covenant for salvation that came to ask of him what he should do to be saved the place is Luke 10.25 26 27 28. And behold a certain Lawyer stood up and tempted him saying Master what shall I do to inherit eternal life He said unto him What is written in the Law How readest thou Christ sends him to the Law and you shall see it is not to the Law in a large sence as it comprehends both a covenant of Works and a covenant of Grace but to the Law taken strictly for a covenant of Works it follows therefore ver 27. The Lawyer answering said The Law saith Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy strength and with all thy mind and thy neighbour as thy self And Jesus said unto him Thou hast answered right this do and thou shalt live which are the very words of Moses where he describes a legal righteousness From whence I conclude That the Covenant of Works is still good unto Justification the Covenant of Works is still in force else Moses would never have delivered it in that simplicity and with that Authority else Jesus Christ himself would never have directed one unto it to get eternal life by it I answer 1. That Moses indeed did deliver a covenant of Works to the people of Israel as truly as he did a covenant of Grace and that without any caution that I can find in the place where it is delivered and I think I may say also that our Saviour Christ did deliver a Covenant of Works too in that 10. of Luke above-mentioned And 2dly I may add There was very good reason why they might and why they did For that the covenant of Works is still in force all men by nature are under it for it is nothing but the natural law of our creation All men are naturally under a Covenant of works There was indeed a positive Law besides given to Adam but the observing of it needed not have created any trouble to innocent man All men are naturally under a covenant of Works for they are naturally under the Law of their Creation which is the covenant of Works Yea the Saints themselves are not freed from it any further then from the condemning power of it by Christs having suffered the penalty for them That all men are naturally under the Law or under a covenant of Works which are all one appears for that all those whom Christ came to redeem were under the Law Gal. 4.5 which must be meant of the Law strictly taken for a covenant of Works for else none but the Jews and proselyted Gentiles were under the Law as delivered by Moses whereas in that Scripture it is plain that all those whom Christ came to redeem were under the Law therefore it is meant under the Law as a covenant of Works Besides the Apostle in Rom. 7. the first six verses argues thus That the conscience or soul of a man must either be married to the Law as its Husband or to Christ as its Husband and till it is marryed to Christ the Law is its natural Husband but when it is married to Christ the law is its husband no longer therefore till a man come to Christ he is under a covenant of Works therefore all men naturally are under a covenant of Works for no man is in Christ by nature I answer in the third place That it 's true Moses and our Saviour both preached a covenant of Works as well as a covenant of Grace and well might because all men are naturally under it Yet neither our Saviour nor Moses did it with design to make men seek justification by Works but only to burthen mens consciences with insupportable loads of guilt that so they might readily flee to the hope that was set before them in the covenant of Grace which they had together with the covenant of Works in the same Dispensation That Moses did it with this design St. Paul asserts as I have shewn in several places the law entred that the offence might abound and so was a School-Master unto Christ And that our Saviour did it with this design the place quoted in the objection will sufficiently evidence Luke 10.25 to the 28.25 v. Behold a certain Lawyer stood up and tempted him saying Master what shall I do to inherit eternal life Here this Lawyer came not with a good intention for it is said he stood up and tempted our Saviour made the question rather to see what our Saviour would say then to get any satisfaction to himself and in the 29. ver it is said This Lawyer was willing to justifie himself Now how could the pride of this tempting Lawyer be better repressed then by sending him to the Law to a covenant of Works which if he would but set himself in earnest to keep would quickly prick the bladder of his pride and let out that wind with which he was so swoln as to dare come and tempt Christ and justifie himself But now our Saviour takes another course with the Woman of Canaan who after she was tryed with a knock or two with some harsh words so as to be called Dog yet continuing humble and submissive had her faith extolled by our Saviour and is strengthened with the highest consolations as we have the story Matt. 15. from ver 22. to ver 29. Thus God resisteth the proud he hath a Covenant of Works to oppose them withall but he giveth Grace and sheweth Mercy to the humble he hath a covenant of Grace to comfort them with Obj. 5 There is one objection yet more concerning the ceremonial law which I did not mention at the first and it is this Certainly it appears from the ceremonial law that the law of Moses was given to them for a covenant of Works else why had they such multitude of ceremonies imposed upon them if they were not to have life for the observation and doing of them together with the duties of the moral Law And it is very observable that in that place of Leviticus which the Apostle quotes as containing the righteousness of the law the ceremonies are as strictly enjoined as the moral duties of the law are with this badge of the law of works upon them The man that doth them shall live in them Lev. 18.4 5. Ye shall do my Judgements that is say Commentors my judicial Laws and keep mine Ordinances that is say they either moral or ceremonial so in ver 5. You shall therefore keep my Statutes and Judgements which if a man do he shall live in them I am the Lord. Now hence I argue saith the Objector Here you have acknowledged is a covenant of Works described Now here is their whole Dispensation by Moses of laws moral ceremonial and judicial contained therefore their whole Dispensation was a covenant of Works besides if the Law moral alone which you have called the law of Nature he of it self a covenant of Works as
it seems to have been to Adam who had but a few other commands besides viz. such as we call Positive and if every man by Nature be under a covenant of works though a stranger to the Old-Testament or New as having never heard of either being under the law of his creation how much more were the Israelites under a covenant of Works who besides the moral law had the judicial and ceremonial added for them to observe and altogether given them vvith this language of a covenant of Works these ye shall observe which if a man do he shall live in them I am the Lord. I shal add onely one observation more to strengthen the objection and it is this That when St. Paul disputes against the Galatians for embracing a covenant of Works most of his Work lyes in beating them off from the ceremonial law vvhich they were exceedingly addicted to as looking upon the lavv of Moses to be very much of the nature of the covenant of Works and the ceremonial law as a great sign of it there being so much vvork cut out for them in it and verily believing that if they vvere pretty strict in keeping the ceremonial law God vvould justifie and save them Therefore it is very probable that the law of Moses was given to them as a covenant of Works for this reason as well as others that there were so many ceremonies appointed for them to observe most of which it is more then probable the greater number did not understand and so must take up und satisfie themselves with the Work done then which vvhat can look more like a covenant of vvorks for men to do a great many things which they did not understand meerly because God had commanded them Now for answer to this objection and I shall give it in several particulars A. 1 I confess that the ceremonial law proved a great snare and a stumbling-block unto the careless Jews and so to the Galatians for when they found such a great task of ceremonies set them they cared not much to study the meaning of them but took up with the doing of them which to do did not much trouble their hearts or consciences and so placed themselves by it under a covenant of vvorks in their treating with God for Justification 2dly I grant that the ceremonial law was a great burthen and an unsupportable yoke even to those that were good amongst the Jews Acts 15.10 and it is a great piece of the liberty of the Gospel to be freed from it 3dly I grant that the laws moral judicial and ceremonial were given altogether and are included in that place where a covenant of vvorks or the righteousness of the Law is said to be described by the Apostle and I grant in this particular that though the law of nature alone is a covenant of vvorks to those that are in a state of nature though they never received any positive law from God yet that it is possible for a ceremonial lavv or a law consisting of many ceremonies or positive laws to be a part of a covenant of vvorks as we find in Adam's covenant of works there was a Sacrament as some reckon it of the Tree of life and there was a positive law concerning the forbidden fruit which vvere neither of them branches of the law of Nature and he might have been as well forbidden as allowed all the trees save one if the Lord had pleased he might have had a systeme of positive and ceremonial laws inserted in his covenant of vvorks if the Lord had thought good and no wrong had been done him for he was able to have kept them 4thly Yet here I deny that the ceremonial law was any part of a covenant of works though brought in near that place where the righteousness of the law is said by the Apostle to be described and that for this reason which fully answers the objection That the ceremonial law did contain Gospel in it which cannot be said of any branch of the covenant of works I allowed indeed above that the law taken strictly for a covenant of works did preach the Gospel virtually or by consequence as it burthened the sinners conscience and so made him seek further for a righteousness but I said then it is the law taken in a large sence onely as it contains the whole Old-Testament or at least a considerable part of it that teacheth Christ and the Gospel formally and expresly VVhy now the ceremonial law teacheth Christ in many perhaps in all the parts of it if wel understood VVhat could the shedding of so much blood for remission of sins signifie but the shedding of Christs blood for them and us all which is the great mysterie of the Gospel Now if any say they understood it not and yet must do it and so it was all one to them as if it had not singnified any thing at all and therefore must still pass with them as a covenant of works I answer 1 in the words of the Apostle Rom. 3 3. What though some did not believe did not understand must their unbelief and ignorance make the Faith of God that Doctrine of Faith which the ceremonial law preached of none effect or signification But you will say they could not see the blood of Christ in the blood of a sacrifice having no clearer discoveries then they had of Christ I ans I confess I cannot say they could see so much though still so much was contained in it as now we well understand But yet if they could not see so much yet somewhat they might have learned for certainly God appoints no idle useless insignificant ceremonies in his Worship therefore I suppose they might have learnt thus much by their ceremonies and particularly by their sacrifices which I suppose was known even amongst Heathens in their sacrifices that when they killed a Beast for attoning the anger of God here life went for life and God might as well have taken their lives from them as accepted the life of that Beast and so by this they might see that their lives and salvations did depend purely upon the Mercy and Grace of God now this sufficiently weaned them from the law or covenant of works which had no Grace or Pardon in it it was therefore the grossest mistake of all to understand the ceremonial law for a part of the covenant of Works when it was greatly intended to be a Gospel to them 5thly and lastly If yet it were dark and did confound them with the multitude of duties which it imposed Why might it not herein do the good turn that a covenant of Works did for them Which was to make them study and search and long for the pure and clear discoveries of that rich Grace which we now see in the dayes of the Gospel I have now done with this objection also which I of purpose kept out from the rest in which I only considered the moral law as a covenant of Works for these two reasons 1. For that the ceremonial law neither was nor could be a part of the covenant of Works which
the moral law both was and is to all that are under a covenant of works 2dly and consequently I therefore kept off from any consideration of the ceremonial law in my discourses about the law its being given by Moses that so I might have my discourse run clear in the business of the covenant of works and draw a line in it from Adams estate in innocency to the very days of the Gospel which with any mixture of discourse about the ceremonial law would have been broken and disturbed VVhereas now you see the law taken strictly for a covenant of works might have justified Adam but could not justifie the children of Israel and therefore though added to the promise given to Abraham and that in the language of a covenant of works yet was never given with design that they should accept it for such unto Justification which appears from this double demonstration as I may call it a priori a posteriori A priori for that before the law was given there was a covenant of Grace which the law could not come in to disannul and a posteriori for that the very same Moses that brought their law from God out of the Mount did not more truly acquaint them with the nature of a legal righteousness then he did with the righteousness of Faith Rom. 10.6 But the righteousness of faith speaketh on this wise Say not in thy heart c. being a text quoted out of the same Moses Deut. 30.11 which make this argument vvherefore should Moses first describe to you a legal righteousness and tell you as appears by clear consequence out of him that ye cannot attain unto that righteousness and then describe unto you the righteousness of faith but for this end that ye might forgo the one cleave to the other And there are infinite places in other Scriptures of the Old-Testament which give their testimony to Christ and the Righteousness of Faith which sufficiently argue that the Old-Testament never went about to establish a way of Justification by the Law And here I think it may be of great use to search into this place of Moses which the Apostle asserts to contain the description of the righteousness which is by faith that so we may find both that it is so and what this righteousness of faith is The place is Deut. 30.11 to 15. quoted and paraphrased by the Apostle Rom. 10.6 7 8 9. An inquiry into the sense of Deut 30 11 12 in Rom. 10.6 But the righteousness which is of Faith speaketh on this wise Say not in thine heart Who shall ascend into Heaven c. clearly referring to Deut. 30.11 12 as any may see in the Margent of their Bibles Now let us go to that place in Deut. and see what Gospel there is in it and how evident it is that there is Gospel in it The words are these For this commandment which I command thee this day it is not hidden from thee neither is it far off it is not in heaven that thou shouldest say who shall go up for us to Heaven and bring it unto us that we may hear it and do it Neither is it beyond the Sea that thou shouldest say Who shall go over the Sea for us and bring it unto us that we may hear it and do it but the Word is nigh unto thee in thy mouth and in thy heart that thou mayest do it This is the whole Paragraph in which the covenant of Grace or the righteousness of Faith is described according to the Apostle Paul But how is the Gospel or righteousness of Faith described here First of all I must separate that which doth not seem to look like Gospel from that which is pure Gospel in this place And here we may observe That the matter of the Gospel spoken of is the law or commandment which he had delivered to them This Commandment which I command thee this day the same which is spoken of as I think there being no visible difference as to matter in Lev. 18.5 the place asserted by the Apostle to contain a legal righteousness it was for matter the law of Moses This Commandment saith he which I command thee this day Again I think it will appear to be meant of the ten commandments because it is added That Commandment which I command thee is not far from thee but is nigh thee even in thy heart and mouth Now the ceremonial law was not written in their heart neither had all the children of Israel nor the generality of them to whom yet this is spoken been taught the law effectually by the Spirit of God so as that should be the sense of these words This Commandment is in thine heart and indeed that is the promise of the new Covenant not of this by Moses but the effect of the Moral law was in their heart for it was in the heart of Heathens If it be objected as perhaps it may by some that the matter of the Commandment which Moses commanded them that day was not likely to be the ten commandments nor that chiefly nor to be the same with that in Lev. 18. because this is in Deuteâ—â—româ— which very word signifies a second Law or a second Edition and giving of the Law and had more Gospel in it then the Law in the first giving of it had I answer 1. by concession That there were indeed two several Covenants which the Lord is said to have made by Moses with the children of Israel Deut. 29.1 These are the words of the Covenant which the Lord commanded Moses to make with the children of Israel in the Land of Moab be ides the Covenant which he made with them in Hoâ—eb which a as a Mountain adjoining to if not a part of Mount Sinat 2. That perhaps in this Deutetonomy or second Covenant by Moses there 〈◊〉 mâ—â—â— promises and more of Gospel then in the first Edition of the Law there was But 3dly This doth not hinder but the commandment mentioned in Deut. â—0 might be chiefly for matter of it the moral Law or ten Commandments 't is true there were promises added to encourage unto the keeping of them and there were also terrible threatnings unto the breaking of them all the twelve tribes being divided into two equal parts the one half placed upon Mount Gerizim to bless the people that were obedient to the Law the other half upon Mount Ebal to curse all that brake it Deut 27.11 12 13 But that commandment for the sake of which these promises and threatnings were added was the Law of the ten words or two tables which were twice given to Moses in Sinai and again repeated in this Covenant in the Land of Moab as we may see in Deut. 5. and the very word Deut. signifies a second Law or a second giving of the Law
for the Gospel yet all of a sudden like men bewitched away they turn to the Law and in effect though not in profession they leave the Gospel From whence again I add new proof as I promised to the first thing proposed in the conviction which is my third observation Therefore certainly mankind is exceedingly addicted to this way of works 3 Obser though not in a-strict way yet in this mixt way which comes all to one at last and must be called by the same Name I say I may justly infer from this one example of the Galatians That mankind is exceedingly addicted unto this way of works For though an argument ab exemplo be not ordinarily cogent yet such an example as this wil of it self almost amount to a demonstration for it is not an example of one man but of a great company of men they were the Churches of Galatia as it is in chap. 1. ver 2. and Galaria was not a Town or a City but a large Countrey that had many Churches up and down in it and these were such as had gladly received the Gospel they had received the Apostle Paul as if he had been an Angel of God even as Christ Jesus they blessed themselves exceedingly in this that they had heard the Gospel from him they received the Spirit by it c. Now notwithstanding all this no sooner do a company of Law-Preachers come that could do no Miracles at all could not convey the Spirit in their Ministry and yet the Galatians are so bewitched and besotted with them through their own natural inclinations to a Legal Righteousness that they fall off to the Law in the sight and view of all those demonstrations and convictions to the contrary and swallow down four several contradictions to boot Ergo hence it evidently appears that men are exceeding apt to run into this way of Justification by Works unless we shall imagine that this inclination in whole Churches of Galatia was some strange kind of special distemper arising from the soyle or some such trifling cause that hinders it from being common to us with them I say I take it for proved and granted from this example which is to me much like an Induction the whole Nation of the Jews the Churches of Galatia that were Gentiles were wholly given to this way therefore this way is mighty natural to mankind and we have all a strong propension and inclination to it but here comes in one considerable objection upon the answering of which the truth of this last Assertion wil be much clearer and that is this You say Object that because the Nation of the Jews and the Gentile Galatians were so much addicted to the way of Justification of Works therefore it is an argument that all mankind is addicted to this way and that we are in danger of running into this way but you do not seem to observe the great snare and stumbling-block that lay in their way to put them upon it and that was the Ceremonial Law which they did not understand as typical of Christ and Gospel-Mysteries but looked upon it as a task of duties which if they did go thorow and do their best to keepe they should undoubtedly please God and be saved Now this Ceremonial Law was given to the Jews and not perfectly out of use when the Galatians were thus led aside by it but was preached up by the devout Jews that were turned to Christianity that if they were not circumcised and kept not the Law of Moses they could not be saved Act. 15.1 Now this the Galatians receiving as true and holding the Gospel with it they did with the Jews too much dote upon Ceremonial Observances and so their Gospel which they professed with it was sowred and spoiled by it but we are not in this danger we know that the Ceremonial Law is down and so we are free from this snare and danger therefore we need not fear lest we run into a Covenant of Works or seek Justification by works This is the objection and you see it is considerable to which I shall endeavour an answer And first of all I answer by way of concession in three particulars Ans 1. 'T is true the Jews had the Ceremonial Law imposed upon them by God and the Galatians by the seduction of false Teachers received it likewise as their duty 2. The Ceremonial Law was apt to prove a snare to all that were under it in leading them into a Covenant of Works For to be set to do a great many things which we understand no meaning almost in how naturally will it teach us to take up with the opus operatum the work done to look no further Which easily mis-leads us into an opinion of Merit especially when we think our selves prettily well to have discharged our selves of the duties of the Moral Law besides 3. Let it be granted that this did actually prove a great snare both to the Jews and Galatians which appears from this that the Apostle when he is rebuking the Galatians for their Legality he instanceth for proofs often in their observing the Ceremonial Law Gal. 4.8 9. I winder saith he that after ye were set free from bondage to Idols by the Gospel of Christ ye should desire again to enter into bondage to ceremonies which there he calls beggarly rudiments and in ver 10 11. saith he Ye observe dayes and months and times and years I am afraid of you lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain Nay the Apostle instanceth so frequently in the business of the Ceremonial Law that an incurious Reader might think that all thrir fault was but this that they made Conscience of keeping the Ceremonial Law though 't is certain and I have proved it already that this was not the greatest fault they had fallen into for then the Apostle would onely have gone about to convince them that the Ceremonial Law was abolished by the death of Christ or at least that they being Gentiles need not have their Consciences obliged to it which doth not scarce at all appear to have been any part of his design but his main design is to beat them off from a Covenant of works unto which the Ceremonial Law served for an Inlet And indeed this was the nature and genius of their mischievous error they thought as the Jews also did that though they were not so strict as they should be in observing the great weighty duties of the Moral Law yet if they were strict and careful in observing the Ceremonial this would make some amends for their other great defects and herein we see the Ceremonial Law proved a great snare Thus our Saviour chargeth the Jews even whilest it was their duty to keep the ceremonial Law that they placed the observances of the ceremonial Law in the room of their obedience to the moral Law Ye pay tythe of Mint and Annise and Cummin and have omitted the weightier matters
