then 't is very well known what he makes to be the Law of the Spirit of Life principally viz. the Sanctity and Holiness of Christ's humane Nature which he saith being imputed to the Believer he is thereupon justified * In his verbis Calvinum Orthodoxae Augustinianae expositioni conformitè dicere quis dubitaverit sed audiantur reliqua impostoris technae ac fraudes apparebunt Stapl. ubi supra Quam Legem Spiritus cum probè intellexissent recentiores Haeretici perperam transferunt non ad Gratiam justis inhaerântem sed ad externam Christi justitiam quam robis quodaminodo affingi volunt imputari Justin And now Calvin and Beza have lost all their credit So long as they expounded the Words of inherent righteousness they were very sound and orthodox but now they thus explain themselves no Censures are severe enough for them now if Stapleton may be believed they are not adulteratores sed carnifices Verbi Dei I know Pareus to avoid the
as a pattern And indeed God all along dealt with him as so in reference to pardoning grace he was a pattern 1 Tim. 1.16 that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all long suffering for a pattern c. So in reference to renewing grace he shall be a pattern too God would and did so effectually work upon him in the miraculous changing of him in the mighty rescuing of him from the power of ignorance carnal confidence prejudices against Christ enmity to the Gospel and the Professors thereof that he should be ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã for a pattern to all that should be converted of the freeness and efficacy of converting Grace And therefore if He was thus freed from the Law of sin it should then be so with Others also for what was done to him was not done to him as a meer single or private person but as to One that was to be an instance or pattern of the Grace of God towards many 2. Because he was the Complainer therefore he shall be the Triumpher because he was the Combater therefore he shall be the Conqueror And as you have him in the * Ponit se pro Exemplo ut prius infirmitatum Luctae ita nunc fiduciae Imo verbis quasi praeit quibus singuli hanc consolationem nobis applicemus Pareus foregoing Chapter in the person of Believers complaining of the Law of sin so here you shall have him in the person of Believers too triumphing over the Law of sin he being made free from it by another and an higher Law But to close this Head be thou who thou wilt if thou beest a gracious person and one upon whom the Spirit hath put forth his efficacious power thou as well as Paul art made free from the Law of sin Therefore to make this the more indefinite and universal the Syriac not without an Emphasis saith * Et quidem non sine Emphasi quasi admonente Paulo ut singuli credentes hoc sibi beneficium applicent Beza Beza reads it not me but thee the Law of the Spirit of Life hath made thee free from the Law c. The Third General in the Words is the Author or Efficient of this freedome from the Law of Sin and Death and the way or manner how 't is effected 't is by the Spirit of Life and 't is by the Law of the Spirit c. Now here lies the greatest difficulty and that wherein Expositors do most differ I find no less than Four several Interpretations put upon these Words 1. First Some would have them to refer to the sanctity and perfect holiness of Christ's Humane Nature This say they is the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus and the Law of the Spirit of Life is the power and virtue of Christ's unspotted holiness and purity to acquit and make free the Believer from the Law of Sin and Death h. e. from the guilt of sin and Condemnation So that they bring the matter to this the Habitual righteousness of Christ as Man being imputed and made over to the Believer upon this he is discharged from all guilt and look'd upon by God in Christ as perfectly righteous This Interpretation is that which * Cùm adeò imbecilla sit vis Spiritus in nobis quomodo inde possumus colligere nullam esse condemnationem c. quoniam inquit vis ista Spiritus vivificantis quae tà m imbecilla est in nobis perfectissima potentissima est in Christo nobis credentibus imputata facit ut perinde censeamur ac si nullae prorsus reliquiae corruptionis mortis in nobis inhaererent Nunc autem de perfectâ sanctitatis humanae naturae Christi imputatione disterit c. Beza in Paraphr Distinguit Legem Spiritus vitae quae est in ipso Christo Jesu ab eâ quae in nobis est ab co effecta i e. perfectam naturae nostrae in Christo sanctificationem ab eâ quae in nobis est duntaxat inchoata Nam illa quidem nobis imputata cum perfecta sit nos liberavit c. Explicandum est igitur istud de tertiâ Justificationis nostrae gratuitae parte quae consistit in Sanctificatione ipsâ Jesu Christi nobis communicata Idem in Notis Et porro Vis illa Spiritus vivifici cujus fons est in Christi carne facit ut peccatum seu vitiositas illa cu us reliquiae adhuc in me supersunt quae me alioqui condemnationi adjudicarent efficere nequeat ut conde âner quoniaru quod est in me duntaxat inchoatum in Christo perfectissimum est cui sum insitus This way goes Hemingius Elton Parr Streso c. Thâs Downham interprets it Of Justific Book 1. Chap. 3. Several Expositors some of Whom are of great Eminency do pitch upon Yet with submission I shall crave leave to prefer another before it For 't is very well known though I shall not in the least concern my self therein that some very worthy Persons do question the truth of the Thing viz. the formal imputation of Christ's Habitual and Original righteousness they making the sanctity of his Humane Nature to belong to his Justitia Personae rather than to his Justitia Meriti or Justitia Fidejussoria and they looking upon it onely as the necessary qualification of his Person to fit him to be a Mediator and also as that which was necessary in order to the meritoriousness of his Obedience but denying that it is directly and formally made over by imputation to the Believer But as to this which is the Veritas Rei as I said before I will not at all concern my self about that I am onely to enquire whether this Interpretation be proper to the Text and rightly grounded upon it which is the Veritas Loci And truly that I question very much and must say with the learned De Dicu Nescio an id spectaverit Apostolus c. I know not whether that was the thing which the Apostle here had in his eye I humbly conceive the Words without great straining cannot be brought to this Sense their main scope and intendment looking to a quite Other thing And that branch of them in Christ Jesus upon which they who close with the Exposition before us lay so great a stress will bear another explication much more easie and genuine as you will hear by and by 2. Secondly Others understand by the Law of the Spirit of Life and the Law of Sin and Death the Law of Faith and the Law of Works or the Evangelical and the Masaical Law You read Rom. 3.27 of the Law of Faith and of Works two very opposite and contrary Laws now by that twofold Law Some open the Law of the Spirit and the Law of Sin and Death Thus * I ex ergo Spiritur vitae est Lex Fidei Nam Moysi Lex est Spiritualis quia prohibet peccare non tamen viâae c. 'T is too
though it be not a Law to them a residence in them though it doth not reign over them a mansion though it be cast out of dominion There are none on this side of Heaven so pure but that there is some mixture in them they have corruption as well as grace as the best grain hath its chaff and the brightest marble its spots and flaws the Regenerate themselves whilst here on earth are but like gold in the ore which hath much of baser matter mingled with it O this Sin cleaves fast to us it will live as long as we live and will not dye till we dye 't will be in the Soul so long as the Soul is in the Body upon Conversion 't is cast down but not wholly cast out and therefore all that we can safely ground upon from the Text or that is designed in the present Truth is deliverance onely from the Law of sin 'T is here according to what you read of * Dan. 7.12 Daniel's Beasts they had their dominion taken away yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time Sins dominion at the the first moment of the Sinners Conversion is taken away yet for some time it lives and hath a being in the Soul Or as you read of the Canaanites they were to be be divested of all their power yet God for some reasons would have them to * Exod. 23.28 c. continue in the Holy Land and not cut them off all at once just so he orders it with his people in reference to Sin You have in the Words according to some a double freedom one from Sin and another from Death now we are not absolutely freed from Death but only from the Law of it that is from the tyranny and curse of it so neither are we absolutely freed from Sin but only from the Law of it that is the power and tyranny of it Nay 2. Even the deliverance of regenerate persons from the power of Sin must be taken but in a limited and qualified sense Not as if they were wholly freed even from that so as that Sin should have no power in them for as to that too in this life they come short Alas 't is the affliction of true Converts not only to have Sin Habitual and Actual but which is much worse that Sin hath a great power and strength in them and over them True indeed it hath not such a power in them as it hath in the Vnregenerate for its power is very much broken and is not so entire and absolute in them as it is in the other yet it hath too much of power even in them also By which I do not mean only Sins * Of these things and of Sins Dominion as to the whole read Sedgwick's Anatomy of Sin ch 4. molesting power as it can and doth here greatly mobest disturb disquiet trouble vex the deerest of Gods Children nor onely Sins assaulting power as it can and doth often invade and set upon the Saints wherever they are or'whatever they are about in order to the overcoming of them nor onely Sins tempting and provoking power as it doth strongly excite urge provoke sollicit them to what is evil we may go higher than so it hath a worser power than all these namely a prevailing power now at some times and in some cases Gods own people may be brought even under that O Sin may carry the day and be victorious over them it may with great efficacy and success prevail even in them both in the keeping of them from what is good and also in the drawing of them to what is evil Is this a thing to be questioned though the truth of it is much to be lamented do we not see it by sad experience made good in our selves and others did not Paul himself who here saith he was made free from the Law of Sin yet which hath often come in my way a little before when he was in the same state in which here he was make sad complaints about it I find saith he a Law that when I would do good evil is present with me as if he had said others may dream of perfection and please themselves with the thoughts of their high attainments but as to my self I cannot pretend to any such thing for my part I find a Law c. there is such a Law such a corrupt cursed nature in me which hath too much strength and power over me and saith he this Law I find I plainly perceive it and cannot but take notice of it I do not onely hear of it but I find and feel it in my self in the sad fruits and effects of it yea saith he this is no weak or languid thing but that which hath a great power in me for it wars against the law of my mind and leads me captive c. thus this great Saint did groan under Sins power And if a Paul thus complains how may others complain if Sin had such a power in him what hath it in poor Christians of a far lower size and sââââre We have too many Instances not onely of the having and bare inbeing of Sin but of the prevailing power of Sin even in truly yea eminently gracious persons David commits adultery plots the death of Vriah numbers the people c. Noah is drunk Lot incestuous Hezekiah proud Job impatient Peter denies Christ c. ô the strength and efficncy of Sin even in the Regenerate themselves It may and it doth sometimes prevail in the strongest though it never rules in the weakest yet you must know that these partial successes of Sin do not amount to the Law of Sin it may conquer and yet not command its prevalency doth not evince its regency the Invader may win the field in some barrels and yet for all that not be upon the throne But I say Sin pro his nunc may have a prevailing power even over the best notwithstanding their being made free from the Law of Sin All then that we can warrantably and truly fix upon in this matter is this that such who are in the state of grace in whom the Spirit hath wrought as the Spirit of Life they are made free from the Law of Sin that Law being taken in its strict and proper notion according to the explication which hath been given of it and as noting something more than the bare power of Sin with respect to some particular acts In some sense Sin may be said to be a Law in the regenerate namely in regard of that power and strength which it hath in them but yet 't is not a Law to the regenerate because they do not own it or submit to it as to that which hath the authority or dominion over them You have heard there are two things which make Sin to be a Law One is authoritative commanding on its part the Other is full and free resignation on the Sinners part to its Commands and impulsions now the
the death of this Death or that wherein it mainly consists hence though it doth not carry in it any annihilation yea though it be attended with a kind of Life both Soul and Body retaining their physical being existence and union yet 't is called Death because there is in it a separation from the fountain of true Life and of all blessedness upon which account 't is not only Death but the worst Death and this too is the worst part of this worst Death for though there be more included in it than the loss of Gods presence viz. the punnishment of sense eternal torment in Hell-fire yet it might easily be prov'd that herein lies its greatest evil the Mat. 25.41 departing from God is worse than the going into everlasting fire But to apply this distinction to the business in hand How Believers are made free from the Law of temporal death 1. The Law of the Spirit of Life frees the Regenerate from death temporal Not simply and absolutely from death considered abstractly and in it-self for so all must dye Believers themselves are within the compass of the general Statute Heb. 9.27 It is appointed unto men once to dye Psal 89.48 What man is he that liveth and shall not see death shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave but it frees from death as so qualified and so circumstantiated in the language of the Text it frees from the Law of Death How 's that why take a gracious man Death hath not a full right or an absolute power over him so as to keep him under its dominion forever for so I show'd you some open this Law of Death Such an one may dye but he shall live again the grave shall not always hold him he may be thrown into prison for a time but Christ will fetch him out and then death shall never again exercise its power over him after he hath died once he shall dye no more as 't is said of Christ Rom. 6.9 Again Grace frees from the Law of this Death that is from the hurtfulness sting and curse of it Death carries much of a curse in it 't is the result and fruit of the primitive * Gen. 2.17 curse now in this notion sanctified persons are freed from it The nature and property of death is altered to a godly man to him 't is now but the paying of that debt or tribute which is due to Nature but a (a) 1. Thes 4.14 sleep but a (b) Job 14.14 change but a (c) Luk. 2.29 departure or going out of prison but a (d) If. 57.2 going to bed but an (e) 2 Cor. 5.4 uncloathing but a passage into an endless and everlasting life an inlet into the immediate fruition of God O set but sense aside what an harmless innocent thing is this death to such a person the Lion being slain by Christ there 's hony now in the belly of it I allude to that of Sampson Judg. 14.8 1 Cor. 15.55 O death where is thy sting ô grave where is thy victory The sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the Law but thanks be to God which give thus the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ Christ by death hath overcome death unstung it and taken off its hurtful quality by dying himself he hath expiated Sin vanquished Satan atoned God satisfied the Law secured from Hell purchased eternal life and these things being done where is now the Law of Death Heb 2.14 15 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood he also himself likewise took part of the same that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death that is the Devil And deliver them who through fear of dâath were all their life time subject to bondage How from the Law of eternal death 2. There is that death which is much worse than this viz. eternal death that which indeed is the death incomparably surpassing any other as no life like to eternal life so no death like to eternal death To have the Body separated for a while from the Soul is a thing to Nature very dreadful but what is that to the separation both of Body and Soul from God forever This is sometimes set forth by Death without the addition of any Epethite as Joh. 8.51 If a man keep my sayings he shall never see death Rom. 6.23 8.6 passim Sometimes by the second death and 't is so stiled because it succeeds upon and doth not commence till after the first death Rev. 2.11 He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death Rev 20.6 21.4 This is that death which the * Sicut is qui liberatur a Lege Spiritus vitae permanet in Christo qui est vita ita qui servit Lege peccati permanet in morte quae venit ex damnatione peccati Orig. unconverted and impenitent are obnoxious unto but such as turn to God by true repentance and live and holy life they are freed from it And this deliverance is absolute the former was but in such a qualified sense but this I say is absolute Even such may and shall dye the first death but they shall never dye this second death Rom. 20.6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection on such the second death hath no power You read of the abolishing of this death by Christ 2 Tim. 1.10 eternal death is quite abolished to all regenerate persons But this very much falls in with the No-condemnation in the foregoing Verse of which having there said enough I 'le add nothing more VSE 1. Men exhorted to live in the belief of this that 't is Sin and Death By way of Vse 1. I would exhort you all to live in the steady belief of this and often to revive it upon your thoughts that 't is Sin and Death Especially when at any time Satan and your own hearts sollicit and tempt you to sin be sure then you think of this so as to retort it upon the temptation speedily what shall I sin and dye shall I for the pleasures delights satisfaction of sin which are but * Heb. 11.25 for a season expose my self to death yea to eternal death no that I dare not that I must not do 'T is good to break the force of a temptation by such reasonings as these for though 't is true the great restraints from sin should be taken from the love of God the fear of offending God c. yet it 's good and God allows it to take in the advantage of self-love too and the fear of self-destroying Surely if men did indeed believe or did nor strangely smother and suppress all serious convictions about this that 't is sin and death they durst not sin as they do Where 's the man let him be never so thirsty or let the draught be never so alluring that would venture upon it should he
