Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	law_n	life_n	sin_n	22,698	5	5.7840	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A93852	The royal law contended for, or, Some brief grounds serving to prove that the Ten Commandments are yet in full force, and shall so remain till heaven and earth pass away. Also the seventh day Sabbath, proved from the beginning, from the law, from the prophets, from Christ, from his apostles, to be a duty yet incumbent upon saints and sinners. / By a lover of peace with truth Edward Stennet.	Stennett, Edward, d. 1690?	1658 (1658)	Wing S5402B; ESTC R184622	38,860	48

of sin by it because it was not but the Apostle saith whosoever commits sin transgresseth the Law which shews it was in force then and not only so but that likewise it should so remain 10. Let it be considered whether that this opinion that the Law is done away doth not clash with redemption it self The Apostle states all men under the Law and by breaking of it they came under the curse Gal. 3.10 And Christ was made under the curse to redeem his people from under the curse of the Law vers 13. that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles through faith vers 14. Now if we were not under the commanding power we could not be under the curse for that follows disobedience and if so then Christ was not made a curse for us neither can the blessing of Abraham come upon the Gentiles upon that account if the Jews were only under the Law and under the curse of it Christ dying to redeem them from the curse could not bring the blessing of Abraham upon the Gentiles And again the Apostle saith that Christ was made under the Law to redeem them that were under the Law that we might receive the adoption of sons Gal. 4.4 5. Now if we were not under the Law we could not be redeemed by Christs being under the Law nor receive the adoption of sons thereby but it is manifest that every one is under the commanding power of the Law and by nature under the curse and Christ hath only redeemed his people from the curse but that they are redeemed from their obedience to the Law of God I find no Scripture that saith so but on the contrary 11. God complaineth of the blindness of his servants and of the deafness of his messengers that he sent Isay 42.19 20. and their blindness and deafness appears in this that they did not hear nor understand Gods design in the gift of his Son that it was not to destroy his Law or to slight it but to magnifie it and make it honorable verse 2. Before it was in Tables of stone but now in the fleshly Tables of the heart service was done from a spirit of bondage but now from a spirit of adoption and in this sense I conceive the Law is said to be magnified and made honorable and upon this account that God is well pleased for his righteousness sake that is I conceive for his sons sake 12. This opinion that the whole Law is abolished doth pull up true Magistracy by the roots the office of rulers being for the punishment of evil doers and for the praise of them that do well But if the statute and judgements be not in force there is no corporal punishment to be inflicted upon any though theeves murderers or the like and so there is no room for the Magisterial power at all but men are left in this respect as the beasts of the field to shift one among another as well as they can But the Apostle saith The Law is made for the Lawless and disobedient for ungodly and for sinners for unholy and prophane for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers for man-flayers 1 Tim. 1.9 10. Now this is the Law of penalties that 's manifest in that it is said it was not made for a righteous man but the Ten Commandments were for the righteous for the Psalmist saith Oh how I love thy Law it is my meditation all the day Psalm 119.97 Make me to go in the path of thy Commandments for therein do I delight vers 35. And how shall we have Governers as at the first and Counsellers as at the beginning Isay 1.26 if they have no Law to govern by If any say we shall have Laws from Christ and shall not need those Laws that were for the Common-wealth of Israel to that I answer I know no word of God that doth give us ground to believe for any other Laws or Scripture then what we have and suppose that God should revive his work in this nation and bring his enemies under and put opportunity into the hands of his Saints to chuse men fearing God and hating covetousnesse to rule the Nation while the Lambs army march on What could they do if the Scripture were not their Statute-book if they should turn Law-makers would not that be their sin there being no Warrant in the Scripture for it And would it not bring all into confusion again and make another Babel For the great question which is to be resolved in the latter dayes will be Who is our Statute-maker Which the Saints put out of question Isay 33.22 The Lord is our Judge the Lord is our Statute-maker the Lord is our King he will save us and not King Omri with his Statutes Mic. 6.16 And when the Saints come to own this truth in good earnest their opposits tacklings will be loosed they shall neither strengthen their mast nor spread their sailes vers 23. and Malachi tells us what Laws our King hath made which the Saints are to own when the day of the Lord burns as an oven all the proud and the Sun of righteonsness arises upon all that fear him when they shall tread down the wicked with so much ease that they shall be as ashes under the soles of their feet so that it shall be counted the Lords doings And in the day that the Lord shall do this Remember ye