of the Law Judgement Mercy and Faith these ought ye to have done and notto leave the other undone Matth. 23.23 and so in Isa 1. chap. ver 10. And this I think is the judgement of all Divines to have been the error of the Jews and Galatians Now let these three things be granted yet in the 4th place by way of direct answer to the objection Though the Ceremonial Lâ—w were apt to prove a Snare and actually did prove a Snare to the Jews and Galatians yet it was their natural inclination to Legality to a Legal way of treating with God for their Justification and acceptation that betrayed them into this Snare or that made it prove such a Snare to them For else the Ceremonial Law was in its true use and in the design of the Lord when he first gave it a great blessing unto the people of Israel it was a part of that Dispensation which is called their wisdom and their glory in the sight of the Nations Deut. 4.6 I say the Ceremonial Law was not in its own nature unavoidably such a snare as would lead them to a Covenant of Works nor in the design of God who gave it nay it was designed to be to them a sigurative Gospel and therefore though it was somewhat capable of being made use of to such an end to serve the turn and humor of a Legal Spirit yet none but those that were so addicted could have made such a perverse and destructive use of it or if it had been unavoidably I say make the supposition that it had been unavoidably such a dangerous snare to the Jews who had the Ceremonial Law given them from Mount Sinai yet the Gentile Galatians had not such a temptation to receive it with that veneration that the Jews had and having received the Gospel before and stil retaining the profession of it might have been well antidoted against the danger of it and yet they receive it suddenly in this noxious and mischievous use of it And for what reason can we imagine all this to have come to pass but because they were naturally disposed and exceeding apt to catch at any occasion of serving God as it were by the works of the Law or according to a Covenant of Works 5thly I say therefore that though we have not the Ceremonial Law of the Jews to prove a Snare to us yet we have this radicated inclination to a Covenant of Works which betrayed the Jews and Galatians by occasion of the Ceremonial Law into the prosecution of Justification by Works and this I think was formerly evinced from the example of the Jews and Galatians as by an induction 6thly As for the ceremonial Law perhaps it would be granted that if we had such reason to receive it as the Jews had before Christ when it was their duty to observe it or but such a seeming reason as the Galatians after their seduction thought they had perhaps it would be granted that if the case were so with us as it was with either of them that then we should be in great danger to do as they did and to vent that natural Legality or addictedness to the way of works which hath been evinced to be in all men in ceremonial observances Now let but so much be granted and then I have this to offer That though we are free from the ceremonial Law of the Jews know it abrogated by Christ's death yet we may stil have a like danger though not the same nay the Christian Church hath for many hundreds of years I shall not meddle with the present state of things I say the Christian Church hath for many hundreds of years together formerly been under as great a danger from ceremonies as the Jewâ— were in from the ceremonial Law and for proof of this I shal onely quote some passages out of the preface to the Book of Common-Prayer under the title Of Ceremonies why some be abolished and some retained where you have these besides other expressions Some Ceremonies are put away because the great excess and multitude of them hath so encreased in these later days that the burthen of them was intollerable whereof St. Austine in his time complained that they were grown to such a number that the estate of Christian people was in worse case concerning that matter then were the Jews and he counselled that such yoke and burthen should be taken away as time would serve quietly to do it But what would St. Austine have said if he had seen the Ceremonies of late dayes used amongst us whereunto the multitude used in his time was not to be compared This our excessive multitude of Ceremonies was so great and many of them so dark that they did more confound and darken then declare and set forth Christs benefits unto us There are other considerable passages concerning ceremonies in that Preface but this that I have transcribed serves sufficiently for my purpose and I suppose fully takes off the objection that since the ceremonial Law is down Christians cannot be in the same danger that the Jews Galatians were from ceremonies I have yet one more particular to add by way of answer to the objection and it is this in the seventh place That I verily believe though the Jews had had no such Law given them nor the Gentile-Galatians such a Law preached amongst them by the Jews nor had any such ceremonies ever been set up in the Church of Christ as the quotation speaks of yet both the Jews and Galatians and we all have such an inclination to such an earnest desire after the way of Works that without a strict hand over our selves from giving way to this natural disposition we should be all exceeding apt to find out some way or other of venting this humour either by inventing ceremonies and superisttions or doing the duties of the Moral Law superficially and yet resting upon them for our Justification As for duties or good works that are truly good though they may be abused after their performance by a spiritual pride adhering to them nay though they may perhaps be spoiled sometimes by an opinion of merit yet because I cannot think it possible for a man that doth exercise himself to serve God with a perfect heart to turn all his really-good Works into Legal-Works by an opinion of Merit I shal except this from being a third way in which Legality predominant may exert and shew it self But for the other two ways of invented ceremonies or superstitiuâ—s observances and an external obedience to the duties of the Moral Law I think the nature of man is so addicted to the way of Works that though there were no ceremonial Law amongst us at present either from God or men yet men would generally find out one or both of those ways to vent their Legality even to an opinion of merit in them This I shal shew to have been usually practised in the times of the Scripture and since and
is also called the Promise Faith then is made void the Promise made of none effect Rom. 4.14 And lastly to mention no more the Promises is the Law then against the Promises of God Gal. 3.21 the verbs To him that worketh not but believeth his Faith is counted unto him for righteousness Having given this Muster-Roll as it were of both parties I come now to some other Positions the first was this viz. 1. That there are but these two ways imaginable of fication there are but two sorts of Righteousness and so but two ways by which men do or with pretence of reason can seek Justification in else there had been more mentioned by the Apostle The second position is this 2. That these two wayes are quite opposite one to the other and inconsâ—stent one with the other that is as to the Justification of the same man at the same time nay if a man doth but seek to be justified by the one he cannot be justified by the other at the same time This opposition I have argued out for me expresly by the Apostle Rom. 11.6 If by Grace then it is no more of works otherwise Grace is no more Grace but if it be by works then it is no more of Grace oâ—herwise work is no more work Rom. 4.4 5. Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of Grace but of Debt but to him that worketh not but believeth his Faith is counted for righteousness 3d. Position is this The way of works was once and still in its own nature is a way of justification Rom. 7.10 The Commandment was ordained to be unto life yea this way was the ancient and the first of the ways of God in his dealing with man and seems to be natural and necessary to the primitive Estate of mankind For God made made man upright in his own Image of knowledg righteousness and true holiness and gave him the Law though not written in Tables of stone yet in his heart which was better else it had not been sinne to have committed Murther Adultery Stealth false-witness bearing Perjury Idolatry and what not in the Estate of innocency for where there is no Law there is no transgression God gave man a Law and surnished him with ability to have hept it to a tittle so that if he would he might have had the works of the Law to shew for himself The way of Justification by the â—aw unsolded and aâ—gued to be the first natural way of juslification at what time soever the Creator should have called him to account and all the time he and others had kept themselves innocent and holy they must have been acceptable to God he would have had respect to them and their works and they would have obtained this Testimony from God that they pleased him which was all that Enoch who was too good to live in the World had to shew for his justification And this had been enough for Adam or any other man to have produced for their Justification if Satan had at any time turned Accuser And thus living according to the Will of God they should have continued in the favour of God and perhaps after some term of years have been translated to some more happy an estate Then they might have gloryed without sinning that is they might have pleased themselves with such thoughts and speeches as these Happy are we that we took heed and care to please God and kept our selves innocent for now have we obtained a glorious reward we might have ruined our selves as we see the Angels have done We had a Power to have started aside from God but we have kept our selves from that mischief Such an innocent glorying as this and no higher glorying can I imagine lawful even in such a state was not forbidden by the Law of Works it was not excluded Rom. 3.27 Thus we see Justification is a a thing feasible and attainable by works by the Law if a man have the works of it Our Saviour and the elect Augels were justified by the Law Yea our Saviour Christ had the Works of the Law and the Law justified him and the Angels that kept their first estate they were doubtless approved by the Law of their Creation and had all the Apostate Angels turned Devils and false Accusers of them as they are of the Brethren their Works would have justified them in the sight of God Not that the good Angels had no other reward but what a Covenant of Works would allow and before the world though I say not that the good Angels have no other reward but what a Covenant of works allots But I doubt not to affirm That the good Angels were justified and rewarded by a Covenant of Works in as much as there was a full trial made when the other Angels fell of their voluntary obedience So that the Law in it self hath not only a power to justifie and reward but hath actually rewarded the observers of it those that had the righteousness of it Yea all the Work of our redemption by Christ was brought about onely with the good leave of the Law Christ must make a recognition and publikely own the Authority and Majesty that was still remaining in the Law acknowledgement must be made how that that had been offended and some reparation must be made unto the glory of God which was much impaired as it is a revenue from us in the transgression of the Law And this was the onely way decreed by God that the Law must satisfie it self upon him whosoever would undertake our Redemption and then the Law must justifie him all which it did upon our Saviour Which proves the unquestionable Power and Authority that the Law had in it to justifie man had he but the works of it But now let any man or Angel but sin If the â—aw be once broken in a tittle it can justifie no longer and the Law can justifie him no longer if he have but the least failing in obedience the Law can onely condemn this person Man or Angel whoever he be but I shall limit my self to mankind For this take that Scripture Gal. 3.10 Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the Book of the Law to do them So that if a man hath once sinned and yet seeks to be justified he must not seek justification by the righteousness of the Law any longer there comes a necessity of Grace Pardon Mercy which the Law hath not in it the Law hath no such thing as Grace or Pardon in it The Law onely saith He that doth them shall live in them and he that doth them not is accursed Now this Grace Mercy and Pardon which a man comes to have a necessity of upon his first breach of the Law is in the way of Faith which I have proved to be the opposite way of Justification to that of the Law It is of Faith saith the Apostle
justifie the ungodly as Faith can Rom. 4.5 How Faith receives pardon and what this Faith is I shall have best opportunity to discover in the following part of this Discourse in the mean time I reckon that I have established these two positions in the general that the Law is now no way of Justification and that Faith which is the way of Grace and Pardon is the only way left us which sufficiently appears from Reason and Example the Reason is that of the fall and sinfulness of mankind The Example is that of Abraham which may serve instead of all and that which is of kin to it viz. the Allegory of Hagar and Sarah Isaac and Ishmael together with all the Saints of the Old-Testament reckoned up in Heb. 11. To which as an overplus I may adde the reason of God's approbation of this way of believing and preferring this way before the reviving the old way of Works again And this we have Rom. 4.16 The reason why after there was once a necessity of pardon the Lord was pleased to continue the way of grace altogether Therefore it is of Faith that it might be by Grace When once man had fallen and so brought on a necessity of another way of Salvation if the Lord wouldshew so much mercy when once the way of Grace became necessary the Great God liked this way of Grace altogether not to pardon man and then set him up a new in the way of Works and the Lord liked the continuation of the way of Grace rather then re-introducing the old way that hereby he might have a great revenue of Glory from his Grace which would be shown in this way the Lord liked not so well that his Creature should come and as it were challenge his Justification and Salvation as a Debt which in the way of the Law he might have done To him that worketh the reward is not reckoned of Grace but of Debt The Lord liked not that the Creature should glory and boast that it had saved it self as in the way of Works it might have done for glorying is not excluded by the Law of Works but onely by the Law of Faith whereas this way of Grace excludes glorying and that indebtedness of God to the Creature and holds the Creature in continual debt and obligation to God When Paul would have had the Thorn in the flesh the Messenger of Satan taken off from buffeting him the Lord teacheth Paul to be contented with this answer My Grace is sufficient for thee for my strength is made perfect in weakness 2 Cor. 12 7 8 9. This way of believing taught Paul to depend upon the Grace and Strength of God by which the Lord received an Honour which he should not have had if the temptation had been suddenly taken off And this we find to be the great Reason alledged by the Apostle frequently in this subject God in the way of his Gospel-Grace goes quite cross to that way which man would have chosen for this very reason to hinder man's glorying and boasting so we have it 1 Cor. 1.28 29. The base things of the World and things which are despised hath God chosen to bring to nought the things that are that no flesh should glory in his presence And in the 30.31 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus who of God is made unto us Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption that according as it is written He that glorieth let him glory in the Lord So in Rom. 3. when the Apostle had shewed what God had declared to be his Righteousness even that of Faith Where is glorying then saith the Apostle It is excluded Again the righteousness of the Law and Works is called our own righteousness but Faith is called the righteousness of God Rom. 3.22 Now God will not allow that we should be justified by our own righteousness he will have another righteousness which is not our own that we may glory in him alone Having asserted and proved those two Positions That the Law is no way and that Faith is the onely way of Justification I come now to answer the objections that may be made against what I have asserted either in behalf of the Law or against the way of believing The great objection and that which contains almost all that can be mentioned is started by the Apostle Paul himself Gal. 3.19 Object Wherefore then serveth the law Wherefore then serveth the Law is the Law of no use then as you seem to make it For if it were once a way of life as you acknowledge and the Scripture affirms it was ordained to be unto life Rom. 7.10 and it be now no way unto life but the way of Faith onely is then you make it an old antiquated thing out of date out of use And the Apostle is sensible that this inconvenience would be objected Rom. 3.31 Do we then make void the Law through Faith But the meaning of the objection in Gal. 3.19 is chiefly this Wherefore then serveth the Law that is To what end or purpose was the Law given to the Children of Israel by Moses You assert say the objectors that as soon as Adam fell the Law became of no use to him nor any of his posterity in the matter of Justification but yet we find that the Law was given by Moses 2000. years after Adam's fall and it was given in the most glorious manner with the most astonishing glory that ever God appeared in at any time unto the World it was delivered by Angels with the voice of a Trumpet with Thundering and Lightning and Earthquakes so that the whole Mountain was of a fire and all the people saw and heard the thunder and fire and the voice of Words Yea God himself is said to descend upon the Mount in fire and speak with Moses Deut. 4.17 18 19 20. Heb. 18.19 20 21. And say the Objectors Whereas you seem to say in your third Position That the Law was onely a way of Justification to Adam The Scripture makes no mention that ever the Law was given to Adam but onely to the Children of Israel and when ever you have a comparison made between the Covenant of Works and the Covenant of Grace or betwixt the Lavv and Faith it is the comparing still of the Covenant vvith the Children of Israel under the Old-Testament and the Nevv-Covenant mad by Christ vvith his people under the Gospel So vve sind these two ways compared in 2 Cor. 3. throughout the chap. and Heb. 8. throughout that chapter but especially from v. 6. to the end In 2 Cor. 3. there the Law is indeed called a Ministration of death but yet it is the Law of Moses for in the same ver it is said to be written engraven in stones which is plainly the Law of the ten Commandments and that when Moses brought them to the people his countenance had such a glory and lustre upon it that the children of Israel could not
stedfastly behold his face ver 7. And this Law of Moses is called the Old-Testament ver 6. And this is that which is compared with the Gospel which Paul preached ver 12.13 Seeing that we have such hope we use great plainness of speech and not as Moses which put a vail over his face c. Ergo The Law reacht further then the days of Adam for a way of Justification for it was given to the Children of Israel by Moses and it was their Covenant or Testament and if it be done away it was not till the dayes of the Gospel by Christ according to that of the Apostle John 1 John 17. The Law was given by Moses but Grace came by Jesus Christ So in Gal. 3 23. Before Faith came we were kept under the Law shut up unto the Faith which should afterwards be revealed So in Heb 8.6 speaking of Christ But now hath he obtained a more excellent Ministry by how much also he is the Mediator of a better Covenant which was established upon better promises ver 7. For if that first Covenant had been faultless then should no place have been sought for the second but finding fault he saith Behold the dayes come saith the Lord when I will make a new Covenant with the House of Israel and with the House of Judah not according to the Covenant that I made with their Fathers when I brought them out of the Land of Aegypt And what Covenant was that I pray but the Law the Law of Moses ver 13. In that he saith a New Covenant he hath made the first old now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away From this whole context I conclude sayes the objector That the Law which is famously known to be the Law of Moses was a Conant till Christs time at least with the people of of God Jews and Proselytes and so a way of Justification which is quite contrary to your fifth and seventh Positions or else shew of what use the Law was when given to the Children of Israel besides this of being a way of Justification or a Covenant of Works which is all one Wherefore then serveth the Law Is it of no use now unto us Or rather wherfore then was it given to the Jews Was it of no use to them Was it not their Covenant And therefore must it not be their way of Justification Else shew how it would deserve the Name of the first or old Covenant or Testament Nay to adde a little more matter of Objection the Law hath the Language of a Covenant a condition annexed and that when it was given to the children of Israel and the Lord tells his people Lev. 18.5 after the delivery of the Law That if a man do these things he shall live And Moses is said by the Apostle Paul Rom. 5.10 in those words of Leviticus to describe a legal righteousness in opposition to the Righteousness of Faith For Moses describeth the righteousness of the Law that the man which doth those things shall live by them but the righteousness which is of Faith speakethon this wise that is in an opposite manner Therefore certainly saith the objection the Law when it was given by Moses was given as a way of Justification Nay our Saviour himself saith in Luke 10.28 speaking of the law of Moses This do and thou shalt live Therefore certainly the law is a way if not the onely way of Justification unto fallen man for those Jews then were fallen as well as we are now This is the objection which is indeed weighty and considerable and of purpose raised by the Apostle in the first great branch of it that it might receive an answer It consists of several branches to all which I shall endeavour to apply an answer in its place and first I shall begin with that part which is greatest which when well answered the rest will receive an easie solution and it is this For what ends or purposes was the Law given to the Children of Israel if not for a way of Justification Now as I gave the objection first in the Apostles words so I shall give you the answer to it in his words in that same Chap. Gal. 3. This great objection therefore the Apostle answers in the same way that our Saviour sometimes answered the cavilling Pharisees with a question all as hard or harder A You come saith the Apostle in a cavilling way against the Doctrine of Faith which we preach and tell me the law hath been a way and therefore is a way and the way of Justification and you tell me it was not onely a way to Adam in innocency but to all the people of God before that Jesus and we his Apostles preached up this way of believing And you go to prove this last thing that you say that it was the way to all the Saints of God till Christ's time which is the great thing that I deny by a meer cavil Forsooth else wherefore doth it serve Of what use else is it And I answer you with an harder question by far Wherefore then sereth the promise To what end serve the promises To what end serves the Gospel that was preached to Abraham Gal. 3.8 The Scriptute foreseeing that God would justifie the Heathen through Faith preached before the Gospel unto Abraham c. You ask To what end serveth the Law then And I ask To what end serveth the Gospel then that was preached to Abraham before the law was given Yea to what end serves the Covenant made of God in Christ to Aâ—braham and his Seed 430. years before ever the law was given by Moses ver 17. Shall I ever be induced to believe that when God had set up a way of Grace nay had established confirmed it in a Covenant not to Adam only who was a remote Father but to our Father Abraham and his Seed nay had confirmed it in Christ shall I think that the law coming by Moses 430 years after should disannul this Covenant and make the promise of none effect What did God repent of his being so gracious and set up a way that had no Grace and can have no Grace in it or was not the great God obliged to make good his Promise and Covenant Why if it be but a mans covenant yet after it is confirmed no man disannulleth or addeth thereto Now this was Gods Covenant and therefore saith the Apostle Gal. 3 15 16 17 18. that is This is the full scope and genius of his Discourse Finding thus a Covenant made and confirmed so long before I wil never believe it can never be that the law coming so long after should come in to put an end to it to make the way of Justification by Faith to cease What ever therefore the law came for this could never be the end of it And here the Apostle might have ended the enquiry having silenced the question by a greater For it is as certain
