be in him a well of water springing up unto everlasting life It is impossible that such a man should die for this reason He that receives the life of Christ through the spirit of Christ he receives a true being a divine nature and it is unpossible that one drop of the divine nature should perish 〈◊〉 very person that hath the divine nature he hath the spirit of Christ he hath Christ as he raises persons from the dead and as hee delivers them from the power of sin and as hee quickens them as himself is a quickning spirit And so much for answer of the second querie but 3. Queree What doth the Apostle meane heere by the law of sinne and death from which the spirit of life in Christ sets us free T Answ o which I answer His meaning is either one or both of these two things either 1. By the law of sin and death he must meane the power of sin or 2. By the law of sin and death he means that law which gives sinne a being and gives it power to destroy Now though the first of these may be heere included yet hee mainly intends the second in this place as I shall shew by and by but if he doe here any thing ayme at the first in this place it is as sin is a law and sin may be said to be a law under these two significations 1. As it hath a mighty power in 〈◊〉 or 2. As it hath a certaine kinde of confused rule 1. It hath a mighty power for so saies the Scripture the flesh lusteth against the spirit and where there is lust there is love and love is as strong as death either in good things or in evill and so sin hath its power but 2. It hath a kinde of uncertaine rule and method for there is a method in pleasure and lust and sinfull joy after a carnall manner and so sinne is a law but that which the Apostle here means is 2. The law which is the Law that occasions sinne which the law of the spirit freeth us from to this purpose observe but the 23. verse of the 7th Chapter which runs thus But I see another law in my membrs warring against the law of my minde and bringing me into captivity unto the law of sin Where we see the Apostle speakes of three lawes 1. The law of the spirit which he calls the law of his minde 2. The law of Concupiscence which he calls the law in his members which he saies brings him into Captivitie to the third law Which he calls the Law of sinne and is the law which occasions sinne For here is law against law bringing into Captivitie to law The law of sin in his members rebelling against the law of the spirit in his minde or his inward man for saies Paul I doe see another law in my members and this law in his members was the power of sin working through concupiscence and lust carrying him contrary to God rebelling saies he against the law of my minde meaning against the law of the spirit in his heart or the spirit in his heart as a law And so as he saies in another place The flesh lusteth against the Spirit leading me captive to the law of sinne Meaning by the law of sin here in the last place that law of which he speakes in the Text. The law of sinne and death which is the Law that occasions sinne and death or the Law of Commandments and this appears in the verse following the Text For the Apostle having said in the Text that the saints are free from the Law of sinne and death in the next verse hee shewes what that law is in these Words For what the law could not do in that it was weake through the flesh God sending his owne Sonne c. What was that which the law could not do that the Sonne of God did for us Answer 1. the Law could not make us holy 2. The Law could not free us from sinne 3. The law could not free us from condemnation But one the contrary it brought under guilt brought us under the curse Now what law did this The law of Comandments which saies the Apostle was weake through the flesh And it may bee said to bee weake through the flesh thus 1. In that wee are weake and through the fleshare not able to walk exactly to the law nor to come up to the Rule of it in our conversation And so are not able to obtain life by it Therefore God hath given us life in another way even through his Son or 2 In that the law as it is written upon tables of Stone though it be holy just and good hath no power as it is in the Letter to convay its selfe into us to inable us to walke according to the rule it prescribes unto us And this law is stiled the law of sinne and death in these three respect which the Scripture holds forth unto us 1. In that it discovers sinne 2. In that it is the strength of sinne 3. In that it brings men under the curse and so lyable to death 1. It discovers sinne For the Apostle tells us Rom. 7.7 I had not known sin but by the law For I had not knowne lust except the law had said Thou shalt not covet and he tells us further that where no law is there is no transgression The law is holy and therefore