and forgiue mee my sins forgiue my manifold offences wash me throughly by the blood of Iesus Christ my Redeemer and cleanse mee from all my pollutions for they are many and I am ashamed that euer I gaue way vnto them But now Lord now though late I pray thee to leade mee by thy Spirit in more obedience stay me that I runne not this day into any vnseemely or vngodly actions withhold mine eyes from vanities keep vnder the vngodly affections of my corrupt heart that though they may begin to worke sinne in me Lord suppresse them before they come to execution Disperse Lord and dispell all the clouds of ignorance and errors that darken mine vnderstanding and giue me wisdome rightly to know thee and thy Son Christ and what hee hath done for my soule and through thy grace restraine mee this day from that thou hast commanded me to shun and let mee doe nothing but what may please thee then whatsoeuer I shall thinke speake or determine shall bee to thine owne glory profitable to my selfe and others Preserue mee from the secret and hidden snares of Satan who is restlesse to allure me to sinne enticing me to imbrace the vanities of the world and to yeeld to the lusts of mine owne corrupt nature But Lord as I haue by thy prouidence past the darkenesse of this night and doe now enioy the ioyfull benefit of the light of this day so let mee this day auoid all the workes of darkenesse and as the day doth administer light vnto my corporall eyes the better to doe the works and offices of my calling let the light of thy Spirit O Lord shine in my soule that I may walke in the light of thy truth in true obedieÌ„ce to the good example of others Thou hast allotted mee a calling in this life giue me power and wisdom rightly to performe it my best endeauours can little preuaile without thy blessing direction and therfore I humbly pray thee to prosper whatsoeuer I take in hand this day Blesse mine vnderstanding O Lord that I may rightly know and bee able truely and faithfully to performe what belongeth vnto my place and calling Blesse the health of my body the strength continuall vse of my limbes and senses which of themselues are weake and may soone decay without thy blessing Increase O Lord and confirme my faith grace wisedome and obedience euery day more and more that I may euery day more and more dye vnto sinne and bee made stronger more perfect in righteousnesse Heale O Lord all my corporall and spirituall infirmities and dispose my heart that I may bee euery day more and more mindfull that this my life is short and that this day may bee my last day and let mee so walke this day as if it should bee the last day of this my mortall life that I may be assured of the immediate entrance into that life which is eternall with Christ my Redeemer And vntill that last day shall come O Lord I intreate thee in the name of Iesus Christ that this day and all the rest of my dayes and nights may bee prosperous and blessed vnto mee the day for the performance of my calling the night for my rest vntill I come to my finall and perpetuall rest with thee and thy Sonne to whom with thy blessed Spirit I ascribe all honour praise and glory Amen FINIS 1 Thes. 6. * 〈…〉 â—erkins Rogers Bolton §. Sect. 1. The context a Vers. 3â— b Vers. 31. c Verse 32. â—â—hn 14. 6. 21. d Vers. 33. e Vers. 34. f Tit. 3. 3. g 1. Ioh. 3. 8. h Vers. 35. i Gen. 21. 10. Tim. 3. 15. k Iob. 14. 1. l Iob. 1. 12. Gal. 3. 26. m Rom. 8. 17. Gal. 47. n Galath 4. 28 o Matth. 3. 12. 13. 30. 25. 33 p Gen. 21. 10. Galath 4. 30. q Ephes. 2. 3. §. Sect. 2. The text The argument wherof is Christian libertie r Rom. 14. 16. s 1. Peâ— 1. 18. t Gal. 5. 13. u Iohn 8. 32. x Luke 4. 18. y Iames. 1. 25. 2. 12. z Act. 26. 18. The explication of the text The generall doctrine of Christian liâ—ertie §. Sect. 3. The definition of Christian libertie a Arist. Poster 1. 14. b Plato in Sophista c Iohn â— 33. 34. d 1. Cor. 7. 21. e 1. Pet. 2. 16. f Rom. 6. 20. g Rom. 6. 18. h 1. Cor. 7. 22. i 2. Pet. 2. 19. k Gal 4. 5. 6. 7 a Galath 2. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The partition b Heb. 9. 12. Luk 2. 38. c Rom. 3. 24. Colos. 1. 14. d Heb. 2. 15. e Col. 1. 13. 1. Thess. 1. 10 f 1. Cor. 8. 9. The efficient or author of this libertie g Galath 2. 4. h Galath 5. 1 i Rom. 11. 26. k 1. Thess. 1. 10. l 1. Iohn 3. 8. m Mat. 12. 29 n Colos. 2. 15. o Ephes. 4. 8. p Iohn 1. 7. q 1. Iohn 1. 7. Hib. 9. 14. 1. Pet. 1. 18. Tit. 2. 14. s Ioh. 19. 34. 35. 1. Ioh. 5. 6 t Gal. 4. 4. u Gal. 3. 13. * Heb. 2. 14. 15. x Ephes. 1. 7. 1. Cor. 1. 30. y 1. Tim. 2. 6. z 1. Pet. 1. 18. 19. a Heb. 9. 12. b Rom. 8. 9. 19 Gal. 4. 6. c Psal. 51. 14. d 〈◊〉 1. 25. e Aâ—t 26. 