ire Cypr. fear it For to you 't will come without a sting and you know the Serpent that hath lost its sting may hiss but cannot hurt 't is in it self an enemy and the * 1 Cor. 15.26 last enemy but to you 't is an harmless because a conquer'd enemy it may seem to threaten the greatest evil but in truth it shall do you the greatest good But here lies your main happiness you are wholly exempted from eternal death the second death you shall dye but once and then live with God forever 'T is this second death that makes the first to be so formidable for a man to dye that he may live that 's not at all dreadful but to dye here in order to a worser death hereafter there 's the thing which is only dreadful When death is but an inlet to eternal life a departure to be * Phill. 1.23 with Christ when there 's no condemnation to follow after it you may and you should meet it with joy and holy triumph And know that to you it shall not be bare freedome from eternal death but it shall also be the possession of eternal life there 's very much in the privative part of the mercy but when the positive part too is joined with it how high doth it rise ô admire and adore the Grace of God! The least of your sins deserves death the best of your duties doth not deserve life and yet you are freed from that which you so much deserve and shall be put into the possession of that which you so little deserve here 's the riches of the grace of God towards you Sin and Death are the two * Peccatum mors sunt duae partes adaequatae humanae miseriae nam in culpâ poenâ tota miseria hominis consistit Streso comprehensive evils all evil is summ'd up in and under them but you are freed from both what reason have you to rejoice and to admire the Lords boundless goodness ô the damned in hell who are under this death and feel it what would they give to be freed from it You through the merit of Christ and the power of the Spirit are made free from it therefore you should first be very thankeful and then very chearful What great things hath the gracious God done for you he hath delivered you from the Rule of sin whilst you live from the hurt of death when you dye have not you abundant cause of blessing and rejoicing 'T will not be long before this Death will look you in the face and lay its cold hands upon you 't is every minute making its nearer approaches to you by every breath you draw it gets ground upon you well be not troubled at this you know the worst on 't 't is death but not damnation 't is the parting of the Soul from the Body but no parting of the Soul from God 't is but dying temporally that you may live eternally how great is your happiness proportionable to which how great should your thankefulness and holy joy be So much for this Verse ROM 8.3 4. For what the Law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh That the Righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit CHAP. IX Of the Laws inability to justify save High and glorious Matter contained in these two Verses Of their Coherence with what went before The difference amongst Expositors about that The General sense and meaning of the Words The various Readings and Explications of them They are divided into Five Parts There 's a Complication in them of the several Causes of the Sinners Justification and Salvation The First Branch of the Text insisted upon What the Law c. Four things observed in it Of its Literal Exposition What is here meant by Law What that was which the Law could not do How 't is said to be weak What the Flesh is by which 't is weakened The whole matter drawn into one Observation Of the Special matter of the Laws impotency as it refers to Justification and Salvation Three Grounds or Demonstrations of its impotency 1. It requires more than what the fal'n Creature can perform 2. It doth not give what the fal'n Creature needs 3. It cannot make reparation for what the fal'n Creature bath done Use 1. To humble us because we have a Nature in us by which Gods own Law is thus weakened where some thing is said against the Power of Nature Use 2. First To vindicate the Honor of the Law notwithstanding the Weakness charg'd upon it Secondly The Laws Obligation not to be cast off because of this Thirdly Nor yet is it to be look'd upon as altogether weak or useless Use 3. To take men off from expecting Righteousness and Life from and by the Law Use 4. To stir up Believers to adore the Love and Mercy of God in sending his Son when the Law was under an utter inability to justifie and save High and glorious things contained in these Verses OUr Apostle here Eagle-like soar's aloft and rises up in his discourse to the most sublime truths of the Gospel These two Verses set things before us so high and glorious as may fill Heaven and Earth Angels and Men with amazement and astonishment Here 's the whole Gospel sum'd up in a few words contracted and brought into a narrow compass here 's in one view Man undone and Man recover'd the depths of the Creatures misery and the heights of Gods Mercy in a short abridgement Here 's Gods sending his Son which surely was the greatest thing that ever he did it being the highest contrivance of his infinite Wisdom and the highest product of his infinite Love Here 's this Son sent in our flesh the first and the great Mystery of the Gospel for it comes in the front of the Gospel-Mysteries 1 Tim. 3.16 Here 's sin condemn'd and the Sinner acquitted the Law represented as impossible for us to keep yet fulfilled for us in a most strange and wonderful manner as Christ hath done and suffered that for us which we were utterly unable to do and suffer our selves O the * Eph. 3.18 bredths lengths depths heights of the Wisdom Mercy Justice Holiness of God! for all these several Attributes in what is here set forth do concur and shine forth in their greatest lustre Who can hear or read these two Verses with due consideration and not be in a divine transport and extasie for the truth is whatever is short of the most raised workings in the Soul is too low for the glorious things here spoken of The Coherence of them with what goes before We must first enquire into their Coherence or Connexion with what goes before They are a further proof or confirmation of the main Proposition laid down in the first
Mihi placet ut ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Nominativus positus sit absolutè loco Genitivi ut sensus sit cum enim effet impossibile c. Erasm Fateri necesse est Panli orationem mutilam esse imperfectam nifi dicamus ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã positum esse absolute loco secundi Casus quo Graeci eo firmè modo utuntur quo Latini Casu auferendi c. Justin Some would read it absolutely and change the Nominative Case into the Genitive the Greeks using that Case as the Latines do the Ablative in that form of expression thus for ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã they turn it ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã or ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the Law being unable in that it was weak through the flesh God sent c. Some take it in the Accusative Case and put in the word ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the impossible part of the Law God performed or made good by the sending of Christ Some change the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã into ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã putting in ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã what was the impossible of the Law or to the Law that God supplied by the sending of his Son this comes neerest to our Translation * Impossible legis i. e. impossibilitas implendae legis ex eo procedebat quoniam Lex infirma erat per Carnem Tolet. Some make the impossibile Legis to be taken Substantivè for impossibilitas implendae Legis which impossibility of fulfilling the Law proceeded from hence because the Law was weak through the flesh â So Camerarius ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Articâ constructione usitatà accipi commodè potest pro ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Beza Propter impotentiam Legis eò quod per camem erat infirmata Pare Some tell us the Words are an Atticism and they make a double Atticism in them 't is first ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã for ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and then 't is ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã for ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Then the sense of them runs thus For the impotency and inability or because of the impotency and inability of the Law therefore God sent his Son The * Quùm impotens esset Lex propter infirmitatem carnis c. V. Syr. Ob defectum virium legis quo laborabat in carne c V. Arab. Et cum impotentes cramus ad praestandum mandata legis c. V. Ethiop Ancient Versions bring it in with a Since or Because Since there was an utter impossibility or inability in the Law to justifie or recover lost man therefore God pitch'd upon another way viz. the Incarnation Obedience Satisfaction of his own Son I thought it not amiss to put down these several Explications and Readings of the Words for the satisfaction of more inquisitive persons concerning the Expression it self and the Coherence of the Matter but as to the plain Sense that our Translators as I said before give us very well For what the Law could not do or because of the Laws inability to do in that it was weak through the flesh therefore God sent his Son c. The Sum of the Words in Two Proposi ions I pass from the Letter of the Words to the Matter contain'd in them and that may be sum'd up in these Two Propositions 1. There was something to be done by and for the Sinner 1. Prop. which the Law could not do it was under an impossibility of doing it 2. Therefore the Law could not thus do 2. Prop because it was weak through the flesh For the better understanding of which Propositions 4 Questions answered it will be necessary to resolve these Four Questions 1. Of what Law doth the Apostle here speak 2. What was the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã that which the Law could not do 3. How is the Law said to be weak 4. What is meant by the Flesh from which the Laws weakness proceeds First Of what Law doth the Apostle here speak 1. Quest What Law is here meant when he saith What the Law could not do I answer Of Gods own Law and that too in its strict and proper acceptation Answ For the Word Law is taken sometimes in an improper allusive Metaphorical notion as in the Verse foregoing where you read of the Law of the Spirit and of the Law of Sin which is nothing but the power and commanding efficacy of the Spirit and of Sin But here in this Verse 't is to be taken in the strict and proper notion of a Law viz. as it notes that declaration or revelation which God the great Law-giver hath made of his Will therein binding and obliging the reasonable creature to duty I know Some understand the Law here of that * Lex mentis quae impleri non poterat propter carnem peccati Tolet. Crediderim ego non hic legem Mosis sed legem illam mentis accipiendam esse Justin Potest de lege mentis intelligi quam supra dixit velle facere bonum sed per infirmitatem fragilitatem carnis implere non posse Orig. Law of the Mind spoken of Chap. 7.23 which lies in strong propensions efficacious and commanding impulsions to what is holy and good springing from the Sanctifi'd nature in regenerate persons But I conceive this interpretation is not so genuine nor so well suiting with the Apostles Scope in the words where he is treating not of the Law which is in some persons but of the Law which is imposed upon all of that Law the righteousness of which was to be fulfilled as it follows Vers 4. and therefore it must be understood of Gods own Law that being it which Christ was to fulfil and satisfie and not any other Law Since then the Words point to the Law of God we must bring the Question into a narrower compass and enquire What Law of God is here spoken of For answer to which that I may as much as I can avoid unnecessary excursions I shall only say this That 't is either that Primitive Law which God impos'd upon Adam and in him upon all mankind upon the keeping of which he promised Life upon the breaking of which he threatned death it being the Summary of the Covenant of Works Or else 't is that Law which God gave the people of Israel from Mount Sinai namely the Decalogue or Moral Law Which Law was but a new draught of the Law first made with Adam for that being by his Fall much defac'd nay almost quite obliterated as it was written in his heart it pleas'd the Lord to copy it out again and to write it afresh in Tables of Stone in fair and legible Characters And this too was a Scheme or Transcript and Summary of the Covenant of Works first made with Adam though it was not given to the people of Israel purely and absolutely as the Covenant of Works for in reference to its end and design there was much
but little better with the Moral Law it self though that was a far higher and better Law even this was and is as weak as the former This very Law which is so much for doing which requires and commands the creature to be so much in doing it self can do little or nothing The lost Sinner hath great things to be done by him and for him but in all these the Moral Law though God's own Law and an excellent Law cannot without Christ give the least help or assistance to him The Third Enquiry is 3d Quest How the Law is said to be weak What is the weakness of the Law here spoken of The word is ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Answ which is used to set forth any debility or weakness whether it be natural or praeternatural as being occasioned by some bodily disease or distemper in which Sense 't is often used in the New Testament 'T is applied here to the Law and 't is brought in as the ground of its ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã before mentioned Else where the Apostle uses it he speaks of the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the weakness of the Commandment Heb. 7.18 And speaking of the ordinances rites injunctions of the Ceremonial Law he calls them ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã weak and beggarly elements Gal. 4.9 Here in the Text an higher Law was in his eye and yet he attributes weakness to it also it could not do because it was weak and it was weak because it could not do for these two do reciprocally open and prove each the other And let me add that this weakness of the Law is not * ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ex quâ ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã nascitur virium non imbecillitatem sed omnem destitutionem declarat Beza Non dicit quod Legi erat grave difficile sed quod c. quibus sanè verbis adimit Legi in universum justificandi vim c. Muscul Infirmitatem Legis accipe quomodo solet usurpare Apostolus vocabulum ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã non tantùm pro modicâ imbecillitate verùm pro impotentiâ ut significet Legem nihil prorsus momenti habere ad conferendam justitiam Calv. Quamquam per verbum infirmari ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ab Interprete versum sit vis tamen illius verbi Graecè potius significat vires nullas quam imbecillas Salmer tom 13. p. 532. gradual or partial but total 't is not the having of a lesser strength but 't is the negation of all strength 't is so weak that it hath no power at all to accomplish what is here intended The Apostle carries it up to an impossibility he doth not say it was somewhat hard or difficult for the Law to do thus and thus or that it could do something though but imperfectly but he says this was impossible to it as being utterly above its power and ability A man that is weak may do something though he cannot do it vigorously exactly and throughly but now as to Justification and Salvation the Law considered in its self is so weak that it can do nothing it cannot have the least influence into these effects further than as God is pleased to make use of it in a preparatory or directive manner It s weakness as to the great things of the Gospel is like the weakness of the body when 't is dead 1 Cor. 15.43 It is sown in weakness ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã 't is the same word with that in the Text concerning the Law it is raised in power a dead body is so weak that it cannot put forth one vital act it may be weak in part whilst it lives but when 't is dead it lies under a total weakness Such is the weakness or impotency of the Law in reference to the taking away of guilt and the making of a person righteous before God Fourthly 4th Quest What are we to understand by Flesh It will be query'd What the Flesh is here by which the Law is made thus weak The word Flesh occurs thrice in this Verse c. Answ in that it was weak through the Flesh God sent his Son in the likeness of sinful Flesh and for sin condemned sin in the Flesh As 't is us'd in the first place it carries in it a very different sense from what it doth in the two following places and t is not unusual in holy Writ for one and the same Word in one and the same Verse to be taken in different senses as you may see Matth. 26.29 Matth. 8.22 When 't is said the Law was weak through the Flesh here Flesh is taken Morally for the corrupt nature in man but when 't is said God sent his Son in the likeness of sinful Flesh and so on there Flesh is taken Physically for the humane nature of Christ But to come to the business in hand The Law was weak through the Flesh By this Flesh the Manichees of old understood the very being and substance of Flesh that which constitutes the body in man but this interpretation is rejected by all Origen with some others expounds it of the * Puto quod stance of Flesh that which Legem Mâsis in duas partes Apostolus dividat aliud in eâ carnem aliud Spiritum nominat et illam quidem observantiam quae secundum literam geritur sensum caruis appellat illam verò quae accipitur spiritualitèr Spiritum nominat Impossibile Legis cò quod c. Intellectus qui secundum literam est accipi potest ipse enim impossibilis erat c. Orig. Vel per carnem infumabatur Lex i. e. per carnalem intellectum et per carnalem observantiam erat imbecilla non per seipsam Anselm Per Carnem h. e. Per carnalem Legis intelligentiam sive carnis infirmitatem cui deerat Evangelica Gratia Erasm Origenes Per Carnem intelligit crassam literalem et carnalem Legis intelligentiam atque etiam Legis infirmitatem in eò collocat quod impossibile fuer it Legis Ceremonias omnes secundum Carnem i.e. secundum Literam observare A. Lapide Ceremonial Law with respect to the gross and literal sense and meaning of that Law Now 't is true as hath been already observed that that Law may be stiled Flesh because it lay very much in fleshly things 't is called the Law of a carnal commandment Heb. 7.16 it stood only in meats and drinks and divers washings and carnal ordinances imposed till the time of reformation Heb. 9.10 And 't is also most true that they who looked no further than the fleshly part the letter of that Law who did haerere in cortice and only rodere literarum ossa as the Jews did to them it must needs be weak and unable to bring about any Evangelical and saving good But this is not the Law as you have heard which the Apostle here doth mainly intend * Distinguit hoc loco impurissimus ille scriptor Legem
