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.
condition r. condition l. 29. f. wait r. weight p. 68. l. 6. f. ceifest r. chiefest l. 22. dele into l. 26. f. livig r. living p. 69. l. 2. f. befre r. before l. 9. f. free r. freed l. 12. dele by the. p. 17. l. 15 f. was justified r. was not justified p. 73. l. 19. dele by p. 62. l. 7. dele mis p. 63. l. 4. f. course r. curse l. 20. for man crucified r. man is crucified l. 26. f. Goost r. Ghost l. 29. f. trough r. through THE GLORIOVS Excellencies of the Spirit of Adoption Rom. 8.2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Iesus hath made me free from the law of sin and Death THis blessed Apostle not inferiour unto any of the rest of the Apostles seems to bee carried up alwaies into Heaven as once hee was while hee was upon earth so that hee tryumphs over all things as having the victorie and is not moved nor in the least troubled for any of the sufferings he underwent in the body but glories in tribulation and despises the world for he is crucified to it and is as having nothing yet possessing all things Peâ—sâ—â—ution and Prosperity Penurie and Plentie are alike welcome to him no Mutation and Change of sublunarie things can trouble his spirit in a word his whole Conversation is in Heaven though his person be one earth and no wonder for he is fild with the Heavenly manifestations the sweete discoveries and the glorious makings out of the minde of God and Christ through the Spirit unto him as appears in all his Epistles and especially in this wherein hee holds forth the glorious Misteries of the Gospell which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men as he him selfe saies Ephesians 3.5 but now is made knowne unto the Apostles and Prophets through the Spirit Of which misterieis this Text holds forth a very blessed one where he tells us that the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made him all the Saints free from the Law of sin and death Now in the words heere are two things contained a Proposition and a supposition Something by way of proposall and something by way of supposall The proposition is this that the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath set the Saints free The supposition is this that the law of sin and death had brought us into bondage from which this Spirit of life in Christ hath set us free in which these two things are to be taken notice of First the ground or cause or foundation of our freedome and that is the law of the spirit Secondly The method or way by which we are set free and that is as the spirit its selfe workes in Christ he doth not say that the spirit of life in us hath set us free but the spirit of life in Christ hath set us free from the law of sin and death And here there might be many profitable observations drawn from the words but I shall sum up all in one but before I fall upon it there are three queries arising from some difficulties in the words to be answered 1. Quere 1 How the spirit may be said to be a law or what is meant by the law of the spirit 2. Queree 2 How the spirit of life is in Christ 3. Queree 3 What is meant by the law of sin and death from which the law of the spirit of life in Christ hath set us free But first if the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ doth set us free from the law of sin and death then it seemes the spirit hath a law for as there was a law given by God in the hand of Moses the Mediatour in the Olde testament so there is a law in the new Testament The law of the Spirit which it seemes is the more powerfull and glorious law The law that brings blessednesse and joy unto a Saint for its this law that brings life whereas the other brings death for the Spirit must bring life through its owne law Queree 1 But then the Queerie is How the Spirit may be said to be a law or to have law Answ To which I answer The law of spirit may bee Considered in these three things 1. In the Authoritie of the Spirit 2. In the operations or workings of the Spirit 3. In the guidance of the spirit 1. Consider we the Authoritie of the Spirit that royall and giorious authoritie that the Spirit hath Now the spirit hath a double autority 1. As it comes from God 2. As it is equall with God in the first sence the spirit and the Law are one but in the second the spirit and the law differs But I say the first part or peece of the Authoritie of the Spirit is this that it comes forth from the Father and the Son and is sent forth from the Father the Son by way of embassage so our Saviour saies I will send the Comforter He is a messenger sent from the Father and the Sonne and so hath mighty Authority Hitherto the father works and I worke but if the Father workes hee workes by the Spirit and so if the Son workes he workes by the same spirit It s the same Spirit comes from them both And thus the Spirit hath Authority and thus the law hath also authority I meane the Law given of God by Moses for the law hath all its Anthority as it comes from God and as it is sent sorth by God so the law hath true authority and in this Consideration they both agree the spirit and the law both have Authority as they come from God but then 2. The spirit hath another Authority which the law simply considered hath not that is this the spirit hath authority in its self and from its selfe for the Spirit hath as great authority as him that sent him God is the Spirit the Spirit is God and the Spirit comming from the bosome of God is God himselfe and the Spirit hath equall Authority with the Father and the Son and hath power to work out of his own pleasure and out of his owne will So saies the Scripture The winde bloweth where it listeth so is every man that is borne of the Spirit The winde is sometimes in the East sometime in the West no man commands it hither or thither no man bids it goe here or there but it goes where it will It is even so with the spirit He hath authority to lay hold of one man and not another to chuse this man and to give life to that person and so suffer another to lie under death and miserie for the spirit hath that prerogative wherin he is not onely as a messenger but is equall with the Father and the Son And so the royall Authoritie of the Spirit exceedingly surpasses the law though the law have also authority from God but then 2. The Spirit may be said to have a law or