the Law of Moses my servant which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel with the Statutes and judgements Chap. 4.3 4. I shall now endeavour to answer some objections which are usually brought against this truth though several of them are partly answered in the grounds aforementioned I shall therefore say the less and begin to speak something to that Scripture in 2 Cor. 3. on which the objecters do chiefly build their perswasion and indeed at the first glance thereon without comparing of it with other Scriptures it hath more colour for such a purpose then all the Scriptures that ever I heard brought from which Scripture this is objected That the Ten Commandments were the ministration of death and of the letter and are done away Answer That they were the ministration of death and of the letter is granted for the Scripture saith so but the Scripture doth not say they are done away as will appear if we consider the drift of the Apostle he endeavoureth to shew the difference between the ministration of the spirit and of the letter vers 6. the one being a bare reading of the Law from which no life was communicated to those that heard it vers 14 15. and in vers 9. the Apostle calls it the ministration of condemnation that is it lays open sin and the curse for sin but it is the Gospel ministration which holds forth justification and strength against sin not that the Ten Commandments in themselves were death to any God forbid as the Apostle saith in Rom. 7.13 But sin when it is finished

bringeth forth death and the Commandements preach death to the transgressers of them so that they are called the ministration of death and condemnation because man hath broken them and so is under the curse of them which Christ hath delivered believers from 3.13 and the ministration of it is really done away that is as I said before The reading of the Law by a Typical priesthood which the Jews would have set up in the room and place of the ministration of the spirit and whereas they lived under the hearing of the bare letter of the Law which gave no strength to perform we live under the hearing of the Gospel which is spirit and life John 6.36 But that the matter of the Law or commanding power of it should be done away this Scripture doth not in the least prove but it is used in the hand of the spirit to convince of sin This the same Apostle proves Rom. 7.7 Who saith he had not known sin but by the Law he had not known lust except the Law had said thou shalt not covet this will appear evident if you consider the 8 9 10 11 12 13 14. verses of this Chap. Obj. 2. Another Scripture is frequently urged Acts 7.37 A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren like unto me him shall you hear From which it is concluded that we are to hearken only to Christ and not to Moses Answ If by hearing of Christ you mean hearing only what he spake with his own lips when he was on earth then we are not to hear his Apostles but if you mean by hearing of him is to hear what he spake upon earth and what he spake by his spirit in his Apostles then why are we not to hear what he spake by his spirit to his Prophets seeing we are built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Christ being the chief Corner-stone Ephesians 21.20 And if such who are of this perswasion would be true to their principle to hear Christ hear him what he saith Luke 16.31 They have Moses and the Prophets let them hear them For if they will not believe Moses and the Prophets they will not believe though one rise from the dead And he counsels to keep the Commandments Matth. 19.17 18. and reproves for the breach of them as also for the making of them void by traditions Matth. 15.6 as might be made appear by many other Scriptures Therefore there is nothing of weight in this objection to shake the thing asserted Obj. 3. Moses was faithful over his house as a servant so Christ is faithful over his house as a son Now if Christ hath not given us all the Laws that we are to observe this is to make Christ less faithful then Moses Answ Doubtlesse Christ as a son is faithful over his house as Moses was faithful over his house as a servant But we are to consider what was Moses his house and what is Christs house Moses his house I conceive was the Tabernacle his faithfulness did appear in that he did all things according to the pattern shewed to him in the mount Christs house are the Saints the true Tabernacle which the Lord hath pitched and not man Heb. 8.2 5. of which the other was a shadow And as Moses as a servant gave forth ordinances for his house so Christ as a son hath given out ordinances for his house but the Ten Commandments are a Law which belongs to men as they are men though they be no part of Christs house it being as before is proved the Law written in their very hearts Obj. 4. But when certain of the Sect of the Pharisees arose and said it was needful to be circumcised and keep the Law of Moses the Apostle proves them to be tempters of God in putting a yoke upon the neck of the disciples which they nor their Fathers were able to bear Act. 15.5 10. Answ Are the Ten Commandments such a yoke as is not to be born Is it a yoke to have no other God but Jehovah and to abstain from murder theft adultery and the like For so it must be if you judge that the whole Law is here slighted But the thing in difference here is whether such and such laws are to be kept or no and the stress that is laid upon the keeping of them namely the pressing of them as things without which they could not be saved as vers 1. and therefore the Apostle in