the Cross and Christ nailed the Law to the Cross and all this without violence or affront offered to the Law it being but naturally consequent upon what the Law did first to Christ for if the Law set upon Christ as our Surety and do the utmost to him that it can it must needs follow that it hath no strength left against those for whom he undertook and so must die and expire by the same death that our Saviour dyed it being nailed to the Cross which is but a sigurative expression And yet I shall carry the Allegory a little further herein still following the Apostle Paul Is it any wonder now is it any unreasonable thing now that the Law is dead and taken out of the way that we should be married to another husband that we should reckon our selves to be no longer under the Law The woman which hath an husband saith the Apostle Rom. 7.23 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 ver 4. Wherefore my brethren ye also are become dead to the Law or the Law is become dead to you BY THE BODY OF CHRIST that ye should be warried to another even to him that is raised from the dead that we should bring forth fruit unto God The Law is every soul's first Husband since the fall so every one's actual sin the Law is an intolerable husband there is no living with it it so sets on guilt presseth the soul w th terrors nay instead of producing good works the natural fruit of this Marriage-relation of the Soul to the Law whilest in innocency it now produceth all manner of lusts according to the 5. ver of that 7. chap. When we were in the flesh the MOTIONS OF SINS WHICH WERE BY THE LAW did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death Now God in much mercy to mankinde finding that if the Law and the conscience or soul of man keep together his creature will be lost and himself lose those fruits of good works which the soul was first created for he provides another husband for the soul which is Jesus Christ only Christ must redeem his Spouse from that tyrannical Husband which now it lives with else the Soul shall be but an Adulteress to pretend marriage to Christ that is the way of grace whilest the Law can make a just claim to her as a wife which it might have done as long as it lived The manner of the rescue I have before declared it was by suffering and yielding to the Law yet so as in it the Law destroyed it self and then is it lawfull for the Soul that was before wife to the Law to be married to another husband and who so fit as he that redeemed her Now the Soul shall have it's forbearance under failings which the Law would not endure and God shall have a kindly and ingenuous Service there will be fruits unto God and this is the passage from Works to Faith from the Law to Grace I though the Law saith the Apostle am dead to the Law that I might live to God Gal. 2.19 that is through what the Law hath done to Christ it hath nothing to do with me But now we are delivered from the Law that being dead wherein we were held that we should serve in newness of spirit and not in the oldness of the Letter Rom. 7.6 One Scripture more to this purpose it is Rom. 8.1 23.4 There is therefore now no condemnation to ohem which are in Christ Jesus who are married to Christ and have accepted the terms of the Gospel who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit for the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the Law of sin and death this chiefly relates to sanctification that the inward law or power of corruption which was occasionally and accidentally strenghtned by the Law of God was now broken by that inward power spirit and life which is conveyed by the Gospel of Christ and is called the spirit of life which is in Christ Jesus ver 3. for what the Law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh that is it could neither justifie nor sanctifie both these did God bring to pass by sending his Son in the likeness of sinfull flesh when for sin that is Christ's making himself a Sin-offering so answering the Law God condemned Christ in the flesh that is destroyed it both in the guilt and power of it out of us that were sinners so it follows that the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit that is that the Law might no longer accuse us being answered by our Saviour and that we might attain to that which is the chief designe of the Law to wit righteousness and holiness which if we had continued under the Law we could never have attained unto What so common now with the Apostle in the Epistle to the Romanes as to tell them that now they are not under the Law but under grace by this means namely the BODY OF CHRIST offered and that therefore there shall be no condemnation and that therefore sin shall not have dominion over them which are the two great effects of the death of Christ though the first chiefly belongs to that subject which I am upon viz. Justification Having given now all these things in an allegorical and mystical dress yet herein only following the Apostle I shall deliver the same thing somewhat plainly and so conclude this first particular The summe of all this is Man was made holy had a Law to live by to which there was a threatning annexed In the day thou eatest thou shalt die the death or shalt surely die * This threatning I take it is due by the Law to intended against all sins according to that of the Apostle The wages of sin is death Ro. 6.23 speaking of sin indefinitly besides wise Adam might have committed any other sin and not have dyed Man did eat and so was to die death accordingly entred by this sin into the world that is a natural death and for eternal death hereafter and the spiritual death of the soul here which consist's in alienations from God both which all men at age are obnoxious unto being sinners as for children I neither affirm nor deny any thing the Lord in mercy designing to deliver men from provided a Saviour who should first live a perfect life that so he might be the more acceptable Sacrifice and his terms of saving men must be these that he must freely offer himself up to
and this was the Commandment which that day Moses commanded them Lastly Another thing in this Paragraph that will not seem perhaps to some to look like Gospel is this That all the comfort of this Gospel by Moses lies in Doing This Commandment saith he is not far off but in thy heart and in thy mouth that thou mayest do it and so obtain life and justification by it This seems to look right like that place in Levitious so often mentioned where Moses is said to describe a Legal Righteousness The man that doth them shall live in them And so in all the Chapter after there is blessing if they do the command and cursing if they do not this to some may not look like Gospel But yet here is the Gospel and therefore wherein doth it lie VVherein is the Gospel expressed in this place of Deut. or how will it appear I have shewed wherein it cannot lie or doth not seem to lie I will shew yet wherein it must be expressed and wherein it is visibly expressed and that is in that easiness which Moses doth so much insist upon in this Scripture of doing the Commandment The Commandment for the matter of it was perhaps the same with the Covenant of Works and Doing partly at least brought in the reward of it that is Justification But is this the Language of a Covenant of Works think you to fallen man such as the Israelites were The Commandment is easie there are no such difficulties in keeping it as you may imagine ye shall not need to climb as high as Heaven after it nor to coast all Lands and compass the Ocean for it propose no such vast undertakings to thy self for the accomplishment of it for thou needest not the Word is nigh thee in thy mouth that is near yea but nearer yet in thine heart that thou mayest do it and thou mayest do it with ease and sweetness No I have shewn at large that the Covenant of Works or the Law taken strictly as a way of Justification serves now to sinners onely to terrifie their Consciences with laying home its charge it hath no such comfortable words in it nay I shewed out of the Scripture that it is an utter impossibility that the Law should be done by a sinner so as to justifie him A man might as well climb up to Heaven or compass the vast Ocean yea to add another impossibility which the Apostle adds in his Paraphras upon this Text in Deut. a man might as well descend into the infernal Abyss and make a resurrection as be justified by the Law This therefore cannot be the Language of the Law But now take the keeping the Law in a Gospel-sence as perhaps that Rom. 8.4 is to be understood where the righteousness of the Law is said to be fulfilled in us that walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit and then the Gospel in this Scripture is obvious it is easie to keep the Law now even that commandment which Moses commanded them even the Moral Law that is to keep it sincerely not exactly to a tittle but in the substance of it This Word therefore which Moses means when he says The word is nigh thee as the Apostle adds in his Paraphrase must be the word of faith which he preached The Word is nigh thee that is not the Word of the Moral law taken in its utmost exactness to be fulfilled to a tittle this is not nigh thee it is as far as Heaven further then either of the Indies further then Hell it self thou sinner canst never attain unto it to do it But yet the Word of the same Commandment in a moderated sense in the gracious acceptation of God where sincere obedience is accepted for unerring observance of it This Word is nigh thee even in thy heart and in thy month that thou mayest do it and it is saith the Apostle the Word of Faith which we preach this the new creature can undertake with the assistance of God