to be a law in regard of his mighty operation in the Soule it brings downe light and truth and life and power into the soule and workes exceeding strongly in the soule and when it comes what is able to withstand the Spirit What is greater then the Spirit What is stronger then the Spirit If the spirit comes it bears down all opposition Though the flesh lust against the spirit yet the spirit is two strong for the flesh so that it divides the very jonts and marrow So that the Spirit is a law above the law the law is weake and cannot take place in the hearts of men But when the spirit comes with its law it prevails against all and takes place The flesh profiteth nothing saith our Saviour it is the Spirit that quickneth If the spirit quickneth it hath life in it and where life is it is full of activity for life is manifested in this in that it is full of motion quicknesse and agilitie and in beating off every thing that doeth offende it or anoy it So the spirit being a spirit of life it hath a mighty power in it Although the soule be filled with sin and guilt and in that condition cloathed also with ignorance which doth so inviron the foule as it cannot stir in any other way nor hath the least motion of good in it yet when the spirit comes he beares downe all he destroyes all and therefore it is called the spirit of burning in the scripture And when Christ comes to Baptise he is said to Baptise with the holy Ghost and with fire so that when the spirit comes nothing can stand before him and he brings both light and heate and motion in him and is most powerfull in operation But then 3. The spirit may be saide to be a law or to have a law in it as it is a sure and true guide and as it leades every soule in a right and true way And therefore our Saviour tells vs The spirit of truth shall leade you into all truth And indeed the Spirit guides securely and guides safely guides surely and guides Purely for the spirit cannot erre and he that hath the spirit knowes the minde of God and is guided to fullfill the minde of God as farr as he hath the spirit for the spirit is a blessed guide and a blessed rule and about the law for although the law it s true is righteous holy and good yet alas it Cannot bring forth power to inable the Creature to walke suteable to its selfe It is onely the Spirit hath that power and not the law Therefore the Spirit he is the law of the Saints he shews them the truth teaches them the truth and leades them in the truth and gives them power to walke according to the truth for its the spirit that guides the Saints to Christ who is the truth its selfe and so The spirit guides the Saints in the waies of holynesse through the Spirit they mortifie the deeds of the body and live through the spirit they are guided to denie themselves to abandon their owne parts and their own indowments and their owne righteousnesse and to see all in and to fetch all from a Christ Through the Spirit the Saints put away the garment spotted by the flesh and forsake their vaine conversation wherein in times past they walked through the spirit the Saints are guided to deny all vngodlynesse and worldly lusts and to live soberly and holy and Godly in the present evill world through the spirit they are taught to love with an vnfained love the houshold of faith puting away malice and envie and the leaven of discention and wickednesse through the spirit the Saints are guided so to walke as to shine as lights amidst a crooked and perverse generation In a word through the spirit the Saints are guided having discliamed all their owne righteousnesse to doe that which the Jewes could not doe by the light of the law even to submit to the righteousnesse of Christ that is to cloath themselves through faith with the glorious robes of the righteousnesse of the Lord Jesus whereby they see themselves compleat in him and thus the spirit is a pure and a sure guide and in these three respects the Spirit may be said to have a law and so much may suffice for answer to the first queree But 2. Queree 2 In that the Apostle here tells us of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus and doth not say the spirit of life in us but the spirit of life in Christ The queree will be how the spirit of life is said to be in Christ Answer To which I answer The spirit of life is said to be in Christ under two considerations 1. As hee is the Fountaine of life 2. As he communicates the spirit of life unto all his people 1. As the Lord lesus Christ is the fountaine of life as the fulnesse of all life dwells in him for so sayes the Apostle It pleased the Father that in him should all fulnesse dwell 1 Cor. 15.47 45. and the same Apostle also saies he is the Lord from Heaven and that the first Adam was made a living soule but the second Adam was made a quickning spirit and therefore our Saviour tells us the flesh profiteth nothing but it is the spirit that quickens and the words that I speak unto you they are spirit and they are life There is such a fulnesse of the spirit in Christ that whatsoever Christ speakes is spirituall and carries a spirituall signification along with it for indeed the spirit was in him without measure so that in him is life originally or he is the fountaine of Life but then 2. The Spirit of life is in him by way of communication all that of the spirit that is communicated unto us is communicated unto us in and by the Lord Iesus Have wee any life any strength any beautie upon us any grace conveyed unto us It is all conveyed in and through the Lord Iesus Christ And therefore our Saviour tells the Jewes that he was the bread of life the bread of Heaven that came down from Heaven And whosoever did eate of his flesh and drink of his blood should live for ever he breathed the Holy Ghost on his disciples and poures upon every one that beleeves on him rivers of living water rivers of his spirit for he conveies fulnesse of spirituallitie and divine strength into them That man therefore that hath the spirit of life in Christ conveyed into him through the spirit of life in Christ living in him is the most beautifull creature in the world for he carries divine sweetnesse and beautie upon his spirit And he that hath this spirit derived from Christ hath true life in him other men may be alive and yet dead but that man that hath the life of Christ through his spirit that works in him such a soul shall live for ever such a soule shall never die but it shall
