Law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Kingly Law or the Law of Christ as King of Saints This distinction Christ teacheth us Mat. 5. where repeating and opening of the Moral Law he saith it was said of old thus and thus i. e. thus Moses said thus the Law as it was Moses his Law said but saith he I say unto you i. e. thus the Law as it is my Law saith unto you This Paul well knew and therefore Rom. 7. handles the Law under this two fold consideration as Moses his Law he saith we are dead to it delivered from it and have nothing to doe therewith as Christs he saith he did approve of it delight in it and endeavour to conforme thereto So 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 he makes a clear distinction betwixt the Law as it was in Moses his hand administring sin and death to those under it and in Christs giving spirit and life and he saith that beleevers by being under the Law as Christs are freed frâ—m as Moses's And in Gal. 2.19 For I through the Law am dead to the law that I might live unto God He tells us that by vertue of being under the Law as it is in the hand of Christ he tells us he was dead to it as in the hand of Moses These things laid down I say Gospel walking is to make the Law of God i. e. the Moral Law as it is the Law of Christ the rule of our lives and actions For the making out of this three things are to be proved 1 That the Moral Law in Gospel-times is a Rule to Beleevers else making it our Rule cannot be Gospel-walking 2 That it is a Rule only as in the hand of Christ 3 That to obey and observe the Law as it is in the hand of Christ is truly and properly Gospel-walking The first I make good by these Arguments Argument 1. If the coming of Christ doth not destroy the Law as a Rule but fulfill or compleat the same then is the Law in Gospel-times a rule to beleevers But the first is true Matth. 5.17 Think not that I am come to destroy the Law or the Prophets I am not come to destroy but to fulfill What fulfilling is the fulfilling here spoken of Not so much Christs fulfilling the Law for us as our common person though this bee a truth as the perfecting or compleating of the Law I came to fulfill the Law that is to compleat the Law to fill up the Law which the Jewes took by halves or peece-meals and this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth properly signifie to replenish perfect or fill up a thing being as some say a Metaphor taken from a Ship under sayl whose sayls are filled with wind and this Christ's own speaking to the end of the Chapter clearly shews he going on to declare the spiritual sense and meaning of the Law beyond what the Jewes understood thereof or Moses had discovered to them Therefore the latter Argum. 2. If the Moral Law bee a perpetual and everlasting Rule to Saints in all Ages then to Saints in Gospel-times But the first is true Mat. 5.18 for Verily I say unto you till heaven and earth passe one jot or one tittle shall in no wise passe from the Law till all be fulfilled As long as Heaven and Earth remaines so long doth the Law remaine and the fulfilling thereof remaine Here observe by the way that the Greek word translated fulfilled is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which doth not signifie as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used in the precedent verse to perfect or fill a thing up but to doe or performe a thing Now there is a two-fold fulfilling or performing of the Law a fulfilling or performing thereof in Christ as our Head and common Person this was perfectly accomplished by and in Christ when hee was here and there is a fulfilling or performing of the Law in us the Members this because it is imperfect and wrought by degrees goes perpetually on increasing till wee come to bee wholly like our Head and this I take it is that which is here spoken of which shall remaine as long as Heaven and Earth remaine i. e. as long as Heaven and Earth stands Saints shall goe daily on fulfilling of the Law till in the end their obedience comes to bee perfect as Christs was Argum. 3. If the preaching of Faith doth not make voyd the Law but establish the same then doth the Law still remaine as a Rule to Beleevers in Gospel-times But the first is true Rom. 3.31 Nay we establish the Law i. e. by the preaching of the Gospel wee doe not over-turn the Law make men Libertines and free them from the obedience of the Law no but we establish the Law set it upon a better and surer bottome than it stood on before and bring men to a more free full and spiritual observance thereof than they will bee brought any other way therefore the latter Argum. 4. If the substance of those things which are required in the Moral Law are commanded in the Gospel promised to Gospel-times then doth the Law remaine a Rule to Beleevers still But the first is true as for example Doth the Law in general require of us to love God with all our heart with all our soul with all our might and with all our strength and to love our neighbour as our selves and doth not the Gospel every where command these things Doth the Law require of us to love serve and obey one God and the true God and doth not the Gospel doe this Doth the Law require us to worship God in his owne way forbidding all Idol worship and doth not the Gospel doe this 1 Cor. 10.20 21. 2 Cor. 6.14 15 16 17. doth the Law require us to sanctify Gods Name and doth not the Gospel too Jam. 5.12 Doth it require the sanctifying of the Sabbath and is not this promised to Gospel-times Ezek. 44.24 in the purest Gospel which shall be when the Jewes are called they shall hallow Gods Sabbath and I take it for this reason the command of keeping the Sabbath is mentioned both in the Moral Ceremonial and Judicial Law in the Judicial Law to teach us that the keeping holy one day of seven is natural in the Moral to teach it is Moral and in the Ceremonial Law to teach us the command of the Sabbath is Evangelical the Ceremonial Law being but the Gospel under Types and Figures Doth the Law require obedience to Superiours and doth not the Gospel yea is not the Fifth command in expresse words commanded Ephes 6.2 Doth the law forbid Murder Adultery Theft False-witness-bearing coveting anothers goods and right and are not all these forbid in the Gospel Rom. 13.9 therefore the law remaines a Rule to beleevers under the Gospel Argum. 5. If Christ as a common person did yeeld obedience to the Moral Law then is the