have had from God at times of further Discoveries This is the substance of the answer of the Apostle and this reason Because of transgressions you see was a weighty reason why the Law should be given to the Jews if God had any love for them to make them his people above all other Nations viz. to keep them from running out into these gross sins which otherwise they would and other Nations not having the Law did run out into C. 19. Ver. 19 20. He sheweth his Word unto Jacob his Statutes and his Judgements unto Israel he hath not dealt so with any Nation And as for his Judgments they have not known them for though the Work of the Law be written in every mans heart as the Apostle tells us Rom. 2.14.15 where he is speaking of the Gentiles yet men will not be at the pains to read or study what is written there neither would Israel have done it had not the Law been written for them in Tables of stone too they would not have known God's Judgements any more then other Nations had not God given his Law to them by Moses And this we see by the event for that notwithstanding this Law yet when they came amongst other Nations they ran into their abominations though they had express Laws against them what would they have done therefore if they had been wholly without this Law There was therefore a necessity at least a great requisitness of a Law to be given to Israel if God loved them and would manifest his love to them more then to any other people he could not do it in an higher instance then in giving them the Law Therefore you see the Law might be given for other reasons then this to be a way of Justification by the works of it I will shew further anon why the lavv vvas given with respect to transgression I shall onely in the mean time observe one or tvvo things further in the Apostles answer to the objection which I mentioned by the Name of cautionary circumstances in his Answer one is this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it was added non data sed addita est it is not said simply the Law was given but added because of transgressions Added to what Why to the Promises to the Gospel that vvas on foot before long before above 2000. years before in Adam's time 430. years before in Abraham's time it vvas added to the Covenant that vvas before confirmed of God in Christ and it vvas added not as a supplement for the Gospel vvas compleat in it self it saved thousands before ever the Lavv vvas given by Moses and it vvould have saved thousands more and might have served till the coming of Christ for all any absolute necessity that there vvas of it Onely if the Lord vvould be so gracious to his people of Israel above all Nations in the World to give them his Will in Writing at large that they might be the better contained in their obedience better then other Nations vvere This vvas the Lords Bounty and Grace to them but it is certain ' t vvas never given them to be so much as a necessary supplement to the Gospel that vvas before in the matter of Justification It vvas added onely occasionally as an useful Appendix not as a necessary supplement not vvith design to supplant but to serve the Gospel I have mentioned one of the limitations or cautionary circumstances vvhich the Apostle useth in his assigning the reason of the Lavv's being given As the law was given onely occasionally and additionally so it was but a temporary dispensation it vvas added there is another 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 until such time as the Seed should come As the Law was but occasionally and additionally given at first so it is but temporary in its continuance as there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in its beginning so there is an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a set-time of its continuance Here observe that though the Apostle doth allow that there was a weighty reason a great occasion of the Law 's being given yet he is afraid at the same time lest the Law should get too much advantage by this allowance of his and therefore gives these several terms of diminution whilest he speaks most for the honor of the Law Let us return now a little more to discover the mystery that is contain'd in that phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Law was added because of Transgressions for you shall find that there is much of mystery in it yet besides what I have mentioned What I have mentioned lyes more obvious that which remains is much more wonderful and mysterious yet expresly asserted by the Apostle in several places The Law therefore was added because of transgression in these three respects The Law was added because of transgression in three respects 1. To hinder transgression from being committed 2. To aggravate transgressions that were or should be committed And 3. ultimately to finish transgressions and make an end of sin by driving and directing the wounded sinner to a Saviour And all those three reasons are as I may say fundamental in the occasion of the Law its being added to the promises till the time that the Seed should come 1. The Law was added because of transgressions that is to hinder transgressions from being committed and the Law was added to hinder transgressions these two ways 1. As a large plain Rule to shew them what was their duty that so they might not run into transgressions through ignorance And 2dly as a fiery Law to deter them from sin and frighten them into their duty that so they might not run into transgressions through negligence 1. As a large plain Rule to shew them their duty This particular and this onely I insisted upon ere-while when I explained what was the substance of the Apostles Answer to the Objection and I shall add no more unto it 2dly It did not onely hinder transgression by informing them in their duty lest they should run into transgression through ignorance but as a fiery Law to deter them from transgression and to frighten them into their duty that they might not transgress through negligence though this doth not so much refer to the matter of the Law as to the manner of its delivery But yet this manner of its delivery is as much taken notice of by the Apostle and was as necessary almost as the matter of the Law it self Now this manner of its delivery with dread and terror consists of two things 1. Wherein consists the terror of the Law That it was delivered with thunderings and lightnings c. 2. That it was delivered much in the form of a Covenant of Works without that mixture of promises which the Gospel abounds with and these two things make up the terror of the Law of Moses and indeed this terror made up of these two parts is almost all that which is peculiar to their dispensation For else for
world now the whole World becomes guilty before God by the law and every mouth is silenced and stopped by it I do not say that the law as given to the Jews by Moses had this effect upon the Gentiles to whom it was not given but the Apostle tells us Rom. 2.15 how this came to pass that the law though not given to the Gentiles in the same manner as it was to the Jews did yet convince and condemn the Gentiles as well as the Jews because the effect and substance of the same law that was written upon Tables of Stone by Moses was written in the hearts of the Gentiles so that their thoughts did accuse them when they did evil as well as excuse them when they did well Now hence I draw an argument a minorâ—â— If the law written upon the hearts of the Gentiles though obscurely had yet an accusing and condemning power in it to them how might it well have upon the Jews to whom it was delivered plainly written and engraven in stones with thunder lightning earthquakes as is before expressed That which I have to add upon the third great end of the Law it's being delivered viz. to direct and bring the wounded sinner to Christ O How 〈…〉 Christ is by way of answer to this question How did the Law lead to Christ I shall give several answers unto this question and first of all The Law was our School-master unto Christ A. â—â— as the Dispensation of the Law made way for the Dispensation of the Gospel Sowre things make the sweet more pleasant Darkness makes Light more desirable Slavery and Severity makes Liberty more welcom Quineseâ—t servâ—re nescit imperare the School makes fair way for the University This consideration makes the succession of the Gospel to the Law more comely and it is insisted on very much by the Apostle in Gal. 4 for the seven first verses Ver. 3. When we were Children we were in bondage unto the Law but when the fulness of time was come God sent forth his Son to redeem us into liberty and to give us the spirit of sons Gal. 3 23. Before Faith came we were kept under the Law and kept under by the Law shut up unto the Faith which should afterwards be revealed wherefore the Law was our School-Master to bring us unto Christ that we might be justified by Faith but after that faith is come we are no longer under a School-Master it would now be an incongruous thing to be under a School-master any longer as it was very convenient that before we should be and thus the Law was a School-master unto Christ as John Baptist was by its severities to humble us and break our hearts and to make us 〈◊〉 people ready prepared for the Lord. And the beauty great conveniency of the succession of these two Administrations of the Law Gospel each to other appears still in the great work of Conversion upon every sinners heart where the same method is observed first to humble the soul by legal convictions then to make a discovery of Christ the Grace of the Gospel And this our practical Divines insist much upon in their Sermons and Treatises giving us this account of the Work of Grace upon the heart that first there is conviction compunction and humiliation all yet a legal work then Faith or Conversion And I do verily believe that the Spirit of God doth use this method though as all acknowledge not with the same degrees in every work of Regeneration And again they observe that as after the Gospel and Faith is come it is absurd to return to the Law of Moses in the whole Dispensation of it so they apply that Scripture Rom. 8.15 Ye have not received the Spirit of Bondage again to fear to this purpose That after men have received the Spirit of Adoption which in some degree every regenerate person hath received they receive not again the spirit of bondage to fear which they take to be a spirit of legal convictions preparatory to the Work of Conversion and indeed according to the Calvinist-principles it must needs be true that after they are regenerate they can never receive a spirit of Bondage again because a spirit of bondage is not Grace but onely preparatory to it and therefore men that have once been regenerate can never return to this Spirit without being emptied of all Grace But here it may be further queryed Q How did the Law direct those to Christ that lived and lived before Christ came that indeed it is not to be doubted that the Law in the dispensation of it made excellent way unto the Gospel for those that were to live in the days of the Gospel as we find in the Analogical succession of Law and Gospel in the Work of Grace but how was the Law a School-Master unto Christ to those that lived in the dayes of the Old-Testament Who dyed before Christ came How were they directed to Christ by the Law The Law might perhaps be a Ministration of death and desperation only to them How did the Law witness the righteousness of God by Faith unto them In answer I shall first of all premise these two things and then answer more directly 1. Negatively that to these it must not come to destroy the promise and the covenant that was made before nor the comfort of it It must not come to hinder but they might have as true saving comfort from the promises as the Saints before the Law had or else the Law had been against the promises which the Apostle denyes with a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. It must preach Christ to them as truly though perhaps not so clearly as it doth unto us Thirdly and more directly The Law did preach Christ to the Jews under the Old-Testament these two ways 1. Virtually or consequentially 2. Formally and expresly 1. Virtually as it convinced them all of their necessity of some other besides a legal Righteousness as I have shewn at large in explaining the second end of giving the Law because of transgressions 2. Expresly as it made mention of Christ and this it did either improperly figuratively in types and shadows or properly in the prophecies and promises of Christ Or the answer may be better given after this distinction of the Law A different acceptation of the Law in the Scripture The Law in Scripture amongst the various significations of it hath these two very eminent 1. It signifies the strict and bare command and so is naturally a Covenant of Works that hath no mercy or grace in it can onely justifie the righteous and condemn the transgressor and in this sence it hath been taken by me for the most part hitherto in my Discourse I have produced several places where it is taken in this sence in the Scripture Take that for instance As many as are of the works of the Law are under the curse as it is written Cursed
is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the Book of the Law to do them Gal. 3.10 2dly The Law is taken in a sence all as large as this is strict and that is for the whole Old-Testament So it is likewise taken in several Scriptures Gal. 4.21 Tell me ye that desire to be under the Law do ye not hear the Law For it is written that Abraham had two sons c. where the whole Book of Genesis is made a part of the Law again in Rom. 3. the Apostle makes the Psalms a part of the Law where having quoted a great part of the 14. Psalm in the 19. ver saith he Now we know that whatsoever things the Law saith c. and so in other Scriptures Now to apply the distinction in answer to the last query The Law strictly taken for a Covenant of Works did only teach Christ virtually and by consequence as it taught them that they could not be justified by its righteousness and thus for ought I know the Law in its accusations taught Christ to the Gentiles as it convinced them of the insufficiency of their own righteousness But now the Law in the second sense as taken for the Scriptures of the Old Testament taught Christ formally and directly though more obscurely then the Gospel teacheth him viz. in Types and Prophecies it were endless to reckon up all the Types Promises and Prophesies of Christ that are in the Old-Testament This way indeed the Law could not teach Christ unto the Gentiles who had not the Scriptures of the Old-Testament It is now high time and yet in this place seasonable enough to answer some other parts of the objection which I proposed at large some pages since which pleads for the Law its being a way of Justification unto the Jews at least before the coming of Christ if not to us now and something of that which remains yet unanswered Obj. 2. The Law was given to the Iews as their covnant is this If the Law was not given to be a way of Justification why is it called a Covenant the Old-Testament or Covenant 2 Cor. 3.14 and the first Covenant Heb. 7.8 expresly said to be made with the Children of Israel when the Lord took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Aegypt For whatever you have argued about Adam's estate of innocency that God made a Covenant of Works with him and that if he would he might have been justified by Works by the Law that since him all men have sinned and the Law was no way of Justification to them Whatever you have argued to this purpose say the objectors yet we find not that the Law was given to Adam but onely to the children of Israel by Moses and given to them as a Covenant therefore called the old Covenant or first Covenant in Heb. 8. out of Jer. 31.31 32.33 34. Therefore it was given them as a way of Justification for certainly the Justification that they were to seeke of God they were to seek in the way of a Covenant therefore in the way of the Law which was their Covenant To this I answer some things by way of concession A. 1. By way of concession in two particulars afterwards some things more concluding And first of all I grant that the Law is no where to my remembrance said to be given to Adam but onely to the children of Israel I am sure usually when mention is made of the giving of the law Where the law is said to be given it is to the children of Israel not to Adam Yet Adam had the Law and it was a Covenant of works to him 1. He had the Law it is likewise noted in the same place as given to the children of Israel by Moses so 2 Cor. 3 7. Heb. 8.9 1 Joh. 17. For the Law was given by Moses Gal. 3.19 Wherefore then serveth the Law It was added because of transgressions and it was ordained by Angels upon Mount Sinai in the hands of a Mediator viz. Moses Though when I make this concession that the Law is not said to be given to Adam but to the children of Israel by Moses I still think it may be easily collected from the Scriptures that Adam had the Law too and that it was to him a Covenant of Works 1. That he had the Law for 1. if Adam as a creature had not the Law written in his heart how came the Gentiles who had not the Law given them by Moses to have it written in their hearts 2. Else as I urged it before it had been no sin for man in innocency to have killed whom he pleased to have lyed forsworn himself to have defiled his own body by Adultery or other uncleanness for where there is no Law there is no transgression 3. If Adam had not the Law before his fall how came he to have it written in his heart presently after as it is certain he had for all other men have it so written and I cannot think that Adam alone wanted this excellency of all mankind neither do I think that he got this advantage by his fall to have the effect of the Law written in his heart which he had not written there before therefore he had it written in his heart before the Fall 2 It was to him a Covenant of works 2. It was a Covenant of Works to Adam in innocency For Adam then had no need of Grace or Pardon before his fall and I have proved that the Law is in its own nature a Covenant of Works and Adam had the Law therefore it was a Covenant of Works to Adam I deny not but Adam might have some positive Laws in his Covenant of Works as we find one viz. that of the forbidden fruit My second Concession is this That the Law was given to the Jews as a Covenant 2d Concession and where-ever mention is made of the Old-Covenant or First Covenant the parties covenanted withall are the people of the Jews So it is in 2 Cor. 3.6.14 in the 6. ver we have mention made of the New-Covenant which is that made by Christ in preaching the Gospel and in the 14th of the Old-Testament or Covenant which is that made with the Jews So in Heb. 8.6 7. the first Covenant is that which Moses was the Mediator of the second or better Covenant is that which Christ is the Mediator of this must not cannot be denyed and I have been often offended at persons that when they make a distinction of the Covenants a first and second old and new they make the first that with Adam in innocency the second the Covenant of grace made with the faithful ever since this though it may be true Divinity yet is not Scriptural or if it be somewhat Scriptural yet it is onely to be drawn by consequence out of the Scripture But there is another determination in this business that is more plainly
