thou commit adultery Thou that abhorrest Idols dost thou commit Sacriledge Yet this man hopes to be saved by the Law for it is said He took up his rest in the Law he rested in the Law and made his boast of God Where then must he center his hopes and upon what can he ground his boasting but upon some ceremonial performances Therefore one that seekes Justification by the Law may and it is often found that they do practise it only in some ceremonious observances I shall give onely one proof more of this and so hasten on to what follows and it shall be of the Lawyers Scribes and Pharisees in our Saviour's time who were the great boasters of the Law and expected Justification by the righteousness of it I have already observed that they were much for Tything of Mint Annise and Cummin those lesser things of the Law I shall add more of our Saviours observation upon them Matth. 23.5 That they made broad their Phylacteries and enlarged the borders of their Garments Of which saith Dr. Hammond the first to wit Phylacteries was an invention of their own wholly together with a multitude of attending Ceremonies The second indeed that of Borders prescribed by God but yet both abused by them to a vain glorying and boasting They washed the out-side of the Cup and Platter but within there was nothing but filthiness and nastiness They were without as whited Sepulchres but within Sepulchres still that is full of dead mens bones and all rottenness they did devour Widows Houses teach undutifulness to Parents c. Now what could these men therefore that yet sought to be justified by the Law uphold themselves withall but in outward conformities even to an excess in ceremonious observances Invented Ceremonies and Superstitions Now I shall observe in a few word what invented ceremonies they had besides those which the Law laid upon them in which also they gloryed and then apply that part of the Character to our selves or the present age which concerns Ceremonies either commanded or invented We find often that our Saviour charged the Pharisees with teaching for Doctrines the Commandments Traditions and Impositions of men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mark 7.7 For laying aside the Commandments of God saith our Saviour ye hold the tradition of men as the washing of Pots and Cups and many other such like things ye do One of which things among the many other was their Phylacteries of which Dr. Hammond saith they were inventions of their own and if it were not too large I would here transcribe all that he sayes upon it in his Comment on Matth. 23.5 I cannot omit some things These Phylacteries saith he were a great part though a great mistake and deceit of the Religion of the latter Jews upon God's Commandment Deut. 6.8 Exod. 13.16 of binding those words for a sign upon their hands and as front lets between their eyes which certainly were but figurative exprestions of that which was before mentioned Deut. 6.7 Thou shalt teach them diligently c. This carnal people which were apt to turn all inward Piety into outward Formality would needs understand this Precept litterally and made them Scrouls of Parchment in which they wrote four sections of the Pentateuch he mentions which they were These Rolls of Parchment were by them prepared with a great multitude of Ceremonies and Decrees made by them of the Creatures of whose Skins that Parchment was to be made of the Knives with which it was to be cut and a great deal more Being made they sitted and applyed them to the fore-heads and to the wrists and they were called Phylacleries either because they were to help keep the Law in their memory or because they were a kind of Amulet or Charm against Fascinations and Diseases against the Malus Genius saith Paulus Fagius This the learned Doctor tells us was a great part of their Religion and yet a matter of pure invention attended with a great multitude of ceremonies I may not here omit the story of Micah Judg. 17. who had a house-full of Gods v. 5. and had made an Ephod and Teraphim and for want of a Priest consecrated one of his Sons but yet at last lighting of a poor Levite of Bethleem-Judah a young man that had no charge he bargains with him for ten shekels of silver by the year about fifty shillings perhaps a Sute of Apparel and Victuals and Micah he consecrates the Levite for his Priest and what follows Why an high confidence of Divine acceptance Now I know saith he that the Lord will do me good seeing I have a Levite to my Priest This is the confidence of a great Idolater meerly from a Levite-Priest for his false Gods in which indeed it is plain he pretended to worship the Lord the true God I shall give but one place more about inventions it is Col. 2.20 21 22. Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world why as though living in the world that is living in a meer worldly Religion a humane external and for the most part invented thing are ye subject to Ordinances such as these touch not taste not handle not which all are to perish with the using after the Commandments and Doctrines of men which are words that express humane inventions That these Colossians herein were Legal that Micah was Legal that the Pharisees that enlarged their Phylacteries were Legal I need not trouble my self to prove having in the beginning shewed the equal latitudes of legal and fleshly fleshly and external and the external legal fleshly way to lie in dependance upon and glorying in outward priviledges and performances either commanded or invented Now let us see what we have of these Ceremonies which we do or easily may play the Jews or Legal self-Justitiaries in and then pass on For this is the chief thing in the Characters that I have to mind viz. how far they may concern us that so they may serve us for trial and examination how far we are inclined to a Legal way of serving God The Jews fault was that they over-prized Holy-daies Festivals New-Moons whilst they were their duty to observe them The Galatians and Colossians fault was that they medled with them at all Now as for our people truly I think the generality I speak not of the great Zealots for Ceremonies do not place much in Holy-dayes as to Religion their greatest danger is from prophaneness upon Holy-daies in their Whitsun-Ales and Wakes c. But if we would step over amongst the Papists we might see great doings upon Holy-daies I am informed upon St Peters day they carry the Pope upon mens shoulders into St. Peter's Church which doubtless hath pomp enough attending it and that upon Candle-mass-day they have the picture of the Virgâ—in Mary and Christ in her arms which they carry about with Candles or Tapers burning at noon-day c. Again the Jews thought themselves very pure and holy if they
heat of contention it were a worthy design in any man that were able to endeavour their reconciliation to each other if all means have not been used and especially considering that there is no other thing requisite in order to it but a right state of this or these two questions Whether and if so How farr Evangelical Works have an influence upon the justification of a sinner I say there is nothing else necessary to the ending of the controversies between all these but the stating of this question and the honest attending to such a state given For that all the parties agree upon the same things for matter viz. That we must believe and that we must do good Works and that to our utmost only one saith Evangelical Works have a share in our justification another sayes they have none one sayes they signifie so much another but so much none deny that good works are to be done I might mention another difference in opinion concerning faith in justification and that is concerning what kinde of faith it is that is the condition of our justification whether only that faith that hath a direct and express respect to Christ and his death or else all acts of faith whatsoever upon the power goodness and faithfulness of God as well as that upon Christ and his blood I hope I have in some of these things added one mire at least unto the treasury of Knowledg or else I were very impertinent indeed But this was not my design in composing this Treatise to give a state of such questions and therefore what I have done of such a kinde I have cast at the end of my Book as not being chiefly intended nor indeed intended at all at first but only as I found that it would be necessary to say something upon them Or if I had desired to engage in such a designe these several reasons might have discouraged me First that it required vast abilities to undertake it Secondly That I thought it had been very well performed by Mr Baxter already and Thirdly That though any should be judiciously satisfied that he could give a better state than yet had been given he might very well doubt how it would be entertained amongst the contenders when Mr Baxter of whom I have heard a very learned and godly Person say of late That he would shine in heaven for his book of Aphorismes yet by it purchased the highest displeasure from his Presbyterian Brethren My design therefore was wholly of another nature for observing that the Subject was as well practical and experimental as disputable though there are very worthy and lofty speculations to be had about it I thought it the most efficacious way of ending the disputes about it at least of making it usefull to honest men leaving disputers to themselves to shew how it was practical and experimental and by how much the shorrer I was in my doctrine upon this Subject to be so much the larger in my application And indeed I must needs say I observed as I thought that those who had hitherto written upon this Subject were deficient in one great piece of Application Mr Baxter and others I thought had done excellent service against the Antinomians who have sadly provoked them in these late times both in the Pulpit and Press and their private suggestions and insinuations but then they were more sparing in using the two-edged sword of Truth in this Subject on that side where it should cut the Legalist whereas there was as much or more need to set themselves against them as against the Antinomian If we would learn what Legality was that we might avoid it we must go to the Antinomians there was little to be heard of this Subject amongst others though in the mean time they did most dangerously poison their Auditors and Disciples with false descriptions of Legality so that I have my self whilest formerly an Antinomian and an Enthusiast looked upon that to be as ugly