Christ by the Spirit of life in him hath freed us from the law Now in the Second place 2. The spirit of life derived from Clrist to us frees us we may see how the spirit of life as it is in us derived from Christ frees us from the Law and that is onely in these two waies 1. Declaratively 2. Operatively 1. 1. Declaratively The Spirit of life in us frees us from the law declaratively that is as the Spirit of Christ in us declares us to bee free from the law and no more under the law but under grace For as our saviour saies John 15.14 speaking of the spirit He shall reserve of mine and shew it unto you and John 16.16 The Spirit of truth which proceedeth from the Father shall testifie of me so the Spirit of Christ as it is in the Saints declares to the Saints the things that are freely given to them of God and testifies to them of the Lord JESVS that hee hath taken away the hand writing of Ordinances that was against us that was contrarie to us nailing it to his Crosse and declares how the Lord JESVS hath freed us from all our sinnes and presented us holy and unblameable and unreproveable without spot or wrinckle in the sight of God It is he that declares to us that the Lord Jesus hath fulfilled all righteousnesse for us and in a word is become the end of the Law for righteousnesse to every one that beleeveth I say its the Spiirit in us that declares these things and many others unto us and without the Spirit no man can comfortably and truly know the things that are freely given to us of God But then 2. As the law of the Spirit of life in Christ sets us free from the law declaratively so the Law of the spirit of life in Christ as it is in us sets us free from the Law operatively or by way of operation therefore the Apostle Rom. 8.11 tells us that if the spirit of him that raised up Iesus from the dead dwell in you he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortall bodies by his spirit that dwelleth in you Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his but if he be Christs you have the Spirit of Christ and if you have the Spirit of Christ it will not be idle it will notly still it will quicken your mortall bodies yea it will mortifie the deeds of the body it will burne up all your corruptions It will through the declarations of the love of Christ and the grace of God constraine you to walk holily and to deny all ungodlinesse In a word the Spirit of Christ works in the Saints mightily and by its operations in us sets us free from the Law and so sayes the Apostle Rom. 7.6 We are dead to the law sayes he to this end that we should serve in the newnesse of the Spirit and not in the Oldnesse of the Letter after a more spirituall and glorious manner then they of old could being under the law doe for the Law was weake but what the law could not doe the Spirit can 〈◊〉 having more abundant glory then ever the law had The Spirit being able to convey power into the creature to fulfill all that he requires of it For it brings life along with it whereas the letter killeth Rom. 3.6 Now the Spirit freeth us from the letter in carrying us forth to worship God in the spirit In a word which is the misterie of the law of the Spirit through the Spirituall fulfilling of the law in us it frees us from the law which the Apostle further makes cleer Rom. 8. When in the second verse hee had said we were freed from the law in the fourth verse he saies it is that the righteousnesse of the law might be fulfilled in us who walke not after the fiesh but after the Spirit So the Spirit in fulfiling the law frees us from the law and freeing us from the law fulfils the law in us And thus we have seene how the Spirit of life in Christ hath sett us free from the law And now am I come to shew the necessitie of the Spirits freeing 〈◊〉 from the Law The necessitie of our freedom from the law by the spirit of life in Christ for these reasons Necessarie it was 1. BEcause if there had been no freedome from the Law by Christie then no flesh could be saved 2. Because else no flesh could be saved for the Law brings us under the curse But now God sends his Sonne and puts his Spirit without measure upon him that he might free us from the curse of the Law In what a wofull case and in what a miserable condition had we been in every one of us had not the Lord Jesus come and freed us from the curse of the Law But now God hath created Christ Jesus to be a blessing to the world to take away the old Covenant and to make a new Covenant else no flesh could be saved and it was impossible any man should have eternall life for the voice of the Law is he that sinneth shall die Now as the Apostle saith all have sinned and it being so that what the Law sayes it sayes to them that are under it then assuredly unlesse we be freed from being under it all must die so that we see a necessitie of being freed from the Law because else no flesh could be saved But then 2 We are by the Law of the Spirit freed from the Law for this end that the righteousnesse of the law might be fulfilled and wrought in us through the Spirit And therefore the Saints are said to have the Law of God written in their hearts and to bee all taught of God and having the spirit they are said to grow up in the spirit and to increase with the increase of God and so Paul tels us he presses forward toward the mark And the spirit is given to the Saints that they may all come to be perfect even to the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ And though it be true the Saints have not yet obtained perfection to which they presse while they are here as Paul professes of himself Phil. 3.12 Yet the time shall come when in the spirit they shall be all presented perfect and without spot in the sight of God Not but that we are so already as God lookes upon us all washed in the bloud of Christ and though it be true that the flesh lusteth against the Spirit now yet I say we shall never cause growing up unto perfection untill we do attain unto perfection and therefore sayes the Apostle when he who is our life shall appear 1 Ioh. 3.2 then shall we uppear with him in glory and shall be like him as he is for then shall we attaine unto a full perfection when that which is in part shal be done away being then perfect
