close in with Jesus Christ and would willingly take him upon his own terms only they being muddy in their minds and have not yet attained the understanding of the terms and conditions of the two Covenanss they are kept off from closing with Christ and all is because they see they can do nothing As for example come to some souls and ask them how they do they will tell you presently that they are so bad that it is not to be expressed If you bid them believe in Jesus Christ they will answer that they cannot believe if you ask them why they cannot believe they will answer because their hearts are so hard so dead so dull so backward to good duties and if their hearts were but better if they were more earnest if they could pray better and keep their hearts more from running after sin then they could believe but should they believe with such vile hearts and presume to believe in Christ and be so filthy Now all this is because the Spirit of the Law still ruleth in such a soul and blinds them so that they cannot see the terms of the Gospel To clear this take the substance of the drift of this poor soul which is this If I was better than I think I could believe but being so bad as I am that is the reason that I cannot this is just to do something that I may believe to work that I may have Christ to do the Law that I may have the Gospel or thus to be righteoua that I may come to Christ. O man thou must go quite back again thou must believe because thou canst not pray because thou canst not do thou must believe because there is nothing in thee naturally that is good or desireth after good or else thou wilt never come to Christ as a sinner and if so then Christ will not receive thee and if so then thou mayest see that to keep off from Christ because thou canst not do is to keep from Christ by the Law and to stand of from him because thou canst not buy him Thus having spoken something by the way for the direction of those souls that would come to Christ I shall return to the former discourse wherein ariseth this objection Object But you did but even now put souls upon fulfilling the first condition of the Gospel even to believe in Christ and so be saved but now you say it is alone by Grace without condition and therefore by these words there is first a contradiction to your former sayings and also that men may be saved without the condition of faith which to me seems a very strange thing I desire therefore that you would clear out what you have said as to my satisfaction Answ. Though there be a condition commanded in the Gospel yet he that commands the condition doth not leave his children to their own natural abilities that in their own strength they should fulfill them as the Law doth but the same God that doth command that the condition be fulfilled even he doth help his children by his holy Spirit to fulfill the same condition For it is God that worketh in you mark in you believers both to will and to do of his own good pleasure Phil. 2. 13. Thou hast wrought all our works in us and for us Isa. 26. 12. So that the condition be fulfilled it is not done in the ability of the creature But Secondly Faith as it is a gift of God or an act of ours take it which way you will If we speak properly of salvation it is not the first nor the second cause of our salvation but the third and that but instrumentally neither that is it only layeth hold of and applieth to us that which saveth us which is the love of God through the merits of Christ which are the two main causes of our salvation without which all other things are nothing whether it be faith hope love or whatever can be done by us And to this the great Apostle of the Gentiles speaks fully for saith he God who is rich in mercy loved us even when we were dead in our sins Eph. 2. 4. that is when we were without faith and that was the cause why we believe for he thereby hath quickned us together through the meritorious cause which is Christ and so hath saved us by Grace that is of his own voluntary love and good will the effects of which was this he gave us faith to believe in Christ read soberly that second of the Ephesians at the 4 5 6 7 8 verses Faith as the gift of God is not the Saviour as our act doth merit nothing Faith was not the cause that God gave Christ at the first neither is it the cause why God converts men to Christ but faith is a gift bestowed upon us by the gracious God the nature of which is to lay hold on Christ that God afore did give for a Ransom to redeem sinners this faith hath its nourishment and supplies from the same God that at the first did give it and is the only instrument through the Spirit that doth keep the soul in a comfortable frame both to do and suffer for Christ helps the soul to receive comfort from Christ when it can get none from it self beareth up the soul in its progress heaven-wards but that it is the first cause of salvation that I deny or that it is the second I deny but is only the instrument or hand that receiveth the benefits that God hath prepared for thee before thou hadst any faith so that we do nothing for salvation as we are men But if we speak properly it was Gods Grace that moved him to give Christ a Ransom for sinners and the same God with the same Grace that doth give to the soul saith to believe and so by believing to close in with him whom God out of his love and pity did send into the world to save sinners so that all the works of the creature are shut out as to justification and life and men are saved freely by Grace I shall speak no more here but in my discourse upon the second Covenant I shall answer a hell-bred Objection or two to forewarn sinners how they turn the Grace of God into wantonness And thus you see I have briefly spoken to you something touching the Law First What it is and when given Secondly How sad those mens conditions are that are under it Thirdly Who they are that be under it Fourthly How far they may go and what they may do and receive and yet be under it which hath been done by way of answers to several questions for the better satisfaction of those that may stand in doubt of the truth of what hath been delivered Now in the next place I should come to some application of the truth of that which hath been spoken but I shall in the first place speak something to the second Doctrine and then afterwards I shall speak
the nature of a Saviour This is proved John 8. 31 32 33 34 35 36. ver This People were Professors and yet did not knovv the Truth the Gospel and the reason was because they did not knovv themselves and so not the Lavv. I vvould not have thee mistake me Christian Reader I do not say that the Lavv of it self vvill lead any Soul to Jesus Christ but the Soul being killed by the Lavv through the operation of its severity seizing on the Soul then the man if he be enlightened by the Spirit of Christ to see vvhere Remedy is to be had vvill not through Grace be contented vvithout the real and saving Knovvledge through Faith of him If thou vvouldest then vvash thy Face clean first take a Glass and see vvhere it is dirty that is If thou vvould'st indeed have thy Sins vvashed avvay by the Blood of Christ labour first to see them in the Glass of the Lavv Jam. 1. and do not be afraid to see thy besmeared Condition but look on every Spot thou hast for he that looks on the foulness of his Face by the halfs vvill vvash by the halfs even so he that looks on his Sins by the halfs he vvill seek for Christ by the halfs Reckon thy self therefore I say the biggest Sinner in the World and be persuaded that there is none vvorse than thy self then let the Guilt of it seize on thy Heart then also go in that case and condition to Jesus Christ and plunge thy self into his Merits and the vertue of his Blood and after that thou shalt speak of the things of the Lavv and of the Gospel experimentally and the very Language of the Children of God shall seelingly drop from thy Lips and not till then Let this therefore learn thee thus much He that hath not seen his lost Condition hath not seen a safe Condition he that did never see himself in the Devils Snare did never see himself in Christ's Bosom This my Son was dead and is alive again Was lost and is found with whom we all had our Conversation in time past But now are so many of us as believe returned to Jesus Christ the chief Shepherd and Bishop of our Souls I say therefore if thou do find in this Treatise in the first place something touching the Nature End and extent of the Lavv do not thou cry out therefore all on a sudden saying Here is nothing but the Terror Horror and thundering Sentences of the Lavv. Again If thou do find in the second part of this Discourse something of the freeness and fullness of the Gospel do not thou say then neither here is nothing but Grace therefore surely an under valuing of the Lavv. No but read it quite thorovv and so consider of it and I hope thou shalt find the tvvo Covenants vvhich all men are under either the one or the other discovered and held forth in their Natures Ends Bounds together vvith the state and condition of them that are under the one and of them that are under the other There be some that through Ignorance do say hovv that such men as preach Terror and Amazement to Sinners are besides the Book and are Ministers of the Letter the Law and not of the Spirit the Gospel but I would answer them citing them to the 16. of Luke from the nineteenth Verse to the end and the 1 Cor. 6. 9 10. and Gal. 3. 10. Rom. 3. from the ninth Verse to the nineteenth only this Caution I would give by the way how that they which preach Terror to drive Souls to the obtaining of Salvation by the Works of the Law that preaching is not the right Gospel-preaching Yet when Saints speak of the sad state that men are in by Nature to discover to Souls their need of the Gospel this is honest preaching see Romans 3. the 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 c. and he that doth do so he doth the Work of a Gospel-Minister Again there are others that say because we do preach the free full and exceeding Grace discovered in the Gospel therefore we make void the Law which indeed unless the Gospel be held forth in the Glory thereof without Confusion by mingling the Covenant of Works therewith the Law cannot be established Do we through Faith or preaching of the Gospel make void the Law Nay stay saith Paul God forbid We do thereby establish the Law Rom. 3. 31. And verily he that will indeed establish the Law or set it in its own place for so I understand the Words must be sure to hold forth the Gospel in its right colour and nature for if a man be ignorant of the nature of the Gospel and the Covenant of Grace they or he will be very apt to remove the Law out of its place and that because they are ignorant not knowing what they say nor whereof they affirm And let me tell you if a man be ignorant of the Covenant of Grace and the bounds and boundlesness of the Gospel though he speaks and makes mention of the Name of the Father and of the Son and also of the Name of the New Covenant and the Blood of Christ yet at this very time and in these very Words he will preach nothing but the Law and that as a Covenant of Works Reader I must confess it is a wonderful mysterious thing and he had need have a wiser Spirit than his own that can rightly set these two Covenants in their right places that when he speaks of the one he doth not justle the other out of its place O to be so well enlightned as to speak of the one that is the Law for to magnifie the Gospel and also to speak of the Gospel so as to establish and yet not to idolize the Law nor any particular thereof it is rare and to be heard and found but in very few mens Breasts If thou should'st say what is it to speak to each of these two Covenants so as to set them in their right places and also to use the terror of the one so as to magnifie and advance the Glory of the other To this I shall answer also read the ensuing Discourse but with an understanding Heart and it is like thou wilt find a Reply therein to the same purpose which may be to thy satisfaction Reader if thou do find this Book empty of fantastical Expressions and without light vain whimsical Scholar-like terms thou must understand it is because I never went to School to Aristotle or Plato but was brought up at my Father's House in a very mean condition among a Company of poor Country-men But if thou do find a parcel of plain yet sound true and home Sayings attribute that to the Lord Jesus his Gifts and Abilities which he hath bestowed upon such a poor Creature as I am and have been And if thou being a seeing Christian dost find me coming short though rightly touching at some things
not only sanctified here in this World but shall be glorified in that which is to come Unto which the Lord of his Mercy bring us all JOHN BUNYAN These are the several Titles which are set over the several Truths contained in this Book for thy sooner finding of them The First Part. 1. THE Words of the Text opened and the Doctrines laid down 2. What the Covenant of Works is and when it was given 3. What it is to be under the Covenant of Works 4. Who they are that are under the Covenant of Works 5. What men may attain to that are under this Covenant of Works The Second Part. 1. The Doctrine proved 2. The New Covenant made with Christ. 3. The Conditions of the New Covenant 4. The Suretiship of Christ. 5. Christ the Messengerof the New Covenant 6. Christ the Sacrifice of the New Covenant 7. Christ the High Priest of the New Covenant 8. Christ compleatly fulfilled the Conditions of the New Covenant 9. The Covenant of Grace unchangeable the Opposers answered 10. Who and how men are actually brought into the New Covenant 11. A Word of Experience 12. The Priviledges of the New Covenant 13. Two Hell bred Objections answered 14. A Use of Examination about the Old Covenant 15. A Legal Spirit 16. The Use of the New Covenant 17. The unpardonable Sin 18. Objections answered for their Comfort who would have their part in the New Covenant THE DOCTRINE OF THE Law and Grace unfolded OR A Discovery of the Law and Grace the Nature of the one and the Nature of the other as they are the two Covenants c. Rom. 6. 14. For ye are not under the Law but under Grace IN the three former Chapters the Apostle is pleading for the salvation of sinners by Grace without the Works of the Law to the end he might confirm the Saints and also that he might win over all those that did oppose the truth of this Doctrine or else leave them the more without excuse and that he might so do he taketh in hand First to shew the state of all men naturally or as they come into the world by Generation saying in the third Chapter There is none righteous no not one there is none that understandeth there is none that doth good c. As if he had said It seems there is a Generation of men that think to be saved by the righteousness of the Law but let me tell them that they are much deceived in that they have already sinned against the Law For by the disobedience of one many yea all was brought into a state of condemnation Rom. 5. 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19. Now in the sixth Chapter he doth as if he had turned him round to the Brethren and said My Brethren you see now that it is clear and evident that it is freely by the Grace of Christ that we do inherit eternal life And again for your comfort my brethren let me tell you that your condition is wondrous safe in that you are under Grace for saith he Sin shall not have dominion over you that is neither the damning power neither the filthy power so as to destroy your souls For you are not under the Law that is you are not under that that will damn you for sin But you are under grace or stand thus in relation to God that though you have sinned yet you shall be pardoned For you are not under the Law c. If any should ask what is the meaning of the word UNDER I answer it signifieth you are not held kept or shut up by it so as to appear before God under that administration and none but that or thus you are not now bound by the authority of the Law to fulfil it and obey it so as to have no salvation without you so do or thus if you transgress against any one tittle of it you by the power of it must be condemned No no for you are not so under it that is not thus under the Law Again For you are not under the Law what is meant by this word LAW The word Law in Scripture may be taken more ways then one as might be largely cleared There is the Law of Faith the Law of Sin the Law of Men the Law of Works otherwise called the Covenant of Works or the first or old Covenant Heb. 8. 13. In that he saith a new Covenant which is the Grace of God or commonly called the Covenant of Grace he hath made the first old that is the Covenant of Works or the Law I say therefore the word LAW and the word GRACE in this sixth of the Romans do hold forth the two Covenants which all Men are under that is either the one or the other For ye are not under the Law that is you to whom I do now write these words who are and have been effectually brought into the faith of Jesus you are not under the Law or under the Covenant of Works He doth not therefore apply these words to all but to some when he saith But ye mark YE ye Believers ye Converted persons ye Saints ye that have been born again Ye for ye are not under the Law implying others are that are in their natural state that have not been brought into the Covenant of Grace by faith in Jesus Christ. The words therefore being thus understood there is discovered these two Truths in them Doct. 1. First That there are some in Gospel times that are under the Covenant of Works Doct. 2. Secondly That there is never a Believer under the Law as it is a Covenant of Works but under Grace through Christ For ye you Believers you Converted persons Ye are not under the Law but under Grace or for you are delivered and brought into or under the Covenant of Grace For the first That there are some that are under the Law or under the Covenant of Works see I pray you that Scripture in the third of the Romans where the Apostle speaking before of sins against the Law and of the denunciations thereof against those that are in that condition he saith What things soever the Law saith it saith to them that are under Mark it saith to them that are under the Law That every mouth may be stopped and all the World become guilty before God Rom. 3. 19. That is all those that are under the Law as a Covenant of Works that are yet in their sins and unconverted as I told you before Again Gal. 5. 18. He saith But if you be led by the Spirit you are under the Law implying again that those which are for sinning against the Law or the works of the Law either as it is the old Covenant these are under the Law and not under the Covenant of Grace Again Gal. the 3. the 10. Verse there he saith For as many as are of the Works of the Law are under the Curse that is they that are under the Law are under the Curse for
mark they that are under the Covenant of Grace are not under the Curse Now there are but two Covenants therefore it must needs be that they that are under the Curse are under the Law seeing those that are under the other Covenant are not under the Curse but under the Blessing So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham but the rest are under the Law Gal. 3. 9. Now I shall proceed to what I do intend to speak unto First I shall shew you what the Covenant of Works or the Law is and when it was first given together with the nature of it Secondly I shall shew you what it is to be under the Law or Covenant of Works and the miserable state of all those that are under it Thirdly I shall shew you who they are that are under this Covenant or Law Fourthly I shall shew you how far a man may go and yet be under this Covenant or Law For the first What this Covenant of Works is and when it was given The Covenant of Works or the Law here spoken of is the Law delivered on Mount Sinai to Moses in two Tables of stone in ten particular branches or heads for this see Gal. 4. The Apostle speaking there of the Law and of some also that through delusions of false Doctrine was brought again as it were under it or at least was leaning that way Verse 21. He saith As for you that desire to be under the Law I will shew you the mystery of Abrahams two Sons which he had by Agar and Sarah these two do signifie the two Covenants the one named Agar signifies Mount Sinai where the Law was delivered to Moses on two Tables of stone Exod. 24. 12. Chap. 34. 1. Deut. 10. 1. Which is that that whosoever is under he is destitute of and altogether without the Grace of Christ in his heart at the present Gal. 5. 3 4. For I testifie again to every man saith he speaking to the same People that Christ is become of none effect unto you whosoever of you are justified by the Law namely that given on Mount Sinai Ye are fallen from Grace That is not that any can be justified by the Law but his meaning is all those that seek justification by the Works of the Law they are not such as seek to be under the second Covenant the Covenant of Grace Also the 2 Cor. 3. 7 8. The Apostle speaking again of these two Covenants he saith For if the Ministration of Death or the Law for it is all one written and engraven in stones mark that was glorious how shall not the Ministration of the Spirit or the Covenant of Grace be rather glorious As if he had said 'T is true there was a glory in the Covenant of Works and a very great excellency did appear in it namely in that given in the stones on Sinai yet there is another Covenant the Covenant of Grace that doth exceed it for comfort and glory But secondly Though this Law was delivered to Moses from the hands of Angels in two Tables of Stone on Mount Sinai yet this was not the first appearing of this Law to Man but even this in substance tho possibly not so openly was given to the first Man Adam in the garden of Eden in these words And the Lord God commanded the man saying Of every Tree in the Garden thou mayest freely eat But of the Tree of knowledge of good and evil thou shalt not eat of it for in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die Gen. 2. 16 17. Which Commandment then given to Adam did contain in it a forbidding to do any one of those things that was and is accounted evil although at that time it did not appear so plainly in so many particular heads as it did when it was delivered on Mount Sinai but yet the very same and that I shall prove thus God commanded Adam in Paradise to abstain from all evil against the first Covenant and not from some sins only but if God had not commanded Adam to abstain from the sins spoken against the Ten Commandments he had not commanded to abstain from all but from some therefore it must needs be that he then commanded to abstain from all sins forbidden in the Law given on Mount Sinai Now that God commanded to abstain from all evil or sin against any of the Ten Commandments when he gave Adam the Command in the Garden it is evident in that he did punish the sins that was committed against those Commands that was then delivered on Mount Sinai before they were delivered on Mount Sinai which will appear as followeth The first second and third Commandments were broken by Pharaoh and his men for they had false Gods which the Lord Executed Judgment against as in Exodus 12. 12. and blasphemed their true God Exod. 7. 17. to the end for their Gods could neither deliver themselves nor their people from the hand of God but in the things wherein they dealt proudly he was above them Exod. 18. 11. Again Some judge that the Lord punished the sin against the second Commandment which Jacob was in some measure guilty of in not purging his house from false gods with the defiling of his daughter Dinah Gen. 34. 2. Again We find that Abimelech thought the sin against the third Commandment so great that he required no other security of Abraham against the fear of mischief that might be done to him by Abraham his son and his sons son but only Abraham's Oath Gen. 21. 23. the like we see between Abimelech and Isaac Gen. 31. 53. the like we find in Moses and the Israelites who durst not leave the bones of Joseph in Egypt because of the Oath of the Lord whose Name by so doing would have been abused Exod. 13. 19. And we find the Lord rebuking his People for the breach of the fourth Commandment Exod. 16. 27 28 29. And for the breach of the fifth the Curse came upon Ham Gen. 9. 25 26 27. And Ishmael dishonouring his Father in mocking Isaack was cast out as we read Gen. 21. 9 10. The sons in law of Lot for slighting their Father perish in the overthrow of Sodom Gen. 19. 14 c. The sixth Commandment was broken by Cain and so dreadful a Curse and Punishment came upon him that it made him cry out My Punishment is greater then I can bear Gen. 4. 13. Again when Esau threatned to slay his Brother Rebecca sent him away saying Why should I be deprived of you both in one day hinting unto us that she knew Murther was to be punished with death Gen. 27. 54. Which the Lord himself declared likewise to Noah Gen. 9. 6. Again a notable Example of the Lords Justice in punishing Murther we see in the Egyptians and Pharaoh who drowned the Israelites Children in the River Exod. 1. 22. And they themselves were drowned in the Sea Exod. 14. 27. The sin against the Seventh Commandment