even the keeping the Commandments of God in an Evangelical manner through Faith which works by Love Here thou dost not claim thy wages upon thy doings as if they deserved it or as if they answered the letter of the Law and so thou comest not to the Law for thy Justification but though the great Rule of thine obedience be the Law yet thou goest to the Gospel for thy Justification thou comest by Faith to the Promise and Goodness and Grace of God for thy Justification And indeed there is nothing but Faith will encourage thee in such a keeping of the Law as this is The Law strictly taken will dishearten thee that will thus reason the case with thee VVhat are all thy works what is all thy obedience so long as thoughast broken such and such a Commandment hast omitted such and such a duty What is thy sincerity good for What is thy good meaning and real intention worth I must have a full task performed I must have unerring never-failing obedience or else I must curse thee with all the curses which thou findest written against sinners Now the Soul by Faith thus answereth the Law 'T is true were I to stand to thy award it must be all as thou hast said but I am upon other terms with the Lord for my Justification I am upon terms of Grace and Mercy of which there are no footsteps in thy whole way of Justification and though I was born under thy power yet I have a Saviour that hath freed me from under it by suffering the penalty for my breach of it and now I am assured That if I walk faithfully and deal honestly with God endeavouring in sincerity to walk after the Spirit to do all the Wills of God from the heart my sincere obedience will now be as well accepted as unerring obedience would once have been Thus you see Faith bears off from coming to a legal-Justification and Faith bears up the Soul against all expostulations of the Law with it and against all the accusations of Satan in the Conscienc and yet doth keep the soul intent upon the design of universal obedience to the pure and holy Law of God Faith requires thy obedience to the Law the preaching of Faith doth establish the Law and yet the Law in this moderated sense onely observed requires thee to go or rather takes for granted that thou goest to Grace Mercy and Pardon by Faith for that thou art not an exact Doer of the Law So I have shewn how this place in Deut. seems to speak Law yet must be understood to speak Gospel and what Gospel that is which it speaks Yet I may not expect to go off without opposition in this interpretation and I am sensible that these two or three things will be objected against me 3 Objections against the interpretation of Deut. 30.11 12. 1. That I make Faith too easie a business as if those that could not keep the Law are yet able to
justified man is a just man in the sight of God To be justified before God or in the sight of God or by God are all one for it is the same phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in both places and the meaning is onely this that God must reckon that man just whosoever is justified according to that in 2 Cor. 10.18 Not he that commendeth himself is approved I may add not he whom all the men on earth or all the Augels in Heaven commend is therefore approved but whom the Lord commendeth This act or state of Justification is variously expressed in the Scripture I shall give just a taste of it The description of â—ustification vâ—ried in the Scripture In Gen. 4.7 It is called God's accepting of us If thou dost well shall thou not be accepted And again Gods having respect unto us in the same chap. v. 4.5 The Lord had respect unto Abel and unto his Offering but unto Cain and his Offering he had not respect Once more Justification is expressed thus To have a Tessimony from God that we please him Heb. 11.6 But I shall keep to my first description because that is especially made use of by the Apostle Paul in his professed Discourses upon this subject viz. That Justification is a mans being reputed just and righteous in the sight of God and indeed the Apostle Paul as a close Disputant keeps to his terms and rallyes all the terms of a sort together which in this business are these three especially 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Just Justice or Rightcousness and Justification Every â—ustified personâ—s reputed a just man by vertue of a Justice or Righteousness that constitutes him so or at least makes him a Subject immediately sit for this Act of Justification to pass upon him For Justification is a legal or judicial Act the Act usually of a Court. Now men in their Courts will not pronounce a man just when he is accused or is brought upon his justification except there be a righteousness appearing in him except there be something sufficient brought in his justification And do we think that God wil transact such a great business more slightly than we are wont to do Why this Justification of a mans person it is done in the sight of God and that I may a little illustrate it it seems to be done in the Court of Heaven before all tht Augels of God for they reâ—oice at the conversion of a Sinner and so at his Justification Luke 12.8 9.15.10 Therefore in the Court of Heaven when one is to be justified the great inquiry that is made is after a Righteousness And the Apostle Paul's Epistles when he treats of this subject ring of nothing so loudly as of a Righteousness No less then thirty several time doth the Apostle make mention of that Word Rightcousness in that one Epistle to the Rom. and and at least twenty of those times it is referred unto Justification therefore Justification must be by a Righteonsness The great Question therefore is this What is the Righteousness which if a man have he is a Subject capable of being justified that is reputed a just man in the sight of God Now the Answer to this Question cannot be made till I have established four preliminary Propositions The first position is this That there are only two kinds of righteousness imaginable by us or rather but two to be found in Scripture they are by the Apostle fairly distinguished each part of the distinction expressed in several synonymaes or words signifying the same thing There is the Righteousness of the Law and the Righteousness of Faith Rom. 10.5.6 The Righteousness of God and our own Righteousness Rom. 10.3 And as Righteousness is thus variously distinguished so is Justification which is the Reward of Righteousness said to be of several kinds according to the several Righteousness which it proceeds upon if the Righteousness be that of the Law by the Works of the Law then is the Reward reckoned of Debt if the Righteousness be that of Faith the Reward is in the nature of a Grace or Gift Rom. 4 4. Now to him that worketh according to the Law the Reward is not reckoned of Grace but of Debt and 〈◊〉 contra to him that believeth and is for the Righteousness of Faith the Reward that is Justification is reckoned of Grace not of Debt Having thus given a distinct account what Justification is how that it is the constituting a man just before God and what ground or reason it proceeds upon viz. Upon a Righteousness found with the person to be justified he hath a Righteousness to plead for him And having given you the onely distinction that there is of Righteousness it is of the Law or Faith however either part of the distinction may be varied in synonymous expressions and so the Justification following upon one of these Righteousnesses viz. That of the Law is of Debt upon the other viz. The Righteousness of Faith is of Grace I shall draw up the terms that belong to either part of the distinction whether of Righteousness or Justification together that so ye may see the Apostle is full of these two and only these two as also that the Scriptures may appear wherein this subject is touched at and so fall upon a fair dispute for the Cause which is this Whether of these two ways must serve us in the present state of things Which way of Righteousness which way of Justification we must betake our selves unto if we would be saved For without Justification no Salvation and Salvation at the day of Judgement will follow onely upon our Justification in this life God will then do that in the face of all the world in acquitting or condemning which now he doth effectually in a more covert and secret manner To draw up therefore these two parties into the field 1. The Law in its party or list of Synonyma's hath these severals The works of the Law 2 Gal. 1.6 The deeds of the Law Rom. 3.20.28 The Law of Works ver 27. By works without any addition of the Law If Abraham were justified by works he hath whereof to glory Rom. 4.2 Here glorying and boasting belong to this Tribe too as a consequent upon Legal-Justification or Law-Justification The Verb used is this To him that worketh I shall not instance in any further Synonyma's belonging to the Law such as this that it is called a fleshly way and flesh Are ye so foolish having begun in the Spirit are ye now made perfect by the flesh I come to give the synonymaes or conjugata that belong to the way of Faith The substantives are these 1. Faith alone Faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness The Faith of God Rom. 3.3 The Law of Faith ver 27. The righteousness of faith Rom. 4.13 Grace 't is of Faith that it might be of Grace Abundance of Grace and the gift of righteousness Rom. 5.17 It