Scriptural in the words and phrases of Scripture which is that the first Covenant the old Covenant or Testament is God's Covenant with the Jews by Moses the new Covenant is that made with the faithful by Christ and what others aim at in that other way of stating the Covenants may be attained without that confusion which they make Having made two as fair Concessions as the objectors can desire A. 2. I come now to the determination of the question or repelling the Objection after I have minded you of a distinction of the Law which I lately gave and it was this That sometimes the Law is taken strictly for the bare command with the threatning annexed to the breach of it and the promise of life upon the strict obeence of it So it is in Gal. 3.10 sometimes it is taken for the whole Old-Testament as Rom. 3.19 where the Psalms of David are made a part of the law sometimes taken for the five Books of Moses as in Luke 24.44 where the Old-Testament is divided into these three parts The Law of Moses the Prophets and the Psalms Now I answer Take the Law in the first sence for a Covenant of Works strictly and so it was not given for a Covenant to the Jews for then it must have come in against the promises or the Covenant of God in Christ that was made before But take it in the second or third sense either for the whole Old-Testament as we call the Writings of the holy men of God till our Saviours time or for the five Books of Moses the dispensation by Moses from the Mount and this I confess was a Covenant to them but then it was a Covenant of Grace and indeed contained in it all the promises that were given before it that traditional Gospel which Abraham and the holy Patriarchs before him were saved by is inserted in the Law of Moses else it had been a vain thing for the Apostle Paul to have undertaken to prove Justification by Faith out of the Old-Testament yea out of the Law of Moses for as a man cannot bring a clean thing out of an unclean so neither can he bring Gospel out of pure Law if therefore the Law of Moses had not been a Covenant of Grace the Apostle could never have proved Justification by faith out of it which yet he doth not onely by strained consequences but as there professedly Abraham believed God saith he and it was imputed to him for righteousness they therefore which are of Faith are blessed and justified with faithful Abraham Galathians 3. ver 6 7 9. which is as fair an Enthymema as can be and every Sophister can supply the Proposition that is wanting St. Paul proves Justification by Faith by two great Arguments out of Genesis the first Book of Moses viz by Abraham's Justification and the Allegory of Hagar and Sarah which I explained and urged before Nay the Apostle makes a great affirmation indeed which is this that even Moses himself the great law-Law-Covenant Mediator doth in his Writings give a clear distinction of the two Covenants of Works and Grace shews us the tenour of one Covenant and another When he had produced the Allegory of Hagar and Sarah out of Genesis saith he Alas Moses in this Story gives you Allegorically the two Covenants Gal. 4 21. to the 24. But the chief place for proof of what I have said is Rom. 10.5 6. for Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the Law That the man which doth these things shall live by them Lev. 18.5 But the righteousness which is of Faith speaketh on this wise Say not in thine heart who shall ascend up into Heaven c. and so goes on in the words of Moses Deut. 30.12 13 14. Here we see Moses in his Writings delineates and describes the two ways of Works and Grace of the Law and Faith and it is proved out of the same â—oses that the Law is no way to justifie sinners Now I shall but draw out the Apostles Argument which I suppose to be this Moses describes two ways of Justification that by the Law and that by Faith that by the Law Moses tells you is no way for sinners because you must continue in all things or you are accursed therefore certainly he described the way of Faith too that ye might betake your selves unto it for justification and life therefore the Law take it either for the whole Old-Testament or for the Dispensation by Moses and it was a Covenant indeed with the Jews but it was a Covenant of Grace for in it Moses describeth the way of Grace that his Disciples might adhere unto it But here you will object still Well 3 Object if Moses his Dispensation or Covenant which he was the Mediator of was a Covenant of Grace and not of Works for Justification why is it called a killing Letter a Ministration of Death a Ministration of Condemnation as it is 2 Cor 3.6 7 9. Why is the Lord said to find fault with it and so to abrogate it and make a new Covenant Heb. 8 7 8. By this it should seem to be a Covenant of Works for else God would not have found fault with a Covenant of Grace nor abrogated it To this I answer 1. Here observe That this 〈◊〉 no Jewish Argument for they would not acknowledge that their Law is a ministration of death whilest they seek life by it nor yet a ministration of condemnation whilst they seek justification by the righteousness of it but it is a cavil or objection against the Apostle Paul who calls the Law a ministration of death and condemnation and yet acknowledgeth that it was the Jews covenant and that Moses in it describeth the righteousness of Faith 2dly I answer That these two are very consistent it might prove a ministration of death to them and yet be a way of grace and life in it self so is the plainest Gospel in the World a savour of death unto the disobedient and unbelievers that yet is certainly in the great intendment of it a way of grace and life 3dly The Law proved a ministration of death to many of them because they mistook it for a covenant of works though it were not given with that intention they did not see the Grace that was contained in it There was a vail upon their heart and is to this day upon the hearts of many of the Jews their minds were blinded so that the Children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is alolished they could not see Christ the end of the Law 2 Cor. 3.13 14 15. 4thly There is thus much indeed to be said concerning the dispensation it self that it was dark and obscure the children of Israel had not onely blinded eyes and a vailed heart but Moses had also a Vail upon his face ver 13. which was one reason they could not see that Grace which was in his Dispensation Moses had a vail over
and this was the Commandment which that day Moses commanded them Lastly Another thing in this Paragraph that will not seem perhaps to some to look like Gospel is this That all the comfort of this Gospel by Moses lies in Doing This Commandment saith he is not far off but in thy heart and in thy mouth that thou mayest do it and so obtain life and justification by it This seems to look right like that place in Levitious so often mentioned where Moses is said to describe a Legal Righteousness The man that doth them shall live in them And so in all the Chapter after there is blessing if they do the command and cursing if they do not this to some may not look like Gospel But yet here is the Gospel and therefore wherein doth it lie VVherein is the Gospel expressed in this place of Deut. or how will it appear I have shewed wherein it cannot lie or doth not seem to lie I will shew yet wherein it must be expressed and wherein it is visibly expressed and that is in that easiness which Moses doth so much insist upon in this Scripture of doing the Commandment The Commandment for the matter of it was perhaps the same with the Covenant of Works and Doing partly at least brought in the reward of it that is Justification But is this the Language of a Covenant of Works think you to fallen man such as the Israelites were The Commandment is easie there are no such difficulties in keeping it as you may imagine ye shall not need to climb as high as Heaven after it nor to coast all Lands and compass the Ocean for it propose no such vast undertakings to thy self for the accomplishment of it for thou needest not the Word is nigh thee in thy mouth that is near yea but nearer yet in thine heart that thou mayest do it and thou mayest do it with ease and sweetness No I have shewn at large that the Covenant of Works or the Law taken strictly as a way of Justification serves now to sinners onely to terrifie their Consciences with laying home its charge it hath no such comfortable words in it nay I shewed out of the Scripture that it is an utter impossibility that the Law should be done by a sinner so as to justifie him A man might as well climb up to Heaven or compass the vast Ocean yea to add another impossibility which the Apostle adds in his Paraphras upon this Text in Deut. a man might as well descend into the infernal Abyss and make a resurrection as be justified by the Law This therefore cannot be the Language of the Law But now take the keeping the Law in a Gospel-sence as perhaps that Rom. 8.4 is to be understood where the righteousness of the Law is said to be fulfilled in us that walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit and then the Gospel in this Scripture is obvious it is easie to keep the Law now even that commandment which Moses commanded them even the Moral Law that is to keep it sincerely not exactly to a tittle but in the substance of it This Word therefore which Moses means when he says The word is nigh thee as the Apostle adds in his Paraphrase must be the word of faith which he preached The Word is nigh thee that is not the Word of the Moral law taken in its utmost exactness to be fulfilled to a tittle this is not nigh thee it is as far as Heaven further then either of the Indies further then Hell it self thou sinner canst never attain unto it to do it But yet the Word of the same Commandment in a moderated sense in the gracious acceptation of God where sincere obedience is accepted for unerring observance of it This Word is nigh thee even in thy heart and in thy month that thou mayest do it and it is saith the Apostle the Word of Faith which we preach this the new creature can undertake with the assistance of God even the keeping the Commandments of God in an Evangelical manner through Faith which works by Love Here thou dost not claim thy wages upon thy doings as if they deserved it or as if they answered the letter of the Law and so thou comest not to the Law for thy Justification but though the great Rule of thine obedience be the Law yet thou goest to the Gospel for thy Justification thou comest by Faith to the Promise and Goodness and Grace of God for thy Justification And indeed there is nothing but Faith will encourage thee in such a keeping of the Law as this is The Law strictly taken will dishearten thee that will thus reason the case with thee VVhat are all thy works what is all thy obedience so long as thoughast broken such and such a Commandment hast omitted such and such a duty What is thy sincerity good for What is thy good meaning and real intention worth I must have a full task performed I must have unerring never-failing obedience or else I must curse thee with all the curses which thou findest written against sinners Now the Soul by Faith thus answereth the Law 'T is true were I to stand to thy award it must be all as thou hast said but I am upon other terms with the Lord for my Justification I am upon terms of Grace and Mercy of which there are no footsteps in thy whole way of Justification and though I was born under thy power yet I have a Saviour that hath freed me from under it by suffering the penalty for my breach of it and now I am assured That if I walk faithfully and deal honestly with God endeavouring in sincerity to walk after the Spirit to do all the Wills of God from the heart my sincere obedience will now be as well accepted as unerring obedience would once have been Thus you see Faith bears off from coming to a legal-Justification and Faith bears up the Soul against all expostulations of the Law with it and against all the accusations of Satan in the Conscienc and yet doth keep the soul intent upon the design of universal obedience to the pure and holy Law of God Faith requires thy obedience to the Law the preaching of Faith doth establish the Law and yet the Law in this moderated sense onely observed requires thee to go or rather takes for granted that thou goest to Grace Mercy and Pardon by Faith for that thou art not an exact Doer of the Law So I have shewn how this place in Deut. seems to speak Law yet must be understood to speak Gospel and what Gospel that is which it speaks Yet I may not expect to go off without opposition in this interpretation and I am sensible that these two or three things will be objected against me 3 Objections against the interpretation of Deut. 30.11 12. 1. That I make Faith too easie a business as if those that could not keep the Law are yet able to
believe whereas some think it as hard a business to believe as to keep the whole Law 2. They 'l say That I make the Gospel but a Covenant of works in a new dress and substitute Evangelical obedience in the room of Legal as the matter of our Justification 3. They may perhaps add that I leave out the great Gospel-mysterie which according to the Apostle is contained in Deut. and that is Christ That which Moses expresseth thus the Commandment which I command thee is not in heaven that thou shouldst say Who shall ascend for us into Heaven bring it unto us that we may hear it and do it The Apostle Paul expresseth thus Who shall ascend for us into Heaven that is to bring Christ down from above or who shall descend into the deep that is to bring up Christ again from the dead But what saith it The Word is nigh thee even in thy mouth and in thy heart and leaving out that thou mayest do it he addeth the Word of Faith which we preach that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shall believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved Here we see the Apostle sinds Christ in all that speech of Moses and it was Faith on him that justified therefore it was not a keeping of the Law according to sincerity instead of unerring obedience which Moses meant and so the exposition given of Moses is useless Now I shall answer first this last objection against the interpretation of Moses his Covenant of Grace and then come to the other two objections and I shall do it in the words of truth as I hope I am sure in the words soberness The last objection first answered 1. I do believe all this which the Apostle adds by way of Paraphrase to agree wel with the words of Moses 2. That yet I cannot believe that any ordinary Saint or any other then some mightily inspired by God like an Apostle could have understood all that in Moses his words when they were first delivered viz. That Christ should descend into the deep and after that be raised from the dead and ascend into Heaven because Moses sayes Say not in thine heart Who shall ascend for us into Heaven and bring the Word from thence that we may hear it and do it Or because Moses sayes Who shall go for us beyond the Seas and bring the Word unto us Neither can I believe that it was their duty in Moses's time to confess with their mouth the Lord Jesus or to believe in their heart that God had raised him from the dead a thing which was not at that time true I say I do not think it was their duty to believe it because to us it is contained in the Word of Faith to wit the Gospel which the Apostle preached Neither do I believe that it was a necessary duty of that time so much as to believe that God would raise Christ from the dead and that for this reason For all the Apostles in the dayes of Christ's Flesh were ignorant of this Mystery yea did not believe it or understand it after Christ had told them of it as is very plein in Luke 18. from 31. to 35. The reciting the words of that Text is plain proof enough without urging them by force of Argument 31. Then he took unto him the twelve and said unto them Behold we go up to Jerusalem and all things that are written by the Prophets concerning the Son of Man shall be accomplished Ver. 33. They shall scourge him and put him to death and the third day he shall rise again Now it is said ver 34. that they understood none of these things and this saying was hid from them neither knew they the things that were spoken Therefore certainly these things were not necessary to be known and believed in Moses his time And therefore though there be so much Gospel contained in that Text of Deut. to us now that the Apostle hath discovered it unless we will say they are additional glosses upon that Text of Moses which perhaps may prove no false Divinity I say Permit all that be contained to us in that Text of Deut. which St. Paul hath discovered in it yet by them under the Old-Testament as I think there could be no more understood then this That they were not to lay it upon themselves as absolutely necessary to salvation and so unto Justification to keep the whole Law in the strictness of it but that they were to minde the keeping of it from their heart to turn unto the Lord their God with all their heart and with all their souls and so to keepe his Commandments and his Statutes which are written in this Book of the Law as it is ver 10. immediately preceding those Verses in Deut. 30. where the righteousness of Faith is said to be described and this to do to keep the Law with all their heart sincerely they should find easie and pleasant whenas for a strict Covenant of Works Do this and thou shalt live they would find it an unsupportable yoke and burthen Now I come to answer those other two objections against my interpretation The first answered the first is this That I make Faith too easie athing in comparison of keeping the Law whereas many good men judg it a hard to believe as to keep the whole Law I answer 1. That indeed I do think the way of Faith to be an easier way in it self then keeping the whole Law For I ask any sober man Whether it be not easier to keep the Law in a sincere manner that is to guide my actions onely by the rule of it and honestly to endeavour toconform to it though in some things I fail if this be not easier then the exact keeping the Law to a tittle The question I suppose is answered as soon as made Why then I say I look upon the way of believing to be this Corning to God humbling my self for my sins addicting my self to his service and walking faithfully with him The description 〈…〉 and in this way of well doing seeking for glory honour and â—mmortality In one word It is an Honesty to God upon terms of Grace and I being honest and true to him doubt not of his faithfulness to me for pardoning my sins and providing for me here and saving me here after Erge if this be Faith for proof of which I refer to my interpretation and require a better or fairer in confutation of it I say if this be faith then the way of Faith is easier then keeping the whole Law 2. But yet I have not said that though it be easier yet it is in a mans own power to believe it is not iâ— a man 's own power to move a finger without God and it is equally impossible without God to move a singer and to remove a Mountain yet there is no man in his right
wits but will acknowledge that it is easier in it self to move a singer then to remove a Mountain The last objection is this But then you substitute Evangelical works in the room of Legal and so still you turn the Gospel The second objection answered which is called the Law of Faith into a Covenant of Works Now for this objection I confess it hath some weight in it though for those that make it they are usually soaring in high notions and strangely wedded unto their own apprehensions and are somewhat of an Antinomian strain yet I will acknowledge that it may be made by a sober man I should prevent my self in what I have to say in the following part of this Treatise if I should answer it at large in this place yet to give some taste of an answer here I make this distinction That there are indeed two wayes of running upon a Covenant of works either in whole or in part Two ways of running upon a Covenant of Works 1. Either upon a Covenant of Works purely and strictly so none durst touch or meddle with it 2. Upon it in part so as to mix it with the Gospel A. Now I answer therefore That indeed our great care is to be laid out about avoiding of these mixtures of legality in our treating with God for Justification and that is the great design of this Treatise to caveat us against these mixtures which we are very apt to be saulty in as I hope they shall see in the sequel of my Discourse that please to go on in it Hitherto we have seen that there is Gospel in the Law of Moses and what this Gospel in the Law is as also that the reason why it was delivered by Moses could be no other but to put his Disciples upon the way of believing for Justification There are many other places in Moses especially in the Book of Deut. that have much Gospel in them I shall onely add one Allegorical or Typical Argument which yet I think hath much evidence in it to prove that the Law of Moses had Gospel in it it is this That the Law of the two Tables when it was written the second time by Moses from the mouth of God or else by the singer of God himself are ordained by God to be put in the Ark and the Ark to be put under the Mercy-seat and Cherubims to cover the Mercy-Seat and the presence of God eminently promised to be found between those Cherubins Exod 25.21 22. Thou shalt put the Mercy-Seat above upon the Ark and in the Ark thou shalt put the Testimony that I shall give thee and there I will meet with thee and I will commune with thee from above the Mercy-Seat from between the two Cherubims which are upon the Ark of the â—estimony of All things c. Hence I frame this argument If the Law be hid in the Ark which alone seems to be an instrument of Salvation and this Ark placed under the Mercy-Seat the Greek word for which being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is in Rom 3 25. applyed to Christ and translated Propitiation whom God hath set forth to be a Propitation through Faith in his Blood and the presence of God eminently promised to them upon this Mercy-Seat or Throne of Grace then the Law which was in its own nature a Covenant of Works and to sinners a killing-letter was yet to the Israelites shrowded and covered with Grace and Mercy Mercy rejoicing against or triumphing over Judgement Jam. 2.13 and they defended and protected from the wrath and curse of it by a gracious presence of God with them that Christ's offering was interposed betwixt the Law and them and that this was in some sort though more darkly then to us signified and discovered to them and so that the law was never given them with this design that they should seek Justification by it as a Covenant of Works I have done with the objections of the Jews which may be made against my first Position that Justification is not cannot be by the Law that it is and must be by faith all which were made by occasion of the Old-Testament Dispensation chiefly the giving of the Law by Moses I shall before I conclude the more Doctrinal part of my Treatise only mention an objection which might be made on behalf of the Gentiles against Justification by Faith and for Justification by the Law And it is this You have said that the Law of our Creation is naturally a Covenat of Works The objection in behalf of the Gentiles against Justification by Faith and that the Gentiles had the Law or the effect and substance of it written in their hearts and we read not of any Promises that they had therefore either they could not be justified at all or they must be justified by the law I answer 1. All are not of Opinion that the Heathens were in a justifiable condition till Christ was explicitely and plainly preached to them and for those that are not of it they will meet with no difficulty in this Objection for if the Heathens could not be justified at all it ceaseth the enquiry which way they were to be justified 2. Some are of Opinion That God never made any creatures under an utter impossibility of pleasing him and being made happy by him 3. Therefore in a consonancy to my preceding Discourse I say If it can be made appear that the Heathens without the law of Moses and the Scriptures tures of the Old-Testament could not discover so much of the Goodness Grace Mercy and Love of God to mankind as upon which to ground a lively hope an unfeigned and operative faith that God was ready upon their repentance and amendment of life to forgive their sins and to be at peace with them the second opinion is to be avoided and the first received For I do verily believe that if the Heathens were any of them saved or in a possibility to be saved and justified it must be by their treating of God in the way of believing for that the law was rendred utterly weak and unable to â—ustifie so much as one sinner Now because I do not think it convenient in this place to engage in that controversie Whether or no the Gentiles were in a salvable condition I shall neither produce the Scriptures which seem to prove they had sufficient Gospel-light to produce Faith which they must have if they were saved nor the others which would seem to prove that they had no such light Now to conclude this first part having proved it ex hypothesi on the Gentiles part that if any of them were saved it must be by faith and absolutely as to the Jews notwithstanding all the objections to the contrary that they were under a Covenant of Grace and that the law was never given to them to put them upon seeking Justification by the works of it The first great Propositions which were under demonstration still