resolution too but sayest thou well yet sin I will overcome thee then thou fallest to praying thy selfe against it and gettest others to pray for thee and runnest to this Minister and the other and â—readest thy case before him and askest his advice what thou shouldest do in it notwithstanding all this thine own endeavours or any help they can afford thee thy sin is still too strong for thee well then When there is no other way thou knowest left thou fallest to keeping of Fasts makest vows and covenants and doest as good as swear to the Lord of heaven and earth that henceforth thou wilt bee as godly as passes and never sin against him more nor do as thou hast done and then it may bee before two dayes or a week come at an end thou breakest all and art now in a worse case than ever and even at thy wits end O poor souls This is the way you go in to get holinesse to have your sins mortified and this is the fruit of it after all your striving and strugling tugging and pulling to fetch your sins out by head and ears they abide there still and the reason is because you go about it in a way of working whereas you should look for all from Grace and so study the Grace of God more Sin it is like Sampson binde them with ever so many iron fetters of the Law it will snap them all to peeces Though in some these fetters chain sin which is because sin is willing to bee chained that so hereby they may bee lulled asleep in a good opinion of themselves and thereby deceive their owne souls yet others whom God out of love will not suffer to bee gulled in this manner finde it otherwise they see and know by woful experience that all these fetters are but like so many twine threads bind a Lion with a twine thread and what doe you you were as good and better sit still and doe nothing for he will but tear and rent you the more So sin by all this doth but rage the more The Apostle excellently sets this forth Rom. 7.8 9 10 11. But sin taking occasion by the Commandement wrought in mee all manner of concupiscence for without the Law sin was dead For I was alive without the Law once but when the Commandement came sin revived and I dyed and the Commandement which was ordained to life I found to be unto death for sin taking occasion by the Commandement deceived me and by it slew me Sin taking occasion Sin made an advantage of the Commandement to bee more insolent Without the Law sin was dead Sin lay still and did not shew that livelinesse which was in it till the Commandement came to restraine it and then it began to bestir it self the Commandement would have laid bonds upon it then sin which lay asleep and as it were dead before gets up saith the Commandement you shall be curbed and bound nay but saith Sin I will not be bound saith the Commandement you shall not doe thus nay but saith Sin I will doe it and the more because you say I shall not Therefore poor Soule hast thou been toyling and sweating and tiring thy self with thy Vowes and Covenants one year after another to master thy sins and is all hitherto to no purpose then poor Soule take another way for hitherto thou hast been out of the way labour to get a sight of the rich grace of God to poor sinners and then thy heart will from a holy ingenuity say What is there such abundance of grace in God to poor sinners is hee willing to pardon me a poor Sinner give mee Heaven and make mee blessed for ever and shall I bee such a Wretch as to nourish such a deadly enemy to him in my bosome as this my sin is O no no I le never bee so base and unworthy and deal so ungratefully with so good a God I tell thee poor Soule that such considerations as these are will more weane thy heart from sin and beget a hatred thereof within then ever all the thunderings or terrors of the Law either will or can doe The Advocateship of Jesus Christ a great ground of the Saints comfort and support under sins and infirmities IN One SERMON on 2 Joh. 2.2 If any man sin wee have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous THe last opportunity I read these words unto you but was then besides my own intention when I pitched on them taken up in the way that nothing was spoken to them I come now to the words wherein the Apostle seems to prevent an Objection which some poor soules from what hee had said before would bee ready to make thus Object You tell us that these precious Gospel-truths which now have been declared to us are revealed for this very end that wee should not sin if so what will become of us who have heard these things over and over and yet still do what wee can wee fall into sin and are ever and anon overcome thereby sure wee are of all most miserable wee are undone for ever Answ If any man sin wee have an Advocate with the Father as if hee should say Poor soul wouldest thou not sin because the Grace of God is so free and yet doest thou sin For all this bee not discouraged do not throw away all thy hope for put the case wee do sin yet there is remedy Wee have an Advocate with the Father In the words wee have 1 The SVPPOSITION of anevill If any man sin which wee are not to understand as though the thing spoken in way of supposition were a thing which might possibly bee or not bee for it is not so the thing is a certaine thing that every man doth sin none is or can whilst hee is here bee exempted from sin and so indeed it is not a supposition or a thing supposed to bee but a thing which really is As if the Apostle should say Well grant it that you sin for there is none in this world exempted from sin any man may sin as well those which are Fathers as you which are children it is not said have sinned but do sin relating as well to sin pre sent and yet to come as sin past 2 The prescription of A REMEDY and that is Christ Jesus our Advocate and Propitiation Wee have an Advocate with the Father or rather these words are laid down as a bottome or foundation for the faith comfort and support of poor Saints against and under all their sins and infirmities Of the first viz. the evil supposed Doct. The best and dearest of Gods children are not priviledged from sin whilst they are here Sin is a leprosie that cleaves to us all more or lesse whilst wee are in this world Wee never read of a Saint so holy in Scripture but look him over and wee shall finde some spot upon him here or there Noah Abraham David Peter Paul none of them were without their