was punished in the Sodomites c. with the utter destruction of this City and themselves Gen. 19. 24 25. Yea they suffer the vengeance of eternal fire Jude 7. Also the Male Sechemites for the sin committed by Hamors son were all put to the sword Gen. 34. 25 26. Our first Parents sinned against the Eighth Commandment in taking the forbidden fruit and so brought the Curse on themselves and their posterity Gen. 3. 16. Again the punishment due to the breach of this Commandment was by Jacob accounted death Gen. 31. 30 32. and also by Jacobs sons Gen. 44. 9 10. Cain sinning against the Ninth Commandment as in Gen. 4. 9. was therefore cursed to the earth verse the 11. And Abraham though the Friend of God was blamed for false witness by Pharaoh and sent out of Egypt Gen. 12. 18 19 20. and both he and Sarah reproved by Abimelech Gen. 20. 9 10 16. Pharaoh sinned against the Tenth Commandment Gen. 12. 15. and was therefore plagued with great plagues verse 17. Abimelech coveted Abraham's Wife and the Lord threatned death to him and his except he restored her again Gen. 20. 3. Yea though he had not come near her yet for coveting and taking her the Lord fast closed up the Wombs of his house verse 18. I could have spoken more fully to this but that I would not be too tedious but speak what I have to say with as much brevity as I can But before I pass it I will besides this give you an Argument or two more for the further clearing of this that the substance of the Law delivered on Mount Sinai was before that delivered by the Lord to man in the Garden As first Death reigned over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression that is though they did not take the forbidden fruit as Adam did but had the transgression been no other or had their sin been laid to the charge of none but those that did eat of that fruit then those that was born to Adam after he was shut out of the Garden had not had sin in that they did not actually eat of that fruit and so had not been slaves to death But in that Death did reign from Adam to Moses or from the time of his transgression against the first giving of the Law till the time the Law was given on Mount Sinai it is evident that the substance of the Ten Commandments was given to Adam and his Posterity under that Command Eat not of the Tree that is in the midst of the Garden But yet if any shall say that it was because of the sin of their Father that death reigned over them to that I shall answer that although original sin be laid to the charge of his Posterity yet it is also for their sins that they actually committed that they were plagued And again saith the Apostle For where there is no Law there is no transgression Rom. 4. 15. For sin is not imputed where there is no Law Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses saith he Rom. 5. 13 14. But if there had been no Law then there had been no Transgression and so no death to follow after as the wages thereof for death is the wages of sin Rom. 6. 23. and sin is the breach of the Law an actual breach in our particular persons as well as an actual breach in our publick person 1 John 3. 4. Again they are no other sins then those against that Law given on Sinai for the which those sins before mentioned was punished therefore the Law given before by the Lord to Adam and his posterity is the same with that afterwards given on Mount Sinai Again the Conditions of that on Sinai and of that in the Garden are all one the one saying Do this and live the other saying the same Also Judgment denounced against men in both kinds alike therefore this Law it appeareth to be the very same that was given on Mount Sinai Again the Apostle speaketh but of two Covenants to wit Grace and Works under which two Covenants all are some under one and some under the other Now this to Adam is one therefore that on Sinai is one and all one with this and that this is a truth I say I know that the sins against that on Sinai was punished by God for the breach thereof before it was given there so it doth plainly appear to be a truth for it would be unrighteous with God for to punish for that Law that was not broken therefore it was all one with that on Sinai Now the Law given on Sinai was for the more clear discovery of those sins that was before committed against it for though the very substance of the Ten Commandments was given in the Garden before they were received from Sinai yet they lay so darkly in the heart of man that his sins was not so clearly discovered as afterwards they were therefore saith the Apostle The Law was added Gal. 3. 19. or more plainly given on Sinai in Tables of Stone that the offence might abound that is that it might the more clearly be made manifest and appear Rom. 5. 20. Again we have a notable resemblance for this at Sinai even in giving the Law for first the Law was given twice on Sinai to signifie that indeed the substance of it was given before And secondly the first tables that was given on Sinai was broken at the foot of the Mount and the other was preserved whole to signifie that though it was the true Law that was given before with that given on Sinai yet it was not so easie to be read and to be taken notice of in that the stones were not whole but broken and so the Law written thereon somewhat defaced and disfigured But if any object and say though the sins against the one be the sins against the other and so in that they do agree yet it doth not appear that the same is therefore the same Covenant of Works with the other Answ. That which was given to Adam in Paradise you will grant was the Covenant of Works for it runs thus Do thus and live do it not and die nay thou shalt surely die Now there is but one Covenant of Works If therefore I prove that that which was delivered on Mount Sinai is the Covenant of Works then all will be put out of doubt Now that this is so it is evident First Consider the two Covenants are thus called in Scripture the one the administration of death and the other the administration of life the one the Covenant of Works the other of Grace but that delivered on Sinai is called the ministration of death that therefore is the Covenant of Works 2 Cor. 3. For if saith he the ministration of death Written and Ingraven in stones was glorious c. Secondly the Apostle writing to the Galatians doth labour to beat them off from trusting in the Covenant of Works but when he
continueth not in all things that continueth not in all things mark that which are written in the Book of the Law to do them but if a man do keep all the Law of God his whole life time only sin one time before he dies that one sin is a breach of the Law and he hath not continued in doing the things contained therein For for to continue according to the sense of this Scripture is to hold on without any failing either in thought word or deed therefore I say though a man do walk up to the Law all his life time but only at the very last sin one time before he die he is sure to perish for ever dying under that Covenant For my Friends you must understand that the Law of God is yea as well as the Gospel and as they that are under the Covenant of Grace shall surely be saved by it so even so they that are under the Covenant of Works and the Law they shall surely be damned by it if continuing there This is the Covenant of Works and the nature of it Namely not to bate any thing no not a mite to him that lives and dies under it I tell thee saith Christ thou shalt not depart thence that is from under the Curse till thou hast paid the very last mite Luke 12. 59. 5. Again you must consider that this Law doth only condemn words and actions as I said before but it hath authority to condemn the most secret thought of the heart being evil so that if thou do not speak any word that is evil as swearing lying jesting dissembling or any other word that tendeth to or savoureth of sin yet if there should chance to pass but one vain thought thorow thy heart but once in all thy life time the Law taketh hold of it accuseth and also will condemn thee for it You may see one instance for all in the fifth of Matthew at the 27 28. verses where Christ saith That though a man do not lie with a woman carnally yet if he do but look on her and in his heart lust after her he is counted by the Law being rightly expounded such a one that hath committed the sin and thereby hath laid himself under the condemnation of the Law And so likewise of all the rest of the commands if there be any thought that is evil do but pass thorow thy heart whether it be against God or against man in the least measure though possibly not discerned of thee or by thee yet the Law takes hold of thee therefore and doth by its authority both cast condemn and execute thee for thy so doing The thought of wickedness is sin Prov. 6. Again the Law is of that nature and severity that it doth not only enquire into the generallty of thy life as touching several things whether thou art upright there or no but the Law doth also follow thee into all thy holy duties and watcheth over thee there to see whether thou doest do all things aright there that is to say whether when thou doest pray thy heart hath no wandring thoughts in it whether thou do every holy duty thou doest perfectly without the least mixture of sin and if it do find thee to slip or in the least measure to fail in any holy duty that thou doest perform the Law taketh hold on that and findeth fault with that so as to render all the holy duties that ever thou didst unavailable because of that I say if when thou art a hearing there is out one vain thought or in praying but one vain thought or in any other thing whatsoever let it be civil or spiritual one vain thought once in all thy life time will cause the Law to take such hold on it that for that one thing it doth even set open all the Flood gates of Gods wrath against thee and 〈◊〉 â—â—â—bly by that Covenant it doth bring eternal vengeance upon thee So that I say look which ways thou wilt and fail wherein thou wilt and do it as seldom as ever thou caâ—sto either in civil or spiritual things as aforesaid that is either in the service of God or in thy employments in the world as thy trade or calling either in buying or selling any way in any thing whatsoever I say if in any particular it findeth thee tardy or in the least measure guilty it calleth thee an offender 〈◊〉 accuseth thee to God it puts a stop to all the promises thereof that are joyned to the Law and leaves thee there as a cursed transgressor against God and a destroyer of thy own soul. Here I would have thee by the way for to take notice that it is not my intent at this time to inlarge on the several Commands in particular for that would be very me to write and thee to read only thus much I would have thee to do at the reading hereof make a pause and sit still one quarter of an hour and muse a little in thy mind thus with thy self and say Did I ever break the Law yea or no had I ever in all my life time one sinful thought passed thorough my heart since I was born yea or no and if thou findest thy self guilty as I am sure thou canst not otherwise choose but do unless thou shut thy eyes against thy every days practice then I say conclude thy self guilty of the breach of the first Covenant And when that this is done be sure in the next place thou do not straightway forget it and put it out of thy mind that thou art condemned by the same Covenant and then do not content thy self until thou do find that God hath sent thee a pardon from Heaven through the Merits of our Lord Jesus Christ the Mediator of the second Covenant And if God shall but give thee a heart to take this my counsel I do make no question but these words spoken by me will prove an instrument for the directing of thy heart to the right remedy for the salvation of thy soul. Thus much now touching the Law and the severity of it upon the person that is found under it having offended or broken any particular of it either in thought word or action and now before I do proceed to the next thing I shall answer four objections that do he in my way and also such as do stumble most part of the world The first Objection And first but you will say methinks you speak very harsh it is enough to daunt a body set the case therefore that a man after he hath sinned and broken the Law repenteth of his wickedness and promiseth to do so no more Will not God have mercy then and save a poor sinner then 1. Answ. I told you before that the Covenant once broken will execute upon the offender that which it doth threaten to lay upon him and as for your supposing that your repenting and promising to do so no more may help well and put you
the Law command thee to love the Lord thy God with all thy soul with all thy strength with all thy might c. and can the natural man do this Jer. 13. 23. How can those that are accustomed to do evil do that which is commanded in this particular Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the Leopard his spots Doth the Law command thee to do good and nothing but good and that with all thy soul heart and delight which the Law as a Covenant of Works called for and can'st thou being Carnal do that But there is no man that hath understanding if he should hear thee say so but would say that thou wast either bewitched or stark mad Sixthly they that are under the Law are in a sad condition because that though they follow the Law or Covenant of Works I say though they follow it it will not lead them to Heaven no but contrariwise it will lead them under the Curse It is not possible saith Paul that any should be justified by the Law or by our following of it for by that is the knowledge of sin and by it we are condemned for the same which is far from leading us to life being the ministration of death 2 Cor. 3. and again Israel that followeth after the Law of righteousness hath not attained to the Law of righteousness wherefore because they sought it not by faith but by the Law and by the Works thereof Rom. 9. 30 31 32. Seventhly they that are under the Law are in a sad condition because they do not know whether ever they shall have any wages for their work or no they shall have no assurance of the pardon of their sins neither any hopes of eternal life but poor hearts as they are they work for they do not know what even like a poor Horse that works hard all day and at night hath a dirty Stable for his pains so thou mayest work hard all the days of thy life and at the day of death instead of having of a glorious rest in the Kingdom of Heaven thou mayest nay thou shalt have for thy sins the damnation of thy soul and body in Hell to all eternity for as much as I said before that the Law if thou sinnest it doth not take notice of any good work done by thee but takes its advantage to destroy and cut off thy soul for the sin thou hast committed Eighthly they that are under the Law are in a sad condition because they are under that administration upon whose souls God doth not smile they dying there for the administration that God doth smile upon his Children through is the Covenant of Grace they being in Jesus Christ the Lord of life and consolation but contrariwise to those that are under the Law for they have his frowns his rebukes his threatnings and with much severity they must be dealt withal For they break my Covenant and I regarded them not saith the Lord Heb. 8. 9. Ninthly they are in a sad condition because they are out of the faith of Christ they that are under the Law have not the faith of Christ in them for that dispensation which they are under is not the administration of faith The Law is not of faith saith the Apostle Gal. 3. 2. Tenthly because they have not received the Spirit for that is received by the bearing of faith and not by the Law nor the Works thereof Gal. 3. 2. Eleventhly in a word if thou live and die under that Covenant Jesus Christ will neither pray for thee neither let thee have one drop of his Blood to wash away thy sins neither shalt thou be so much as one of the least in the Kingdom of Heaven for all these priviledges come to souls under another Covenant as the Apostle saith For such are not under the Law but under Grace that is such as have a share in the benefits of Jesus Christ or such as are brought from under the first Covenant into the second or from under the Law into the Grace of Christs Gospel without which Covenant of Grace and being found in that there is no soul can have the least hope of eternal life no joy in the holy Ghost no share in the priviledges of Saints because they are tied up from them by the limits and bonds of the Covenant of Works For you must understand that these two Covenants have their several bounds and limitations for the ruling and keeping in subjection or giving of freedom to the parties under the said Covenants now they that are under the Law are within the compass and the jurisdiction of that and are bound to be in subjection to that and living and dying under that they must stand and fall to that as Paul saith To his own master he shall stand or fall The Covenant of Grace doth admit to those that are under it also liberty and freedom together with commanding of subjection to the things contained in it which I shall speak to further hereafter But now that the former things may be further made to appear that is what the sad condition of all them that are under the Law is as I have shewn you something of the nature of the Law so also shall I shew that the Law was added and given for that purpose that it might be so with those that are out of the Covenant of Grace First God did give the Law that sin might abound Rom. 5. 20. not that it should take away sin in any but to discover the sin which is already begotten or that may hereafter be begotten by Lust and Satan I say this is one proper work of the Law to make manifest sin it is sent to find fault with the sinner and it doth also watch that it may so do and it doth take all advantages for the accomplishing of its work in them that give ear thereto or do not give ear if it have the rule over them I say it is like a man that is sent by his Lord to see and pry into the labours and works of other men taking every advantage to discover their infirmities and failings and to chide them yea to throw them out of the Lords favour for the same Secondly Another great end why the Lord did add or give the Law it was that no man might have any thing to lay to the charge of the Lord for his condemning of them that do transgress against the same You know that if a man should be had before an Officer or Judge and there be condemned and yet by no Law he that condemns him might be very well reprehended or reproved for passing the Judgment yea the party himself might have better ground to plead for his liberty than the other to plead for the condemning of him but this shall not be so in the judgment day but contrariwise for then every man shall be forced to lay his hand on his mouth and hold his tongue at the Judgment of God when it is passed
practices and Gospel-order as to Church-discipline if it be done to this end I have been speaking from this principle they must and shall have these sad things fall to their share which I have made mention of Object But you will say can a man use Gospel-ordinances with a Legal spirit Answ. Yes as easily as the Jews could use and practice circumcision though not the Moral or Ten Commandments For this I shall be bold to affirm that it is not the Commands of the New Testament administration that can keep a man from using of its self in a legal spirit for know this for certain that it is the principle not the command that makes the subjecter to the same either Legal or Evangelical and so his obedience from that command to be from Legal convictions or Evangelical principles Now herein the devil is wonderous subtle and crafty in suffering people to practice the ordinances and commands of the Gospel if they do but do them in a Legal spirit from a spirit of works for he knows then that if he can but get the soul to go on in such a spirit though they do never so many duties he shall hold them sure enough for he knows full well that thereby they do set up something in the room of or at the least to have some though but a little share with the Lord Jesus Christ in their salvation and if he can but get thee here he knows that he shall cause thee by thy depending a little upon the one and so thy whole dependance being not upon the other that is Christ and taking of him upon his own terms thou wilt fall short of life by Christ though thou do very much busie thyself in a suitable walking in an outward conformity to the several commands of the Lord Jesus Christ. And let me tell you plainly that I do verily believe that as Satan by his Instruments did draw many of the Galatians by Circumcision though I say it was none of the commands of the moral Law to be debtors to do upon pain of eternal damnation the whole of the moral Law So also Satan in the time of the Gospel doth use even the commands laid down in the Gospel some of them to bind the soul over to do the same Law the thing being done and walked in by and in the same spirit For as I said before it is not the obedience to the command that makes the subjecter thereto Evangelical or of a Gospel Spirit but contrariwise the principle that leads out the soul to the doing of the command that makes the persons that do thus practice any command together with the command by them practised either Legal or Evangelical As for instance prayer it is a Gospel command yet if he that prayes doth it in a Legal spirit he doth make that which in it self is a Gospel command an occasion of leading him into a Covenant of Works in as much as he doth it by and in that old Covenant spirit Again giving of Alms is a Gospel command yet if I do give Alms from a Legal principle the command to me is not Gospel but Legal and it binds me over as aforesaid to do the whole Law For he is not a Jew not a Christian that is one outwardly that is one only by an outward subjection to the ordinances of prayer hearing reading baptism breaking of bread c. But he is a Jew a Christian which is one inwardly who is rightly principled and practiseth the ordinances of the Lord from the leadings forth of the spirit of the Lord from a true and saving faith in the Lord Rom. 2. 28 29. Those men spoken of in the 7. of Matthew for certain for all their great declaration did not do what they did from a right Gospel Spirit for had they no question but the Lord would have said Well done good and faithful servants but in that the Lord Jesus doth turn them away into Hell notwithstanding their great profession of the Lord and of their doing in his name it is evident that notwithstanding all that they did do they were still under the Law and not under that Covenant as true believers are to wit the Covenant of Grace and if so then all their duties that they did of which they boasted before the Lord was not in and by a right Evangelical principle or Spirit Again saith the Apostle Whatsoever is not of faith is sin Rom. 14. 23. but there are some that do even practise baptism breaking of bread together with other ordinances and yet are unbelievers therefore unbelievers doing these things they are not done in faith but sin now to do these things in sin or without the faith it is not to do things in an Evangelical or Gospel Spirit also they that do these things in a Legal spirit the very practising of them renders them not under the Law of Christ as head of his Church but the works they do are of so much contradiction to the Gospel of God or the Covenant of Grace that they that do them thus do even set up against the Covenant of Grace and the very performance of them is of such force that it is sufficient to drown them that are subjecters thereunto even under the Covenant of Works but this poor souls are not aware of and there is their misery Quest. But have you no other way to discover the things of the Gospel how they are done with a Legal principle but those you have already made meâ—tion of Answ. That thou mightest be indeed satisfied herein I shall shew you the very manner and way that a Legal or old Covenant converted professor bear with the terms doth take both in the beginning middle and the end of his doing of any duty or command or whatsoever it be that he doth do First He thinking this or that to be his duty and considering of the same he is also presently perswaded in his own conscience that God will not accept of him if he leave it undone he seeing that he is short of his duty as he supposeth while this is undone by him and also judging that God is angry with him until the thing be done he in the second place sets to the doing of the duty to the end he may be able to pacifie his conscience by doing of the same perswading of himself that now the Lord is pleased with him for doing of it Thirdly Having done it he contents himself sits down at his ease untill some further convictions of his duty to be done which when he seeth and knoweth he doth do it as aforesaid from the same principle as he did the former and so goeth on in his progress of profession This is to do things from a Legal principle and from an old Covenant spirit for thus runs that Covenant The man that doth these things shall live in them or by them Levit. 18. 5. Ezek. 20. 11. Gal. 3. 12. Rom. 10. 5. but more of this