of the Law to bring them into desperation and there to leave them but by this desperation which indeed the Law was to bring them into to make them hunger and thirst after another righteousness then that of the law which by the law they might see they could not have to make them in love with the promises with any thing that looks like mercy and grace and in a word to direct them and drive them to Christ and a Gospel-Justification Gal. 3.24 The law was our School-master to bring us to Christ that we might be justified by Faith ver 22. The Scripture that is the Law hath concluded all under sin that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe 23. Before Faith came we were kept under the Law included as prisoners shut up unto the Faith which should afterwards be revealed Rom. 10.3 Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness unto every one that believeth So that indeed the Law was given not to undermine the promise but to serve the ends and honour of the promise The law entred not to preach a Legal Justification but an Evangelical The Law came into the world to confess its own impotency to save or justifie us as also to send and direct us to one that could according to that of Rom. 3.20.21.22 Therefore by the deeds of the Law shall no flesh be justified in his sight for by the Law is the knowledge of sin But now the righteousness of God without the Law is manifested being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets even the righteousness of God which is by Faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe The righteousness of God without the law is witnessed by the law There are other Scriptures to this purpose which I forbear to mention Thus the Law and the Gospel do mutually good turns for one another the Law preacheth the Gospel most effectually for men never well close with the Gospel till they feel the lash of the Law And the Gospel again most effectually establisheth and obligeth to the keeping of the Law for till men have a principle of faith they never have a living principle of obedience thus the elder which is the Law is made to serve the younger that is the Gospel but the Gospel hath an ingenuity in it to return the Law a due acknowledgement And the Law might well direct the sinner to Christ and preach Justification by Faith for this was the onely way of recovering its own honour and obedience which was due unto it Reas 1. Why the Law might well direct to Christ as appears in these three particulars First for that Christ personally fulfilled it to a tittle he lived a most perfect life and performed unerring obedience for more then thirty years together here amongst men upon earth and this is said by some Divines to be for the Justification of his own person and is known by the name of his active obedience 2. For those whom he was to save and redeem from under the law from under the punishments and penalties which were due to them for the breaches of it he underwent all that the law exacted from him as their Mediator till the law was fully satisfied 3. As for the persons themselves thus redeemed by the sufferings of an innocent and legally-righteous Saviour they are not owned by this Saviour to be his redeemed ones any further then as they acknowledg the perfect holiness of the law that they themselves are obliged as Creatures and the redeemed ones of Christ to endeavour to their utmost to keep the law still to a tittle and do actually perform a sincere obedience to it not dispensing with themselves in any command of it but bewailing their infirmities wherein they fall short of unerring obedience so that in the way of faith the law obtains its true end though not exactly in the persons justified yet in their Saviour Christ is the end of the law for righteousness Rom 10.4 Yea and in their persons thus far that they perform a sincere obedience and endeavour an unerring obedience to the law and thus the righteousness of the law is said to be fuifilled in them in as much as they walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit Rom. 8 4. So that now I have answered the great objection against Justification by Faith which was th s Wherefore then serveth the Law and that with some advantage to the present cause I have shewn that whatever the law was intended for in its delivery it was not given for a way of Justification because the way of faith was establisht before the reasons of its delivery were these 1. It was given to the Jews in mercy to shew them their duty more plainly then they could otherwise have known it by the light of nature or any other way of teaching which they had amongst them till that time that so they might not run into transgressions through ignorance and it was given with terror that they might not rush into transgressions through negligence and these two particulars made up the first end of the delivery of the law viz. to hinder transgressions from being committed 2. It was added to heighten transgressions in the guilt of them when they should be committed 3. Not to leave them in desparation but to direct them unto Christ and I have shewn that great advantage did accrue to the law this way that hereby it came to pass that though it was not fulfilled by the first Adam in the first giving of it yet it was all as well fulfilled by the second and every way recompensed and satisfied as if it had never been broken so that I reckon the Objection is quite taken off and may be retorted upon the objectors thus If they ask Wherefore then serveth the Law We answer It serveth to lead men unto Christ that they may be justified by Faith I have some things yet to add upon the two last last ends of the law 's being given which I thought not fit to insert in the first mention of them upon the second end of the law 's being given viz. for the aggravating of transgression and loading the Conscience with guilt I have this to add It is so true that the law was given to the Jews to make the offence to abound and to press the conscience with guilt that it had the same effect upon the Gentile World to whom it was not delivered as it was unto the Jews so saith the Apostle Rom 3. where when he had recited out of the Psalms a Catalogue of sins which the law doth condemn men for from the 10. to the 19. ver in that 19. ver Now we know saith he that whatsoever things the Law saith it saith to them who are under the Law that every mouth may be stopped and the whole world might be guilty before God Certainly the Gentiles are a part and the greatest part of the
the Law of Moses And this the Apostle aggravates so that he seems to make it a worse business in the dayes of their knowledge thus to go off to the Law then in the days of their ignorance to serve Idols Thus you have seen their Disease now for further proof yet that this was their distemper we may observe that the Apostle applies several arguments by way of remedy which were proper onely for this distemper in that one chap. Gal. 3. I shall observe mine several Arguments sive of which are contained in the first five verses of that chap. and are more particular and experimental for the conviction of the Galatians the minor of every ' yllogism being evident in their experience the major evident in its own nature or from Scripture the other four being sufficiently convincing to every man and of no particular concernment to them more then others in ver 1. Who hath bewitched you that you should not obey the truth before whose eyes fesus Christ hath been evidently set forth as if he had been crucified amongst you Makes this syllogism They who had Christ clearly preached to them so as if he had been crucified before their eyes should not for shame go off to the Law But you have had Christ thus clearly preached Ergo 2d Argument in the 2d ver Ye received the Spirit by this plain preaching of Christ which ye never did by your Law-Preachers This one would think was a mighty Argument to them This onely would I learn of you Received ye the Spirit by the works of the Law or by the preaching of Faith The Syllogism They that have received the Spirit by the preaching of Faith should not for shame go off But you have received Ergo 3d. Arg. in ver 3. Are ye so foolish having begun in the Spirit are ye now made perfect in the flesh 'T is a disgrace for wise men to begin in any way and alter their way at all before they make an end but it is a higher disgrace to begin in a better way and end in a worse to begin in the Spirit and to end in the Flesh As much as Spirit doth excel Flesh their Horses are Flesh and not Spirit Isa 31.3 so much doth the Gospel-way of Justification excel the Legal The Syllogism is this They that have once begun in a more excellent way then the Law is should not go off to the Law but you have begun in a more excellent way viz. the Spirit Ergo 4th Arg. from the 4. ver Have ye suffered so many things in vain if it be 〈◊〉 in vain They had not onely embraced the Gospel and begun in the Spirit to do something but they had suffered many things from the persecuting Jews for professing a pure Gospel-way and now would lose all their sufferings 5th Arg. from the 5th ver He therefore that ministreth to you the Spirit and worketh miracles among you doth he it by the works 〈◊〉 the Law or by the hearing of Faith The Law-Preachers could neither administer the Spirit to their Hearers nor yet work miracles in proof of what they delivered both which the Apostle had done and their present Minister Epaphrus did do and yet they were so mad upon the Law and the way of Justification by works that they were ready to shake off the Gospel for the insupportable burthen of the Law There are ye see at least five Arguments in the compass of five verses proper to them and all five proposed in the way of interrogation to express the Apostles vehemency his trouble at their desection his strange admiration at it his longing for their recovery all which this interrogation-form implies Then the Apostle proceeds to general and universal Arguments not of such particular concernment to them such as I have in my former Discourse urged