in Carnem et Spiritum c. Beza in loc Beza is very sharp against Origen for this his exposition of the flesh Cajetaine interprets it of the Carnal state of the Jews under the Law they being in that state by means thereof to them the Law was weak But as to this explication our learned â Dr. Hammond in Annot. a Annotator well observes that Flesh here is not so properly the State of men under the Law as that which is the means by which occasionally the Law became weak and unable to restrain men viz. the carnal or fleshly appetite which is so contrary to the proposals of the Law therefore he expounds it by that and â Caro i.e. carnales Judaeorum affectus vires ejus retuderant Act. 13.38 Heb 9.15 Grot. Grotius before him went the same way The fullest and best interpretation of this Flesh and that which is most * Per Carnem i. e. vitiatam hominis naturam Piscat c. i.e. Per camis desideria et per fomitem vitiorum qui est in came Anselm Ideo lex infirma est quia in vitiatam naturam incurrit P. Mart. Quum vel Legem infirmatam fuisse c. nemo sibi finget damnari hic substantiam carnis aut naturam corporis nam haec à Deo creata sunt bona sed per Carnem intelligit pravitatem corruptionem quae per lapsum Adami transivit in nostrum genus Idem generally followed is this 't is the corrupt sinful depraved nature that is in fal'n man O this is that which puts such a weakness and inability upon the Law to help and recover the undone Sinner 't is by this that the Law is so infeebled and debilitated as to its production of any spiritual or saving effects The Apostle layes it upon this the Law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh that is because it was weak through the Flesh For the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã is * ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã valet hic Ruia more Hebraico Grot. Causal therefore 't is usually rendred here by quia quoniam quandoquidem eò quod c. And so it is in other places as Heb. 2.18 For in that he himself hath suffered ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã because he hath suffered being tempted he is able to succor them that are tempted 't is as much as the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Rom. 5.12 Sometimes indeed 't is only expressive of such a time or state or condition as Mar. 2.19 Can the children of the Bride-chamber fast while the Bridegroom is with them ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Sometimes again 't is rendred by whereas as 1 Pet. 2.12 1 Pet. 3.16 but here in the Text 't is taken causally Let it then be observed that the * Impotentia legis c. non fuit ex ipsa Lege quasi justificare homines eam praestantes nequiret sed ex carne h. e. ex corruptione naturae humanae quae hominem reddit impotentem ad praestandam legem Pare us Non infirmitatem illi impingit quasi intrinsecus inhaerentem sed quasi extrinsecus ratione carnis ei adjacentem Soto weakness of the Law is not properly inherent or from the Law it self only 't is adventitious accidental and from the state and condition of the Subject with whom it hath to do 'T is the wickedness of mans Nature which is the sole cause of the Law 's weakness If Man was the same now that at first he was the Law would be the same too now that at first it was and have the same power and ability that then it had but he being fallen now the Law is weak'ned 'T is not I say from any intrinsick defect or weakness in the Law but only because it meets with a Subject in which there is Flesh a depraved nature and so it cannot do that which before it did when the Nature was holy and good When Man was in the state of innocency the Law Sampson like was in its full strength and could do whatever was proper to it yea as to it self it is able yet to do the same but the case with us is altered we cannot now fulfil this Law nor come up to what it requires of us and therefore 't is weak True the Apostle layes it upon the weakness of the Law he saith it was weak but then he tells you what was the ground of that weakness namely our Fesh The Law is only weak to us because we are weak to it the strongest Sword in a weak hand can do but little execution the brightest Sun cannot give light to a blind eye not from any impotency in it self but meerly from the incapacity of the Subject and that 's the case in the Law 's ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã with respect to the Sinner Pray observe the Law strengthens Sin and Sin weakens the Law 1 Cor. 15.56 The strength of Sin is the Law viz. as the Law gives it a killing and condemning power and as through man's corruption it makes Sin to be more active impetuous and boystrous thus Sin is strengthned by the Law But then the weakness of the Law is Sin for because of that it cannot now do what formerly it could Thus I have answered the Four Questions propounded under which I have cleared up the Words and also in part the Matter contained in them Which being done I might from the whole * The whole matter in the Words drawn into one Observation raise this Observation That the Law yea the Moral Law it self though it was an excellent Law the Law of Gods own making and design'd by him for high and excellent ends yet it having now to do with fallen man with Sinners that have Flesh a corrupt nature in them it is become weak and altogether unable to justifie and save I must not enter upon any large prosecution of this Point yet let me speak something to it both to fill up what I have hitherto but just touch'd upon and also to supply what as yet I have said nothing to There are but Two Things which I would further open 1. The Special Matter of the Laws weakness 2. The Grounds or Demonstrations of the Laws weakness The Laws inability to justifie and save For the First the Special Matter of the Laws weakness that will be cleared up 1. With respect to Justification 2. With respect to Salvation and Eternal Life What the Law could not do in that it was weak what was the thing particularly which the Law could not do what did its weakness especially refer to Answ The Scripture mainly fixes it upon these Two things it could not justifie it could not eternally save There are indeed many other things some of which have been already hinted which the Law could not do but these two are most usually instanc'd in in the Word when it speaks of or would set forth the Laws weakness 1. The Law upon its terms of doing
legis impotentiam aliò ut Legem absolvat à culpá quam dat carni viz. nostrae i. e. corruptae nostrae naturae Muscul Ne quis parum honorificè Legem impotentÃae argui putaret vel hoc restringeret ad Ceremonias expressit nominatim Paulus defectum illum non à Legis esse vitio sed Carnis nostrae corruptelâ Calvin through our Flesh 't is not so in and from it self but only through our depraved nature 't is meerly by accident et aliundè that it lies under this impotency The Law is not to be blamed but we had not we finn'd the Law would have been still as able and mighty in its operations as ever it was did it but meet with the same subject it would soon appear that it hath the same power which it had before Adam fell So that I say the Law is not at all in the fault but only we because of the Flesh Observe here the wisdom and care of our Apostle where-ever he seems to tax the Law there he will be sure to vindicate it As where he speaks of its irritating of corruption he there layes the blame upon his own wicked nature not at all upon the holy Law Rom. 7.8 9 10 11. Sin taking occasion by the commandment wrought in me all manner of concupiscence for without the Law sin was dead For I was alive without the Law once but when the commandment came Sin revived and I died And the commandment which was ordained to life I found to be unto death For Sin taking occasion by the commandment deceived me and by it slew me Yet vers 12 13 14. The Law is holy and the commandment holy and just and good Was then that which is good made death unto me God forbid But Sin that it might appear Sin working death in me by that which is good that Sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful For we know that the Law is spiritual but I am carnal sold under sin And thus we should carry it with respect to the Laws weakness O in it self 't is mighty and powerful but there is sin in us by which only the Law is made weak there therefore the blame must lye Could we but get rid of this Sin we should soon find what a mighty thing the Law is so mighty that nothing would be too high or too hard for it 2 Secondly Take heed that you do not cast off the Law upon this pretence 'T is indeed weak as to such ends but yet 't is a Law and that which is obligatory to all even to Believers themselves under the Gospel State and Covenant Shall we because of this weakness especially it being occasioned by our selves cast off the Law and pretend that we are not under the obligation of it we must not so argue Observe it in the Apostle even when he was proving the weakness of the Law as to Justification and shewing that God had found out another way for that viz. the way of Faith yet foreseeing that some might run themselves upon this rock and infer from hence that they had nothing to do with the Law he therefore adds * Rom. 3.31 Do we then make void the Law through Faith God forbid yea we establish the Law in its proper place and Sphere The Creature as a creature is under a natural and therefore indispensable obligation to this Law so as that nothing can exempt him from that obligation It commands to love fear serve honour obey God wherein it obliges so strongly that God himself with reverence be it spoken cannot free the creature from its obligation to these duties True indeed Believers are not under the curse rigor or bondage of this Law or under it as it is the condition of life but they are and it cannot be otherwise under the obligation of its commands as to an holy life There may be and blessed be God there is a great change as to circumstances a great relaxation as to the Laws rigors severitys and penaltys but for the main duties of Obedience and Holiness it is eternally obligatory and never to be abrogated O therefore do not look upon your selves as made free from this Law though it be weak and unable to justifie and save you it can damne upon the breaking of it though it cannot save by the keeping of it 3 Thirdly Neither must you upon this look upon the Law as altogether weak or useless I say not as altogether weak for though as to some things it be under a total impotency yet as to other things it still retains its pristine power It cannot take away sin or make righteous or give life which it promis'd at first and for which it was appointed for the commandment was ordained to life Rom. 7.10 here 's the weak side of the Law as to these 't is ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã But as to the commanding of duty the directing and regulating of the life the threatning of punishment upon the violation of it here it can do whatever it did before The Laws preceptive and punitive part where 't is not taken off by Christ are yet in their full strength only as to the promissory part of it viz. its promising life upon the condition of perfect Obedience there 't is at a loss In a word its authority to oblige to duty or punishment is the same that ever it was but its ability to give righteousness or life in which respects only the Apostle here speaks of it is not the same If God open this Law to you and set it home upon your Consciences you will find it hath yet a very great strength and efficacy in it let it not therefore be altogether weak in your eye Nor altogether useless For Some will be ready to say if the Law be thus weak then what use is there of it to what end doth it serve what is to be looked for from that which can do so little for us But do not you thus reason For though the Law be not of use to you as to Justification I mean in a way of immediate influence upon the Act or State a remoter influence it may have yet in other respects 't is of great and admirable use viz. as a Monitor to excite to duty as a Rule to direct and guide you in your course as a Glass to discover sin as a Bridle to restrain sin as an Hatchet to break the hard heart as a * Gal. 3.24 Schoole-master to whip you to Christ The Lord Jesus indeed hath taken Sin-pardoning God-atoning Justice-satisfying Soul-saving work into his own hands he would not trust this in the hands of the Law any longer because he knew the weakness of it but for other work the awakening and convincing of a Sinner the terrifying of the secure the humbling of the proud the preparing of the Soul to close with Christ though this last act be only eventual and accidental as to the Law all this work I
Matth. 22.45 Lord of David and the Son of David the branch of David and the root of David both â Revel 22.16 root and off-spring how could such different things be affirm'd of him but upon the distinction of his two Natures that therefore is not in the least impeach'd by the Hypostatical Vnion True upon this Union there is the communication of properties betwixt them so as that that which is proper to one Nature is applyed to the other as you see Joh. 3.13 1 Cor. 2.8 Act. 20.48 and so as that that which is predicated of the one may be also predicated of the other I mean in the concrete for in the abstract this will not hold as I cannot say the Deity is the Humanity or the Humanity is the Deity yet I may truly say God is Man and Man is God a communication of properties thus far or in this sense we deny not it follows upon the Vnion but that that which is essential to one Nature should really Physically be convey'd and made over to the other Nature as Omnipresence Vbiquity Omniscience c. from the Godhead to the Manhood which is the Popish and Lutheran Communication this as implying a Contradiction and carrying in it a perfect repugnancy to the nature of the thing we cannot assent unto The Humane Nature in the first moment of its formation was united to the Divine 4. No sooner was the Humane Nature framed or formed but in that very instant of time it was united to the Divine Nature this also I put down as another branch of the main Proposition 'T was * ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Damasc Orth. Fid. l. 3. cap. 2. v. Luommbard L. 3. Dist 2. taken as soon as it was made its first existence and its union were contemporary We distinguish betwixt the formation sanctification and assumption of the Humane Nature and we conceive of these as done successively in such an order first that Nature was form'd then sanctify'd then assum'd But this is meerly founded upon our conception not that it was so indeed and really as to the things themselves for in truth there was no priority of time priority of Nature I deny not betwixt the one and the other but at the very same moment wherein by the Power of the Holy Ghost the Manhood of Christ was formed it was also sanctify'd and united to the Godhead A Question here is moved by Some whether Christ's Humane Nature was compleat and perfect at the first that is whether as soon as ever his Flesh was formed his Soul was infus'd and united to it or whether as it is with us there was not some space of time intervening betwixt the formation of the Flesh and the infusion of the Soul in the discussing of which there is a difference among them Some being for the * Sharp Cursus Theol. p. 362. Affirmative and Others for the â Lud. Capellus in Thes Salmur part 2. p. 12. thes 15. Dr. Jackson on the Creed 7th Book Sect. 3. ch 29. p. 324. Negative But which is to my purpose all agree in this that whether it was only Flesh for sometime or whether both Flesh and Soul were form'd together yet still the Vnion began at the first instant of the Incarnation There was a time before Christ's Manhood did exist but as soon as ever it did exist there was no time wherein it was under disunion and disjunction from his Godhead Thus I have endeavoured by these Four things to give you a little light concerning the Hypostatical Vnion of the two Natures in Christ's Person which this Sixth Proposition led me unto a point of such high importance and so proper to the subject in hand that I could not wholly pass it over and yet withal so sublime and mysterious that I can neither speak nor conceive of it according to what is in it 7. Prop. 'T is probable if Adam had not faln Christ had not been sent in Flesh 7. Let me add but one thing further 'T is probable had there been no sin that Christ had not been sent in Flesh or had not Adam fallen and thereby involv'd his whole Posterity in a state of sin and guilt 't is probable that Christ had not been incarnate I express it modestly going no higher than 't is probable because though the Scriptures make it certain to me yet 't is not so to others nay some are of a quite other opinion The question is not de possibili what God by his absolute Power and Will might and could have done but only de facto whither if man had not sin'd Christ should actually have assum'd our Nature about which the Schools with other Divines are divided some * Scotus in 3. part disput 7. Quest 3. Absque praejudicio concedi potest etiamsi humana natura non peccasset adhuc Christum carnem sumpturum fuisse Alex. Alons 3. p. Qu. 2. memb 13. Catharinus de praed Christ Pet. Galatinus de Arc. Cathol ver l. 7 c. 2. Osiander c. affirming it some * Aquinas p. 3. qui. 1. art 3. Vasquez in 3. part tom 1. disp 10. art 3. Becan Theol. Schol. p. 3. c. 1. qu. 7. Calvin Instit l. 2. c. 12. against Osiander Hoorneb Socin Confut. tom 2. l. â c. 2. p. 253. Stegm Photin disp 15. p. 176. Alting Theol. Probl. Loc. 12. Probl. 5. p. 564. denying it The former affirm though sin had not been yet Christ would have come in Flesh not to have dy'd or suffer'd but only to have let the world see the glory and excellency of his Humane Nature that so great a work as his Incarnation might not have been lost or not done that God thereby might give out a singular demonstration of his Love to man the latter cannot lay so great a stress upon these things and therefore assert if man had not sin'd Christ had not been incarnate And indeed their Opinion seems to be more agreeable to the Word for that usually mentions saving from sin and the taking away of sin as the end and ground of Christ's taking Flesh My Text describes the state of the sinner to be desperate upon the terms of the Law and then upon that God sent his Son in Flesh it adds further he was thus sent to condemn sin in his Flesh so that had there been no sin to have been condemn'd he had not been sent in Fesh So Matth. 1.21 She shall bring forth a Son and thou shalt call his name Jesus for he shall save his people from their sins 1 Tim. 1.15 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners c. Joh. 1.29 Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world Dan. 9.24 Seventy weeks are determined upon the people and upon thy holy city to finish the transgression and to make an end of sins and to make reconciliation for iniquity Tit. 2.14 Who gave