Jesus is not held forth in the Law for the law is not of faith Life by Christ Jesus is not held forth in the law but the man that doth it shall live in them So that the law is not able to bring us to CHRIST but the law was our Schoolemaster untill CHRIST And therefore sayes the Apostle before CHRIST came the Saints were under the law as under a Tutor or Governour but when the fulnesse of time was come God sent forth his Son made of a woman made under the law to redeem them that were under the law that we might receive the adoption of sons and being sonnes he hath sent forth the spirit of his Sonne c. So that CHRIST being come we are no longer under a Schoolemaster but being sonnes have the spirit of CHRIST JESUS now to be our guide Whereas before the Saints were under the Law as a guide as a Schoolemaster untill Christ But this will more cleerly appear if you looke upon the Covenant that GOD made with them of old And this was the Covenant that God made with them that they should observe all the lawes and all the Statutes and judgements that God had given them which are set downe in the 20.21.22 and 23. Chapters of Exodus in which iâ— set downe besides the ten precepts that were afterward written upon tables of stone Divers other Lawes and Ordinances and then in the 3. vers of the 24 chapter it is said Moses came and told the people all the Words of the LORD and all the judgements and all the people answered with one voice and said all that the Lord hath said we will doe and then verse 4. it is said Moses wrote all these words of the Lord and Moses offered burnt offerings and sacrificed peace-offerings and took the Booke of the Covenant and read in the audience of the people and they said all that the Lord hath spoken will we doe and be obedient And Moses took the blood and sprinked on the people and said behold the blood of the Covenant which the Lord hath made with us concerning all these words so that this was the Coveant that God then made with his people as appeares also Exod. 34.27 28. Where the first Tables being broken Moses goes up againe to mount Sinai the Lord there making a recapitulation of those things in the forementioned Chapters he saies againe to Moses after the tenor of these words I have made a Covenant with Israel and Moses wrote upon the Tables the Words of the Covenant the ten Commandments which Moses the man of God who also faithfull in all his house againe presses upon the people all along his whole fifth Book called Deuteronomie declaring from the Lord the blessings and cursings that did attend the fulfilling and breaking of it So that this was the Covenant and this was the rule by which they were to walke but most Peculiarly the ten precepts are said to be the covenant Exod. 34.28 as in the forementioned place though yet the rest of the statutes and laws and judgements were not excluded so that this is evident that this is the covenant that God made with his people when he tooke them by the hand and led them out of Eâ—â—pt and according to this rule they were to walke in which was sett before them life and death blessings and cursâ—ings But this letme adde that though the Saints were under this covenant vntill Christ yet besides this they were under a covenant or a promise of free grace too which way given to Abraham in that promise In thy seede shall all the nations of the earth be blessed which all the Saints vnder the law beleeved for saies the Apostle The law which was four hundered and thirtie yeers after could not disanull it And therefore the Saints vnder their Ceremonies saw a Christ then although but darkly and in a figure as Heb. 9.9 yet all the Saints had an eye vnto the Lord Iesus though yet vntill the coming of Christ they were still held vnder the law being then vnder that covenant though now the Lord hath made a new covenant with his people since the comming of Chirst in the flesh as we find Ier 31.32.33.34 which is quoted by the Apostle Hob. 8. Behold the dayes come saith the Lord that I will make a new Covenant with the House of Israel not according to the Covenant I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to leade them out of Egypt to wit the Covenant before mentioned which my Covenant they brake although I was an husband unto them saith the Lord but this shall be the Covenant that I will make with them saith the Lord. And surely this is a new Covenant not according to the tenor of the old Covenant but a new Covenant established upon better promises Heb. 7.11 and 8.6 and therefore sayes the Author to the Hebrewes God finding fault he sayes behold the dayes come wherein I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel Heb. 8.8 And verse 13. In that he saith a new covenant he hath made the first old Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away So then it is not according to the old covenant But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those dayes faith the Lord I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts and will be their God and they shall be my people and they shall teach no more every man his brother and every man his neighbour saying know the Lord for they shall all know me from the least of them unto the greatest of them saith the Lord for I will forgive their iniquities and I will remember their sin no more This is the new covenant and this is a glorious new covenant indeed And should I here go about to hold forth the glory of it though but in some perticulars and shew wherein it excels the former covenant having that in it which never any former covenant had this beings new covenant It would swell into a large volume but because I am but answering of this quaeric Whether the Law were given for a Rule I shall here speak but to that onely thus that it was unto the Israelites before the comming of Christ for they were then under that covenant though now God hath made 3 new covenant with his people and they are not under the old that being as the Holy Ghost sayes vanished away and so all that are in Christ Jesus are under a new covenant according to which they are to walk which comes nothing short of but farre exceeds in holinesse and spiritualitie the old covenant and as many as walk according to this rule of the new covenant in Christ Jesus peace be on them and mercy and upon all the Israel of God But this let me adde That though the Saints be now freed from that