viz. the example of Abraham from the 6. to the 10. from the nature of the Law requiring strict obedience or else accursing the sinner ver 10. from an express proof out of the Old-Testament Hab. 2.4 The just shall live by Faith therefore not by the Law saith the Apostle for the Law is not of Faith 11 12. And then comes in that great Argument which I have so largely insisted upon That there was a Covenant of Grace on foot before ever the Law was given by Moses which could not be broken therefore the Law came not in for a way of Justification else it must have disannulled this Covenant from the 15 to the 1. I now recollect and argue Here you see that not onely the Jews but the Gentiles desired to be under the Law would needs be justified by the works of the Law else the Apostle had disputed largely and strenuously against no Enemy Nay the Galatians though they never had had the Law before but onely first Heathen Idolatry and then a pure Gospel and received it with joy and admiration and great intensness of affection received the Spirit through the Ministry of it suffered much for the profession of it begun wel and did run wel yet though they had begun in the Spirit no sooner came the Law-Preachers among them but they turned from St. Paul who had called them unto Christ like fools and men bewitched unto another Gospel that is unto a Law-Gospel The Law-Preachers no sooner came amongst the Galatians but they turned the very Gospel which the Apostle had preached and they received into so much Law so that there ye might have seen Christians to be the pure Disciples of Moses nay far worse then the true Seed were in Moses's time Now from hence I infer the first assertion in the coviction viz. That there have been and therefore may be such a generation of men that notwithstanding the preaching of the Gospel nay and the profession of the Gospel are legal in the business of Justification followers of the Law seek to be justified by works and also that we are very apt to run into this way without much care and caution Who would ever thought that the Galatians that had so many reasons to engage them to keep in that way of Faith should ever have turned carnal and fleshly in the business of Justification Certainly this Apostacy of theirs argues a great aptitude in humane nature to this way unless you will think that the Galatians were of another make from all the men in the world I shall add somewhat moreof proof to this proposition and the parts of it by and by only I must first enter upon the explication of the 2d thing proposed viz. Wherein this legality lyes or wherein the great inistake lies that so many should seek to be justified by a Covenant of Works and yet acknowledge themselves sinners and in the explication of this there will new proof arise to the first Proposition viz. That men are generally addicted to the way of works 2dly 2d parâ—iculâ— in the conâ—iction viz. wherein 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I Negaâ—vel Therefore it comes to be explained wherein
they believe it that if they do such and such things which are not made the condition of pardon by God for going such a pilgrimage for taking such a penance c. they shall have their sins pardoned for so long a time And wherein doth Justification consist so much as in pardon of sin Therefore they seek Justification by Works even by inventions of their own which is worse then by Works commanded Now that which is so gross amongst them may be as truly though more refinedly amongst our selves I have now done with the two first particulars in the Conviction I shall onely now recollect what I have said and proved that so I may borrow some strength for what follows and so proceed Is it so then that all mankind is so exceeding apt to seek Justification by Works And is it such an hidden and unsearchable evil of heart that we cannot easily know it it hath so many self-deceits and runs through so many contradictions Doth it lie in opinion of Merit yet is Merit so generally disowned and yet so many real votaries to it What need then have we to search and try if we are not guilty in this particular and how far we may possibly be guilty For though we have found out the very notion in which it must lie viz. The Opinion of Merit yet this will not serve usually to find it out by for who of us doth not renounce Merits and yet who of us if the foregoing assertions be true is not addicted to Legality I shall come therefore to some other ways of discovery of this evil distemper of heart some marks and signs of it some effects which discover their cause though never so occult and hidden before And this is the third particular in the Conviction which I promised The first was to discover that there are such men as seek Justification by Works The second was to discover wherein their Legality lies And this third to discover by some signs where this Legality is to be found either in a predominancy or in any less degree Now for the discharge of this last part of my Work in the Conviction The third thing in the Conviction viz. the Characters I shall first premise two things and then come to the Characters The first is this That all men in the world are either prophane and Atheistical or else in some way or other Religious as for those that are prophane and atheistical I have nothing to do with them in this Discourse for that they have nothing to do with Justification who make no pursuit after it at all The second observation that I would premise is this That as for the Religious World those that treat with God after any sort for their salvation they are all reducible to one of these two sorts they are either Legal or Evangelical in their service and obedience for there being but two wayes of Justification either in the Scripture or imaginable by us by unerring obedience and meriting or by the way of mercy which accepts an humble sincerity I say there being onely these two ways all that seek Justification must be of one of these two ways and hence I would infer that where-ever we find in Scripture any two ways of serving God that have followers and abettors being two opposite ways whereof one is good and acceptable the other evil and displeasing to God there are these two ways of Legal and Evangelical service and the Characters of the good way may be referred to the head of Evangelical the Characters of the bad unto the head of Legal Worshippers Or if we cannot make a clear reference of every miscarriage in Religion unto legallity yet this I dare affirm and shall prove That the distinction of Legal and Evangelical Worshippers or of such as are fleshly and such as are spiritual in the Worship of God is very ancient nay as ancient as all Antiquity so that throughout all ages in the Scripture and in our own age in undeniable experience there may be traced these two sorts of religious persons and that by Characters that are visibly Legalor Evangelical And whatever be the infinite perty differences of Sects in any age or place yet all men professing Religion may be reduced to these two classes or sorts of Legal and Evangelical Worshippers and these are the great things that are to be minded in them if you find that they are spiritual Worshippers pass by their petty differences if they are fleshly be not deceived by that fair shew which they make in the flesh for the Antiquity and continual suceession of these two sorts of Worshippers and that as they include all sorts of Religious persons see one Scripture then I come to the Characters it is in Gal. 4.29 But as then that is in Abraham's time he of the one side that was born after the flesh the son of the Bond-woman Hagar the Son of a Covenant of Works perseâ—nted him on the other side that was born after the Spirit that is the true Son of the Promise the Evangelical Worshipper so it is now As it was in the beginning so it is and ever wil be to the end of the World two sorts of Worshippers which two sorts all Religious persons may be referred unto If it were proper to enlarge upon this observation I could give more ample proof of it Now for the Characters 1 It is a 〈◊〉 way which â—e joiceth and glorieth in external priviledges and performances The proof that the legal way is an external fleshly way the first shall be this They that are for a Covenant of Works for the Law are much and chiefly for external services this I have partly touched before but I have a very fair occasion to speak to it here again and I dare promise the Reader to free him from the trouble of needless repetition I say those that are under predominant Legality in treating with God for their justification and acceptation they are chiefly for external services in their Worship and expressions of their obedience unto God This the Apostle calls flesh or a fleshly outward way of serving God in Phil. 3.2 3. the Apostle speaks home to this Character I will give you saith the Apostle in the first ver some SAFE advice and counsel what sort and party of men you should avoid and what sort you should close with Ver. 2. Beware of Dogs beware of evil workers beware of that evil sort of Worshippers that are in the sight of God no better then Dogs and not children Now who are they Why the concision 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 By the Concision is usually understood the Circumcision or legal Jew that gloryed in his Circumcision here called the Concision by an Ironical Paronomasia alluding to the Factions and Schisms which they made every where Beware of these saith the Apostle and do not receive them nor adher to them for we are the Circumcision that is the true Children of
