to be remembred Now take away the offence and the law hath nothing to do with you take away the breaches and you are free from all the Curses of the Law Therefore the Apostle tels us that in Christ sin was condemned in the flesh Christ did thus condemne sin as he tooke away the power of sin and as he took away sinne it selfe so that it could have no voice against us Now the offence being taken away of what force is the law As suppose a man should live in a Kingdom wherein there should be a law made that whosoever should doe such a particular thing let it be what it will should snffer such a heavie punishmnnt onely the law maker hath power over the law to pardon such particular persons as he pleases Which if he doe the law hath no voyce at all against them They are free from the law The law hath nothing to doe with them though all others are under the power of it yet they are not under the power of it for the law maker having pardoned these perticuler persons the law hath no voice at all against them and though the law be powerfull against others yet it cannot against them they then are free from the law the law may bee a law to others to condemn them but not to these their offence being pardoned So the Lord Jesus Christ taking away the offence takes away condemning power of the law from us and so we are not under the law but under grace the law being taken away by Christ for in that Christ upon the Crosse adjudged all the breaches and trespasses of us committed by us contrary unto the law to death and destruction we are free from that Law God sending his owne Sonne in the flesh condemned sinne in the flesh How did the Lord Jesus Condemne sin in the flesh Thus The Lord Jesus Christ coming in our nature and taking our sinne upon him he condemned sin and suffered for it in the flesh and so tooke away the voice of sin and the power of sinne so that sinne is as a condemned man judged to death to be destroyed And if sinne be taken away I pray what is become of the law the strength of sinne The Apostle tells us that is in the same manner that sinne is taken away too Rom. 7.4 we are dead to the law by the body of Christ that we should be married unto another even to him who is raised from the dead c. So then we are dead to the Law For thus They that live unto the law have either life from it or death from it 1. Life from it but that we have not for there is no life from it but in the fulfilling of it but Christ is our life and we are justified freely by grace for by the works of the law shall no man living be iustified Or in the next Place they that live to the law have death from it for the breach of it but we are free from the condemnation of it also and shall not be destroyed by the Law so that we do not live unto the law but are dead unto the law And if you shall ask how The Apostle answers by the body of Christ How is that Thus. The Lord Jesus Christ taking our nature upon him in that body ascending upon the Crosse hee there blotted out the hand-writing of ordinances that was against us that was contrary to us that stood cursing of us he took it out of the way nayling it to his Crosse And this is a precious misterie which affords the Saints abundant consolation Again in that the Apostle saies in the aforementioned place that we are dead to the law by the body of Christ it is saies he that we should live unto another as if he had said we are not now to live any longer to the law but Christ hath therefore freed us from living to the Law that we should live unto himself live as by him and through him so to him as our first Husband being dead we are no longer to live to him but being married to another We are to live unto him and therefore saies the Apostle we are dead to the law our first husbnd to what end that we might be maried to another even to him who is raised from the dead And this is the further illustrated in the next verse for saies the Apostle Now being delivered from the law that being dead wherein we were held It is that we should serve in the newnesse of the spirit and not in the oldnesse of the latter So now here we see cleerly Christ having adjudged all our sins to death upon the Crosse in his owne body hath also by the same way freed us from the Law But 3. 3. As Christ is the end of the law for righteousnesse Rom. 10.4 And lastly wee are free from the law by the law of the Spirit of life in Christ as Christ is the end of the law for Christ is the end of the law for righteousnesse unto every one that beleeveth He is the end of the law for righteousnesse Righteousnesse could not be by the law therefore the Lord Jesus became the end of the law to bring righteousnesse to us No man can performe the law or walke equivolent to it and therefore Christ must be the end of the Law to bring in everlasting righteousnesse that is such a glorious righteousnesse that is such a glorious righnesse as abides for ever The whole law is summed up in Christ whatever beauty or glory or excellencie appeares in the law It gives it all up â—o Christ As when many small sums are gathered up into into one sum they looze their number and names in it So the law and the beauties of it being as Severall small sums gathered up into Christ they looze their name in him and he is their perfection When the Gentiles do bring in their glory into the New Jerusalem they shall looze their glory in the New Jerusalem and New Jerusalem shall be their glory so is it with the Law Christ is the glory of it and as the beams of the Sun end and are summed up in the Sunne so the law is a beame of God and Shadowes out something of Christ and of God But when Christ came and took our nature upon him it was summed up in him and ends in him and in him it appers gloriously So Christ frees us from the law as he sums up the law wholly in himselfe If there be any beauty in the law it is beautifull as it is in Christ The truth is Christ is the substance of it all and so a beleever sees all the beauty and glory of the law as it is in Christ for him he having fulfilled all righteousnesse and so for righteousnesse he is become the end of it to every beleever and he is not to have his righteousnesse in the Law but in Chriist And thus now wee see in these three particulars how