increase So thine inperfections must decrease and thy Christ in thee must increase And as the house of David must growe stronger and stronger and the house of Saul weaker and weaker So in thee the Spirit must grow stronger and stronger but the flesh must grow weaker weaker even till the flesh be utterly overcome and mortalitie be swallowed up of life But then 5. Though you were once in continuall feare and under a Spirit of bondage yet now have you continuall peace and joy in the Holy Ghost for you have not received the Spirit of bondage under which you were while you were in the bonds of Satan chains of darknes I say you have not received that spirit of bondage to fear again but you have received the Spirit of Son-ship wherby you seeing God as a reconciled Father do now serve him without fear I mean slavish feare such feare as may in the least trouble or distract your hearts with terrour or horrour for that is contrary to the Spirit of Son-ship And Low can you now feare that in the Spirit behold the Fathers countenance as being reconciled by the Lord Jesus unto him no you cannot for 6. You that were all your life time subject to bondage even to the law and sinne and Satan before the comming of the Lord Iesus into your soules are now freed from it and are now in the glorious light and libertie of the Sons of God in Iesus Christ and now feare I meane slavish is cast away not but that there remains still a sweet feare a filiall feare a feare of love but this is not a trouble but a solace to your souls for it proceeds from sweetnesse and ends in sweetnes it proceeds from love and ends in love The discoveries of love to thee draw it as an effect of love from thee so all slavish or perplexing feare is banished now that thou art in the glorious Kingdom of God in Iesus Christ 7 Vse An exhortaâ—ion to the Saints to walke in the sight of Iesus Christ and in the light in the purity in joy of the Spirit for thou art brought into a kingdome of glory being brought unto the Lord Iesus and in this thou hast all the priviledges that the most inlarged heart can thinke upon and these are your happinesses who are dead to the Law and married to the Lord Iesus And now 7. Vse ANd lastly Is it so that the Saints by the Spirit of life in Christ Iesus have obtained this glorious freedom these glorious priviledges is it thus that the Saints of God have the Spirit of Iesus Christ then here may be a use of sweete exhortation unto them a four fold exhortation 1. Alwayes to be taking sweet views of the Lord Iesus 2. To walke in the glorious light of the Spirit 3. To walke in the puritie of the Spirit and to be fruitfull through the Spirit 4. To walke in the joyes of the Spirit and to rejoyce evermore But 1. You that are Saints seeing you have obtained this freedome the text holds forth by Iesus Christ in whom you have such glorious priviledges Be exhorted to be alwayes taking a view of Iesus Christ and contemplating of that which Christ hath done for you and though yet you know but little be exhorted to know more and to grow in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ Paul counts all things but drosse and dung for the excellencie of the knowledge of Iesus Christ so do you It is your onely happinesse It is life eternall and therefore hee that knowes most of Christ let him improve all the strength of Christ that is given unto him in the use of all the meanes God hath for that end given to us to know more O let it be your continuall exercise to study the Lord Iesus and to meditate of the Lord Iesus let him be your meditation day and night Let the Lord Iesus alway be in your heart when you lie downe and when you rise up in your going out and comming in In all your discourses let the Lord Iesus be held forth when ever you have opportunitie especially those which are cald to the ministerie and have opportunities according to their calling to speake in publicke being made overseers of a flocke be alwayes I say holding forth the Lord Iesus Christ and the knowledge of the Lord Iesus unto the people for how are they said to be ministers of the Gospel and ministers of Christ that are not continually preaching Christ but as too many doe spend the time in which they should preach Christ in discoursing of points of controversie and of the Civil Law and discoursing of the lawfullnesse of war and the like never holding forth the knowledge of Christ or but seldome I doe not nor cannot object against the lawfulnesse of such discourses but I covet to have more of Christ held forth and to have the Lord Jesus set up in the hearts of all And therefore let this exhortation be acceptable to all strive to know more of the Lord Jesus to know him in every particular Dive into and take a view of all his glories and as you have opportunitie hold them forth to others but especially his death Paul makes that as if it were the summe of all the Gospel he was to hold forth Christ crucified and therefore he tells us that he desires to know nothing and glory in nothing but a crucified Christ 1 Cor 2.2 Gal. 6.14 And O how many and how sweet are the benefits of the Crosse and death of Christ take a veiw of this in the text how upon the crosse he took away the hand-writing of ordinances that was against us and freed us from the curse of the law being made a curse upon the Crosse for us Oh therefore grow in the knowledge of a Christ crucified And in a word grow in all the knowledge of of Christ know him in his death and the fellowship of his suffering and the power of his resurrection know him in his union with thee and relations to thee c. And still so prefer the knowledge of Christ above all other knowledge as with the holy Apostle and the holy martyr to cry out I desire to know none but Christ none but Christ And 2. As you that are Saints are to be exhorted to be alwayes veiwing of your Saviour and to grow in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ so having his Spirit poured upon you you are now to walk in the glorious light of the Spirit that it may appear that you are children of the light for this is your priviledge that ye are now light in the Lord the Lord Iesus is your light and your Sun Oh therefore let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorifie your Father which is in heaven shine you amidst a crooked and perverse generation although the blinde world walkes in darknesse yet do you walke in the light in the
