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
to have it and do it but when I have it I make no use of it in my treating with God for justification and to give one instance which must needs prove that he doth not mean it of Justification at first believing In pag. 10. he takes men off when they come to dye from taking their comfort or discomfort from their past life which if ever they were justifyed is the longest time after their first Justification without any distinction about it whereas we finde that when Hezekiah came to die and had the sentence of death passed upon him by God he presently reflects upon his past-life and hath a great confidence upon it nay and useth the holiness of his life past as an argument with God to spare him longer Isa 38.2 3. Then Hezekiah after he had received the sentence from Isaiah turned his face to the wall and said Remember now O Lord I beseech thee how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart and HAVE DONE THAT WHICH WAS GOOD IN THY SIGHT And so St Paul when he thinks of leaving the world he reflects upon his past life 2 Tim. 4.6 7 8. For I am now ready to be offered and the time of my departure is at hand I have fought a good fight I have finished my cours I have kept the faith HENCEFORTH there is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness c. But that I may not do Luther wrong I shall quote the whole passage which I think hath great usef lness in it were it not almost spoiled by that Antinomiaâ— dead flie that may be found in it Ejusmodi est humana imbecillitas c. such is the weakness and misery of Mankinde that in terrors of conscience and danger of death we look at nothing else but our Works our own worthiness and the Law nostram dignitatem Legem Which when it shews us our sin presently comes into our minde our past life and then with great grief of soul doth the sinner groan thus thinking with himself Ah quam perdite vixi utinam liceret diutius vivere tum velim emendare vitam meam c. Ah how wickedly have I lived would God I were to live longer then would I certainly amend my life and live better c. Upon which he adds Nec potest ratio humana neither can HUMANE REASON a very vile thing with the Antinomians ita hoc malum est nobis insitum illamque infelicem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 comparavimus so is this evil imbred in us and such an unhappy custome have we gotten that humane reason cannot ex hâ—c spectro justitiae activae seu propriae evolvere attollere sese get it self out of the sight of this Bug-bear or apparition called Active Righteousness or our own proper Righteousness and lift it self up to the sight of Passive Righteousness or Christian Righteousness but it simply sticks upon and rests in the Active Now I do really believe that when we come to dye we shall sinde great use indeed of our faith in the mercies of God and blood of Christ and a little comfort immediately vouchsafed from God by the lifting up the light of his countenance upon us will be better worth to us and of more speedy help in those bitter agonies we may be cast into than all the comfort we may be able to conclude to our selves from the imperfect obedience of our past lives But yet believe it he that then shall have the testimony of a clear conscience and the fair appearance or apparition of a good past life or active righteousness so as to be able to use the words of good Hezekiah unto the Lord Remember how I have done that which was goad in thy sight will have no occasion to turn from it as a foul spectre or ghastly apparition but he will rather welcome it as his good Angel and desire it's company with him into the other world for upon this account it is that they are blessed that dye in the Lord for that they rest from their labours and THEIR WORKS FOLLOW THEM Rev. 14.13 I might adde many other passages out of Luther and others but these may suffice to shew the first extream opinion in the business of Justification that Works of no kinde have any thing to do there at all The other extream Opinion of some good men is That the righteousness of faith is an holy temper of heart or a Christ-like nature in a man's soul which because it is produced very much by faith it is called the righteousness of faith Now certainly these bend the stick too much the other way for though Holiness be requisite unto Justification yet it is not the only requisite nor the chief condition of it upon which the honour is put by God Yet this Opinion I look upon to be much safer than the Antinomian Doctrine As for the two middle Opinions that hold the mean betwixt these two extreams they are that of Mr John Goodwin and Mr Baxter Mr Goodwin allowes Evangelical works a share in Justification but then it is only in that part or kinde of Justification which consists in the divine approbation but excludes them out of that part or that kinde of Justification which consists in remission of sins which yet he affirmes is the strict Gospel-justification and for this he makes faith alone to be the condition of it In the last place Mr Baxter makes Faith and Evangelical Works together the compleat condition of that Justification which consists in pardon of sins as well as of the divine approbation only that Faith is the principal Works the last principal condition and to this Opinion I must needs adhere Though for Mr Goodwins I look upon it to be sufficiently removed from the Antinomian in that it makes Faith as an act not only as a hand receiving Christ's righteousness as some Antinomians love to speak the condition of Justification and Works too to be necessary unto the obtaining divine approbation besides that he holds that the final Justification at the day of Judgment shall proceed according to Works And indeed I am so farr of his opinion that I think faith hath a farr greater share in our Justification than all our good Works put together yea that our good Works do chiefly justifye as they have faith in them and for the sake of that faith that spirits them of which I have given some proof in the ensuing Treatise pag. 270 271. out of Heb. 11. where the Apostle sindes out a faith in the actions of several of the Patriarchs and sayes it was by faith that they did this or that and were justified though their story mention nothing of their faith at all And it may be said as well that Works without Faith are dead being alone as that Faith without Works is dead being alone Now these four Opinions lying fair in view in all which there are good men engaged in some of them to a great
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
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
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
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
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
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