dye to sin to mortifie their members which are upon the earth to live to righteousness to walk in newness of life Thirdly the pride of corrupt Nature is very contrary to the Gospel which teacheth to be poor in spirit to empty our selves of all self-sufficiency to go out of our selves to become fools that we may be wise to be less than nothing in our own eyes to receive all of meer grace the free love and favour of God to present our selves in anothers garment before God in the righteousness of Christ for the covering of our shame and cloathing of our nakedness to look for no acceptance of any service but by anothers worthiness the merit of Christ. Fourthly corrupt and inordinate self-love may move men to reject or corrupt the Truths of the Gospel which teacheth self denyal and the renouncing of all that is dear unto us so far as it standeth in opposition against Christ Then saith Iesus unto his Disciples If any man will come after me let him deny himself and take up his Cross and follow me The Gospel striketh at the right eye at the heart and root of the most beloved lusts How then will self-love rise up against it Fifty inordinate love of the world of things below being deeply rooted in corrupt Nature raiseth rebellion against the Gospel and moveth men either to reject or corrupt the Truths revealed in it Felix trembled at Pauls discourse and commanded him away the young man went away sorrowful when Christ required him to fell all and give to the poor and follow him in hope of treasures in Heaven The Pharises who were covetous when they heard Christ speak against that sin deâ—ided him Love not the world neither the things that are in the world if any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him So if any man love the world inordinately the love of the Truth is not in him for all that is in the world the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life is not of the Father but is of the world The Use of this may be First to teach us to see and bewayle the corruption of our nature and withal to make us sensible how dangerous it is to continue in our natural estate destitute of the spirit of Christ Our corrupt nature is apt to corrupt and deny the precious Truths of the Gospel it were a dangerous and malignant disease of the body that should turn the best physick into poyson and either cast it out of the stomach as soon as it is taken in or grow worse by occasion of the remedy Our natures are wholly overspread with the deadly disease of sin and corruption and there is no part â—ound in them as the Apostle saith I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing He had much good in him through grace a great measure of the spirit of Christ but in his flesh so far as he was carnal so far as he was not renewed by the holy Ghost â—o far there was no good thing dwelling in him which sheweth that in them which are not regenerate there is nothing spiritually good nothing suitable and pleasing to God Whence these two great evils follow First an inclination to reject the Remedyâ— like a corrupt Stomack that gives no entertainment to the Physick leaveth it no time to work the cure but presently casteth it out So do many in the state of corrupt Nature they hear the Truths of the Gospel which the Lord hath appoynted as preâ—ious Remedies against that disease and reject them cast them up again either denying them in the secret thoughts not believing them or not seriously minding or regarding them So the Apostle told the unbelieving Iews it was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you but seeing ye put it from you and judge your selves unworthy of everlasting life Lo we turn to the Gentiles He charged them for putting the word of God from them The Apostle had put the word of God home to them and they put it from them thus it is with many The Gospel is tendered to them as necessary physick sent down from Heaven and ministred to them by the Preachers of the word but they put it from them either they do not take it down or presently cast it up again Secondly there is an inclination in corrupt Nature to corrupt the Truths of the Gospel and to make them occasions of increasing the disease and so to make the Gospel to become the servant of death unto death Corrupt Nature is apt to make both the law and the Gospel occasions of increasing these diseases of the soul concerning the Law the Apostle saith when we were in the flesh the motions of sin which were by the Law did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death This explaineth afterwards as in other passages wherefore the Law is holy and the Commandment holy and just and good the Law is perfectly holy and just and good and therefore cannot be properly the cause of any thing sinful and unholy Was that then which is good made death unto me God forbid But sin that it might appear sin working death in me by that which is good that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful such is the malignity of corrupt Nature that it worketh evil out of good and maketh the pure and holy Law of God an occasion of sin the more sin is forbidden reproved threatned condemned by the Law the more vehemently is the corruption of nature carried after sin So for the Gospel the Apostle Peter saith that Christ preached in the Gospel is to them that are disobedient a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence when to them which stumble at the word being disobedient whereunto also they were appointed They stumble and take offence because they like not those terms upon which Christ is offered to them in the Gospel How dangerous is it then to continue in this estate of corrupt nature How earnest should poor souls be with the Lord to deliver them The body is in a sad estate when all both food and physick increaseth some deadly disease in it The word and Gospel of God is both food and physick and corrupt Nature is apt to make it an occasion to increase sin and aggravate condemnation Cry mightily to the Lord to work a through cure upon your souls to change and renew your natures to send his spirit along with his word that it may overpower the diseases of your souls and be unto you the favour of life unto life Secondly This may teach us not to think it strange that so many pretious Truths of the Gospel are denyed and rejected in these days so many parts of Scripture abused with false interpretations and corrupt glosses so many errors and lyes maintained instead of Truths Corrupt nature
not the light of his word and his Law written in the Scriptures to many Nations yet he giveth to them all the light and Law of Nature and therefore the transgressions of the Law of Nature are sins against God The Apostle saith until the Law sin was in the world but sin is not imputed where there is no Law nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses even over them that had not sinned after tbe similitude of Adams transgression Sin was in the world before the Law was given on mount Sinai But how can it be just to charge sin upon them who had no Law against which to sin Nevertheless death raigned from Adam to Moses even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adams transgression Who are they Some seem to understand Infants only who sinned not actually in their own persons as Adam did yet dying in their infancy were guilty of original sin Others take it for all that lived between the time of Adam and Moses who sinned not after the similitude of Adams transgression because they sinned not against an express Law given by revelation from Heaven as Adam did who sinned against that express prohibition of God forbidding him to eat of the fruit of the Tree of knowledge of good and evil under the pain of certain death and destruction I conceive this latter sense more probable because of that special limitation of time from Adam to Moses for the case of those that dye in their Infancy for ought I know is the same whether before or after the time of Moses before and after the Law written but the condition of those that lived between Adams time and that of Moses differed from those that lived after Now the Apostle sheweth that death the punishment of sin fell upon them