answer to this shews that the Gentiles had received the Gospel and did believe God having given to them the Holy Ghost and put no difference between them and the Jews purifying their hearts by faith vers 7 8 9. and that through the grace of Jesus Christ both sews and Gentiles should be saved vers 11. and as the Apostle opposeth the keeping of these Laws for such a purpose as to be sared thereby so the bare keeping of them is forbidden and therefore saith James ver 19 20. My sentence is that we trouble not them which from among the Gentiles are turned unto God but that we write unto them that they abstain from pollutions of Idols and from fornication from things strangled and from blood So that the Apostles judgement is that the Gentiles should keep some part of the Law And therefore the question was not Whether any part of the Law should be kept and the reason seems to be in vers 20. why they would write no more for Moses of old time hath in every City them that preach him being read in the Synagogue ever Sabbath day So the Apostles and Elders write vers 24. For as much as we have heard that certain men that went out from us have troubled you with words subverting your souls saying you must be circumcised and keep the Law to whom we gave no such Commandment Now can we be so gross as to think that is subverting mens souls and contrary to the commandments of the Apostles and Elders to bid them love the Lord their God with all their hearts and with all their strength and to worship him alone and not take his name in vain and the like for this is to keep the Law But the difference was about other Laws as well as circumcision and they are as really forbid to keep them as they are forbid circumcision and therefore it cannot be the Law of the Ten Commandments but the Law of shadows as is manifest Chap. 21. when Paul came to Hierusalem the brethren told him that it was reported that he taught all the Jews which were among the Gentiles to forsake Moses saying that they ought not to circumcise their children neither to walk after the customes vers 21. therefore they counsel Paul to purifie himself with some others that it might be seen that he walked orderly and kept the Law vers 24. But as touching the Gentiles which believe we have written and concluded that they observe no such things vers 25. so that

the Law and in this sense every true believer doth fulfil the Law though his compleatness be in Christ for love is the fulfilling of the Law Rom. 13.10 so that the commanding power of the Law is such a just measure that every one that loves acts his part towards the fulfilling of it Lastly it further appears to be the Ten Commandments by the use Christ makes of what he had before asserted Whosoever therefore shall break one of the least of these Commendments and shall teach men so shall be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven vers 19. that is forasmuch as this Law must stand till Heaven and Earth pass and I came not to destroy it therefore beware of breaking of it for whosoever you are that break any any part of it and shall teach men so you shall be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven but whosoever shall do and teach them the same shall be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven To prevent further mistakes he repeateth the Law in many particulars and gives the sence shewing how far their righteousness should exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees vers 20. By all which it plainly appears that this Law which Christ came not to destroy is the Law of the Ten Commandments or the Laws that were comprehended in them 6. The Apostle confirmeth and establisheth this Law after the death of Christ as plainly appears Rom. 3. the drift of which Chap is to set Jews and Gentiles in a like condition by nature all breakers of the Law of God and so become guilty before him vers 19. and that therefore no flesh could be justified by the deeds of the Law the Law being for another purpose to convince of sin vers 20. or to bring sin to the knowledge he proves that Jews and Gentiles circumcised and uncircumcised are justified by and through faith and not by any Law of works vers 27 28 29 30. But lest the Gentiles should think because they could not be justified by the works of the Law that therefore they might look upon the Law as a thing done away or made void he puts this question to the uncircumcised Gentiles Do we then make void the Law through faith God forbid yea we establish the Law He puts this question out of question whether the Law be in force to believing Gentiles or no with a God forbid which shews the greatness of his zeal against such a perswasion it being the same answer which he gives to another gross question whether we should continue in sin that grace might abound and as if that were not enough he adds to it yea we establish the Law 7. This same Apostle doth prove that the Law was in force at the time of his conversion he saith he had not known sin but by the Law he had not known lust except the Law had said Thou shalt not covet Rom. 7.7 He was alive without the Law once but when the Commandment came sin revived and he dyed vers 9. that is not without the letter of it for that he had and did in a great measure conform to it but without powerful convictions for sin by the Law and in this sence when the Commandment came sin revived and he dies that before was alive in his own apprehension For without the Law sin was dead vers 8. and by the Law is the knowledge of sin and sin taking occasion by the Commandment deceived him and by