as Hell and Damnation which I now receive for good wholsom and precious Evangelical truth I could well have approved of that saying of Luther formerly Operatores sunt Martyres Diabâ—li that is That those that do minde Works in the matter of Justification though Evangelical works so farr as they minde them they are the Devils Martyrs and bear their testimony by the anguishes of their spirit against the Righteousness of the Gospel and yet from such Teachers we must receive the notes of Legality others that are enemies to the Antinomians not offering at this Subject at least in that professed way as the Antinomians do This I looked upon to be a considerable defect especially when I observed that the Apostle Paul in his Epistles to the Romans and Galatians as also in some other places le ts out the chief of his zeal Rom. 61 2. VVhat shal we say then shall we continue in sin that grace may abound God forbâ—d So ver 15. Rom. 3.5 7 8. and useth the greatest strength of argument against this sort of men whereas he is but here and there sparingly touching upon the Libertine which I hold to be the practical Antinomian And as I said even now this Subject is a practical Subject and highly experimental yea every whit and rather more experienced in the inconveniences of Legality than of those of Antinomiansme For the Law and Grace contend for the dominion and mastery in every heart that but entertains the thoughts of Religion Now where the notion of Grace prevails in a right way there is the right Saint or Christian By this division thou maist if thou judgest necessary supply a member of a division that may seem to be wanting Pag. 117 118. where I have divided all Religious persons into two forts viz. Legal and Evangelical though were iâ— not for giving offence I might still leave the Antinomian that is the high practical Antinomian out of the number of Religious persons where it prevails in a wrong way without a due seriousness of heart there is Antinomianisme when the Law prevails there is Legality Now I verily believe that there are ten Legalists to one Antinomian for all the Superstitious world are Legalists and I have shewn in the following Treatise that there are many moral Legalists and there is evident reason why there may well be more Legalists than Antinomians for that with a little knowledge in Religion men may prove Legalists whereas to be Antinomians requires somewhat more than ordinary of notion in Religion besides there is another reason why there should be at least equal care taken if not more in the application of the doctrine of Justification for the searching and rooting out of Legality than there is to be had for the destroying Antinomianism because destructive Legality takes faster hold of men that are under it than destructive Antinomianisme doth For the Legalist that depends upon his external Priviledges or performances is not so easily beaten out of his hold as the
spiritual Saints under the Old-Testament they might truly conclude that their Religion was of an higher strain then either that of the one or of the other * If any will make any abate ment of this observation in the height of it as that the advancement of the least Salnt in the kingdom of Heaven above Iohn the Baptist should be meant of Gospelpriviledges let them do as they see cause and so this observation might wel serve for a Character to them Yet because the Saints of God do not always understand nor are able to make a judgement of their condition and for that I aim onely at such Characters as may be useful to persons for trial of themselves I shal at present let this pass without pressing it any further onely I could wish these multitudes of grovelling creeping complaining Saints were wel chid and awakened for they make Ministers that they cannot preach free Divinity lest they should perhaps grieve them And I verily believe that it hath spoiled many a good Sermon that would have been far more lively both for the conviction of wicked men and the quickening of other good Christians that could have born it and done wel with it meerly the stuffing it with cautions and qualifying many brave expressions lest some of these weak tender Christians should be offended which tenderness in most is rather a delicacy of spirit then the quick sence of a wounded Spirit which indeed must be tenderly dealt with Good men many of them have gotten such effeminate Antinomian Consciences that they cannot bear sound Doctrine many Gospel strains are legal in their apprehension But I must forbear this â—â—nguage lest I have little thanks for not making this a Character I shal onely say before I pass off that methinks when we serve the great God upon terms of Mercy and Grace when he offers us pardon of our sins and the salvation of our souls freely we should be mighty chearful and quick and diligent when we consider our high calling to be the children of God heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ it should mightily quicken and enoble our Spirits Seemeth it a light thing saith David to be a Kings Son-in-Law seeing that I am a poor man and lightly esteemed 1 Sam. 18.23 And certainly it argues a great want of faith hope not to be very much quickned with these considerations but pass on And as I have now avoided