so did many other judgements the flood destroying the old world the showr of fire and brimstone upon Sodom fell within the compass of that time and therefore certainly they were guilty of sin and justly punished because these calamities were the just judgements of God who is the righteous judge of all the world and therefore although these sinned not against any positive Law of God delivered to them either by word or writing yet they sinned against the light and Law of Nature which God had given them Secondly This may shew us the reason and the justice of those severe executions of God upon Heathen Nations who had no Scripture nor written Law to sin against They sinned against the Light and Law of Nature for the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold the truth in unrighteousness because that which may be known of God is manifest in them for God hath shewed it unto them c. The Judgements and Calamities publick national private personal brought upon any of mankind in several ages are evidences of Gods wrath and displeasure against them and therefore proofs of their sin and guiltiness against God otherwise the Lord who is perfectly righteous would not bring these evils upon them and among the rest the death of the body is a universal declaration of the wrath of God against mankind for sin If any should be free from all other evils yet this alone would be a sufficient proof of their sinfulness and therefore the Lord said unto Adam and in him to each particular person of his posterity soon after he had sinned and they had sinned in him Dust thou art and to dust thou shalt return By one man sin entred into the world and death by sin and so death passed upon all men for that all have sinned Euery dead Corps every Funeral that ye see or hear of all the persons that have died from the beginning of the world unto this day have by their death manifested the wrath of God against sin and mens guiltiness before the Lord for though through the grace and mercy of God in Christ the death of a true believer is turned into a blessing and made an inlet or entrance into everlasting life yet in its own Nature it is a consequent of sin and sin was the original of it In special the Heathens who had not the mind of God so fully revealed to them as those within the Church yet had the Light and Law of Nature and in sinning against that Light and Law were justly punished for they held the Truth in unrighteousness This common Light and Law of Nature was the Truth of God und they by opposing their wills and lusts against it and so not following the guidance of it were found guilty of fighting against God and crossing that Light which the Lord had given them and therefore the Lord dealt with them as Enemies So the Lord punished Sodom and the Cities adjoynning with fire and brimstone So the Canaanites and Amorites were destroyed for their sins against the Light and Law of Nature and Israel was planted in their Land The Lord told Abraham that his seed should possess it but not until after four hundred years Why Because the iniquity of the Amorites was not yet full so that it was the fullness of their iniquity which was the cause of their destruction it was because their sin was come to its full height that they were rooted out So the Lord having forbidden Israel the practice of divers great sins saith Defile not your selves in any of these things for in all these things the Nations are defiled which I cast out before you And the Land is defiled therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it and the Land it self vomiteth out the Inhabitants The Lord threatned divers grievous Judgements by the Prophet Amos against many Heathen Nations Syria the Philistines Tyrus Edom Ammon Moab All the miseries of war brought upon Heathen Nations what were they but revelations and reall demonstrations of the wrath of God from Heaven for their sins against the Law and Light of Nature The ruining of the Babylonish Monarchy by the Medes and Persians of the Persian by the Macedonians and Grecians the Macedonians by the Romans of the Roman by the Saracens and Turks on the one side and divers Northern Nations on the other these and the like were just Judgements of God upon Heathens for sins against the Light and Law of Nature So I conceive the cruel Spaniards were unjust executioners of the righteous Judgements of God upon the poor Indians or Americans for their sins against the same common Light and Law of Nature for the Lord executeth just Judgements by wicked men yea by Divels who aime not at all at the Lords end but either delight to exercise their malice and cruelty or act thus to make a ful conquest and utterly disable a people to make head again Thirdly This may clearly convince us that the sins of Christians are far more heinous then the sins of Infidels and Heathens because they sin against the same Law
as of a thing strongly proved and concluded as clear and certain that it being declared and demonstrated that none have fulfilled the Law but all are found guilty of sin against the Law therefore none can be justified in the sight of God by the works of the Law hence it followeth that there is no way remaining for any of mankind to be justified and approved righteous before God but only through the righteousness of Christ imputed to them of God and applied by faith Hereupon ariseth the Qâ—estion or Objection in the Text Do we then c. and the Answer is Yea we establish the Law that is it is established in other respects and for other ends and uses but is declared to be void and of no use at all for the justifying of sinners by any works which they can perform in obedience to the Law So that as the Ceremonial Law is declared by the doctrine of the Gospel to be of no use either for justification of sinners or for outward observation and yet established in other respects as hath been shewed so the moral Law by the same doctrine of the Gospel is declared to be of no force for justification of sinners and yet established in other respects For the present the Negative is to be considered So the Apostle having spoken of the priviledges of the people of Israel above the Gentiles as in other regards so chiefly because unto them were committed the oracles of God then moveth a Qâ—estion What then Are we better than they No in no wise for we have before proved both Iews and Gentiles that they are all under sin as it is written there is none righteous no not one The Israelites though they had outward Church-priviledges above the Gentiles yet were no better by Nature than they they were children of wrath by Nature as well as others and it was as impossible for them to be justified by their own righteousness or works of obedience to the Law as it was for the Heathen Therefore by the deeds of the Law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight Two things may be considered here for the opening and confirming this point The first is this What grounds there are in general to prove that none can be justified by their own works pâ—rformed in obedience to the Law 2. How this is declared by the doctrine of the Gospel Of the former the general grounds may be three The first taken from the consideration of the state of man as he is in and of himself The second from the Law The third from God who is both the Lawgiver and Iudge 1. From Man He is from his birth a lump of flesh filled with carnal lusts and fleshly corruptions That which is born of the flesh is flesh and in this flesh dwelleth no good thing and this carnal and fleshly mind is enmity against God it is not subservient to the Law of God neither indeed can be so then they that are in the flesh cannot please God they are all dead in trespasses and sins inclined to walk according to the course of this world according to the Prince of the power of the air the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience and are by Nature the children of wrath and therefore every imagination of the thoughts of mans heart by Nature is only evil continually and therefore the Apostle counted all things which he had of himself out of Christ loss and dung for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus all his