threat of death in case of disobedience and the promise of life upon condition of obedience by assuring her seed in giving forth this rule unto them that they are already most certainly freed from death and possessed of life and that therefore shee gives not forth this rule unto them to bee as a way or meanes through the observance of which they may escape the one or obtaine the other but only as a declaration of their Fathers will and their duty that by it they may bee instructed how they ought to walk and to please God Hence the obedience of Sarahs Children so farre as they are subject to their Mother Sarah only receiving their Law out of her hand is pure Gospel obedience i. e. obedience springing from the Spirit of Christ dwelling in them as the principal efficient cause from love and thankfulness to-their Father as the moving cause from an earnest desire that their Father might have some service from them and glory by them as the final cause and this is pure Gospel obedience when God is Agent Motive and End in all we doe 4 Hence wee may learn That a true Beleever as he doth not expect life and salvation from his obedience to the Law so should hee not fear death and condemnation either by his falling short in obedience or by his disobedience This Position will sound harsh in some cares and be accounted a leavened Principle but doe but observe how naturally it flowes from what hath been laid downe and proved for if the promise of life and salvation upon condition of obedience and the threat of Death and Condemnation to the disobedient bee proper to the Law as Hagars Law and if the Law as Hagars Law be now cast out then hath a Beleever nothing to doe with the Law as it is a law promising life to the obedient or threatning death to the disobedient and if so then cannot he expect life and salvation from it though hee should obey it nor need hee fear death though hee disobey it This necessarily follows that which hee hath nothing to doe with is dead to delivered from c. hee can neither expect good no nor fear evil from But the Law as Hagars Law hee hath nothing to doe with is dead to it delivered from it therefore he can neither expect good nor need he fear evil from it Obj. But it will be said Such a principle as this dâ—th open a wide gap to all manner of licention nesse Ans Not so but contrariwise it is co a gracious heart the most powerful motive and the greatest help that can bee to holinesse for as there is nothing moves such a one so strongly as doth this perswasion upon the heart that whatsoever it hath is of the free love of God only and that this love is such as that nothing can separate from it so nothing affords the Soule more firme help and reliefe against sin and temptations to sin than doth the knowledge and assurance of this that sin and temptation though it should conquer cannot condemn for so long as the Soul looks upon a possibility of being condemned by sin if vanquished by it he is in continual fear and therefore whensoever hee findes the motions of sin or temptations to sin stirring in himself hee presently grows weak and faint through this fear I shall bee vanquished and so condemned and as a fainting man is not in a capability to stand up against an enemy assaulting him with full strength so this fainting Soul whose strength through fear is gone before it is assaulted sinkes downe presently under the assault and is without any great resistance made a captive to that thing it hates which thing the Apostle Paul had large experience of in himself when hee said Sinne taking occasion by the Commandement wrought in mee all manner of concupiscence for without the law sin was dead for I was alive without the law once but when the Commandement came sin revived and I dyed and the Commandement which was ordained to life I found to bee unto death for sin taking occasion by the Commandement deceived me and by it slew me Rom. 7.8 9 10 11. But now when a Soul apprehends this that Hagars condemning Law hath nothing to doe with him and can from the clear knowledge of this say beleevingly to sin and temptation when hee feeles it beginning to stirre O sin O temptation though I should now yeeld to thee which is the thing thou wouldest have yet know this that thou shalt never condemn me which is the thing thou seekest hereby he doth as I may say disanimate the strength of sin and temptation and mightily encourageth himself and so adds to his owne strength that whereas be ever before encountred sin with disadvantage hee doth now encounter it with advantage and fights with the greatest resolution that can bee and without faint-heartednesse which faint-heartednesse comes in by the doore of this fear if I am conquered I am undone but if this fear be removed from the heart and the Soul once throughly perswaded of this my condition doth not depend at all upon the event of this Combate but whether I conquer or am conquered that is the same then shall it finde its hands made strong to fight and its heart also mightily resolved Such a state or condition as this I am speaking of there is but it is knowne only of those whom God hath brought out of Hagars School and who are in the School of Sarah my meaning is such as God hath enlightned to see and enabled to receive in the love of it this blessed truth that rigid servile Hagar is an out-cast and hath no longer rule over them having neither punishments to inflict nor rewards to bestow upon them but milde and loving Sarah is their only Mother and hath the sole government of them whose Children though they may be corrected with gentle rebukes yet can they never become out-casts and bee disinherited as Hagars may Till wee come into Sarahs Schoole we cannot learn this lesson yea Sarahs Children whilst they continue in Hagars Schoole will be offended at it Thus we have done with the First Question viz. what we are to understand by the Old Covenant I come now to the Second viz. Quest 2. What kind of Covenant this Old Covenant is Ans This is indeed the knotty Question and if there be any peece of the Doctrine of the Covenants that seemes to have perplexing difficulties in it this is it Before I can deliver my thoughts hereof positively it is necessary that something bee laid downe Negatively in opposition to that common principle which holds this Old Covenant to bee a Covenant of Grace and to differ from the New only in respect of administration so making the Old and the New not to be two diverse Covenants but two administrations of one and the same Covenant the one more dark the other more clear but the Covenant to bee for substance the same and