18. The vse of this doctrine concerning the author of our libertie f Ioh. 3. 16. 1. Ioh. 4. 10. g Ioh. 15. 13 h Psal. 107. 20. Col. 1. 12. 13. 14. Rom. 7. 25. 1. Cor. 15. 57. i Galath 5. 1. k Luke 1. 74. l 1. Cor. 6. 19. 20. §. 5. The subiect of this libertie or parties on whoÌ„ it is conferred m Esay 61. 1 n Luke 4. 1â— o Mat. 18. 11. p Matth. 9. 13. q Matth. 5. 3. 6. r Luke 1. 53. s 2. Tim. 2. 20. t Matth. 3. 12. u Matth. 13. 47. * Matth. 13. 24. x Iob. 8. 34. 31. y Matth. 25. 32. 33. z Galath 2. 4. a 1. Ioh. 2. 19. b Matth. 20. 16. 22. 14. c Rom. 8. 28. 30 d 1. Pet. 3. 21. e Heb. 12. 24. f 1. Cor. 12. 13 g Rom. 2. 28. 29. h Ioh. 8. 37. c. i Gal. 3. 7. k Ezech. 16. 20. 21. Matth. 8. 12. l 2. Cor. 5. 20. m Matth. 23. 37. n 2. Cor. 2. 16. o Matth. 10. 15. p Matth. 11. 21. 23. q 2. Tim. 2. 26 Titus 3. 3. §. 6. The quality or property of this liberty r Heb. 6. 18. s Luk. 〈◊〉 §. T. The specialâ— doctrine of Christian liberty t Luk. 12. 58. u 1. 〈◊〉 1. 9. * Rom. 8. 21. x Eph. 1. 7. 14. y Rom. 8. 21. The liberty of grace z 〈◊〉 1. 4. a 〈◊〉 3. b Gal. 4. â— 3. 3. 24. c Rom. 4. 23. 24. d Iam. 2. 20. 21. e Instit. lib. 3. cap. 19. §. 1. The liberty of saving grace f Rom. 8. 30. g 〈◊〉 3. 2. h 〈◊〉 15. 1. 5. i 〈…〉 §. ◠〈…〉 k 〈…〉 l Psal. 51. 14.
officer the Angels by prison hell c. Patriae of the life to come which we shall enioy when being come to the end of our way wee shall haue the end of our faith which is the salvation of our soules The former is freedome from the bondage of sinne the other from the bondage of corruption The former is simply called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 redemption the latter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the redemption of possession for by the former we are heires spe in hope and expectation by the latter re in deed and possession the one is begun and in part the other perfect and complete the one the liberty of grace the other as the Apostle speaketh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the liberty of glory Of these in order And first of the liberty of grace which even in this life the faithfull doe enioy in and by Christ. And it is either common to all the faithfull as well of the old Testament as of the new or peculiar to the faithfull vnder the Gospell The faithfull vnder both Testaments were and are sonnes who as they haue the same common faith so haue they the same common salvation and therefore the same liberty and right in respect of the inheritance it selfe and all the degrees thereof Notwithstanding there is difference betweene sonnes vnder age and in their minority in respect of discipline and gouernment those who are come to yeares the former being nurtured by schoolemasters and governed by tutors as the Apostle saith of the faithfull before the incarnation of Christ the latter set at liberty from such discicipline and government Otherwise as they had the same faith and the same iustification for all the faithfull both before Christ and after were and are justified by faith as Abraham was Rom. 4. and by such a faith Iam. 2. so haue they the same liberty which is obtained by faith and in some chiefe points thereof is as Calvin saith an appendix of iustification The common liberty of grace which may fitly be called the liberty of sauing grace containeth many particulars which for your easiest remembrance may be reduced to these three heads For it is a liberty which we haue in and by our Vocation Iustification Sanctification For although these three concurre in time because a man is no sooner effectually called but he is also iustified before God and no sooner iustified but he beginneth also to bee sanctified which is duly to be obserued of those who presuming and that perhaps for a long time that they be called and iustified doe still remaine vnsanctified notwithstanding in order of nature vocation goeth before iustification and iustification before sanctification And let this also by the way be observed for the comfort of the godly For whosoever professing the true faith hath a true purpose and vnfained desire to walke before God in the obedience of his will making conscience of all his waies that man howsoever besides his generall purpose he may faile as wee all doe in many particulars yet he is sanctified and from his sanctification may certainly conclude that he is iustified that hee is called that he is elected that he shall be saued For the fruit could not bee good vnlesse the tree or the branch that beareth it were good and the branch cannot be good vnlesse it bee ingrafted into Christ the onely true vine that is to say a mans conversation is never acceptable vnto God before his person be