but because they are under the Law As there were two in Aâ—rahams house the Bond-woman and the Free-woman Hagar and Sarah So in these Gospel Times there will be some that shall be freely for the Grace of God and the Covenant of Grace some again that will turn in to the Covenant of works and be Legal and Mosaical And If that we be Legal and Mosaical in these Gospel times we shall be more Lâ—gal â—nd more Mosaical than before As when a Servant was bound and the year of freedom came and he might go free and would not then his ear was bor'd and he was to be a servant for ever So now for what is our Gospel time but a time of Spiritual freedom And if men will be servants still and under the Law still their ears are bor'd and they are more Mosaical and more Legal than before But friends This ought not to be for you know what the Lord saith from Heaven concerning Christ Hear ye him Once in the 3d. of Matth. ye have those words from Heaven over Christ This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased And a second time ye have those words at the Transfiguration in the 17 of Matth. 5. This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased hear ye him Why are those words hear ye him added here In the 3d. of Matth. these words are not added but only thus This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased There 't is not said hear ye him but in the 17 of Matth. 't is said This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased hear ye him Why is hear ye him added here Why if you look into the former verse ye find Peter answered and said unto Jesus Lord it is good for us to be here if thou wilt let us make here three Tabernacles one for Thee and one for Moses and one for Elias Moses gave out the Law and Elias restored the Law now they being present now comes the voice hear ye him That is not Moses not Elias but now hear ye him in opposition to Moses in opposition unto Elias hear ye him And if you look into the 7th of the Rom. you shall find that now in these Gospel times we are to be dead unto the Law which the Apostle clears by a very great similitude Saith he Know ye not Brethren how that the Law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the Law to her Husband so long as he liveth but if the Husband be dead she is loosed from the law of her Husband So then if while her husband liveth she be married to another man she shall be called an Adulteress but if her husband be dead she is free from that Law so that she is no Adulteress though she be married to another man Wherefore my Brethren ye also are become dead to the Luw by the body of Christ that ye should be marryed to another even to him who is raised from the dead that we should bring forth fruit unto God Ye are married to another therefore ye are dead to the Law dead how dead why ye are freed from the Law he expresses it so elsewhere freed from the Law How so What are we freed from the Commandment of the Law From the precept of the Law No saith the Apostle The Commandment is hâ—ly and just and good How then are we freed from the Law Why you are free from the Vail of the Law 2 Cor. 3. And you are free from the Dominion of the Law Ye are not under the Law but under Grace Rom. 6. And ye are free from the Pedagogy of the Law the Law is not your School-master to bring to Christ Gal. 3. And ye are free from the Covenant of the Law as a Covenant And thus are ye in these Gospel times dead to the Law and free But now though we are thus dead and be thus free yet possibly a man may be too Legal in these Gospel times That 's the Second 3. But then thirdly When may a man be said to be Legal or Mosaical in opposition to this Mediator Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant And when may a man be said to be Evangelical in opposition to Moses the Mediator of the Old Covenant Or in short What is the Way and Spirit of the Old and of the New Testament and wherein do they differ First of all An Old Testament legal Spirit is a servile spirit that serveth God upon the account of wages or reward mostly chiefly or onely An Evangelical Gospel spirit is a Filial spirit Moses therefore the Head of that Covenant is called a Servant and Jesus the Head of this Covenant is called a Son Moses as a Servant Christ as a Son Heb. 3. And if you look into Rom. 8. you shall find it s said there by way of difference For ye have not received the Spirit of Bondage again unto fear So you read it but the words are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ye have not received the spirit of Servitude again or a servile Spirit or the spirit of Servants But ye have received the Spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Father Compare this with Gal. 4. and you shall see the opposition doth not lie between the Spirit of Adoption and Bondage