own works performed in obedience to the Law cannot stand together Christ died to purchase forgiveness of sins and justification for his people but if any would be justified by the Law they go about to frustrate the grace of God as if Christ had died in vain Christ is become of none effect to you whosoever of you are justified by the Law ye are fallen from grace when he saith Whosoever c. he doth not grant that any are or can be justified by the Law but whosoever rely upon the works of the Law for justification hoping to be justified by the Law they loose the benefit of Christs death and satisfaction The Lord Christ is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him and therefore none of them do save themselves or justifie themselves in any part There is a most clear place to shew that justification by works and justification by faith cannot stand together that no man is justified by the Law in the sight of God is evident for the just shall live by faith or the just by faith shall live and the Law is not of faith but the man that doth them shall live in them Justification righteousness everlasting life and salvation is obtained by faith in Christ applying his righteousness to the soul but the Law is not of faith but the man that doth them shall live in them The Law is a Covenant of another Nature the man that doth the works of the Law shall live in them There is no possibility of being justified by the Law unless a man could perfectly fulfill it this is impossible for any man to do 1. Because of the corruption of his Nature which is every way contrary to the Law 2. Because all and far more than all that he can do for the time to come is due debt to the justice of God and cannot make the least satisfaction for his sins past no not for any one of those numberless sins whereof he was formerly guilty 3. Because the best mans righteousness is imperfect and falleth short of the perfection of the Law no righteousness can satisfie the justice of God but that which is compleat and perfect and therefore the righteousness and performances of the holiest men are of no account at all in the sight of God towards their justification But it may be said that the Apostle Iames saith Ye see then how that by works a man is justified and not by faith only For Answer to this I conceive That this Apostle Iames here directeth his speech to this end sâ—il to shew the vanity and folly of those who deceive themselves with a shadow of faith presumptuously fancying to themselves an interest in Christ imagining that their sins are forgiven and their persons justified by his death satisfaction and righteousness but their faith is not sound it is not such a faith as truly receiveth Christ into the heart whereby Believers are made one with Christ possessing him partaking of his spirit which stirreth them up to conform themselves to Christ to follow him to bring forth the fruits of the spirit and therefore he saith ver 20. Faith without works is dead So it is a working faith which justifieth because such a faith alone doth truly lay hold of Christ and his righteousness On the other side holiness and good works do not at all justifie believers in a proper sense but evidence the persons to be justified because they shew that such by faith unfeigned are united unto Christ whose righteousness alone doth justifie and therefore he saith What doth it profit my Brethren if a man say he hath faith and have not works Can faith save him He speaketh of such as say they have faith not of those that have a lively saving faith indeed So ver 19. he speaketh to such Thou believest that there is one God thou dost well the Divels also believe and tremble So that he sheweth that a dead faith is but such a faith as the Divels have which is far from justifying and saving those that have it 2. I conceive his meaning is that holiness and the fruits of faith do declare and manifest true believers to be justified before men A man will say thou hast faith and I have works shew me thy faith without thy works and I will shew thee my faith by my works as if he had said Natural life shews it self by the motions and actings of life so doth spiritual life evidence it self by the motions and actings of spiritual life True faith embracing Christ and his righteousness