own righteousness and best performances out of Christ were as loss and dung and therefore of no weight nor worth towards his justification of no value at all towardrs the satisfying of Gods justice If any say that after he was in Christ renewed by his spirit his works were of some value I Answer 1. That is nothing to the business in hand for when once the soul is united to Christ it is already justified upon another account scil through the perfect righteousness of Christ and none can find acceptance with God for their persons or services until they are in Christ and justified and therefore these services and duties make nothing towards their justification but follow upon their justification 2. The best duties of the best saints of God in this life are not answerable to the perfect purity and exactness of the Law and that is the second ground whereby it may appear that none can be justified or approve themselves righteous before the Lord by any works of obedience to the Law scil 1. The consideration of the purity and perfection of the Law 2. The severity of the Law not bearing with the least aberration or swerving from it or transgression against it 1. The perfection of the Law The Law is holy and the Commandment holy and just and good The Law is spiritual it is a compleat and perfect rule of righteousness and it is not for the imperfection of the Law that it doth not make men righteous but it is because of the imperfection and corruption of men who cannot answer the perfection of the Law 1. The Law requireth a full and perfect conformity of the whole man of all the powers of the soul and affections of the heart and so of all the sences and parts of the body to the strait and pure rule of the Law that there should be nothing contrary to the Law nothing defective or wanting This is the voice of the Law Hear O Israel the Lord our God is one Lord and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy migbt and these words which I command thee this day shall be in thine heart The Law requireth a perfect conformity unto its self that the whole heart and soul should be filled with the love of God that the whole strength of the heart and soul all the might of the inner man should be bent upon God and carried after God in love and so by consequent that there should be nothing in the heart or soul in the least degree contrary to the love of God not the least love of any sin nor the least inclination towards it for the least declining of the heart or soul toward sin is contrary to the Law which requireth the whole heart or soul to be given up to God in love and that with all its strength or might yea the least remission of love the want of love in the full perfection of it is an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is against the Law and condemned by the Law the want of the perfection of holiness and righteousness in the â—rame of the heart and soul is against the Law I am the Lord your God ye shall therefore sanctifie your selves and ye shall be holy for I am holy The Lord in his Law proposeth himself his own perfect holiness as
a pattern of holiness to men and women So the Lord in his Law saith Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self So that the least want of love unto our neighbour the least defect in love is condemned the least inclination contrary to love is forbidden Then again whatsoever is contrary to the right order of the affections in relation to God and our neighbour is against the Law for the Law commandeth to love God with all the mind c. And this is the first and greatest Commandment that of love to our Neighbour is the second and therefore love to God is to hold the chiefest place and so the weighty and principal duties of the first Table scil those toward God are to be looked at as the principal and love to our Neighbour is to be subordinate unto this love to God God is to be loved for himself Men are to be loved in the Lord and for the Lord. Now every inordinate affection every disorder of the affections this way is against â—he Law When the first and greatest Commandment is as it were turned into the second when any man hath an higher place or greater share in thine affections then God The Law forbiddeth and condemneth whatsoever in the heart or soul is contrary to any Commandment of the Law not only â—ctual thoughts but the inherent corruption every inclination to evil whatsoever distemper there is in the heart and soul contrary to any branch of any Command either of the first or second Table All sin is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whatsoever is contrary to the Law Now the very inclination to sin is contrary to the Law and therefore sinful Every inclination to distrust to Idolatry superstition to the dishonour of God c. is condemned by the Law This is the sin that naturally dwelleth in every one the corruption of Nature propagated from Adam the body of sin cross and contrary to the body of the Law in every point in every iota or title 3. All omissions of duties towards God and men are condemned by the Law 4. All commissions of sin in thought word and deed are condemned by the Law every evil thought every vain thought every profane â—ngodly obscene unchast malicious speech every idle word every action contrary to the Law grosser actions looks gestures And as we are to consider the perfection of the Law so on the the other side take notice of the severity of the Law The Law spareth not the least sin but denounceth a curse against every one Cursed is every one that confirmeth not all the words of the Law to do them and as the Apostle hath it Cursed iâ— every one that continueth not in all things written in the book of the Law to do them Nothing contrary to the Law can escape the curse oâ— the Law The word spoken by Angels was steadfast and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward This word was the Law in the delivering whereof the Lord was pleased to use the ministry of Angels Such is the severity of the Law that it spareth no transgression or disobedience but layeth a penalty upon every one 3. Consider the perfect the infinite justice holiness purity majesty of God who is both the Law giver and the Judge who gave his pure and perfect Law and who will judge impartially by the Law Shall mortal man be more just than God Shall a man be more pure than his Maker Behold he put no trust in his servants and his Angels he charged with folly How much less on them which dwell in houses of clay whose foundation is in the dust Saith the Psalmist O Lord my God thou art very great thou art cloathed with honour and majesty who coverest thy self with light as with a garment behold the Nations are as a drop of a bucket and are counted as the small dust of the ballance behold he taketh up the Isles as a very little thing All Nations before him are as nothing and they are counted to him less than nothing and vanity The Prophet Isaiah in a glorious vision beheld a representation of the divine Majesty saith he I saw the Lord sitting upon a Throne high and lifted up and his train filled the Temple about it stood the Seraphims each one had six wings with twain he covered his face and with twain he covered his feet and with twain he did fly and one cried unto another and said holy holy holy is the Lord of Hosts the whole earth is full of his glory With what terrour glory and majesty did the Lord appear on Mount Sinai when he published the Law to the people of Israel There were Thunders and Lightnings and a thick cloud upon the Mount and the voice of a Trumâ—et exceeding loud so that all the people that was in the Camp trembled and Mount Sinai was altogether on a smoak because the Lord decended upon it in fire c. And Moses told the people The Lord thy God is a consuming â—re even a jealous God Now lay these things together the woful corruption of mans Nature every way contrary to the holy Law of God as darkness is to light having nothing in it conformable to the Law the â—umberless sins of omission and commission â—f each person against the Law the just â—igour and severity of the Law denouncing â—curse against every transgression and disâ—bedience the unspeakable unconceivable