it discouers unto men their unholinesse And 2. As the law discovers sinne and makes sin to be exceeding sinfull so it is the strength of sin The sting of death is sinne and the strength of sin is the law 1 Cor. 15.56 where were the strength of sin were in not for the Law and 3 It brings men under the curse and under death For so saves the Apostle it is written Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that is written in the Book of the Law to do them And so being under the curse the effect of the curse is death and therefore saies the Apostle if you walke after the flesh ye shall dye and it is the very title that 's giuen to the law as though there were nothing else in it The ministeration of condemnation and the ministeration of death 2. Cor. 3.7.9 In the 7 verse the Apostle cales it the ministeration of death ingraven in stones and in the 9. verse the ministeration of condemnation Thus you see how the lawis held forh in scripture to be the law of sinne and death now what this law being weake through the flesh could not doe God hath sent Iesus Christ to doe for us and in us and therefore he hath freed us from that law and given us another law even the law of the Spirit that the righteousnesse of the law might be fullfilled by the spirit in us as apears verse 4th And now being freed from this law sinne shall not have dominion over us for we are not vnder the law but under
The Glorious EXCELLENCIE OF THE Spirit of Adoption OR Of the Spirit of the Sonne of God derived to the Sonnes of GOD. Wherein are many precious truths held forth which are presented to all the children of Truth who are and shall be sanctified through the truth ISAIAH 44.3 I will powr water upon him that is thirsty and flouds upon the dry groâ—nd I will pâ—â—r my Spirit upon thy seed and my blessing upon thine off-spring GAL. 4.6 And because ye are Sonnes God hath sent forth the spirit of his Sonne into your hearts crying Abba Father By M. G. Minister of the Gospell London printed by Jane Coe for HENRY OUERTON 1645. To the Reader THou art heere presented with a rich Cabinet of precious Jewels the which if thou doest unlock by the Key of the Spirit thou mayest both inrich thy inner and adorne thy outer man withall for they are not appointed for Swine nor Dogs who will trample them under their feet and turn again and rent those that present them but for the man who by the key of the spirit is able to unlock them to wit the man of which PAUL speaks the spirituall man that is able to discern spirituall things and that by faith is able to eloath and adorn himselfe with them to these and no other shall it be advantagious for as the talent wrapt up in a Naptkin and the precious oyntment kept still in a close boxe and the treasure hid in the earth can do good to none untill it be opened and applyed unto the severall uses for which they are appointed so neither can a Cabinet of spirituall Jewels and perals be any way profitable to any until they are opened and unlockt by the spirit who can lay open every truth is it is in its self and cause the simple to understand the sweet the high and the glorious misteries of it whereas before it is meerly foolishnes unto him and he cannot discern it And therefore to you that have the spirit to you it is commended but this let me say that even you are to beware how you come with a key of carnalitie to open it for in the best there is carnality as appears 1 Cor. 3.3 and Rom. 7.14.15 Oh therefore cast away that key for it is a false key and can never unlock it I mean the key of the love of the world which is contrary to the love of the Father the key of Pride of covetousnesse of self-conceitednesse of strength of Parts or mans wisdome and of any other thing that is contrary unto the fruits of the Spirit and let the spirit of Christ Jesus that is in thee unlock it for thee and open it to thee that so by faith thou mayest by the help of the same spirit pertake of the sweetnesse and the benefit of it and be gloriously adorned with it that thou mayest I say pertake of the benefit of it for he that is made a Pertaker of these glorious Priviledges and Prerogatives that is herein held forth is unconceivably rich and he that is adorned with the ornaments herein presented is all glorious within c. But let no perticular person whosoever he be think that he is hereby accounted either a dog or a swine or is excluded from a participation of these Jewels and Pearles Although in thine own apprehension and the apprehensions of others thoâ— art in as bad a condition aâ— can be imagined yet I am assured that God hath given his blessed spirit even the spirit of Adoption unto those that have formerly been apprehended to be as bad as thou art and who knowes but in the reading of or meditating on those lines the holy spirit