Abraham which worship God in the SPIRIT in a true SPIRITUAL way of Worship and rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no considence in the flesh which they the legal Worshippers have they are fieshly we are after the Spirit and worship God in the Spirit They have considence in the flesh we have none Now what is this confidence in the flesh which the Concision the Dogs and evil Workers had but the true Worshippers had not This the Apostle explains at large in the 4 5 and 6. verses For saith he if any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might TRUST in the FLESH I more What is that of the Flesh wherein he might glory if he would He tells us ver 5. I was circumcised the eighth day of the stock of Israel of the Tribe of Benjamin an Hebrew of the Hebrews as touching the Law a Pharisee or blameless so iâ— follows ver 9. as touching the righteousness which is in the Law blameless that is as touching the letter of the law Moral or Ceremonial This is the matter of fleshly glorying or boasting which you see is made up either of external Rites and Priviledges or the external obedience to the moral law That which he calls flesh is an external thing Now that fleshly and legal are Synonymous or words importing the same thing and so used by the Apostle is not onely clear in this Scripture but in other Scriptures for instance Gal. 3.3 Are ye so foolish having begun in the Spirit that is a Gospel-way are ye now made perfect by the flesh that is will ye end in a legal that is a fleshly way Fleshly and Legal are all one Now the way of the Flesh is an external way made up of outward Rites Ceremonies Priviledges and Performances therefore a legal way is a way in which men please themselves with external Priviledges and Performances I shewed before that those that are addicted to the way of works durst not pretend to an universal conformity to the law in a strict sense of it and yet do seek to be justified by Works therefore they must have some Works to glory in and to uphold their Spirits in a confidence of Divine acceptance Now therefore what can these Works be other then external conformities to the ceremonial or moral law and these ceremonies either as given by God or else superstiously invented by themselves I shall now a little further exemplifie what I then asserted and that by some assistance from the second thing premised in shewing that in all times the evil sort of Worshippers which because they are not Evangelical must be legal have done and do exceedingly please themselves in external Priviledges and Performances in doing which I shall avoid useless repetitions We find The first external priviledge which the Iews gloried in that the Jews who were as well to be condemned for Legality before the dayes of the Gospel as under it there having been always a fleshly and spiritual Seed were exceedingly taken with their being circumcised and of the Seed of Abraham and made a peculiar people to God in the Lump and Body of the Nation which did not hinder at all but for particular persons they might be wicked enough strangers to God and heirs of wrath Thus the Jews as Jews scorned the Gentiles called them Dogs and the sinners of the Gentiles or Nations whereas to be Jews born was nothing but an external Priviledge And therefore the Apostle when he comes to convince them of this folly and vain fleshly boasting he makes no more ado but to cut them off from this stump that they stood upon by that great distinction so frequent in his Epistles of Israel according to the flesh and the true Israel or the true Seed according to the Promise that is Believers All are not Israel that are of Israel saith he and he is not a Jew that is one outwardly neither is that Circumcision which is outward in the flesh but he is a Jew which is one inwardly and Circumcision is that of the heart in the Spirit and not in the Letter whose praise is not of men but of God Rom. 2.28 29. Now that which amongst us may answer to such a fleshly boast as this was of the Jews for I chiefly aim at the usefulness of this Doctrine to our selves may be this viz the Name of Christians and the general Baptism that all amongst us can pretend unto Though this cannot be accounted so great a Priviledge to us now that Christendom is so large as Circumcision and being natural or proselyted Jews was to them who were a single Nation chosen for a peculiar people to God out of all the Nations of the World I come therefore to some other things They gloried also very much in their Temple The second external priviledge the â—â—ws gloried in there is an eminent place amongst many for this Jer. 7.4 Trust ye not in lying words saying The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord are THESE that is THESE BUILDINGS THESE COURTS pointing as it were with their singer at the Buildings of the Temple as much as if they had said See! we have the Temple of the Lord with us and his Worship and Service amongst us and therefore no evil can come to us whatever these Fanatick Prophets threaten us with Now see what a strange infatuation and besottednesse these men were under for they were as wicked as men could be by oppression and blood-guiltiness yea Idolatry it self as you may see in ver 10. Will ye steal murder and commit Adultrey and swear falsly and burn incense unto Baal and walk after other Gods whom ye know not and come and stand before me in this House which is called by my Name and say we are delivered to do all these abominations It this House which is called by my Name become a Den of Robbers in your eyes Behold even I have seen it saith the Lord. Here is a crew of Legal-Worshippers of Carnal-Worshippers that certainly could not pretend to Justification by the strict Law of God yet trusted in the Temple and Temple-Worship ver 8. Behold ye trust in lying words that cannot profit and what those words are you have seen in ver 4. Trust ye not in lying words saying the Temple of the Lord c. No saith the Lord. ver 3. Amend your wayes and your doings and I will cause you to dwell in this place Here is Mercy Grace Pardon here they are put upon the way of believing ver 5 6. For if ye throughly amend your wayes and your doings and if ye throughly execute judgement between a man and his Neighbour if ye oppress not the stranger then will I cause you to dwell in this Land that I gave to your Fathers for ever and ever But else never think that the Temple or Temple Worship can save you or deliver you Ver. 12. Go to Shiloh go unto my place which was in Shiloh
principle shall be onely an humble love and gratitude and the action shall be a true useful and ingenious action wherein some real service shall be done for God I shall give an instance in the Apostle Paul in that place last mentioned 1 Cor. 9.17 18. a place where you have the Apostle doing two things one of necessity that had a wo upon it if he did it not so that whether he did it willingly or unwillingly he must do it and that was the preaching the Gospel the other purely voluntary and so free lest him that he might have done the contrary to what he did and not have sinned at all and that was as to his maintenance for preaching he might have expected from them that they should maintain him but he would not he would maintain himself and this he took such comfort in that he calls this his glorying as I take it and he would rather dye then that any man should make this his glorying void Now the principle of this his action was not Legal as if he thought by this to lay some obligation upon God or his Lord Christ Jesus for he knew that he was so far obliged to the Lord for his mercies that he could never lay an obligation upon God The principle therefore was onely this of gratitude and nobleness he had such a good Master that he could never do enough for and therefore when he had sent him to preach the Gospel which he must unavoidably do the Apostle spyed out an opportunity of doing his duty herein more effectually and that was if he would preach the Gospel upon free-cost though he was allowed by his Master to have demanded a reward and now spying out this how he might do an eminent service which yet was a free-will offering he catches at it and will rather dye then let go this opportunity Ver. 5. It were better for me to dye then that any man should make my glorying void upon which take this paraphrase of a learned Commentator I have preached the Gospel on free-cost and would rather choose to famish by doing so then be deprived of this way of advancing the Gospel and I would not for all the world lose this comfors and joy that I have preached to you without receiving any thing from you Here you see at the same time the Apostle can act from a principle of necessity and also of voluntariness or nobleness he preaches the Gospel from the consideration of a necessity and he takes nothing for his preaching out of a principle of nobleness and yet this second service is a real service and advantage to the Gospel not such a foolish thing as for men to whip themselves or to offer to the shrine of some Saint or to say such a tale of Pater nosters c. That therefore is another Christian Principle in acting for God viz. Gratitude and Nobleness I shall onely mention one more and it is this When one hath been used to serve God The last and highest principle of action is from the excellency of the work it self the wayes of God are so good in themselves that a man will find a great sweetness and satisfaction in them that they are the onely ways that perfect a mans nature they are the only ways that are rational he shall more and more see every sin to be a gross absurdity according to that Scriptuture Heb. 5.14 Strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age even those who by reason of use have their sences exercised to discern good and evil And believe it this is an high