â—â—finite purity justice majesty of God who 〈◊〉 both Law-giver and judge And then â—ow clear is it that none can be justified in the sight of God by any works of theirs performed in obedience to the Law Secondly But there was a second thing proposed scil to shew how it appeareth by the doctrine of the Gospel that none can be justified by any works performed by themselves in obedience to the Law The Angel said to Ioseph concerning Christ Thou shalt call his name Iesus for he shall save his people from their sins He shall save them and therefore their own works shall not save them He shall save them from their sins and therefore he found them in their sins poor guilty condemned creatures and such as could not be saved or justified by their own works or righteousness The Lord Christ the night before he died said This is my blood of the new Testament which is shed for many for the remission of sins The Lord Christ did shed his most pretious blood for the remission or forgiveness of sins He by his death and obedience satisfied the justice of God for the sins of those who could not satisfie for themselves by any works of righteousness of their own compare this with that of the Apostle I do not frustrate the grace of God for if righteousness come by the Law then Christ is dead in vain This sheweth clearly that justification by the righteousness of Christ and justification by a mans
manifested and made visible and so framed this humane nature thus united to his God-head after the image of God in perfect Righteousness and holiness and inabled it to perform full and compleat obedience to the Law And thus the work of Satan was destroyed one of the Sons of Adam one of the seed of the woman after the fall of mankind being inabled to fulfill the Righteousness of the Law Fourthly Ye may note by the way that I do not speak of this as the full sense of this Text as it this were all that Christ did in destroying the works of the Devil and in restoring what he had ruined but I speak of it as a part of the Apostles meaning and a part of that work of Christ concerning the point in hand Fifthly Observe that by this work Christ established the Law For first As the Law was given to man so the Son of God took upon him the nature of man and subjected it to the Law as it is said he was made under the Law 2. He wrote this Law of perfect holiness and Righteousness upon this humane Soul thus united to his God-head 3. In this nature of man He perfectly fulfilled the Law by all which he acknowledged the Law to be a perfect Rule of Righteousness which as man he was bound to obey and so did really confirm and ratifie the Authority of it whereas on the contrary they that taught mâ—n to seek justification and to approve themselves as Righteous in the sight of God by their own personal works of obedience to the Law though they pretended to magnifie the Law they did make void the Law because their Righteousness was far short of what the Law required and therefore to profess that they looked to be justified or found Righteous in the sight of God by their own imperfect works done in obedience to the Law was to accuse the Law of imperfection and so to make void the Law Saith David The Law of the Lord is perfect and therefore none can be justified by the Law unless their Righteousness be perfect Now for sinful men whose natures are contrary to the Law whose sinful omissions and commissions are numberless whose best works are exceedingly imperfect and defective to profess themselves justified by the Law is to deny the perfection of the Law and so to abolish or make void the Law So much for the first particular point comprehended in the general doctrine The second is this That the Lord Iesus Christ established the Law by making full satisfaction to the Law where note two particulars 1. That Christ did make full satisfaction to the Law 2. That hereby he did establish it 1. For the former When Christ was gloriously transfigured upon a certain mountain in the sight of three of his Disciples Behold there talked with him two men which were Moses and Elias who appeared in glory and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Ierusalem These two holy men of God who many ages before had been taken out of this world by an extraordinary dispensation of God were sent to meet the Lord Christ upon this Mount and why these two Moses was the Lawgiver I mean the ministerial Law-giver the Minister Servant or Instrument of the Lord by whom God who is the only authentical the supream Law-giver delivered and as it were handed over his Law to the people of Israel Elias was one of the most eminent among all the Prophets and exceeding zealous of the Law and by an extraordinary warrant from God slew divers hundreds of false Prophets for Idolatary and for teaching the people to transgress the Law and when he complained against Israel for their heinous sins against the Law the Lord directed him to annoint Hazael to be King over Syria Iehu to be King over Israel and Elisha to be Prophet in his stead as so many executioners of Gods justice upon backsliding Israel for their horrible sins against the Law It seemeth then that these two were sent to shew that the Lord Jesus Christ was he of whom the Law and the Prophets spake whom the Ceremonial Law shadowed out by Types and Figures who was to perform full obedience to the Moral Law and make full satisfaction for the transgressions of men against the Law and to accomplish what was foretold by the Prophets and it is said expresly that they spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Hierusalem They spake of his death and sufferings whereby he should make full satisfaction for the sins and transgressions of men against the Law and fulfill the sayings of the Prophets It is not barely said he should dye or suffer death but that he should 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 accomplish his decease He should fully and compleatly suffer such a death as should make full satisfaction to the Law He should undergo the full penalty of the Law and make full payment of all the debts which the Law could charge upon his people To make this appear more clearly consider these particulars 1. That the Lord Iesus Christ was very God in the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God the same was in the beginning with God all things were made by him and without him was not any thing made that was made The Son of God is called the word God the Father manifesting himself by the Son as a man maketh known his mind by his words or speech There is the coessential word of God and there is the declarative word of God the Son of God is the coessential word of God of the same essence with God the Father The declarative word of God is that which we have in the holy Scriptures So Christ prayed to his Father for his people Sanctifie them through thy Truth thy word is truth For this cause saith the Apostle thank we God without ceasing because when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us ye received it not as the word of men but as it is in truth the word of God which worketh effectually in you that believe These and the like places shew the folly of those who seem to hold that there is no other word of God but Christ whereas it is plain that the holy Ghost calleth the word written in the Scriptures and the word preached and taught according to the Scriptures the Word of God scil his declarative word but Christ is the coessential or co substantial word of God and here it iâ— said He was in the beginning declaring his eternity when the world and the creatures in it were made He was not made but he was from eternity before all things and accordingly he saith to his Father O Father glorifie thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was that is from all eternity And the word was with God that sheweth the personal distinction betwixt the Father and the