something by way of Use and Application to this first Doctrine The second Doctrine now to be spoken to is to shew that the People of God are not under the Law but under Grace For ye are not under the Law but under Grace Rom 6. 14. YOu may well remember that from these words I did observe these two great truths of the Lord. First That there are some in Gospel times that are under the Law or Covenant of Works Secondly That there is 〈◊〉 a believer under the Law or Covenant of works but under Grace I have spoken something to the former of these truths to wit that there are some under the Law together with who they are and what their condition is that are under it Now I am to speak to the second and to shew you who they are and what their condition is that are under that But before I come to that I shall speak a few words to shew you what the word GRACE in this place signifies for the word Grace in the Scripture referreth sometimes to favour with men Esther 2. 7. Gen. 39. 4. Chap. 50. 4 33 10. sometimes to holy qualifications of Saints 2 Cor. 8. 7. and sometimes to hold forth the condescension of Christ in coming down from the glory which he had with his Father before the world was to be made of no reputation and a servant to men 2 Cor. 8. 9. Phil. 2. 7. Again sometime it is taken for the free rich and unchangeable love of God to man through Jesus Christ that for our cause and sakes did make himself poor and so it is to be understood in these words For you are not under the Law to be cursed and damned and sent headlong to hell but you are under Grace to be saved to be pardoned to be preserved and kept by the mighty power of God through â—aith which alone is the gift of Grace unto eternal glory This one Scripture alone proves the same Eph. 2. 8. For by Grace you are saved by free grace by rich grace by unchangeable grace And you are saved from the curse of the Law from the power guilt and filth of sin from the power malice madness and rage of the devil from the wishes curses and desires of wicked men from the hot scalding flaming fiery furnace of hell from being arraigned as malefactors convinced judged condemned and fettered with the chains of our sins to the devils to all eternity and all this freely freely by his grace Rom. 3. 24. by rich grace unchangable grace for saith he I am God and change not therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed Mal. 3. 6. This is grace indeed The word GRACE therefore in this Scripture Rom 6. 14. is to be understood of the free love of God in Christ to sinners by vertue of the new Covenant in delwering them from the power of sin from the curse and condemning power of the Old Covenant from the destroying nature of sin by its continual workings as is all evident if you read with understanding the words as they lie For saith he sin shall not have dominion over you or it shall not domineer reign or destroy you though you have transgressed against the Covenant of works the Law and the reason is rendered in these words For ye are not under the Law that is under that which accuseth chargeth condemneth and brings execution on the soul for sin But under Grace that is under that which frees you forgives you keeps you and justifies you from all your sins adversaries or whatever may come in to lay any thing to your charge to damn you For that is truly called grace in this sense that doth set a man free from all his sins deliver him from all the curses of the Law and what else can be laid to his charge freely without any foresight in God to look at what good will be done by the party that hath offended and also that doth keep the soul by the same power through faith which also is his own proper gift unto eternal glory Again that is a pardon not conditional but freely given Consider first it is set in opposition to works You are not under the Law Secondly The promise that is made to them saying Sin shall not have dominion over you doth not run with any condition as on their part to be done but meerly and alone because they were under or because they had the Grace of God extended to them Sin shall not have dominion over you For mark the reason For you are not under the Law but under Grace The words being thus opened and the truth thus laid down how there is never a believer under the Covenant of Works but under Grade the free rich unchangeable love of God it remaineth that in the first place we prove the Doctrine and after that proceed Now in the Doctrine there is two things to be considered and proved First that believers are under Grace Secondly Not under the Law as a Covenant of works for so you must not understand me For these two we need go no further then the very words themselves the first part of the words proves the first part of the Doctrine You are not under the Law the second part proves the other But ye are under Grace But besides these consider with me a few things for the demonstrating of these truths as First They are not under the Law because their sins are pardoned which could not be if they were dealt withal according to the Law and their being under it for the Law alloweth of no repentance but accuseth curseth and condemneth every one that is under it Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things written in the Book of the Law to do them Gal. 3. 10. But I say believers having their sins forgiven them it is because they are under another even a New Covenant Heb. 8. 8. Behold the days come saith the Lord that I will make a new Covenant with them For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more verse 4. Secondly They are not under the Law because their sins and iniquities are not only forgiven but they are forgiven them freely they that stand in the first Covenant and continue there are to have never a sin forgiven them unless they can give God a compleat satisfaction for the Law calls for it at their hands saying Pay me that thou owest O but when God deals with his Saints by the Covenant of Grace it is not so for it is said And when he saw they had nothing to pay he frankly and freely forgave them all I will heal their back-slidings and love them freely I will blot out thy transgressions for mine own sake c Luke 7. 42. Hosea 14. 4. Isaiah 43. 25. Thirdly The Saints are not under the Law because the righteousness that they stand justified before God in is not their own actual righteousness
This is now a wrong faith as is evident in that it is placed upon a wrong object for mark this faith is not placed assuredly on Gods grace alone through the blood and merits of Christ being discovered effectually to the soul but upon God through those things that God hath given iâ— as of gifts either to preach or pray or great works or the like which will assuredly come to nought as sure as God is in Heaven if no better faith and ground of faith be found out for thy soul savingly to rest upon As to the second cause of the Objection which runs to this effect God loves men upon the account of their believing I answer that God loves men before they believe he loves them he calls them and gives them faith to believe But God who is rich in grace with his great love wherewith he loved us when when we believed or before even when we were dead in our sins and so far off from believers hath quickned us together with Christ by grace you are saved Eph. 2. 4 5. Now also I suppose that thou wilt say in thy heart I would you would shew us then what is saving faith which thing it may be I may touch upon a while hence in the next thing that I am to speak unto O they that have that are safe indeed The Second Thing THe second Thing that I am to speak unto is this Who they are that are actually brought into this free and unchangable grace and also how they are brought in Answ. Indeed now we are come to the pinch of the whole discourse and if God do but help me to run rightly thorow this as I do verily believe he will I may do thee Reader good and bring glory to my God The Question containeth these two branches First who are brought in Secondly how they are brought in the first is quickly answered Christ Jesus came into the world â—o save sinners Jewish sinners Gentile sinners Old sinners Young sinners great sinners the chiefest of sinners 1 Tim. 1. 14 15. Rom. 5. 7 8 9 10. 1 Cor. 6. 9 10. Mat. 21. 31. Publicans and Harlots that is Whores and Cheaters Exactors shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven For I came not saith Christ to call the righteous but sinners to repentance Mark 2. 17. A sinner in the Scripture is described in general to be a transgressor of the Law 1 John 3. 4. Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth the Law for sin is the transgression of the Law But particularly they are described in a more particular way as first such as in whom dwelleth the devil Ephes. 2. 2 3. Secondly such as will do the service of him John 8. 44. Thirdly such as are enemies to God Col. 1. 21. Fourthly such as are 1 Cor. 6. 9 10. 2 Chron. 33. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 c. Acts 9. 1 2 3. 1 Tim. 1. 14 15 16. Acts 19. 19. Acts 2. 36 37. Drunkards Whoremasters Liars Perjured Persons Covetous Revilers Extortioners Fornicators Swearers possessed with Devils Thieves Idolaters Witches Sorcerers Conjurers Murderers and the like these be sinners and such sinners that God hath prepared Heaven Happiness Pardon of Sin and an inheritance of God with Christ with Saints with Angels if they do come in and accept of Grace as I might prove at large For Gods grace is so great that if they do come to him by Christ presently all is forgiven them therefore never object that thy sins are too great to be pardoned but come taste and see how good the Lord is to any whosoever comes unto him The second thing is How are these brought into this everlasting Covenant of Grace 2. Answ. When God doth indeed and in truth bring in a sinner into this most blessed Covenant for so it is he usually goeth this way First He slays or kills the party to all things besides himself and his Son Jesus Christ and the comforts of the Spirit For the clearing of this I shall shew you first with what God kills secondly how God kills and thirdly to what God kills those whom he makes alive in Jesus Christ. For the first When God brings sinners into the Covenant of Grace he doth first kill them with the Covenant of Works which is the Moral Law or Ten Commandments This is Pauls Doctrine and also Pauls experience It is his Doctrine where he saith The ministration of death engraven in stones the ministration of condemnation which is the Law in that place called the Letter kills 2 Cor. 3. 6 7 8 9. The Letter saith he killeth or the Law or the ministration of death which is another place is called a sound of words Heb. 12. 19. because they have no life 〈◊〉 them but rather death and damnation through our inability to fulfill them Rom. 8. 3. doth kill 2 Cor. 6. Secondly It is his experience where he saith I was alive once that is to my own things Phil. 3. 7 8 9 10. without the Law that is before God did strike him dead by it but when the commandment came that is to do and exercise its right Office on me which was to kill me then sin revived and I died and I was killed and the commandment or the Law which was ordained to be unto life I found to be unto death For sin taketh occasion by the commandment deceived me and thereby slew me Rom. 7. 9 10 11. And indeed to speak my own experience together with the experience of all the Saints they can seal with me to this more or less Quest. But how doth God kill with this Law or Covenant Answ. First by opening to the soul the spirituality of it The Law is spiritual saith he but I am carnal sold under sin Rom. 7. 14. Now the spirituality of the Law is discovered this way First by shewing to the soul that every sinful thought is a sin against it I sinner when the Law doth come home indeed upon thy soul in the spirituality of it it will discover such things to thee to be sins that now thou lookest over and regardesâ—â—â— that is a remarkable saying of Paul when he saith Sin revived and I died sin revived saith he as if he had said those things that before I did not value nor regard but looked upon them to be trifles to be dead and forgotten but when the Law was fastened on my soul it did so raise them from the dead call them to mind so muster them before my face and put such strength into them that I was over-mastered by them by the guilt of them Sin revived by the commandment or my sins had mighty strength life and abundance of force upon me because of that insomuch that it killed me Mat. 5. 28. Secondly It sheweth that every such sin deserveth eternal damnation Friends I doubt there be but few of you that have seen the spirituality of the Law of Works but this is one thing in which it discovereth
touching this no but there is all the Prophets do agree in advancing this in writing and also all the Saints do now declare the same in speaking forth the aimableness and many powerful vertues thereof As for thee by the blood of thy Covenant saith God to Christ I have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein was no water Zech. 9. 11. We have redemption through his blood Ephes. 1. 7. Again Col. 1. 14. We have redemption through his blood Our robes are washed and made white in the blood of the Lamb Rev. 7. 14. The Devil is overcome through the blood of the Lamb Rev. 12. 11. Yea and conscience is purged too and that through the blood of the Lamb Heb. 9. 14. We have free recourse to the Throne of grace through the blood of Jesus Heb. 10. 19. I could bring thee a cloud of witnesses out of all the types and shadows and out of the sundry Prophets and much more out of the New Testament but I forbear because I would not be too tedious to thee Reader in making too large a digression though I have committed here in this Discourse no transgression for the blood of Christ is precious blood 1 Pet. 1. 18 19. In the next place I shall shew you the several priviledges and advantages the man or woman hath that is under this Covenant of Grace over they have that are under the Covenant of the Law and Works As first the Covenant of Grace is not grounded upon our obedience but upon Gods love even his pardoning love to us through Christ Jesus The first Covenant it stood to be broken or kept by us and Gods love or anger to be lost or enjoyed hereafter as we as creatures behaved our selves but now the very ground of the Covenant of Grace is Gods love 't is meer love through Jesus Christ Deut. 7. 8 9. The Lord did not set his love upon you nor chuse you because you were more in number then other people for you were the fewest of all people but because the Lord loves you and because he will keep the oath which he swore to your fathers Again Isa. 63. 9. In his love and in his pitty he redeemed them and the Angel of his presence saved them that is Jesus Christ. And again 2. Tim. 1. 9. Who hath saved us Not according to the works of righteousness which we have done but according to his own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before the world began Secondly This love is not conveyed to us through what we have done as is afore proved but through what he hath done with whom the Covenant was made which was given us in Christ. According as he hach chosen us in Christ Who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. God for Christs sake hath loved you 2 Tim 1. 9. Eph 1. 3 4. Eph. 4. 32. That is through Christs doings through Christs sufferings Now if this be but rightly understood it doth discover abundance of comfort to them that are within the bounds of the Covenant of Grace For First Here a believer seeth he shall stand if Christs doings and sufferings stand which is a sure Foundation for God dealeth with him through Christ. And so Secondly He shall not fall unless the sufferings and merits of Christ be thrown over the bar being found guilty which will never be before the eyes of divine justice For with him the Covenant was made and he was the surety of it Zech. 9. 11. Heb. 7. 22. That is as the Covenant was made with him so he stood bound to fulfill the same For you must understand that the Covenant was made between the Father and the Son long before it was accomplished or manifestly sealed with Christs blood it was made before the world began Tit. 1. 2. Ephes. 1. 4. 1 Pet. 1. 18 19 20. But the conditions thereof was not fulfilled until less than Two Thousand Years ago and all that while did Jesus stand bound as a surety as I said before is used to do till the time in which the payment should be made And it was by vertue of his suretiship having bound himself by Covenant to do all things agreed on by the Father and him that all those of the election that were born before he came that they might be saved and did enter into rest For the forgiveness of sins that was past though it was through the blood of Christ yet it was also through the for bearance of God Rom. 3. 25. That is Christ becoming surety for those that died before his coming that he would indeed and in truth at the fulness of time or at the time appointed Gal. 4. 4. give a compleat and full satisfaction for them according to the tenour or condition of the Covenant Again Secondly The second Covenant which Believers are under as the ground and foundation if it is safe so the promises thereof are better surer freer and fuller c. First They are better if you compare the excellency of the one with the excellency of the other The first hath promised nothing but an earthly paradise Do this and thou shalt live Namely here in an earthly paradise But the other doth bring the promise of an heavenly paradise Secondly As the Covenant of Works doth promise an earthly Paradise yet it is a Paradise or Blessing though once obtained yet might be lost again for no longer than thou doest well no longer art thou accepted by that O but the Promises in the New Covenant do bring unto us the benefit of eternal inheritance Heb. 9. 15. That they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance O rare it is an eternal inheritance Thirdly The other as it is not so good as this so neither is it so sure as this and therefore he calls the one such a one as might be and was shaken Heb. 12. 27. but this is said to be such a one that cannot be shaken And this word saith he treating of the two Covenants from verse the 18. to the 24 And this word yet once more signifies the removing of those things that are or may be shaken as of things that are made that those things that cannot be shaken which is the second Covenant may remain for â—aith he verse the 28. which cannot be moved Therefore ye blessed Saints seeing you have received a Kingdom which cannot which cannot be moved therefore Let us have grace whereby we may serve our God acceptably with reverence and godly fear Thus in general but more particular First They are surer in that they are founded upon Gods love also and they come to us without calling for those things at our hands that may be a means of putting of a stop to our certain enjoying of them The promises under or of the Law they might easily be stopped by our disobedience but the promises under the Gospel saith If heaven above can be measured and the
his fulness have we all received and grace for grace Col. 1. 9. And this the Saints cannot be deprived of because the Covenant made with Christ in every tittle of it was so compleatly fulfilled as to righteousness both active and passive that justice cannot object any thing holiness now can find fault with nothing nay all the power of God cannot shake any thing that hath been done for us by the Mediator of the New Covenant so that now there is no Covenant of Works to a Believer none of the commands accusations condemnations or the least tittle of the Old Covenant to be charged on any of those that are the Children of the Second Covenant no sin to be charged because there is no Law to be pleaded but all is made up by our middle man Christ Jesus O blessed Covenant O blessed Priviledge Be wise therefore O ye poor drooping souls that are the sons of this second Covenant And stand fast in the liberty wherewith CHRIST hath made you free and be not again intangled not terrified in your consciences with the yoke of bonbondage neither the commands accusations or condemnations of the Law of the Old Covenant Gal. 5. 1 2. Object If it be so then one need not care what they do they may sin and sin again seeing Christ hath made satisfaction Answ. If I was to point out one that was under the power of the Devil and going poste haste to hell for my life I would look no further for such a man then to him that would make such a use as this of the grace of God What because Christ is a Saviour thou wilt be a sinner because his grace abounds therefore thou wilt abound in in O wicked wretch rake hell all over and surely I think thy fellow will scarce be found And let me tell thee this before I leave thee as Gods Covenant with Christ for his Children which are of faith stands sure immutable unrevokable and unchangeable so also hath God taken such a course with thee that unless thou can'st make God forswear himself it is impossible that thou shouldest go to heaven dying in that condition They tempted me proved me and turned the grace of God into laciviousness Compare Heb. 3. 9. 10 11. ver with the 1 Cor. 10. Chap. from the 5. verse to the 10. So I sware mark that So I sware and that in my wrath too that they should never enter into my rest No saith God if Christ will not serve their turns but they must have their sins too take them devil if Heaven will not satisfie them take them hell devour them hell scald them fry them burn them hell God hath more places than one to put sinners into if they do not like of Heaven he will fit them with Hell if they do not like Christ they shall be forced to have the Devil Therefore we must and will tell of the truth of the nature of the Covenant of the grace of God to his poor Saints for their encouragement and for their comfort who would be glad to leap at Christ upon any terms yet therewith we can tell how through grace to tell the hogs and sons of this world what a hogsty there is prepared for them even such a one that God hath prepared to put the Devil and his Angels into is fitly prepared for them Mat. 25. 41. Object But if Christ hath given God a full and compleat satisfaction then though I do go on in sin I need not fear seeing God hath already been satisfied it will be injustice in God to punish for those sins for which he is already satisfied for by Christ. Answ. Rebell rebell there are some in Christ and some out of him they that are in him have their sins forgiven and they themselves made new creatures and have the spirit of the Son which is a holy loving self-denying spirit And they that are thus in Jesus Christ are so far off from delighting in sin that sin is the greatest thing that troubleth them and O how willingly would they be rid of the very thoughts of it Psal. 119. 113. It is the grief of their souls when they are in a right frame of spirit that they can live no more to the honour and glory of God then they do and in all their prayers to God the breathings of their souls is as much for sanctifying grace as pardoning grace that they might live a holy life they would as willingly live holy here as they would be happy in the world to come Phil. 3. 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21. they would as willingly be cleansed from the filth of sin as to have the guilt of it taken away they would as willingly glorifie God here as they would be glorified by him hereafter 2. But there are some that are out of Christ being under the Law and as for all those let them be civil or profane they are such as God accounts wicked and I say as for those if all the Angels in Heaven can drag them before the Judgment-seat of Christ they shall be brought before it to answer for all their ungodly deeds Jude 15. and being condemned for them if all the fire in Hell will burn them they shall be burned there if they die in that condition And therefore if you love your souls do not give way to such a wicked spirit Let no man deceive yoâ— with such vain words as to think because Christ hath made satisfaction to God for sin therefore you may live in your sins O no God forbid that any should think so for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience Ephes. 5 6. Thus have I Reader given thee a brief discourse touching the Covenant of Works and the Covenant of Grace also of the nature of the one together with the nature of the other I have also in this Discourse endeavoured to shew you the condition of them that are under the Law how sad it is both from the nature of the Covenant they are under and also by the carriage of God unto them by that Covenant And now because I would bring all into as little a compass as I can I shall begin with the Use and Application of the whole in as brief a way as I can desiring the Lord to bless it to thee And first of all let us here begin to examine a little touching the Covenant you stand before God in whether it be the Covenant of Works or the Covenant of Grace and for the right doing of this I shall lay down this proposition Namely that all men naturally come into the world under the first of these which is called the Old Covenant or the Covenant of Works which is the Law And were all by nature the children of wrath even as others which they could not be had they not been under the Law for there are none that are under the other Covenant that