it slew him Wherefore the Law is holy the Commandment is holy just and good vers 11.12 not that the holy and just Law was made death unto him God forbid but sin that it might appear sin by this good Law wrought death in him that by the Commandment sin might appear exceeding sinful vers 13. And if so then this Law did not dye with the body of Christ though we are dead to the Law by the body of Christ that we should serve in newness of spirit and not in the oldnesse of the letter and that we should be married to another even him who is raised from the dead we being dead to that spirit of bondage in whith we were held that we set our obedience to the Law no longer in the room of Christ as our head and husband Christ by his blood having purchased us from that power that the Law had over us by reason of sin So that our service is not to satisfie the Law as a woman serves to please her husband that we are dead to but we are not dead to serve in newness of spirit in obedience to Christ as our husband vers 4 5 6. In this sence the Apostle delights in the Law of God after the inward man vers 22. Though another Law in his members stood in great opposition to it vers 23. Mind this chap. well and it will appear so plain that he that runs may read that the Apostle intends no such thing as to take us from our obedience to the Law nor yet the abrogating of the Law But on the contrary 8. The same Apostle urges the Law in the very letter of it unto the Ephesians Chap. 6.1 2 3. Children saith he obey your Parents for this is right Honour thy father and thy mother which is the first Commandment with promise He proves his exhortation to be right from the Commandment and he takes notice of the order of the Commandments it is the first Commandment of that second Table and it hath a promise annexed to it he speaketh in the present tense he doth not say it was the first Commandment but it is the first with promise that thy dayes may be long on the earth he urges the promise to them for their encouragement and to prevent mistakes he shews the extent of it that it was not only to the Jews that they should live long in the land of Canaan but to the Gentiles also therefore the interpretation is large that thy dayes may be long on the earth 9. James gives a full confirmation to what I am treating of chap. 2.9 He convinces them of sin by this Law in having the faith of Jesus Christ with respect of persons as appears by vers 10.11 For whosoever shall keep the whole Law and yet offend in one point he is guilty of all he shews what Law he means and how it is that he that offends in one point is guilty of all because He that saith do not commit adultery saith also do not kill now if thou commit no adultery yet if thou kill thou art become a transgressor of the Law And John saith Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the Law for sin is the transgressionof the Law chap. 3.4 and in the next verse he explains what Law he means and saith it was such transgression that Christ was manifest to take away now if this Law of God was done away by the death of Christ sin could not be a transgression of it so long after neither could any be convinced

THE ROYAL LAW CONTENDED FOR OR Some Brief Grounds serving to prove that the Ten Commandements are yet in full force and shall so remain till Heaven and Earth pass away ALSO The Seventh Day Sabbath proved from the Beginning from the Law from the Prophets from Christ from his Apostles to be a duty yet incumbent upon Saints and Sinners By a Lover of Peace with Truth Edward Stennet They that forsake the Law praise the wicked but such as keep the Law contend with them Prov. 28.4 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter Fear God and keep his Commandments for this is the whole duty of man Eccles 12.13 The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath therefore the Son of man is Lord even of the Sabbath Mark 2.27 28. Then shall I not be ashamed when I have respect to all thy Commandments Psal 119.6 LONDON Printed in the Year 1658. TO ALL That truly fear the LORD and tremble at his Word IT was not in the least my purpose to expose the ensuing discours to publique view but to communicate it onely to some private Christian friends as a reason of the hope that is in me in relation to the Law of the Lord. I being in a good measure sensible of my own weakness and unfitnes● for such a work but the Lord was pleased to bless these my weak endeavours with the successes of conviction to some and refreshment to others of his dear servants who were my encouragers after solemne waiting upon our Heavenly Father unto this which I can truly say I was dead unto although I was and am perswaded that the gates of Hell shall not prevail against the truth therein contained but my weakness in the management of it was the great obstruction But I am willing to press after a likeness to Jesus Christ who made himself of no reputation and to learn of him who was meek and lowly in heart I am not so conceited to present this Treatise as a thing that 's rare or new either to the Saints or World for if they will look about them they may see this truth in a better dress and lustre but it may be the tender Lambs and Sucking-Babes of Jesus Christ may better understand my stammering tongue then those that speak more distinctly and that 's one main encouragement to me I do profess in the presence of him who tryes the heart and reines Light hath broak forth since I wrote these papers about the Law in general and the Sabbath in particular it being five or six months since they were written yet