but Servitude v. 6. Because ye are Sons God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts crying Aâ—ba Fâ—ther wherefore thou art no more a Servant but a Son In the 1. verse Now I say that the heir as long as he is a Child differeth nothing from a Servant though he be Lord of all but is under Tutors and Governours until the time appointed of the Father But when the fulness of the time was come God sent forth his Son made of a Women made under the Law to redeem them that were under the Law that we might receive the Adoption of Sons And because ye are Sons God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into yâ—ur hearâ—s crying Abba Father wherefore thou art nâ— mâ—re a Serv nt So that it is a servile spirit and the spirit of a servant that is here opposed to this Adoption And would you know the difference between the spirit of a Servant and the spirit of a Son Why a Servant serves for wages and a Son serves out of love and duty And are there not many in these times of the Gospel that do serve God onely or mâ—stly upon the account of wages and reward Ye know what men ordinarily say What need ye be so strict in your life you may go to Heaven with less ado So then it seems 't is Heaven that is their measure of obedience Why because men are legal and serve God upon the account of wages 'T is Heaven and Reward and Wages that 's the business Why because men are legal I grant It is lawful to have an eye to the recompence of
carried it â—to the holy of holyest the typicall satisfaction and reâ—emption had not been obtained And so here though â—e blood of Jesus had been shed and poured out upâ—n the Crosse if he had not gone unto the Father and â—rried his blood into heaven into the holy of holyest his â—tisfaction for our sin had not been accepted and ouâ—â—edemption had not been perfected Secondly If Christ had not gone unto the Father he had not made the application of his Death and Blood and Merits unto our Souls He came into the world that we should have Repentance and Remission both were purchased by his Death But now if he had not gone unto the Father there had not been an application Both were purchased by his Death on earth But was the businesse so left at a loose no but by his going to the Father what he purchased by his Death he doth apply In Acts 5. it 's said Him hath God exalteâ— with his Right hand to be a Prince and Saviour for to givâ— Repentance unto Israel and forgivenesse of sins So that haâ— he not gone unto the Father there had not been aâ— application of his Blood and Death and Merit untâ— our souls Thirdly If Christ had not gone unto the Fatheâ— the Holy Ghost the Comforter had not come If go not away the Comforter will not come But whâ— might not the Comforter or the Holy Ghost come though Christ had been here on earth if he had nâ— gone unto the Father I answer The gifts graces and comforts of thâ— Holy Ghost were the Dona Regia which were giveâ— out upon the Coronation of Christ for by this goinâ— to the Father he was crowned with glory and honour 〈◊〉 in Heb. 2. When the Holy Ghost comes he do bear witnesse to our spirits that we are the childreâ— of God and God reconciled to us But how shouâ— God give such a testimony of his Reconciliation unâ— us if Christ had not first gone into heaven and give up his accounts of what he had done here on earth 〈◊〉 is said expresly in John 7. This spake he of the spirâ— which they that believe on him should receive for the Hâ— Gh st was not yet given because that Jesus was not yet gloâ—fied And if Jesus Christ had not gone unto the Fâ—ther and so sent the Spirit how should we haâ— known that he had so much care for us and love to us when he was in heaven as by the sending of the Holy Ghost We are never more fit for the Holy Ghost than when we are weaned from the carnall presence of Christ And therefore if Christ had not gone unto the Father the Spirit the Holy Ghost had not come Fourthly If our Lord and Saviour Christ had not gone unto the Father we should have had no Advocate in heaven to plead our Cause in heaven upon all occasions 'T is a great matter we say to have a Friend at Court an Agent there that may plead for us What a mercy is it to have an Agent in heaven to negotiate our businesse there why now saith the Apostle If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous If Christ had not gone unto the Father we had not had this Advocate in heaven to plead for us upon all occasions And Fifthly If Christ had not gone unto the Father we should have no entrance into heaven heaven was locked up the Gates of Paradise were shut and kept by an Angel with a a flaming sword This Paradise was opened upon the Crosse This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise and we enter into it by Christ's going into heaven by his going into