are still the Children of the wrath but the Children of faith the Children of the promise the accepted Children the Children not of the Bond-man but of the free Gal. 4. the 4. last verses Now here lieth the question Which of these two Covenants art thou under soul Answ. I hope I am under the Covenant of Grace Quest. But what ground hast thou to think that thou art under that blessed Covenant and not rather under the Covenant of Works that strict that soul-damning Covenant Answ. What ground Why I hope I am Quest. But what ground hast thou for this thy hope For a hope without a ground is like a Castle built in the air that will never be able to do thee any good but will prove like unto that spoken of in the eighth of Job Whose hope shall be cut off and whose trust shall be like a spiders web He shall lean upon his House but it shall not stand he shall hold it fast as thou wouldest thy hope 't is like but it shall not endure Job 8. 13 14 15. Answ. My hope is grounded upon the promises what else should it be grounded upon Answ. Indeed to build my hope upon Christ Jesus upon God in Christ through the 〈◊〉 and to have this hope rightly by the shedding abroad of the love of God in the heart it is a right grounded hope Rom. 5. 1 2 3 4 5. Quest. But what promises in the Scripture do you find your hope built upon And how do you know whether you do build your hope upon the promises in the Gospel the promises of the New Covenant and not rather on the promises of the Old Covenant for there are promises in that as well as in the other Answ. I hope that if I do well I shall be accepted because God hath said I shall Gen. 4. 7. Rep. O soul if thy hope be grounded there thy hope is not grounded upon the Gospel promises or the New Covenant but verily upon the old for these words was spoken to Cain a Son of the Old Covenant and they themselves are the tenour and scope of that for that runs thus Do this and thou shalt live The man that doth these things shall live by them If thou do well thou shalt be accepted Levit. 18. 5. Ezek. 20. 11. Rom. 10. 5. Gal. 3. 12. Gen. 4. 7. Rep. Why truly if a mans doing well and living well and his striving to serve God as well as he can will not help him to Christ I do not know what will I am sure sinning against God will not Quest Did you never read that Scripture which saith Israel which followed after the Law of righteousness hath not attained to the Law of righteousness Rom. 9. 30 31 32. Object But doth not the Scripture say Blessed are they that keep his Commandments that they may have right to the tree of life Rev. 22. 14. Answ. There is first therefore to be enquired into whether to keep his Commandments be to strive to keep the Law as it is a Covenant of Works or whether it be meant of the great Commandments of the New Testament which are cited 1 John 3. 22 23. And whatsoever we ask we receive of him because we keep his Commandments and do those things that are pleasing in his sight But what do you mean John do you mean the Covenant of the Law or the Covenant of the Gospel Why This is his Commandment saith he that we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ and to love one another as the fruits of this faith as he gave us Commandment If it be the Old Covenant as a Covenant of Works then the Gospel is but a lost thing If it were of Works then no more of Grace therefore it is not the Old Covenant as the Old Covenant Quest. But what do you mean by these words the Gld Covenant as the Old Covenant explain your meaning Answ. My meaning is that the Law is not to be looked upon for life so as it was handed out from Mount Sinai if ever thou wouldest indeed be saved though after thou hast faith in Christ thou mayest and must solace thy self in it and take pleasure therein to express thy love to him who hath already saved thee by his own blood without thy obedience to the Law either from Sinai or elsewhere Qâ—â—st Do you think that I do mean that my righteousness will save me without Christs if so you mistake me for I think not so but this I say I will labour to do what I can and what I cannot do Christ will do for me Answ. Ah poor soul this is the wrong way too for this is to make Christ but a piece of a Saviour thou wilt do something and Christ shall do the rest thou wilt set thy own things in the first place and if thou wantest at last then thou wilt borrow of Christ thou art such a one that doest Christ the greatest injury of all First in that thou doest undervalue his merits by preferring of thy own works before his And secondly by mingling of his works thy dirty ragged righteousness with his Quest. Why would you have us do nothing would you have us make Christ such a drudge as to do all while we sit idling still Answ. Poor soul thou mistakest Jesus Christ in saying thou makest him a drudge in letting him do all I tell thee he counts it a great glory to do all for thee and it is a great dishonour unto him for thee so much as to think otherwise And this the Saints of God that have experienced the work of Grace upon their souls do count it also the same Rev. 5. 9. Saying thou art worthy to take the book and to open the seals thereof ver 12. Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honour and glory and blessing And why so read again the 9. ver For thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy own blood See also Ephes. 1. 6 7. To the praise of the glory of his grace In whom we have redemption through his blood Rep. All this we confess that Jesus Christ died for us but he that thinks to be saved by Christ and liveth in his sins shall never be saved Answ. I grant that But this I say again a man must not make his good doings the lowest round of the ladder by which he goeth to Heaven that is he that will and shall go to Heaven must wholly and alone without any of his own things venture his precious soul upon Jesus Christ and his merits Quest. What and come to Christ as a sinner Answ. Yea witâ— all thy sins upon thee even as filthy as ever thou canst Quest. But is not this the way to make Christ to loath us You know when Children fall down in the dirt they do usually before they go home make their cloaths as clean as they can sor fear their Parents should chide
THE DOCTRINE OF THE LAW and GRACE UNFOLDED OR A Discourse touching the Law and Grace The nature of the one and the nature of the other shewing what they are as they are the two Covenants and likewise who they be and what their Conditions are that be under either of these two Covenants WHEREIN For the better Understanding of the Reader there is several Questions answered touching the Law and Grace very easie to be read and as easie to be understood by those that are the Sons of Wisdom the Children of the second Covenant ALSO Several Titles set over the several Truths contained in this Book for thy sooner finding of them which are those following the Epistle Published by that Poor and Contemptible Creature John Bunyan of Bedford The Law made nothing perfect but the bringing in of a better Hope did by the which we draw nigh to God Heb. 7. 19. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by Faith without the Deeds of the Law Rom. 3. 28. To him therefore that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly his Faith is counted for Righteousness Rom. 4. 5. LONDON Printed for Nath. Ponder at the Peacock in the Poultry 1685. The Epistle to the Reader Reader IF at any time there be held forth by the Preacher the freeness and fulness of the Gospel together with the readiness of the Lord of Peace to receive those that have any desire thereto presently it is the spirit of the World to cry out Sure this man disdains the Law slights the Law and counts that of none effect and all because there is not together with the Gospel mingled the Doctrine of the Law which is not a right dispensing of the Word according to truth and knowledge Again if there be the terror horror and severity of the Law discovered to a People by the Servants of Jesus Christ though they do not speak of it to the end People should trust to it by relying on it as it is a Covenant of Works but rather that they should be driven further from that Covenant even to embrace the tenders and priviledges of the second yet poor Souls because they are unacquainted with the natures of these two Covenants or either of them therefore say they here is nothing but preaching of the Law thundering of the Law when alas if these two be not held forth to wit the Covenant of Works and the Covenant of Grace together with the nature of the one and the nature of the other Souls will never be able neither to know what they are by Nature nor what they lie under Also neither can they understand what Grace is nor how to come from under the Law to meet God in and through that other most glorious Covenant through which and only through which God can communicate of himself grace Glory yea even all the good things of another World I having considered these things together with others have made bold to present yet once more to thy view my Friend something of the mind of God to the end if it shall be but blessed to thee thou mayest be benefited thereby For verily these things are not such as are ordinary and of small concernment but do absolutely concern thee to know and that experimentally too if ever thou do partake of the glory of God through Jesus Christ and so escape the terrour and unsupportable vengeance that will otherwise come upon thee through his Justice because of thy living and dying in thy Transgressions against the Law of God And therefore while thou livest here below it is thy duty if thou wish thy self happy for the time to come to give up thy self to the studying of these two Covenants treated of in the ensuing Discourse and so to study them untill thou through grace do not only get the notion of the one and of the other in thy head but untill thou do feel the very power life and glory of the one and of the other For take this for granted he that is dark as touching the scope intent and nature of the Law is also dark as to the scope nature and glory of the Gospel And also he that hath but a notion of the one will hardly have any more than a notion of the other And the reason is this because so long as People are ignorant of the nature of the Law and of their being under it that is under the curse and condemning power of it by reason of their sin against it so long they will be careless and negligent as to the enquiring after the true knowledge of the Gospel Before the Commandement came that is in the spirituality of it Paul was alive that is thought himself safe which is clear Rom. 7. 9 10. compared with the 3. of Phil. the 5 6 7 8 9 10 11. ver c. But vvhen that came and vvas indeed discovered unto him by the Spirit of the Lord then Paul dies Rom. 7. to all his former life Phil. 3. and that man vvhich before could content himself to live though ignorant of the Gospel cryes out novv I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ my Lord ver 8. Therefore I say so long they vvill be ignorant of the nature of the Gospel and hovv glorious a thing it is to be found vvithin the bounds of it for we use to say That man that knoweth not himself to be sick that man will not look out for himself a Physician and this Christ knew full well where he saith The whole have no need of a Physician but them that are sick that is none will in truth desire the Physician unless they know they be sick That man also that hath got but a notion of the Law a notion that is the Knowledge of it in the Head so as to discourse and talk of it if he hath not felt the power of it and that effectually too he it is to be feared will at the best be but a Notionest in the Gospel he will not have the experimental Knowledge of the same in his Heart nay he will not seek nor heartily desire after it and all because as I said before he hath not Experience of the wounding cutting killing nature of the other I say therefore if thou wouldest know the Authority and Power of the Gospel labour first to know the Power and Authority of the Law for I am verily persuaded that the want of this one thing namely the Knowledge of the Law is one cause why so many are ignorant of the other That man that doth not know the Law doth not know indeed and in truth that he is a Sinner and that man that doth not know he is a Sinner doth not know savingly that there is a Saviour Again That man that doth not know the nature of the Law that man doth not know the nature of Sin and that man that knoweth not the nature of Sin will not regard to know
comes to give a discovery of that Law or Covenant he labouring to take them off from trusting in it he doth plainly tell them it is that which was given on Sinai Gal. 4. 24 25. Therefore that which was delivered in two Tables of Stone on Mount Sinai is the very same that was given before to Adam in Paradise they running both alike that in the Garden saying Do this and live but in the day tho eatest thereof or doest not do this thou shal surely die And so is this on Sinai as is evident when he saith The man that doth these things shall live by them Rom. 10. 5. and in case they break them even any of them it saith Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the whole book of the Law to do them Gal. 3. 10. now this being thus cleared I shall proceed A second thing to be spoken too is this to shew what it is to be under the Law as it is a Covenant of Works to which I shall speak and that thus To be under the Law as it is a Covenant of Works it is to be bound upon pain of eternal damnation to fulfil and that compleatly and continually every particular point of the Ten Commandments by doing them do this and then thou shalt live otherwise Cursed is every one that continueth not in all in every particular thing or things that are written in the book of the Law to do them Gal. 3. 10. That man that is under the first Covenant stands thus and only thus as he is under that Covenant or Law Poor souls through ignorance of the nature of that Covenant of Works the Law that they are under they do not think their state to be half so bad as it is when alas there is none in the World in such a sad condition again besides themselves for indeed they do not understand these things He that is under the Law as it is a Covenant of Works is like the man that is bound by the Law of his King upon pain of Banishment or of being Hanged Drawn and Quartered not to transgress any of the Commandeof the King So here they that are under the Covenant of Works they are bound upon pain of eternal banishment and condemnation to keep within the compass of the Law of God of Heaven The Covenant of Works may in this case be compared to the Laws of the Medes and Persians which being once made cannot be altered Dan. 6. 8. You find that when there was a Law made and given forth that none should ask a Petition of any God or Man but of the King only this Law being established by the King verse 9. Daniel breaking of it let all do whatever they can Daniel must into the Lions Den ver 16. So here I say there being a Law given and sealed with the Truth and the Word of God how that the soul that sinneth shall die Ezek. 18. 4. whosoever doth abide under this Covenant and dieth under the same they must and shall into the Lions Den nay worse then that for they shall be thrown into Hell to the very Devils But to speak in a few partculars for thy better understanding herein Know first that the Law of God or Covenant of Works doth not contain it self in one particular branch of the Law but doth extend it self into many even into all the Ten Commandments and them Ten into very many more as might be shewed so that the danger doth 〈◊〉 lie in the breaking of one or Two of these Ten only but it doth lie even in the transgression of any one of them As you know if a King should give forth ten particular commaands to be obeyed by his subjects upon pain of death now if any man doth transgress against any one of these ten he doth commit treason as if he had broke them all and 〈◊〉 liable to have the sentence of the Law as certainly passed on him as if he had broken every particular of them 2. Again you know that the Laws being given forth by the King which if a man keep and obey a long time yet if at the last he flips and breaks those Laws he is presently apprehended and condemded by that Law These things are clear as touching the Law of God as it is a Covenant of Works if a man do fulfil nine of the Commandments and yet breaketh but one that being broken will as surely destroy him and shut him out from the joys of Heaven as if he had actually transgressed against them all for indeed in effect so he hath there is a notable Scripture for this in the Epistle of James 2 Chap. at the 10 ver For whosoever shall keep the whole Law and yet offend in one point he is guilty of all that is he hath in effect broken them all and shall have the voice of them all cry out against him and it must needs be so saith James because he that said or that Law which said Do not commit Adultery said also do not Kill Now if thou commit no Adultery yet if thou Kill thou art become a transgressor of the Law As thus it may be thou didst never make to thy self a God of Stone or Wood or at least not to worship them so really and so openly as the Heathen do yet if thou hast stollen born false witness or lusted after a Woman in thy heart Mat. 5. 28. thou hast transgressed the Law and must for certain living and dying under that Covenant perish for ever by the Law for the Law hath resolved on that before-hand saying Cursed is every one that continueth not in ALL things mark I pray you in all things that 's the word and that feals the Doctrine 3. Again though a Man do not covet steal murther worship gods of Wood and Stone c. yet if they do take the Lords Name in vain they are for ever gone living and dying under that Covenant Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain there is the command but how if we do then he saith The Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his Name in vain No though you live as holy as ever thou can'st and walk as circumspectly as ever any did yet if thou doest take the Lords Name in vain thou art gone by that Covenant For I will not mark I will not let him be in never so much danger I will not hold him guiltless that takes my Name in vain Exod. 20. 7. and so likewise for any other of the ten do but break them and thy state is irrecoverable if thou live and die under that Covenant 4. Though thou shouldest fulfil this Covenant or Law even all of it for a long time ten twenty forty fifty or threescore years yet if thou do chance to slip and break one of them but once before thou die thou art also gone and lost by that Covenant for mark Cursed is every one that
in a condition to attain the mercy of God by the Law these thoughts do flow from gross ignorance both of the nature of sin and also of the nature of the justice of God And if I was to give you a description of one in a lost condition for the present I would brand him out with such a mark of ignorance as this is 2. Answ. The Law as it is a Covenant of works doth not allow of any repentance unto life to those that live and die under it for the Law being once broken by thee never speaks good unto thee neither doth God at all regard thee If thou be under that Covenant notwithstanding all thy repentings and also promises to do so no more No saith the Law thou hast sinned therefore I must curse thee for it is my nature to curse even and nothing else but curse every 〈◊〉 that doth in any point transgress against me Gal. 3. 10. They brake my Covenant and I regarded 〈◊〉 not saith the Lord Heb. 8. Let them cry I will not regard them let them report I will not regard them they have broken my Covenant and done that in which I delighted not therefore by that Covenant I do curse and not bless damn and not save frown and not smile reject and not embrace charge sin and not forgive it They brake my Covenant and I regarded them not So that I say if thou break the Law the first Covenant and thou being found there God looking on thee thorow that he hath no regard on thee no pity for thee no delight in thee Object 2. But hath not the Law promises as well as threatnings saying The man that doth these things shall live mark he shall live by them or in them Answ. First to break the Commandments is not to keep or fulfil the same but thou hast broken them therefore the promise doth not belong to thee by that Covenant Secondly the promises that are of the Law are conditional and so not performed unless there be a full and continual obedience to every particular of it and that without the feast sin Do this mark do this and afterwards thou shalt live but if thou break one point of it once in all thy life thou hast not done the Law therefore the the promises following the Law do not belong unto thee if one sin hath been committed by thee As thus I will give you a plain instance Set the case there be a Law made by the King that if any man speak a word against him he must be put to death and this must not be revoked but must for certain be expected on the offender though though there be a promise made to them that do not speak a word against him that they shall have great love from him yet this promise is nothing to the offender he is like to have no share in it or to be ever the better for it but contrariwise the Law that he hath offended must be executed on him for his sin shutteth him out from a share of or in the Promises So it is here there is a promise made indeed but to whom Why it is to none but those that live without sinning against the Law but if thou I say sin one time against it in all thy lifetime thou art gone and not one promise belongs to thee if thou continue under this Covenant Methinks the Prisoners at the bar having offended the Law and the charge of a just Judge towards them do much hold forth the Law as it is a Covenant of Works and how it deals with them that are under it The Prisoner having offended cries out for mercy good my Lord mercy saith he pray my Lord pity me the Judge saith What canst thou say for thy self that Sentence of Death should not be passed upon thee Why nothing but this I pray my Lord be merciful But he answers again Friend the Law must take place the Law must not be broken The Prisoner saith Good my Lord spare me and I will never do so any more The Judge notwithstanding the mans out-cries and sad condition must according to the tenor of the Law pass Judgment upon him and the Sentence of the Condemnation must be read to the Prisoner though it makes them fall down dead to hear it if he executes the Law as he ought to do And just thus it is concerning the Law of God Object 3. I but sometimes for all your haste the Judge doth also give some Pardons and forgive some offenders notwithstanding their offences though he be a Judge Answ. It is not because the Law is merciful but because there is manifested the love of the Judge not the love of the Law I beseech you to mark this distinction for if a man that hath deserved death by the Law be notwithstanding this forgiven his offence it is not because the Law saith spare him but it is the love of the Judge or Chief Magistrate that doth set the man free from the Condemnation of the Law But mark here the Law of Men and the Law of God do differ the Law of Man is not so irrevokable but if the Supream please he may sometimes grant a Pardon without satisfaction given for the offence but the Law of God is of this nature that if the Man be found under it and a transgrssor or one that hath transgressed against it before that Prisoner can be released there must be a full and compleat satisfaction given to it either by the mans own life or by the blood of some other man For without shedding of blood there is no remission Heb. 9. 22. that is there is no deliverance from under the curse of the Law of God and therefore however the Law of man may be made of none effect sometimes by shewing mercy without giving of a full satisfaction yet the Law of God cannot be so contented nor at the least give way that the person offending that should escape the curse and not be damned except some one do give a full and compleat satisfaction to it for him and bring the Prisoner into another Covenant to wit the Covenant of Grace which is more easie and soul-refreshing and sin-pardoning I say therefore you must understand that if there be a Law made that reaches the life to take it away for the 〈◊〉 given by the offender against it then it is clear that if the man be spared and saved it is not the Law that doth give the man this advantage but it is the meer mercy of the King either because he hath a ransom or satisfaction some other way or being provoked thereto out of his own love to the person whom he saveth Now thou also having transgressed and broken the Law of God if the Law be not executed upon thee it is not because the Law is merciful or can pass by the least offence done by thee but thy deliverance comes another way Therefore I say however it be by the Laws of
men where they be corrupted and perveâ—ted yet the Law of God is of that nature that if it hath not thy own blood or the blood of some other man for it calls for no loss for to ransom thee from the curse of it being due to thee for thy transgression and to satisfie the cries the doleful cries thereof and ever for to present thee pure and spotless before God notwithstanding this fiery Law thou art gone if thou hadst a thousand souls For without shedding of blood there is no remission Heb. 9. 22. No forgivness of the least sin against the Law Object 4. But you will say I do not only repent 〈◊〉 of my formed life and also promise to do so no more but now I do labour to be righteous and to live a holy life and now instead of being a breaker of the Law I do labour to fulfill the same what say you to that Answ. See the case thou couldest walk like an Angel of God set the case thou couldest fulfill the whole Law and live from this day to thy lives end without sinning in thought word or deed which is unpossible but I say set the case it should be so why thy state is as bad if thou be under the first Covenant as ever it was For first I know thou darest not say but thou hast at one time or other sinned and it so then the Law hath condemned thee and it so then I am sure that thou with all thy actions and works of righteousness canst not remove the dreadful and unresistible Curse that is already laid upon thee by that Law which thou art under and which thou hast sinned against though thou livest the holiest life that any man can live in this world being under the Law of Works and so not under the Covenant of Grace thou must be cut off without remedy for thou hast sinned though afterwards thou live never so well The reasons for this that hath been spoken are these First Tho nature of Gods justice calls for it that is it calls for irrecoverable ruin on them that transgress against this Law for justice gave it and justice looks to have it compleatly and continually obeyed or else justice is resolved to take place and execute its office which is to punish the transgressor against it you must understand that the justice of God is as unchangable as his love his justice cannot change its nature justice it is if it be pleased and justice it is be if it displeased The justice of God in this place may be compared to fire there is a great fire made in some place if thou do keep out of it it is fire if thou do fall into it thou wilt find it fire and therefore the Apostle useth this as an Argument to stir up the Hebrews to stick close to Jesus Christ lest they fell under the justice of God by these words Heb. 12. 29. For our God is a consuming fire into which if thou fall it is not for thee to get out again as it is with some that fall into a material fire no but he that falls into this he must lie there for ever as it is clear where he saith Isa. 33. 14. Who among us can dwell with everlasting burnings and with devouring fire For justice once offended knoweth not how to shew any pitty or compassion to the offender but runs on him like a Lion takes him by the throat throws him into Prison and there he is sure to lie and that to all eternity unless infinite satisfaction be given to it which is impossible to be given by any of us the sons of Adam Secondly the faithfulness of God calls for irrecoverable ruine to be poured out on those that shall live and die under this Covenant If thou having sinned but one sin against this Covenant and shouldest afterwards escape damning God must be unfaithful to himself and to his Word which both agree as one First he would be unfaithful to himself to himself that is to his Justice Holiness Righteousness Wisdom and Power if he should offer to stop the runnings out of his Justice for the damning of them that have offended it And secondly he would be unfaithful to his Word his written Word and deny disown and break that of which he hath said Luk. 16. 7. It is easier for Heaven and Earth to pass away than for one tittle of the Law to fail or be made of none effect now if he should not according to his certain declarations therein take vengeance on those that fall and die within the threat and sad curses denounced it that his word could not be fulfilled Thirdly Because otherwise he would disown the sayings of his Prophets and gratifie the sayings of his enemies his Prophets say he will take vengeance his enemies say he will not his Prophets say he will remember their iniquities and recompence them into their bosom but his enemies say they shall do well and they shall have peace though they walk after the imagination of their own heart Deut. 29. 19 20. and be not so strict as the word commands and do not as it saith but let me tell thee hadst thou a thousand souls and each of them was worth a thousand worlds God would set them all on a light fire if they fall within the condemnings of his Word and thou die without a Jesus even the right Jesus for the Scriptures cannot be broken What doest thou think that God Christ Prophets and Scriptures will all lie for thee and falsifie their words for thee it will be but ill venturing thy soul upon that And the reasons for it are these First Because God is God and Secondly because Man is Man First Because God is perfectly just and eternally just perfectly holy and eternâ—lly holy perfectly faithful and eternally faithful that is without any variableness or shadow of turning but perfectly continueth the same and can as well cease to be God as to alter or change the nature of his God-head And as he is thus the perfection of all perfections he gave out his Law to be obeyed but if any offend it then they fall into the hands of this his eternal justice and so must drink of his irrecoverable wrath which is the execution of the same justice I say this being thus the Law being broken justice takes place and so faithfulness followeth to see that execution be done and also to testifie that he is true and doth denounce his unspeakable â—nsupportable and unchangeable vengeance on the party offending Secondly Because thou art not as infinite as God but a poor created weed that is here to day and gone to morrow and not able to answer God in his Essence Being and Attributes thou art found to fall under him for that thy soul or body can do nothing that is infinite in such a way as to satisfie this God which is an infinite God in all his attributes But to declare unto you the misery of man