notwithstanding I am now encouraged by the Lord I trust and by his people to speak this on the house top which was spoken to me in secret because so many of the Lords people are so deluded that they have rejected the Law of God and live in a weekly profanation of his Holy Sabbath thinking that Christ abolisht the whole Law at his death though Christ utterly denys it and would have none to harbour such a thought Mat. 5.17 although many of the men of this opinion may be good yet it makes their error not one Jote the better For this flows from their carnality and not their spirituality for the carnal mind is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be Rom. 8.7 But because truth springs up out of the earth and righteousness looks down from Heaven and the ancient honourable institution of Jehovah now begins to shine with such clearness that it cannot be razed out of the tables and therefore all is cast away together which is such an invention as would not have been thought on by many I am certain if Sabbath Light had been concealed The two ancient institutions of the Lord in Paradise were Mariage and the Sabbath both which are called and esteemed honorable Heb. 13.4 Marriage is honorable in all and in Isay 58.13 the Sabbath is called the Holy of the Lord honorable and Christ leads us to the beginning of them both when the question was whether men might put away their wives for every fault the answer is that Moses did but suffer it to be so because of the hardness of their hearts but from the beginning it was not so Mat. 19.34 35.36 37. and when the Pharisees were so ignorant that they thought works of mercy were not to be done upon the Sabbath day Christ leads them to the first institution of it and tels them it was made for man Mark 2.24 27. Both these institutions were made for the good and benefite of man in his Paradise estate which is sufficient proofe for their duration Paul saith that the man was not created for the woman but the woman for the man 1 Cor. 11.9 and our blessed Lord of the Sabbath saith that the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath Then Christians be noble spirited and search the Scriptures with all readiness of mind and with hearts longing after truth get as remote from earth and earthly things as you can and into the secret chamber of your beloved and when you are the most transported from earth to heaven in near and close communion with him then try and judge by his word and spirit weighing Scripture with Scripture in an equal ballance and be as cautious in taking up objections against this truth as you are of being in the practise of it T' is sad to see and that which wounds my spirit much that persons professing godliness should be so inconsiderate as to catch at any thing that comes next to hand to strike at that which a differing Saint affirms is truth without considering the weight of what is offered or whither their own objections lead them I have seen more gall and wormwood at the bottom of those objections that have been made against the Sabbath then ever I saw in any objections against any other command and even some Christians are so weak that all passes for currant that flows from a man that 's good and able but where are those virgin spirits that are redeemed from the earth and from among men that lay persons interests customes by whilest they judge between truth and error where ever they are they are men which will follow the Lamb when others are left behind They will not be affrighted at the seventh day Sabbath because nicknamed called the Jews Sabbath no more then they are at the God of the Jews they will not refuse to keep the Sabbath because a man was stoned any more then they will refuse Jehovah to be their God because those that worship strange Gods were to be put to death and if they be told they go back to the Law they can answer blessed are they that do his Commandements that they may have right to the Tree of Life and may enter in through the gate into the City when the breakers of the Law are left without Rev. 22.14 15. Do you therefore that fear the Lord

break my Statutes and keep not my Commandements vers 30 31. Then will I visit their transgression with a rod and their iniquity with stripes vers 32. Neverthelesse my loving kindness will I not utterly take away nor suffer my faithfulnesse to fail Mark it this Covenant was with Christ though with David in the Type in the behalf of all the seed and chastisements must be the portion of the seed if they break the Law of God though his Covenant stand fast now as this Covenant reaches all the seed so doth the Law and the punishment for the breach of it and if so then what Law is it that reaches all the seed if not the Law of the Ten Commandements with those Laws which are comprehended in them 5. These Commandments are eminently distinguished and marked out from all the Ceremonial Laws both to shew their eminency and perpetuity they are said to be the work of God Exod. 32.16 and the Psalmist saith The works of his hands are verity and judgement and these works are called all his Commandments Psal 111.7 and they are Ten Deut. 4.13 Exod. 34.28 And therefore I conceive Wisedoms son is to bind them upon his fingers to shew the number of them there being for each finger one and that both hands might be active in them And Zachary and Elizabeth are said to walk in all the Commandments and Ordinances of the Lord Luke 1.6 They are distinguished from the Cerimonial Ordinances and called all the Commandments to set forth their number as before is said and their eminency and therefore