for justification is a principle of spiritual life Thou therefore who pretendest to have this faith how canst thou make it appear how canst thou shew or declare it when thou puttest forth no motions or actings of spiritual life The use of this may be 1. To shew us the miserable and woful estat of all that are not in Christ. They are no justified they cannot be justified in that condition for there is no way for men to be justified in the fight of God by any works of their own performed in obedience to the Law and if they be not justified then they are condemned there is no middle estate between these two So the Apostle implieth where speaking of those that are in Christ he faith It is God that justifieth who is he that condemneth This sheweth that they that are justified and accepted as righteous in the sight of God are not condemned and so on the contrary they that are not justified are condemned All then that are not in Christ are in the state of condemnation so it is implied ver 1. There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Iesus who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit So on the other side there is no justification no salvation to them that are not in Christ Jesus He that believeth not is condemned already he is condemned for his sin the sentence of condemnation is passed upon him by the Lord and he wanteth a sound saving faith to lay hold on Christ and his righteousness whereby alone he might be justified and freed from the sentence of condemnation and therefore while poor souls remain in this condition what can they do but treasure up wrath against the day of wrath and the revelation of the righteous judgement of God People may attend upon ordinances perform divers duties in publick and in private and yet still lye under the sentence of condemnation They may make some kind of reformation refraining from some outward gross acts of sin they may be civil and orderly in their conversations above many other and yet the wrath of God may still abide upon them In this case it is not enough to alter your course in some things but your state and condition must be altered nothing can help you while you are out of Christ and stand upon your
measure Excellent discourses of Philosophers Yet is it an imperfect Rule now cannot guide sinners to blessedness discovers not the great mystery of the Trinity or the state of perfection man was Created in his fall and recovery c. An additional imperfection from the heart on which it is written as from blurr'd paper the words or Letters are imperfectly read Yet useful it is to Gods glory to humane Societies as remote preparators to receiving the Gospel in which much above nothing contrary to the light of Nature it justifies God leaves man without excuse not increasing this light not acting up to it This defect of theirs was sin against God who as Lawgiver to all hath given this Law punisht the breakers of it before the Law given on mount Sinai Rom. 5. 13 14. illustrated These punishments were just as severe in every age and ruine of several Monarchies The sins of Christians greater than of Heathens or Iews What Christians are in name in participation with Christ who is dishonoured by their sins which many Heathens abhor Seneca and Pliny abhor'd Drunkenness Tully decry'd Frauds in Contracts Chap. VIII Moral Law written abridged in the ten Commandments established by the Doctrine of justification by faith though it excludes the Righteousness of works from our justification not excluded from all other use None justified by works of the Law because all are born in state of sin Works of faith follow justification as fruit are imperfect examined by the rigor of the Law which bears not the least aberration requires the whole of mans heart alwaies in highest degree of love to God and for his sake to man our neighbour nothing must be omitted or wanting or defective Mans works cannot justifie before the infinite justice holiness and Majesty of God our Lawgiver Man to be saved was found in sin is saved by grace from which they fall who would be justified by the Law being a Covenant of nature quite different from the Gospel Works justifying in St. James sense Jam. 2. 