accepted and his person is not accepted vntill he be vnited vnto Christ. For the better vnderstanding of this point we must remember that Christ at a deare price hath long since purchased this liberty for vs and hath meritoriously wrought our freedome But none are actually and effectually set at liberty but those alone who haue actuall vnion and communion with Christ. Now in our effectuall vocation wee haue vnion with Christ and in our justification and sanctification communion with him In the former in respect of his merits apprehended by faith and communicated vnto vs by imputation in the other in respect of his graces which being in him without measure are by his spirit from him derived and in some measure communicated vnto vs by infusion But let vs speake of them severally And first as â—ouching our vocation I say with the Apostle Gal. 5. Brethren you are called vnto liberty which words we are thus to vnderstand that by our calling wee are not only invited vnto Christian liberty in generall as a maine benefit of our Christian profession but also by it are enfranchised being thereby put into possession of a good part of it and entituled to the rest For whereas naturally wee are wholy and not only in part for that may be verified of the faithfull Rom. 7. 14. carnall sold vnder sinne by our calling wee are first made spirituall being in some measure indued with the spirit of Christ. Now the spirit of Christ being the spirit of liberty as David speaketh Psal. 51. we may resolue with the Apostle that where the spirit of the Lord is there is liberty But the liberty which wee haue by our calling standeth on these degrees First as it is an immunity our mindes are therein freed from the servitude of blindnesse and incredulity our hearts and willes from the bondage of that which the Apostle calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vnder which all men naturally are concluded that is disobedience and infidelity our selues from the servitude of Satan being called and as it were culled out of the world whereby is meant the company of worldly men which is the kingdome of the divell who is the Prince yea the God of the world working effectually 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the children of infidelity and disobedience blinding their vnderstandings and captivating their willes and lastly translated from the most slavish estate of damnation being redeemed from among men and deliuered out of the world which because it wholy as Saint Iohn saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lieth vnder the subiection of the divell who hath the power of death is also subiect to death and damnation As it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a power and interest wee are in our calling indued as I said with the spirit of liberty which freeth our soules by enlightning our minds perswading our iudgements and softening our hearts enspiring thereinto godly desires and gratious resolutions whereby he beginning the grace of faith in vs doth regenerate vs and vnite vs vnto Christ. So that by our effectuall calling in regard that therein the spirit of liberty is communicated vnto vs and the saving grace of faith is therein begotten in vs we are made the sonnes of God and members of Christ and are not only entituled to all the rights and priviledges of the children of God and members of Christ but also are
presently translated as it were from death to life and from the state of damnation vnto the state of grace and salvation But these things doe need some farther explanation First therefore in the ministry of the Gospell which is the ministry of the spirit the word of faith the seed of regeneration the law or doctrine of liberty and the ordinary meanes of our vocation the lord preventing vs with his grace sendeth the spirit of his sonne into our hearts which being as I said the spirit of liberty first freeth our mindes from the bondage of ignorance incredulity vanity wherein vntill then wee are held captiue not onceable of our selues to entertaine a good thought the whole frame of our thoughts being onely evill continually the wisdome of our flesh or that which our flesh mindeth being enmity against God our selues not only not perceiuing but being not able to perceiue the things which are of the spirit of God and much lesse able to giue assent vnto them for no man can say that Iesus is Christ but by the holy Ghost and much lesse to assent effectually or by a liuely faith The spirit of God therefore by the ministry of the word which is a light vnto our feete as the meanes and by the Ministers of the Gospell as his instruments who are therefore