him in the least yea â Isa 53.10 it pleased the Lord to bruise him though he pray'd that â Matth. 26.39 the Cup might pass from him yet his Father would have him drink of it was not here the likeness of sinful flesh in God's dealing thus with him By Men to them 't was more than likeness they charg'd him to be really and actually guilty of sin that he was a * Matth. 11.19 glutton a wine-bibber a friend of Publicans and Sinners an impostor a â Matth. 27.63 deceiver a â Joh. 10.36 blasphemer a breaker of the Law and what not Towards the close of his life they accus'd him of crimes of a very high and heinous nature arraign'd him as a malefactor condemn'd him to die executed him crucify'd him 'twixt two thieves * Isa 53.12 Mar. 15.28 numbred him amongst transgressors he that had sin upon him by imputation was also a sinner by reputation was not here the likeness of sinful flesh Look upon him in his sorrows afflictions sufferings he was â Isa 35.3 a man of sorrows acquainted with grââ his whole life was but one continued passion never was any sorrow like to his sorrow afflicted without afflicted within he suffer'd from God he suffer'd from Man drunk such a Cup as never any drank before him was not here the likeness of sinful flesh Did not the blind and sadly mistaken world judge Christ's own personal sin to be the proper Cause of all his suffering Isa 53.4 Surely he hath born our griefs and carried our sorrows yet we did esteem him stricken smitten of God and afflicted Are not suffering and sin so conjoyn'd and link'd together that where there is the one there is some appearance of the other also I do not say that really and in truth where there is suffering there is also sin yet I say apparently and in the opinion and judgment of men who take their measures in their judging of persons by their outward condition where-ever there is suffering there is sin so that in our most holy and innocent Saviour it was the likeness of sinful flesh because it was the reality of suffering flesh Will you go on to his * In morte ejus potissimam causam sitam arbitramur cur ei similitudo carnis peccati attributa sit ab Apostolo De Dieu Caro peccati habet mortem peccatum similitudo autem carnis peccati habuit mortem sine peccato Si haberet peccatum caro esset peccati si mortem non haberet non esset similitudo carnis peccati Anselm Death the worst and most exquisite part of his Sufferings did he die did he so die undergo a death so ignominious so painful yea and so penal too the â Tametsi nullis maculis inquinata fuit Christi caro peccatrix tamen in specie visa est quatenus debitam sceleribus nostris paenam sustinuit Calvin punishment due for the sin of all believers being therein inflicted upon him O surely here was a very great likeness of sinful flesh There seem'd to be much of meer man in Christ's low condition whilst he continued in the world but there seem'd to be much of sinful man in the manner of his going out of the World What so to suffer and so to die and yet no sin no no sin for all that but so to suffer and so to die and yet no shew or appearance of sin yes that there was especially to them who could not look into things who were altogether ignorant of Christ's Person and of the great designs which he was carrying on There was such a likeness of sin in these things as that it never yet â Christus indeubat personam peccatum habentis c. cum caro passionibus mortique subjecta signum est communissimum hominis peccatum habentis nec in aliquo fefellit nisi in Christo Cajeran fail'd and was but a likeness but only in this one great and unparalled'd Instance of our blessed Saviour As he submitted to the ordinary infirmities of the Humane Nature hunger thirst c. in them there were some features and lineaments of sinful flesh but as he submitted to death to such a death there was a more lively draught a fuller resemblance of sinful flesh As it was with the Creatures which were offer'd in Sacrifice they in themselves were harmless and innocent yet having the sins of the people laid upon them and they dying for them so they had the likeness of sinful flesh and just so it was with Christ upon his being offered up upon the Cross as the Sacrifice for our sins 'T was in Christ but the likeness of sinful Flesh Of his Sanctity Holiness 2. Here was much likeness you see of sinful flesh yet 't was but likeness and nothing more some external appearance of sin there was but that was all yet no sin in truth and reality 't was the verity and sameness of natural flesh 't was but the likeness of sinful flesh As 't was with the brazen Serpent that was made in an exact resemblance of the fiery Serpents having that very shape and form which they had yet 't was but the likeness of them for it had not that poison and venome in it which was in them so here as to Christ of whom the brazen Serpent even in this was an excellent type he seem'd to have that very flesh which we have and so he had in such a sense but yet there was this difference ours is envenom'd his not 't is truly sinful flesh in us 't was but like sinful flesh in him This as before may be understood either of Christ's fleshly part or of his whole Humane Nature In the first respect so his flesh was sinless he had a true body but there was no sin in that body 't was pure holy untainted * ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Cyrill Lib. 15. contra Julian Peccatricem carnem non assumpsit qualis est nostra naturalem vero illam nostram assumpsit Si Caro Adae erat vera Caro antequam peccavit in Paradiso utique Christi caro vera est humana caro etiamsi peccati qualitatem non assumpserit Muscul Nostram induens suam fecit suam faciens non peccatricem eam fecit Tertull. de Car. Christi Hierom's gloss upon the Words if those Commentaries upon this Epistle be his is lyable to exception susceptâ postea carne quae ad peccandum esset proclivior ipse tamen absque peccato cam suscepit See Perer. upon this Disp 3. p. 850. flesh 't was made as to purity and sanctity â Athan. de Incarnat Christi p. 620. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã according to the primitive and archetype-formation of Adam's body in the state of innocency that was created holy and spotless and just such a body Christ did assume 't is true his body and Adam's differ'd in the manner of their production but as to their purity
Dominus David semen Abrahae qui est ante Abraham Factor terrae factus in terrâ August de Temp. Serm. 20. Serm. 23. He who sate upon the throne was willing to lie in the manger he that was clothed with brightness and Majesty disrob'd himself put off his own royal attire and put on our course rags he who fill'd the World confin'd himself to a Womb he who was the Maker of all own'd a poor Woman for his Mother he who was David's Lord became David's Son what unsearchable mysteries of the Grace of Christ are here He had Angels at his beck and might have employ'd one of them upon this service but he would not he 'l come himself and trust no Creature in such an undertaking was not this Love God's first love saith * Dr. Reyn. on the Passions ch 11. p. 99. one to man was in making man like himself his Second great love was in making himself like man There 's â 1 Joh. 3.1 a what manner of love upon the Sons of men being made the Sons of God but what manner of love was there in this that the Son of God should be made the Son of Man I have nothing to say but wonder wonder This great person vouchsafed to come so near to believers that he is not â Heb. 2.11 ashamed to call them Brethren he was willing to be made like to them that they might be made like to him he took of theirs that he might give them of his and since they could not * Deplorata certè res erat nisi Majestas ipsa Dei ad nos descenderet quando ascendere nostrum non erat Calvin Instit l. 2. c. 12. ascend to him he was pleased to descend to them O inexpressible Love He did not only take flesh but that very flesh and blood which we have yea he stoop'd to the â ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Chrysost likeness of our sinful flesh and how did he abase himself by and in this flesh Phil. 2.7 8. But made himself of no reputation ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã he emptied himself as it were of all his former glory and fulness and took upon him the form of a Servant and was made in the likeness of men and being found in fashion as a man he humbled himself and became obedient unto death even the death of the cross Christ's external state in our Nature was so low and mean which he yet never stuck at or regarded * ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Athan. de Inc. verbi p. 96. his design being to do good and not to appear in any worldly pomp or grandeur that it seem'd to be below him not only as he was God but even as he was Man He who before was equal to God was now scarce equal to Man 't was prophetically spoken in his person Psal 22.6 I am a worm and no man nay he was scarce equal to the meanest of other creatures for he saith Matth. 8.20 The Foxes have holes and the Birds of the air have nests but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head now surely the lower Christ's condition was the higher should be our admiration of his Love When the Humane Nature as in us was at the worst sadly tainted by Adam's fall then Christ took it upon him though our stock was now sowre and degenerate yet he was willing to be ingrafted into it When the noblest Families are under an attainder of treason persons are very shy of matching into them 't was no better than so with ours and yet the Lord Jesus did not refuse to match into it My Brethren had he assum'd our Nature before we had spoyl'd it even that had been an admirable condescention but to assume it when in us it was so spoil'd defac'd here was the highest condescention that was imaginable The Angelical Nature was pure and untainted for though many Angels had sinned yet their Nature was not touch'd because they not standing in a Common Head as Man did the Fall of some did not reach the whole order and yet Christ meddled not with that Nature but with ours Heb. 2.16 Verily he took not on him the Nature of Angels but he took on him the seed of Abraham O the grace and love of Christ to Man There are Five expressions concerning him under the word made every one of which holds forth the greatness of his humiliation and consequently of his love 1. He was made flesh Joh. 1.14 2. He was made of a woman Gal. 4.4 he might have had flesh immediately created but 't was not so there was the instrumental concurrence of a woman to it which heightens his humiliation therein then 3. he was made under the Law Gal. 4.4 yea 4. he was made a curse for us Gal. 3.13 yea 5. he was made sin 2 Cor. 5.21 Now though there be some gradual rise or rather fall in all these yet I conceive the first holds forth the greatest humiliation the reason is because there is a greater distance and repugnancy betwixt God and Flesh than there is betwixt Flesh and any of the other things which follow but shall not all put together highly affect us and fill our Souls with high thoughts of the Love of Christ Blessed God! what hearts have we if such Considerations as these will not work them up to a Christ-admiring frame Dear Saviour thou who didst once take our sinless flesh be pleas'd to take away our lumpish dull sinful hearts that there may be in us some such warm and raised affections as may in some measure answer to thine immense Love in thy Incarnation 2. Admire the Holiness of Christ That he should take true flesh and yet but the likeness of sinful flesh be so like a sinner and yet no sinner come so near to sin and yet be so far off from it assume our Nature so wofully corrupted and vitiated as it is in us and live so long in that Nature after it was assum'd and yet be perfectly free from sin that so much sin should lye upon him and yet not the least sin be committed by him O this is very strange and wonderful Who can touch pitch and not be defiled who can take a Nature which in its proper subject was wholly depraved and yet be holy why Christ did so and yet was holy and if he could not have so done without impeaching his Holiness as well as he lov'd man he would never have been made man O let the Holiness of Christ be adored by you 3. Admire the Power of Christ That that Nature which is so weak in us should be so strong in him that he even in our flesh should be able to do and suffer as he did this is admirable Therein he bafled a tempting Devil bore up under the greatest pressures that ever lay upon any did not sink under all his Sufferings wrought unquestionable Miracles pacified divine wrath satisfy'd God's Justice fulfilled the Law condemned sin
subdued and conquered all the powers of Hell held it out till all was finished all this was done in our flesh by Christ-Man though not as meer Man I say in our flesh for had it not been so * ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã c. Chrysost Haec erat Dei virtus in substantià pari perficere salutem Non enim magnum si Spiritus Dei Carnem remediaret sed si Caro consimilis peccatrici dum Caro est sed non peccati Tertull. adv Marcion l. 5. the thing had not been so great but that Christ in our very Nature and Flesh should be able to do such things there 's the wonder doubtless he must be assisted and strengthened by an higher Nature otherwise it could not have been thus Nay that Christ-Man should continue yet to do such strange and mighty things O stand and wonder at his Power 'T was the stone cut without hands by which you are to understand Christ in the miraculous production of his Humane Nature which smote the image c. Dan. 2.34 You read of one sitting upon the cloud like unto the Son of man having on his head a golden crown and in his hand a sharp sickle for the cutting down of his enemies Rev. 14.14 and the Son of man is brought before the ancient of dayes and there was given him dominion and glory and a kingdom that all people nations and languages should serve him c. Dan. 7.13 14. Now that Christ in the Nature of Man should be thus exalted and also do such great and glorious things is not this wonderful Suppose you had seen * Exod. 2.3 Moses when a child in his Ark of bullrushes laid in the flags by the rivers brink and then afterwards had seen him when grown up in the head of the people of Israel as their ruler and deliverer as he is stiled Act. 7.35 subduing Pharaoh and all his Host would not this have struck you with admiration What then shall we say and think of Christ he that for some time was shut up in his Mothers womb lay as a weak infant on her lap suck'd at her breasts c. and when grown up suffer'd and dy'd upon the Cross this very Christ is the redeemer of the world the Saviour of man the King of all the earth the universal Conqueror over Devils and all Enemies whatsoever exalted far above principalities c. what shall we say to these things verily they command adoring silence and wonderment I have been very long yet not too long I hope upon this head when the Incarnation of the Son of God is before me than which there never was a greater thing to be wondred at could I say too much in order to the raising of your hearts to the highest adoration both of the thing and also of the persons concern'd in it what more proper and necessary to be urg'd upon such an Argument than such a frame of spirit Fourth Branch of the Exhortation To labour after the powerful influence of Christ's Incarnation upon Heart Life 4. Fourthly this great mystery of Christ's Incarnation must have some powerful influence upon your hearts and lives My Brethren 't is not enough to believe it to have an ineffective light in the head about it no nor sometimes to have the affections wrought upon in the admiration of it but this must be attended with deep impressions upon the heart and have a great efficacy upon the life The Apostle having spoke of the * 1 Tim. 3.16 mystery of Godliness presently he falls upon Christ's being manifested in the flesh as a great part of that mystery of Godliness and this in particular as well as the whole Gospel in General is set forth thereby because where 't is known and believ'd aright it doth very much conduce and operate to the promoting of Godliness St. John tells us 1 Joh. 4.2 Every Spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God is every Spirit that confesseth this of God yes so far as assent to the truth and a faithful profession of that truth will carry it But such as would be said to be of God in a more special and saving way they must not only assent and profess but they must live suitably to what they do so believe and profess this truth of Christ's being come in the flesh must have an efficacy upon them in what is practical and then they will be of God indeed A God incarnate is both the great incouragement to Faith and also the great incentive to Duty Should I here fall upon the several particulars which offer themselves and enlarge upon them I should too much trespass briefly therefore let me but touch upon six or seven things 1. Was Christ sent in flesh and do you know and believe it Christians upon this must be humble Oh how humble should you be What an argument is here from Christ's Incarnation for humility in his assuming flesh he hath set before you the highest the most glorious pattern of humility that ever was will you not follow it * Matth. 11.29 Learn of me for saith he I am meek and lowly he gave sufficient evidence of his lowliness in becoming Man now is it not better to learn of an humble God than of a proud man O Christian after such abasement of thy Lord and Saviour wilt thou be haughty and proud how unsuitable is a proud sinner to an humble Saviour What saith one more mysterious than God humbled more monstrous than man proud When ever pride self-conceitedness self-exalting begin to rise in the heart think of the humility of the Son of God how he emptied himself made himself of no reputation took upon him the form of a Servant c. and surely this will be an effectual Antidote against pride The Apostle when he would further lowliness of mind in the Philippians this is the consideration which he sets before them Phil. 2.3 6 7 c. * Diabolus superbus hominem superbientem perduxit ad mortem Christus humilis hominem obedientem reduxit ad vitam quia sicut ille clatus cecidit dejecit consentientem sic iste humiliatus surrexit erexit credentem August tem 3. p. 1051. We were undone by a proud Devil and a proud heart if ever we be sav'd it must be by an humble Saviour and an humble heart 2. Do not sin Partly Must not Sin that there may be in you as full a conformity to Christ as here you can come up to he took your Nature and sinn'd not therein you should be as like to him as ever you may Partly that Christ may have his end in his coming in the flesh for why did he so come but that he might destroy the works of the Devil 1 Joh. 3.8 that he might redeem you from all iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works Tit. 2.14 that you being delivered out