24. explained Iustifying faith is an Active principle as prevalent habits are They miserable who are not in Christ because condemned no middle State outward fairness insufficient inward change necessary Historical faith doth not justifie Iustifying faith hath sense of its need of Christ who is a complete Saviour and wherein this compleatness is How earnest we should be to be found in him careful to bring forth much fruit but not to trust in it keep the mean between the dangerous extreams of a dead faith and resting on the works of Faith How Christ establisht the Law by fulfilling it which he did without destroying it what occasion of that Mat. 5. 17. how made under the Law though he was the Lawgiver bound therefore to fulfill the Law perfectly so became a perfect High-Priest according to the type wherein every blemisht person was prohibited medling with the Priestly function Sinless perfection necessary to the Sacrifice Christ offer'd in offering himself Fulfilling the Righteousness of the Law is an establishing of the Law to the exactness whereof man was at first created the Law of our Creation afterwards exemplified in the decalogue Satans design to obliterate this Law by our sin to bring us under a Law of sin how this effected hence God dishonoured man destroyed both arising from Satans malice against the glory of God and happiness of man This work of Satan Christ came to destroy and hath done it which no meer creature could have done Angels could not and why This work is really a repairing man though expressed by destroying of Satans work so raising up the dead is called destruction of the Grave 1 Joh. 3. 8. at large unfolded Christ God imprest on our nature in himself the absolute perfection of that holiness the Law required of mans nature Christ hath fully satisfied the Law and accomplisht the Prophecies concerning him which was God the coessential word who made all supports all in heaven and earth and doth it as primary efficient cause and final for his own glory so was without robbery equal with God yet became man uniting the humane nature to the Godhead which supported the humane nature gave value to the sufferings of it in which nature he made under the Law was in capacity of suffering the Curse which the Godhead fountain of life and blessedness was not liable to Who come not to Christ are expos'd to all that their sins deserve and the Law threatens Sin then is bitter and will be the shame of Sinners Who are in Christ have sound foundation of comfort Christ hath satisfied the Law for them To whom his perfect righteousness is imputed so the Law establisht this enlarged and illustrated Debts paid by surety the debtor discharged the payment imputed God imputes it and of Grace or freely to the Believer on his believing in Christ. So faith justifieth not meritoriously nor efficiently not materially or formally but objectively and instrumentalâ—y as apprehending Christ his righteousness Hence our blessedness joyned with our Sanctification How Christ establisht the Law by perfectly fulfilling all the Righteousness which it required Contraiwise the doctrine of justification by our works makes void the Law in great part reducing its Commands to the scantling of that obedâ—ence which is pretended to justifie us The mystery of Christs immense love to us Believers should be humble and will beâ— Great sinners may be encouraged to come to Christ whose righteousness is the righteousness of Jehovah Look to the truth of your faith the suitableness of your life justified ones are sanctified ones The Law is made a rule of holiness in life to those that are justified without works of the Law and this by the Authority of Christ who hath for us satisfied it as a Covenant and now ratified it as a Rule to us we cannot live justified by it we must live sanctified to it The Law as Covenant of works useful to Believers to humble awaken and drive them to seek a remedy The Law a Rule useful to believers keeping them poor in spirit in sight of what they once were what they still are It is useful to quicken and stir them up to greater study of holiness Our Redemption no prejudice to the Law rather an exalting of it The peaceable comport of the Law and Faith which oppos'd to each other is great error of Antinomians High Presumption to boast of justification by Faith and yet be the servants of sin against the holiness of the Commandment He is out of Christ who continues in sin in contempt of the Law and to the abuse of free grace which imparteth inherent Righteousness to sanctification as it imputeth Christ his righteousness to justification ERRATA PAge 5. line 2. read these p. 17. l. ult add here p. 18. for when l. 18. r. even p. 21. for Circumcellions r. Circumcellians p. 32. l. 19. for Corrupts r. Corrupt p. 33. l. 2. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l 13. r. Hymenaeus p. 37.