called the light of the world and are sent by Christ to open our eyes and to giue light to them that sit in darknesse and in the shadow of death enlighteneth our mindes to vnderstand and openeth our hearts as hee did the heart of Lydia perswading our soules 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is not only to attend but as the word also signifieth to assent to those things which are spoken by the Ministers and thereby maketh vs vnfainedly to acknowledge and seriously to consider both our miserable servitude and damnable estate in our selues and also the gratious liberty and sauing grace of God offered in Christ. And this is the first degree of the liberty which we haue in our calling that therein we are called out of darknes into light Of this liberty the Apostle speaketh 2. Cor. 3. that whereas there is naturally a vaile over mens hearts that they cannot vnderstand the word this vaile is taken away by the spirit of God when they turne vnto the Lord. Now the Lord saith he is the spirit where the spirit of the Lord is there is liberty In this regard the spirit is compared to an eye-salue and is called that anointing which being receiued from Christ teacheth vs all things Hauing thus revealed vnto vs both our owne miserable estate in our selues and the infinite mercies of God in Christ and moued vs truly to assent thereto in the next place hee toucheth our hearts with a sense of our misery and with a hatred of sinne which hath brought vs into that miserable estate and by the ministry of the Word which is his power to our salvation and his arme to draw vs vnto him hee turneth our will and affections from darknesse which naturally wee loue vnto light not only working in vs hearty desires to come out of that damnable estate and to be made partakers of Christ which desires also he being the Spirit of supplication helpeth vs to expresse in hearty prayer but also inspiring into vs a setled resolution that for as much as liberty and salvation is promised to all that receiue Christ by faith wee will therefore resolue vndoubtedly to acknowledge him to be our only Saviour and to rest vpon him alone for salvation Thus by working 1. In our mindes an effectuall assent to the promise of the Gospell 2. In our hearts an earnest desire to bee made partakers of Christs merits and 3. In our will a setled resolution to acknowledge him to bee the Messias and to rely vpon the mercies of God and merits of Christ for justification and saluation by which three we doe receiue Christ the spirit of God begetteth the grace of iustifying faith in vs. In the begetting whereof hee doth not only turne men from darknesse to light and from the power of Saâ—an vnto God but also regenerateth them and vniteth them vnto Christ making them of the children of wrath the sonnes of God of the impes of the old Adam members of Christ and of the-subiects of Satan in the kingdome of darknesse fellow cittizens with the Saints in the kingdome of God And this is the liberty which we haue by our calling As for the teachers of free will and the magnifiers of our pure naturals they neither acknowledge the wofull bondage wherein we are by nature nor the happy liberty whereunto wee are not borne but called For this is a liberty ad quam non nati sed renati sumus which we haue not by generation but by regeneration Neither is it a common liberty of all but a liberty peculiar to the people of God who are a people set at liberty peculiar to the sonnes of God and members of Christ. But it will be said if there bee no freedome in our willes before we be called then belike we are called and saued against our willes and we must looke with the Enthusiasts for violent raptures I answere that there is in our willes a freedome of nature whereby it is free from compulsion For that the will should bee forced it implieth a contradiction for then it should both will and nill the same thing at one time Notwithstanding this freedome of the will vntill it bee freed by grace is a voluntary service of sinne voluntarily and with greedinesse willing that which is evill although it can will nothing else But the preventing grace of God whereby we are called is perswasiue and not ordinarily by the Word drawing vs indeede and so of vnwilling making vs willing but this is by perswasion and not by compulsion For although our willes in the first act of our conversion bee meerely passiue and none can come to Christ vnlesse the Father draw him yet we can no sooner conceiue a man to be effectually called then that he is made willing For in the very act of our calling of vnwilling we are made willing and no sooner are wee effectually drawne but wee willingly come in which sense true is that saying of Chrysostome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God indeed draweth but hee draweth him that is willing Wherefore though our willes doe not concurre ad vocationem vnto our calling yet they concurre in vocatione in our calling being therein made free Now we are to intreate of the liberty which we haue both in our iustification and also in our sanctification For howsoeuer these graces doe alwaies so concurre as that whosoeuer hath the one hath the other and whosoeuer hath not both hath neither yet are wee carefully to distinguish them For the Papists in not distinguishing them confound