pleasing to God the like you have of the Levitical Sacrifices Levit. 1.9 an offering made by fire of a sweet savour unto the Lord so Vers 13.17 answerably to which yea far above them Christ was a Sacrifice of a sweet smelling savour to God Heb. 7.27 This he did once when he offered up himself Heb. 9.14 who through the eternal Spirit offered up himself to God Vers 26. but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the Sacrifice of himself Vers 28. So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many Indeed the great business of the Apostle in his excellent Epistle to the Hebrews is both to assert and also to illustrate Christ's being a Sacrifice for Sin which he doth so fully and plainly as that one would think there should be no doubts or differences amongst any that bear the name of Christians about either the thing or the true nature and notion thereof Of Christ's being the eminent Sacrifice and the reference of all the old Sacrifices to him Yea Christ was not only a Sacrifice a true real proper Sacrifice in opposition to those who would make him but an improper figurative metaphorical Sacrifice but he was the Sacrifice in a way of eminency unto which therefore all the Law Sacrifices did bear a special reference For 1. Those were the Types of this all of them * Propter hoc etiam omnia Sacrificia Veteris Testamenti leguntur ut hoc unum Sacrificium designarent per quod vera est reinissio peccatorum mundatio animae in eternum Ambros in Ep. ad Heb. c. 9. Fuit apud Veteres oblatio Holocausti Concio quaedam de morte Christi quâ nes à peccatis per fidem purgati sumus Quia omnia Sacrificia Legis in unum Christum respiciunt atque unicum ejus Sacrificium adumbrant Munster in Lev. 1.1 typifying and prefiguring Christ the grand Sacrifice and like the gnomon in the Dyall pointing to him in this consideration I say all were typical adumbrations of him therefore we find they are not only in the body and lump of them but as taken severally and apart apply'd and brought down to him yea he was shadowed out by them not only with respect to their matter but also with respect to the several rites and modes used about them both of which assertions are sufficiently made out in the forenamed Epistle And whereas â Socin de Servat p. 2. c. 9. Against him in this see Grotius de Sat. Christi p. 126 127. Turretin de Satis p. 216. Franz Disp 6. thes 34 c. Essen Tri. Crucis p. 226. Hoornb Socin conf 597 599. Some affirm that the annual expiatory Sacrifices of which you read Levit. 16. only did prefigure Christ and his being a Sacrifice 't is a very great falsity those indeed might so prefigure him eminently but not solely For we find Others apply'd to him as well as those as namely the Lamb in the daily Offering the Paschal Lamb which was partly a Sacrifice and partly a Sacrament Joh. 1.29 1 Pet. 1.19 1 Cor. 5.7 Rev. 5.6 c. Chap. 13.8 the red Heifer to be Sacrific'd upon occasion for the expiating of the guilt of unknown murder Numb 19. Heb. 9.13 the daily Sacrifices Heb. 7.27 Heb. 10.11 But passing by these things I say Christ was typified by the old Sacrifices and probably that might be one End of God in his instituting of them For that they were of * For this vide Suarez in 3. part Sum. Aquin Quest 83. Art 1. Disp 71. Rivet in Gen. Exerc. 42. p. 170. c. p. 222. Franz de Sacrif Disp 2. thes 76. Disp 3 Disp 76. Disp 16 thes 33. Cloppenb Scho. Sacrif probl 2. p. 51. c. Dr. O. de Theologiâ Adamica l. 2. c. 1. p. 133 134. divine and positive institution and not taken up upon the Light or Law of Nature is to me though I know â The Papists generally Bâllârm de Missâ l. 1. c. 20. Valentia de Missae Sacrificio l. 1. c. 4. Others are of this Opinion also The Author of Eccles Policy p. 100. c. Defence c. p. 421. c. who yet grants expiatory Sacrifices to be of divine Institution p. 427. c. Others think otherwise a truth clear enough But why did God institute them to appoint the slaying of so many poor Creatures such various and costly Sacrifices to be offered so often to be repeated such for every day such for every Sabbath such for every New Moon such every year at the solemn and anniversary Expiation besides what were offered at the Passeover at several Feasts at the lesser and greater Jubile upon particular and special occasions as dedications c pray what might be God's End or Ends in all this Was it that he might shew his dominion over the Creatures was it that he might by this demonstrate the Evil of Sin and what the Sinner deserv'd upon it was it to * Theodoret for this Vol. 4. de curandis Graec. affectibus c. 7. p. 584. gratifie the Jews who having been amongst the Egyptians where Sacrifices did abound might therefore be taken with them and fond of them and thereby to prevent their Idolatry Several such Ends and Reasons are assign'd but surely that which I am upon must not be left out if not preferr'd before any other viz. therefore God â Fagius in Levit. 1.2 gives two reasons of them Ut populus in Idololatriam pronus ab idolis averteretur in cultu Dei retineretur Deinde ut typos haberet populus Dei Sacrificii Christi quem oportebat aliquando in crucem agi pro peccatis suorum Rivet in Gen. p. 222. Praecipuè quia voluit adumbrari Sacrificiis passionem futuram Mediatoris c. did ordain and institute Sacrifices that by them he might typifie and prefigure that great Sacrifice which was to come thereby the better to prepare and inform the world about it but how or in what measure and in what extent God did clear up this Notion Vse and End of Sacrifices I shall not be too forward to determine 2. As the Law-Sacrifices were Types so they were but Types there was little in them take away the typical nature of them what poor things were they further than as they did point to Christ The Apostle calls them but shadows of good things to come Heb. 10.1 figures for the time then present Heb. 9.9 patterns of things in the Heavens Heb. 9.23 examples and shadows of heavenly things Heb. 8.5 3. Nay Thirdly all that * Hujus Sacrificii à Christo peragendi Sacrificia caetera typi erant quia ut pecus moriebatur pro homine Levit. 17.11 ita Jesus Christus esset sanguinem suum effusurus pro nobis Utraque igitur auferebant reatum hoc tamen discrimine quod Sacrificium Christi id praestabat virtute suâ illa vero legalia proprie
't is called Zech. 9.11 all blessings whatsoever are insured and made over to God's people and if so is not that a sufficient ground of comfort to such What shall I say if the atoning of an angry God the washing away of all sin the fulfilling of a righteous Law the satisfying of infinite Justice the ratification of the Covenant of Grace the purchase of Heaven if there be any thing in all these things as surely there is to promote spiritual joy you have them all by this great Sacrifice therefore rejoyce and again I say rejoyce So much for this Head which I very well know I might have dispatch'd with much more brevity but it containing that matter in it which is not commonly so fully opened and which is of so high concern to us therefore I have been thus large upon it ROM 8.4 That the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us CHAP. XIV Of the fulfilling of the Laws righteousness in Believers Of the Second End or Effect of Christ's being sent in Flesh viz. the fulfilling of the Laws righteousness A general explication of the main Scope of the Words and of the principal matter contain'd in them More particularly 't is enquired 1. Of what Law doth the Apostle hear speak 2. What is the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã or righteousness of the Law 3. What is it to fulfil the Laws righteousness 4. How the righteousness of the Law is fulfilled in us Four interpretations given of it 1. That 't is perfectly and personally fulfilled by the Saints themselves 2. That 't is personally fulfilled in them though not perfectly yet inchoately and in respect of God's acceptation 3. That 't is perfectly but not personally fulfilled in them Christ's Obedience and perfect fulfilling of the Law being imputed to them 4. That 't is fulfilled in them in respect of the remission of sin Three Propositions laid down to clear up the third interpretation and the main Truth As 1. That Christ was made under the Law that opened in some Particulars 2. That Christ perfectly fulfilled the Law 3. That his fulfilling of it is imputed and reckoned to Believers Two Questions raised and answered Whether Christ's active and passive Obedience or his passive only be imputed In what sense may it be said to be imputed Use 1. First to shew upon what terms Believers are justified and saved Secondly what a respect God had for his Law Use 2. To exhort persons 1. To get an interest in this priviledge 2. Such as have an interest in it are exhorted 1. To go as far as ever they may in the personal fulfilling of the Law 2. To look after the fulfilling of the Evangelical Law in themselves 3. To admire the Love of Christ Use 3. The Comfort of this drawn forth to Believers The Second End or Effect of Christ's being sent in Flesh viz. the fulfilling of the Law for Believers THese words hold forth another end or effect of Christ's being sent in the likeness of sinful flesh for I do not understand them to refer to the Clause immediately foregoing and for sin condemned sin in the flesh as if they were an assignation of the end or effect of Christ's condemning sin by the Sacrifice of himself but I take them as referring to that which is before spoken of God sent his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as they do represent God's end in that wherefore did God so do what did he design or aim at therein why at this that the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us The conjunctive particle ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã may be taken either ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã or ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã In the first notion which is most usual and common it carrys a final sense and notes the end why God sent his Son in Flesh namely that he might fulfil in his own Person the Laws righteousness and so imputatively or in a Law-sense Believers in him I say this was God's end for it doth not come in as a bare event or consequent upon Christ's taking our Nature and doing in that Nature what he did but it was the very * Idque totum hoc consilio fecit ut nos perfectè justi coram ipso perficeremur non secus atque illi habiti suissent qui omnia divinae legis praecepta conservassent Vorst end which God designed and propounded to himself therein viz. that Christ might perfectly fulfill the Law which to do to the Saints themselves in their own persons was altogether impossible and yet upon which it being accepted of by God on their behalf and made over to them they should be accounted just and righteous even as if they had fulfilled it in their own persons this is the first import of the word Then it may be taken ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã or by way of apposition and so it notes the superadding of some further matter and that which is * See Burg. of Justif 2. part p. 361. distinct from what went before in this appositive sense 't is used Joh. 15.12 Joh. 17.3 And so the Apostles meaning is this God sent his Son into the World not only to be a Sacrifice for sin and thereby to condemn sin by his bearing the Laws penalty due to it but also by his active obedience and conformity to the Laws commands to bring things to this that the righteousness of the Law should be fulfilled in believers Christ's being a Sacrifice for sin was not sufficient to answer all the ends and demands of the Law there must be the doing of what it commanded as well as the suffering of what it threatned therefore Christ was sent for both and both were accomplished by him Man in his lapsed state stood in need of two things * Cum duo nobis peperisse Christum dixerimus impunitatem praemium illud Satisfactioni hoc merito Christi distinctè tribuit vetus Ecclesia Satisfactio consistit in peccatorum tralatione meritum in perfectissunâ obedientiae pro nobis praestitae imputatione G. Vossius in Prefat ad Grotium de Sat. Christi In homine lapso duo consideranda quod pro peccatis ejus solvendum fuit ut liberaretur tum ut vitae insuper fieret particeps quod praestari debuit id ad quod vita promissa erat c. Utrumque Apostolus docet conjungit Rom. 8.3 4. c. Hoornb Socin confut l. 3. c. 1. p 657. Satisfaction and Merit Satisfaction with respect to God's punitive Justice the expiation of sin by the undergoing of the punishment incurr'd by it c. Merit with respect to eternal life and the possession of the heavenly blessedness the measure and foundation of which Merit was the fulfilling of the Law in active obedience Now both of these are here distinctly spoken unto Christ for sin condemned sin in the flesh there 's Satisfaction and he also fulfilled the righteousness of the Law in the stead at leastwise for
any one person who ever did so fulfil the Law I know some are mentioned but all that is said of them doth amount only to integrity of parts not to perfection of degrees to eminency in Grace and Obedience but not to Law-exactness to Evangelieal but not to legal perfection Obj. But doth God enjoyn the Creature that which is * Bellarm. de Lib. Arb. l. 5. c. 18. impossible Answ Just thus the PELAGIANS of old argued for the possibility of mens keeping the Law and â De Nat. Grat. c. 43. De Peccat Mer. Rem l. 2. c. 6 7 9. AVSTINE writing against them was fain again and again to answer this very Objection We say what is â Vid. Chamier tom 3. l. 11. p. 328. Thes Sedan Vol. 1. p. 479. Pet. Martyr in loc Quanquam si quis recteÌ c. simply and absolutely impossible God doth not impose upon the Creature but what he himself hath made impossible voluntarily and by his own default that the great Law-giver may and doth impose This impossibility doth no way entrench upon the goodness of God because the Sinner hath contracted and wilfully brought it upon himself I hope the Creditor may demand his debt though the debtor cannot pay it if through sloth prodigality bad husbandry he hath disabled himself thereunto that 's the Sinners case with respect to perfect obedience to the Law God may demand his right though the Creature hath lost his power This Objection at the first hearing seems to have something in it and it is very plausible to put an ugliness upon the PROTESTANTS doctrine but when 't is look'd into and duly weighed there 's nothing at all of strength in it Others for brevity sake I must omit It appears then that the fulfilling of the Laws righteousness in this sense viz. of the Saints perfect and personal fulfilling thereof in themselves is not according to truth and therefore must be rejected Second Interpretation The Laws righteousness is fulfilled in Saints personally but not perfectly 2. Secondly 't is said that the Law is fulfilled in and by the Saints inherently and personally but not perfectly Thus some of our own Divines do expound the words they making them to refer to that Obedience which belongs to Sanctification and which sanctified persons in themselves come up unto who though in the high and rigid notion they do not fulfil the Law yet in a soft and mild notion * Lex data est ut gratia quaereretur gratia data est ut Lex impleretur August de Spir. Lit. l. 1. c. 19. they do There is a begun inchoate Obedience in them thereunto which is continued and carried on higher and higher till it be consummate they do not only love and like the Law and consent to it that 't is good but they obey it in part which though it be but in part yet they being sincere therein and desiring to arrive at what is perfect God accepts of them as though they did perfectly fulfil it thus Evangelically though not Legally the Laws righteousness is fulfilled in them 'T is not unusual in Scripture to set forth inchoate partial imperfect Obedience by the fulfilling of the Law Rom. 2.27 And shall not uncircumcision which is by Nature if it fulfil the Law judge thee c. Rom. 13.8 He that loveth another hath fulfilled the Law Vers 10. Love is the fulfilling of the Law Gal. 5.14 All the Law is fulfilled in one word even in this Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self Gal. 6.2 Bear ye one anothers burdens and so fulfil the Law of Christ Now in this sense the Saints in themselves in this life may be said to fulfil the Laws righteousness They who go this way differ in this * Id quod nonnulli de justificatione interpretantur c. ideoque de Sanctificatione vitae intelligitur Nam quod objici potest nos non esse perfectos ideoque c. illud non sequitur quia etsi legem non compleamus simpliciter ac simul complemus tamen secundum quid secundum omnia praecepta inchoatâ obedientiâ successive Gomar in loc Balduin Deodat c. Some interpret the words solely of inherent and personal Obedience â Pareus in Dub. p. 780. P. Martyr Others take in that also which is by imputation I cannot deny the truth of what is here said as to the thing but whether it be the proper interpretation of the Text that I question I think not My reasons why I so think are these 1. The Apostle speaking of that Obedience or fulfilling of the Law which was one of the great Ends of God in sending his Son it must be most proper here to understand that Obedience and that fulfilling of the Law which was first effected in the person of this Son and then made over to Believers by imputation 2. This Lawfulfilling coming in as the high product of the Love and Wisdom of God it may very probably be conjectured that if there be one fulfilling of the Law higher than another the highest here must be taken and therefore it must not be that which is but inchoate and imperfect in us but rather that which was compleat full perfect in Christ 3. Though the fulfilling of the Law be sometimes taken in that lower sense which hath been mentioned yet the Law-righteousness more usually notes that exact universal Obedience which the Law requires which notion therefore we may the rather be induced here to follow 4. The Interpretation given by these worthy persons will not so well suit with what the Apostle is now upon he is in short summing up the grand benefits that Saints have by Christ shewing how they are secured from Condemnation and restored to a state of happiness In order to which he first sets down the expiation of Sin the satisfaction of God's Justice c. which were done by Christ's Sacrifice or passive Obedience in dying Then he goes on to that which was further to be done the Holiness of God and of his Law must be satisfied also eternal Life must be merited now these must be done by Christ's active Obedience or fulfilling the Laws righteousness therefore that he adds that the righteousness of the Law c. Wherefore we must here understand Christ's Obedience as imputed not our own as inherent if that word be proper otherwise we shall leave out one of the great benefits which we have by Christ viz. that which results from his active Obedience and one of the wayes wherein he did promote our salvation whereas the Apostle designs to set down both distinctly Third Interpretation the righteousness of the Law is fulfilled in Saints perfectly yet not personally but imputatively 3. Thirdly Others open it thus the righteousness of the Law is fulfilled in Believers perfectly yet not personally but imputatively Their meaning is this the Lord Jesus in his own person whilst he was here on earth did fully obey