they are so frequently called in the Scripture The Commandments of God distinct from the other Laws which were shadowy in the time of the Law of shadow ● As these places of Scripture besides many others do shew viz. Deut. 5.31 and 6.11 and 7.11 Deut. 8.11 and 11.1 and 30.16 1 Kin. 2.3 and 8.58 2 Chro. 19.10 Neh. 1.7 and 10.29 c. and distinct from the testimony of Jesus in clear Gospel times Rev. 12.17 Where note the dragons war is with the remnant of the Womans seed which keep the Commandments of God and the Testimony of Jesus and again here are they that keep the Commandments of God and the faith of Jesus Rev. 14.12 And when the man would know what he should do to be saved Christ told him that he knew the Commandments A cloud of witnesses would come in if need were for the confirmation of them But further observe what the Scripture saith to their duration the Psalmist saith All his Commandments are sure they stand fast for ever and ever and are done in truth and uprightnesse Psalm 111.7 8. Note it all his Commandments which are the works of his hands as aforesaid these all stand fast for ever and ever that is not only in the time of the ministration of the letter which was in a sense for ever but for ever and ever that is under both ministrations that of the letter and that of the spirit in Old Testament times and in the New and search and see if you can find any word that doth speak of any thing that is said to abide or stand fast for ever and ever which comes short of the time aforesaid And when God hides his face from the house of Jacob then is the time that the Testimony is bound up and the Law is sealed among the disciples Esay 8.16 17. Clearly relating to the time that the Jews rejected the Gospel and the disciples are commanded to make use of the Law as well as the Testimony to try the Doctrines of others by vers 20. all which shewes the perpetuity of this Law of God which will further appear if we consider What our Lord saith in Matth. 5.17 18. Think not that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets I came not to destroy but to fulfil But the question will be what Law this is To me it appears to be the Law of the Ten Commandments for these reasons 1. First because this comes in as the motive to provoke his disciples to let their lights shine in the world that men might see their good works and glorifie their Father which is in Heaven vers 16. Therefore it must be such a Law as the doing of it holds forth good works to publique view 2. It is such a Law as Christ professeth he came not to destroy but the Ceremonial Law he did destroy in this very sense so that none are to be in the practise of it he blotted out the hand-writing of ordinances that was against us and contrary to us and took it out of the way nailing it to his crosse Col. 2.14 3. Destroying of the Law is here put in direct opposition to fulfilling of it to destroy is to take out of the way or to blot out as before but to fulfil the Law is to do that which is contained in the Law therefore saith Christ to John when he went to be baptised It becometh us to fulfil all righteousness that is to perform it Matth. 3.15 and the Apostle saith That love is the fulfilling of the Law what Law why this Thou shalt not commit adultery Thou shalt not kill Thou shalt not steal and the like Rom. 13.8.9 Love worketh no evil to his neighbour therefore love is the fulfilling of the Law vers 10. So that to fulfil the Law of the Ten Commandments is not to blot them out or make them void that were to destroy them which Christ came not to do but on the contrary to do the things contained in them which he did exactly in his life and so was offered up a Lamb without spot 4. This is such a Law as must stand in force every jot and title of it till Heaven and Earth pass away Matth. 5 19. but Heaven and Earth are not yet passed away therefore this Law stands firm but because it is said in the Text Till all be fulfilled hence some affirm that all was fulfilled at the death of Christ and this fulfilling of it holds forth the abrogating of it But did Heaven and Earth pass away then or did Christ by his taking upon him all that guilt which was due to us and by his perfect fulfilling of it in his walk take us from our obedience God forbid because Christ fulfilled the righteousness of the Law must not we fulfill it Even as Archippus was to fulfil his ministry Col. 4.17 which would be absurd to think that that was to put it to an end The Apostle saith that for this end Christ dyed Rom. 8.3 4. saying For what the Law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh God sent forth his son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh that the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit But what is the fulfilling of the righteousness of the Law First to do the righteous things contained in