prosecution of this point I shall shew 1 That the Saints have in-being in Jesus Christ 2 What in-being in Christ Saints have 3 That in-being in Christ frees Saints from Condemnation Of the first Saints have in-being in Christ 1 If Saints have in-being in the Covenant of Grace then also in Christ with whom this Covenant is made but Saints have in-being in the Covenant of Grace Heb. 8.8 for finding fault with them he saith Behold the dayes come saith the Lord when I will make a new Covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah The Parties to whom this Covenant of Grace belongs are the house of Israel and the house of Iudah i.e. all the Saints The Covenant is made with Christ as Psal 89.3 I have made a Covenant with my chosen but for them that is they are the persons to whom all the priviledges and benefits of this New Covenant doe belong if therefore all the priviledges of the Covenant of Grace belong to Saints then have they in-being in the Covenant of Grace and so in Christ with whom the Covenant is made 2 If Saints are renewed after the Image of Christ then have they in-being in Christ no renewing by Christ but from in-being in Christ no depravation but from our union with the old Adam no renovation but through our union with the new Adam But Saints are renewed after the Image of Christ Col. 3.10 Beleevers are said to be renewed in knowledge after the Image of him that created him i.e. after the Image of Christ There is a knowledge that men have from their union with the old Adam i. e. natural light and natural understanding this knowledge though it were in mans first Creation very perfect yet now it is very imperfect and in a great measure lost Natural light and the Copy of Natural knowledge being much blotted by the Fall of man now Saints they are by Christ renewed in knowledge How not so much in a Natural way not in that knowledge which was a part of the Image of the first Adam but they are renewed in knowledge after the Image of him that created him i. e. the knowledge that Saints have by Christ it is Spiritual knowledge such knowledge as is a part of the Image of the new Adam so that Saints in their knowledge are renewed after the Image of Christ they have a knowledge for kind though not for degree the same with that Christ hath and as in their knowledge they are renewed after the Image of Christ so likewise in their righteousness and holiness which are the other parts of the Image of the new Adam they have such a righteousness as Christ hath and such a sanctification or holiness as Christ hath now this being so that Saints are renewed after the Image of Christ it must follow that they have in-being in Christ for renovation comes from union and in-being 3 If Saints may lay claime to Christ and what is Christs as their owne and proper right then have they in-being in Christ for in things of this nature propriety whereby I may challenge a thing for my owne comes from possession no possession no laying claime to a propriety But Saints may lay claime to Christ and what is in Christ as their owne they may lay claime to Christs Wisdome Riches Righteousness Strength Grace Glory and all as theirs and therefore they have in-being in Christ 4 If Saints are crucified with Christ quickned raised up and made to sit together in heavenly places with Christ then are they in Christ for it is by vertue of in-being that they are quickned together with him raised up and made to sit together in heavenly places Ephes 2.5 6. Even when we were dead in sins hath quickned us together with Christ and hath raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus 5 If Saints partake of daily supplies of life grace and strength from Christ then are they in Christ for there is no participation but from union the branches partake of the juyce of the root from union with the root members partake of the life of the head from union with the head but Saints partake of daily supplies of grace life and strength from Christ without which constant supplies they grow dry and wither yea can doe nothing as Christ saith Joh. 15.5 I am the Vine yee are the branches he that abideth in me and I in him the same bringeth forth much fruit for without me yee can doe nothing therefore have in-being in Christ 6 And lastly If Saints can never fall finally or perish everlastingly then have in-being in Christ for it is not hanging on the our-side of the Ark but being within which keeps from drowning it is not the branches lying by the Vine but being in it that preserves it from withering But Saints can never fall finally Joh. 5.24 Verily verily I say unto you he that heareth my word and beleeveth on him that sent me hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemration but is passed from death to life Ch. 10 28 29. And I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand my Father which gave them me is greater than all and no man is able to pluck them out of my Fathers hand therefore they have in-being in Christ 2 But what in-being in Christ have the Saints Ans There is a Three-fold in-being in Christ that Saints have 1 A Vertual in-being in Christ as Christ is the common Person or representative of all Gods Elect and this comes meerly from Gods Election there being no other reason of it God hath elected them to Salvation and therefore hath given them to Christ who is become their common person 2 A mystical in-being in Christ as Saints are members of that true Spiritual invisible Body whereof Christ is head this comes chiefly from regeneration 3 An actual in-being in Christ not but that the former which I terme mystical is actuall too but I distinguish it from that because that is such an in-being as chiefly tends to make the Body of Christ perfect this is such an in-being as doth chiefly tend to the making of their particular persons perfect in him whereby every Saint in particular hath actual union with Christ and is actually in this blessed Person of the Lord Jesus and by being in him made perfect and actually justified from all sin now this is through faith and regeneration Obj. But have not Saints actual union before Faith is Union the fruite of faith or faith of union Ans Actual union is Two fold either Christs actual uniting himself to us or out being actually united to Christ You in me I in you there is an actual union on Christs part and on our part Actual union on Christs part that is before beleeving and is then effected when Christ first comes into us by his Spirit to draw us to his