did perfectly obey the Law and as that his perfect obedience is imputed and reckoned to them upon which 't is theirs to ââl intents as if they had so obeyed in their own persons But there being many difficulties about this and it leading me to the main Truth which the words hold forth I must endeavour further to open it Which I shall do in the discussing of these three Propositions Three Propositions to clear up the third Interpretation and the main Truth 1. That our Lord Christ was made under the Law 2. That being made under the Law he fulfilled it 3. That his fulfilling of the Law is imputed to Believers so as that in him they fulfilled the Law also 1. Proposition Christ was made under the Law 1. Christ was made under the Law The Apostle is express in this When the fulness of the time was come God sent forth his Son made of a woman made under the Law Gal. 4.4 made under the Law that is made subject to the Law so as that he was under the obligation thereof and bound in all things to conform to its righteousness And this subjection of Christ to the Law did result partly from his Nature partly from his Office From his Nature as he was Man and so a Creature for his Manhood was a created thing now every creature as such is indispensably subject to the Law of God a Creature necessarily must be under the Law of his Creator and Soveraign so far therefore as Christ was such he was indispensably obliged to the Law so far his subjection was natural and thereupon necessary From his Office or that oeconomy and dispensation which he had submitted unto as Mediator Redeemer Surety c. with respect to this he was to be subject too yet in it his subjection was purely free and voluntary 'T is a * See Bodius on Eph. c. 5. p. 812. c. nice Question which some discuss Whether Christ's subjection to the Law did arise from the natural necessity of his being as he was Man and a Creature or whether it did arise only from that mediatory Office which he had submitted to I think things being rightly stated both may be taken in both Nature and Office did require that Christ should be subject to the Law though * This opened in Turret in de Sat. Christi p. 277 278. in different ways For the better understanding of Christ's being made under the Law I desire you to take notice of four or five things Five things to open the Proposition 1. Christ subject to the Law as Man 1. This must be understood of him with respect to his humane Nature This was the Nature which only was capable of subjection Christ as man only could be obedient As to his divine Nature he made the Law so he was the Law-giver and so he was in all acts of power and authority equal with the Father 't was solely in respect of his humane Nature that he was made under the Law which was part of that form of a Servant which he took upon him Phil. 2.7 As he was God 't was proper to him to command as he was Man only 't was proper to him to obey in the former notion he was Lord of the Sabbath Matth. 12.8 in the latter he was bound to keep the Sabbath Christ as man and because man was subject but then 't was only as such 2. As Man in the state of his humiliation 2. Christ as being made under the Law is to be considered not meerly as a Creature upon which he was subject to it but as a Creature in the state of his humiliation and suretyship during which state only his subjection to the Law was to continue For his humane Nature now in Heaven is a Creature and yet there 't is not if we speak strictly under the Law for though Christ there doth materially the things which the Law requires as to be holy to love God c. yet he doth not do them formerly as acts of obedience to the Law but as things which spring from the perfection of his nature and state therefore I say when we are speaking of Christ's being subject to the Law we must not consider him only as Man but as Man in such a way or state in the carrying on of such an undertaking which when he had effected his subjection was to cease Some say that though the subjection which Christ was under in reference to his Office as Mediator be at an end yet his subjection to the Law which was natural and did arise from his being a Creature that yet remains I answer if by this natural subjection they mean only that which results from his Being or that obligation which results from the intrinsick goodness of things so we grant him even in Heaven to be under it but if they mean that subjection or that obligation which relates to and results from an external Law so we deny Christ there to be under it in his glorified state he doth the things which the Law commands but not as or because they are commanded by the Law 3. He was principally subject to the Moral Law 3. The principal Law that Christ was made under and which he was principally obliged to fulfil was the * Vide Bradsh de Justif c. 18. Moral Law This was the Law which at first was made to Adam which he brake and so entayl'd the curse upon all his posterity therefore Christ the serond Adam was also made under this Law that he might fulfil it and so restore man to his primitive happiness This was the Law which was the rule and standard of righteousness wherefore if Christ will convey a righteousness to the creature he must be made under and fulfil this Law He is said to be a curse for us now that curse doth mainly refer to the Moral Law though 't is very true by way of allusion 't is set forth by that which was proper to the judicial Law Gal. 3.13 And he is also said to redeem us from the Law that is from the curse of the Law now 't is the curse annexed to the moral Law that he redeemed us from therefore that was the Law which he was made under This was the Law most excellent if Christ would submit to put himself under the obligation of a Law less exeellent surely he would not refuse to submit to put himself under the obligation of this which was the most excellent Law Especially considering how necessary this was for the good of Sinners for since God stood upon the performance of this Law as the way wherein he would justifie it was most necessary that Christ should be subject to it and perform it or else there would have been no justification Had he been made only under the Ceremonial Law than the benefits of his Obedience would have reached no further than that people who were concerned in that Law and so the Jews
would have had all and the poor Gentiles nothing If Christ will redeem and save both he must make good that Law which did equally oblige both now that was the moral Law Gal. 4.4 c. God sent forth his Son made of a woman made under the Law to redeem them that were under the Law that we Gentiles as well as Jews might receive the adoption of Sons Christ came not to save this or that nation or people but mankind wherefore he must be subject unto and fulfil that Law in order thereunto in which not any particular people but all mankind were concern'd which I say was the Moral Law 4. Over and above the Moral Law Christ was subject to other Laws 4. Yet besides this general Law which concern'd all mankind which therefore the Saviour of mankind subjected himself unto there were other * Bradsh of Justif c. 19. particular and special Laws to whose obligation he submitted and unto which he was obedient As he was a man he was subject to the Moral Law as he was of the seed of Abraham of the stock of Israel so he was subject to the Ceremonial Law as he was Mediator there were some particular and positive Laws laid upon him to which he was subject also In obedience to the Ceremonial Law he was circumcised Luk. 2.21 presented in the Temple with the usual offering of the poor and mean Luk. 2.22 kept the Passeover Matth. 26.17 and the like In obedience to the special Laws laid upon him as Mediator the chiefest of which was that he should so and so suffer yea lay down his life he did according to the Will of his Father therefore he 's said to be obedient to death even the death of the cross Phil. 2.8 and to learn obedience by the things be suffered Heb. 5.7 and Joh. 10.18 No man taketh it his life he speaks of from me but I lay it down of my self I have power to lay it down and I have power to take it again this commandme have I received of the Father so Joh. 14.31 We commonly distinguish between the Moral Law under which as being general Christ was and that special Law which was laid upon him as Mediator but * Burg. of Justif p. 2. p. 396. c. Bodius on the Ephes p. 386 387. some I find do not very well approve of this distinction their reason is because it seems to assert that something was impos'd upon Christ by the latter Law unto which he was not oblig'd by the former which say they was not so For there was nothing enjoyn'd in the mediatory and positive Law unto which Christ was not oblig'd by the Moral Law there was indeed in it a more particular application and determination of Christ's duty in his circumstances but the thing it self was pre-enjoyn'd and he pre-engag'd thereunto from the Moral Law but this I will not concern my self about He that would see a particular draught of Christ's obedience to the several Laws which he was made under and the several capacities in which he all-along obey'd may find it done to his hand by others largely and distinctly as particularly by Zanchy on Phil. 2.8 p. 114. c. 5. His Obedience imputable to us and meritorious for us 5. Though Christ was thus made under the Law and so obliged to keep it yet this notwithstanding his obedience thereunto was meritorious for us and imputable to us For this is usually objected by the SOCINIAN * Quo circa nec pro aliis magis quam quilibet alius homo legem divinam conservando satisfacere potuit quippe qui ipse eam servare omnino deberet Socin de Servat p. 3. c. 5. Against him see Calov Socin proflig Sect. 5. Controv. 1. pag. 642. Opposers of the imputation and merit of his Obedience for if Christ say they was subject to the Law as he was and so bound for himself to do what he did how can his obedience be made over to others or merit for others for debitum tollit meritum For answer to this several things are said but I 'le instance only in three 1. In the business before us Christ is not to be considered only as Man but as God-man Had he obey'd as meer Man his Obedience could not have been meritorious for so all would have been but a due debt and for himself but he obeying who was * Obediens factus fuit ad mortem Patri non necessum id habuit natura sed oeconomia nostrae redemptionis Ut etiam meriti vis non naturae humanae quà natura sed quà Deo unita ost adscribenda Stegman Disp 23. p. 266. God-man so it became meritorious for others His obedience and subjection was indeed terminated in his Humane Nature but that must not be abstracted from his Divine both being now united in one person which Vnion though it did not make Christ incapable of obeying yet it did put a singular virtue and worth and merit into his obeying And as to his obeying for himself take the explication of that in the words of a â Mr. Perkins on Gal. 4 4. p. 274. Reverend Divine It is saith he alledged that Christ as Man fulfill'd the Law for himself and therefore not for us Answ The flesh or manhood of Christ considered by it-self apart from the Godhead of the Son is a creature that owes homage unto God yet if it be considered as it is received into the unity of the second person and is become a part thereof it is exempted from the common condition of all other men and is not bound to perform subjection as all men are for if the Son of Man be Lord of the Sabbath then also is he Lord of the whole Law * Quicunque prose suo loco vel Adae vel Abrahae factus est filius is quoque pro se suo nomine ad Legem implendam tenebatur qui vero non pro se sed pro aliis vel homo fieri vel Isrâelita nasci voluit is quoque non pro se sed pro aliis ad legem quamlibet implendam obligatus est At Christus c. Turret de Sat. p. 276. Vide Polanum in Dan. 9. p. 196. Bodium on Ephes p. 811 812. Hoorneb Socin confut l. 3. p. 627. Quamvis humana natura ut creatura quaevis Deo sublex observantiam debuit attamen quia nec eam assumere tenebatur neque simplicis creaturae obedientia fuit sed ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ideo pro quibus hoc istud factum quidni pro iisdem satisfecisse dicatur 2. Though Christ when he had submitted to assume mans Nature was bound to keep the Law yet his keeping thereof was in effect free and voluntary and so imputable and meritorious inasmuch as he for the sake of man freely consented to the taking of that Nature without which he had not been under any obligation to the Law When he was
thereof He was the end of the Law for righteousness to them that believe c. made under the Law to redeem them that were under the Law that we might receive the adoption of Sons 2. They say that Christ's fitness for his Mediatory Office did result from his Person from the personal Vnion of the Divine and Humane Natures in him rather than from his active Obedience to the Law for else he could not have been look'd upon as one fit to be a Mediator till he had finished his whole Obedience to the Law whereas from the first instant of the personal Vnion he was fit for that Work and Office 'T was fit nay necessary that Christ the Mediator should conform to the Law but these are two different things what was fit for the Mediator to do and what must fit him to be the Mediator These Ends therefore respecting Christ himself being removed it follows that it was wholly for us that he fulfilled the Law whence then I infer that that must be imputed to us otherwise the end of it would not be attained for without the imputation of it we should neither be the persons designed in it nor profited by it To prevent mistakes and to give this Argument its full strength I would state it thus Whatever Christ did that we were obliged to do and which was to be our righteousness before God that certainly must be imputed to us I do not say that all which Christ did is strictly and properly imputed to us but whatever he did if we were bound to do it and if the doing of that was to be our righteousness that must be imputed or else we are in a sad case He was incarnate for us yet that is not formally imputed why because Sinners were not under any obligation to any such thing so I might instance in his working of Miracles Intercession c. But now if our Lord will be pleas'd to put himself under the Law and to fulfil the Law that must be made over to us because that was a thing which we our selves according to the capacity of Creatures were bound unto and this was to be our righteousness before God what is so circumstantiated must be imputed therefore this being taken in the Argument is good Several other Arguments are produc'd for the imputation of the active as well as of the passive Obedience As that both together make most for the * See Bodius in Eph. p. 796. glory of Christ and for the ease and â Neque conscientias pacaret aliqua justitiae portio sed perpetuò illas trepidare necesse esset nisi firmiter persuasae forent totam justitiam Legis sibi imputari Polan in Dan. p. 187. comfort of burdened Souls That 't is a mighty loss for Christians to lose Christ's active Obedience and why should it be the active only or the passive only if they may have both quidni utraque saith Pareus himself can we have too much of Christ is not all of him precious and do not we need all Surely the * Certè tutiùs ibit ille qui plus Christo ad majorem gloriam ascribit quod in eo quaerat quà m qui ei quicquam adimit Et qui totam Saivatoris Sponsoris nostri Obedientiam Legi divinae praestitam ampléctitur quam qui praecipuam ejus partem pro justitiâ coram Deo sibi imputari non credit Wegelin Disp de Obed. Christi safest way is to take-in as much of him as ever we warrantably may They who go this way also urge the Consent of the Reformed Churches the Suffrages of several famous Divines as concurring with them that their Opinion hath the advantage of being judg'd the more antient and Orthodox which that excellent person â Noram probe sententiam priorem antiquiorem Orthodoxam magis passim audire Sed re apud me accuratius perpensâ penitiusque perspectâ suo merito ea id audire visa est In Praefat. ad Tract de Justif p. 6. Mr. Bradshaw though he somewhat dissents about the thing doth ingeniously confess But these things I shall pass over if the foregoing Arguments will not convince and satisfie I shall hope for less from these So much for this third Opinion Fourth Opinion Christ's active Obedience imputed as a part of his Satisfaction 4. There is a Fourth Say some the * Bradshaw de Justif in Praefat p. 10. active as well as the passive Obedience of Christ is imputed yet not in the sense of the promoters of the former Opinion but only thus as â Thus Grotius de Sat. c. 6. p. 89. Bradshaw de Justif c. 18. sect 5 6. Mr. Baxters Aphor. p. 54. Great Propit p. 92 93. it was a part of Christ's Satisfaction for the violation of the Law as 't is so considered they say it is imputed but not in any other notion They say Christ's active obeying was satisfactory and meritorious as well as his passive than which nothing more certain And indeed the passive without the active had not been satisfactory or meritorious 't was Christ's â Neque tamen excluditur reliqua pars obedientiae quâ defunctus est in vitâ c. Et sanè in ipsâ i. e. in morte Crucis for that he 's speaking of and doth immediately go before primum gradum occupat voluntaria subjectio quia ad justitiam nihil profuisset Sacrificium nisi sponte oblatum Calvin Instit l. 2. c. 16. sect 5. voluntary subjection to the Will of his Father which was an active thing even in his dying which put such an efficacy into his death Now his active Obedience being thus taken is they grant made over and reckoned to Believers * Gataker Animadv in Lucium p. 1. sect 1. p. 2. Bodius in Ephes p. 798. Others to the same purpose consider Christ's active Obedience two wayes either strictly as active as it lay in conformity to what the Law commanded or as there was humiliation and abasement attending that Obedience in the former respect they deny it to be imputed in the latter they say it is This middle and reconciliatory Opinion is somewhat new and modern and owned as yet but by very few but in those few for their worth and eminency there are very many I shall not set my self to argue or object any thing against it though something might be said upon that account I rejoyce with all my heart that we may have the active Obedience of Christ upon any terms or under any considerations I am so far from arguing against it that I keep it by me as a reserve that if there be not solid and satisfactory Answers to be given to the weighty Objections made against the imputation of Christ's active Obedience as commonly asserted which is to be try'd by and by I may fall in and close with it No more at present therefore about the First Question Of the Second Question How the imputation of