is also a freedom from the bondage of sinne and of the law though in other respects then those that haue beene mentioned in the liberty of iustification For in iustification we are freed from the guilt of sinne in sanctification frō the corruption of sinne But here we are to consider how farre forth we are set free therefrom For the Hypocritall Papists teach that when a man is regenerated or as they also speake iustified originall sinne is so abolished as that it doth not only not raigne but not so much as remaine or liue in the partie sanctified By which doctrine they teach men to bee desperate hypocrites either searing their conscience that they may haue no sense of sinne and may please themselues with this conceit that they haue no sinne in which respect the saying of Peter is verified of them that whiles they promise liberty to themselues and others they are indeed seruants of corruption or if they haue any sense of sinne dwelling in them they must perswade themselues they are not sanctified nor iustified and therefore not to be saued such miserable comforters they are of poore sinners as to perswade them that they haue not remission of sinne vntill sinne be quite abolished in them But this doctrine they teach contrary to the euident testimonies of Scripture contrary to the perpetuall experience of the faithfull contrary to the light of their owne conscience that they might thereby vphold their Antichristian doctrine of iustification by inherent righteousnesse and of the merit of good workes which otherwise would fall to the ground For if in respect of originall sinne remaining and dwelling in vs we be in our selues sinners how can we be iustified by inherent righteousnesse If our best actions be stained with the flesh and our righteousnesse be like polluted clouts how should they merit eternall life We are therfore to hold that in regeneration we are freed from the corruption of sinne not wholly and at once but in part and by degrees that sinne though mortified in part and we freed from the tyrannie of it that it raigne no more with full swinge and authority in vs still remaineth and dwelleth in vs hindering vs from good provoking vs vnto euill defiling and cotaminating our best actions neuer suffering vs with the full consent of will to performe or desire that which is good As the Apostle plainely sheweth by his owne example Rom. 7. where the concupiscence remaining in him is not only plainly called a sinne but described as a sinne as an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or a repugnancie to the law of God the sense whereof though the Papists haue no sense of it made the holy Apostle crie out Miserable man that I am who shall deliuer me from this body of death Accursed therefore was the counsell of Trent which confessing that the Apostle calleth it a sinne notwithstanding pronounceth them accursed that shall say it is a sinne But if we say we haue no sinne we deceiue our selues saith S. Iohn and there is no truth in vs. The freedome therefore which we haue in our sanctification which as Augustine saith is but begun in this life is not from the being of sinne in vs altogether and at once though we be freed from it in part and by degrees but from the dominion of it that wee should no more bee servants of sin but being freed from sinne might become servants of righteousnes Rom. 6. 6. 