attainment to have a sense of what is good and excellent and of what is evil and base and to love the first and hate the latter for it self this is certainly the very love and hatred that God himself hath Now though I have allowed that there are these three Gospel-principles of Love and Gratitude Nobleness and Generosity loving and hating things for their own desert which men may arrive at yet I dare not speak a light word of the three first principles mentioned especially of that first viz. of serving God as our Creator which I think wil be an everlasting principle of service after we have received the fullest reward And for those principles of acting in hope of the reward and to avoid Hell I say first as before that they are good and warrantable nay Evangelical principles of action and therefore cannot simply considered be reckoned for legal principles yet perhaps I might say this in agreement with those that make them characters of a legal spirit that if they could be discovered in any person to be the onely principle of action as in Ahab and Pharoah the avoiding the Judgements that they were sensible of to hang over them were visibly the onely motives of their religious acts that person might be adjudged legal But of this more when I come to speak of a Spirit of Bondage which is the next Scripture-Character that I shall give of a Legal Spirit Onely in the mean time I reckon that I have evinced that taking it in the general without that distinctness in which we are to proceed so it is not a sufficient argument nor any argument at all of a Legal Spirit to act towards God for fear of punishment or in hope of the reward I come now to a third Character of a Legal Spirit The third Character of a Legal Spirit and it is this To be under a Spirit of Bondage is an argument of a Legal Spirit That this is an Argument or Character of a Legal Spirit first let us see some Scripture-proof and then I shall come to shew what a Spirit of Bondage is Now for Scripture-proof I think there is no Character of a Legal Spirit plainer in the Scripture then this I reckon indeed that the first viz. That it is external and fleshly in the serâ—ice of God was a plain Scripture-Character but I think this is rather plainer in Gal. 4.22 23. For it is written that Abraham had two sons the one by a bond-maid the other by a free-woman but he who was of the bond-woman was born after the FLESH but he of the free-woman was by promise which things are an Allegory for these are the two Covenants The one from Mount Sinai which gendreth to bondage which is Hagar This is the Law-Covenant Ergo Legalists are under a spirit of Bondage and they that are predominantly or properly said to be under a spirit of Bondage are Legalists the Proposition is convertible by reason that a spirit of Bondage is a property of a Legal spirit Again for a little more Scripture-proof 1. 'T is proved from its contrary the spirit which is contrary to a spirit of Bondage is a spirit of Adoption or Son-ship 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 now this Spirit of Adoption is a peculiar priviledge of the Gospel therefore the spirit of Bondage must belong to the Law Rom. 8.15 For ye have not received the
my body lest after I have preached the Gospel to others I myself should be a cast-away But the Apostle Paul had other principles in conjunction with it The love of Christ constraineth us saith he 2 Cor. 5.14 I shewed before that fear of Hell acting for the reward or from a principle of natural conscience these are not Legal principles in themselves and in their own nature so that he that acts by them should be far judged to be Legal but onely they are such as may want the company of other principles not to make themselves pass for Evangelical but to make the person that acts by them enough Evangelical they are a lower sort of good principles which let them have as great influence as they will can do no hurt onely there must be somewhat more ask shewed above and indeed here is the proper place to shew the necessity of some further principle and I accordingly promised in that particular to shew it in this Now I suppose this is is the great reason why there is need of a further principle besides those three for that a man may act by all those three principles and yet be under a Spirit of Bondage Now there must be some principle to free the soul from this bondage or else the soul can never serve God acceptably This Principle must be Love Perfect love casteth out fear first all slavish fear of God then the fear of men he that feareth is not made perfect in love Look to what degree the love of God is in the soul to such degree is the slavish fear of God and the cowardly fear of men abated But yet take two cautions in examining thy self by this Character as to predominant Legality 1. Be not too rash in concluding thou hast no love to God 2. If thou thinkest thou hast reason to conclude that hitherto thou hast no other principle of action towards God but those three which do not necessarily exclude a spirit of Bondage yet be not discouraged as to the future thou mayest have a further principle thou art in the fairest way towards it that any other is A spirit of Bondage is far better than a prophane spirit Many Divines hold and I think rightly that the Lord in the work of Conversion doth usually lead men through a spirit of bondage into a spirit of adoption though thou shouldst be at present as to thy state under the Law yet the Law is a School-Master unto Christ And Mr. Smith in that so often quoted Discourse of Superstition tells us after having quoted that very place in Isa 33. The sinners in Zion are afraid who shall dwell with the devouring fire as an argument of men under the power of Superstition though I should not dislike saith he these dreadful and astonishing thoughts of future torment which I doubt GOOD MEN may have cause to press home upon their own spirits whilst they find INGENUITY less active Thou seest there may be good use of such principles even in good men therefore they are not bad in thee But I come to the discovery of partial Legaity or the mixtures of Legality which may be found in the service and spirits of good men from this Character And this is indeed the Character by which the Legality of good men is usually discovered There are many Saints as I have intimated already several times who though they walk very exactly are not conscious to themselves of living in any known sin nay it is known by all that know them intimately that they are very strict in their lives yet these are still in doubts and fears touching their condition they are sorely affraid that the Lord is angry and displeased with them though they have no reason from the Scriptures or from the judgment of other Christians and Ministers nor from any revelation within them but onely through Satans temptations Now these men cannot gather their fears from any other occasion or reason then from their unreasonable conceptions their over-timorous and dreadful apprehensions of God They have some secret fears and doubts of his goodness that he will never be pleased though they make their way never so perfect before him though they humble themselves though they acknowledge their vileness in never so great debasements and abhorrencies of themselves The truth is they are secretly afraid and it must be so or else their jealousies must be without so much as the least shew of reason that they shall never please God unless they keep the Law to a tittle and what is Legality if this be not that is they think so at some times and this occasions their fears and doubts not that they think so always for if they should think so alwayes they were perfect Legallists Or else if they do not think so high as this that they must keep the whole law yet they think at least that they must do some very great thing which is beyond their strength And so accordingly for instance they think they must do so many duties in a day let what business come that can come and they must do it so well be they in never so ill a temper or frame of heart not as if our ill temper excuseth the ill performance of an action where that distemper is brought upon us by ourselves and that they perhaps must do as much when they are sick as when they are well that though they be weak in grace or weak in parts that yet they must do as much as those that are strong in both All this now together with the fears and troubles that attend these thoughts I call Legality and it proceeds from a false and over-timorous apprehension of the Deity And they are not enough sensible that the condition of man is altered from perfect to imperfect nor that the terms betwixt the great God and his creature Man are altered from Legal to Evangelical And I say once for all he that thinks God requires any thing of the Creature above its strength nay beyond what the creature can through the grace of God well and comfortably perform is a Legallist and under the spirit of bondage so far That is certainly a general Gospel-maxime though made use of upon a particular occasion of contribution to the necessity of the Saints which we have 2 Cor. 8.12 If there be first a willing mind it is accepted according to that a man hath and not according to that he hath not And nothing is plainer in the Scripture then this That the Lord will proceed in his taking account of us according to the proportion of Talents that he put into our hands As many as have sinned without Law shal also perish without Law and as many as have sinned in the Law shal be judged by the Law Rom. 2.12 The Lord wil not expect more then four talents from him to whom he gave but two nor more then two from him to whom he gave but one Matth. 25. ver 14 15 20 21 22.