the holy of holiâ—est I go to prepare a place for you not as sent before to take up your Lodgings but as one Friend goes before another to make a great entertainment for his Friends But I say if Christ had not gone unto the Father we had had no entrance into heaven Why now is it not a matter of Joy and of great Comfort that we have entrance into heaven That the Comforter is come That we have always one in heaven to plead our Cause upon all occasions These and many other things we obtain by Christ's going to the Father This for our own concernment And Secondly As for the concernment of Christ By his going to the Father he was exalted and glorified as Mediatour I speak And if you ask what was the Glory and greatnesse that was put upon Christ as Mediatour by his going to the Father It consists in two things The Royalty of his entertainment when he came unto his Father And the greatnesse of his advancement And if yoâ— ask yet what was the Entertainment that he had when he came unto the Father Why it was an Entertainment suitable to such a Father and to such a Son When that great Sinner the Prodigall returned unto his Father his Father fell upon his neck and kissed him Bring out the Robes kill the Fatted Calf bring out the Ring And if such an entertainment for a Prodigall Son what entertainment then for the Naturall Son of God the obedient Son of God that had been upon his Father's great concernment in the world Great was this Entertainment surely beyond all my expression But now more particularly 1. No sooner did he come into heaven unto his Father but he was Justified in all that which he did and suffered for us as you have it in the 1 Tim. 3.16 God was manifest in the flesh Justified in the Spirit seen of Angels preached unto the Gentiles believed on in the world received up into glory 2. No sooner did he come unto the Father but he was mightily declared to be the Son of God as you have it in Rom. 1. Thou art my Son this day that is upon the Resurrection this day have I begotten thee The Apostle explains it concerning the Resurrection in Acts 13. 3. No sooner did he come unto the Father but he was annointed with a new and fresh Annointing with the oyle of gladnesse above all his fellows For as David the Type had a double Annointing one by the hand of Samuel after which he was thrust out into the Wildernesse and another at the day of his Coronation so Christ Typified had a double Annointing one upon his Incarnation in which respects he saith The Spirit of the Lord is upon me and he hath annointed me to preach and another upon his Coronation when he was crowned with Glory and honour And therefore in Heb. 1. he is annointed twith the oyle of gladnesse above his fellows comes in upon his exaltation And 4. No sooner did he come into the presence of his Father but his Father said unto him Sit thou down at my Right hand the most honourable place in heaven sit thou at my Right hand my Son Why now is it not a matter of great rejoycing to us that Christ going to heaven with our names upon his shoulder and heart
workings of the Law first Yet notwithstanding if I will lay a necessity upon such a precedency of a legal work before I do come to Christ then I am too legal 7. In the times of the Old Testament men did then upon any great discovery of God flie from God as when God gave out the Law they fled from God And when Christ did a great work before Peter Lord saith he depart from me for I am a sinful man But now in the Gospel the greater the discovery is the more a Gospel Spirit doth draw near to God Oh 't is good for me to be here saith he 8. The time of the Old Testament was a time of the Letter And therefore if a man of a legal spirit can but perform his duty according to the Letter of the Commandment he is satisfied But the times of the New Testament are the times of the Spirit We are not Ministers of the Letter but of the Spirit And therefore a Gospel spirit though he can perform his duty according to the Letter of the Command yet if he don't attain the spirit in it he is unsatisfied 9. To say no more in it but this In the times of the Old Testament God spake by Visions and Dreams and Signs But now in these latter days he hath spoken by his Son and we have a more sure word of Prophesie whereunto we do well that we take heed So that thus you see that there is a difference and what the difference is between the way of the Old and New Testament between an Old Testament and a New Testament spirit Fâ—urthly But then 4ly Suppose now that I have recourse too much to Mâ—ses in these Gospel times and not enough unto Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant Suppose I be legal in these Gospel times is there any great danger in it Much very much And I pray consider it that we may be all found upon Gospel ground in this