making this a Character which I might have made one so I shal endeavour to un-make another that hath been made one by some or at least to unmake it in part They would make this another Character of a legal Spirit A salfe Character of a Legal Spirit That it is selfish and mercenary in the service of God onely works for wages and for the reward but doth nothing out of pure love nobleness and ingenuity I have heard it delivered in a great Assembly as a great observation That self-love hath no more Religion in it than an Horse That is as I understand it so far as a man acts towards God for any good that should accrue to himself so far his Religion is unacceptable Now for the word ONELY I confess I know not what to say to that how that should be a good Spirit that worships and serves God ONELY for the reward But I suppose they that speak undervaluingly of this Principle do mean or at least should mean by the tendency of their Discourses that it is a legal Principle to serve God in hope of the reward or for the reward and that so far as we serve God from this Principle we are legal or at least we miscarry in so doing And indeed to shew that I do not slander a party I have heard several Discourses wherein this hath been hotly argued that it is not a right or at least not a Gospel-Principle to serve God for fear of Hed which is to me all one as to serve him in hope of a reward for to avoid Hell is a negative reward as the enjoying Heaven is a positive Now for my part I think whatever we may account of self-love when it is the onely principle yet that it is a very good principle in other honest company and withall I think that there is no Saint upon earth that doth act towards God meerly upon the principle of self-love which I shall shew by and by But I will say more yet and that is this That I think self-love or acting for the reward and to labour in hope as the Husbandman doth who not onely laboureth in hope but for his hope or for that which he expecteth else he would not have taken that labour I say to act for the reward or in hope of the reward and so likewise that we may avoid Hell needs not so far the association of other Principles to countenance and credit it as if it were not it self a right Gospel-Principle for I think to be encouraged by the reward which the Gospel promiseth on purpose that so we might be encouraged argues a true Gospel-spirit answering the Gospel-motive and so that outward motive from the Word or Promise becomes an inward Principle It were endless to quote the Scriptures that encourage us in holiness by the consideration of glory to come Be thou faithful to the death and I will give thee the Crown of Life Rev. 2.10 One more That which ye have already hold fast till I come and he that overcometh and keepeth my words unto the end to him will I give power over the Nations and he shall rule them with a rod of Iron even as I received of my Father and I will give him the Morning-Star Rev. 2 25 26 27 28 So it is likewise a Gospel-principle to serve God that we may avoid Hell We have both together to get Heaven and avoid Hell made Gospel-motives Heb. 12.28 29 Wherefore we receiving a Kingdom which cannot be moved let us have Grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear for our God is a consuming fire And it is the advice of our Saviour Luk. 12.5 To fear God who can cast body and soul into Hell and for that reason I say unto you my friends fear him they are our Saviours Words Luke 12 4 5. Now with whatever fair shews and pretences men may impose these Doctrines upon themselves or others that they must not serve God for fear of Hell nor hope of Heaven I look upon Satan to be the Forger of these devices for if he can get us once out of the fear of Hell and out of the hopes of Heaven hee 'l make no doubt to bring us into what temptations soever he shall intice us with And I would fain know what the other principles are when these are removed upon which we should be constrained or engaged to serve God There is indeed one more lest very considerable but these men that dislike the hope of reward and fear of punishment
and from the same person sick he expects not the same that he doth from him when he is in health nor from a married man the same as to acts of devotion that he doth from the unmarried Person 1 Cor. 7.32.33 Now this I dare not let pass without these cautions 1. That I have delivered this onely for the comfort of those that are apt to accuse and censure themselves unreasonably not for any loose-principled people who are ready to say They do all they can and God is merciful 2. That this Doctrine that God proceeds according to the proportions of talents entrusted with us is not more comfortable to some than terrible to others You that have great parts and great opportunities cannot be saved with the same improvements that others may if he that had five talents had brought in but six or seven to his Master he could no more have entred into the joy of his Lord then he that laid up his one talent in a Napkin Matt. 25.20 21. Or at least he should enter difficultly and with great loss 1 Cor. 3.15 Now as there may be these unreasonable fears and doubts about their ESTATE in the hearts of the Saints which is so much of a spirit of bondage for that all