Son who are one God and two distinct persons then his God-head is expresly asserted And the word was God the same God with the Father all things were made by him and without him was not any thing made that was made all the Creatures were made by Christ of nothing and therefore he is very God for by him were all things created that are in Heaven and that are in Earth visible and invisible whether they be Thrones or Dominions or Principalities or Powers all things were Created by him and for him and he is before all things and by him all things consist not only all visible Creatures on Earth but also all the glorious Angels of Heaven were created by him and his eternity is declared He is before all things his Almighty power is asserted by him all things consist The frame of the world would fall in peices the Beings of the Creatures would be disjoynted dissolved did not his Almighty Arm hold all together He upholdeth all things by the word of power and least any blasphemous adversary of Christ his God-head should object that Christ might create the world as aâ— instrument and inferiour Agent under the Father The Apostle telleth us All things were created not only by him but also for him He is the principal Agent and he is the cheif end of the Creation They were made for his glory a clear evidence to prove him to be very God the same God with the Father for it is the peculiar Prerogative of God to be the highest of the whole Creation for whom all things were made for of him and through him and to him are all things to him in this place and for him in the other have the same sense and the original is the same in both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Apostle shews That Christ being in the form of God thought or judged it to be no Robbery to be equal with God in all eternity he was in the form of God he was really properly essentially God and therefore judged it to be no robbery to be equal with God This cutteth off all cavils for how could it have been less then an high degree of robbery or Sacriledge for any one that was not as truly and properly God as the Father even the same God with the Father to judge himself equal with God in as much as God the Creator is infinitely above the most excellent of the Creatures Secondly He took upon him the Nature of man the word was made flesh The eternal word or Son of God who was before all time without beginning of dayes was pleased in the fulness of time to be made flesh not by transmutation but by assumption not by turning his unchangeable God-head into flesh but by taking flesh that is a true humane Nature soul and body into the unity of his person so uniting the nature of man to his God-head as to make it properly his own to become one person with himself the God-head being never separated again from the manhood nor confounded with it both natures remaining distinct but never divided from each other the same Christ remaining perfect God and perfect man so where it is shewed that being in the form of God c. it followeth But made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a Servant and was made in the likeness of men and found in fashion as a man c. And without controversie great is the mystery of Godliness God was manifest in the flesh This is indeed a great mystery of such an height and depth and far exceedeth the reach of mens understandings yet a most certain and infallible truth to be received by faith and it was necessary the Redeemer of manking should be both God and man that he might satisfie the justice of God and bear the penalty of the Law due to the sins of the world First It was necessary that he should be God 1. That he might inable the humane nature to bear the weight of Gods wrath and revenging justice to support the manhood from sinking under it and being swallowed up of it whom God hath raised up having loosed the pains of death because it was not possible that he should be holden of it death had taken a prisoner whom it was no way able to hold Jesus Christ as he was man suffered death and lay dead in the grave but as he was God he raised his humane nature from the dead Secondly That the infinite worth and excellency of his God-head might make his sufferings of sufficient value to satisfie the justice of God and the severity of the Law for the numberless sins of the world the same man that suffered being one person with God and so his sufferings being though not the sufferings of the God-head yet the sufferings of God that is the sufferings of him who is God and therefore it is said that God hath purchased a Church with his own blood And what is there which the blood of God was not sufficient to purchase Secondly It was necessary Christ should be man that he might satisfie the Law and bear the penalty 1. That he might be subject to the Law for it was impossible that the God-head should be made under the Law because the Law received its Authority from God and therefore could have no Authority over him therefore he was made of a womnn and so made under the Law 2. That he might be in a capacity to suffer the full penalty of the Law for it is impossible for the God-head which is the fountain of life to dye or to bear the Curse being the fulness of blessedness and therefore saith the Apostle We see Jesus who was made a little lower then the Angels for the suffering of death He that being very God was infinitely higher then the Angels took into the unity of his person a nature a little lower then the Angels scil the nature of man and that for the suffering of death and so for the satisfying of the Law 3. That He might make Satisfaction to the Law and bear the punishment of it in the sâ—me nature of man in which the Law was transgressed and broken for verily He took not on him the nature of Angels but He took on him the seed of Abraham wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his Brethren that he might be a merciful and faithful High-Priest in things pertaining to God to make reconciliation for the sins of the people to make satisfaction for the transgressions of the people against the Law and to reconcile them to God the Law-giver 3. He took upon him the guilt of mens sins putting himself into the state and standing in the state of guilty sinners as it were putting his Name into their Bond and voluntarily taking their debts upon himself all we like sheep have gone astray we have turned every one to his own way and the
any flee from sin and not rather add sin to sin doing evil that good may come that Gods grace may be the more manifested to his glory The Apostle rejecteth these with detestation shewing that notwithstanding all their perverse cavils they shall find God a severe judge and that their damnation is just for it doth no way lessen the guilt of sin that God getteth glory by it for sin in its own nature tendeth to the darkning of Gods Glory and men by sinning dishonour God but such is the infinite perfection of God that as he commanded the light to shine out of darkness though darkness be contrary to the light so he can work good and get himself glory out of the evil of sin which in it self tendeth to rob him of his glory So in the sixth Chapter of this Epistle shall we continue in sin that grace may abound The Apostle had shewed before that all had sinned in Adam besides the guilt of their own actual sins yea even such as lived before the Law was given by Moses and that by the publishing of the Law sin abounded the guilt of sin increased but then withal he added that where sin abounded grace did much more abound the free love and favour of God was gloriously manifested in pardoning sin thus heightned and aggravated by the express Law and in freely justifying sinners condemned by the written Law Hence this Question or Objection to which the Apostle answers with detestation as before and withal sheweth that they who are justified by the righteousness of Christ have received the Spirit and so dye to sin and live to righteousness and are engaged hereunto by their Baptisme and therefore it is in vain for any to hope for justification and pardon of sin through Christ who yeild themselves up to the service of sin So verse 14th he saith to Believers Ye are not under the Law but under Grace Hence again a Question or Objection of corrupt nature or carnal reason What then Shall we sin because we are not under the Law but under Grace May we not therefore sin securely if we be free from the Law if the Law have no power