Gospel day Danger I say much For I. The more legal you are in Gospel times the more sinful you will be and the less able for to live unto God 1. The more sinful you will be For saith the Apostle Let not sin reign in your mortal body for ye are not under the Law but under Grace And the less able you will be to live unto God For saith the Apostle Gal. 2.19 I through the Law am dead to the Law that I might live unto God Till ye be dead unto the Law you will never live unto God and in the Rom. 7. Ye are become dead to the Law by the body of Christ that ye should be married to another even to him who is raised from the dead that we should bring forth fruit untr God Dead unto the Law That ye may bring forth fruit unto God Never think of bringing forth fruit unto God while you are upon a legal ground and come not off fully to Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant 'T is observed that the Law was given out twice in Tables of Stone And the first time that they were given out God did cut out the Tables of Stone and he himself did write the Law with his own Finger in those Tables The second time Moses cut out the Tables of Stone and Moses wrote the words of the Commandment upon those Tables In the 34. of Exod. Hew thee two Tables of Stone like unto the first saith God Well so he did at the 28. v. And he wrote upon the Tables the words of the Covenant the Ten Commandments The first Tables were of Gods own making and the writing was of Gods own Finger The second Tables were of Moses framing and Moses writing and yet the first were broken the second kept What should be the Reason One would think that the first Tables should have been kept as a holy thing rather then the second but the first were broken and the second kept why For a good reason saith Austine because when the Commandment was given in the first Tables then God appeared in a dreadful way with Thundring and Lightning When God gave out the Commandments again the Lord appeared in a way of Grace The Lord proclaimed unto Moses Exod 34. The Lord the Lord God merciful and gracious long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth keeping mercy for thousands Thus God proclaimes himself as a gracious and merciful God and when the Law comes out now 't is kept No such way to keep the Commandments of the Law as from the consideration of the free grace and mercy of God When the Law comes out with a Gospel hand I then it 's kept and the Commandment not broken So that I say the more Legal you are the more sinful you will be and the less able you will be for to live unto God 2. The more Legal you are the more opposite you are to your own assurance to a full setled assurance of your interest in God and Christ We have not received the Spirit of bondage you read it again to fear but the Spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Father Assurance is a work of the Comforter but the Spirit of servitude 't is opposite to the Spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Father 't is a great Enemy unto true assurance Now is it not a miserable thing for a man or woman to be always fluctuating and never to have assurance setled The more Legal you are the more opposite to your own assurance But 3. Though you do serve and worship the true God yet if you worship him in a Legal way your worship will be Antichristian For what 's Antichrist and who is Antichrist The Apostle John tells you in the 1 Epist 4.3 Every Spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God and this is that Spirit of Antichrist whereof you have heard that it should come But shall Antichrist deny Christ to be come in the flesh in so many terms No He shall not deny the Incarnation of Christ for he shall sit in the Temple of God How then shall Antichrist deny Christ to be come â—n the flesh He shall set up such a Worship as was before Christ came in the flesh As in the time of the Old Testament before Christ came in the flesh there was an outward glorious and a pompous Worship so shall Antichrist have As in the time of the Old Testament before Christ came in the flesh there was a Temple and a great Cathedral so shall Antichrist have As in the time of the Old Testament before Christ came in the flesh there was a High-Priest and Priests and Levites so shall Antichrist have As in the time of the Old Testament before Christ came in the flesh there were Copes and Ephods and Linnen Coats so shall Antichrist have As in the time of the Old Testament before Christ came in the flesh there were Candles and Tapers and Musick in the Temple so shall Antichrâ—st have As in the