This was the glorious designe of God to make persons righteous in Christ as Christ had gathered up all truth and righteousnesse in himself So he being our Head should fulfill righteousnesse and truth in us by the Spirit And that 's the second reason of the point But then 3. 3. That God might be all in all and the creature nothing at all The third reason why we are freed from the law through the Spirt is this that God might be all in all and the creature nothing at all God hath gathered up all into Christ that we might not be saved by fulfilling the law or by any other way that he alone might be all in all that the Creature may not have whereof to boast therefore he doth all freely by his grace and by the law shall no man living be justified for if righteousnesse were by the law then might men have whereof to glory but the great designe of God is his owne glory which he will not give to another and therefore hath he freed us from the Law and glorified the riches of his grace towards us that beleeve in that we through the spirit are freed from the law which brought us under the curse that wee should not bee under the oldnesse of the letter but be of the Circumcision which worship God in the spirit and rejoyce in Christ Iesus and have no confidence in the flesh I should here come to the uses of all but there two or three queeries first to be answered The first is that which Saint Paul both makes and answers having Rom. 7.5 6. declared this truth here hold forth in the Text that we are dead unto the law and freed from the oldnesse of the letter that we migot serve in the newnesse of the Spirit this queree he makes to prevent it in others Is the Law sin then To which the Answer may be in the Apostles words God forbid I say God forbid that any man should so conceive that that which was given immediately from God is sin No saies the Apostle the law is Holy and the Commandment holy just and good It speakes nothing but holinesse and there is nothing but puritie in it I need stand no longer in this to confirme the truth of the puritie of the law it is so apparent But 2. Queerie 2 The next queerie will be that which the same Apostle in another * Gal. 3.19 place also makes and that is this Wherefore then serveth the law Answe Answ The Gospell holds forth this to be the use of the Law viz. To convince every man and woman of their miserable condition out of Christ and this it doth as will appear if you consider this That no man can come into the presence of God or be advanced to the beatifical vision but those that are pure those that are holy For as the Apostle tels us without holinesse no man shall see God so that no unclean thing shall stand in the presence of the most holy God for he is of purer eyes then to behold iniquitie and therefore he hath given forth this Law as a rule for all to walk by in generall it being a holy Law and hath declared that in it he sets before men life and death blessings and cursings but man having in him by nature the seed and root of all corruption hath therefore a will to do evill but none to do good and having first lost his first image can never keep this law for all have sinned and all come short by nature of the glory of God held forth in this Law and therefore being in this condition must at last needes sinke into the bottomlesse pit and the burning Lake where the Worme dyeth not and the fire is not quenched if there be not a Mediator stepping in betweene to bring in everlasting righteousnes in which sinners may stand compleat before God and to redeem them from this Law which because of sinne puts them into this deplorable condition So that now all do see may see or shall see their miserable condition by the Law not having a Saviour and that is now the use of the Law And so much in effect the Apostle holds forth 1 Tim. 1.9 10. Having spoken in the former verses of some that would be Teachers of the Law and turning from the Gospell he bids Timothy to change them to teach no other doctrine then the doctrine of the Gospell Now sayes he the end of the commandement is purity and love the Law holds forth puritie But some sayes he that would be Teachers of the Law know not what they say nor whereof they affirm It seems they either did as the Pharisees seek righteousnesse in the Law or went it may be a little further mixing law and Gospell preaching that men must be saved partly by the Law and partly by Christ or some such like doctrine But positively to say what it was I cannot nor is it much materiall to our purpose But sayes the Apostle though they know not what they do yet we know what we do and what the use and end of the Law is we know it is pure and holds forth purity to all and all that come short of the purity thereof are under the curse thereof being out of Christ and not pure in him and righteous in him knowing that the Law is good if a man use it lawfully that is if it be rightly applyed if we preach the Law and all the terrors thereof unto all that are out of Christ and are not righteous by him Knowing sayes he that the Law was not made for a righteous man but for the lawlesse and disobedient for ungodly and prophane c. the law is made for these and so it discovers their miserable condition unto them And so Paul sayes the Law discovered sin to him and he never knew sin before the Law discovered sinne him and made iâ— to be exceeding sinfull So that this is now the use of the Law it makes all the world to become guilety before God and declares to altheir miserable condition out of Christ And so much for answer of the second quaerie But then 3. Queere 3 Another quaerie will be this Was not then Law given for a Rule of Life unto the people of GOD when it was delivered upon Mount Sinai Answ Answ Yes the Law was given for a rule unto his people Israell who were then the peculiar people of God and this the Apostle cleerly holds forth Gal. 3.24 where he tels us plainly the Law was a Tutor or a Schoole-master untill CHRIST For the Law was our Schoolemaster untill Christ And so the word runs in the Originall and not as it is in our ordinary Translation The Law was our Schoolemaster to bring us to Christ For this is not the sense of it but is contradictorie to what the Apostle had before delivered in the 12. verse where he sayes The Law is not of Faith That is Justification by Faith in the Lord