and from the same person sick he expects not the same that he doth from him when he is in health nor from a married man the same as to acts of devotion that he doth from the unmarried Person 1 Cor. 7.32.33 Now this I dare not let pass without these cautions 1. That I have delivered this onely for the comfort of those that are apt to accuse and censure themselves unreasonably not for any loose-principled people who are ready to say They do all they can and God is merciful 2. That this Doctrine that God proceeds according to the proportions of talents entrusted with us is not more comfortable to some than terrible to others You that have great parts and great opportunities cannot be saved with the same improvements that others may if he that had five talents had brought in but six or seven to his Master he could no more have entred into the joy of his Lord then he that laid up his one talent in a Napkin Matt. 25.20 21. Or at least he should enter difficultly and with great loss 1 Cor. 3.15 Now as there may be these unreasonable fears and doubts about their ESTATE in the hearts of the Saints which is so much of a spirit of bondage for that all unreasonable fears of God are the effects and univocal proper productions of a spirit of bondage I say as there may be these fears as to their state and condition so there may be as to PARTICULAR ACTIONS an absurd fear that we may not do them and a guilt after we have done them when indeed they were lawful to be done which usually argues a spirit of bondage and so a legal spirit in these actions Yet I will acknowledge that to do actions though lawful with a doubting mind makes them sins and may justly affect us with a guiltiness But many times one does an action freely and without doubting and afterwards with a scrupulosity reflects upon the action and then hath a fear and a guilt Now I say if this action upon which we reflect thus was a lawful action then is our guilt and fear which we have impressed upon us an argument of Legality or a Spirit of Bondage for the reason above given But yet there is something more to be said as to the clearing of this matter for I will not dare to call all cautious wary proceeding in searchingout what may or may not be the wil of God and my duty in such or such an action to call call this Legality and the effect of a spirit of bondage God forbid this were Doctrine for a Ranter to vent not for any sober person But this is that which I affirm That we ought to enquire faithfully and seriously what may be our duty and what may be our liberty in such or such an action before we adventure upon it and if we cannot understand such a thing to be our liberty as for instance to take usury-money to take an oath c. we ought not to do it but yet I say and that is the chief thing I intend in this particular that if we determine against our own liberty it not onely argues a weakness of judgement but usually a spirit of bondage for that our very determination proceeds from a false opinion and an over-timorous apprehension of God We think that he will not allow his servants such liberties as indeed he doth we think him an hard Master as it is Matth. 24.25 There are some men whom I dare not but think good men that yet think a Christian a Saint of God should be so exact so circumspect in things that are of no consideration so superstitious I may say in gestures habits language as if a Christian when once such were not to converse with other men but must go out of the world as the Apostles phrase is speaking in such a case as this 1 Cor. 5.9 10. And these men I make no doubt have done much prejudice to Religion by their great reservedness and narrowness of principles which I shall take liberty here to call Legality and a spirit of bondage for that it usually proceeds from a wrong apprehension of God as if he were hard and austere and cruel to his creatures And this narrowness of spirit and scrupulosity hath been a common and powerful principle in people so long till at last it hath issued out in a party and faction amongst us and it is as I conceive one of the most considerable ingredients in their Religion whom we call Quakers I have done with this third Character I come now to a fourth which is this A Legal spirit is a persecuting spirit and that especially of those that are the true Gospel-Saints and Worshippers of God I shall presently give my Scripture for this it is in Gal. 4.28 29. Now we Brethren as Isaac was are children of the promise but as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the spirit even so it is now He that is born after the flesh was the son of the Bond woman from Mount Sinai for justification by works as all the Allegory wil witness especially ver 23. he that is born after the spirit is the son of the promise that rests upon the promise in the Gospel-way for Justification Now as there have always been from the beginning these two seeds these two sorts of Worshippers so there was alwayes an enmity between them and they that are after the flesh and for the Law alwayes persecuted them that are for the Gospel those that are for the Law are ful of persecuting principles against all that differ from them they would fain have all forced to be of their way but yet their persecution is most fiercely directed against the true Worshippers they cannot endure that they should live upon the face of the earth Cain was a right Legallist he brings of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord but never minds with what heart he offers it yet takes it for granted that God would accept of it and like it very well And when he finds that his offering is not accepted and that his younger Brother's is he cannot bear it he hates his Brother and longs for the blood of his Brother and wherefore flew he him saith the Scripture Alas for no other reason is the answer made in the same place but for that his own works were evil and rejected and his Brothers righteous and accepted 1 John 3.12 not that his Brother had done him the least wrong imaginable Wherefore did Ishmael the son of the bond-woman persecute Isaac which persecution we find not to be other than scoffing at him Gen. 21.9 but onely because he was the son of the promise mocking him perhaps with some such taunt as this There goes a young Puritan a young Precisian the Son of the promise But come we down to the New-Testament and who there are the great persecutors of our Saviour and his Apostles
but the Jews yet who greater Legallists then they They at Lystra that would have worshipped Paul and Barnabus for gods to day are by to morrow perswaded by some Jews that came down thither from Antioch and Iconium to stone them Acts 14.11.19 They were the Jews who were so zealous for the Law that cryed out against Paul Away with such a fellow from the earth it is not fit that he should live Acts 22.22 Might not he justly therefore as he doth not by way of revenge but of right appellation call them Dogs Phil. 3.2 Beware of dogs beware of evil workers beware of the concision those that yet have their great confidences in the flesh ver 3.4 And as it was then in Abraham's time and in the Apostles days so it is now they that are for Ceremonies and Superstitions or meerly for an external way of serving God cannot endure the true spiritual Worshippers I shall now in a word endeavour to shew how this spirit of persecution proceeds from their Legality not that the Law teacheth them any such thing directly but that the corruption of their spirits incited occasionally from the Law puts them upon it Now I suppose it comes to pass thus that seeing they are in such a way of serving God as brings them in no true peace but puts the most of them into great horrors fears and troubles of spirit as is manifested in the former particular and indeed into a secret hatred of God they cannot vent their hatred against God directly that would be too gross and therefore they find out some pretence or other of venting it against his truest and most faithful servants They 'l accuse them of being too strict that they are the troublers of their Israel as Elijah was accused by Ahab 1 King 18.17 though indeed Elijah there sets the Saddle upon the right Horse as the proverb is when he tells Ahab ver 10. I have not troubled Israel but thou and thy fathers House in that ye have forfaken the Commandments of the Lord and thou hast followed Baalim So was his successor Elisha served by the King of Israel in his time 2 King 6. where is a most pertinent story to this purpose which I havâ— somewhat touched at above There was indeed a sore Famine in Samaria perhaps upon the prayer of Elisha as before there was upon the prayer of Elijah as appears from 1 King 18.1 compared with James 5.17 18. or at least the King of Israel suspected that he was the cause of it and upon this bears him a grudge but yet Elisha promising or giving some hopes at least that there should be a plenty in some very short time as Commentators say the King thinks fit to wait a while which he in the 33. ver calls waiting on the Lord and he waits with some signs of humiliation for it is said ver 30 that at the story of the womans eating her child he rent his cloaths and the people looked and behold he had sackcloath within upon his flesh And he hath some Religious words for those that came to make their complaint to him ver 26.27 Then cryed a woman unto him saying Help my Lord O King And he said If the Lord do not help thee whence shall I help thee Hitherto all things look pretty well but alas this was all but an external religiousness an external humiliation like that of wicked Ahab Seest thou