sufferings are your servants for all things are yours for you are Christs who is the Head of the Covenant And in case that you are under any spiritual desertion Then praise God for his love to Jesus when you cannot praise God for his love to you A true Gospel spirit will praise God the Father for his love to Christ his Son when he cannot praise God for his love to himself because he wants assurance Again if you would yet walk up unto this condition of the Gospel whereunto now we are come then whatsoever you do be sure that you do it upon Gospel Principles Principles of Love principles of Thankfulness principles of Ingenuity Principles are the springs of Actions If your principles be Evangelical your actions will be Evangelical if your principles be legal your actions will be legal Stock therefore and store your selves with Gospel principles principles of Love principles of Thankfulness and principles of Ingenuity doing all in the Name of Jesus this Mediator of the Covenant And when you have wrought and done all Rest upon Jesus this Mediator as if you had done nothing Yet repent work and do as if you had no such Mediator I say Work and pray and read and meditate and confer and repent as if you had no Mediator for to rest upon but onely your works and yet rest upon this your Mediator as if you had done no work at all Thus do and thus shall you comply and comport with your Gospel state Which that you may do consider This is that you are now called unto you are now come to Jesus not to Moses you are now come to Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant VVhy then As in the time of the Old Testament they had recourse unto Moses so now in the times of the New Testament ye are in all things to have recourse unto Jesus VVhat saith Jesus to this business Here 's VVorship VVhat saith Jesus to it Here 's an Ordinance VVhat saith Jesus to it Here 's an Officer of the Church VVhat saith Jesus to it This is suitable unto the state that now you are come unto And thus shall all your Convictions Graces and your duties be refined you shall have much in a little room A legal work may be great for the bulk yet be but little a Gospel work though but little hath a great deal in it for 't is refined And thus also shall you have the wedding Garment on For pray What is the wedding Garment but a Gospel disposition sutable to a Gospel dispensation this is the wedding Garment Not Faith nor Repentance nor this nor that particular Grace But a Gospel disposition sutable to a Gospel dispensation is the wedding Garment and thus shall you be cloathed with it Thus also your Onely shall stand in its proper place For mark where the Apostle places your onely Onely saith he let your Conversation be as it becomes the Gospel there stand a Christians onely upon a conversation becoming the Gospel Thus also shall you please the Father The more that you come to Jesus the Mediator whom the Father hath appointed And the more your Conversation suites thereunto the more you please the Father You can never please the Father more than in coming to the Son Now therefore as ever you do desire that you may please the Father As you do desire that your onely may be found in the right and proper place As you do desire that you may be found having the wedding Garment on As you do desire that all your Convictions Graces Duties may be more refined and so preserved and kept As you do desire to be found doing according to the state whereunto you are called so let it be your work your and business to stand clear from Moses and to stand upon clear Gospel ground and to come off fully unto Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant For saith this Doctrine In these Gospel times we are not come unto Moses the Mediator of the Old Testament or of the Old Covenant but unto Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant And so I have done with this third Observation There is a fourth thing yet behind which concerns the Blood of Sprinkling that speaketh better things than the blood of Abel The Blood of Sprinkling SERM. VI. Hebr. 12.24 And to the Blood of Sprinkling that speaketh better things than that of Abel VVHen I made entrance into these Words I took up four Observations from them And having gone through three of them I now come unto the fourth which more largely runs thus Observ 4. That it is a very great priviledge which in these Gospel times we are partakers of To come unto the Blood of Sprinkling that speaketh better things than that of Abel For the clearing and prosecuting whereof First I shall shew you what this Blood of Sprinkling is what are the grounds and use of this Sprinkling 2. That this Blood of Sprinkling is a speaking-Blood and speaketh better things than that of Abel 3. That we are now come unto this blood of Sprinkling 4. What are the priviledges of coming to this Blood of sprinkling and of being sprinkled with this Blood of Sprinkling And then 5. What we must do that we may get our hearts sprinkled with this Blood of Sprinkling First If you ask