stand firm and unshaâ—en That the law is no way to sinners for Justification That Faith is a way and the onely way and that God hath set up this way without which all mankind must have perished and that he hath led his people in this way throughout all ages before the law and under the law that as they were all under sin by the law so they were likewise under the discoveries of Grace for their Justification by Faith I come now to some more practical and experimental inquiries which I shall introduce with an use of Conviction and Reprehension from the Doctrinal part of the foregoing Discourse VVE have seen in the foregoing Discourse that there are but two wayes of Justification the one by Works the other by Faith that these two are opposite one to the other that the Law or Works is now no way to fallen man but Faith onely that all that ever were justified were justified by faith even Abraham and David and all the Saints of God under the Old-Testament all the Saints before the giving of the law by Moses and ever after yea the Gentiles themselves if any were saved must be saved this way An use Conviction and Reproof How greatly then are they mistaken that even under the Gospel will needs be justified by Works This falls with clear evidence of conviction and reprehension upon such a generation of men and yet such there are in abundance who would think it even at this day yea the greatest part of professors run this way Although man be turned out of Paradice which was his place of Justification by Works and at the door a Cherubin be set with a flaming Sword to dispute the passage yet they will needs enter again though they venture life and soul and all Though Mount Sinai be covered all over with smoke though they hear the thunderings see the lightnings feel the Earth quake at a distance and be forbid to approach the Mount yet they wiâ— make up towards a cousuming fire that wil certainly devour them Though one way of Justification be impossible so that the Apostle professeth That if there had been a Law given which could have given life verily righteousness should have been by the Law Gal. 3.21 I say though one be absoluteâ— impossible and the other way easie yet they wiâ— leave the easie way and take that way which is no passable way at all Yea though after they are entred upon that way they feel themselves lasheâ— and galled and stung as it were to death with fierâ— Serpents in a Wilderness and Labyrinth of guilts and pressures of Spirit yet they will not be beaten off from going this way but onely a very few of them They run still upon the Pikes and press upon the thick Bosses of God's Bucklers Yea â— thing stranger yet Though the law it self preach faith yet those that pretend to very great skill it the law and are called great boasters of the lawâ— they will not believe the law in this particularâ— though the law give witness to the way of believing yet they will understand the law as giving testimony rather to its own way of Justification Now to set home this Conviction and Reprehension Consider that there are these four great iniquities found in a legal Spirit 1. An horrible perversness and self-willednefs When God would have them go one way they will go another 〈◊〉 right cousness of God is revealed in the Gospel from faith to faith as it is written The Just shall live by Faith Rom. 1.17 And they give God the lye and say The Just shall live by Works and will go the quite opposite and contraty way 2. Here we see their intollerable pride which is the root of this self-willedness they will not be justified by Gods Righteousness but by their own Righteousness they prefer their own Way to God's their own dis-approved Works to God's approved Way of Righteousness 3. Here we see the sottish senselesness and brutish fool-hardiness of these men for in doing thus they are as a Ship that runs her self upon a Rock as a Moth that flyes at the Candle they perish every Mothers Child of them that thus steer their course 4. See the high dis-ingenuity that there is in this way of theirs What do they herein but spurn at the very bowels of their Heavenly Father When God had found man fallen by his own voluntary defection he might have left him as he did the fallen Angels to have perished for ever but he was graciously resolved not so to lose his creature but finds out a way how he might recover his creature Man again in which certainly there are most admirable contrivances of Wisdom Power and Mercy and he proposeth terms of Reconciliation he offers his Sons blood bids the sinner but come and humble himself and ask pardon and return to his Allegiance and trust in him for Pardon Grace and Perseverance to Eternal life No saith the Legal self-Justificiary I have never sinned I have deserved no anger no displeasure I need no pardon no mercy I have no need of the blood of Christ I say all this and a great deal more which were not fit to be expressed must lie as in the Seed and in the Root in a Legal Spirit though perhaps it may never come directly to such expressions nor actual imaginations for let any one but imagine what would be the Language of a sinner that seeks not Justification by Faith Grace and Mercy but by the Law which can justifie none but for perfect and unerring obedience and I think I may say it can be no other but such as I have mentioned or fat worse it must be onely a deal of blasphemy against the Grace of God as useless and needless against the person of Christ as coming into the World to save sinners when there was no need oâ— a Saviour c Now to have these things lye in his heart at the bottom though but as in a spawn not perfected or come to the birth how odious must it needs be in the eyes of God and good men And yet all this lies in a legal-Spirit for which they justly lie under a severe reproof from the foregoing assertions Obj. But surely may some say there are no such men as these you mention there are none that pretend themselves perfectly holy there are none but think they stand in need of pardon we all cry God mercy for our sins and why should you say that men are generally apt to do thus to seek Justification by Works and that most professors run this way I answer Ans 1. That it is true few men profess to go this way amongst us and perhaps few ever except those that do or have held perfection in this life and that as a thing necessary to salvation did profess to expect salvation by the Law as a Covenant of Works in the strict sense of it 2. That yet there are very many and as I
the Law of Moses And this the Apostle aggravates so that he seems to make it a worse business in the dayes of their knowledge thus to go off to the Law then in the days of their ignorance to serve Idols Thus you have seen their Disease now for further proof yet that this was their distemper we may observe that the Apostle applies several arguments by way of remedy which were proper onely for this distemper in that one chap. Gal. 3. I shall observe mine several Arguments sive of which are contained in the first five verses of that chap. and are more particular and experimental for the conviction of the Galatians the minor of every ' yllogism being evident in their experience the major evident in its own nature or from Scripture the other four being sufficiently convincing to every man and of no particular concernment to them more then others in ver 1. Who hath bewitched you that you should not obey the truth before whose eyes fesus Christ hath been evidently set forth as if he had been crucified amongst you Makes this syllogism They who had Christ clearly preached to them so as if he had been crucified before their eyes should not for shame go off to the Law But you have had Christ thus clearly preached Ergo 2d Argument in the 2d ver Ye received the Spirit by this plain preaching of Christ which ye never did by your Law-Preachers This one would think was a mighty Argument to them This onely would I learn of you Received ye the Spirit by the works of the Law or by the preaching of Faith The Syllogism They that have received the Spirit by the preaching of Faith should not for shame go off But you have received Ergo 3d. Arg. in ver 3. Are ye so foolish having begun in the Spirit are ye now made perfect in the flesh 'T is a disgrace for wise men to begin in any way and alter their way at all before they make an end but it is a higher disgrace to begin in a better way and end in a worse to begin in the Spirit and to end in the Flesh As much as Spirit doth excel Flesh their Horses are Flesh and not Spirit Isa 31.3 so much doth the Gospel-way of Justification excel the Legal The Syllogism is this They that have once begun in a more excellent way then the Law is should not go off to the Law but you have begun in a more excellent way viz. the Spirit Ergo 4th Arg. from the 4. ver Have ye suffered so many things in vain if it be 〈◊〉 in vain They had not onely embraced the Gospel and begun in the Spirit to do something but they had suffered many things from the persecuting Jews for professing a pure Gospel-way and now would lose all their sufferings 5th Arg. from the 5th ver He therefore that ministreth to you the Spirit and worketh miracles among you doth he it by the works 〈◊〉 the Law or by the hearing of Faith The Law-Preachers could neither administer the Spirit to their Hearers nor yet work miracles in proof of what they delivered both which the Apostle had done and their present Minister Epaphrus did do and yet they were so mad upon the Law and the way of Justification by works that they were ready to shake off the Gospel for the insupportable burthen of the Law There are ye see at least five Arguments in the compass of five verses proper to them and all five proposed in the way of interrogation to express the Apostles vehemency his trouble at their desection his strange admiration at it his longing for their recovery all which this interrogation-form implies Then the Apostle proceeds to general and universal Arguments not of such particular concernment to them such as I have in my former Discourse urged viz. the example of Abraham from the 6. to the 10. from the nature of the Law requiring strict obedience or else accursing the sinner ver 10. from an express proof out of the Old-Testament Hab. 2.4 The just shall live by Faith therefore not by the Law saith the Apostle for the Law is not of Faith 11 12. And then comes in that great Argument which I have so largely insisted upon That there was a Covenant of Grace on foot before ever the Law was given by Moses which could not be broken therefore the Law came not in for a way of Justification else it must have disannulled this Covenant from the 15 to the 1. I now recollect and argue Here you see that not onely the Jews but the Gentiles desired to be under the Law would needs be justified by the works of the Law else the Apostle had disputed largely and strenuously against no Enemy Nay the Galatians though they never had had the Law before but onely first Heathen Idolatry and then a pure Gospel and received it with joy and admiration and great intensness of affection received the Spirit through the Ministry of it suffered much for the profession of it begun wel and did run wel yet though they had begun in the Spirit no sooner came the Law-Preachers among them but they turned from St. Paul who had called them unto Christ like fools and men bewitched unto another Gospel that is unto a Law-Gospel The Law-Preachers no sooner came amongst the Galatians but they turned the very Gospel which the Apostle had preached and they received into so much Law so that there ye might have seen Christians to be the pure Disciples of Moses nay far worse then the true Seed were in Moses's time Now from hence I infer the first assertion in the coviction viz. That there have been and therefore may be such a generation of men that notwithstanding the preaching of the Gospel nay and the profession of the Gospel are legal in the business of Justification followers of the Law seek to be justified by works and also that we are very apt to run into this way without much care and caution Who would ever thought that the Galatians that had so many reasons to engage them to keep in that way of Faith should ever have turned carnal and fleshly in the business of Justification Certainly this Apostacy of theirs argues a great aptitude in humane nature to this way unless you will think that the Galatians were of another make from all the men in the world I shall add somewhat moreof proof to this proposition and the parts of it by and by only I must first enter upon the explication of the 2d thing proposed viz. Wherein this legality lyes or wherein the great inistake lies that so many should seek to be justified by a Covenant of Works and yet acknowledge themselves sinners and in the explication of this there will new proof arise to the first Proposition viz. That men are generally addicted to the way of works 2dly 2d parâ—iculâ— in the conâ—iction viz. wherein 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I Negaâ—vel Therefore it comes to be explained wherein
the Law for a righteousness Here was a great mixture you see of Gospel with their way And in the 3d. ver of Gal. 5. we see they thought it was not their duty to keep the whole Law but that I have spoken to already in ver 4. You may see yet the strangest mixture of Gospel in their way which yet the Apostle calls Legal that can be imagined for they did profess themselves all this while they so cryed up the Law were such admirers of it and Votaries to it they did profess themselves to be under Grace to be in the way of Grace Gal. 5.4 Christ is become of none effect unto you whosoever of you are justified by the Law â—e are fallen from Grace that is from the way of Grace and Mercy to be upon perfect strict exact terms with God Ye renounce the Grace of God the benefit of Christ's death Christ can do you do good let your false Preachers call what they preach Gospel while they will and you may think you are removed to another and better Gospel then what you received from me chap. â— v. 6 7 8. But there is no other Gospel but what I preached Some indeed have perverted the Gospel of Christ and made it a mongrel thing but it 's Name now muse not be Gospel any longer but Law and Works not Grace and Gospel Here you have â—â—en that they did not only avoid the rigor of the Law in exacting perfect obedience to a tittle but did take in the Gospel-Principles into their way of Justification such as the Death of Christ and the Grace of God and yet these were legal all this while else the Apostle had disputed impertinently where he had no Adversary Now what was that which soured all their Gospel which made their Grace no Grace and their Christ no Christ and made them perfect Debtors to the Law thus unexpectedly to themselves but this that they went to make a compromise betwixt the Law and the Gospel in the matter of Justification they would join them together that were as irreconcilable as fire and water The Law is not of Faith if it be of Grace then it is no more of works otherwise work is no more work Now by reasoâ— of the incompossibility and incompatibleness of these two in their * For else as the Elements are said to be mixed in a natural body losing their proper forms so the Lâ—w and Gospel will well mix one of them viz. the Law losing as I may say its natural form of a Covenant of works may be well reconciled to the Gospel and mixed with it for the matter of it proper and precise notion and nature they that mix these two must destroy one of them they can never agree togegether in this business of Justification any otherwise then heat and cold agree in water that look unto what degree the one is there the other is expelled so much as there is of cold so much there is wanting of heat and so much as there is of heat so much there is wanting of cold so here so much as there is wanting of legality in any heart so much there is of a Gospel-Spirit é contra Now because these Jews and Galatians did more hanker after the Law then after the Gospel though they owned many Gospel-principles and durst not own the Law in the strictness of it yet their predominancy of inclination to the Law for righteousness justly gave them the denomination of Legal as the predominancy of cold in water justly gives it the name of cold water and the Evangelical or Gospel-like men and women though they have always had some Legal-mixtures in their obedience yet because Gospel-Principles are predominant they obtain the name of Spiritual and Evangelical And according to this representation which I have now given of Legal-persons that is that they are more propending and inclining to the Law then to the Gospel doth the Apostle be-speak them and speak of them he speaks to them so in Gal. 4.21 Tell me saith he you that Desire to be under the Law They were such as though they durst not quit the Gospel and come off wholly to the Law yet had a desire to be under the Law So he speaks of them Rom. 9.31 32. But Israel which followed after the Law of righteousness hath not attained unto the Law of righteousness Wherefore because they sought it not by Faith but as it were by the works of the Law And this though it were but anâ— as it were and a Desire yet it ranked them under a Covenant of Works and accordingly the Apostle useth such arguments against them as would have served any that had perfectly renounced the way of Faith and the Death of Christ and wholly betaken themselves to the Law of Works I have done with the second particular in the Conviction viz. the explication of the Legality which is so generally to be found and wherein the deceit lies that men who acknowledge themselves sinners and profess themselves Christians may yet set themselves under a Covenant of Works for their Justification They that wil after what I have said deny that there may be or hath been such a thing such persons to be found that did acknowledge themselves sinners and profess themselves Christians and yet sought to be justified by the works of the Law let them quarrel with the Scriptures and with the Apostle Paul if they dare out of whom I have so clearly described them and confute him if they can Again if any one questions that which I have asserted to be the manner how this comes to pass that these persons are justly denominated and reputed Legal self-Justificiaries viz. by the predominancy of their inclination to the Law more then to the Gospel let them shew a more probable way and I shall gladly quit this Now the explication and proof of this matter being the very great thing of all should not pass without some improvement or observation from it which I shall perform by and by in the mean time methinks a sober person might very well desire to be further satisfied in this great business viz. the explication of the nature of a Legal-Spirit I suppose it will be acknowledged that that which gives denomination to a Legal-Spirit is his greater propension to the Law then to the Gospel but yet it may be queried Wherein doth this propension exert and shew it self in what one word or more then one would you express it Now this I confess is the great difficulty hic labor hoc opus est this were worthy of the most excellent Saint and the most learned and accurate Head to discover I can do it onely after my manner that is rawly enough but would God I could provoke some able man to undertake it in the strength of God Very many of those that have medled with it have dealt rudely and yet saucily with this subject I mean the Autinomians They will express the whole
in our own time that is that ceremonies or external services not commanded in the moral Law were invented even whilest there was a ceremonial Law in force and vast numbers since its abolition and both rested upon as also that a superficial performance of Moral Duties is found both in the Scripture and in our own experience to have been rested upon For the latter first How common waâ— it with the Jews in our Saviours time to think that if they kept the Letter of the Law they had discharged their duty contained in that commandment If they did not kill a man they thought they discharged their duty in the sixth Commandment If they did not commit Adultery they had discharged the seventh and so having kept the Law they might expect the Law should justifie them and therefore St. Paul whilst a Pharisee he was touching the Law blameless as he thought which if he had truly been and continued so he might well have expected to be justified by it And so the young Pharisee Matth. 19.20 says of the Commandments All these have I kept from my youth And upon this he rested hitherto I have heard one my self whom I judged a wicked man and so did many others besides me yet sayes he Well I am confident if any Family in such a place have the blessing of God ours hath for we have prayers morning and evening and never a cross or angry word passeth between me and my wife from one end of the week to the other This imperfect obedience to the Moral Law he made the matter of his Justification perhaps even to an explicite opinion of Merit Thus you see men that have any conformity to the Motal Law are apt to place their trust there But now because there are few so strict as St. Paul whilest a a Pharisee was or as the young man was but that there is a consciousness of guilt from the Moral Law therefore they are the lewest Legallists that rest upon their obedience to the Moral Law alone if any do they must help patch up their righteousness with ceremonial observances so that the ceremonial Law whether given by God or invented by men hath most custom and bears up the weight of these mens expectations and I think I may make this assertion at least this guess that there were never any in the world that sought Justification by works but they were much in love with some superstitlons or at least with Ceremonies yea even those who have been most strict in observing the duties of the Moral Law as to the Letter of it yoâ—r greatest Pharisees they are as much for obfervation of Ceremonies as any men in the world How were the Pharisees in our Saviours time addicted to invented ceremonies and superstitions though one would think they had enough ceremonies in their Law already What washings had they invented c. And it is said they taught for Doctrines humane traditions and inventions Mat. 15.9 Wicked men and those that are careless in keeping the Moral Law are for ceremonies to patch up a righteousness Pharisees are for them to have a redundancy of righteousness such as may make sure work yea such as may serve themselves and others too and this cannot well be but by such Works as were not their duty to do and so must be inventions of their own so that however it cometh to pass one way or another both the strict Legalist and looser self-Justitiaries lay the chief stress in pleasing God and seeking his favour upon ceremonious observances I shall instance in one place of Scripture where as I take it there is a ful and lively Description of a Legal-self-Justitiary it is Mic. 6 6 7 8. And wherein is it that he pleaseth himself most or hopes to please God best but in ceremonies that is external services not commanded in the Moral Law and some of those invented Wherewith saith he shall I come before the Lord and how my self before the high God Shall I come before him with Burnt-offerings with Calves of a year old will the Lord be pleased so as to justifie me with thousands of Rams or with ten thousands of Rivers of Oyle Shall I give my first born for my transgression the fruit of my body for the sin of my soulâ— Here you see the poor man offers very fair in his way if he may have it by ceremonious services he wil do any thing he wil suffer the loss of any thing his Estate his Relations yea his dearest Relations his first-born here the man mixeth Heathenish Sacrifices with Jewish ceremonies but you see the maâ— is willing at least seems willing to do any thing The Papists wil whip themselves Baal's Ptiests wâ—â— cut themselves AFTER THEIR MANNER with Knives and Lances till the blood gush out upon them 1 Ki. 18.28 Any thing but BELIEVING These self Justificiaries are quite out in their guess what wil please God They are ready to think with Naamaâ— when he was to be cleansed of his Leprosie that they must do some GREAT THING to be cured 2 King 5 13. They slightly pass over THIS POOR EUSINESS OF BELIEVING as he did his command of washing in Jordan Are not Abana and Parphar Rivers of Damasous better then all the waters of Israel May not I wash in them and be clean saith he so he turned and went away in arage vor 11 12. So saith the legal Spirit Pish what is this Believing I wonder that is a poor thing what onely Believe I 'le offer to God rich Sacrifices Holoenrists and Hecatombs nay thousands of Rams ten thousands of Rivers of Oyle yea my first-born the fruit of my Body this is better then believing in any man's Judgement Any thing but believing But it is better to hear the Lord to declare himself what he is pleased with than go by our own foolish guesses and therefore see the 8. ver of Mic. 6. and the Lord tells us what it is nay the Lord tells us that we know our selves what it is if we would but consult our own hearts ver 8. He hath shewed thee O man what is good and what doth the Lord require of thee but to do Justice and to shew Mercy and to walk humbly with thy God Alas God doth not require all this operous laborious and costly service which men are apt to put themselves upon He loves nothing but truth in the inward parts Serve God honestly trust in him love thy neighbour do Justice shew mercy and this is better then all whole burnt-offerings and sacrifices Mark 12.33 And this I shall shew anon as I have partly already in the exposition of that Deut. 30.11 is believing that is it contains the great mystery of believing in it Not that I have so little of a Schollar as to say or think that shewing mercy is believing or doing justly is believing except in a figurative sense as we put the Name of the cause upon the effect or the Name of the