Ahab humbleth himself And therefore this King 's forced patience hath an end and he breaks out into the highest impatience against God and where hath it its chiefest vent Why in persecuting the Prophet Elisha God do so to me saith he and more also if the Head of Elisha the son of Shaphat shall stand on him this day and he senta man from before him to be the Executioner whom Elisha calls the son of a murtherer ver 31 32. Now alas what an absurd and impertinent revenge was this For suppose Elisha had prayed for this punishment of Famine upon the wicked Samaritans what reason had this foolish falsly-religious Wretch to think that there was any sault in Elisha Could he bind up the clouds from raining Or would the Lord have answered a Prayer which had been guilty of cruelty and inhumanity It was God who had sent the Famine not Elisha yea this wicked Prince acknowledged so much This evil is of the Lord saith he ver 33. but here is the my sterie of this iniquity he could not revenge himself upon Heaven and therefore he lets out his rage upon the best man that was upon earth All legal Worshippers have at the bottom of their heart a deep hatred against God and his people In the last place there is in the heart of every Legallist a spirit of envy and emulation They are all sensible more or less at one time or another that they are not acceptable to God and that these Puritans these holy men are and therefore they cannot endure them they envy them for their greatest excellencies and for that they are the favourites of heaven and they cannot endure that seeing they take so much pains as they do in their wrong way as indeed many of them are at great cost and pains in their way they cannot endure that any should be preferred before them Legallists and Spiritual Worshippers are as I may say Rivals for the favour of God Now the spiritual Worshippers take the right way the Legallists take the wrong way to obtain it therefore the first â—â—e received the latter are rejected and cast out What saith the Scriptures Cast out the bond-woman and her son Now there can be no greater â—ud than that which is between Rivals This was the very case bet wixt Cain and Abel which I have several times explained And Cain as I have said had no other quarrel against Abel but for that God accepted of his offering But now whereas a legal spirit is thus wrathful revengeful envious and murtherous the Spirit of the Gospel and of all Saints so far as they are baptized into a Gospel-spirit is a micable peaceable meek gentle and easie to be entreated James 3.17 Hatred variance emulations wrath strife seditions envyings murthers are all fruits of the flesh and of those that are BORN AFTER THE FLESH but the fruit of the spirit is love joy peace LONG-SUFFERING GENTLENESS GOODNESS What excellent virtues are these for humane Society The Legallist he cryes It is not fit to suffer such Wretches to live away with such an Heretick from the earth Now for the Gospel-spirited man he could wish indeed St. Pauls wish in Acts 26.29 I would to God saith he that not onely thou but all that hear me this day were not onely almost but altogether such as I am except these Bonds he doth not wish them his Bonds that was his GOODNESS that last Gospel-virtue mentioned but he wisheth that all his persecutors were of his perswasion so doth every good man else he could not
grounds and reasons of fleshly considence and boasting that he could shew for himself If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might boast in the flesh I MORE Now if there had been any goodness in that way of a Pharisaical righteousuess which S Paul with his utmost zeal pursued after cectainly he must have fonnd it But as soon as ever the Lord was pleased to call him by his grace and to REVEAL HIS SON IN HIM Gal. 1.15 16 he casts away all his riches and treasures of a legal righteousness as dross dung and dog's-meat not fit for children to feed upon and what is it that he embraceth what is it that can thus metamorphose and transpose him what doth he see what hath he espied in the Gospel Why it is Christ a single Christ He sells all that he had to buy this Pearle and thinks himself made for ever if he can but compass such a purchase Yea doubtless saith he I count all these but dung that I may WIN Christ or gain Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and be found in him not having mine own righteousness which is of the Law but that which is through the faith of Christ Phil. 3.9 So we have seen the metamorphosis the transformation of this man his leaving all his Pharisaical Legal Righteousness for a single Christ we will see a little further what use he makes of Christ now that he hath chosen him and thus centred his soul upon him Why he will needs know more of him I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord Phil. 3.8 and saies he I count them but dung that I may win Christ and that I may know him ver 8.10 There are indeed all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge hid in him as St. Paul tells us Col. 2.3 and therefore well might he press after the knowledge of him Again he will love him If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ let him be accursed 1 Cor. 16. ver 22. He will believe in him I would be found in him not having mine own righteousness which is of the Law but that which is through THE FAITH OF CHRIST Lastly he will make his glorying and boast of him and that is the highest honour we can do to God for men glory in that which they account their excellency yea St. Paul chooseth out that in Christ to glory in which is most contemptible in the eyes of the world and that is the cross of Christ which shews what an high esteem he had of him God forbid saith he that I should glory in any thing save in the cross of Christ Gal. 6.14 And though the blind world could see nothing in this Cross that they should rejoice or glory in yet St. Paul saw these great things in the Cross of Christ that upon it he vanquished Principalities and Powers Col. 2.15 that he removed all that from off us that was contrary to us nailing it to his cross so that he might well say as he doth Gal 2.19 I through the Law am dead to the Law that I might live to God that is through what the Law hath done to my Saviour it hath nothing to do with me I am dead to it and that is dead to me Again see another great efficacy that St. Paul espyed in the Cross of Christ and that was that it helped him to conquer the World God forbid that I should glory in any thing save in the Cross of Christ by which the world is crucified to me and I unto the world No wouder therefore if he chuseth the cross of Christ to glory in Once more we find him in another Scripture chusing his infirmities to glory in 2 Cor. 12.5 6 7 8 9 10. I take pleasure in insirmities in reproaches in necessities in persecution in distresses for Christ's sake And what is the reason why not onely for that these are a part of Christ's Cross but because when these things did press him down then did the arm of Christ support him and the Power of Christ rest upon him Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities that the POWER OF CHRIST MAY REST UPON ME for when I am weak then am I strong that is with the strength which is in Christ Jesus and therefore hedoth not only desire that he himself might thus know love believe and glory in Jesus Christ but he begs for others that they might have a Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation in the knowledge of Christ Eph. 1.16 17. It were almost an infinite Work to trace St Paul in all the ways of his treating Christ and using of him take therefore one place for all Gal. 2.20 I am crucified with Christ saith he nevertheless I live that is one Riddle I live yet not I there is another Riddle But whence arise these Mysteries Why from his conversing with and possessing of Christ I live but saith he 't is not I any longer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but Christ liveth in me and the life which I now live in the flesh the whole of my life it is by the faith of the Son of God that is Faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me Paul is dead he lives no longer but Christ lives in Paul if you will and then no wonder St. Paul can do all things as he tells us he can when such a person lives in him Phil. 4.12 13. I know both how to be abased and I know how to abound every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to the hungry both to abound and to suffer need I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me Thus the whole of a Christians lise when he is like himself is a life of Faith upon Christ immediately his Flesh and Blood is his food his Grace and Spirit is his strength the living of Christ in him which is a Mystical expression is his life For you are dead and YOUR LIFE IS HID WITH CHRIST in God Col. 3.3 That Christian therefore that is not intimately acquainted with Christ is so far legal The truth of this assertion is clear from this example for that as soon as ever St. Paul had Christ revealed in him he left all his legal righteousness and fastned upon Christ altogether in this manner which we have partly declared And indeed this is the Character of Characters all the other Characters before given signifie but little without this It is by means of Christs coming that we call God Father that we are freed from that slavish fear of God which even the Saints of the Old-Testament were under in a great measure the Heir before was kept in fear but when the fulness of the 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 because ye are Sons