light of the Spirit in the light of the Lord and as in the day being children of the light bring all your actions into the light and let them all be according to the light Let the light of the Spirit in the Word bee the rule of all your actions and of all your holy performances in every thing you doe search the Scriptures whither it be so or no try all things by the light of the Spirit and hold fast that which is good Take up nothing upon trust from others but be sure to have a light from the Spirit for what you doe And 3. As you are alway to be viewing the Lord Iesus and to walke in the light of the Spirit you are so also to walke in the Spirit as to walke in the puritie of the Spirit bringing forth the fruits of the Spirit Let your conversation be as in heaven while you are upon earth walke in the Spirit and be fruitfull in every good word and worke quench not the Spirit but be fervent in spirit serving the Lord. Let all your desires be to be ever in the performance of all holy duties Let it be your meate and drinke to be instant in prayer to Pray continually to Pray without ceasing to be continually offering up spiritual sacrifices to your God in the Spirit to hate the garment spotted by the flesh to contemn and despise the worlds vanities love not the world nor the things thereof as they are in themselves but set your affections upon the things which are above Thus Saints walke you in the spirit that a sweete frame and disposition alwayes may appeare in you in doing good unto all loving your enemies blessing them that curse you doing good unto them that despightfully use you and if it be possible live peaceable with all men walke inoffensively towards them that are without and those within yeeld to all men their due be subject to the higher powers even the powers that are ordained of God both Kings and Magistrates as farre as the word warrants being subject to the ordinances of men for the Lords sake so farre as they are not contrary to the minde of God and yeeld tribute to whom tribute is due honour to whom honour and feare to whom feare is due Be of a meeke and quiet spirit in every passage of your conversation Let the love of the brethren be in you abundantly be as ready to do a brother good as to do thy selfe good in honour preferring one another simpathising with the condition of others and rejoyce with them that do rejoyce and weepe with them that weepe being tender hearted and bearing one another burdens forgiving one another even as God for Christs sake forgave you and though there may be differences in judgement among brethren yet let there be a union in affection Considering that there are severall degrees of light given out to severall saints some have higher measures of light then others have And what if thou hast more light then thy brother do not despise him because he is more ignorant for what hast thou that thou hast not received but consider that though he be now other wayes minded God shall reveale it to such a one in his owne time and besides it may be thy brother which seems to be much inferiour to thee in some things may exceede thee in the knowledge of the misteries of Christ in some particulars And againe though thy brother seeme to be in darkenesse unto thee in some particulars yet it may be it is through thy ignorance that dost not see that light that doth appeare to him and though it doth not now appeare unto thee yet it may appeare though now it seeme an errour to thee Therefore in the meane time though you differ in iudgment yet be one in afectition and be followers of God as deere Chidren and walke in love as Christ also hath loued us and hath given himselfe for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweete smelling Sauour remember how the Lord Jesus hath saide hereby shall men know that you are my disciples if you love one another Oh therfore let the spirit of love sweetly appear in you and dwell in love And let also humblenesse and lowlynesse of minde appeare in you and condesend to men of low estate and so walke in the frvtes of holynesse in the spirit that it may apeere to all that the Spirit of God and of glory resteth upon you and in the Apostles words whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are pure whatsoever things are of good report whatsoever things are lovely thinke one these things for the spirit is powered upon you now saies the Apostle 1. Cor. 3.17 18. the Lord is that Spirit and where the spirit of the lord is there is libertie and therefore you all with open face beholding as in a glasse the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord. Lastly the last exhortation to the Saints is to walke in the joyes of the Spirit The Spirit is your comforter and have you the comforter why theâ— should you be sad why should thy heart be troubled banish therefore 〈◊〉 sinfull sorrow and sadnesse from your hearts you that are saints Reioyce in the Lord ye righteous and let all the Children of Zion be joyfull in their kings yea reioyce evermore and againe I say reioyce your God hath given you the comforter for this very end therefore be filled with joy in the Holy ghost Indeed had you not the spirit you might be commanded to rejoyce long enough yet never be able to rejoyce but now the Comforter is come now the Spirit is given unto thee What wantest thou now to make thee joyfull doth he not take of the things of the father and of Christ and show it unto thee doth he not reveal to thee even the bosome thoughts of thy God No man hath feene or can reveale the Father but the sonne which came from the bosome of the Father and he by his spirit reveales the thoughts of the love of your God vnto you from all eternity ye and the exceeding love where with he hath loved you he reveales the glorious designes of God in the Lord Jesus for thee and the vnsearchable riches of his grace And if so how comes it to passe that you that are Saints some of you are so disquieted and sadded in your spirits Walking as though you had still the spirit of bondage which we have not now received and your hearts are so filled with sorrow Certainly this is not the minde of your God This is not a fruite of the Spirit but of the flesh for the fruits of the Spirit are love joy peace c. But these distempering sadnesses and feares come from the flesh as you may observe it in your selves when you give way to the flesh and live below and not a bove in the spirit as to the pleasures of the world and upon creature comforts sorrow hath seazed upon you and your hearts have bin fild with feare for fear sorrow is natural to the flesh but you have the Spirit therfore reioyce ever more walking a bove the flesh alwaies hearken you to the sweet voice of the Spirit and be you alwaies singing and making melodie in your hearts to the Lord being fild with joy unspeakable and full of glory Which the Lord 〈◊〉 these times of horror and feare to 〈◊〉 godly men giue in abundantly vnâ—â— all them that love our Lord Jesus Chriâ—â— and his apearing and coming Now vnto the King Immortall all Invisible and the onely wise God be honour and glory for ever and ever AMEN FJNJS