nor authority over us to condemn us The Apostle answereth this after his usual manner with detestation and then more fully Know ye not that to whom ye yeild your selves servants to obey his servants ye are to whom ye obey whether of sin unto death or of obedience unto righteousness They that are justâ—fied by Christ and freed from the curse the condemnation and rigour of the Law are the Members of Christ and servants of righteousness but they that sin securely upon a conceit that they are freed from the Law are indeed the servants of sin and this service of sin tendeth to everlasting death The Reason of this in general is the contrariety of mans nature unto God and his Truth since the fall since the Image of God was defaced and the Nature of man corrupted by sin so that the powers of the soul thus degenerated are become cross and opposite unto the counsel and truth of God They are of the world therefore speak they of the world and the world heareth them we are of God he that knoweth God heareth us he that is not of God heareth not us hereby know we the spirit of Truth and the spirit of Error all of us are naturally of the world and all remain so unless the Lord do effectually by his grace call them out of the world and so their worldly minds and hearts are unsutable and opposite unto the mind and truth of God More particularly 1. Ignorance is a great cause why men deprave the Scriptures and pervert the Truths of God the light shineth in darkness and the darkness comprehendeth it not All are naturally darkness and therefore full of contrariety to the light and truth of God ye were sometimes darkness saith the Apostle to those that then were light in the Lord the best of those whom God hath savingly inlightned by his spirit were sometimes darkness Lye not one to another seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds and have put on the new man which is renewed in knowledge after the Image of him that created him They that are regenerated are renewed as in other regards so in knowledge This sheweth that the old man is possessed with darkness Corrupt Nature is void of saving knowledge and therefore in that condition men are apt to put light for darkness and darkness for light The Sadduces that denied that great Mystery of the Resurrection of the body I conceive were much pleased with an Argument whereby they hoped to non-plus the Lord Jesus Christ they seemed not directly to deny the Resurrection but only to desire a Resolution in a difficult case concerning â—a woman that had seven husbands out-liv'd them all The Question was which of those seven should enjoy her for his wife at the Resurrection but the Lord Christ telleth them they shewed gross ignorance in that wherein they thought themselves veâ—y acute saith he Ye do err not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God and first sheweth them how by the Almighty power of God the bodies of the Saints at the Resurrection should be so wonderfully transformed and glorified that they should not need nor desire marriage or other things of the like natrue no more then the Angels do which are Spirits and have no bodies then he proveth by the Scripture that the dead shall rise Now this ignorance is more or less gross in several persons some that are not so grossely ignorant as others yet being weak in knowledge and judgement are apt to miscarry in this kind First by misunderstanding some Texts or passages of holy Scripture so it seemeth the Saints at Thessalonica mistook what the Apostle had written to them in his former Epistle when speaking of the last day he saith This we say unto you by the word of the Lord that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep the Lord himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout with the voice of the Archangel and with the Trumpet of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the Clouds to meet the Lord in the Air. Where twice he speaketh of himself if we look on the bare words as if he should live to the end of the world as if Christ should come in glory before Paul should leave this world I conceive he spake by way of supposition that if he and other Believers then living should remain to the last day then they should be thus translated to Glory and as he saith elsewhere they should not dye but should be changed and this he might do to teach others by his example to live in a continual expectation
of Nature consisting of those notions of good and evil which were left or new written by the Lord in the minds of men and women after that the nature of mankind was corrupted by sin which Law though it be now imperfect yet in many things it sheweth the difference between good and evil and hath power over the Conscience to inform convince excuse and accuse The other two delivered peculiarly to the people of Israel are the Law of Ordinances of Ceremonies and the Law moral And the Apostle proveth that none of these Laws can justifie the strictest observers of them all men and women being naturally corrupt and possest with principles of opposition against the purity and perfection of the moral Law and those that are renewed by grace being but imperfectly conformed to the Law As for the Law of Ceremonies it is in its own nature no perfect rule of righteousness but consisting of figures and shadows and such earthly and carnal observances as had a mystical signification of spiritual and heavenly things The Law of nature is comprehended in the moral Law delivered in the Scriptures first published to Israel and then communicated together with the Gospel to the Nations of the world So that that which is imperfectly written in the minds of men naturally is perfectly declared by the Law written by the finger of God in Tables of stone scil the ten Commandments and more fully opened in other parts of Scripture And therefore though it was expedient for the Apostle to speak distinctly of them in the former part of his discourse to convince both Israelites and Heathens of their unrighteousness and gâ—ilt yet in this place I conceive the Law of nature and the written Law may well be comprehended under one and so I take the Apostles meaning to be that by the doctrine of free justification through the righteousness of Christ both the Ceremonial and moral Law are established To begin with the former observe this point That the Law of Ceremonies is established by the doctrine of the Gospel Or thus The doctrine of free justification through the righteousnes of Christ apprehended by faith establisheth the Ceremonial Law For the right understanding of this we may consider First In general What these Ceremonial institutions were Secondly How they were misunderstood or abused by ignorant and carnal Israelites Thirdly How they are established by the Gospel or doctrine of justification by faith First These Ceremonial Ordinances were instituted by the Authority of God himself as parts of his outward worship and figures of heavenly and spiritual things to be observed untill the death of Christ. 