chief ingredient upon the whole composition We must not so miscall things lest at last we have no Names left us to call things by but I say herein is contained the mystery of the way of believing in opposition to the way of Works But to return What a brave flourish doth Micah's man make with his legal Righteousness What high promises What vast offers doth he make thousands of Rams ten thousands of Rivers of Oyle more then ever any Emperor in the world could set on running Yet these mighty offers doth this man here make to the Lord for his favour in the mean time he misseth passeth by this poor contemptible way of believing Only believe believe and all things are possible Do justly love mercy and walk humbly with thy God No but men that wil merit heaven they must be doing such a number of Duties so many Ave-maries so many Pater-nosters Heathenish vain repetitions they must give themselves so many stripes of a Good-Friday Surely they think God slights plain honesty as an homely thing and that he is taken with gallant gandy magnificent services or else with barbarous cruelties and severities Thus I reckon I have in some sort proved my seventh and last assertion in answer to the objection viz. That men are so far addicted to the way of works that though they had no ceremonial Law at all yet they would be finding out some way or other to vent this humour either in superficial obedience to the Moral law or in full tasks of Ceremonious observances which they could invent for themselves The Heathens did it in barbarous Sacrifices and vain repetitions the Pharisees in divers washings and that Jew in Micah in costly and diabolical offerings so that though we are freed from the Ceremonial law of the Jews and should be freed altogether from the Ceremonies in the Christian Church yet we are not quite out of all danger of seeking Justification by works All now that I can apprehend my self any way engaged to speak unto further upon the second particular in the conviction by way of discovery wherein this legality should lye is That seeing I have asserted that it must consist onely in opinion of Merit I should speak a little to prove that there is such a thing as that commonly in practise in the world of which I shall give a brief proof both in Jew and Gentile which will yet further evince that we are not wholly free from the danger and then I shall come to give some marks and signs of a Legal-spirit That there was such a thing among the Jews Mr. John Smith a late Writer in his select Discourses hath taken very good pains to prove In that Discourse which treats of a Legal and Evangelical Righteousness he tells us That it was a great affirmation of the Jewish Doctors That happiness by way of Merit is far greater and much more magnificent then that which is by way of Mercy and so that they reckoned they are his own words upon a more triumphant and illustrious kind of happiness victoriously to be atchieved by the merit of their own works then that beggarly kind of happiness as they seem to look upon it which cometh like an Alms from Divine bounty And accordingly they held I shal give you the Authors words That the Law delivered to them upon Mount Sinai was a sufficient Dispensation from God and ALL THAT NEEDED TO BE DONE BY HIM for the advancing of them to a state of perfection and blessedness and that the proper end and scope of their Law was nothing but to afford them several wayes and means of merit But yet see what their great brags of Merit came to See what strange Dispensations they gave themselves even such as the Galatians gave themselves whilst they sought to be justified by works for the same Author in the third Chapter of the Discourse mentioned quotes this passage out of the Misna Lib. Maccoth Sect. ult 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the meaning whereof is That therefore the Precepts of the Law were so many in number that so they might single out where they pleased and in exercising themselves therein procure Eternal life or as Obadias de Bartenora expounds it that whosoever shall perform any one of the 613. Precepts of the Law for so many they make in number without any worldly respect for love of the Precept behold this man shall merit thereby everlasting life Here they might have been convinced by those two Arguments which the Apostle Paul useth against the Galatians Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things And he that is circumcised that is professeth to be justified by the Law is a debtor to keep the WHOLE Law And this we find the Pharisees to do in our Saviours time they taught that if a man had devoted what he should have given his Parents to God he was dispensed with from the duty of the fifth Commandment to Father and Mother he might say it was corban that is a gift already given to God Mark 7.11 Matth. 15.5 So that they taught their Disciples to pick and chuse among the Commandments which they would do and which they would leave undone nay to leave out some of the greatest commands of all that they might but fulfil some one of their inventions Here you have seen the presumption of mankind in the business of Merit instanced in the Jews they liked the way of Merit rather then the way of Mercy and yet cheated themselves with this That if they kept any one Law of the 613. that is if they kept it constantly as the same Author tells us they should merit everlasting life And that there is such a thing as opinion of Merit in their serving of God at this day amongst men professing Christianity we may know easily if we hear but what the Papists teach and hold and practise they won the very word Merit that good works are meritorious And if they seem to avoid the thing which we mean by their distinction of Meritum excongruo condigno yet we will easily fasten the Thing upon them For Merit as I have said in the Scripture-notion of it is when a man that doth any action to God expects the Reward of Debt and so demands it at the hands of the Law Now these men profess that they can do more then the Law requires of them they can lay up a stock of good Works that shal serve for others which the Church may dispose of to those that want them and they shall be meritorious for them therefore it must follow that they have done what the Law requires for how can he do works of supererogation which were not demanded of him by the Law and which the Church may dispose of at pleasure who hath not kept the whole Law There is such a thing as opinion of Merit amongst the Papists in their serving of God therefore we may be guilty of it How doth the Pope tell them and
Abraham which worship God in the SPIRIT in a true SPIRITUAL way of Worship and rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no considence in the flesh which they the legal Worshippers have they are fieshly we are after the Spirit and worship God in the Spirit They have considence in the flesh we have none Now what is this confidence in the flesh which the Concision the Dogs and evil Workers had but the true Worshippers had not This the Apostle explains at large in the 4 5 and 6. verses For saith he if any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might TRUST in the FLESH I more What is that of the Flesh wherein he might glory if he would He tells us ver 5. I was circumcised the eighth day of the stock of Israel of the Tribe of Benjamin an Hebrew of the Hebrews as touching the Law a Pharisee or blameless so iâ— follows ver 9. as touching the righteousness which is in the Law blameless that is as touching the letter of the law Moral or Ceremonial This is the matter of fleshly glorying or boasting which you see is made up either of external Rites and Priviledges or the external obedience to the moral law That which he calls flesh is an external thing Now that fleshly and legal are Synonymous or words importing the same thing and so used by the Apostle is not onely clear in this Scripture but in other Scriptures for instance Gal. 3.3 Are ye so foolish having begun in the Spirit that is a Gospel-way are ye now made perfect by the flesh that is will ye end in a legal that is a fleshly way Fleshly and Legal are all one Now the way of the Flesh is an external way made up of outward Rites Ceremonies Priviledges and Performances therefore a legal way is a way in which men please themselves with external Priviledges and Performances I shewed before that those that are addicted to the way of works durst not pretend to an universal conformity to the law in a strict sense of it and yet do seek to be justified by Works therefore they must have some Works to glory in and to uphold their Spirits in a confidence of Divine acceptance Now therefore what can these Works be other then external conformities to the ceremonial or moral law and these ceremonies either as given by God or else superstiously invented by themselves I shall now a little further exemplifie what I then asserted and that by some assistance from the second thing premised in shewing that in all times the evil sort of Worshippers which because they are not Evangelical must be legal have done and do exceedingly please themselves in external Priviledges and Performances in doing which I shall avoid useless repetitions We find The first external priviledge which the Iews gloried in that the Jews who were as well to be condemned for Legality before the dayes of the Gospel as under it there having been always a fleshly and spiritual Seed were exceedingly taken with their being circumcised and of the Seed of Abraham and made a peculiar people to God in the Lump and Body of the Nation which did not hinder at all but for particular persons they might be wicked enough strangers to God and heirs of wrath Thus the Jews as Jews scorned the Gentiles called them Dogs and the sinners of the Gentiles or Nations whereas to be Jews born was nothing but an external Priviledge And therefore the Apostle when he comes to convince them of this folly and vain fleshly boasting he makes no more ado but to cut them off from this stump that they stood upon by that great distinction so frequent in his Epistles of Israel according to the flesh and the true Israel or the true Seed according to the Promise that is Believers All are not Israel that are of Israel saith he and he is not a Jew that is one outwardly neither is that Circumcision which is outward in the flesh but he is a Jew which is one inwardly and Circumcision is that of the heart in the Spirit and not in the Letter whose praise is not of men but of God Rom. 2.28 29. Now that which amongst us may answer to such a fleshly boast as this was of the Jews for I chiefly aim at the usefulness of this Doctrine to our selves may be this viz the Name of Christians and the general Baptism that all amongst us can pretend unto Though this cannot be accounted so great a Priviledge to us now that Christendom is so large as Circumcision and being natural or proselyted Jews was to them who were a single Nation chosen for a peculiar people to God out of all the Nations of the World I come therefore to some other things They gloried also very much in their Temple The second external priviledge the â—â—ws gloried in there is an eminent place amongst many for this Jer. 7.4 Trust ye not in lying words saying The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord are THESE that is THESE BUILDINGS THESE COURTS pointing as it were with their singer at the Buildings of the Temple as much as if they had said See! we have the Temple of the Lord with us and his Worship and Service amongst us and therefore no evil can come to us whatever these Fanatick Prophets threaten us with Now see what a strange infatuation and besottednesse these men were under for they were as wicked as men could be by oppression and blood-guiltiness yea Idolatry it self as you may see in ver 10. Will ye steal murder and commit Adultrey and swear falsly and burn incense unto Baal and walk after other Gods whom ye know not and come and stand before me in this House which is called by my Name and say we are delivered to do all these abominations It this House which is called by my Name become a Den of Robbers in your eyes Behold even I have seen it saith the Lord. Here is a crew of Legal-Worshippers of Carnal-Worshippers that certainly could not pretend to Justification by the strict Law of God yet trusted in the Temple and Temple-Worship ver 8. Behold ye trust in lying words that cannot profit and what those words are you have seen in ver 4. Trust ye not in lying words saying the Temple of the Lord c. No saith the Lord. ver 3. Amend your wayes and your doings and I will cause you to dwell in this place Here is Mercy Grace Pardon here they are put upon the way of believing ver 5 6. For if ye throughly amend your wayes and your doings and if ye throughly execute judgement between a man and his Neighbour if ye oppress not the stranger then will I cause you to dwell in this Land that I gave to your Fathers for ever and ever But else never think that the Temple or Temple Worship can save you or deliver you Ver. 12. Go to Shiloh go unto my place which was in Shiloh
come it will not tarry This was the very case with the wicked King last instanced out of 2 King 6.33 if the Visiontarry wait for it But now it follows ver 4. If you will not wait if your soul be lifted up in you with pride and impatience why this soul that is lifted up is not upright in him this Spirit is quite contrary to the Spirit of a just and justified man But the just shall live by Faith that is will be patient in such straits this is the great famous place which the Apostle Pau. makes use of to prove Justification by Faith in three several Epistles Rom. 1.17 Gal. 3.11 Heb. 10 38. Ergo Impatience weariness of the service of God is a great argument and symptom of a Legal Spirit in the service of God the thing that we have now under demonstration Now to apply this Character So far as thou findest thy self sloathful sluggish in the service of God ready to draw back and to be weary of well-doing contentious against God with Job angry as Jeremy and Jonah were in their sits of distemper So far Legality is discovered to be the principle of serving God For the Spirit of the Gospel is humble chearful I will bear the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him saith the Church in Micah ch 7 9. If God defers to hear and answer prayers yea gives denials yet the true Saints of God think it their duty to wait patiently on the Lord and to find out the cause of these denials in themselves Christ calls the woman of Canaan Dog Truth Lord saith she yet the Dogs eat of the crumbs And this is commended for an high piece of faith Mar. 7.28 I join these Scriptures of Old and New-Testament together and use them promiscuously for proof of the same thing because it is plain there were spiritual Worshippers under the Old-Testament as wel as there are Legal-Worshippers in the new Now in a consonancy to and connexion with this latter part of this last Character viz. the irksomness heaviness and weary somness that there is often found in a Legal Spirit as to the service of God I might make this a third Character That a Legal Spirit is weak and feeble and devoid of all strength in the service of God But I shall make this rather an Observation then a Character of a Legal Spirit yet I shall insist some what upon it I say then The Legal spirit is without strength in the service of God That the Legal-Worshipper is faint-hearted weak in the service of God like Ephraim in Hos 7.11 as a silly Dove without heart and it may very well be for the joy of the Lord alone is our strength Neh. 8.10 Which joy the Legallist never partakes of having never any true sence of divine acceptance And indeed what strength can the Law give us that is now through our fall become a poor weak feeble thing it self What the Law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh c. Rom. 8.3 The Law became weak through our sinful flesh so that it can neither justifie nor sanctifie and it gives no quickness at all in the service of God it gives quickness to the body of death indeed and to the motions of sin in our members as it is Rom. 7. â— but none at all to serve God with The A postle therefore appeals to the Galatians experience that they never received the Spirit by all the preaching of the Law which they had amongst them Gal 3 2. And this was the very reason of God's nâ—aâ—ing a new Covenant of his removing his old Dispensat on by Moses which was so full of Law and so like a Covenant of Works Heb 7.8 19. For there is verily a disannulling of the Commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof for the Law made nothing perfect Thus the Law being weak the Legallist must needs be a weak imperfect thing in the service of God But now it is said They that wait on the Lord by Faith shall renew their strength they shall mount up with wirgs like Eagle they Well run and not be weary and they shall walk and not faint Isa 40.31 He that believeth on me saith our Saviour out of his belly shall flow kavers of living water this spake he of the Spirit which they that believed on him should receive John 7.38 39. The Gospel of Christ is and in its preportion ever was so far as at any time it was understood and embraced in the times of the Old Testament the Ministration of the Spirit In Col. 1.11 the Apostle prays for his Colossians that they may be strengthened with All might according to his glorious power in the Gospel there is ALL Mâ—GHT and a gâ—orious Power to strengthen and quicken the Saints with no wonder therefore if this quicken and encourage them mightily in the service of God beyond what ever the Law can do for its dependants and admirers I might here take fair occasion to discover what infinite quickning considerations and motiveâ— the Gospel carries in it unto the spiritual service of God beyond what the Law could afford But seeing I do not so much as make this a Character I shall not take the liberty to enlarge further upon it I shall onely now acquaint the Reader why I do not make this a Character and then pass on And truly one great reason is for the sakes of some good people I may say very many that we have amongst us who if we should make this a Character of a legal spirit that it is weak sluggish heartless in the service of God that it is not lively active and vigorous they would presently apply it to themselves and cry out that they are legal for that they find themselves that they are just thus whereas yet it is true that every true Saint the meanest Saint in the World hath more life and vigor of heart in his serving God then the devoutest and strictest legallist in the World And what if I should say in comparing the two Dispensations of the Old and New-Testament that there is never a Gospel-Saint since the day that the Spirit came down upon the Apostles but hath more life and spirit or it is hâ—s fault if he have not then the highest true Saint under the Old-Testament Would not that Scripture bear me out in it which says that John the Baptist was the greatest that ever was born of a woman before him and yet that the least in the Kingdom of Heaven which is often interpreted of the Gospel-state of the Church is greater then he Matth. 11.11 And would not that other Scripture countenance it which saith The feeble shall be as David Zech. 10.8 And accordingly I might affirm that if these complaining Saints had but the true courage of Saints and the true Character of themselves and at the same time the Character of the highest legallists yea of the most
unerring obedience faith was but a part of our duty which we owed to God under the first Covenant that is relying upon the power goodness and veracity of God and therefore where-ever faith comes to be our righteousness or our chief righteousness it argues that there is a great deficiency in the creature that is so to be justified and accordingly the Apostle often glances upon this that glorying is in this way excluded not by the law of works but by the law of faith Faith therefore cannot justifie by any natural excellency that it hath in it for though all the men in the world being now sinners and obnoxious to punishment by the law of their creation should resolve of their own accord to believe that there is so much goodness in God that he will not destroy the work of his own hands so depending upon his mercy and therefore they will endeavour to do all those things which they think may be pleasing and acceptable to him why all this faith and confidence attended with the most sincere obedience will not extort a Justification from Almighty God except it be in his good pleasure to justifie such believers and such obedient persons because they were all obnoxious to punishment for the breach of his law Faith therefore cannot justifie but by reason of divine ordination and constitution that hath passed upon it such as this The just shall live by faith and That if thou confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved Rom. 10.9 and for this reason I suppose it is so often called Gods righteousness Rom. 10.3 because it was a righteousness not in its own nature as works were but a righteousness purely of divine appointment This is Mr John Goodwin's notion of it Pag. 34. of the Banner of Justification displayed God was pleased to decree or make this for a law which the Apostle calleth the law of faith Rom. 3.27 that faith or believing in him through Christ should interesse men in the benefit or blessing of the death and blood shed of Christ that is in that remission of sins which was purchased by his death And in this consideration faith justifieth viz. by virtue of the Soveraign authority of that most gracious Decree or Law of God wherein he hath said or decreed that it shall intitle men unto or inright them in part and fellowship of that benefit of the death of Christ which consisteth in the forgiveness of sins or which comes much to the same as it is a qualification or condition ordained covenanted or appointed by God to bring upon those in whom it shall be found the great blessing of that pardon of sin which Christ hath obtained for men by his blood This is Mr Baxter's opinion too that is That saith justifies as it is made the chief condition of the N. Covenant Page 225 of his Aphorisms Thesis 57. It is the act of faith which justifieth men at age and not the habit yet NOT AS IT IS A GOOD WORK this is directly against Dr Moor's affirmation who faith that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is nothing else but to be approved as a good man or a doer of that which is righteous and good and that BECAUSE he doth that which is good and righteous methinks here is a Justification for good works purely and if faith comes in here to justifie it doth it only as it is a good work Mr Baxter is of another minde viz. That faith doth not justifie only under that quaâ—enus or reduplication AS a good work Faith saith Mr Baxter in the Thesis quoted doth not justlfie AS it is a good work or as it hath in it self any excellency above other graces But in the NEAREST SENSE DIRECTLY AND PROPERLY as it is the fulfilling the condition of the New Covenant c. But now though I have affirmed that it doth not justifie purely from its own nature Though faith doth not justisie purely from it's own nature yet it hath a great excellency in it self which might somewhat recommend it to this service but chiefly from the ordination of God and that it could not have justified without this ordination yet I shall adde that it had in its own nature a great fitness to be chosen of God for this eminent service to justifie men by It was the fittest medium that we can imagine when the first natural way of works failed to promote the honour of God and the good of the creature in Justification which consideration commends highly the wisdom of God in setting it apart for this use as the chief condition of our Justification To evince the truth of this let us consider a little the natural excellencyes that there are in faith And first of all faith takes in all spiritual objects 1 Excellency of Faith and represents them to the soul so that all other graces are beholden to faith for their objects Heb. 11.1 Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen hope could not be if faith did not give a real and evident being and subsistence to the things that we hope for as also to all other the invisible and unseen things which a Christian a Saint as such converseth with and lives upon Again ver 6. of that chap. 11. Without faith 't is impossible to please God For he that comes unto God must believe that he is Now it is by faith that we believe and know that God is ver 27. by faith Moses forsook Egypt not fearing the wrath of the King for he endured as seeing him who is invisible by faith Moses saw him that is invisible I will acknowledge that reason may finde out that there is a God but if a mans wayes please God his reason delivers over this observation to his faith which is an higher thing an higher principle in the soul then reason though it never contradicts true reason yet it is somewhat above meer reason * If any one here will say that faith in such a case as the belief that there is a God is much the same with reason or a rational conviction of the truth of such a Proposition I will not much contend only because here the divine Penman sayes it is by saith we believe there is a God and his assertion must have a truth in it we may distinguish Reason Faith thus That Faith is a more particular faculty or habit of divine principles such as respect God and Religion but Reason is a more general faculty conversant about all objects whatsoever and this consideration must come in That meer Reason only makes one a man but Faith makes a man a Saint and therefore this Faith must have a divine afflatus and spirit in it beyond meer reason It is by faith that we believe that God is and that he is a rewarder of all them that diligently seek him And these two