and the Law O! how will God advance his Justice O! how will God advance his Holiness First By shewing men that he in justice cannot will not regard them because they have sinned And secondly In that his holiness will not give way for such unclean wretches to abide in his sight his eyes are so pure Secondly Because God will make it appear that he will be as good as his word to sinners sinners must not look to escape always though they may escape a while yet they shall not go for all ado unpunished no but they shall have their due to a farthing when every threatning and curse shall be accomplished and fulfilled on the head of the transgressor Friend there is never an idle word that thou speakest but God will account with thee for it there is never a lie thou tellest but God will reckon with thee for it nay there shall not pass so much as one passage in all thy life-time but God the righteous God will have it in the trial by his Law if thou die under it in the Judgment-day But you will say But who are those that are thus under the Law Answ. Those that under the Law may be branched out into three ranks of men either first such as are grosly prophane or such as are more refined which may be two ways some in a lower sort and some in a more eminent vvay First Then they are under the Lavv as a Covenant of Works who are open prophane and ungodly vvretches such as delight not only in sin but also make their boast of the same and brag at the thoughts of committing of it now as for such as these are there is a Scripture in the first Epistle of Paul to Timothy the 1 Chap. at the 9. and 10. verses which is a notable one to this purpose The Lavv saith he is not made for a righteous man not as it is a Covenant of Works but for the unrighteous or lawless and disobedient for the ungodly and for sinners for unholy and prophane for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers for man-slayers for whore-mongers for them that defile themselves with mankind for men-stealers liars look to it liars for perjured persons and in a word if there be any other thing that is not according to sound Doctrine These are one sort of People that are under the Law and so under the curse of the same whose due is to drink up the brim-full Cup of Gods eternal vengeance and therefore I beseech you not to deceive your selves For know you not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God Neither Fornicators nor Idolators nor Adulterers nor Effeminates nor Abusers of themselves with Mankind nor Thieves nor Covetous nor Drunkards nor Revilers nor Extortioners shall inherit the Kingdom of Heaven 1 Cor. 6. 9 10. Poor souls you think that you may have your sins your lusts and pleasures and yet you shall do pretty well and be let to go free in the Judgment day but see what God saith of such in that 9. of Deuternomy at the 19. and 20. verses Which shall bless themselves in their heart saying I shall have peace I shall be saved I shall do as well as others in the day when God shall judge the World by Jesus Christ but saith God I will not spare them no but my anger and my jealousie shall smoke against them How far even to the executing all the curses that are written in the Law of God upon them Nay saith God I will be even with them For I will blot out their names from under Heaven And indeed it must of necessity be so because such souls are unbelievers in their sins and under the Law which cannot will not shew any mercy on them for it is not the administration of mercy and life but the administration of death and destruction as you have it 2 Cor. the 3. Chap. the 7 9. verses and all those every one of them that are open prophane and scandalous wretches are under it and have been so ever since they came into the World to this day and they will for certain live and die under the same dispensation and then be damned to all eternity if they be not converted from under that Covenant into and under the Covenant of Grace of which I shall speak in its place and yet for all this how brag and cranck are our poor wantons and wicked ones in this day of forbearance as if God would never have a reckoning with them as if there was no Law to condemn them as if there was no hell fire to put them into but Oh! how will they be deceived when they shall see Christ sitting upon the Judgment-seat having laid aside his priestly and prophetical Office and appearing only as a Judge to the wicked When they shall see all the records of Heaven unfolded and laid open when they shall see each man his name out of the Book of Life and in the Book of the Law when they shall see God in his Majesty Christ in his Majesty the Saints in their Dignity but themselves in their Impurity what will they say then whither will they fliethen where will they leave their glory Isa 10. 3. O sad state Secondly They are under the Law also who do not only so break and disobey the Lavv but follow after the Law as hard as ever they can seeking justification thereby that is though a man should abstain from the sins against the Law and labour to fulfil the Law and give up himself to the Lavv yet if he look no further than the Lavv he is still under the Lavv and for all his obedience to the Lavv the righteous Law of God he shall be destroyed by that Lavv. Friend you must not understand that none but profane persons are under the Law No but you must understand that a man may be turned from a vain loose open prophane Conversation and sinning against the Law to a holy righteous religious life and yet be in the same state under the same Law and as sure to be damned as the other that are more prophane and loose And though you may say this is very strange yet I shall both say it and prove it to be true Read with understanding that Scripture in Romans 9. at the 30 31. verses where the Apostle speaking of the very same thing saith But Israel which followed after the Law of righteousness mark that followed after the Law of righteousness they notwithstanding their earnest pursuit or hunting after the Law of righteousness fell short of the Law of righteousness It signifies thus much to us that let a man be never so earnest so servent so restless so serious so ready so apt and willing to follow the Law and the righteousness thereof if he be under that Covenant he is gone he is lost he is deprived of eternal life because he is not under the ministration of life if he die there read also that
Scripture Gal. 3. 10. which saith For as many as are of the Works of the Law are under the Curse mark they that are of the Works of the Law now for to be of the works of the Law it is to be of the works of the righteousness thereof that is to abstain from sins against the Law and to do the commands thereof as near as ever they can for their lives or with all the might they have and therefore I beseech you to consider it for mens being ignorant of this is the cause why so many go on supposing they have a share in Christ because they are reformed and abstain from the sins against the Law who when all comes to all will be damned notwithstanding because they are not brought out from under the Covenant of Works and put under the Covenant of Grace Object But can you in very deed make these things manifestly evident from the Word of God methinks to reason this is very strange that a man should labour to walk up according to the Law of God as much as ever he can and yet that men notwithstanding this should be still under the Curse Pray clear it Answ. Truly this doth seem very strange I do know full well to the natural man to him that is yet in his unbelief because he goeth by beguiled reason but for my part I do know it is so and shall labour also to convince thee of the truth of the same First Then the Law is thus strict and severe that if a man do sin but once against it he I say is gone for ever by the Law living and dying under that Covenant If you would be satisfied as touching the truth of this do but read the third of the Galations at the 10. verse Where it saith Cursed is every one that is not a man shall misss by that Covenant that continueth not in all mark in all things that are written in the book of the Law to do them pray mark here is a curse in the first place if all things written in the Book of the Law be not done and that continually too that is without any failing or one slip as I said before Now there is never a one in the world but before they did begin to yield obedience to the least command they in their own persons did sin against it by breaking of it the Apostle methinks is very notable for the clearing of this in that 3 of the Romans and also in the fifth in the one he endeavours for to prove that all had transgressed in the first Adam as he stood a common person representing both himself and us in his standing and falling Rom. 5. 12. Wherefore saith he as by one man sin entered into the World and death by sin and so death passed upon all men mark that but why for that all have sinned that is for as much as all naturally are guilty of original sin the sin that was committed by us in Adam So this is one cause why none can be justified by their obedience to the Law because they have in their first place broken it in their first parents But secondly In case this should be opposed and rejected by quarrelsome persons though there be no ground for it Paul hath another argument to back his Doctrine saying For we have proved already that both Jews and Gentiles are all under sin First As it is written there is none righteous no not one Secondly They are all gone out of the way they are together mark together become unprofitable there is none that doth good no not one Thirdly Their throat is an open Sepulchre with their tongues they have used deceit the poyson of asps is under their lips Fourthly Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness Fifthly Their feet are swift to shed blood In a word Destruction and misery are in their ways And the way of peace they have not known Now then saith he having proved these things so clearly the conclusion of the whole is this That what thing soever the Law saith in both shewing of sin and cursing for the same it saith All to them that are under the Law that every mouth may be stopped and all the world may become guilty before God Rom. 3. 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19. So that here I say lieth the ground of our not being justified by the Law even because in the first place we have sinned against it for know this for certain that if the Law doth take the least advantage of thee by thy sinning against it all that ever thou shalt afterwards hear from it is nothing but curse curse curse him For not continuing in all things that are written in the book of the Law to do them Secondly Thou canst not be saved by the righteous Lavv of God the first Covenant because that together with this thy miserable state by original and actual sins before thou didst follow the Law since thy turning to the Law thou hast committed several sins against the Law In many things vve offend all So that now thy righteousness to the Law being mixed with sometimes the lust of concupiscence forâ—idation coverousness pride heart-risings against God coldness of affection towards him backwardness to good duties speaking idle words having of strife in your hearts and such like I say these things being thus the righteousness of the Law is become do weak through this our flesh Rom. 8. 30 and so notwithstanding all our obedience to the Law we are yet through our weakness under the Curse of the Law for as I said before the Law is so holy so just and so good that it cannot allow that any failing or slip should be done by them that look for life by the same Cursed is every one that continueth not in every thing Gal. 3. 10. and this Paul knew full well which made him throw away all his righteousness But you will say that was his own Ansvver But it was even that which while he calls it his own he also calls it the righteousness of the Law see Phil. 3. 7 8 9 10. and to account it but dung but as dirt on his shoes and that that he might be found in Christ and so he saved by him without the deeds of the Law Rom. 3. 28. But thirdly Set the case the righteousness of the Law which thou hast was pure and perfect without the least flaw or â—auâ—o without the least mixture of the least sinful thought yet this would fall far short of presenting of thee blameless in the sight of God And that I prove by these arguments The first Argument is That that which is not Christ cannot redeem souls from the Curse It cannot compleatly present them before the Lord. Now the Law is not Christ Therefore the Moral Law cannot by all our obedience to it deliver us from the curse that is due to us Act. 4. 12. The second Argument is That that righteousness that is not the
righteousness of faith that is by believing in Jesus Christ cannot please God Now the righteousness of the Law as a Covenant of works is not the righteousness of faith Therefore the righteousness of the Law as acted by us being under that Covenant cannot please God The first is proved in Heb. 1â— 6. But without faith it is impossible to please him mark it is impossible The second thus The Law is not of faith Gal. 3. 12. Rom. 10. 5 6. compared with Gal. 3. 11. But that no man is justified in the sight of the Lord by the Law it is evident for the just shall live by faith and the Law is not of faith But for the better understanding of those that are weak of apprehension I shall prove it thus First That soul that hath eternal life he must have it by right of purchase or redemption Heb. 9. 22. Eph. 1. 7. Secondly this purchase or redemption must be through the Blood of Christ. You have redemption through his Blood Without shedding of blood there is no remission Now the Law is not in a capacity to die and so to redeem sinners by the purchase of Blood which satisfaction justice calls for read the same Scriptures Heb. 9. 22. justice calls for satisfaction because thou hast transgressed and sinned against it and that must have satisfaction therefore all that ever thou canst do cannot bring in redemption though thou follow the Law up to the nail-head as I may say because all this is not shedding of blood for believe it and know it for certain that though thou hadst sinned but one sin before thou didst turn to the Law that one sin will murther thy soul if it be not washed away by blood even by the Precious Blood of Jesus Christ that was shed when he did hang upon the Cross on Mount Calvary Object But you will say methinks that giving up you selves to live a righteous life should make God like better on us and so let us be saved by Christ because we are so willing to obey his Law Answ. The motive that moveth God to have mercy upon sinners is not because they are willing to follow the Law but because he is willing to save them Not for thy righteousness or for thy uprightness of heart doest thou possess the Land Deut. 9. 4 5 6. Now understand this if thy will to do righteousness was the first moving cause why God had mercy on thee through Christ then it must not be freely by grace I say freely but the Lord loves thee and saves thee upon free terms having nothing before-hand to make him accept of thy soul but only the Blood of Christ therefore to allow of such a principle it is to allow that grace is to be obtained by the works of the Law which is so gross darkness as lies in the darkest dungeon in Popery and is also directly opposite to Scripture For we are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ not through the good that is in our selves or done by us Rom. 3. 24 〈◊〉 No But by faith without mark that without the deeds of the Law verse 28. Again not of vvorks lest any man should boast Eph. 2. 9. No no saith he Not according to our vvorks or righteousness but according to his ovvn purpose mark according to his ovvn purpose and grace which was a free gift given us in Christ Jesus not lately but before the world began 2 Tim. 1. 9. Object But you will say then why did God give the Law if we cannot have salvation by following of it Answ. I told you before that the Law was given for these following reasons First That thou mightest be convinced by it of thy sins and that thy sins might indeed appear very sinful unto thee which is done by the Law these ways First By shewing of thee what a holy God he is that did give the Law and secondly By shewing thee thy vileness and wickedness in that thou contrary to this holy God hast transgressed against and broken this his holy Law therefore saith Paul The Law was added that the offence might abound Rom. 5. 20. that is by shewing the creature the holiness of God and also it s own vileness Secondly That thou mayest know that God will not damn thee for nothing in the Judgment day Thirdly Because he would have no quarrelling at his just condemning of them at that day Fourthly Because he will make thee to know that he is a holy God and pure Quest. But seeing you have spoken thus far I wish you would do so much as to shew in some particulars both what men have done and how far they have gone and what they have received being yet under this Covenant which you call the ministration of condemnation Ansvv. This is something a difficult question and had need be not only warily but also home and soundly answered The question consists of three particulars First What men have done Secondly How far men have gone Thirdly What they have received and yet to beunder the Law or Covenant of Works and so in a state of condemnation As for the first I have spoken something in general to that already but for thy better understanding I shall speak yet more particularly First a man hath and may be convinced and troubled for his sins and yet be under this Covenant and that in a very heavy and dreadful manner in so much that he may find the weight of them to be intollerable and too heavy for him to bear as it was with Cain Gen. 4. 13. My punishment saith he is greater than I can bear Secondly A man living thus under a sense of his sins may repent and be sorry for them and yet be under this Covenant and yet be in a damned state Mat. 27. 3. And when he Judas saw what was done he repeated Thirdly Men may not only be convinced and also repent for their sins but they may also desire the prayers of the Children of God for them too and yet be under this Covenant and Curse Exod. 10. 16 17. And Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron and said I have sinned intreat the Lord your God that he may take away from me these plagues Fourthly A man may also humble himself for his offences and disobedience against his God and yet be under this Covenant see 1 Kings 21. 24 25 26 27 28 29. Fifthly A man may make restitution unto men for the offence he hath done unto them and yet be under this Covenant Sixthly A man may do much work for God in his generation and yet be under this first Covenant as Jehu who did do that which God bid him 2 King 9 25 26. and yet God threatneth even Jehu because though he did do the thing that the Lord commanded him yet he did it not from a right principle for had he the Lord would not have said Yet a little while and I will aâ—enge the blood of Jezreel
upon the house of Jehu Hos. 1. 4. Seventhly Men may hear and fear the servants of the Lord and reverence them very highly yea and when they 〈◊〉 they may not only hear but hear and do and that gladly too not one or two things but many mark many things gladly and yet be lost and yet be damned see Mar 6. 20. For Herod feared John why not because he had any civil power over him but because he was a just man and holy and observed him and when he heard him he did many things and heard him gladly it may be that thou thinkest that because thou hearest such and such therefore thou art better than thy neighbours but know for certain that thou mayest not only hear but thou mayest hear and do and that not with a backward will but gladly mark gladly and yet be Herod still an enemy to the Lord Jesus still consider this I pray you 2. But Secondly To the second thing which is this How far may such a one go to what may such a one attain whither may he arrive and yet be an undone man under this Covenant Answ. First Such a one may be received into fellowship with the Saints as they are in a visible way of walking one with another they may walk hand in hand together see Mat. 25. 1. where he saith The Kingdom of Heaven that is a visible company of professors of Christ is likened to ten Virgins which took their lamps and went forth to meet the Bridegroom five of them were wise and five were foolish These in the first place are called Virgins that is such as are clear from the pollutions of the world Secondly They are said to go forth that is from the rudiments and traditions of men Thirdly They do agree to take their lamps with them that is to profess themselves the Servants of Jesus Christ that wait upon him and for him and yet when he came he found half of them even them Virgins that had Lamps that also went forth from the pollutions of the world and the customs of men to be such as lost their precious souls see verse 10. which they should not have done had they been under the Covenant of Grace and so not under the Law Secondly They may attain to a great deal of honour in the said company of professors that which may be accounted honour in so much that they may be put in trust with Church Affairs and bear the bag as Judas did I speak not this to shame the Saints but being beloved I warn them yet I speak this on purpose that it might if the Lord will knock at the door of the souls of professors consider Demas Thirdly They may attain to speak of the word as Ministers and become preachers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in so much that the people where they dwell may even take up a Proverb concerning them saying Is he among the Prophets his gifts may be so rare his tongue may be so fluent and his matter may be so fit that he may speak with a tongue like an Angel and speak of the hidden mysteries yea of them all mark that 1 Cor. 13. 1 2 3 4. and yet be nothing and yet be none of the Lords anointed ones with the Spirit of grace savingly but may live and die under the Curse of the Law Fourthly They may go yet further they may have the gifts of the Spirit of God which may inable them to cast out Devils to remove the biggest Hills or Mountains in the World nay thou mayest be so gifted as to prephesie of things to come the most glorious things even the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ to reign over all his enemies and yet be but a Balaam a wicked and a mad Prophet see 2 Pet. 2. 16. Numb 24. 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25. Fifthly they may not only stand thus for a while for a little season but they may stand thus till the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with his holy Angels I and not be discovered of the Saints till that very day Then all those Virgins arose the wise and the foolish then when why when this voice was heard Behold the Bridegroom cometh go you out to meet him Mat. 25. 1 2 3 4 5 6. and yet was out of the Lord Jesus Christ and yet was under the Law Sixthly Nay further they may not only continue in a profession till then supposing themselves to be under the Grace of the Gospel when indeed they are under the Curse of the Law but even when the Bridegroom is come they may still be so confident of their state to be good that they will even reason out the case with Christ why they are not let into the Kingdom of glory saying Lord Lord have we not eaten and drunk in thy presence and hast not thou taught in our streets Nay further Have not we taught in thy Name and in thy Name cast out devils nay not only this but done many mark we have done many wonderful works nay further they were so confident that they commanded in a commanding way saying Lord open to us See here I beseech you how far these went they thought they had had intimate acquaintance with Jesus Christ they thought he could not chuse but save them they had eat and drunk with him sat at the table with him received power from him executed the same power In thy Name have we done thus and thus even wrought many wonderful works see Mat. 7. 22. Luke 13. 25 26. And yet these poor creatures was shut out of the Kingdom O consider this I beseech you before it be too late lest you say Lord let us come in when Christ saith thrust him out verse 28. Hears you cry Lord open to us when he saith Depart I know you not lest though you think of having joy you have weeping and gnashing of teeth 3. But Thirdly The third thing touched in the question was this What may such a one receive of God who is under the Curse of the Law First They may receive an answer to their Prayers from God at sometimes for some things as they do stand in need of I find in Scripture that God did hear these persons that the Apostle saith was cast out see Gen. 21. 17. And God heard the voice of the Lad even of cast out Ishmael And the Angel of the Lord called to Hagar out of Heaven which was the bond woman and under the Law Gal. 4. 30. and said unto her Fear not for God hath heard the voice of the Lad where he is Friends It may be you may think because you have your prayers answered in some particular things therefore you may suppose that as to your eternal state your condition is very good But you must know that God doth hear the cry of a company of Ishmaelites the sons of the Bond-Woman who are under the Law as a Covenant of Works I do not say he hears them as