may be given in unto thee and then though it be otherwise a dead letter it may prove a quickening word As in the very reading of the Word in former times nay and in this present time it hath proved so to others Now that all that shall read and meditate on this piece may if they belong to the Election of Grace behold and see the visions of the glory of the Lord that are either here or any where discovered and in beholding of them may be more and more changed into the same Image from glory to glory even by the Spirit of the Lord Is the fervent desire of The Servant of Jesus CHRIST M. C. THE CONTENTS TWo parts in the text p. 2. Three queries in the text First How the Spirit may be said to be a Law Answered p. 4. Secondly How the Spirit of life may be said to be in Christ Answered p. 11. Thirdly What doth the Apostle meane by the Law of sinne and death Answered p. 14. The Generall observation p. 21. Two things laid open First that the Spirt of life in Christ frees us from the Law Secondly the reasons of it and ibid. First that the Spirit of life in Christ sets us free as the Spirit is all in all in Christ in all his sufferings actions is shewed ibid. And secondly as the Spirit is all in all in his death p. 23. And thirdly as the Spirit is all in all in his Resurrection ibid. Now this Spirit in Christ sets us free from the Law first as Christ fulfilled the law for us p. 24. Secondly as Christ adiudged all our sins against the law to death upon the crosse p. 26. Thirdly As Christ is the end of the Law for Righteousnesse p. 30 But secondly The Spirit of life derived from Christ to us frees us First declaratively p. 32. Secondly operatively p. 33. The necessitie of our freedome from the law by the spirit of life in Christ is shewed first because else no flesh could be saved p. 36. Secondly that the righteosnesse of it might be fulfilled in us by the spirit p. 37. And thirdly that God might be all in all and the Creature nothing at all p. 38. Three queeries more First whether the law is sin Answered p. 39. Secondly Wherefore serveth the law Answered p. 40. Thirdly whither the law were given for a rule of life to the people of God Answered p. 44. The uses are 1. To rebuke and admonish those that really are Antinomians and against the law who goe about to make voyde the law p. 56. 2. To discover the sad condition of all that walke after the flesh p. 60. 3. To invite poore sinners to come to Iesus Christ p. 65. 4. To discover the fondnesse of those that seek to be iustified by works as all Papist and Papisticall spirits doe p. 69. 5. To cleere the Saints from that calumnious aspersion cast upon them of being Aminomians who â—n the contrary are such as establish the law p. 72. 6. To informe the Saints of their priviledges p. 76. 7. To exhort the Saints to walke in the sight of Iesus Christ and in the light the purity and the joyes of the Spirit p. 83. Imprimatur John Downham Errata PAge 64. line 16. for they read thy l. 23. f. the r. their l. 26. f.
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
or the new man is holy and pure and senceare Ye the Apostle tells us verse 24. it is Created according to the Image of God in Righteousnesse and true holinesse Let those therefore that thus despise the law and therefore take libertie to walke after the flesh to fulfill the deceitfull lusts of the old man know that they deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ and if they so continue they have no part in him Therefore I would beseech these persons seriously to consider and deeply to pensitrate in their thoughts 1. That the Law is an expresse character of the Glory of God It had such a glory in it as made Meses the minister thereof his face to shine even by reason of that glory that is in it and can you have low thoughts of it 2. The law is Holy Just and and good and dare you slightly to esteeme of it 3. It was the delight of all the Saints since God gave it by the hand of Moses It was their meditation day and night and sweete as honey unto them yee sweeter then the hony combe and how then can you undervalue it And Lastly it is that that shines gloriously in the Lord Jesus and that which he fulfilled in every tittle of it For he came not to destroy the Law but to perfect it to fulfill it perfectly that in his Righteousnesse who fulfilled the Righteous law all those that doe belong unto him and are drawne by a supernaturall worke of God in their spirits to beleeve in him may be presented without spot and wrincle before God! O therefore have high thoughts of it and set it up in your hearts and let it be the sweet subject of your meditations day and night as it is in the Lord Iesus as it is in him fulfilled for you if you doe belong unto him and as it shall be satissied also by the Spirit who are his And though you