what this Blood of Sprinkling is I answer That it is no other than the blood of Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant called the Blood of Sprinkling Because it was and is the thing specified by all the Sprinkings of Water and Blood in the Old Testament In the dayes of the Old Testament it was their way and manner then to mix water and blood together and to sprinkle it upon Persons and Things which was a Pattern and Type of this Blood of Jesus as you read from the 13. verse unto the 24. of the 9. of the Heb. When our Lord and Saviour Christ died upon the Cross there came water and blood out of his side saith John And if you look into the 1 of John c. 5. you shall see that John his beloved Disciple insists much upon it at the 6. v. This is he that came by Water and Blood even Jesus Christ not by Water onely but by Water and Blood Again This is he even Jesus Christ that came by water and blood which blood of Sprinkling is the blood of Jesus saith Peter expresly in his 1 Epist 1.2 Elect according to the foreknowledge â—f God the Father through sanctification of the Spirit unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Iesus Christ So that plainly then and briefly this Bâ—ood of Sprinkling is the blood of Iesus Called the Blâ—od of Sprinkling in reference unto those Types and Ceremonies of sprinkling blood in the time of the Old Testament For our better understanding whereof I shall labour to shew you briefly what were the grounds and reasons of their sprinkling blood in the times of the Old Testament and how that is appliable to
saith Moses now And therefore saith Christ If thy Brother offend thee tell him of it and if he hear not call two or three and if he mind not then tell it to the Church and if he hear not the Church let him be as a Heathen or Publican to you for when two or three are gathered together in my Name I am in the midst of them Matth. 18. We are to hear what Jesus saith in this matter and not what Moses And as then in the times of the Old Testament they had recourse to Moses under God for their Ministry and Moses did direct them unto Priests and Levites for their Ministers So now in the times of the New Testament we are to have recourse to Jesus for our Ministry and therefore saith the Apostle He hath set in the Church Pastors and Teachers And in Ephes 4. He hath ascended up on high and he hath given gifts unto Men Pastors aâ—d Teachers and the like We are to hear what Jesus saith now and not what Moses for our Ministry And as in the times of the Old Testament they had then recourse unto Moses for the Ordinances for their Sabbaths for their Sacraments and for their Worship So now in the times of the New Testament we are to hear what Jesus saith and to have recourse to him for these things Go saith our Saviour Christ and teach all Nations baptizing them and teaching them to observe and do what I command you Matth. 28. And for the Lords Supper What I received of the Lord that delivered we unto you saith the Apostle And for the Sabbath The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath Go to him for your Sabbath not to Moses but unto him And for Worship saith our Saviour Christ unto the Woman of Samaria John 4.23 The hour cometh and now is when the true Worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and truth for the Father seeketh such to worship him You that are Samaritans you have worshipt God but you have not worshipt God according to his own appointment you have not worshipt him in Truth The Jews they have worshipt God according to Gods appointment but not with the Spirit But now the hour cometh when men shall worshâ—p the Father in Spirit and in Truth In Truth in opposition to Samaritans that did not worship according to appointment And in Spirit in opposition to the Jews that worshipt God Legally and without the Spirit Thus we must hear what Jesus saith And as then in the times of the Old Testament they had recourse to Moses still when they wanted Bread he under God gave them Manna and he gave them water out of the Rock So now in the times of the New Testament we are to have recourse to Jesus for our Bread In John 6. saith Christ Labour not for the meat which perisheth but for the meaâ— that indureth to everlasting life which the Son of man shall give unto you for him hath God the Father sealed And as in the times of the Old Testament they had much recourse to Moses for their Faith If they could not believe Moses wrought miracles before them and they believed Insomuch as it s said in the 14. of Exod. last And Israel saw that great work which the Lord did upon the Egyptians and the people feared the Lord and believed the Lord and his Servant Moses But now what saith Jesus Let not your heart be troubled ye believe in God believe also in me Not in God and