Nature for this reason legal walking may be called Flesh 3 Because of the weakness of such walking Flesh is put in Scripture for weakness so Isa 31.3 Now the Aegyptians are men and not God and their Horses Flesh and not Spirit when the Lord shall stretch out his hand both hee that helpeth shall fall and hee that is holpen shall fall downe and they all shall faile together Spirit hath strength in it but flesh without spirit is a weak thing the more any mans spirit decaies the weaker he growes Now legal walking may be called a walking after the flesh in regard of the weaknesse of those persons who walk in a legal way they are pittious poor weak Creatures there is nothing as a godly man saith in such but wishing and woulding and covenanting and promising and protesting and vexing and fretting no strength at all one day they vow they will leave their sins and the next day they run into them one day they will weep and mourn and howl for the neglect of such a duty and the next day they will neglect it again thus they tugge and pull and worry and weary themselves but are never the near nothing comes of all this they wish and would and have good desires c. but walking legally all is but flesh and flesh is weak so as that after all they are by all their toyling and labouring and the adoe they keep to mend their hearts and tame their lusts as farre from the attaining the one or the other as when they began as far from their journies end after many dayes months and years travells as when they first set out 4 And lastly Because the Flesh or unregenerate part is in a manner maintained alive by such walking my meaning is the more any man walks or acts in a legal way the more active sin is and the stronger his lusts grow and the more doth sin get ground of him As the Gospel will take an advantage to bring a Soul which walks after the Gospel to be more holy and beleeving by his very slips sins and infirmities so the Law doth take an advantage from the very outward holinesse of those who walk after the Law to make them more prophane and licentious than otherwise did they not presse after some outward holinesse and conformity to the Law they would be This the Apostle clearly teacheth us Rom. 7.8 9.10 11. Without the law sin was dead How dead what had sin no life in it till the Law came did the law put life into sin which was not in it before No not so but the meaning is that sin did not shew that livelinesse that was in it although it were there before and not begotten by the law yet till the law came up close to it it did not appear but sin lay as though it had been dead being not so vigorous and active when it saw no law to restraine it as afterwards it grew to be when it saw it self restrained by a law when sin saw the Commandement come to lay bonds upon it then sin which lay as though it had been asseep or dead revived started up and broke all the bonds of the law to peeces Saith the Law Sin I will have you bound and curbed aye but saith Sin I will not be bound and because you will goe to binde me I will stirre and act the more then the Flesh or unregenerate part accidentally gets strength by the law and therefore legal walking may well be called walking alter the flesh 4 That those persons who are freed from Condemnation being such as my text speaks of doe not walk legally or after the flesh 1 If such are dead unto and delivered from the law as it is a Covenant of works then doe they not walk after the law as such for a man cannot be said to walk after that which is both dead unto and delivered from But now those persons who are freed from Condemnation are dead unto and delivered from the law as it is a Covenant of works for this see Rom. 7.4 Wherefore my brethren yee also are become dead to the law by the Body of Christ that yee should be married to another even to him who is raised from the dead that we should bring forth fruit unto God How are Beleevers dead to and delivered from the law Not as the same is a rule of Christian life for so the Apostle afterwards speaks for it ver 12 14. Wherefore the Law is holy and the Commandement holy and just and good for we know that the law is spiritual In this sense hee consents to it vers 16. I consent unto the law that it is good yea delights in it vers 22. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man yea serves it and conformes himself thereto vers 25. So then with the minde I my self serve the law of God but as the same was a Covenant of works holding forth Life and Salvation by doing which was the very sense that those whom the Apostle in this Chapter disputes against did put upon the law and the works thereof as is clear from Acts 15.1 And certaine men which came downe from Judea taught the Brethren and said except yee be circumcised after the manner of Moses yee cannot bee saved and therefore the Apostles exclusion of the law from beleevers must needs lye in that sense which they would have inforced the same upon them viz. as a Covenant of works or as a way or means by observance of which they might obtaine life justification here and eternal salvation hereafter 2 If such have the Spirit of God in them and are led guided and governed in their waies and walkings thereby then doe they not walk after the law as a covenant of works Where is Legal walking is nothing of the Spirit because the Covenant of vvorks gives not the Spirit but now such have the Spirit of God in them Rom. 8.9 But yee are not in the Flesh but in the Spirit if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ hee is none of his and in their walkings are led and acted thereby vers 14. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the Sons of God therefore doe not walk after the Law altering but a word or two and the Apostle from the very same premises makes my conclusion for mee Gal. 5.18 But if yee be led of the Spirit yee are not under the law 3 If the obedience of such persons be true Gospel obedience then doe they not walk after the law as a Covenant of works for then their obedience should be legal obedience to a Covenant of works being legal But the first is true as I prove thus either there is no Evangelical obedience in the world or if there be it must be found in those who are not freed from condemnation in those that are that there is Evangelical obedience none