and think upon his name lye down at his feet and cry earnestly for his spirit to lead you into all truth that you may not kick against the pricks in this chastising day wherein the Lord is teaching his people out of his Law and fitting them for the Kingdom of glory which is at the door Now the Lord is discovering every part and piece of Babylon that the Saints may know the better how to reward her but because the Saints begin to own the Lord as King and Law-giver the Dragon is wroth and knows that this will destroy his Kingdom and so would endeavour to perswade persons that the Law of God is abolished well knowing that if he could perswade them to abelief of this they will soon say there is nothing to be done till Christ come in person I would not make too large a gate to so small a City but shall hasten to a conclusion with a word to the little remnant that keep the Sabbath according to the Commandement Precious Brethren you are under great and precious promises for your encoutagement though your opposers are great and numerous I think often of what is said of Asher Deut. 33.24 25. Let Asher be blest with children let him be acceptable to his brethren and let him dip his foot in oyl his shooes shall be Iron and Brass and as is his dayes so shall his strength be Asher seems to hold forth the remnant that the Lord will use in the latter dayes to tread down the wicked withal and Ashers bread shall be fat yea he shall yield Royal dainties Gen. 49.20 and if you my Brethren fulfil the Royall Law according to the Scripture ye shall doe well though your Brethren frown upon you at present yet you shall be acceptable unto them and what if your work be difficult if your strength be sutable you need not complain you may tread upon Scorpions if your shooes be Iron and Brass your feet will be like Hinds feet if they be dipt in oyl which will cause you to run without wearinesse and walk without fainting So he prayes Who is only through grace a servant of CHRIST though unworthy to be so called EDWARD STENNET Some Brief Grounds serving to prove that the Ten Commandements are yet in ful force and shall so remain till Heaven and Earth passe away FIrst The matter of the Ten Commandements was written in the Heart of Adam before his fall as doth appear Gen. 1.27 God created man in his own Image in the Image of God created he him Eccles 7.29 God hath made man upright but he sought out many inventions And the Apostle plainly asserts that the Gentiles which had not the Law in the letter of it did by nature the things contained in the Law which sheweth the work of the Law written in their hearts Rom. 2.14 15. Now if the Gentiles had the work of the Law written in their bearts in their sinful state doubtless they had it in more perfection in their state of innocency as considered in Adam for the letter of the Law was added because of transgression Gal. 2.19 Now if there were transgression before the letter of the Law was added that implies there was a Law before and in that the letter of the Law is said to be added it implies that the matter of it was in being before but much worn out by sin and that is one reason why the Lord was pleased to add the letter Let it be considered how it can stand with Scripture or right reason that Jesus Christ should abrogate this Law did Christ blot out this Law out of the hearts of all men by his death Rom. 2.15 then all men have not the Law of Nature to guide them for we cannot be so gross as to imagine that the Law is put into their hearts upon a new account for that were to bring all men under the new Covenant 2. God spake all these Commandments unto the people and they heard his voice Deut. 5.22 23 24. with great Majesty and Glory and he added no more and he wrote them upon two Tables of Stone and delivered them unto Moses all which holds forth their perpetuity they are spoken by God they are wrote by him in Tables of Stone so was never any Ceremony Job desires that his words were graven with a pen of Iron and Lead in a rock of stone for ever Chap. 19.24 3. After the first tables were broke which I suppose did signifie the Israelites breaking of the first Covenant for Moses brake them upon that account Behold the Ark as it stands under the mercy feat they having made a Golden Calf and so had broke the Commandement Moses was then commanded to hew two Tables like unto the first and God wrote the same words again upon them Deut. 10.1 2 3 4. and they only of all the Laws were put into the Ark and when the Ark is set in its proper place between the Cherubims there is nothing in it but the two Tables 1 Kings 8.9 Now the Ark was a Type of Christ and the putting the Law into it did signifie the putting of it into the heart of Christ Psalm 40.6 7 8. Thy Law is in my heart and from thence they are transcribed into the hearts of the seed of Christ according to the new Covenant Jer. 31.33 Where God promises to put his Law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts Now what Law is this that must be put in the heart when the Law of sacrifice is abolished Heb. 10.6 7 8 9. compared with that forementioned in the Psalmes that this is the Law that is here spoken of is manifest if we consider first how proper and suitable it is for the heart of a believer Paul calls it the Law of his mind Rom. 7.23 and in 22. he professeth he delights in the Law of God after the inward man and God saith he will put his Law in the heart and write it there 2 Cor. 3.2 3. both which phrases hold it forth to be the same Law that was wrote by God and put into the Ark mans heart is the Tables and God himself is the writer the matter written is the Law and hear what Wisdome saith to this Prov. 7.1 2 3. My son keep my words and lay up my commandements within thee keep my commandements and live and my Law as the apple of thy eye bind them upon thy fingers write them upon the table of thine heart Now what Laws are these but the Table-Laws which were then in being and Wisdoms son is to have them writ upon the fleshly Tables of his heart 4. When God promiseth to exalt his first-born higher then the Kings of the Earth and that his Covenant should stand fast with him Psal 89.28 29. and that his seed should endure for ever and his Throne as the dayes of Heaven yet he saith If his Children forsake my Law and walk not in my judgments if they