in Moses but ye believe in God believe also in me And to say no more in it but this In the times of the Old Testament they had recourse to Moses for their Rest Mâ—ses was to lead them up to Canaan and the Land of Rest And so now in the times of the New Testament we are to have recourse to Jesus for our Rest for saith he himself Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest Thus as in the times of the Old Testament they were upon all occasions to have recourse to Moses So now in the times of the New Testament upon all occasions we are to have recourse to Jesus the Mediator of the New Testament for saith the Lord by Moses in the 18. of Deut. 18. v. I will raise them up a Prophet from among their Brethren like unto thee rather as thee that is as I raised up thee and will put my words in his mouth and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him Which the Apostle applies unto Christ Acts 3.22 For Moses truly said unto the Fathers a Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your Brethren like unto me rather as me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as me that is as he raised up me not like unto me as the Socinians would argue from hence That Chriâ— must be but Man like to Moses For Moses truly saiâ— unto the Fathers a Prophet shall the Lord your Goâ— raise up unto you of your Brethren like unto me rather as me That is as he raised up me Him shalâ— ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unâ— you So that thus As they had recourse to Moseâ— upon all occasions in the time of the Old Testament so now we are to have recourse unto Jesus And thuâ— we see what it is to come unto Jesus the Mediator oâ— the New Covenant in opposition unto Moses the Mediator of the Old Covenant 2. But then secondly Whether is it possible for a man that doth profess to come unto Jesus the Mediaator of the New Covenant still to have recourse to Moses that is Whether is it possible for a man to be Legal and Mosaical in these Gospel times Without all doubt it is and I wish if it were the will of the Lord that too many were not found upon Legal ground among Prâ—fâ—ssors What think you of the Galatians Did not they live in Gospel Times Did not they profess to come unto Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant Yet see how the Apostle treats them and reproves them again and again for their being too Legal too Mosaical Ye are fallen from Grace saith he My little children of whom I travâ—â— in birth again till Christ be formed in you Ye are so much for Moses and the Law that I travel in birth again till Christ be formed in you As there was a mixture of the Gospel in the time of the Law so there may be too great a mixture of the Law in the times of the Gospel And I pray what think you Are there not very many that live under the Gospel in whom sin reigns Yes many live under the Gospel in whom sin reigns And saith the Apostle Let not sin reign in your mortal bodies for ye are not under the Law but under Grace If you be under the Law then sin will reign in you And what 's the reason that sin reigns in many that live under the Gospel
times of the Old Testament befo e Christ came in the flesh there were Altars so shall Antichrist have And as in the time of the Old Testament before Christ came in the flesh here were Sacrifices so shall Antichrist have his unbloody Sacrifices As then they turned into a Covenant of Works so shall Antichrist also do Thus the more Legal and of an Old Testament stamp your Worshâ—p is the more Antichristian ' t is Now is it not a dangerous thing to have our Worship Antichâ—istian Worship in these Gospel-dayes 4. But again The Apostle Paul tells us That thâ— Inheritance is not to the Bond-woman there werâ— two Women in Aâ—rahams house Hagar the Bond-woman and Sarah the Free-woman and these werâ— Types of the Law and the Gospel saith the Apostle The Inheritance is not to the Bondwoman cast he out but the Inheritance is to the Free-woman anâ— to her Children So then the Inheritance is not 〈◊〉 the Legalist no the Inheritance is to the Free-woman 5. Yea Friends what is this but a plain Apostasie or that which tends to Apostasie now after we profess we are come to Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant to have recourse to Moses the Mediator of the Old Covenant All flesh is grass and withereth but the Word of the Lord endures for ever and with that The Gospel that I preached unto you that will hold saith he Whose house ye are saith the Apostle if ye hold fast the confidence of your rejoycing stedfâ—st unto the end Wheâ—e lies our confidence but in Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant yea saith the Apostle to the Legal Galatians Ye are fallen from grace because they weâ—e returned to Moses and had recourse to Moses O what a dangerous thing