So come to a Gospel-soul who hath this Son-like disposition wrought within him and ask him Why doe you pray so often and read the Word and spend so much time in running to Sermons and are so exact in your walking and conversing with men Why saith a Gospel-soul all this is my Fathers work and I love my Father Love is the great Gospel-motive as Fear the great Legal 4 The manifestation or discovery of the love of God to the soul As the Son-like disposition which is natural moves a Saint to obedience and holy walking so the manifestation or discovery of the great love of God without towards him whilst hee was a miserable sinner and rebel against God is very efficacious in a poor Soul that sees and beholds the same to bring him to obedience and holiness of life and conversation for hereby his love is set on work love is the begetter of love the love of God to us the begetter of our love to him We love him because he loved us first A poor sinner that was yesterday the last week or month in his sins hanging over Hell in the fetters of the Devil God comes to him and by the word of his grace layes hold of him snatcheth him out of his sins out of the Devils fetters and sets him out of the reach of Condemnation and then saith God now O Sinner behold and see what a miserable condition the last week or month thou wast in and what a blessed condition through my love towards thee thou now art in the Soul seeing this stands amazed and saith the Soul Lord seeing thy love towards mee hath been and is so great behold here I am now will I be thy Servant for ever whereas I have all my daies hitherto been at the command of the Devil and mine owne Lusts now Lord behold I am at thy command command me what thou wilt This Paul speaks of 2 Cor. 5.14 For the love of Christ constraineth us as if he should say Would you know the reason why we which are Beleevers do not live to our selves serve the World our Lusts and Pleasures as you see others doe O there is all the reason in the world for it for when wee were Rebels Traytors Enemies to God dead in sins God then out of his infinite love gave his Son and Christ out of his infinite love dyed for us and the thoughts of this so great and unspeakable love doth so constraine us that we cannot but judge it the most equal and meet thing in the world that henceforth we should not live unto our selves but solely and alone to him that dyed for us 5 The certainty of the blessedness of a Saints eternal condition This is a very prevailing motive to know and beleeve that our eternal condition already taken care for by our Father and made so sure and out of doubt that neither Heaven nor Earth Men or Angels can ever deprive us of the blessednesse thereof When a poor Soul called to a duty comes to see that now the question is not about his Salvation whether God will save him or not for that is determined already God having chosen him and called him to be an Heir thereof and given him the seal or earnest thereof in his owne heart but only about his dutifulnesse whether he shall be a loving dutiful Childe and please his Father or an undutiful and grieve him O then saith the Soul doth the question indeed lye here Is there no question at all about my Salvation but hath God and my Father so provided for that that that is out of doubt Is this the question whether I shal be a dutiful Child or no and O shal I not be one Should I not be a Wretch indeed and worse than a Beast if for all this unspeakable love I should returne nothing but unkindness to my Father Hath God taken care that I shall not be punished in Hell and shall not I take care that he be not grieved in my heart Hath he taken care about my eternal good and shall not I about his glory I dare say were wee much in actual contemplation of this and our thoughts did but roule hereupon that wee stand reconciled to God in Christ Heaven is ours c. did we but when ever wee are called to any duty or tempted to sin take a little time before wee close with either to recollect our selves of the love of God in this thing and to get our faith a little upon the wing and our hearts warmed herewith we should never demeane our selves so basely and unworthily towards God and in the things of God as oft we doe our hearts would never bee so lively to sin and dead to duty as they are I am perswaded that put the case a poor Soul were much over-mastered with the prevalency of some Lust or Corruption if when he felt it stirre hee could look the same in the face and in faith say to it O my Corruption though I should now yeeld to thee yet this is certaine I shall never perish for the business of my Salvation is not now to bee cared for but that is past and over done and cannot bee reversed I say I am perswaded that this very saying this by faith would give a more deadly blow to sin than all the terrours of Conscience and the Law the fears of Hell and Damnation Legal promises Vowes and Covenants either will or can doe and this were hee able at such time in faith to say it hee should know and feele by experience So put the case a Beleever were under some violent Temptation could hee look Satan in the face and say thou wretched Devil thou wouldest tempt me to this and the other evil to grieve God but what a foole art thou for should I yeeld unto thee thy end would never be accomplished for thou shalt never have me I shall never perish the saying this in faith would more silence the tempter and suppresse temptations than can be done in any other way This therefore is a strong motive to Gospel-Holiness and such a one that I dare boldly say that the Soul that hath found his love and obedience at any time flowing from hence i. e. hath had a firme perswasion in his Spirit that Heaven was his and from this perswasion hath been stirred up to doe the will of God and hath gone about the same with more cheerfulnesse and delight than at another time may conclude that his obedience is a fruit of the Gospel and walking after the Gospel for how can it be legal seeing 1 Here is no working from slavish fear for what servile feare can there bee when I know before-hand that my condition is sure it doth not hang upon my working when I know before-hand that I am delivered from wrath and because I am delivered from wrath therefore I doe obey yet put the case I should not obey though being delivered from wrath I shall obey yet cannot my disobedience