time introduces light the putting on of the garment and the removal of the nakedness are but one and the same thing and done together Answ Many things are here mentioned which cannot so distinctly be spoken to in the answering of an Objection Answ What place remission of sin hath in Justification whether of being the form of it or but an integral part or only an effect and Consequent is a thing that Divines are not very well agreed about whether the whole of Justification doth lie in remission is a point wherein also they differ But I must not at present engage in these debates I will defer the discussing of them till I come to open the Doctrine Doctrine of Justification which the 30 Verse of this Chapter will lead me to I shall now only suggest what is proper for the answering of the Objection before us And 1. what if the Opinion argued against doth make remission of sin and imputed righteousness to be different parts of Justification they both as * See Burg. of Justif 2 part Serm. 27. integral parts concurring to the compleating and perfecting of it I say what if it so doth is it the worse for that is this a novel tenent or that which but few or none do own have not several with great solidity and judgment defended it as to any error in it or any absurdities that will follow upon it I must confess I do not as yet understand either the one or the other A difference of parts in Sanctification is commonly granted viz. mortification and vivification the abolition of the power of sin and the implantation of the divine Nature the putting off the old man and the putting on the new man Eph. 4.22 now why may not Justification have its parts as well as Sanctification If the Believers righteousness doth lie in the fulfilling of the Law and there be different parts in that Law its commanding and its punishing part then that righteousness which results from the fulfilling of it must admit of different parts too So that remission of sin is one part that being grounded upon the satisfying of one part of the Law and imputation of righteousness is another part that being grounded upon the satisfying of the other part of the Law The Scripture speaks of these not as one and the same but as distinct Rom. 4.25 Who was delivered for our offences there 's remission and was raised again for our justification or righteousness there 's the other part how the latter is attributed to Christ's resurrection is not my business now to enquire I only cite the words as holding forth a distinction betwixt remission and righteousness So Rom. 5.9 compar'd with Rom. 5.19 And Dan. 9.24 to make reconciliation for iniquity and to bring in everlasting righteousness here are the two parts of Justification set forth as different and distinct 'T is true the Apostle Rom. 4.6 7 8. speaking of the Sinners righteousness instances only in the forgiveness or non-imputation of sin but he doth not do it as if that was the all in that righteousness but 1. because that being one eminent part thereof he puts it for the whole 2. because that remission of sin and the imputation of a positive righteousness being never parted in naming the one he included the other not as if they were one and the same in their nature but because they are never separated in the âubject I cannot yet be convinc'd but that the removal of Sins guilt and the introducing of a positive righteousness are things of a different nature and carry distinct notions in them for besides what hath been already said though in God's dealing with fal'n Sinners they are never parted yet as they are considered in themselves they may be parted Amongst us sometimes sin is remitted when yet the offender is not justified as we see in the case of Joseph's Brethren Shimei Abiathar c. and 't is possible for a person to be justified though he hath no sin to be remitted as it would have been with Adam had he stood he was then capable of Justification but not of remission now this their separableness evinces a difference or distinction betwixt them To object therefore against the imputation of Christ's active Obedience as well as of his passive one being suppos'd to free us from guilt the other to make us righteous that this would infer two different parts of justification this is so far from being an Objection that 't is but a plain asserting of what is so indeed 2. Whereas 't is said that this doth also make different causes of Justification I say as before what if it doth Provided that by those ye understand only the different grounds or matter of Justification according to its different parts that is as Christ dy'd and shed his blood there 's the ground of the Sinners discharge from guilt that which is imputed to him in order to that effect then as he in all things actively conformed to the Law there 's the ground of the Sinners positive righteousness or that which is imputed to him in order to that effect Such a multiplication of Causes which are not so of a diverse nature but that they do unite and concur in some one as the general Cause as these do in Christ's righteousness or Obedience carries in it nothing repugnant to Scripture or Reason This righteousness of Christ is the one only material Cause of the Sinners righteousness but that dividing it-self into his active and passive righteousness accordingly the Causes of the Sinners righteousness are diversified 3. The allusions brought against the Truth in question seem to fasten some absurdity upon it For they tend to this that for any to say upon one act sin is remitted and upon another the person is made righteous 't is as if one should say that by one act the crookedness of a thing is removed and that by another 't is made streight and so as to light and darkness To which I reply I except against these similitudes as not suiting with the thing in hand they are proper for things of another nature not for that which we are upon for that being a Law-act is not to be judg'd of by things of a physical nature Suppose the effects mention'd are produc'd by one and the same act yet they are not so pertinently alledg'd because what we are speaking of falls under another consideration We are not concern'd about crookedness and streightness but about guilt and righteousness all allusions which suit not with these as things of a legal nature are insignificative Will they say that that which frees the Offender from guilt when he stands arraign'd before the Judge doth also make him a true and exact keeper of the Law that at the same time and by the same sentence wherein he is acquitted from the violation of the Law that he is also thereupon to be look'd upon as a person that hath really kept the Law such an
Page 214 c. One Direction given in order to it Page 217 What is incumbent upon those who are made free from the Law of Sin Page 217 c. Comfort to such Page 225 c. Of the Law as weakned by the Flesh Of what Law doth the Apostle speak Page 259 How 't is said to be weak Page 263 Wherein 't is weak Page 260 266 267 Grounds or Demonstrations of its weakness Page 268 Yet the Law is holy and good and ãâã disparag'd by this Page 272 c. Nor to be cast off as useless Page 274 Nor is it altogether weak in other respects Page 275 There 's no looking for Justification or Righteousness by the Law Page 276 c. Of the Law as Christ fulfilled the righteousness thereof Page 567 Which is to be understood of the Moral Law ibid. Of the Righteousness of that Law Page 569 In what respects Christ is said to fulfil it Page 570 584. How the Laws Righteousness is fulfilled in Believers Four Opinions about it Page 572 c. Christ was made under the Law opened in Five things Page 579 Whether the Law requir'd both Suffering and Doing too Page 600 Of the Honour that God had for his Law Page 611 All to get an interest in Christ's fulfilling the Law Page 612 Believers themselves to go as for as ever they can in the fulfilling of the Law Page 613 The admirable Love of Christ in being willing to be made under the Law Page 616. The Comfort that resââts from thence to Believers ibid. Christ hath fulfilled the Moral Law but we our selves must fulfil the Evangelical Law Page 615 Saints being made free from the Law of Sin must stand fast in their Liberty Page 219 And walk suitably to it Page 225 Also be very thankful for it ibid. Christ to be loved greatly for his readiness to come when he was sent Page 306 The Love of the Father in sending Christ Page 366 Of Lust or Lusts the most natural act of the Flesh Page 101 c. Lusts distinguished Page 102 121 M. Of Christ's Manhood Page 375 He was a real Man Page 377 Had a Soul and Body as we have Page 383 Yea he submited to all our sinless Infirmities Page 385 The excellency of Christ's Manhood Page 419 Marks and Signs grounded upon Sanctification not to be neglected under the Gospel Page 115 Our Sin the Meritorious Cause of all Christ's Sufferings Page 467 Whether there be a Medium betwixt not guilty and righteous Page 601 Of Christ's Mission V. Sending The Misery of all out of Christ Page 25 The Moral Law as given to Israel not only a Covenant of Works Page 260 N. The two Natures in Christ united but not confounded nor converted Page 403 Negative Promises carry a great Emphasis Page 16 Negatives in Religion not sufficient Page 94 O. Of Christ's Obedience Active and Passive Page 570 His Obedience imputed to us Page 576 He being bound to obey how doth his Obedience become imputable to us or meritorious for us That cleared up in Three things Page 582 Whether his Active as well as his Passive Obedience is imputed Four Opinions about it Page 585 c. Arguments to prove its imputation Page 588 c. Whether it be imputed as done in our stead Aff. Page 595 Arguments to prove it Page 596 c. Ten Objections against both answered Page 598 c. Though Christ obey'd yet we also are bound to obey Page 606 The Opposition which Sin makes to what is good Page 178. P. Against PAPISTS it is proved That in all in this life there is that which deserves Condemnation Page 8 That inherent Righteousness is not the proper Cause of Justification Page 145 That their granting of Christ's being come in the Flesh doth not acquit their Supream Head from being Antichrist Page 421 That no man in this Life doth or can personally and perfectly fulfil the Law Page 572 That their Calumnies against Protestants as if they were against Inherent Righteousness and Good Works are false and groundless Page 116 That their Humane Satisfactions are vain and groundless Page 523 That the Lords Supper is not a Sacrifice but a commemoration only of Christ's Sacrifice Page 528 c. Pardon of Sin plenary Page 14 Persevenrance inferr'd from Vnion with Christ Page 83 Of the different Principles by which men are acted Page 105 The Spirit the Principle in the Regenerate Page 107 Sin the Principle which acts the Vnregenerate Page 175 176 All the Promises seal'd by Christ's taking Flesh Page 443 When Propensions to sin are entire it is the Law of Sin Page 180 Protestants Vindicated Page 116 The people of God are lyable to Punishment for sin Page 7 But not under the notion of Satisfaction or in a vindictive way Page 524 R. Christ's fitness to be a Redeemer Opened in some Particulars Page 299 c. The Work of Redemption a great Work Page 352 All Believers have an equal share in Remission Page 15 Remission of Sin not the fulfilling of the Law Page 577 Of the Necessity and Efficacy of Renewing Grace Page 200 Also of the necessity and mighty power of Restraining Grace Page 197 Resurrection sure from our Vnion with Christ Page 82 Also from Christ's Incarnation Page 446 The Laws Righteousness Page 569 S. Christ a real proper Sacrifice for sin proved Page 471 All the old Sacrifices Types of Christ the great Sacrifice Page 472 They receiv'd all their virtue from him Page 473 They all began and ended with him Page 478 Six Things in the Levitical Sacrifices all which are answerably to be found in Christ Page 476 Christ a propitiatory and expiatory Sacrifice Page 478 Four Heads much enlarg'd upon to prove Christ to be such a Sacrifice Page 481 Of Atonement and Expiation and the true notion thereof by his Sacrifice according to what was done by the Jewish Sacrifices Page 494 c. to 502 c. Christ was a Sacrifice when he dy'd upon the Cross That proved Page 504 c. Of the Nature and Extent of the Expiation of Sin by Christ's Sacrifice Page 508 c. The excellency of Christ's Priesthood and Sacrifice Page 539 Duties incumbent upon us in reference to this Page 544 c. The Comforts which flow from it to Believers Page 560 c. Whether the old Sacrifices were meerly typical Page 474 The Division and Distinction of the Jewish Sacrifices Page 479 Whether they did expiate all sin opened Page 511 Of the Gentile Sacrifices and their notions in them Page 502 c. Evangelical Sacrifices now to be offered up by Christians Page 558 Salvation under the Law and Condemnation under the Gospel Page 14 The truth of Christ's Satisfaction proved Page 515 The Vanity of Humane Satisfactions Page 523 c. Of the Sending of Christ Page 282 c. When the case of Sinners as to the Law was desperate Christ was sent Page 282 God the Father sent him Page 283 Christ came not till sent Page 288
the higher faculties under the filthiness of the Spirit So Eph â 3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the Lusts of our Flesh how why in fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the * Non Corpoâs tantum hâe partis ratione carentis sed etiam ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã opera esse vult omnes esmedi cupiditates quas ex solâ animae parte quae censetur rationis expers produci Platonici prohibent Salmas in Epictet p. 117. mind So that all Lusts do not he in the desires of the flesh but there are some which lie in the mind and in the highest faculties of the Soul Therefore the Apostle in this Chapter v. 6. speaks of the wisdom of the flesh where God willing we shall shew against the Papists that the Flesh and the Lusts thereof are not to be confined to the lower and sensitive part in man but that they do also extend to the nobler and higher part in him And to instance but in one place more you read Col. 2.18 of a fleshly mind These are the Lusts that are situated in the upper region of the Soul but then there are Others which reside in that region which is lower They are called fleshly Lusts 1 Pet. 2.11 I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims abstain from fleshly Lusts c. They are also called worldly Lusts Tit. 2.12 The grace of God which hath brought salvation teacheth us to deny ungodliness and worldly Lusts They are stiled fleshly Lusts because they are altogether for the satisfaction of the fleshly and sensual part or because they reach no further than the fleshly part and they are stiled wordly Lusts because they are drawn forth by wordly Objects or because they draw out a man in eager propensions after worldly things What it is to walk after the Flesh in this particular consideration of it Now to bring this down to the business in hand The Flesh being thus particularly considered so to walk after it it 's this For a person to be under the regency and dominion of Lust in whatever part or faculty it may reside or exert it self so that he acts in a ready willing full subjection to it and compliance with it 'T is to be under the unbroken strength of sensual propensions and to follow them in the course of life More closely 't is to be carried out with vehemency of desire after some fleshly good so as wholly to be swallowed up in pursuits after it and delights in it even to the slighting undervaluing total neglect of what is truly and spiritually good this is Lust by which whoever is thus acted he is a walker after the Flesh For wherever Lust commands and is obeyed in one respect or another there 't is walking after the Flesh Oh doth it bear sway in any of you that you obey and act by it in heart and life the dark side of the Character is towards you you walk after the Flesh and not after the Spirit Saints in Christ Jesus do not thus walk the Flesh may sometimes be stirring and lusting in them but they dare not hearken or give way to it they repel its evil motions and propensions do not follow or steer their course by the commands and counsels thereof and they are not inordinately desirous of sensual things In general they do not they dare not * Rom. 6.12 obey sin in the lusts thereof or fall in with the cursed suggestions and follicitations of the Flesh to that which is evil They that are Christ's have crucified the Flesh with the affections and lusts thereof Gal. 5.24 But let this suffice for the opening of the Negative who walk not after the Flesh much more might be added but that which follows will give more light about it Before I enter upon the applying of this let me proceed to the opening of the positive or affirmative part Such as are in Christ Jesus do not walk after the Flesh what then do they walk after why after the Spirit The Question here to be answered is Quest what is it to walk after the Spirit or when and how may persons be said to walk after the Spirit Ans What is meant by Spirit For the better answering of which Question we must first enquire what we are to understand by the Spirit for that being cleared the walking after it will be the more evident Here also not to insist upon the several significations and senses of the word Spirit in this place it must be taken either Personally for the Spirit of God the third Person in the Sacred Trinity or Habitually for Grace in us the Divine Nature implanted in the Soul in the work of regeneration or it must be understood of both You find Grace in Scripture set forth by Spirit Joh. 3.6 What is born of the Flesh is Flesh and what is born of the Spirit is Spirit where the latter Spirit must be understood of the heavenly and renewed Nature Jude 19. the Apostle speaks of some who were sensual having not the Spirit which though it be chiefly to be understood of the Spirit of Grace of which these persons were destitute yet it takes in the Grace of the Spirit too So Gal. 5.17 The Flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the Flesh i. e. the corrupt Nature and the renewed and sanctified Nature do reciprocally oppose and contend each against the other So some interpret that of our Saviour Mat. 26.41 The Spirit is willing but the Flesh is weak but I cannot lay so great a stress upon this place for this import of the word And as the sinful Nature may very well be set forth by Flesh so Grace or the sanctified Nature may as well be set forth by this appellation of Spirit Why Grace is set forth by the Spirit And that for these reasons 1. because 't is of the Spirit of God it being immediately infused and created by him 2. Because 't is principally seated in the Spirit the Soul of man 3. Because 't is a spiritual thing and vents it self most in spiritual acts 4. Because of the nobleness and excellency of it Now you 'l ask in which of these senses is Spirit here to be taken I answer 't is best to take in both namely both the Spirit of Grace and also the Grace of the Spirit or the renewed Spirit in the Creature the thing here spoken of is applicable to both and therefore why should we limit it to one The word Spirit throughout in this Chapter is generally taken in the personal notion for the Holy Ghost himself and no sooner had the Apostle mentioned Spirit in this verse but presently in the second verse he speaks of the Spirit as consider'd personally the Law of the Spirit of Life c. he means the living and quickening Spirit of God therefore to be sure this sense must be taken in And Grace habitually considered or the renewed