to their eternal state but he heareth them as to several streights that they go through in this life I and gives them case and liberty from their trouble Here this poor wretch was almost perished for a little water and he cryed and God heard him yea he heard him out of Heaven Read also the 107 Psalm 23. 24 25 26 27 28 29. Psal. 106. 15. He gave them their desire and sent leanness to their souls But some may say methinks this is yet more strange that God should hear the Prayers the cries of those that are under the Law and answered them Answ. I told you before he doth not hear them as to their eternal state but as to their temporal state For God as their Creator hath a care of them and causeth the sun to shine upon them and the rain to distill upon their substance Mat. 5. 45. Nay he doth give the Beasts in the field their appointed food and doth hear the young Ravens when they cry Psal. 147. 9. which are far inferiour to man I say therefore that God doth hear the cries of his Creatures and doth answer them too though not as to their eternal state but may damn them nevertheless when they die for all that Secondly They may receive promises from the mouth of the Lord. There are many that have had promises made to them by the Lord in a most eminent manner and yet as I said before are such as are cast out and called the Children of the Bond-woman which is the Law see Gen. 21. 17 18. And the Angel of the Lord called out of Heaven to Hagar that was the Bond-woman saying fear not for God hath heard the voice of the Lad where he is Arise lift up the Lad and hold him in thine hand FOR I WILL MAKE OF HIM mark there is the promise For I will make of him of the son of the Bond-woman a great Nation Thirdly Nay they may go further for they may receive another heart than they had before and yet be under the Law There is no man I think but those that do not know what they say that will think or say that Saul was under the Covenant of Grace yet after he had talked with Samuel and had turned his back to go from him saith the Scripture God gave him another heart 1 Sam. 10. 9. another heart mark that and yet an out-cast a rejected person 1 Sam. 15. 26 29. Friends I beseech you let not these things offend you but let them rather beget in your hearts an enquiring into the truth of your condition and be willing to be searched to the bottom and also that every thing which hath not been planted by the Lords right hand may be rejected and that there may be a reaching after better things even the things that will not only make thy soul think thy state is good now but that thou mayest be able to look sin death hell the curse of the Law together with the Judge in the face with comfort having such a real sound effectual work of God Grace in thy soul that when thou hearest the Trumpet sound seest the graves flie open and the dead come creeping forth out of their holes when thou shalt see the Judgment set the books opened and all the world standing before the Judgment seat I say that then thou mayest stand and have that blessed sentence spoken to thy soul Come ye blessed of my Father wherit the Kingdom prepared for you from before the Foundation of the World Mat. 25. 34. Object But you wil say for all this we cannot believe that we are under the Law for these reasons As first because we have found a change in our hearts Secondly Because we do deny that the Covenant of Works will save any Thirdly Because for our parts we judge our selves far from legal principles for we are got up into as perfect a Gospel order as to matter of practice and discipline in Church Affairs as any this day in England as we judge Answ. First That mans belief that is grounded upon any thing done in him or by him only that mans belief is not grounded upon the death burial resurrection ascension and intercession of Jesus Christ for that man that hath indeed good ground of his eternal salvation his faith is settled upon that object which God is well pleased or satisfied withal which is that man that was born of Mary even her first-born Son that is he doth apply by faith to his soul the vertues of his death blood righteousness c. and doth look for satisfaction of soul no where else then from that neither doth the soul seek to give God any satisfaction as to justification any other ways but doth willingly and chearfully accept of and embrace the vertues of Christs death together with the rest of his things done by himself on the Cross as a Sacrifice and since also as a Priest Advocate Mediator c. And doth so really and effectually receive the glories of the same That thereby mark that thereby he is changed into the same image from glory to glory 2 Cor. 3. 18. Thus in general but yet more particular First To think that your condition is good because there is some change in you from a loose prophane life to a more close honest and civil life and conversation I say to think this testimony sufficient for to ground the stress of thy salvation upon is very dangerous First Because such a soul doth not only lay the stress of its salvation besides the man Christ Jesus that died upon the Cross But Secondly Because that his confidence is not grounded upon the Saviour of sinners but upon his turning from gross sins to a more refined life and it may be to the performance of some good duties which is no Saviour I say this is very dangerous therefore read it and the Lord help you to understand it for unless you lay the whole stress of the salvation of your souls upon the merits of another man namely Jesus and that by what he did do and is a doing without you for certain as sure as God is in Heaven your souls will perish And this must not be notionally neither as with an assenting of the understanding only but it must be by the wonderful invisible invincible power of the Almighty God working in your souls by his Spirit such a real saving holy saith that can through the operation of the same Spirit by which it is wrought lay hold on and apply these most heavenly most excellent most meritorious benefits of the man Christ Jesus not only to your heads and fancles but to your very souls and consciences so effectually that you may be able by the same faith to challenge the power madness malice rage and destroying nature either of sin the Law death the Devil together with hell and all other evils throwing your souls upon the death burial resurrection and intercession of that man Jesus without Rom. 8 32
33 34 35 36 37 38 39. But Secondly Do you think that there was no change in the five foolish Virgins spoken of in Mat. 25. 1 2 3. Yes there was such a change in them very people that the five wise ones could give them admittance of walking with them in the most purer ways and institutions of the Gospel of Christ and yet but foolish nay they walked with them or shall walk with them until the Lord Jesus Christ shall break down from Heaven and yet but foolish Virgins and yet but under the Law and so under the Curse as I said before Object But say you we have disowned the Covenant of Works and turned from that also Answ. This is sooner said than done Alas alass poor souls think because they can say grace grace it is freely by grace therefore they are under the Covenant of Grace A very wide mistake you must understand thus much that though you be such as can speak of the Grace of the Gospel yet if you your selves be not brought under the very Covenant of Grace you are yet notwithstanding your talk and profession very far wide of a sense and of a share in the Covenant of the Grace of God held forth in the Gospel The Jews were men of a clearer understanding many of them then to conclude that the Law and only the Law was the way to salvation for they even they that received not the Christ of God did expect a Saviour should come John 7. 27 41 42 43. but they were men that had not that Gospel Spirit which alone is able to lead them to the very life marrow or substance of the Gospel in right terms and so being muddy in their understandings being between the thoughts of a Saviour and the thoughts of the Works of the Law thinking that they must be accomplished for the obtaining of a Saviour and his mercy towards them I say between these they fell short of a Saviour As many poor souls in these days they think they must be saved alone by the Saviour yet they think there is something to be done on their parts for the obtaining of the good will of the Saviour as their humiliation for sin their turning from the same their promises and vows and resolutions to become a new man joyn in Church-fellowship and what not and thus they bringing this along with them as a means to help them they fall short of eternal salvation if they convert not see that Scripture Rom. 9. 30 31 32. The Apostle saith there that they that sought not did obtain when they that did seek fell short What shall we say then saith he that the Gentiles which sought not after righteousness have attained to righteousness yea even the righteousness of faith and what else Why But Israel which followed after the Law of righteousness have not attained to the Law of righteousness how came that to pass because saith he they sought it not by saith but as it were mark he doth not say altogether no but it were that is because as they sought they did a little by the by lean upon the Works of the Law And let me tell you that this is such a hard thing to beat men off of that though Paul himself did take the work in hand he did find enough to do touching it How is he saint to labour in the ten first Chapters of his Epistle to the Romans for the establishing of those that did even profess largely in the Doctrine of Grace And also in that Epistle to the Galatians and yet lost many do what he could Now the reason why the Doctrine of Grace doth so hardly down even with professors in truth effectually it is because there is a principle naturally in man that doth argue against the same and that thus why saith the soul I am a sinner and God is righteous holy and just his holy Law therefore having been broken by me I must by all means if ever I look to be saved In the first place be sorry for my sins Secondly Turn from the same Thirdly Follow after good duties and practise the good things of the Law and ordinances of the Gospel and so hope that God for Christs sake may forgive all my sins which is not the way to God as a Father in Christ but the way the very way to come to God by the Covenant of Works or the Law which things I shall more fully clear when I speak to the second doctrine Again therefore those that this day profess the Gospel for the generality of them they are such that notwithstanding their professien they are very ignorant of that glorious influence and Iâ—stre of the same I say they are ignorant of the vertue and efficacy of the glorious things of Christ held forth by and in the Gospel 2 Cor. 4. 3. which doth argue their not being under the Covenant of Grace but rather under the Law or old Covenant As for instance If you do come among some professors of the Gospel in general you shall have them pretty busie and ripe also able to hold you in a very large discourse in several points of the same glorious Gospel but if you come to the same people and ask them concerning heart-work or what work the Gospel hath wrought on them and what appearance they have had of the sweet influences and vertues on their souls and consciences it may be they will give you such an answer as this I do find by the preaching thereof that I am changed and turned from my sins in a good measure and also have learned to distinguish between the Law and the Gospel so that for the one that is for the Gospel I can plead and also can shew the weakness and unprofitableness of the other and thus far it is like they may go which is not far enough to prove them under the Covenant of Grace though they may have their tongues so largely tipt with the profession of the same see 2 Pet. 2. 20. where he saith For if after they have escaped the pollutious of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ which was not a saving knowledge they are again intangled therein and overcome the latter end of that man is worse than his beginning See also Mat. 25. 1 2 3 4 c. and also Mat. 7. 22. Object But you will say is not this a fair declaring of the Work of Grace or doth it not discover that without all gain-saying we are under the Covenant of Grace when we are able not only to speak of the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ but also to tell and that by experience that we have been changed from worse to better from sin to a holy life by leaving of the same and that by hearing of the Word preached Ans. A man may in the first place be able to talk of all the mysteries of the Gospel and that like an Angel of God and yet be no more
in Gods account than the sounding of a Drum Brass or the tinkling of a Cimball which are things that notwithstanding their sound and great noise are absolutely void of life and motion and so are accounted with God as nothing that is no Christians no Believers not under the Covenant of Grace for all that See 1 Cor. 13. 1 2 3 4. Secondly Men may not only do this but may also be changed in reality for a season from what they formerly were and yet be nothing at all in the Lords account as to an eternal blessing Read 2 Pet. 2. 20. the Scripture which I mentioned before for indeed that one Scripture is enough to prove all that I desire to say as to this very thing for if you observe there is enfolded therein these following things first that reprobates may attain to a knowledge of Christ. Secondly This knowledge may be of such weight and force that for the present it may make them escape the pollutions of the world and this by hearing the Gospel For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowled 〈◊〉 of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ they are again entangled therein and overcome the last end of that man is worse than his beginning Now that they are Reprobates Dogs or Sows Read further But saith he it is happenened to them according to the true proverb the Dog is turned to his own vomit again and the Sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire verse 21. 22. But say you our practices in the worship of God shall testifie for us that we are not under the Law for we have by Gods goodness attained to as exact a way of walking in the ordinances of God and as near the examples of the Apostles as ever any Churches since the primitive time as we judge Answ. What then do you think that the walking in the order of the Churches of old as to matter of outward worship is sufficient to clear you of your sins at the judgment day or do you think that God will be contented with a little bodily subjection to that which shall vanish and fade like a flower when the Lord shall come from Heaven in flaming fire with his mighty Angels 2 Thes. 1. 7 8. Alas alis how will such professors as these are fall before the Judgment-seat of Christ then such a question as this Friend how camest thou in hither not having on thy wedding garment will make them be speechless and fall down into everlasting burnings thousands on a heap for you must know that it is not then your crying Lord Lord that will stand you in stead nor your saying We have eat and drunk in thy presence that will keep you from standing on the left hand of Christ. It is the principle as well as the practice that shall be enquired into at that day Quest. The principle you will say what do you mean by that Answ. My meaning is the Lord Jesus Christ will then enquire and examine whether the Spirit from which you acted was Legal or Evangelical that is whether it was the spirit of adoption that did draw you out to the thing you took in hand or a meer moral principle together with some shallow and common illuminations into the outward way of the Worship of God according to Gospel rule Quest. But you will say its like how should this be made manifest and appear Answ. I shall speak briefly in answer hereunto as followeth First then that man that doth take up any of the ordinances of God namely as Prayer Baptism breaking of Bread Reading Hearing Alms-deeds or the like I say he that doth practice any of these or such like supposing thereby to procure the love of Christ to his own soul he doth do what he doth from a Legal and not from an Evangelical or Gospel Spirit as thus for a man to suppose that God will hear him for his Prayers sake for his Alms-sake for his Hamiliation sake or because he hath promised to make God amends hereafter whereas there is no such thing as a satisfaction to be made to God by our Prayers or whatever we can do I say there is no such way to have reconciliation with God in And so also for men to think because they are got into such and such an Ordinance and have crouded themselves into such and such a Society that therefore they have got pretty good shelter from the wrath of the Almighty when alas poor souls there is no such thing No but God will so set his face against such professors that his very looks will make them to tear their very flesh yea make them to wish would they had the biggest Mill-stone in the world hanged about their necks and they cast into the midst of the Sea For friends let me tell you though you can now content your selves without the holy harmless undefiled perfect righteousness of Christ yet there is a day a coming in which there is not one of you shall be saved but those that are and shall be found clothed with that righteousness God will say to ALL the rest Take them bind them hand and foot and cast them into outer darkness there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth Mat. 22. 13. for Christ will not say unto men in that day Come which of you made a profession of me and walked in Church-fellowship with my Saints no but then it shall be enquired into who hath the reality of the truth of grace wrought in their hearts and for certain he that misseth of that shall surely be cast into the lake of fire there to burn with the devils and damned men and women there to undergo the wrath of the eternal God and that not for a day a month a year but for ever for ever for ever and ever there is that which cutteth to the quick therefore look to it and consider now what you do and whereon you hang your souls for it is not every pin that will hold in the judgment nor every foundation that will be able to hold up the house against those mighty terrible souldrowning floods and destroying tempests which then will roar against the soul and body of a sinner Luke the 6. the three last verses and if the principle be rotten all will fall all will come to nothing Now the principle is this not to do things because we would be saved but to do them from this namely because we do really believe that we are and shall be saved but do not mistake me I do not say we should slight any holy duties God forbid but I say he that doth look for life because he doth do good duties he is under the Covenant of Works the Law let his duties be never so eminent so often so fervens so zealous I and I say as I said before that if any man or men or multitudes of people do get into never so high so eminent and clear
by the Law but by imputation and is really the righteousness of another namely of God in Christ 2 Cor. 5. 21. Phil. 3. 8 9 10. Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ which is unto all and upon all that is imputed to them that believe Rom. 3. 22. But if they were under the Old Covenant the Covenant of Works then their righteousness must be their own or no forgiveness of sins If thou do well shalt not thou be accepted but if thou transgress sin lieth at the door saith the Law Gen. 4. 7. Fourthly In a word whatsoever they do receive whether it be conversion to God whether it be pardon of sin whether it be faith or hope whether it be righteousness whether it be strength whether it be the Spirit or the fruits thereof whether it be victory over sin death or hell whether it be heaven everlasting life and glory unexpressible or whatsoever it be it comes to them freely God having no first eye to what they would do or should do for the obtaining of the same But to take this in pieces 1. In a word are they converted God finds them first for saith he I am found of them that sought me not Isa. 65. 1. 2. Have they pardon of sin They have that also freely I will heal their back-slidings and love them freely Hos. 14. 4. 3. Have they faith It is the gift of God in Christ Jesus and he is not only the author that is the beginner thereof but he doth also perfect the same Heb. 12. 2. 4. Have they hope It is God that is the first cause thereof Remember thy word unto thy servaut wherein THOU hast caused me to hope Psal. 119. 49. 5 Have they righteousness It is the free gift of God Rom. 5. 17. 6. Have they strength to do the work of God in their generations or any other thing that God would have them do that also is a free gift from the Lord for without him we neither do nor can do any thing John 15. 5. 7. Have we comfort or consolation We have it not for what we have done but from God through Christ for he is the God of all our comforts and consolations 2 Cor. 1. 8. Have we the spirit or the fruits thereof It is the gift of the Father How much more shall your heavenly Father give the holy Spirit to them that ask him Luke 11. 13. Thou hast wrought all our works for us Isa. 26. 12. And so I say whether it be victory over sin death hell or the devil it is given us by the victory of Christ But thanks be to God which hath given us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 15. 57. Rom. 7. 24 25. Heaven and glory it is also the gift of him who giveth his richly all things to enjoy Mat. 25. So that these things if they be duly and soberly considered will give satisfaction in this thing I might have aded many more for the clearing of these things At first when God came to man to convert him he found him a dead man Eph 2. 1 2. he found him an enemy to God Christ and the salvation of his own soul he found him wallowing in all manner of wickedness he found him taking pleasure therein with all delight and greediness 2. He was fain to quicken him by putting his Spirit into him and to translate him by the mighty operation thereof 3. He was fain to reveal Christ Jesus unto him man being altogether senseless and ignorant of his blessed Jesus Mat. 11. 25 27. 1 Cor. 2. 7 8 9 10. 4. He was fain to break the snare of the devil and to let poor man poor bound and fettered man out of the chains of the enemy Now we are to proceed and the things that we are to treat upon in the second place are these First why it is a free and unchangeable grace Secondly Who they are that are actually brought into his free and unchangeable Covenant of Grace and how they are brought in Thirdly What are the priviledges of those that are actually brought into this free and glorious grace of the glorious God of heaven and glory For the first Why it is a free and unchangeable grace and for the opening of this we must consider First How and through whom this grace doth come to be first free to us and secondly unchangeable This grace is free to us through conditions in another that is by way of Convenant or Bargain for this Grace comes by way of Covenant or Bargain to us yet made with another for us First That it comes by way of Covenant Contract or Bargain though not personally with us be pleased to consider these Scriptures where it is said Psal. 89. 3. I have made a Covenant with my chosen I have sworn unto David my servant And as for thee also by the blood of thy Covenant speaking of Christ have I sent forth the prisoners out of the pit wherein was no water Zech. 9. 9 10 11. Again You have sold your selves for nought and you shall be bought without money Ezek. 34. 23 24. Chap. 37. 24 25. Blessed be the Lord therefore saith Zacharias for he hath visited and also REDEEMED his people And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David As he spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets which have been since the world began that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hands of all that hate us To perform his mercy promised to our Fathers and to remember his holy Covenant or Bargain Luke 1 68 69 70 71 72. And if any should be offended with the plainness of these words as some poor souls may be through ignorance let them be pleased to read soberly that 49. Chapter of the the Prophet Isaiah from the 1. verse to the 12. and there they may see that it runs as plain a Bargain as if two should be making of a Bargain between themselves and concluding upon several conditions on both sides But more of this hereafter Now secondly This Covenant I say was made with one not with many and also confirmed in the conditions of it with one not with several First That the Covenant was made with one see Gal. 3. 16. Now to Abraham and to his seed was the promises made he saith not to seeds as of many but as of one and to thy seed which is Christ ver 17. And this I say the Covenant which was confirmed before of God in Christ c. The Covenant was made with the seed of Abraham not the seeds but the seed which is the Lord Jesus Christ our head and undertaker in the things concerning the Covenant 3. The condition was made with one and also accomplished by him alone and not by several yet in the nature and for the everlasting deliverance of many even by one man Jesus Christ as it is clear from