unreasonable fears of God are the effects and univocal proper productions of a spirit of bondage I say as there may be these fears as to their state and condition so there may be as to PARTICULAR ACTIONS an absurd fear that we may not do them and a guilt after we have done them when indeed they were lawful to be done which usually argues a spirit of bondage and so a legal spirit in these actions Yet I will acknowledge that to do actions though lawful with a doubting mind makes them sins and may justly affect us with a guiltiness But many times one does an action freely and without doubting and afterwards with a scrupulosity reflects upon the action and then hath a fear and a guilt Now I say if this action upon which we reflect thus was a lawful action then is our guilt and fear which we have impressed upon us an argument of Legality or a Spirit of Bondage for the reason above given But yet there is something more to be said as to the clearing of this matter for I will not dare to call all cautious wary proceeding in searchingout what may or may not be the wil of God and my duty in such or such an action to call call this Legality and the effect of a spirit of bondage God forbid this were Doctrine for a Ranter to vent not for any sober person But this is that which I affirm That we ought to enquire faithfully and seriously what may be our duty and what may be our liberty in such or such an action before we adventure upon it and if we cannot understand such a thing to be our liberty as for instance to take usury-money to take an oath c. we ought not to do it but yet I say and that is the chief thing I intend in this particular that if we determine against our own liberty it not onely argues a weakness of judgement but usually a spirit of bondage for that our very determination proceeds from a false opinion and an over-timorous apprehension of God We think that he will not allow his servants such liberties as indeed he doth we think him an hard Master as it is Matth. 24.25 There are some men whom I dare not but think good men that yet think a Christian a Saint of God should be so exact so circumspect in things that are of no consideration so superstitious I may say in gestures habits language as if a Christian when once such were not to converse with other men but must go out of the world as the Apostles phrase is speaking in such a case as this 1 Cor. 5.9 10. And these men I make no doubt have done much prejudice to Religion by their great reservedness and narrowness of principles which I shall take liberty here to call Legality and a spirit of bondage for that it usually proceeds from a wrong apprehension of God as if he were hard and austere and cruel to his creatures And this narrowness of spirit and scrupulosity hath been a common and powerful principle in people so long till at last it hath issued out in a party and faction amongst us and it is as I conceive one of the most considerable ingredients in their Religion whom we call Quakers I have done with this third Character I come now to a fourth which is this A Legal spirit is a persecuting spirit and that especially of those that are the true Gospel-Saints and Worshippers of God I shall presently give my Scripture for this it is in Gal. 4.28 29. Now we Brethren as Isaac was are children of the promise but as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the spirit even so it is now He that is born after the flesh was the son of the Bond woman from Mount Sinai for justification by works as all the Allegory wil witness especially ver 23. he that is born after the spirit is the son of the promise that rests upon the promise in the Gospel-way for Justification Now as there have always been from the beginning these two seeds these two sorts of Worshippers so there was alwayes an enmity between them and they that are after the flesh and for the Law alwayes persecuted them that are for the Gospel those that are for the Law are ful of persecuting principles against all that differ from them they would fain have all forced to be of their way but yet their persecution is most fiercely directed against the true Worshippers they cannot endure that they should live upon the face of the earth Cain was a right Legallist he brings of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord but never minds with what heart he offers it yet takes it for granted that God would accept of it and like it very well And when he finds that his offering is not accepted and that his younger Brother's is he cannot bear it he hates his Brother and longs for the blood of his Brother and wherefore flew he him saith the Scripture Alas for no other reason is the answer made in the same place but for that his own works were evil and rejected and his Brothers righteous and accepted 1 John 3.12 not that his Brother had done him the least wrong imaginable Wherefore did Ishmael the son of the bond-woman persecute Isaac which persecution we find not to be other than scoffing at him Gen. 21.9 but onely because he was the son of the promise mocking him perhaps with some such taunt as this There goes a young Puritan a young Precisian the Son of the promise But come we down to the New-Testament and who there are the great persecutors of our Saviour and his Apostles