Nature in the Soul that too may have its place here very properly for Spirit being set in opposition to the Flesh which is the depraved Nature it must have some reference to that other Nature which is opposite to this And * Spiritus sumitur pro animo regenerato per Spiritum Pareus Per spiritum intelligit novitatem Naturae effectam per regenerationem Spiritus vitiositate naturali emendatâ Piscat Vocat Carnem universam hominis naturam ut quae corrupta exciderit à priftinâ dignitate cui opponitur Spiritus eadem viz. instaurata per Spiritum Dei Beza Interpreters generally so open it 't is best therefore I say to take in both these notions of the word Spirit The natural and philosophical notion of Flesh and Spirit is Body and Soul though yet some Philosophers sometimes speak of them in a somewhat different and more restrained sense For Spirit they make to be as the whole Soul in general so sometimes only the highest part of the Soul viz. the intellectual and discursive Faculty in compliance with whom or rather with the * Vide Drussum in 1 Thes 5.23 Jewish Writers in their Nephesh Ruach and Nesama Paul seems so to use the word * 1 Thes 5.23 I pray God your whole Spirit and Soul and Body be preserved blameless c. And as to Flesh that they make to be not onely the Body it self but also the sensitive Soul that part which is void of and sets it self against Reason and refuses to be subject to the Laws and Dictates of the rational faculty Thus the * For this see Salmas in Epicl Simplic p. 116. c. Platonists and Stoicks do frequently make use of the word ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Flesh onely they differ about the diversity of the Faculty where 't is seated from the reasonable faculty Now though Flesh and Spirit in the Text contain in them something higher than what this philosophical notion of them reaches yet 't is not altogether to be rejected and therefore in this discourse it will accordingly be made use of What it is to walk after the Spirit Now I come to answer the Question What is it to walk after the Spirit In general 't is to walk in the way of Spirit The Flesh hath its way and the Spirit hath its way the way of the Flesh is sin wickedness rebellion against God c. the way of the Spirit is holiness obedience righteousness c. He then that walks in the way of Sin he walks after the Flesh and he that walks in the way of Holiness he walks after the Spirit for the walking is according to the way that men go in So again To walk after the Spirit 't is to bring forth the fruits of the Spirit the Spirit hath its fruits such as Love Joy c. Gal. 5.22 and the Flesh hath its fruits several of which are recited Gal. 5.19 where the fruits of the Spirit fill up the life there 't is walking after the Spirit and so è contra as to the Flesh In short as to the general opening of it To walk after the Spirit 't is to live the holy and the spiritual life 't is to have Gods Spirit and to act in compliance with and obedience to it and 't is too to have the Divine Nature in the Soul to follow the motions and dictates of that Nature and to live in the exercise of the several Graces which grow upon that root I could very much enlarge upon this General Description but I shall chuse rather to explain the thing particularly under these Five Heads To walk after the Spirit 't is 1. To have the Spirit to be the principle of acting 2. To have the Spirit to be the guide of life and to follow its guidance 3. To have those affections which are proper to and suit with the Spirit 4. To live under and to close with holy inclinations and propensions to what is good 5. To act for spiritual Ends. Here I instance in more particulars than I did in the opening of the Walking after the flesh but they are as applicable to that as to this and they being contraries the One will illustrate the Other I. To walk after the Spirit 't is for a person to be acted by the Spirit or to act from the Spirit as his principle That is the principle as hath been said which acts a man or from which he acts when the Spirit is this to a person so that he lives and acts by its vital quickening agency and working in him then he may be said to walk after or according to the Spirit You heard before a man walks after the flesh when the flesh is his principle and so he walks after the spirit when the spirit is his principle This is applicable to the Spirit in both of the respects which have been mentioned As 1. take it personally the Holy Spirit is in Believers as the spring and principle of their obedience and holy actings In a sober sense all others I dread and detest that which acts and animates the Saints in their course it is Gods own Spirit he is not barely in them but he is in them as a lively and active principle to actuate their Graces to quicken and excite them to all holy and spiritual acts This is a part of that walking in the spirit which you read of Gal. 5.25 If we live in the spirit let us also walk in the spirit as if the Apostle had said if the Spirit hath been a quickening spirit to us and hath wrought a supernatural life in us then let us walk in the Spirit that is let us all along live and act by this Spirit as our great principle Such as are in Christ they pray mortifie sin are heavenly minded love God deny themselves c. now in all these acti agunt they act as they are acted from above the Spirit on his part stirs them up to what is good and gives out his influences to them in what is good and they on their part fall in with his exciting and assisting grace in opposition to all the interposures of the flesh and so they walk after the Spirit Then 2. take the Spirit habitually for Grace or the sanctified Nature in the heart this is a secondary or subordinate principle the principium Quod as the former is principium Quo from which spiritual acts do proceed You have the Apostle speaking to this double principle Gal. 2.20 I am crucified with Christ nevertheless I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me there 's the supreme and first principle and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God there 's the subordinate and secondary principle Faith and Love those two great branches of that general root which I am upon make all the several wheels in a gracious heart to move that which is done in the life comes from
TWo Observations I have gone through I come now to the third and last 'T is the Law of the Spirit of Life which frees the Regenerate from the Law of Sin or thus 't is by the mighty power of the living and regenerating Spirit that any are deliver'd from the power and dominion of Sin This is the great effect here spoken of and the Apostle shows who is the Author and Efficient of it or how 't is brought about the Law of the Spirit of Life hath made me free from the Law of Sin I shall as much as conveniently I may contract in what I have to say upon this Point that I may draw towards the close of this Verse which I fear I have staid too long upon The Spirit frees from the Law of Sin Now here observe 1. The Spirit frees from the Law of Sin he is the true and proper Agent in the production of this Effect In reference to which you may consider him either essentially as he is God or personally as he is the third Person distinct from the Father and the Son in both of which considerations he makes free from the Law of Sin As to the first so there can be no question made of the thing * Factum Spiritus S. factum filii Dei est propter Natunâ Voluntatis unitatem Sive enim Pater faciat sive Filius sive Spiritus Sanct. Trinitas est quae operatur quicquid tres fecerint Dei unius est operatio Aug. in Qu. N. T. Quaest 51. because the Spirit so considered acts in common with the two other Persons and a they with him what the Father doth and the Son as God that the Spirit doth also and so vice versâ I speak of (b) August in Enchirid. c. 38. actiones ad extra which onely are indivisae As to the second so the thing is also clear because 't is the Spirits personal and proper act to weaken and dethrone Sin in the heart for as 't is the Sons proper act to free from the guilt so 't is the Spirits proper act to free from the power of Sin that being a thing done within the Creature this person is the proper author of it it belonging to the Son to do all without and to the Spirit to do all within The Father and the Son are by no means to be excluded yet 't is the Spirit which doth immediately bring about in the Soul that blessed freedom which I am upon If you cast your eye a little upon what lies very near the Text you 'l find all the Persons mentioned as all concurring to the advancement and promoting of the good of Believers 't is (c) ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã c. Chrysost ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Oecumen Chrysostomes observation upon the Words That saith he which the Apostle always doth going from the Son to the Spirit from the Spirit to the Son and Father ascribing all to the Trinity that here he doth also For when he said who shall deliver me from the body of this death I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord heshews that the Father doth this by the Son then he shews that the Spirit also doth this by the Son when he says that the Law of the Spirit of Life which is in Christ Jesus c. then he brings in again the Father and the Son v. 3 4. But I say this freedom from the Law of Sin 't is the proper and immediate effect of the Spirit therefore 't is said * 2 Cor. 3.17 where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty the meaning of which Scripture I had occasion to touch upon before That which God once said to Zerubbabel in reference to the building of the Temple * Zech. 4.6 Not by might not by power but by my Spirit is applicable to deliverance from Sins dominion which is not brought about by any external and visible force and strength but onely by the internal effectual operations of the Holy Spirit How the Spirit of Life comes in 2. Secondly observe this is done by the Spirit of Life he doth not say onely the Spirit had made him free from the Law of Sin but he joyns this with it the Spirit of Life What is contain'd in this as 't is consider'd abstractly and in it self I show'd at my first entrance upon this Verse but I conceive it here hath some special reference to the effect spoken of it being either a description of the Spirit who frees from the Law of Sin he is a living Spirit or it pointing to the special time when the Spirit doth this viz. when he quickens and regenerates a man or it noting the way and method of the Spirit wherein or whereby he frees from the Law of Sin that is by working the spiritual Life or regeneration The Spirit who renews when he renews by renewing brings Sin under these are distinct things and yet are all couch'd in this Spirit of Life I might enlarge upon each but I will not because that which I have in my eye doth not much depend upon them The Law of the Spirit frees from the Law of Sin 3. Then observe thirdly 't is the Law of the Spirit by which this is done 'T is a Metaphorical expression as was shown in the opening of the Words the Law of the Spirit is the power of the Spirit as the Law of Sin is the power of Sin Here is Law against Law power against power the power and efficacy of the Spirit against the power and efficacy of Sin The Apostle elsewhere speaks of ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã an inworking power Eph. 3.20 according to the power that worketh in us that is the same with the Law of the Spirit in the Text so that when he saith the Law of the Spirit c. he means this that through the mighty power of the Holy Ghost authoritatively and effectually working in him Sins power was abolish'd its dominion brought down its kingdom in him destroyed and not only so but likewise Christs kingdom was erected in him for this Law of the Spirit doth both conjunctly wherever it dethrones Sin it also at the same time inthrones Christ and Grace in the heart When I was upon the Law of Sin I told you it hath a twofold power a moral and a physical power in reference to both of which 't is called a Law so 't is with the Spirit he hath his Moral power as he doth persuade command c. and he hath his Physical power as he doth strongly efficaciously incline urge impell the Sinner to such and such gracious acts yea which is highest of all as he doth effectually nay irresistibly change his heart make him a new Creature dispossess Sin of its regency and bring him under the Scepter and Government of Christ The difference betwixt the Law of the Spirit and the Law of Sin And herein the Law of the Spirit is above the Law
Instance as this would be pertinent but then we should determine it in the Negative And indeed I could humbly desire that in these Points we might be very sparing in argumentative Similitudes of this nature for 't is very well known how by them some endeavour to decry and undermine all imputation of Christ's righteousness To be made righteous by the righteousness of another 't is say they as if a man should see with anothers eyes or be learned with anothers learning or wise with anothers wisdom c. there 's similitude for similitude though upon a far more pestilent and mischievous design Therefore in Law-acts such as we all grant Justification to be let us keep to those allusions which are proper to such acts or else upon the disparity of Physical and Law-acts we shall run our selves and others upon great mistakes Obj. This seems to reflect upon God some error or mistake in his judging 7. Object as if be should esteem the Sinner to do that in Christ which he did not do and which he knows the Sinner did not do And 't is said that 't is not possible that we by any estimation can be the Subjects of those acts qualities accidents which belong to another Subject Answ Though the debtor himself doth not pay the debt Answ but the Surety in truth payes it yet without any mistake the Creditor may in a Law-sense look upon the debtor as having paid it inasmuch as his Surety paid it for him and what his Surety doth he doth they being in Law but one person the application of this as to God's judging with respect to Christ and Sinners is plain and obvious But I ask why should this be thought a mistake in God to look upon us as obeying in Christ when I hope 't is not made a mistake in him to look upon us as disobeying in Adam wherein is the truth of God more impeached in the one than in the other we did not personally eat of the forbidden fruit and yet I presume it will not be deny'd but that in Adams eating of it legally we did eat it too and that God doth most truly and righteously reckon us guilty of it as though we had done the fact in our own persons Grant then that there is no mistake there and it will follow that there is none here Nay further why may we not as well be said to obey in Christ as to suffer in Christ his Sufferings were as remote and aliene from our persons as his active obeying and yet 't is granted that they are so reckoned to us as that in them even we may be said to suffer and satisfie and if the passive Obedience of Christ be thus imputed without any mistake why may not the active without any mistake be imputed also clear God in the one and you must likewise clear him in the other And whereas 't is said that those acts qualities or accidents which belong to one Subject cannot be made over to another this strikes at all imputation though I suppose 't is not so designed for that which is imputed must be out of that Subject unto which 't is imputed otherwise 't is inhaesion and not imputation Adams disobedience was his own personal and subjective act and yet 't is ours imputatively and legally But of this I 'le say no more Obj. If Christ actively obeyed and fulfilled the Law 8. Object as in our stead so that his Obedience be imputed to us hence it will follow that we are not at all * Mr. Bradsh of Justif p. 85. obliged our selves to obey or keep the Law Christ having done that in his person for us For as he bearing the curse and penalty of the Law in our stead we are thereupon freed from that curse so if he did obey the Laws commands in our stead we must also thereupon be freed from any obligation to obedience on our part thereunto Answ All that follows from hence is this Answ that Christ obeying the Law for us and in our stead we are not bound to obey it * Vid. Luciam in Advers p. 1. Sect. 5. for those ends and upon those accounts upon which he obey'd it as namely for satisfaction and for righteousness before God but as to other ends and upon other accounts we are yet and must be so under an obligation to obey it For being Creatures we are indispensably bound to keep that Law which our Creator and Lord is pleas'd to lay upon us so as that nothing can absolve us from that obligation And besides not only love and gratitude to God do call for this Obedience from us but it is the way wherein we can only hope for benefit by Christ's satisfactory and meritorious Obedience We must not carry our Saviours fulfilling the Law for us beyond what he intended now it appears by the whole tenure of the Gospel that he never intended it to exempt believers from Obedience as it speaks duty but only as 't was the Condition of the first Covenant I therefore think that it may as well be argued that Saints should not die or bear any punishment for sin because Christ dy'd for them and bore the penalty of the Law for them as that they should not obey actively because Christ obey'd the Law for them 'T is true upon the imputation of his passive obedience they are freed from Suffering in order to Satisfaction yet in other respects suffer they shall and so upon the imputation of his active Obedience they are freed from obeying so as that their righteousness before God should not lie in that yet upon other accounts obey they must notwithstanding all that Christ hath done In short we may as well argue against others that upon their principles God's people are not lyable to any punishment as they do against us that upon our principles God's people are not under any obligation to obey the Law and that explication or distinction which will clear and justifie their Opinion in the consistency of the Saints Sufferings with Christ's passive Obedience will do the same for ours in the consistency of the Saints Obedience with Christ's active Obedience Obj. 'T is objected 9. Object that the imputation of Christ's Obedience as thus stated makes Believers to be no Sinners yea as righteous as Christ himself was they in him fulfilling the Law where 's their sin and his righteousness being made over to them are they not as righteous as he was Answ This is one of the beaten Answ thred-bare Arguments with which the ROMANISTS impugne in general the imputation of Christ's righteousness Our PROTESTANT Writers thus answer them though Christ's righteousness be imputed to Believers yet for all that they are Sinners and may justly be so denominated inasmuch as the denomination is taken from what is inherent in them notwithstanding what is imputed to them Saints may be considered either as they are in themselves and so who can deny them