Righteousnesse of God and going about to set up their owne righteousnesse which is by the Law have not submitted to to the righteousnesse of God c. And so though they had a zeale of God in the fulfilling of the Law Yet being without a Christ they are without a spirit and walke after the flesh Thus you have seene the Caracters of the men that walke after the flesh and they are next to be informed of their wofull and miserable condition from this point and the first word it speakes to them is no lesse then this They shall die die Eternally it is the direct word of the Apostle Rom 8.13 for if yee live after the flesh yee shall die eternally for they that walke after the flesh shall not inherite the Kingdome of God and of Christ Gal 5.2 so that your condition is deplorable and the reason is because you are vnder the law and all the curses thereof so that fearfull is your condition for you are gone no further being but after the flesh then Agar then mount Sinai then mount Ebal you are no further then Agar which is in bondage with her children you are still in bondage and if their be any spirit in you it is a spirit of bondage a spirit vnder which you may lie bound till you drop into hell Againe you are no further then mount Sinai the mount of feare and trembling and you heare nothing but a fearfull noyse so that horrour and trembling lights upon you and fearfullnesse surprises you and no wonder you are no further then mount Ebal all the curses of the law are thundering against you for what saies it Cursed is every one that continueth not in all that is written in the Booke of the law to doe them So that Dredfull fearfull and lamentable is thy condition whoever thou art and wherever thou art that walkest after the flesh To be carnally minded is death death while alive for thou art but as a dead carkase while thou walkest up and downe thou haste no spirituall life in thee no spirituall joy in thee no spirituall peace no true contentment nor joy in the holy Ghost thy pleasures are dead pleasures thy comforts are dead comforts thy life is a dead life for if thou looke upon thoy best comforts and pleasures thou shalt find bitternesse and sorrow in them a secret inward anguish in them so that they are not to be compared with those living pleasures and that glorious sweetnesse and peace that Saints have in the spirits And so may I say of all that thou inioyest Ah poore creature hâ—w sad is thy condition If it be bitternesse in the be gining it will much more be bitter in the latter end And how searfull will that wait of vergence be when it shall fully seâ—â—e upon thee And now I cannot but bewaile and pity thy condition and thy deplorable estate nor can I leave thee heere in it But 3. Vse To invite poore sinners to come to Jesus Christ Vse 3 IN the next use with yerning bowels and melting affections being so deeply affected with thy miserable condition desire to fall a wooing of thee to come over unto the Lord Iesus Christ that through his spirit thou mayest be freed from this condition and a beseeching of thee to be marryed to the Lord Iesus that thou Mayest be dead to the law What canst thou object against him that thou shouldest not imbrace him I know that thou wilt answer that thou canst not object against him but against thy selfe thou art a great sinner But what though thou art 2. Cor. 5.20 Yet he woes thee and sends his messengers to wee thee And wilt thou not be wood And why O hearken to his voice and thy soule shall live Why what saies he Truly faithfull sayings and thus I am come into the world to save sinners dyed for the ungodly What canst thou now say Though thou art a sinner yet thou art not exempted from him Nay though thou art the chiefest of sinners and thy sinns be of the deepest dye though they bee Scarlet and red like Crimson yet is the Blood of the LORD JESUS able to make thee as white as Wooll ye whiter then the Snow Isa 1.18 And now why wilt thou not accept of the LORD JESUS O imbrace him for thy Saviour But thou sayest How shall I dare to come to Christ since I have nothing to bring him norighteousnesse nor holy performances nor good actions But hee will not be put off so but continues still to woe thee and answers that Objection too and saies Let him that is a thirst come and take of the Water of life freely Revel 22.17 Yea without money and without price Isa 55.1 So that he tells thee plainly he expects nothing from thee hee resolves to be free and tâ— shew the riches of his free gracâ— unto thee And now behold he stands at the doore and knockes and waites to be Gracious and now what canst thou say that thou dost not hearken unto his sweete voice And why is not thine heart ravished with his love and overcome with his sweetnesse Canst thou yet refuse to be married to the Lord Jesus And to receive him into thy bosome that he may free thee out of thy miserable condition and adorne thee with glory O receive the Lord Jesus that he may take thee out of thy ragges and filthynesse and aray thee with royall robes and put a crowne upon thine head But me thinkes I should heare thee say How is it that I must receive him that so I may become his Spouse and may bee married unto him and be his for ever I Answer Doth his sweetnesse prevaile upon thine heartt and doth his love constraine thee indeed and art thou so inamored with his beauteous excellencie that now thy heart doth thirst for him And art thou as it were cast into pangs of love for him and longest thou to enjoy him above any besides him Then be leeve that he is the Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the World Beleeve he came to save the ciefest of sinners and that he came to save thee and to free thee from under the Law beleeve that he hath washed away thy sinns in his blood and beleeve that hee loves thee and delights in thee for his owne sake And this is all he desires For if thou canst but thus beleeve thou art in a most glorious and a most happie condition for thou hast formerly had nothing that is good in thee yet in belleving if thou dost by the sweet workings of the Spirit in thy soul truely beleeve thou hast put on the Lord Iesus Christ and hast the Spirit of Christ powred into into thee as the Lord Iesus himselfe hath saide Iohn 7.38 39. Hee that beleeveth one me one of his belly shall flow rivers of livig waters And this saith the Text he spake of the Spirit and indeede he that beleeveth on the Son is at once possest of the