for our justification declaring himself to have gotten the day of the Law Sin Hell and the Devil all the enemies of our salvation and likewise alluring us hereby that wee are already in him acquited God having forgiven us all our trespasses and shall assuredly one day rise as hee is risen to live with him in glory hereafter when this our corruptible shall put on incorruption and this our mortall shall put on immortality and death shall bee swallowed up into victory Again which our hearts should bee much taken up with How that Jesus Christ being now risen hee as the common person of the Saints and as a glorious Conqueror is ascended up into heaven herein triumphing over Principalities and Powers which he by his death had spoyled making a shew of them openly and leading captivity captive where being arrived hee is sate down at the right hand of the Father upon the Throne of Majesty in the heavens having Angels Principalities and Powers made subject unto him and all his enemies under his feet himselfe being invested with Majesty and Glory Sovereignty and Power Authority and Judgement all which hee improves for the good of his Saints Again farther How that the Saints as considered in him their common person are quickned together with him and raised up together and made to sit together in heavenly places being sharers and partakers with him in his life and death in his humiliation and exaltation hee personating them in both having his wisdome righteousness riches holiness made over to them so that they are compleat in him and of his fulnesse doe receive grace for grace Again yet farther how that Jesus Christ being now in the heavens is there imployed in making preparation and providing mansions for his Saints against they come thither and is continually ready to and busied in presenting the wants and petitions of his people to his Father hee also himselfe in all our exigencies and under all our infirmities making intercession for us so that wee are for ever safe and secure from all fear and danger hee ever living to make intercession for us From whence when all his Elect of Jew and Gentile shall bee called home hee shall gloriously come attended with his mighty Angels and ten thousands of his Saints when as the Spouse being arraied in fine linnen clean and white hee shall take her to himselfe and celebrate his glorious Marriage and having done justice upon all her enemies here below and judged quick and dead shall triumphantly carry her with himselfe into his Fathers Kingdome where shee shall for ever bee with him where hee is beholding the glory the Father hath given him and injoying with him fulnesse of glory fulnesse of joy and pleasures for evermore Again yet farther the thoughts whereof our thoughts should bee exercised about how that in the mean time that his people might bee gathered together and made meet to bee partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light hee hath and continually doth send forth his Spirit the great promise of the Father together with Messengers and Ambassadors having the everlasting Gospel in their mouths whereby those which everlasting love did in the beginning choose out of the world and predestinated to the adoption of Sons are in time through grace called and actually and personally having precious faith given unto them justified from all their iniquities united to him made children heires of God and joynt heires with Christ sanctified by the Spirit and through the applying of the blood of Jesus have their consciences purged from dead works to serve the ever living and true God daily going on from faith to faith and strength to strength till in the end they attaine the Resurrection of the dead and come to behold God in Sion Finally seeing and considering what glorious things are through grace wrought and prepared for us and which are in part and shall be in Gods time fully given to us it should bee the continual exercise of our hearts and that which wee should bee much taken up with how wee may come to attain and enjoy these things so as may make for the glory of God the good of others and our own comfort more It should bee our continual querying O how shall I come to know more of Christ more of the love of God in Christ How shall I come to beleeve in Christ more to live by faith more to injoy the fruit and comfort of my election through grace my redemption justification by Christ adoption in him union with him more How shall I come to bee more sanctified by the Spirit made more conformable to him have more of his Image imprinted upon mee feel him more in his Death and Resurrection have more fellowship with him in his sufferings O how shall I come to have corruption in mee daily more mortified my pride mortified my unbeleefe mortified my corrupt affections and passions mortified my luke-warmness earthly-mindedness deadness formality in duty mortified How shall I come to have my graces more quickned my faith love godly-sorrow humility self-denial patience thankfulness contentedness quickned O how shall I have a heart carried out more to glorifie God in the place calling I am in time opportunities I have How shall I have a frame of heart to go about the service of God more freely willingly cheerfully and to act in it more purely sincerely every day than other Such things and questions as these are I call Spiritual things and they are the things our hearts should bee exercised about Object Must a Saint onely bee exercised about Spiritual things are there not some external things which a Saint must exercise himselfe in and about Answ Yes there are outward Civil imployments which a Saint as a man is with moderation to bee exercised about And also there are outward Ordinances and institutions of Jesus Christ which a Saint as hee is a Christian out of obedience to his Masters command so far as the same is made clear to him is to bee exercised in and about in exercising himselfe in which though the things themselves are external yet hee injoyes much inward and spiritual communion with Jesus Christ therefore I do not oppose spiritual things to all things external neither would I bee so understood For though the Kingdome of God doth not consist in meat and drink yet meat and drink are usefull in their place and men in an ordinary way cannot live without it But now when I speak of a Saints exercising himself in spirituals I oppose spiritual 1 To things expresly forbidden which are simply in themselves evill and sinful being things not convenient nor becoming Saints Eph. 5.3 4. But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness let it not bee once named amongst you as becometh Saints neither filthiness nor foolish talking nor jesting which are not convenient Prophane courses become no man but worst of all a Saint 2 To things light and frivolous Things indeed unworthy the thoughts of a Saint