no so it is their delight so it is sweete unto them Although they seeke not righteousnesse by it but by the Lord Iesus who hath fulfild it for them which the Lord teach thee by his Spirit to do whoever thou art that brandest any Saint with this title And thus I thinke I neede not say more in this particular to take off men from casting this Aspersion upon the Saints and that for this reason Because I doe not here speake unto those who have given up their names to Iesus Christ who ever they are for they are not I hope to bee charged herewith nor are they so much out of their way as to give out such expressions of their brethren in whom the Spirit of the Lord Iesus is or if they have through weakenesse or mismisinformation herein failled a word is enough for them Their spirits are so tender and as for others it is not much materiall if they so breake out still For the seed of the Bondwoman be alwaies enemies to the children of the Freewoman Onely heere they may see though they cast this aspersion upon them it is but false And so much therefore shall suffice for that use But 6. Vse To informe the saints of their priviledges Vse 6 IS is so that the Saints through the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus are freed from the Law From the Curse of the Law and from the oldnesse of the Letter c. Then let the Saints be heere informed of their priviledges and their uspeakable happinesse 1. You that walke afer the Spirit this you see now is your priviledge that though you were by nature under the course and children of Wrath even as others being under the Law Yet now you are free from the curse and from wroath And 2. That though you were once darknesse yet now are you light in the Lord. And 3. Though you were once strangers and alians in your mindes by wicked workes yet now are you drawne nigh to God by the death of his Sonne And 4. Though you were once altogether defiled with pollution and corruption yet now your old man crucified and the deedes of the body are mortified through the Spirit And 5. Though you were once in fear continuaily yet now have you continuall peace in some measure and joy in the Holy Goost and why all this and much more But 6. Trough that priviledge which summes up all others in it In that you are translated out of the kingdome and the power of darknesse into the glorious light and libertie and Kingdome of the Sons of God in Jesus Christ 1. I say your priviledge and glorious prerogative is that though you were by nature under the curse and Children of wrath even as others Yet now you are free from the Curse and from wrath for the Lord Jesus was made a curse for you to free you from the curse of the Law The Lord Jesus lay under the Wrath of the Father that you might lye downe in the love of the Father And that the time of your blood might be a time of love to him so though the Law may curse others yet it cannot curse you For there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus Who can lay any thing to thy charge so as to condemne thee Surely none can Neither Satan nor wicked men nor good men nor thine owne conscience nor Angels Nay God himselfe will not for it is he that justifieth thee or rather Christ that died and now being free from every curse and every condemnation O how blessed is thy condition But 2. Looke yet further upon thy priviledges and see that though thou wert once darkenesse yet now art thou light in the Lord though thou wert in a state of blindenesse and ignorance even as other gentiles walked taking thy swinge in the workes of Darkenesse yet now the Lord Jesus by his Spirit hath been a light unto thee Who is a light to lighten the Gentiles as well as others so that though thou wert altogether kept under and couldest not look up unto God being in darknesse yet now by the light of the Spirit thou art able to behold God in the face of Jesus Christ to know the minde of God and what is the acceptable will of God in some measure and now thou seest and and discernest spirituall things for thou hast now the Spirit to teach thee to know the things that are freely given to thee of God So that 3. Though thou wert a stranger and an alian in thy minde by wicked workes workes of darkenesse yet now art thou drawn nigh to God by the death of his Son and though thou wert once a stranger yet now thou art of the common wealth of Israel Though thou wert once a stranger now thou art a fellow Citizen with the Saints in Sion though thou wert once a stranger and an alian yet now thou art of the Family of God of the Houshold of God And what a servant there I and more A Son an adopted Son Nay a fellow heire with Jesus Christ Nay more thou art a Spouse a Bride the Lambes wife Thou art married to the Lord Jesus Now all the sweetnesses that are to be found in these relations are thine Is it a great priviledge to be a Servant to the Kings person Thou art so most eminently Nay he makes thee his friend too But it is more to be a Sonne Why thou art so It is more to be an heire That is thy priviledge too But is it more to bee a Spouse a Bride a Wife This is thy Royall Prerogative Besides many other relations in which thou standest through Iesus Christ as to be Kings and Priests before God c. And all this though thou wert once a stranger unto God and an Alian unto thy Fathers house and wert defiled with wicked workes so as thy person was loathsome yet even then wast thou received into love and haddest these priviledges conferred upon thee and all through the Lord Jesus and the Spirit of life working in him But 4. Thou that wert once altogether daubed all over with black and bloody staines of Corruption yet hast thou now that old man Crucified and these deeds of the body mortified through the Spirit and although thy life were as a sinke continually sending forth abominable corruption that did even infect the very ayre where thou didst breath Yet now through the Spirit of Holinesse given forth unto thee by the Lord Iesus thou art still mortifying the deeds of the body and still crucifying these Corruptions And that spirit that is in thee will never cease untill he hath totally gotten the victory over all thy coruptions and hath set thee in a perfect State even when thou shalt lay downe this fleshly body and this earthly tabernacle so that still in the meane time thou dost increase with the increase of God and so thou shalt grow in the Spirit and decrease in the flesh As John must decrease but Christ must