his face so that they could not look stedfastly to the end of his Dispensation The fault of the first Covenant There was some kind of fault as it were in the Law it self so the Apostle tells us Heb. 8.7 For if that first Covenant had been faultless there should no place have been sought for the second What this fault was is commonly known and discoursed and it was the obscurity of it the promises of it were not so plain therefore it is said Christ is the Mediator of a better Covenant establisht upon better promises ver 6. There was a Covenant of works inserted in their Dispensation Else how could the Apostle give you a description of the righteousness of it out of Moses Which he doth both in Rom. 10.5 and Gal. 3.12 And no caveat entred in the place where the Covenant of Works is delivered 'T is true the same Moses describeth the righteousness of Faith too but an inobservant Reader might chance to mistake the Covenant of Works for his way to Heaven as well as take the Covenant of Grace for his way and they might keep in that way all their lives if they were not strict observers of the effects of that way upon their Consciences which was to gall and sting them and weary them out of their very lives till they came to the way of Grace And thus we find the generality of the Jews did mistake and ruined themselves by it so that unless God had by a wonderful hand as he plucked Lot out of Sodom and perhaps by irresistable illuminations and attractions brought a remnant to himself all Israel had been burnt up by the Wrath of God they had been as Sodom and Gomorrah Rom. 9.29 to the end Rom. 10.1.2.3 I might well transcribe every word of these eight Verses Now this was the fault which God found with his first Covenant that though it were a Covenant of Grace yet he is so gracious that he thought it was not plain enough to save the generality of them they would be still mistaking and misconstruing his Covenant it would not make them holy enough nor save enough of them and therefore this Fault the Lord amends in the second â—ovenant in the New-Covenant Heb. 8 9 For finding fault he saith Behold the dayes come saith the Lord that I will make a new Covenant with the House of Israel not according to the Covenant that I made with their Fathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the Land of Aegypt because here is the reason of the change because they continued not in my Covenant and I regarded them not It was a Covevenant which they brake with me and I brake with them upon there was a fault in that Covenant which seems to be this It had not Grace enough in it to hold them they continued not in it The fault is laid upon the Covenant not so much upon the parties covenanting though they were not free from blame God indeed was free he was ready to give his Grace and Spirit under the first Covenant but the Covenant was not a free channel for conveyance of this precious Water of Life for the Spirit runs freest in the clear promise therefore the Gospel which is full of rich and plain promises is called the ministration of the Spirit and called by the Name of Spirit whereas the Law of Moses was a dead meer out-side literal thing in comparison of it 2 Cor. 3.6 I say the fault was laid upon the covenant which yet was a covenant of Grace Now what other fault it could be then this that the Lord did not think it gracious enough I cannot imagine and I think that is the fault the Scripture pitcheth upon Now because Moses's Dispensation or the first covenant made with the Jews was thus faulty had a covenant of Works in 〈◊〉 and was mistaken by the Jews to be a covenant of Works it might well be called by the Apostle There was the same reason of the Gospel its being added to the Law that there was of the dispensation of Moses to be added to what they knew of God before a killing letter a ministration of death and condemnation and deserve to be abrogated and disannulled if the Lord will make a better clearer more gracious and saving and yet it can by no means be concluded hence that it was truly either in its own nature or in the intention of the Lord who gave it a covenant of Works nay the contrary hereunto is sufficiently evinced Ob. 4. But yet there is a very considerable Objection behind which is thus You have acknowledged that in Moses's Writings there is a covenant of Works described that St. Paul asserts now I will add saith the Objection that it is not onely there described but there commended to the children of Israel as a part at least if not the chiefest part of the Dispensation by Moses and it is given with as great Authority and hath as solemn a Sanction upon it as any part of the Law of Moses for in that place which the Apostle Paul quotes out of Moses viz. Lev. 18.5 for the description of a legal righteousness we have these words Ye shall therefore keep mp Seatutes and my Judgements which if a man do he shall live in them I am the Lord. So in the fore-going verses 1 2. And the Lord spake unto Moses saying Speak unto the children of Israel and say unto them I am the Lord your God then follow the three verses wherein the covenant of Works is described ver 3. After the doings of the Land of Aegypt wherein ye dwelt shall ye not do and after the doings of the Land of Canaan whither I bring you shall ye not do neither shall ye walk in their Ordinancee Ver. 4. Ye shall do my Judgements and keep mine Ordinances to walk therein I am the Lord your God Ver 5. Ye shall therefore keep my Statutes and my Judgements which if a man do he shall live in them I am the Lord. Here I observe 1. The simplicity and plainness of the delivery of these commands which contain the covenant of Works they are delivered without any caveat or caution to the Reader lest he should mistake this for his covenant which he should be saved by 2. I observe the Authority and Majesty they are delivered with even with this addition three several times in the compass of four verses I am the Lord and I am the Lord your God This doth not look like an old antiquated covenant made with Adam about 2000. years before and of use to him but onely for the strst day of his creation I conclude therefore saith the objector That it is a valid covenant and delivered with intention that men should be justified by it And besides I add that which hath great strength in it That even Jesus Christ himself repeats this covenant of Works in Moses his own Words and directs a man to this
have said the most of professors are guilty of this folly yea we are all of us naturally inclinable unto it viz. To seek Justification by the Covenant of Works and in proof and explication of this second answer or assertion I shall do these three things 1. Prove that the greatest part of men and professors go this way 2. I shall endeavour to discover wherein their error or mistake lies that they should not dare to profess this way and yet be thus deeply guilty And 3dly I shall give some characters of a Legal and Evangelical spirit whereby we may discover if we are guilty and unto what degree we faulty this way The fâ—â—st particular in the convict onthaâ— very many are guilty of legality The first thing which I am to do is to prove that there are very many men yea many most professors that are guilty of this folly yea that we are all naturally inclinable to it and have been from the beginning If there had not been such a generation of men in the Apostles times all the Discourses and Argumentations of the Apostle Paul against this sort of men in his Epistles to the Romans and Galatians had been useless Now certainly the Apostle did not trifle so with the world as to set up Enemies in his own imagination and then sight with them And yet it cannot be denyed by any that the Apostle spends large Disco rses and Argumentations against such a sort of men Besides that the thing may be out of question that there were such men the Apostle Paul names them points them out with the finger lays hold of them binds them down with such Arguments as they can never dis-entangle themselves from He points them out they were the Jews they were the Galatians and others the Jews see Rom. 10.1 2 3. Brethren my hearts desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved for I bear them record that they have a zeal of God but not according to knowledge for they being ignoram of Gods rightcousness and going about to establish their own righteousness have not submitted to the right cousness of God Here you see the Apostle draws up an high charge against Israel in the lump and bulk that is the people of the Jews in general it was a general mistake of theirs that they missed of God's righteousness that is as I have explained it the righteousness which is of God by Faith and went about to establish their own righteousness that is a righteousness of works of the Law they were ignorant of this that Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness as it is in ver 4. of that chap. The Jews they would needs be justified by works they are one sort of men named by the Apostle as guilty in this particular But which is yet stranger not onely the Jews but the Galatians who were Gentiles who had never received the Law and lived under it as the Jews had had onely been educated in Heathen Idolatries and filthiness till the Gospel came amongst them yet even these after they had received the Gospel had begun in the Spirit that is in the way of Justification by Faith in a Gospel way and had made publick Encomiums of the blessed Estate the Gospel had brought them into crying O the blessedness Gal. 4.15 They so loved the Apostle Paul for his preaching the Gospel to them that they could have pulled out their own eyes and have given them to him if it would have done him any good yet even these after all this they no sooner had some Law-Teachers come amongst them but they turn off from the Apostles Doctrine unto another Gospel not that there is any more then one Gospel but some under pretence of â—oining the Law to the Gospel to make them more compleat in their Christian Religion had perverred the Gospel of Christ instead of making a more compleat Gospel had reduced all the Gospel they had left under the service of the Law so that the Law was uppermost ruled in the great business of Justification yet these after they had thus sophisticated the Gospel had gotten the Galatians to be their admirers and followers which puts the Apostle upon strange admirations exclamations expostulations with his Galatians in his Epistle to them I wonder saith he ye are so soon removed from him that called you unto the Grace of Christ unto another Gospel Gal. 1.6 7 8 9. And where is the blessedness ye spake of when I first preached the Gospel to you Gal. 4.16 And again saith he certainly you are bewitched O ye foolish Galatians Gal. 3.1 And again O my little children of whom I travel in birth again until Christ be formed in you Gal. 4.19 He had travelled with them in the new-birth once already and Christ had been in some sort formed in them they had received the Gospel but they were now turned off to the Law and he was fain to travel with them again you may see plainly what their disease was Gal. 4.21 Tell me ye that desire to be under the Law they had a desire to be under the Law and in chap. 2.16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but by the faith of Jesus Christ even we have believed in Jesus Christ that we might be justified by the faith of Christ and not by the works of the Law for by the works of the Law shall no flesh be justified Here the Apostle mentions the Disease that they would needs be justified by the works of the Law and he proposeth his own and the other Apostles and converted Jews their examples for their imitation We saith he in ver 15. We who are Jews by nature and not sinners of the Gentiles that was the name they gave the Gentiles we knowing that a man is not justified by works have believed in Christ and if we have done so who had more pretence of reason to cleave to the Law then ever you had if we have quitted the I aw for the Gospel certainly we may well wonder at you that were sometimes sinners of the Gentiles and not Jews born that you should quit the Gospel for the Law So Gal. 4.89 Although then when ye knew not God were without God in the world as other Gentiles were Although then ye did service to them who by nature are no Gods that is served Idols and although this was somewhat tollerable then in the dayes of your ignorance yet now after that ye have known God or rather are known of God how turâ— ye again or back to the weak and beggarly Elements unto which ye desire again to be in bondage Not that they ever were in bondage before to the Jewish Ceremonies but they were in bondage before unto Idols and they had been freed by Christ and now fell back and desired to be in bondage again not as before unto their Idols but to Jewish Ceremonies and the keeping
this legality lies of what it consists which men are so generally inclinable unto and this is the chief thingin the Conviction this I shall dispatch in three Propositions the first is negative shewing what it is not yet ought to be if they understood what they go about 1. It is not a professed putting themselves upon the Law of God strictly as it requires perfect unerring obedience for Justification so the Jews durst not adventure their souls the Jews acknowledged themselves sinners though not such sinners as the Gentiles We find when the Jews brought the Woman to Christ that was taken in Adultery he set the Woman at liberty by this Sentence of stoning her He that hath no sin let him 〈◊〉 the first stone Neither did the Galatians assert themselves free from sins alas they had been sinners of the Gentiles Gal. 4.8 They had been Idolaters and accordingly the Apostle disputes against them with such arguments as took that pro confesso that they were sinners Gal. 3.10 Is many as are of the works of the Law are under the curse for it is written Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the Book of the Law to do them Now surely as it might be supplyed you will not pretend to have continued in all things therefore you cannot expect to be justified by the works of the Law Though I must needs say this If they had gone wisely to work in their seeking Justification by the Law they must first have found themselves free from sin hitherto of their lives together with a power of keeping themselves free for the remainder of their lives or else must have desisted in the beginning and therefore the Apostle batters down their high imaginations of self-righteousness with such arguments as these The Law saith Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things now you have not continued in all things And in Rom. 3.19 20. when the Apostle had recited a Catalogue of sins out of the Law he infers Now we know that whatsoever things the Law saith it saith to them that are under the Law and so to you Jews especially that every mouth may be stopped and all the world may become guilty before God As much as to have said As for all these sins some are found in one and some in another and where-ever any of them is found there that man's mouth is stopped by the Law and every such person is become guilty or subâ—ect to the Judgement of God 20. Therefore by the deeds of the Law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight for by the Law is the knowledge of sin the Law tells you what is sin and so the wrath due to sin and by the Law every transgrestion should receive a just recompence of reward And so Gal. 5.3 I testifie again to every man that is circumcised which was the usual sign of their going off to the Law that he is a debtor to do the whole Law And yet this you dare not undertake O ye Galatians this you dare not profess to do A strange Dispensation that they gave themselves that they would aim to be justified by the Law and yet not hold themselves obliged to keep the whole Law How could they ever think that the Law should justifie them and yet these arguments brought by the Apostle to convince them both shew that they did not pretend to answer the Law byunerring obedience and fulfilling of it as also that they should have done thus had they gone wisely to work So much for the first Proposition shewing what their way was not yet ought to have been had they understood themselves 2. Yet though they did not profess to appeal to a strict Covenant of Works for Justification and did not understand themselves in what they did yet by the way that the Jews Galatians took for righteousness they fell under that way of Works were so reckoned by God to be and by the Apostle in his Discourses against them else his Arguments had concluded nothing against them And the reason is this for that though they did not formally intend a Covenant of Works yet the way they took was of that nature and tendency and we have a distinction in the Schools of sinis Scientiae Scientis now the sinis Scientiae is eternal and unalterable as proceeding from the nature of the thing let the finis Scientis be what it will so if the way they took be legal it is no matter whether they intended it or no. But you will say What was that in their way or what is that in this way which you say men usually taken which makes it so justly and unavoidably be called and reckoned by God a putting our selves under a Covenant of Works though we are not our selves aware of it I answer in the third and last place 3dly Wherein Legality consists positively It is such a mixture of the Covenant of Works with the Covenant of Grace as in which the Covenant of Works is predominant and so most justly gives the denomination to their way I fix upon the Word Predominant For else as I shal shew anon all the Saints have some legal mixtures in their Spirits even whilst they treat God for their justification and acceptation but because they are byassed and swayed more by Evangelical Principles then by Legal they are after the Spirit not after the Flesh in the business of Justification I shewed in the first Proposition that the Jews and Galatians did not profess themselves perfectly holy and so durst not appeal to the Law in a strict sense for a righteousness I shall now further shew how in many things it appears that these Legallists even whilst such did profess and adhere to the Gospel which is the way of Grace and then that yet by reason of their Legal mixtures all their Gospel was soured to them and turned into so much Law and they are no longer to be reckoned for Christians but the Disciples of Moses in Gal. 5.2 3 4. There are three proofs of this together that they were great professors of the Gospel when yet at the same time the Apostle disputes against them as adhering to a Covenant of Works for Justification Ver. 2. Behold I Paul say unto you That if ye be circumcised Christ shall profit you nothing Here you see they thought to have had some profit and benefit by Christ Now this was a great mixture of Gospel in their way for if hope of benefit by Christ be not Gospel what is Nay you may see in another place of this Epistle that they had hope in the death of Christ which certâ—inly is a mixture of the Gospel with their Legal way Gal. 2.21 If righteousness come by the Law as your way leads you to say then Christ is dead in vain but you will not allow that Christ died in vain you hope for benefit from the death of Christ notwithstanding your cleaving to