him of the spiritualnesse of his own conversation as a pattern for him to imitate vers 10. stirring him up thereto vers 14. But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of knowing of whom thou hast learned them So also to Titus having in Chap. 1. marked out and warned Titus of a dangerous sort of men vers 10. and 16. In the two next Chapters hee puts Titus on to minde and follow spiritual and practical matters But speake thou the words which become sound doctrine Chap. 2. vers 1. c. In Rom. 14.17 When there were contentions in the Church about observing dayes and eating meats hee labours to withdraw them from questions of this nature to the minding and attending of things more spiritual as not to offend their weak brethren vers 13. and to minde righteousnesse peace and joy in the Holy Ghost vers 17. So when there was strife in the Churches of Galatia about Circumcision and legal Ceremonies some being brought to beleeve and practice these things the Apostle recalls them to spirituals Chap. 5.6 and Chap. 6.15 telling them that in Christ or in the dayes of the Gospel these were not the things to bee minded but the new creature and faith which worketh by love In Coloss 2. When many were drawn to strange and sottish errors and practices that others who were yet pure might not bee defiled and led a way as hee saith vers 4. hee calls them to minde spiritual things vers 2 3 6 7 8 9 10. telling them that the onely cause of others miscarriage was the neglect of these vers 19. Yet farther in Heb. 13.9 The Apostle having admonished beleevers to beware of errors and strange doctrines hee gives them this rule for a preservative to labour that their hearts might bee established with grace To end in Jude 20.21 The Holy Ghost having deciphered in the former verses the false Apostles and given them their doom hee exhorts to this very duty as the best remedy against such evils But yee beloved building up your selves on your most holy faith praying in the Holy Ghost keep your selves in the love of God looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life All which Scripture allegations wherein I have been more large than is usual by reason of the usefulness of this truth and sutableness thereof to these times argue the truth of the Doctrine viz. That the onely and special way for a Saint to bee delivered from the Errors and Evils of the Times hee lives in is to have his heart as much as may bee taken up with and his spirit exercised about high and spiritual things In the further carrying on of this I shall handle two things 1 What I mean by spiritual things 2 Why the exercising the heart in these is such a special way to preserve a Saint from the errors and evils of the times hee lives in Concerning the first By spiritual things I understand such things as either tend to the glory of God the edifying my brother the winning of souls the begetting and increasing of my own peace the mortifying of sin in mee the quickning of grace c. Such things as these I call Spiritual and all principles and practices whatsoever which produce these or such like effects I may terme spiritual truths and spiritual works And on the other side whatsoever opinion or practice it is which doth not produce such like effects but the contrary I may justly exclude from the name of Spiritual Thus you have a general notion of what I mean by spiritual things but now for our helpe in the exercising of our hearts about spiritual things it is very needful that wee have yet a more distinct and particular knowledge of those spiritual things our hearts should bee exercised about which things though they are many more than I am able to speak of or if I were have time to do it yet for the helpe of those who for want of matter are at a losse what to exercise their hearts about and so usually take that which comes next to hand which oftentimes turns to their undoing I shall therefore having a large field before mee glean together some few handfuls of spiritual things which may serve for matter for us to exercise our hearts about As to begin with that in finite eternal incomprehensible love of God to poor sinners how freely God loved them when as yet there was nothing lovely in them yea how this love was towards them from all eternity and continues to eternity again And also how fruitful this love and grace of God towards them hath been appearing as in electing and choosing them in his Son Christ from all eternity to bee vessels of glory and heires of salvation who naturally were of that very lump whereof many become vessels of dishonour and heirs of damnation so also in the fulness of time in sending his onely begotten and beloved Son who was fore-ordained to bee a Prince and a Saviour out of his own bosome into the world there by him to accomplish his own eternal decree concerning the salvation of his Elect. This is a thing our hearts should bee much taken up with and our thoughts exercised about Again How that this Jesus Christ the onely begotten of the Father being sent into the world did willingly part with for a time all the glory that hee was right heire unto and possessor of above and took upon him that so hee might accomplish the work of our redemption our nature being made man and born of the seed of David according to the flesh so exceedingly honouring humane nature far above the nature of Angels which hee took not by uniting it to the Divine Again which our hearts should bee much exercised about how that together with this our nature hee tooke upon him the infirmities and miseries thereof being poor hungry made a reproach persecuted and tempted c. that hee might bee in all things like unto his brethren and bee made a merciful and faithful High Priest and such a one as might bee touched with a feeling of our infirmities and might sympathize with us in and under them all and how that after hee had finished all things which were to bee done by him for our good hee last of all offered up himself a sacrifice for us bearing our sins in his own body on the Tree together with all the wrath of his Father due to us for all our sins whereby pouring out his soul unto death and making it an offering for sin hee gave full satisfaction to his Fathers Justice for the transgression of his people whom by his death hee delivered from wrath to come blotting out the hand-writing that was against them and contrary to them taking it out of the way and by this one offering perfecting for ever all them that were sanctified or set apart by the Father Again farther How that having dyed for our sins he is risen again