cannot now attaine to walke in the puritie of it and the perfection of it here yet you shall be perfect in the spirit when you are unclothed of this earthly house and cloathed upon with the house which is from heaven when that which is perfect is come and that which is in part shall bee done away So leaving these men in these contemplations I come to the next use And 2. Vse To discover the sad condition of all that walâ—e after the flesh Vse 2 IT serves to discover and lay open the sad condition of those that walk after the flesh that spend their daies in vanity their yeers in folly I say in folly for so I may call the best actions greatest wisdome and accutest parts of naturall men For it is all foolishnesse with God This point I say informes them of their sad condition and truely it is very sad and dolefull of what degrees soever they are but before I declare it let me Characterize some few particular degrees of them that they may behold their owne image and be afraid that so if it may be they may bee wonne to come to the Lord Jesus that they may walke after the Spirit The severall degrees are these 1. Art thou such a one as walkest in such practises as these adultery fornication uncleannesse laciviousnesse idolatrie witchcraft hatred variance emulation wrath strife sedition heresies envyings murder Drunkennesse revellings such like and wallowest in these practises as Swine wallowes in the mire with a kinde of pleasing contentment Then thou art one that walkest after the flesh But 2. Some may please themselves and think that because they are not notoriously such persons therefore they are not such as walk after the flesh but again Dost thou minde the things of the flesh Art thou taken up with carnal contentments and carnall pleasures And though thou scornest the vile and filthy practises of some and dost not walk in those wayas that are notoriously evill and base in the eyes of men yet if thou delightest altogether in carnall things and when thou hast thy honours and a high esteem amongst men and delicious fare and pompous apparell and fleshly pleasures and things succeed according to thy minde then thou art where thou wouldest be and art like a worm alwayes crawâ—ing upon the earth and creeping upon dunghils never mounting up higher nor having all thy delights and thy joyes nor placing thy affections on the things above nor dost by faiths Eagle-eye pierce the heavens and see him that is invisible as Moses did and dost not behold the Lord Jesus as thy treasure there that there thine heart might be also dost not behold him there as having taken thy nature upon him and having in it by crucifying of it and shedding his blood washed away thy sins and is raised up again that thou mightest be raised also unto newnesse of life and to live together with him in glory Now I say if this be thy condition that thou dost not behold these glories to the joy of thy soul and placest not thy delights here but mindest the things of the flesh only then thou still walkest after the flesh Rom. 8.5 For they sayes the Apostle that are after the flesh do minde the things of the flesh but they that are after the spirit the things of the spirit But then 3. But dost thou go yet further And dost not onely despise fouler and grosser sinnes But dost in some sort see a vanitie in all the creatures under heaven and canst finde no contentment in them and therefore labourest and seekest by thine own strength to finde out a way to please God that so thou mayest obtain the favour of God and therefore endeavourest to walk innocently towards all men and though thou failest in many things yet thou thinkest by thy good meanings to please God so though thou canst not do as others do yet thou pleasest thy self in this estate and thinkest it is good But this is still to walk after the flesh for here 's no Christ no spirit in all this Again 4. Although thou goest further then all this and dost not onely mean well but as thou mayest think do well too and art strict in observing the Law to thy power and art frequent in performing of duties and observing fasts and in giving largely to the poore yet all these things and many more mayest thou do and that out of a zeale toward God and yet thou still walkest after the flesh For Matth. 5 20. our Saviour tels them That except their righteousnesse exceed the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees they should not enter into the Kingdome of Heaven Though the Pharisees did strictly observe the law were frequent in performance of duties made long prayers fasted twice a weeke and were liberall to the poore c. And the Apostle Paul Rom. 10.4 tells us of the of the Iewes that hee could beare them record and they had a zeall of of God Though not according to knowledge for saies he they being ingnorant of the