18. which Augustine did well obserue out of the words of the Apostle dehorting vs that sinne should not remaine in our mortall bodies Hee doth not say let it not be but let it not raigne for whiles thou liuest it cannot be avoided but that sinne will bee in thy members neverthelesse let dominion bee taken from it c. Of this liberty the Apostle speaketh Rom. 8. the law of the spirit of life which is in Christ hath made mee free from the law of sinne and of death That is the power of the quickning Spirit which being in Christ our head and from him communicated vnto vs doth rule in vs as a law doth free vs from the power of sin which worketh death that it no more haue dominion as it were a law in vs. And Rom. 6. hauing proued that sin neither doth nor can any more raigne in the faithfull because after the similitude of Christs death and resurrection they are dead to sin and risen againe and therefore as death can no more haue dominion over Christ being 〈◊〉 from death no more can sin haue dominion over the faithfull being once risen from the graue of sin afterwards vers 14. hee assureth the faithfull that sin shall not haue dominion over them because they bee not vnder the Law but vnder grace Likewise Saint Iohn saith He that is borne of God doth not commit sin namely as a servant of sin yea he addeth that he cannot sin namely with full swinge and consent of will as those which bee servants of sin because the seed of God remaineth in him whereby he is partly spirit and not only flesh And therefore as he cannot perfectly will that which is good because of the reluctation of the flesh so can he not will with full consent that which is evill because of the reluctation of the spirit Secondly wee are in our sanctification freed from the Law But we are here also to consider quatenus now farre forth For the Papists charge vs that we place Christian liberty in this that we are subiect to no law in our conscience and before God and that wee are free from all necessity of doing good workes which is a most divelish slander For although they absurdly confound iustification and fanctification yet they know we doe not neither are they ignorant but that wee put a great difference betweene them in this respect For though we teach that the obedience of the Law is not required in vs to iustification but that wee are freed from the exaction of the Law in that behalfe yet we deny not but that vnto sanctification the obedience of the law is required and wee by necessity of duty bound to the observation thereof Wee confesse that to be free from obedience is to be the servants of sin and the willing and cheerefull worship of God in holines and righteousnes without feare to bee true liberty Wee acknowledge that the morall law of God is perpetuall and immutable and that this is an everlasting truth that the creature is bound to worship and obey his Creator and so much the more bound as hee hath received greater benefits Indeede wee say with Luther that in our iustification wee are restored to a state of iustice from which Adam fell but yet as wee teach that wee are no more bound to obedience that thereby we might be iustified then Adam who was already iust so we professe that in allegiance and thankfulnesse we are more
bound to obey then he yea wee professe that God doth therefore free vs from the curse and the bondage of the law that wee might be inabled with freedome of spirit to obey it and that being freed from sinne wee are made the servants of righteousnesse We teach that God hauing sworne that to those whom he iustifieth he will giue grace to worship him in holines and righteousnes no man can be assured of his iustification without obedience that sanctification being the end of our election calling redemption and regeneration it is a necessary consequent of sauing grace We teach and professe that howsoever good workes doe not concurre with faith vnto the act of iustificaâ—â—on as a cause thereof yet they conâ—â—â—re in the party iustified as necessary fruits of faith and testimonies of iustification And as wee teach with Paul that faith alone doth iustifie so with Iames that the â—aith which is alone doth not iustifie Wee teach that the blood of Christ as it acquitteth vs from the guilt of sin so doth it also purge our consciences from dead workes to serue the liuing God that he bare in his body vpon the crosse our sinnes that we being deliuered from sinne should liue in righteousnesse that whom Christ doth iustifie by faith them hee doth sanctify by his Spirit that whosoever is in Christ hee is a new creature crucifying the flesh with the lusts thereof and walking not after the flesh but after the spirit Wee professe that good workes are necessary to saluation though not necessitate efficientiae as causing it as the Papists teach yet necessitate praesentiae as necessary fruits of our faith whereby wee are to glorifie God and to testifie our thankfulnesse to doe good to our brethren and to make sure our election calling and iustification vnto our selues as necessary forerunners of salvation being the vndoubted badges of them that shall bee saued being the way wherein wee are to walke to everlasting life being the evidence according to which God will iudge vs at the last day And lastly that as by iustification