1. They were instituted by the authority of God himself So Circumcision was commanded immediately by God himself to Abraham and his posterity So the Lord gave express directions to Moses and Aaron concerning the Ordinance of the Passeover and Moses being fourty days and fourty nights in the Mount received Ceremonial Laws from the Lord to be observed by the people Secondly They were parts of Gods outward worship Some of them more directly and properly as the Sacrifices which were to be offered to the Lord only so also the sweet Incense and divers others Other of them more improperly as things subservient to the worship of God as the Altar of burnt-offerings the Ark the Golden Table c. Thirdly They were figures of Heavenly and spiritual things Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the Tabernacle For see saith he that thou make all things according to the patern shewed thee in the Mount Fourthly They were to be observed until the death of Christ. Above when he said Sacrifice and offerings and burnt-offerings and offering for sin thou wouldst not neither hadst pleasure therein which are offered by the Law Thâ—â— said he that is Christ Lo I come to do thy will O God He taketh away the first that he may establish the second By the which Will we are sanctified by the offering of the body of Iesus Christ once for all The Ceremonies of the Law were to continue until Christ offered himself in sacrifice and then they were to be taken away and to give place to his all-sufficient Sacrifice and accordingly the Lord Christ himself manifested in the flesh and made under the Law did in his own person observe the Ceremonies of the Law But at his death the veile of the Temple waâ— rent in twain from the top to the bottom which I conceive signified both the abolishing of legal Ceremonies and the opening of the way into the heavenly sanctuary by the death of Christ. Now there being great abundance and varieties of these Ceremonial institutions I conceive they may be reduced to four heads 1. Sacraments 2. Sacrifices 3. Sacred persons and things subservient to holy uses 4. Sacred observances 1. Sacraments and those ordinarily were two 1. Circumcision whereby they were solemnly admitted into the Church and visibly sealed as parties to the Covenant 2. The passeover wherein they were admitted by faith to feed upon Christ the Lamb of God who taketh away the sins of the world slain in the eternal counsel of God before the foundation of the world and to be actually Sacrificed in the fulness of time 2. Sacrifices 1. Whole burntofferings 2. Meat-offerings 3. Sin-offerings 4. Thank-offerings or Peace-offerings and among these especially the daily burnt-offering presented to the Lord morning and evening every day in the year 3. Sacred persons and things Such were the Priests and Levites especially the High-priest The holy places 1. A Tabernacle 2. A Temple with the several parts Consecrated days and times the feasts of the passover of Pentecost of Tabernacles the new Moons the weekly Sabbaths as limited to the last day of the week c. The utensils of the Sanctuary the Altar of burntoffering the golden Altar of Incense the Loaves the Table of shew-bread the Ark Mercy-seat c. 4. Sacred observances Their divers washings and purifyings absteining from divers creatures as unclean with very many usages injoyned In the second place consider how these things were understood or abused by ignorant or carnal Israelites I conceive 1. That many of them had little or no knowledge of the mystical signification or spiritual meaning of these types and shadows they did not see Christ in them 2. That they rested in the outward work If they were outwardly Circumcised they looked not after the Circumcision of the heart mortification of sin self-denyal regeneration having fed upon the Lamb with unlevened bread in the feast of the Passeover they minded not the Lamb of God nor sought after the unleavened bread of sincerity and Truth When they offered Sacrifice they looked no farther than the beast that was slaine not minding the perfect all-sufficient sacrifice of Christ. It seemeth they were
and Light of Nature which Heathens did and beside against a far clearer Light and more perfect Law delivered to them in the holy Scriptures of the old and new Testament for the Light and Law of Nature though it was given to the Heathen yet it was not peculiar to them it was not limited to them alone but was common to them with others it is given also to Iews who have the old Testament also it is given to Christians who have both old and new Testament and therefore their sins are highly aggravated So the the Lord by the Prophet Amos having threatned heavy Judgements against those Heathen Nations mentioned before then turneth his speech to the people of Iudah Thus saith the Lord for three transgressions of Iudah and for four I will not turn away the punishment thereof because they have defiled the Law of the Lord and have not kept his Commandment and their lies caused them to err after the which their Fathers have walked but I will send a fire upon Iudah and it shall devour the Palaces of Ierusalem they had the written Law and Commandments of God which the other had not and therefore they despised and kept not they had the Truth of God revealed from Heaven and delivered to them by Moses and the Prophets immediately inspired by the holy spirit of God but they rather chose to walk in lyes after the example of their Fathers and therefore their sins were much more sinful than those of the Heathens Then he threatneth Israel scil the rest of Israel the Kingdom of the ten Tribes who followed the sin of Ieroboam charging them first with barbarous cruelty and oppression contrary to common humanity because they sold the righteous for silver and the poor for a pair of shoes I conceive he speaketh especially against that great sin of Judges and Magistrates in perverting justice for Bribes and withal against them which hired such corrupt officers to act unjustly by giving them rewards They sold the righteous for Silver they exposed the innocent to the lust and will of their Adversaries for mony and the poor for a pair of shooes either because being once corrupted with some considerable gains they afterward were so hardened in their sins that they would pervert justice for a pair of shooes for a triflle or else because they could not get much for giving sentence against a poor man in his Cause because their Adversaries would not offer much to have their will of them who had little to loose these corrupt judges would transgress for a petty-bribe where no more was to be had That pant after the dust of the earth on the head of the poor or as one readeth it that pant or breath after the head of the poor that they may cast it down to the dust of the earth If we take it the former way the sense may seem to be this when they have overthrown the poor and laid him in the dust such is there inhumane cruelty that they are not satisfied with his misery but desire his utter ruine and destruction 2. An other sin was abominable uncleannness that Father and Son would lye with the same woman which is set forth and heightned with this aggravation they prophaned the holy Name of God pretending to be the people of God and yet committing such lewdness this highly redounded to the Lords dishonour above the sins of meer Heathens 3. Their wicked glorying and triumphing in their oppression and prophaning that worship which themselves had embraced as religious laying themselves down upon clothes laid to pledge by every Altar keeping the garments of the poor which they had taken to pledge and being so far from restoring them according to the Law that they durst lye upon them by the very Altars and drink the wine of the condemned in the house of their God feasting themselves in the Temple of their God with the very spoils taken from those whom they had unjustly condemned these sins of Israel are aggravated divers ways in the words following There Israel and Iudah are both joyned together Hear this word that the Lord hath spoken against you O Children of Israel against the whole family which I brought up from the Land of Egypt saying You only have I known of all the families of the earth therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities The Lord had owned them above others and made himself known to them above all other people and therefore their sin was greater than others and they might expect more gievous punishments How much more are sins of professed Christians more heinous than those of the Heathens who have greater light then the people of Israel had having the new Testament added to the old who have the Lord Jesus Christ set forth before them in the Gospel not under Types and shadowes but clearly not as to come but as already come actually crucified for sin buried risen again ascended into Heaven The Lord Christ sheweth that the sins of Corazin and Bethsaida were more heinous than those of Tyre and Sidon and their condemnation would be more intolerable in the day of Judgement because they sinned against greater light The like comparison he maketh between Capernaum and Sodom And the very Name of Christian is an aggravation of the sins of those who profess themselves Christians This Name was first given to them that professed the faith of Christ at Antioch