then is it for a man to be Legal in these Gospel-times Object But yet May not possibly a godly truly gracious Soul be too Legal even in these Gospel-times Answ Possibly he may for as there is no Duty which a good man doth perform but a wicked man may perform the same for one Act so there is no sin that a wicked man doth commit but a godly man may commit the same for one Act and therefore this of Legality he may fall into as well as others Yet let me tell you this Though a good and gracious Soul may be overgrown with Legality too much yet he is very sensible of his own Legality a meer Legalist is not he thinks it strange that we speak of a Legal Spirit in a Gospel-time And though a good man may be too much overgrown be too Legal and too Mosaical yet notwithstanding he doth not he cannot wish that there were no Law because the Law is written in his heart another that is under the power of the Law could wish with all his Soul that there were no Law because he is under the power of it Again Though a good man may be too much overgrown with Legality yet he doth most savour the things of the Gospel spiritual things For every man is according to what he savours Three men come to a Sermon One's an Affectionate man Another an Expressionate man a man of parts Another a Spiritual man and the Preacher hath it may be all three He hath Affection he hath Expression he hath Spiritual matter The Affectionate man is most taken with the Affectionate part The Expressionist and the man of parts is most taken with the Expressions of the Sermon and there he hangs such and such rare Expressions there were But the Spiritual man is most taken with the Spiritual matter of the Sermon for every man is according to the things that he savours Now I say a good man though he may be overgrown with Legality yet he savours spiritual and Gospel-things most And then again Though a good man may be too Legal yet notwithstanding he don't he cannot oppose those that are Spiritual and Evangelical and of a Gospel Spirit Though a spark of fire be not so great as the flame it will not oppose the flame and though a good man be too Legal he will not oppose and persecute them that are Evangelical a Legalist will saith the Apostle But the Son of the Bond-woman persecuted the Sâ—n of the Free-woman And truly the more Legal we are the more we are apt for to persecute So that thus then we see what a dangerous thing it is to be Legal and Mosaical in these Gospel times But Fifthly What shall we then do that we may stand clear from Moses and come off clearly unto Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant This I must speak unto only by the way give me leave to say three or four things unto you First If we are not come to Moses the Mediator of the Old Covenant but unto Jesus the Mediator of the New What a blessed and happy condition are all the Saints in now in these Gospel-times It was a comfortable thing for the Jews to have Moses with them that Mediator that upon all occasions he might interpose between God and them But alas what was that Moses to this Jesus this Mediator of ours Though Moses was the Mediator of the Old Testament and did stand between God and the People Yet 1. He was but a Typical Mediator and therefore look how much the thing Typified goes beyond the type the substance goes beyond the shadow so much doth our Mediator go beyond theirs 2. Again Though Moses was a Mediator between God and them yet he was but meer man but J sus the Mediator of the New Covenant is God and man very God and very man In Rom. 9.5 Whâ—se are the Fathers and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came there 's his Manhood Who is over all God blessed for ever Amen God truly not nuncupatively truly God and truly man 3. Again Though Moses was a Mediator and did stand between God and them in the time of the Old Testament yet notwithstanding he was unwilling to undertake the work Send by whom thou wilt saith he But now this our Jesus saith Lo I come I delight to do thy Will 4. Again Though Moses was a Mediator then between God and them and stood between God and them yet he was not able to do that work of mediation perfectly I am not Eloquent saith he and I am not able to bear all this people saith he But now saith Jesus He hath given me the Tongue of the Learned that I may administer a word in due season to them that are weary He hath born us and he hath born our griefs 5. Again Though Moses stood between God and them and was a Mediator between God and them and did sometimes make an Attonement as in the caâ—e of the Golden Calf when they had sinned yet notwâ—thstanding he destroyed thâ—ee thousand of them Peradvenâ—ure saith he after he had done it I shall mâ—ke an Attonement for your sin Exod. 32. â—0 And he steps in to God for them And the Lâ—rd said unto