Christ alone but with believers also I will make a New Covenant with the House of Israel and Judah c. 1. Answ. First It cannot be meant that the New Covenant was made with Christ and the House of Israel and Judah as the undertaker thereof for so it was made with Christ alone which is clear in that it was made long before the House of Israel and Judah had a being as I shewed before 2. Answ. But Secondly These words here are spoken first to shew rather the end of the Ceremonies then the beginning or rise or the New Covenant Mind a little The Apostle is labouring to beat the Jews to whom he wrote this Epistle off of the Ceremonies of the Law of the Priests Altar Offerings Temple c. and to bring them to the right understanding of the thing and things that they held forth which was to come and to put an end to those If you do but understand the Epistle to the Hebrews it is a discourse that sheweth that the Son of God being come there is an end put to the Ceremonies for they were to continue so long and no longer It saith the Apostle stood in meats and drinks and divers washings and carnal ordinances imposed on them until the time of reformation that is until Christ did come But Christ being come an high Priest of good things to come c puts an end to the things and ordinances of the Levitical Priest-hood read the 7 8 9 10. Chapters and you will find this true So then when he saith The days come in which I will make a New Covenant it is rather to be meant a changing of the administration a taking away the type the shadow the Ceremonies from the House of Israel and Judah and revealing by the Birth of Christ and the Death of Christ and the offering of the Body of him whom the shaddows and types did point out to be indeed he whom God the Father had given for a Ransom by Covenant for the souls of the Saints and also to manifest the truth of that Covenant which was made between the Father and the Son before the world began for though the New Covenant was made before the world began and also every one in all ages was saved by the vertue of that Covenant yet that Covenant was never so clearly made manifest as at the coming death and resurrection of Christ and therefore saith the Scripture He hath brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel 2 Tim. 1. 9 10. Who hath saved us and called us with an holy calling not according to the works of righteousness which we have done but according to his own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ before the world began there is the Covenant but it was made MANIFEST by the APPEARING of our Saviour Jesus Christ who hath abolished death and brought life and immortality to LIGHT through the Gospel Therefore I say these words are rather to discover that the time was come to change the dispensation to take away the type and bring in the substance and so manifesting that more clearly which before lay hid in dark sayings and figures And this is usual with God to speak in this manner Again if at any time you do find in the Scripture that the Covenant of Works is spoken of as the first Covenant that was manifested and so before the second Covenant yet you must understand that it was so only as to manifestation that is it was first given to man yet not made before that which was made Christ And indeed it was requisite that it should be given or made known first that thereby there might be a way made for the second by its discovering of sin and the sad state that man was in after the fall by reason of that And again that the other might be made the more welcome to the sons of men And in this did Christ in time most gloriously answer Adam who was the figure of Christ Rom. 5. as well as of other things for as the first Covenant was made with the first Adam so was the second Covenant made with the second for these are and were the two great publick persons or representators of the whole world as to the first and second Covenants and therefore you find God speaking on this wise in Scripture concerning the New Covenant My Covenant shall stand fast with HIM Psal. 89. 28 34 35. My mercy will I keep for HIM for evermore saith God my Covenant shall stand fast with HIM this HIM is Christ if you compare this with Luke 1. 3â— My Covenant will I not break namely that which was made with HIM nor alter the thing that is gone out of my mouth Once have I sworn by my Holiness that I will not lie unto DAVID to whom this was spoken figuratively in the person of Christ for that was Gods usual way to speak of the glorious things of the Gospel in the time of the Law as I said before Secondly The conditions also were concluded on and agreed to be fulfilled by him as it is clear if you understand his saying in the 12. of John at the 27. verse where he foretelleth his death and saith Now is my soul troubled and what shall I say Father save me from this hour but for this cause came I into the world unto this hour as if he had said My business is now not to shrink from my sufferings that are a coming upon me for these are the things that are a great part of the conditions contracted in the Covenant which stands between my Father and I therefore I shall not pray that this might be absolutely removed from me For for this cause came I into the vvorld even this was the very terms of the Covenant By this you may say we are under Grace Now in a Covenant there is these three things to be considered First What it is that is covenanted for Secondly The conditions upon which the persons who are concerned in it do agree Thirdly If the conditions on both sides be not according to the agreement fulfilled then the Covenant standeth not but is made void And this New Covenant in these particulars is very exactly fulfilled and made out in Christ First The thing or things covenanted for was the salvation of man but made good in Christ. The Son of man is come to seek and save that which was lost The Son of Man did not come to destroy mens lives but to save them I give my life a ransom for many And this is the will or Covenant of him that sent me that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing but should raise it up again at the day John 6. 39. Secondly As touchsng the conditions agreed on they run thus First On the Mediators side that he should come into the vvorld and then on the Fathers side that he should give him a body This was one of the glorious
tender hearted high Priest able and willing to simpathize and be affected with the infirmities of others to pray for them to offer up for them his precious blood he must be such an one who can have compassion on a company of poor ignorant souls and on them that are out of the way to recover them and to set them in safety Heb. 4. 15. and that he might thus do he must be a man that had experience of the disadvantages that infirmity and sin did bring unto these poor creatures Heb. 2. 17. Fourthly The high Priests under the Law were not to be shie or squemish in case there was any that had the plague or leprosie scab or blaunches but must look on them go to them and offer for them Levit. 13. read that whole Chapter all which is to signifie that Jesus Christ should not refuse to take notice of the several infirmities of his poorest people but to teach them and to see that none of them be lost by reason of their infirmity for want of looking to or tending of This priviledge also have we under this second Covenant This is the way to make Grace shine Fifthly The high Priests under the Law they were to be anointed with very excellent Oyl compounded by art Exod. 29. 7. Chap. 30. 30. to signifie that Jesus the great high Priest of this New Covenant should be in a most eminent way anointed to his Priestly Office by the Holy Spirit of the Lord. Sixthly The Priests food and livelihood in the time of his Ministry was to be the consecrated and holy things Exod. 29. 33. to signifie that it is the very meat and drink of Jesus Christ to do his Priestly Office and to save and preserve his poor tempted and afflicted Saints O what a New Covenant high Priest have we Seventhly The Priests under the Law were to be washed with water Exod. 29. 4. to signifie that Jesus Christ should not go about the work of his Priestly Office with the silth of sin upon him but was without sin to appear as our high Priest in the presence of his Father to execute his Priestly Office there for our advantage For such a high Priest became us who is holy harmless undefiled separate from sinners and made higher than the heavens Heb. 7. 26. Eighthly The high Priests under the Law before they went into the holy place they were to be clothed with a curious garment a breast-place and an ephod and a robe and a broidered coat a mitre and a girdle and these were to be made of gold and blue and purple and scarlet and fine linnen and in this garment and glorious ornaments there must be precious stones and on those stones there must be written the names of the children of Israel read the 28. of Exodus and all was to signifie what a glorious high Priest Jesus Christ should be and how in the righteousness of God he should appear before God as our high Priest to offer up the sacrifice that was to be offered for our salvation to God his Father but I pass that Now I shall speak to his Office The Office of the high Priest in general was two-fold First To offer the sacrifice without the Camp Secondly To bring it within the vail that is into the holiest of all which did type out Heaven First It was the Office of the Priest to offer the sacrifice and so did Jesus Christ he did offer his own body and soul in sacrifice I say HE did OFFER it and not another as it is written No man taketh away my life but I lay it down of my self I have power to lay it down and I have power to take it again John 10. 17 18. And again it is said When he Jesus had offered up one sacrifice for sins for ever sat down on the right hand of God Heb. 10. 12. Secondly The Priests under the Law must offer up the sacrifice that God had appointed and none else a compleat one without any blemish and so did our high Priest where he saith Sacrifice and offerings thou wouldest not but a body hast thou prepared me and that will I offer Heb. 10. 5. Thirdly The Priest was to take of the ashes of the sacrifice and lay them in a clean place and this signifies that the body of Jesus after it had been offered should be laid into Josephs sepulchre as in a clean place where never any man before was laid Levit. 6. 11. compared with John 19. 41 42. This being one part of his office and when this was done then in the next place he was to put on the glorious garment when he was to go into the holiest and take of the blood and carry it thither c. he was to put on the holy garment which signifieth the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Secondly He was in this holy garment which hath in it the stones and in the stones the names of the Twelve Tribes of the children of Israel to appear in the holy place Exodus 28. And thou shalt take two Onix stones and shalt grave on them the names of the children of Israel Six of their names on one stone and the other six names of the rest on the other stone according to their birth ver 9 10. And this was to signifie that when Jesus Christ was to enter into the holiest then he was there to bear the names of his elect in the tables of his heart before the Throne of God and the Mercy-seat Heb. 12. 23. Thirdly With this he was to take of the blood of the sacrifices and carry it into the holiest of all which was a type of Heaven and there was he to sprinkle the mercy-seat and this was to be done by the high Priest only To signifie that none but Jesus Christ must have this office and priviledge to be the peoples high Priest to offer for them Heb. 9. 7. But into the second went the high priest alone once every year yet not without blood which he offered for himself and for the errors of the people Fourthly He was there to make an atonement for the people with the blood sprinkling of it upon the mercy-seat but this must be done with much incense Levit. 16. And Aaron shall bring the bullock which is for a sin-offering for himself and for his house and shall kill the bullock of the sin-offering which is for himself And he shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire from off the Altar before the Lord and his hands full of sweet incense beaten small and bring it within the vail And he shall put the incense upon the fire before the Lord that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy-seat that is upon the testimony that he dye not And he shall take of the blood of the bullock and sprinkle it upon the mercy-seat east-ward and before the mercy-seat shall he sprinkle the blood with his finger seven times And then he shall kill the goat of the
satisfaction justice would not have given him any thing for justice the justice of God is so pure that if it be not compleatly satisfied in every particular it giveth nothing but curses Gal. 3. 10. Thirdly It is yet far more evident that he hath indeed pleased God in the behalf of sinners in that God hath given him gifts to distribute to sinners yea the worst of sinners as a fruit of his satisfaction and that at his ascension Psal. 68. 18. Christ hath so satisfied God that he hath given him all the treasures both of heaven and earth to dispose of as he seeth good he hath so pleased God that he hath given him a Name above every Name a Scepter above every Scepter a Crown above every Crown a Kingdom above every Kingdom Phil. 29. Rev. 19. 16. he hath given him the highest placeâ—n heaven even his own right hand he hath given him all the power of heaven and earth and under the earth in his own hand to bind whom he pleaseth and to set free whom he thinks meet he hath in a word such an high esteem in the eyes of his Father that he hath put into his hand all things that are for the profit of his people both in this world and that which is to come and all this as the fruit of his faithfulness in doing of his work as the Mediator of the New Covenant Thou hast ascended on high thou hast led Captivity Captive thou hast received gifts mark thou hast received them for men even for the worst of men the rebellious also And hath sent forth some being furnished with these gifts some I say For the work of the ministry to the edifying of them that are already called and also for the calling in of all those for whom he covenanted with his Father Till all come in the unity of faith c. Eph. 4. 8 9 10 11 12 13. Fourthly It doth still appear far more evident For will you hear what the Father himself saith for the shewing of his well-pleasedness in these two particulars First In that he bids poor souls to hear and to do as Christ would have them Mat. 3. 17. Luke 9. 35. Secondly In that he resolves to make them that turn their backs upon him that dishonour him which is done in a very great measure by those that lay aside his merits done by himself for Justification I say he that resolved to make them his footstool where he saith Sit thou at my right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool Are they enemies to thee saith God I will be even with them Do they slight thy merits Do they slight thy groans thy tears thy blood thy death thy resurrection and intercession thy second coming again in heavenly glory I will tear them and rend them I 'll make them as mire in the streets I will make thy enemies thy footstool Psal. 110. 1. Mat. 22. 44. Heb. 1. 13. Chap. 10. 13. I saith he And thou shalt dash them in pieces like a Potters Vessel Psal. 2. 9. look to it you that slight the merits of the blood of Christ. Fifthly Again further yet God will make all the world to know that he hath been and is well pleased in his Son in that God hath given and will make it appear he hath given the world to come into his hand Heb. 2. And that he shall raise the dead bring them before his judgment-seat execute judgment upon them which he pleaseth to execute judgment on to their damnation and to receive them to eternal life whom he doth favour even so many as shall be found to believe in his name and merits John 5. 26 27 28. For as the Father hath life in himself so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself And he hath given him authority to execute judgment also because he is the Son of man For the hour is coming that all that are in the graves shall hear his voice and shall come forth they that have done good unto the resurrection of life and they that have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation I and the worst enemy that Christ hath now shall come at that day with a pale face with a quaking heart and bended knees trembling before him confessing the glory of his merits and the vertue there was in them to save to the glory of God the Father Romans 14. 11. Phil. 2. 9 10 11. Much more might be added to discover the glorious perfection of this mans satisfaction but for you that desire to be further satisfied concerning this search the Scriptures and beg of God to give you faith and understanding therein and as for you that slight these things and continue so doing God hath another way to take with you even to dash you in pieces like a Potters vessel for this hath Christ received of his Father to do unto you Rev. 2. 27. Thus I have shewed you in particular that the Covenant of the grace of God is free and unchangeable to men that is in that it hath been obtained for men and that perfectly to the satisfying of justice and taking all things out of the way that were any ways an hinderance to our salvation Col. 2. 14. The second thing for the discovering of this freeness and constancy of the Covenant of the Grace of God it is manifest thus First Whatsoever any man hath of the grace of God he hath it as a free gift of God through Christ Jesus the Mediator of this Covenant even when they are in a state of enmity to him mark that Rom. 5. 8 9. Col. 1. 21 22. whether it be Christ as the foundation stone or faith to lay hold on him Eph. 2. 8. For by Grace you are saved through Faith and that not of your selves not for any thing in you or done by you for the purchasing of it but it is the free gift of God And that bestowed on you even when you were dead in trespasses and sins Eph. 2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9. Nay if thou hast so much as one desire that is right it is the gift of God for of our selves saith the Apostle we are not able to speak a good word or think a good thought 2 Cor. 3. 5. Was not grace absolute grace that God made promise to Adam after transgression Gen. 3. 5. Was it not free grace in God to save such a wretch as Manasseh was who used enchantments witchcraft burnt his children in the fire and wrought much evil 2 Chron. 33. Was it not free grace to save such as those were that are spoken of in the 16 of Ezekiel which no eye pitied Was it not free grace for Christ to give Peter a loving look after he had cursed and swore and denied him Was it not free grace that met Paul when he was a going to Damascus to persecute which converted him and made him a vessel of mercy And what shall I say of such that are spoken
its Spirituality and this is the proper work of the Law Thirdly God with a discovery of this doth also discover his own Divine and Infinite Justice of which the Law is a description which backs what is discovered by the Law and that by discovering of its Purity and Holiness to be so divine so pure so upright and so far off from winking at the least sin that he doth by that Law without any favour condemn the sinner for that sin Gal. 3. 10. Now when he hath brought the soul into this Premunire into this puzzle Then 2. He sheweth to the soul the nature and condition of the Law as to its dealing with or for bearing of the sinner that hath sinned against it which is to pass an eternal curse upon both soul and body of the party so offending saying to him Cursed be the man that continueth not in every thing that is written in the book of the Law to do it for saith the Law this is my proper work First to shew thee thy sins and when I have done that then in the next place to condemn thee for them and that without all remedy as from me or any thing within my bounds for I am not to save any to pardon any nay not to favour any in the least thing that have sinned against me for God did not send me to make alive but to discover sin and to condemn for the same Now so soon as this is presented to the conscience in the next place the Law also by this Law doth shew that now there is no righteous act according to the tenor of that Covenant that can replieve him or take him off from all this horrour and curse that lies upon him because that is not an administration of pardon as I said before to forgive the sin but an administration of damnation because of transgression O the very discovery of this striketh the soul into a deadly swoun even above half dead But when God doth do the work indeed he doth in the next place shew the soul that he is the man that is eternally under this Covenant by nature and that it is thee that hath sinned against this Law and doth by right deserve the curse and displeasure of the same and that all that ever he can do will not give satisfaction to that glorious justice that did give this Law holy actions tears of blood selling all and giving iâ— to the poor or whatever else can be done by thee it comes all short and is all to no purpose Phil. 3. I 'll warrant him he that seeth this it will kill him to that which he was alive unto before though he had a thousand lives Ah sinners sinners were you but sensible indeed of the severity and truth of this it would make you look about you to purpose O how would it make you strive to stop at that 〈◊〉 that now you drink down with delight How many Oaths would it make you bite asunder nay it would make you bite your tongues to think that they should be used as instruments of the Devil to bring your souls into such an unspeakable misery then also we should not have you hang the salvation of your souls upon such slender pinâ— as now you do no no but you would be in another mind then O then we should have you cry out I must have Christ what shall I do for Christ how shall I come at Christ would I was sure truly sure of Christ my soul is gone damned cast away and must for ever burn with the Devils if I do not get precious Jesus Christ. In the next place when God hath done this then he the further shews the soul that Covenant which it is under by nature is distinct from the Covenant of Grace and also they that are under it are by nature without any of the graces which they have that are under the Covenant of Grace As First That it hath no faith John 16. 9. Secondly no hope Eph. 2. 12. Thirdly Nor none of the spirit to work these things first by nature Fourthly Neither will that Covenant give to them any peace with God Fifthly No promise of safeguard from his revenging Law by that Covenant Sixthly But lieth by Nature liable to all the curses and condemnings and thunder-claps of this most fiery Covenant Seventhly That it will accept of no sorrow no repentance no satisfaction as from thee Eighthly That it calls for no less than the shedding of thy blood Ninthly The damnation of thy soul and body Tenthly And if there be any thing prossered to it by thee as to the making of it amends it throws it back again as dirt in thy face slighting all that thou canst bring Now when the soul is brought into this condition then it is indeed dead killed to that to which it was once alive And therefore in the next place to shew you to what it is killed and that is first to sin O it dares not sin it sees hell fire is prepared for them that sin Gods Justice will not spare it if it live in sin the Law will damn it if it live in sin the Devil will have it if it follow its sin O I say it trembles at the very thoughts of sin I if sin do but offer to tempt the soul to draw away the soul from God it cries it sighs it shunneth the very appearance of sin it is odious unto it If God would but serve you thus that love your pleasures you would not make such a trifle of sin as you do Secondly It is killed to the Law of God as it is the Covenant of Works O saith the soul the Law hath killed me to its self I through the Law am dead to the Law Gal. 2. 19. The Law is another thing then I did think it was I thought it would not have been so soul-destroying so damning a Law I thought it would not have been so severe against me for my little sins â—or my playing for my jeasting for my dissembling quarrelling and the like I had some thoughts indeed that it would tew great sinners but let me pass and though it condemned great sinners yet it would pass me by but now would I were free from this Covenant would I were free from this Law I will tell thee that a soul thus worked upon is more afraid of the Covenant of Works then he is of the Devil for he sees it is the Law that doth give him up into his hands for sin and if he was but clear from that he should not greatly need to fear the Devil O now every particular command tears the caul of his heart now every command is as a great gun well charged against his soul now he sees he had as good run into a fire to keep himself from burning as to run to the Law to keep himself from damning and this he sees really I and feels it too to his own sorrow and perplexity Thirdly The soul also