because of the great success of the Gospel there Barnabas and Saul or Paul a whole year assembled themselves with the Church and taught much people and the Disciples were called Christians first at Antioch The denomination of a Christian is derived from the blessed and glorious Name of Christ himself as he is annointed of God the Father with the spirit above measure What signifieth a Christian then but 1. A member of Christ united to him as the head of the whole mystical body of the Church How great is the sin of those that can themselves Christians and suffer themselves to be led by Satan the enemy of 〈◊〉 readily entertaining his suggestions and temptations serving this Prince of darkness in the work of darkness Saith the Apostle Shall I take the members of Christ and make them the members of an Harlot God forbid or let it not be What know ye not that he which is joyned to an Harlot is one body for two saith he shall be one flesh It is a fearful thing for a man professing himself a Christian that is a member of Christ to make himself a member of an Harlot or for a woman making the same profession to make her self the member of a fornicatour or Adulterer 2. The name of a Christian signifieth one that partaketh of the annointing of Christ of the same spirit and the same graces in some measure wherewith Christ was annointed above his fellows yea above measure He which stablisheth us with you and anointeth us is God The
cannot disprove and to discredit those teachers the light of whose doctrine they cannot resist And how ready are the weaker sort to be scared from the truth and alienated from those assemblies where it is taught by such shifts as these A bold face and a rolling tongue pouring out store of opprobrious language against the truth goes a great way with the simple What an out-cry was made by the Iews of Asia against Paul Men of Israel help This is the man that teacheth all men every where against the people and the Law and this place and farther brought Greeks also into the Temple and hath polluted this holy place And all the City was moved and the people ran together and they took Paul and drew him out of the Temple and went about to kill him How soon are the multitude stirred up and set in a rage by the meer clamours of those who outragiously exclaim against the truth and them that maintain it Men of Israel help as if all were like to be lost unless Paul and his doctrine were suppressed So when they that disputed with Stephen were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake Then they suborned men which said we have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and against God and they stirred up the people They were beaten from their arguments and then sought to over-bear him with false accusations and the ignorant people were ready to hearken to them First This may teach us not to think it strange if the Truth and those that profess it be evil spoken of in these times if things that are doubly false be objected against it and them Solomon saith There is no new thing under the Sun Certainly this is no new thing as ye have heard by divers examples out of Scripture it is a practice as antient as the Apostles dayes Paul and his Ministry did not escape these envenomed tongues Nay the Lord Christ himself together with his doctrine and works was thus traduced Why should it be expected that the servants should be above their Master or the truth in their mouths be more free from false reproaches than it was in his If ye hear such things in these dayes consider that the Divel doth but keep his old wont If the doctrine of free justification be slandered as licentious and tending to carnal liberty was it not so in Pauls time If the Ministers of the Gospel be called Antichristian Baals-Priests and the like by Hereticks and Sectaries it is no wonder the Divel seeth them to stand in his way and hinder his work I think it is easie to prove that there is a double falshood in this reproach For first they do not promote the interest and Kingdom of Antichrist either in regard of discipline doctrine or worship Not in regard of discipline they are far from seeking to bring men into subjection to him as the visible head of the Church or to exalt his authority above Kings and Princes and above the Laws of Christ. Nor in doctrine they teach not Popish opinions Nor in worship they are no Patrons of Idolatry and superstition But secondly They are so far from being Antichristians that I am perswaded that they are the greatest and most considerable opposites and adversaries to Antichrist that are in the world And therefore there is a double falshood in this charge And I think it very probable that the Jesuites were either the first instruments of Satan in broaching this reproach or else are very apt to promote it and set it on that by crying down the Ministers of the Gospel as Antichristian they may make way for Antichrist to get ground amongst us with the more ease and speed How easie were it to demonstrate that Ministers of the same order and the same judgement with those that now by foul-mouthed adversaries are branded for Antichristian have been principally instrumental under Christ to overthrow Popery and to prevent it for recovering its former strength For the eminent instruments in this work were Luther Melanchthon and Bucer and others of Germany Calvin Beza Iunius Chamier of France Zuinglius Oeâ—olampadius Bullinger Grinaeus of Switzerland Whitaker and Reinolds of England and divers others Besides the diligent and constant endeavours of Ministers in preaching clearing confirming the Truth and through the Lords blessing grounding and establishing the people in it against Popish errours and Antichristian corruptions As for Sectaries who are so liberal in bestowing such Titles upon the Ministers of the Gospel have they not occasionally at least given much advantage to Antichrist and as it were opened a back door at which to let him in again 1. By seeking to discredit the Ministers of the word and their Ministry 2. By drawing many people from the Ordinances and so preparing them to take such impressions as Satan and his instruments are ready to put upon them and if opportunity be to receive the mark of the Beast 3. By multiplying divisions and factions and setting up party against party and thereby taking a ready course to make Religion ridiculous in the eyes of worldly Politicians filling the minds of the simple with doubting and amazement as not knowing which way to take And 4. Hereupon ministring occasion to the Jesuites and Friers to perswade the people that there will be no certainty no end of divisions no remedy against sects and errours but by uniting themselves to one visible head the Pope and returning to the bosom of the Mother Church of Rome yea it is verily thought that many of the Popes Agents and Emissaries are now very active among us disguised under the appearance of Sectaries labouring to encrease contention among us for the designs of Antichrist I conceive it is very observable that those Sectaries which cry down the Preachers and Professours of the truth as Antichristian have usually come in the rear and a day after the fight as it were for when they that are sound in their principles have set upon the work of reformation and through the good hand of God some hopeful beginings have been made then have crept in Anabaptists and other Sectaries So in Germany Switzerland Geneva England I conceive the Divel finding that upon the breâ—king forth of light those old errours and corrupt customes will not be digested he then stirreth up some to pretend to reformation disguising himself that way that he may both hinder the work and blemish it This it seemeth was his practice about the time of Christs coming in the flesh to raise up false Christs and deceivers c. CHAP. IV. Rom. 3. 31. I Conceive it is clear that the Apostle in the two first Chapters of this Epistle speaketh of a threefold Law one of which was given to mankind in general both Gentiles and Israelites the other two were peculiarly delivered to the people of Israel The first of these scil that which was given to mankind in general is that which is called the Law