God doth entitle vs vnto his kingdome so by sanctification he doth sit and prepare vs thereto We do not therefore by the doctrine of iustification through faith abolish the Law but rather as the Apostle saith stablish it For the more a man is assured of his free iustification the better he is enabled and the more hee is bound to obey it But although we bee bound to obey the Law as the subiects of God and servants of 〈◊〉 and although the Law 〈…〉 in those that are iustiâ—â—â—d as being a rule of direction for our obedience in the perâ—ormance of the duties or piety towards God of iustice towards our neighbour of sobriety towards ourselues and a glasse of detection to manifest the imperfections of our obedience to keepe vs from Phariâ—â—â—sme and lastly a rodde of correction in respect of flesh or the old man yet remaining in vs that by precepts by exhortations and comminations it more and more may be mortified in vs and wee kept from the spirit of slumber and security yet notwithstanding wee are not vnder the law as the Apostle saith but vnder grace Wee are therefore in our sanctification freed though not from the obedience yet from the servitude and bondage of the law and that in three respects First in respect of the irritation of it In which regard especially the law is called the strength of sinne not that the law causeth or prouoketh sinne properly for the law is holy iust and good but only by accident and occasionally For such is the corruptioÌ„ of our vntamed nature vntill we be renewed by the spirit of God that when the law which is holy and good forbiddeth sinne seeking to stoppe the course of our concupiscences and to bridle our sinfull affections thereby our vntamed corruption rebelleth so much the more and that it might appeare 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 exceedingly sinfull by occasion of the law worketh in vs all manner of concupiscence Euen as a deepe riuer when nothing hindreth his course hath a still and as it were a dead motion but if you seeke to restraine or stoppe his course he will sinell and ouerflow all now disdaining as it were a bridge so our corruption when it freely taketh his owne course seemeth to be quiet and as it were dead but when the commandement commeth â—aith the Apostle as it were to dam it vp sin reuiueth riseth against it swelling and ouerflowing as it were his wonted bankes In this respect the law saith the Master of the Sentences is called a killing letter because forbidding sinne it increaseth concupiscence and addeth transgression vntill grace doe free vs. But we are regenerated by the spirit of sanctification and by the bond of the same spirit coupled vnto Christ we are freed from this bondage euen as the wife is freed from the dominion of her husband by his death For euen as whilest we were in the flesh altogether vnregenerate the law as it were our husbands occasionally and by accident begot in our soules wholly corrupted with sinne euill motions and concupiscences as the fruites and issue of our flesh tending vnto death so we being regenerated and after a sort dead vnto this corruption and consequently being mortified to the law in respect of the irritation thereof and the law in that regard dead vnto vs the spirit of Christ who hath vnited vs vnto him as our second husband begetteth good motions in vs as the fruites of the spirit acceptable vnto â—od This is that which the Apost teacheth Rom. 7. for hauing said chap. 6. 14. that sinne shall not haue dominion ouer vs because we are not vnder the law but vnder grace after he had answered an obiection preuented the abuse of this Doctrine which carnall men would make thereof as though they might sin freely because they are not vnder the law in the beginning of the seauenth chapter he proueth that we are not vnder the Law but vnder grace by that similitude which euen now I mentioned because being regenerated and dead vnto sinne we are mortified to the law and the law to vs in respect of the irritation thereof caused by our corruption and consequently are deliuered from the power of it as a wife is freed from the dominion of her husband when he is dead Secondly in our sanctification we are freed from the coaction and terror of the law breeding servile feare in men vnregenerate whereby as bon-servants or gally-slaues by the whip they are enforced to the performance of some outward duties which otherwise they are vnwilling to doe For those who are vnder the Law as all men are by nature are like bond-slaues who for avoiding of punishment are by terror drawne to doe some forced service which is so much the more vnwilling because they looke for no reward This