they believe it that if they do such and such things which are not made the condition of pardon by God for going such a pilgrimage for taking such a penance c. they shall have their sins pardoned for so long a time And wherein doth Justification consist so much as in pardon of sin Therefore they seek Justification by Works even by inventions of their own which is worse then by Works commanded Now that which is so gross amongst them may be as truly though more refinedly amongst our selves I have now done with the two first particulars in the Conviction I shall onely now recollect what I have said and proved that so I may borrow some strength for what follows and so proceed Is it so then that all mankind is so exceeding apt to seek Justification by Works And is it such an hidden and unsearchable evil of heart that we cannot easily know it it hath so many self-deceits and runs through so many contradictions Doth it lie in opinion of Merit yet is Merit so generally disowned and yet so many real votaries to it What need then have we to search and try if we are not guilty in this particular and how far we may possibly be guilty For though we have found out the very notion in which it must lie viz. The Opinion of Merit yet this will not serve usually to find it out by for who of us doth not renounce Merits and yet who of us if the foregoing assertions be true is not addicted to Legality I shall come therefore to some other ways of discovery of this evil distemper of heart some marks and signs of it some effects which discover their cause though never so occult and hidden before And this is the third particular in the Conviction which I promised The first was to discover that there are such men as seek Justification by Works The second was to discover wherein their Legality lies And this third to discover by some signs where this Legality is to be found either in a predominancy or in any less degree Now for the discharge of this last part of my Work in the Conviction The third thing in the Conviction viz. the Characters I shall first premise two things and then come to the Characters The first is this That all men in the world are either prophane and Atheistical or else in some way or other Religious as for those that are prophane and atheistical I have nothing to do with them in this Discourse for that they have nothing to do with Justification who make no pursuit after it at all The second observation that I would premise is this That as for the Religious World those that treat with God after any sort for their salvation they are all reducible to one of these two sorts they are either Legal or Evangelical in their service and obedience for there being but two wayes of Justification either in the Scripture or imaginable by us by unerring obedience and meriting or by the way of mercy which accepts an humble sincerity I say there being onely these two ways all that seek Justification must be of one of these two ways and hence I would infer that where-ever we find in Scripture any two ways of serving God that have followers and abettors being two opposite ways whereof one is good and acceptable the other evil and displeasing to God there are these two ways of Legal and Evangelical service and the Characters of the good way may be referred to the head of Evangelical the Characters of the bad unto the head of Legal Worshippers Or if we cannot make a clear reference of every miscarriage in Religion unto legallity yet this I dare affirm and shall prove That the distinction of Legal and Evangelical Worshippers or of such as are fleshly and such as are spiritual in the Worship of God is very ancient nay as ancient as all Antiquity so that throughout all ages in the Scripture and in our own age in undeniable experience there may be traced these two sorts of religious persons and that by Characters that are visibly Legalor Evangelical And whatever be the infinite perty differences of Sects in any age or place yet all men professing Religion may be reduced to these two classes or sorts of Legal and Evangelical Worshippers and these are the great things that are to be minded in them if you find that they are spiritual Worshippers pass by their petty differences if they are fleshly be not deceived by that fair shew which they make in the flesh for the Antiquity and continual suceession of these two sorts of Worshippers and that as they include all sorts of Religious persons see one Scripture then I come to the Characters it is in Gal. 4.29 But as then that is in Abraham's time he of the one side that was born after the flesh the son of the Bond-woman Hagar the Son of a Covenant of Works perseâ—nted him on the other side that was born after the Spirit that is the true Son of the Promise the Evangelical Worshipper so it is now As it was in the beginning so it is and ever wil be to the end of the World two sorts of Worshippers which two sorts all Religious persons may be referred unto If it were proper to enlarge upon this observation I could give more ample proof of it Now for the Characters 1 It is a 〈◊〉 way which â—e joiceth and glorieth in external priviledges and performances The proof that the legal way is an external fleshly way the first shall be this They that are for a Covenant of Works for the Law are much and chiefly for external services this I have partly touched before but I have a very fair occasion to speak to it here again and I dare promise the Reader to free him from the trouble of needless repetition I say those that are under predominant Legality in treating with God for their justification and acceptation they are chiefly for external services in their Worship and expressions of their obedience unto God This the Apostle calls flesh or a fleshly outward way of serving God in Phil. 3.2 3. the Apostle speaks home to this Character I will give you saith the Apostle in the first ver some SAFE advice and counsel what sort and party of men you should avoid and what sort you should close with Ver. 2. Beware of Dogs beware of evil workers beware of that evil sort of Worshippers that are in the sight of God no better then Dogs and not children Now who are they Why the concision 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 By the Concision is usually understood the Circumcision or legal Jew that gloryed in his Circumcision here called the Concision by an Ironical Paronomasia alluding to the Factions and Schisms which they made every where Beware of these saith the Apostle and do not receive them nor adher to them for we are the Circumcision that is the true Children of
where I set my Name at the first and see what I did to it for the wickedness of my people Israel Now did God destroy his people at Shiloh for their wickedness the place where God set his Name at the first and cannot he deal as severely with a second place Therefore saith God except ye repent and amend your ways I will do unto this House as I did to Shiloh and I will destroy you as I did my people at Shiloh for all your Temple But here we see how men may dote upon a Temple so as to think themselves secure from God's Judgments though they themselves are ful of wickedness Whysomewhat like this are our people ready to do tho God forbid there should be such a gross thing found amongst us in the dayes of the Gospel as this of the Jews was yet how do many dote upon Churches and consecrated places crying as it were The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord and that after our blessed Saviour hath told us as much as this in my apprehension that one place is no holier then another neither Jerusalem nor Mount Gerizim but men should worship the Father in spirit and truth and in every place saith the Apostle perhaps we might gloss in every place alike men should lift up holy hands without wrath or doubting and yet how are some apt to think that if they pray in a Church though the Assembly be not there that a prayer in a Church is far more acceptable then in their Closet at home Not as if I did not far more prefer publick Worship then private or secret devotion or that I were against a convenient decent Meeting-place Again The Iews gloried in ceremonious services how did this Jewish Legal Carnal righteousness please pride it self in the ceremonial service of Sacrifices and the like but never look at the heart Isa 1.11 To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices to me saith the Lord I am full of Burn â—fferings of Rams and the fat of fed Beasts I delight not in the blood of Bullocks or of Lambs or of He-Goats Ver. 13. Bring no more vain Oblations incense is an abomination unto me the new Moons and Sabbaths I cannot away with Not as if all these things were at this time unlawful for they were their duty but here you see they were abundant in these and failed in matters of common honesty and justice as we may see ver 15 16 17. Your hands are full of blood wash ye make ye clean put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes cease to do evil learn to do well seek judgement relieve the oppressedâ— judge the fatherless plead for the Widow These things they ought to have done and not to leave the other undone and when ye have done these things saith the Lord Come now and let us reason together though your sins be as Scarlet they shall be white as Snow c. ver 18. Here was Gospel that if they would mind the true reformation of their hearts and lives they might expect the pardon of their sins but these Legal Jews they never mind this inward holiness no nor common honesty and yet make no question but they shall make God amends very wel by keeping Festivals New-Moons Sabbaths days of solemn Assemblies and by Sacrifices of Rams Lambs Bullocks He-Goats as if God were fed with the blood and fat of these beasts and were migtihly attoned by incense sweet perfumes See Psal 50. from 7. to 14. as if then he must needs smel a savour of rest in all that they did And the Gal. we find were come to this Gal. 3.10 Ye observe days and months times and years that is Jewish Feasts I am afraid of you lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain When they once came to observe them there was a great deal of danger and cause for the Apostles sear that they would rest in the observance of them for that this was the reason why they took to observing of them when it was not now any longer the Jews duty so much as to observe them because of their inclination to a Covenant of Works which chiefly expresseth it self in an external service So likewise the Colossians amongst whom the same pestilent Law-Preachers had been they were ensnared to the making conscience of dayes Sabbaths and new Moons and also in the business of meats that some were clean and others unclean which was once the Jews duty to observe insomuch that Peter tells the Lord he had been so strict in the business hitherto that nothing common or unclean meaning of the flesh of unclean Beasts and Fowls had entred into his mouth Acts 11.6.8 But now was not only not their duty any longer but at least to the Gentiles a sin to make any conscience in it for that they could hardly begin such a thing at such a time upon the inticement of false Teachers for none else perswaded the Gentiles to it but from an evil inclination of swerving from the pure Gospel which they had received from the Apostles unto a Covenant of Works thus served out to them by their false Teachers And it argues almost as ill a disposition in the Galatians and Colossians but to take up these things as their duty as it did in the Jews to place so much in them when they were their duty Let no man judge you in meat or in drink or in respect of an holy-day or of the new Moon or of the Sabbath-dayes which are a shadow of things to come but the body is of Christ Col. 2.14 16 17. These things when they were in use and were mens duties were at best but shadows and yet these shadows did men exceedingly glory in and preferred them before true holiness and the spiritual Worship of God yea they thought verily that whilest they did observe these things they might commit all manner of Villanies and yet escape the judgement of God Yea they thought they were delivered to do all sorts of abominations as it is in Jer 7.10 The Apostle finds out such a generation of Jews in his time Rom. 2. from the 17. to the 25. Behold thon art called a Jew and restest in the Law a full expression I think of one that seeks Justification by the Law and makest thy boast of God and knowest his will And the Apostle proceeds to describe a great Lawyer indeed one that thought himself sit to be a Guide of the blind a Light of them that walk in darkness an instructer of the foolish a teacher of babes and one that had the form of knowledge and of the truth in the Law Yet what kind of man is he for his Morals Why he is a Thief an Adulterer a Sacrilegious person what not ver 21 22. Thou therefore which teachest another teachest thou not thy self thou that preachest a man should not steal dost thou steal Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery dost
and a man is justified without these nay he cannot be justified if he but pretend to these Therefore the Apostle James must speak of another sort of works which whilest a man doth he yet renounces merit in them and these works a man may be in part justified by without any prejudice to the doctrine of Justification by faith This is fully asserted by Mr Baxter Thesis 76. pag. 292. Neither is there saith he the least appearance of a contradiction betwixt this and Paul's doctrine Rom. 3.28 if men did not through prejudice negligence or wilfulness over-look this that in that and all other the like places the Apostle doth professedly exclude THE WORKS OF THE LAW ONLY from Justification but never at all THE WORKS OF GOSPEL as they are the condition of the New Covenant Works therefore justifie as a less principal part of the condition of the New Covenant I am not shy to speak in Mr Baxter's words since I intend much the same thing they do not justifie from their own merit so only legal works justifie but from divine promise and acceptance For proof of this that it is so that works do justifie in the second place besides the express words of the Apostle James I finde the same thing asserted by the Apostle Paul in three several Scriptures * Dr Hammond Par. All that is required to our justification is faith not all that is called by that name but such as is made perfect by addition of those duties which we owe to God and our brethren Gal. 5â— In Jesus Christ that is in the doctrine of Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing that is unto Justification 〈◊〉 uncircumcision but faith whiâ—â— worketh by Love Here faith indeed is â—aid to justifie but it is a faith which worketh by love a working faith But yet more plainly the same expression is used in two places to our present purpose Gal. 6.15 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but a new creature that is saith Dr Hammond the renewed regenerate heart and it may be added a new life 2 Cor. 5.17 If any man be in Christ he is a now creature old things are past away behold all things are become new that is he lives a perfect new life and this new life only availeth unto Justification beyond circumcision or uncircumcision which are meer external Priviledges The third Scripture where the same expression is used is beyond all exception to our present purpose 1 Cor. 7.19 Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing these are of no consideration in the matter of pleasing God and obtaining his favour What then is why the keeping the commandments of God this is beyond all these considerations of bond and free circumcised and uncircumcised But these are the things with which he compares the new creature and good works he doth not set these above all when he compares them with faith in that place where he mentions faith that is set above works and other graces as the cause above the effect the principal agent above the instrument Neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncâ—râ—umbâ—sion but faith which WORKETH BY LOVE But in these Scriptures we see plainly that work have an influence upon our Justification they are of great availe in order unto it If it be objected that the first Justification passeth upon believing before works I answer with many others that there is in the first faith a rooted disposition unto an universal obedience there is the new creature or new man of the heart there and in continued justification there is the new man of the life and conversation Now the reasons why the Lord would have works in the condition of Justification though he doth not justifie for works only or chiefly may be gathered out of the Scripture to be these The first reason is this 1 Reas Why works are in the condition of Gospel justification For that without works faith it self cannot be accounted a perfect saith Now certainly if faith justifie it must be a perfect compleat faith not a maimed imperfect faith That without works faith is imperfect and by works it is perfected are the assertions of the Apostle James Faith without works is dead James 2.20 26 ver 22. Seest thâ—â— how faith wrought with his works and by works was his faith made perfect What an uselets imperfect dead thing is a power or faculty for action without operation What an useless thing would it be for a man to have eyes able to see only the man hath a continual blinde put before his eyes that he never doth see in all his life Why just such a thing were faith withour action of no worth or use What an imperfect faith had Abraham's been if his works and actions had not attended it Suppose we that when God commanded Abraham to offer up Isaac he had refused and said Lord how then shall there arise of him a great Nation his faith had been exceedingly discredited But when he resolves with himself I will offer him up for I know that God that raised him out of Sarah's dead womb can as well raise him from the dead after I have killed him and offered him up here was a noble faith indeed his faith was perfected by this work here that grace shewed what it could carry men unto When any thing attains its end it receives its perfection Here faith attained its end in carrying Abraham to do so great a work and therein was perfected and so obtained the compleat reward of Justification then the Scripture was fulfilled which saith Abraham believed God if works had not accompanied his faith it had proved but an imperfect dead faith the Scripture had not been fulfilled which faith Abraham believed God No artificer will own any thing to be a true and perfect piece of work which will not attain it's end serve the use it is made for so will not God own that to be faith which will not put us upon acts of confidence in himself and obedience to his commands be they never so difficult For though God knows the heart and so can see into the very principle of our actions yet the Lord is pleased to keep that distance of State and Majesty that he will not seem to know what he doth know till the outward man express what is in the inward man God knew before what was in Abraham's heart but yet he will not seem to know that he was so great a believer till he had put him upon this trial of offering up his son Gen 22.12 Now I know that thou fearest God seeing thou hast not with-heâ—â—â—hy son thine only son from me Now I confess what is here said of works in this reason That faith receives it's perfection from them can only properly and immediately be applyed to the works of faith to other works only remotely as faith may have some kinde of influence even upon all good works but however
we see that faith is not perfect without some kinde of works That is the first reason Faith it self would be an imperfect thing without works and so could not justifie The second reason why works are taken into the condition of Justification is Reason 2. For that it were neither comely no nor possible for divine approbation which I have often affirmed to be contained in Justification to pass upon any man without them I put these two into one 1. It were not comely What a strange thing would it be in the apprehensions of men if the great and holy God should own a company of persons in the world for his for certainly whom he justifies he will own for his that should only be though they really were believers but never do any service for him Neither plead for his honour when he is blasphemed nor own his servants when they are in reproach and distressed Not to mention their negative holiness which lyes in avoiding the corruptions of the world without which negative holiness if God should own them he would be thought the Patron of all Vice c. but I dare not express the uncomly consequences that would follow Now besides the impossibility that ariseth from this uncomliness there is also an impossibility that ariseth from the nature of the thing and that was the second thing I intended in this reason I say therefore it is impossible that God should approve of any person as just or take him into his favor and delights all which the Lord doth in the great business of Justification that is not a good and a righteous man God cannot justifie the ungodly whilest he remains ungodly he cannot love him nor delight in him nor approve of him because then he should approve of and delight in that which were contrary to his own nature viz. in a sinfull wicked person being himself an holy God 3. Reason 3. Good works do not justifie only negatively as without which faith would not be perfect and without which the object could not be beloved but good works do help justifie as that which after the intervention of mercy and pardon do render the object lovely to the holy God and do naturally conciliate the divine love and approbation 'T is true all our obedience while it is any way defective cannot constrain approbation and love from God nay our defects must needs bring a guilt upon our best actions if we are considered as under the law of our creation But now after that the good and mercifull God hath found out a comely way how he may shew favour to sinners it is certain that all their good actions though they are not immediate acts of Faith but of Love or Patience Justice or Temperance must needs be exceeding pleasing to him Gal. 5.22 23. The fruit of the Spirit is Love Joy Peace Long-suffering Gentleness Goodness Faith Meckness Temperance against such there is no law that is against such graces and actions or persons adorned with them there is no law This is but a meiosis for indeed such graces and gracious persons though but imperfectly furnished with them are yet for these things sake through his gracious acceptance of them highly pleasing to God For this see Heb. 13.16 Acts 10.4 And this is that wâ—â—â—â— Mr John Goodwin acknowledgeth who yâ—â— denyes that works procure Justification as Justification signifies remission of sins in the Fanner of Justification displayed pag. 48. 49. When Abraham is said to have been justified by works when he had offered c. the meaning is that upon this great testimony given by Abraham of the truth and effectualness of his faith God highly APPROVED of him and DEALâ— BY HIM AS BY A PERSON RIGHTEOUS AND JUST and CALLED HIM HIS FRIEND with much more to the same purpose by this you see how good works do highly please God so as to justifie us with an high approbation at least and I should think too even unto remission of sins so that if such a man that doth these works thus highly pleasing to God have sins upon him lately committed they should be forgiven him according to these Scriptures Dan. 4.27 Break off thy sins by righteousness and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor Iam 5.15 If he have committed sâ—â—s they shall be forgiven him if it may be a lengthning of thy tranquillity or an healing of thine error as the margin hath it So Acts 3.19 Repent yee therefore and be converted that your iniquities may be blotted out Isai 1.16 17 18. Wash ye make ye clean put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes cease to do evil learn to do well seck iudgment relieve the oppressed judge the fatherless plead for the widow Come now and let us reason together saith the Lord though your sins be as scarlet they shall be as whiâ—e asnow though they be red like crimson they shall be as wool So lizek 18 21 22. Here you see that part of Justification which consists in the remission of sins is promised to good works as the Gospel reward of them and indeed I do not see how these two parts of Justification can be separated viz. Approbation and Pardon so as Faith should obtain the one and Good Works the other though indeed they may well be conceived as distinct parts of Justification I crave the pardon of that reverend person mentioned in that I take this liberty to express my self I shall conclude this Question with those words of Mr Baxter in his Aphorismes Thesis 73. pag. 289. 290. Faith ONLY doth not justifie in opposition to the works of the Gospel but those works do also justifie as the secoadary less-principal parts of the condition of the New Covenant I come now to the last Question which is this How comes faith thus eminently to intitule us to justification I have asserted Quest 6. that though works do justifie yet faith doth it so eminently as that gets the chiefest name of righteousness and works are never called our righteousness much less are they the righteousness of faith though it must be allowed as a good consequence that if we are said to be justified by works in a sense works are our righteousness because all Justification is by a righteousness But to let pass that that works are a partial secondary less principal righteousness The Question remains How comes faith to be so eminently our righteousness as to bear away the name so that our righteousness by which we are now said to be justified should be called the righteousness of faith in opposition to works that is legal works Now to this I answer in the general that the great reason of this must be the divine ordination and appointment It could not be meerly from the nature of the thing nothing in its own nature can justifie a rational creature but perfect righteousness unerring obedience Now the highest faith in the world can never deserve to be accounted