at another time through temptation they may fear and doubt again insomuch that the soul may be put into a very great fear lest it should return again into the condition it once was in Jer. 32 40. O saith the soul when I think of my former state how miserable it was it makes me tremble and when I think that I may fall into that condition again how sad are the thoughts of it to me I would not be in that condition again for all the world and this fear riseth still higher and higher as the soul is sensible of Satans temptations or of its working of its own corruptions Ha! these filthy lusts these filthy corruptions O that I was rid of them that they were consumed in a moment that I could be quite rid of them they do so disturb my soul dishonour my God so defile my conscience and sometimes so weaken my hands in the way of God and my comforts in the Lord O how glad should I be if I might be stripped of them Rom. 7. 24. Which fear puts the soul upon flying to the Lord by prayer for the covering of his imputed righteousness and for strength against the Devils temptations and its own corruptions that God would give down his holy spirit to strengthen it against the things that do so anoy its soul and so discourage it in its way with a resolution through grace never to be contented while it doth find in it self a triumphing over it by faith in the blood of a Crucified Jesus Secondly The soul that hath been thus killed by the Law to its things it formerly delighted in now O now it cannot be contented with that slender groundless faith and hope that once it contented it self withal No no but now it must be brought into the right saving knowledge of Jesus Christ now it must have him discovered to the soul by the spirit now it cannot be satisfied because such and such do tell it is so No but now it will cry out Lord shew me continually in the light of thy Spirit through thy word that Jesus that was born in the days of Cesar Augustus when Mary a Daughter of Judah went with Joseph to be taxed at Bethelâ—m that he is the very Christ. Lord let me see it in the light of thy spirit and in the operation thereof and let me not be contented without such a faith that is so wrought even by the discovery of his birth crucifying death blood resurrection ascension intercession and second which is his personal coming again that the very faith of it may fill my soul with comfort and holiness and O how afraid the soul is lest it should fall short of this faith and of the hope that is begotten by such discoveries as these are For the soul knoweth that if it hath not this it will not be able to stand neither in death nor judgment and therefore saith the soul Lord whatever other poor souls content themselves withal let me have that which will stand me instead and carry me through a dangerous world that may help me to resist a cunning Devil that may help me to suck true soul satisfying consolation from Jesus Christ through thy promises by the might and power of thy Spirit And now when the poor soul at any time hath any discovery of the love of God through a bleeding dying risen interceding Jesus because it is not willing to be deceived O how wary is it of closing with it for fear it should not be right for fear it should not come from God Saith the soul Cannot the Devil give one such comfort tro Cannot he transform himself thus into an Angel of light So that the soul because it would be upon a sure ground cries out Lord shew me thy salvation and that not once or twice but Lord let me have thy presence continually upon my heart to day and to morrow and every day for the soul when it is rightly brought from under the Covenant of Works and planted into the Covenant of Grace then it cannot be unless it be under some desperate temptation contented without the presence of God teaching comforting stablishing and helping of the soul to grow in the things of the Lord Jesus Christ because it knoweth that if God hath but with-drawn his presence in any way from it as he doth do sometimes for a while that then the Devil will be sure to be near at hand working with his temptations trying all ways to get the soul into slavery and sin again also the corrupt principle that will be joyning and combining with the wicked one and will be willing to be a Co-partner with him to bring the soul into mischief which puts a soul upon an earnest continual panting after more of the strengthening preserving comforting and teaching presence of God and for strong supplies of faith that it may effectually lay hold on him Thirdly The soul is quickned so that it is not satisfied now without it do indeed and in truth partake of the peace of Gods Elect now it is upon the examination of the reality of its joy and peace Time was indeed that any thing would serve its turn any false conceâ—ts of its state to be good but now all kind of peace will not serve its turn all kind of joy will not be accepted with it now it must joy in God through Jesus Christ now its peace must come through the vertue of the blood of Christ speaking peace to the conscience by taking away both the guilt and the filth of sin by that blood also by shewing the soul its free acceptance with God through Christ he having compleatly fulfilled all the conditions of the first Covenant and freely placed it into the safety of what he hath done and so presents the soul compleat and spotless in the sight of God through his obedience Now I say he hath peace through the blood of his Cross and sees himself reconciled to God by the death of his Son Col. 1. 20 21. or else his comfort will be questioned by him It is not every promise as cometh now upon his heart that will serve his turn no but he must see whether the Babe Jesus be presented to the soul in and through that promise now if the Babe leap in his womb as I may say so say it is because the Lords promise sounds aloud in his heart coming to him big with the love and pardoning grace of God in Jesus Christ I say this is the first and principle joy that the soul hath that is quickened and brought into the Covenant of Grace Fourthly Now the man finds Heavenly sanctification wrought in his soul through the most precious blood of the man whose name is Jesus Christ. Jesus that he might sanctifie the people with his own blood suffered without the gate Now the soul finds a change in the understanding in the will in the mind in the affections in the judgment and also in the conscience through thâ—
foundation of the earth searched out then and not till then will I cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done Again I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for my own Names sake and will not remember thy sins Isa. 43. 25. I will make thee a Partaker of my Promise and that I may so do I will take away that which would hinder I will cast all your sins into the depths of the sea that my promise may be sure to all the seed And therefore saith the Apostle when he would shew us that the New Covenant promises was more sure then the Old he tells us plainly that the Law and Works are set aside and they are meerly made ours through the righteousness of faith which is the righteousness of Christ. For the promise that Abraham should be heir of the world saith he was not to him or to his seed through the Law or Works but through the righteousness of faith For if they which are of the Law or of Works be heirs then â—aith is made void and the promise made of none effect Therefore it is of â—aith to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed Rom. 4. 13 14 16. Secondly surer because that as that is taken away that should hinder so they are committed to a faithful friend of ours in keeping For all the promises of God are in Christ not yea yea and nay but yea and amen certain and sure sure because they are in the hand of our head our friend our brother our husband our flesh and bones even in the heart and hand of our precious Jesus Thirdly Because all the conditions of them are already fulfilled for us by Jesus Christ as aforesaid every promise that is a New Covenant promise if there be any condition in it our undertaker hath accomplished that for us and also giveth us such grace as to receive the sweetness as doth spring from them through his obedience to every thing required in them Fourthly surer because that as they are grounded upon the love of God every thing taken out of the way in the hand of a sure friend And as Christ hath fulfilled every condition as to justification that is contained therein so the Lord hath solemnly sworn with an oath for our better confidence in this particular For when God made promise to Abraham and so to all Saints because he could swear by no greater he sware by himself saying Surely blessing I will bless thee and multiplying I will multiply thee and so after he had patiently endured he obtained the promise For men verily swear by the greater and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife that there might be no more doubt or scruple concerning the certain fulfilling of the promise wherein God willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel or certain constant unchangeable decree of God in making of the promise for the comfort of his children confirmed it by an Oath that by two immutable things his promise back'd with an Oath wherein it is impossible for God to lie we might have strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us Heb. 6. 13 14. 15 16 17 18. Fifthly That they are better it appears also in that they are freer and fuller that they are freer it is evident in that the one saith no works no life Do this and then thou shalt live if not thou shalt be damned But the other saith we are saved by believing in what another hath done without the works of the Law Now to him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is counted for righteousness Rom. 4 4 5. The one saith pay me that thou owest the other saith I do frankly and freely forgive thee all The one saith because thou hast sinned thou shalt die the other saith because Christ lives thou shalt live also John 15 Secondly And as they are freer so they are fuller fuller of encouragement fuller of comfort the one to wit the Law looks like Pharaohs seven ill favoured kâ—â—e more ready to eat one up then to afford us any food The other is like the full grape in the cluster which for certain hath a glorious blessing in it The one saith if thou hast sinned turn again the other saith if thou hast sinned thou shalt be damned for all I have a promise in me Thirdly They that are of the second are better then they that are of the first and it also appeareth in this The promises of the Law through them we have neither faith nor hope nor the Spirit conveyed But through the promises of the Gospel there is all these 1 Pet. 1. 4. Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises that by these we might be partakers of the Divine nature O therefore let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering for he is faithful that promised Heb. 10. 23. In hope of eternal life who so because God that cannot lie promised it before the world began Tit. 1. 2. Fourthly They that are in this Covenant are in a very happy state for though there be several conditions in the Gospel to be done yet Christ Jesus doth not look that they should be done by man as man but by his own Spirit in them as it is written Thou hast wrought all our works in us and for us Is there that condition they must believe why then he will be both the Author and finisher of their faith Heb. 12. 2 3. Is there also hope to be in his Children he also doth and hath given them good hope through his grace 2 Thes. 2. 26. Again are the people of God to behave themselves to the glory of God the Father Theâ— he will work in them both to will and to do of his own good pleasure Phil. 2. 13. Fifthly Again as he works all our works in us and for us so also by vertue of this Covenant we have another nature given unto us Whereby or by which we are made willing to be glorifying of God both in our bodies and in our spirits which are his Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power 2 Cor. 6. 20. Psal. 110. 3. Sixthly In the next place all those that are under this second Covenant are in a wonderful safe condition For in case they should slip or fall after their conversion into some sin or sins for who lives and sins not Prov. 24. 16. yet through the merits and intercession of Christ Jesus who is their undertaker in this Covenant they shall have their sins pardoned their wounds healed and they raised up again which priviledge the children of the first Covenant have not for if they sin they are never afterwards regarded by that Covenant They break my Covenant and I regarded them not Heb. 8. 9. But when he comes to speak of the
I could that God would accept of me and have mercy upon me as he had on others Ah friends this is the cause of the ruine of thousands for if they are blinded to this both the right use of the Law and also of the Gospel is hid from their eyes and so for certain they will be in danger of perishing most miserably poor souls that they are unless God of his meer mercy and love doth rend the vail from off their hearts the vail of ignorance for that is it which doth keep these poor souls in this besetted and blindfolded condition in which if they dye they may be lamented for but not helped they may be pittied but not preserved from the stroak of Gods everlasting vengeance In the next place if you would indeed be delivered from the first into the second Covenant I do admonish you to the observing of these following particulars First Have a care that you do not content your selves though you do good works that is which in themselves are good in and with a Legal Spirit which are done these ways as followeth First If you do any thing commanded in Scripture and in your doing of it do think that God is well pleased therewith because you as you are religious men do do the same upon this mistake was Paul himself in danger of being destroyed for he thought because he was zealous and one of the strictest sect for Religion therefore God would have been good unto him and have accepted his doings as it is clear for he counted them his gain Philipians 3. 4 5 6 7 8. Now this is done thus When a man doth think that because he thinks he is more sincere more liberal with more difficulty or to the weakning of his estate I say if a man because of this doth think that God accepteth his labour it is done from an Old Covenant Spirit Again Some men they think that they shall be heard because they have prayer in their families because they can pray long and speak expressions or express themselves excellently in prayer that because they have great enlargements in prayer I say that therefore to think that God doth delight in their doings and accept their works this is from a Legal Spirit Again Some men think that because their Parents have been religious before them and have been indeed the people of God they think if they also do as to the outward observing of that which they learned from their fore-runners that therefore God doth accept them but this also is from a wrong spirit and yet how many are there in England at this day that think the better of themselves meerly upon that account I and think the people of God ought to think so too not understanding that it is ordinary for an Eli to have an Hophni and a Phinâ—has both sons of Belial Also a good Samuel to have a perverse off-spring likewise David an Absalom I say their being ignorant of or else negligent in regarding this they do think that because they do spring from such and such as the Jews in their generations did that therefore they have a priviledge with God more than others when there is no such thing John 8 33 34 35. Mat. 3. 7 8 9. but for certain if the same faith be not in them which was in their fore-runners to lay hold of the Christ of God in the same spirit as they did they must utterly perish for all their high conceits that they have of themselves Secondly When People come into the presence of God without having their eye upon their Divine Majesty through the flesh and blood of the Son of Mary the Son of God then also do they come before God and do whatsoever they do from a Legal Spirit an old Covenant Spirit As for instance you have some people 't is true they will go to Prayer in appearance very fervently and will plead very hard with God that he would grant them their desires pleading their want and the abundance thereof they will also plead with God his great mercy and also his free promises but yet they neglecting the aforesaid Body or Person of Christ the righteous Lamb of God to appear before him in I say in thus doing they do not appear before the Lord no otherwayes then in an old Covenant Spirit for they go to God only as a merciful Creator and they themselves as his Creatures not as he is their Father in the Son and they his children by Regeneration through the Lord Jesus I and though they may call God their Father in the Notion not knowing what they say only having learned such things by tradition as the Pharisees did yet Christ will have his time to say to them even to their faces as he did once to the Jews Your father for all this your profession is the Devil to their own grief and everlasting misery John 8. 44. The third thing that is to be observed if we would not be under the Law or do things in a Legal Spirit is this to have a care that we do none of the works of the holy Law of God for life or acceptance with him no nor of the Gospel neither To do the works of the Law to the end we may be accepted of God or that we may please him and to have our desires of him is to do things from a Legal or old Covenant-Spirit and that is expresly laid down where it is said To him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace but of debt that is he appears before God through the Law and his obedience to it Rom. 4. 4 5. And again though they be in themselves Gospel-Ordinances as baptism breaking of bread hearing praying meditating or the like yet I say if they be not done in a right Spirit they are thereby used as a hand by the Devil to pull thee under the Covenant of Works as in former times he used circumcision which was no part of the Covenant of Works the ten Commands but a Seal of the righteousness of Faith yet I say they being done in a Legal Spirit the Soul was thereby brought under the Covenant of Works and so most miserably destroyed unawares to it self and that because there was not a right understanding of the nature and terms of the said Covenants And so it is now Souls being ignorant of the nature of the old Covenant do even by their subjecting to several Gospel-ordinances run themselves under the old Covenant and fly off from Christ even when they think they are a coming closer to him O miserable If you would know when or how this is done whether in one particular or more I shall shew you as followeth 1. That man doth bring himself under the Covenant of Works by Gospel-Ordinances when he cannot be persuaded that God will have mercy upon him except he do yield obedience to such or such a particular thing commanded in the Word this is the very same spirit that was in
doest apprehend that thou art defiled and also thy best Duties annoyed with many Weaknesses let that Scripture come into thy Thoughts which saith Of him are ye in Christ Jesus who of God is made unto us Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption And if thou shalt understand that what thou canst not find in thy self thou shalt find in Christ. Art thou a Fool in thy self then Christ is made of God thy Wisdom Art thou Unrighteous in thy self Christ is made of God thy Righteousness Doest thou find that there is but very little sanctifying Grace in thy Soul still here is Christ made thy Sanctification and all this in his own Person without thee without thy Wisdom without thy Righteousness without thy Sanctification without in his own Person in thy Fathers presence appearing there perfect Wisdom Righteousness and Sanctification in his own Person I say as a publick Person for thee So that thou mayest believe and say to thy Soul My Soul though thou doest find innumerable Infirmities in thy self and in thy Actions yet look upon thy Jesus the man Jesus he is Wisdom and that for thee to govern thee to take care for thee and to order all things for the best for thee He is also thy Righteousness now at Gods right Hand alwayes shining before the Eyes of his Glory So that there it is unmovable though thou art in never such a sad Condition yet thy Righteousness which is the Son of God God-man shines as bright as ever and is as much accepted of God as ever O this sometimes hath been Life to me And so whatever thou O my Soul findest wanting in thy self through Faith thou shalt see all laid up for thee in Jesus Christ whether it be Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification or Redemption Nay not only so but as I said before he is all these in his own Person without thee in the presence of his Father for thee Object But now if any should say in their Hearts O but I am one of the Old Covenant-men I doubt that is I doubt I am not within this glorious Covenant of Grace And how if I should not Answ. Well thou fearest that thou art one of the Old Covenant a Son of the Bond-woman In the first place know that thou wast one of them by Nature for all by Nature are under that Covenant but set the case that thou art to this day under that yet let me tell thee in the first place there is hopes for thee for there is a gap open a way made for Souls to come from under the Covenant of Works by Christ For he hath broken down the middle Wall of Partition between us and you Ephes. 2. 14. And therefore if thou wouldest be saved thou mayest come to Christ. If thou wantest a righteousness as I said before there is one in Christ. If thou wouldest be washed thou mayest come to Christ and if thou wouldest be justified there is justification enough in the Lord Jesus Christ. That 's the first Ans. 2. And secondly thou canst not be so willing to come to Christ as he is willing thou shouldest come to him witness his coming down from Heaven his Humiliation his spilling of his Blood from both his Cheeks Luke 23. 44. by sweat under the burden of sin and his shedding of it by the Spear when he hanged on the Cross. It appears also by his Promises by his Invitations by his sending forth his Messengers to preach the same to poor Sinners and threatneth Damnation upon this very account namely the neglect of him and declares that all the thousands and ten thousands of sins in the World should not be able to damn those that believed in him that he would pardon all forgive and pass by all if they would but come unto him moreover promiseth to cast out none no not the poorest vilest contemptiblest Creature in the whole World Come unto me all every one though you be never so many never so vile though your Load be never so heavy and intollerable though you deserve no help not the least help no Mercy not the least compassion yet cast your Burthen upon me and you shall find rest for your Souls Come unto me and I will heal you love you teach you and tell you the way to the Kingdom of Heaven Come unto me and I will succor you help you and keep you from all Devils and their Temptations from the Law and its Curses and from being for ever overcome with any evil whatsoever Come unto me for what you need and tell me what you would have or what you would have me do for you and all my Strength Love Wisdom and Interest that I have with my Father shall be laid out for you Come unto me your sweet Jesus your loving and tender-hearted Jesus your everlasting and sin-pardoning Jesus Come unto me and I will wash you and put my Righteousness upon you pray to my Father for you and send my Spirit into you that you might be saved Therefore Consider besides this what a priviledge thou shalt have at the day of Judgment above thousands if thou do indeed and in truth close in with this Jesus and accept of him for thou shalt not only have a Priviledge in this Life only but in the Life Everlasting even at the time of Christs second coming from Heaven for then when there shall be the whole World gathered together and all the good Angels bad Angels Saints and Reprobates when all thy Friends and Kindred with thy Neighbours on thy Right-hand and on the left shall be with thee beholding of the wonderful Glory and Majesty of the Son of God then shall the Son of Glory even Jesus in the very view and sight of them all smile and look kindly upon thee when a smile or a kind look from Christ shall be worth more then ten thousand Worlds then thou shalt have it You know it is counted an honour for a poor man to be favourably looked upon by a Judge or a King in the sight of Lords Earls Dukes and Princes why thus it will be with thee in the sight of all the Princely Saints Angels and Devils in the sight of all the great Nobles in the World then even thou that closest in with Christ be thou rich or poor be thou bond or free wise or foolish if thou close in with him he will say unto thee Well done good and faithful Servant even in the midst of the whole World they that love thee shall see it and they that hate thee shall all to their shame behold it for if thou fear him here in secret he will make it manifest even at that day upon the House top Secondly not only thus but thou shalt also be lovingly received and tenderly embraced of him at that day when Christ hath thousands of gallant Saints as old Abraham Isaac Jacob David Isaiah Jeremiah together with all the Prophets and Apostles and Martyrs attending on him together with many thousands of