Father the Son and the Spirit and then though thou couldest doe nothing befre yet thou mayest bee able to say with Paul I can doe all things through Christ which strengtheneth mee And so much for this use I come now to the next And 4. Vse To discover the fondnesse of those that seek to be instified by his works as Papist and Papisticall spirits Vse 4 IS it so that the Spirit of life in Christ Iesus hath free us from the Law Then this discovers the fondnesse of those that seeke to be Iustified by the by the Workes of the Law Let those Pharisees but to sider that unlesse the Lord Iesus had come into the world to free men from the curse of the Law no flesh could have been saved unlesse Christ himselfe through the eternall spirit had fulfilled the Law for us all men must have perished for ever for there is no life to be obtained by the Law but in the perfect fulfilling of the Law Gal. 2 17. Rom. 3.20 but saies the Apostle by the workes of the Law shall no man living be justified And therefore when the young man in Gospel that thought to be justified by his doings came to our Savious and said what must I doe to inheherite eternall life Our Saviour answers to his question because hee questions whither he might be saved by doing and tells him what he must doe and againe saies our Saviour if thou wilt bee perfect meaning if thou by thine owne strength seekes to bee perfect I will tell thee what thou must doe having before told him that hee must do all the workes of the Second Table towards his brother Our Saviour tells him further he must goe and sell that he had and he should have treasure in heaven and come and follow the Lord Jesus but that cast him into a sad fit as being utterly unable so to do And certainly unlesse men bee able to fulfill the Law to the uttermost is no obtaining salvation by it If thou failest but in one point thou art guilty of all for there is no hope for thee I meane in the Law How vaine is it therefore for any man to seek life by that which speakes nothing but death to all since all have sinned and all come short of it Aagaine consider that no man can come unto the Father but by the Lord Jesus He is the way the truth and the life God hath determined to glorifie and magnifie his free grace that all might be of grace that the Creature might not have whereof to boast and therefore wee are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in CHRIST JESUS Romancs 3.34 That the creature might not have whereof to glory and therefore the Scripture saies that Abraham was iustified by workes but Abraham beleeved God and it was accounted unto him for righteousnes And therefore saies the Apostle to him that worketh not but beleeveth on him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is accounted unto him for righteousnesse Rom 4.3.5 And in the 23. and 24. verses the Apostle tells us againe that Abrahams faith being imputed unto him for rigteousnesse It was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed unto him but for us also to whom it shall bee imputed for righteousne if we beleeve on him that raised up Iesus our Lord from the dead Be ashamed therefore of thy vanity thou that goest about to establish thine owne righteousnesse being ignorant of the righteousnesse of God and be now informed there is no other name under heaven by which thou canst be saved but by the name of Iesus Christ And 5. Vse To cleere the Saints of that odious nickname of Antinomians Vse 5 THe fifth use is this If it be so that the Saints have the Law of God written in their hearts and the law of the Spirit of life be within them then in the next place this point is of use to cleere the Saints from that nick-name of Antinomian which some doe indeavour to fasten upon them But herein I would not be mistaken as though I hereby Intended to sooth up those that are really such in their lawlesse practises for to such I have spoken already in the first use but I speake now of those that have the law of God written in their hearts through the Spirit Who yet are branded with this contemtible title of Antinomians or persons against the law by scandalous and wicked persons and that as it seemes upon this ground Because they professe they are saved by free grace and not by the workes of the law and instified in beleeving the promise of free grace without the deeds of the Law That which I shall say for them in this particular is this that in this they doe not make voide the Law but establish the Law And doe I say so or doth not rather the Spirit of God by the Apostle Rom. 3.31 say so for the Apostle having been in the former ver discoursing that no flesh should be justified by by the Law but by free grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus and that the Law is nothing in point of justification but it is all imputed to faith saies the Apostle do we then make voide the Law through faith God forbid Yea we establish the Law And now you that cast these false aspersions on the Saints How will you answer the Apostle heere For you cast not this aspersion upon those that are in these times only but upon all that are saved by free grace through the redemption that is in the Lord Jesus in all ages and places Now saies the Apostle they doe not make voide the Law but they establish it And now friend whosoever thou art that castest this title upon the Saints know that if thou dost not see that they establish the Law it is through thine owne ignorance thy ignorance of the workings of the Spirit of JESUS CHRST in those that beleeve for though the Saints now are redeemed from the Law that they might not serve in the oldnesse of the Letter yet they now serve in the newnesse of the Spirit and though they be free from the Law yet it is that the Law of the Spirit might be put into them for the Spirit of Iesus Christ worketh in them mightily both to will and to doe and they are led by the Spirit of God in the waies of God They are led by the Spirit in the waies of holynesse and puritie And further they are led by the Spirit to doe that which is above the Law and which the Law doth not teach them also as to beleeve in the Lord Iesus and to see themselves compleate in him and to behold the things that are freely given to them of God even that the Lord Iesus is made unto them of God wisedome Righteousnesse Sanctification and Redemption not that they can possibly slight the Law although they are carried in the Spirit beyond it as it holds forth any holinesse