p. 261 262. 2 Pet. 3. 15. Rom. 1. 17. Parts of the words Doctr. 1. Rom. 3. 1 2. Ro. 3. 5 6 7 8. Rom. 6. 1. c. ver 14. The General Reason of the point 1 Joh. 4. 5 6 Particular Reasons Joh. 1. 5. Eph. 7. 8. Col. 3. 9 10. Mat. 22. 23 29. c. Ignorance greater or less and whence 1 Thes. 4. 15 16 17. 2 Thes. 2. 1 2 3. Luk. 13. 3. Joh. 3. 3. Heb. 12. 14. Prejudicate opinion the cause of perverting the truth through Ignorance Rom. 10. 3. 2. Reason of the Point Tit. 2. 11 â—2 3. Reason of the Point 4th Reason of the Point Mat. 16. 24. 5th Reason of the Point 〈◊〉 16. 14. 〈…〉 1. Use of the the first Doctr. Rom. 7. 18. Act. 13. 46 2 Cor. 2. 16. Rom. 7. 5 1 Pet. 2. 8. ver 12 13. Use 2 2 Thes. 2. 12. Use 3. Two Questions Answered Answ. to 1. Some of note for profession unsound at heart 1 Joh. 2. 18 19. 2. Answ. to 1. Query Some err because their knowledge is but in part 3. Answ. to 1. Quaere God permits it to teach us how to esteem men Gal. 1. 8. Answ. to 2. Query Carnal persons may be constant to some truths and whence 1. Answ. From Natural quickness of judgment 2. Answ. From affectation of a seeming constancy 3 Answ. Satan 〈◊〉 sure of them aâ—other way 4. Ans Hoped advantage from those that hold the truth 5. Answ. From their indifferency to opinions in Religion which keeps them from New ones Act. â—8 15. 25 18 19. 2. Doct. Gracious hearts abhor opinions which oppose the truth of God Proof 1. From examples Of Mâ—ses Num. 31. 3 7 8 14 15. ver 1 2. of Elijah 1 King 18. 40. of Micaiah Ch. 22. 23. of Ieremiah Jer. 28. 15 16. 29. 21 22. ver 31 32. of Iohn Baptist. Mat. 3. 7. 15. 6 7. of our blessed Lord. Mat. 16. 12. Mat. 23. Joh. 10 8. of St. Peter 2 Pet. 2. of St. Iude. Jud. 11. 1 Joh. 2. 19 4. 1. 2 Joh. 7. 10 11. Rev. 2. 6. 14 15 16. ver 20. of St. Paul Rom. 16. 17 18 1 Cor. 15. 2 Cor. 11. 13 14 15. Gal. 1. 8 9 Gal. 3. 1. 5. 12. Phil. 3. 2. Col. 2. 4. 8 18. 2 Thes. 2. 1 Tim. 1. 19. 20. 1 Tim. 4. 1 2. 2 Tim. 2. 17. 2 Tim. 3. 1. ver 6. ver 13. 43 4. Tit. 1. 10. 11. 3. 10. 11. Heb. 13. 9. 10. 2. Proof of the Doctr. by Argument 1. Reason from the glory of God wronged c. Joh. 7. 28. Tit. 1. 2. Joh. 14. 6. ver 17. 1 Cor. 15. 15. 2. Reason Godly have an Antipathy to Heresies Joh. 10. 5. 1. From the New birth Jam. 1. 18. 1 Joh. 3. 19. 2. They are Children of the God of truth Reason 3. Errours destructive to Souls 4. Reason Spreading nature of Errors 5. Reason Errors apt to overtop Truth and how 6. Reason heresies spread speedily Job 1. 7. 7. Reason Errors withdraw Souls from the means of grace 8. Reason Errours devides the Church 1 Cor. 12. 27. Eph. 5. 23. 4. 3 4 5 6. Rom. 16. 17. Act. 15. 1 2. ver 7 24. Phil 3. 2. Beza Caution 1. Eph. 4. 14. 15. Prov. 23. 23. Jude 3. 4. 2 Tim. 1. 13 14 15. Tit. 1. 9 10 11 13. Joh. 7. 41 42 43. 10. 19 20 21. Mat. 10. 24 25 26. Luk 12. 51. Divisions from Satans malice Mans frowardness Act. 14. 1 2 3 4 5. 1. Use. Rev. 8. 13. Rev. 9. 1. Rom. 9. 1 2 3. Gal. 4. 19. Psal. 119. 158. Vse 2. 1. Obj. 1. Plea for tolerating all c. Answered â—um 6. 12. 3. Ex. 22. 28 29. 2. Answer 3. Answ. Answ. 4. Jud. 22 23. 2. Obj. 3. Obj. Answ. Col. 3. 16. 25. 4. Obj. Answ. Obj. 5. Luk. 1. 32 33. Answ. 1 King 18. 40. 2 King 16. 24 25 c. 30. Obj. 6. Answ. Lev. 24. 16. Ob. 7. out of Mat. 13 22 30. Answ. v. 41. Vse 3. Doct. 3. Complicated falshood charged sometimes on truth and the preachers of it Mat. 5. 17. Mat. 9. 34. See Luk. 23. 2. with Mat 22. 21 Joh. 8. 13. Act. 16. 20 21. 17. 6. Rom. 13. Tit. 3. 1. 1. Reason of the Point Act. 17. 18. 2 Cor. 1. 13. Reason 2. From Creduâ—ity Act. 19. 32 33. Reason 3. From malice Act. 24. 5 6. Act. 6 9 10 11 Vse 1. Eccles. 1. 9. Doct. 4. Faith establisheth the Ceremonial Law And how this is to be understood Sect. 1. Sect. 2. Sect. 3. 1. Law of Ceremonies instituted of God and to what end Gen. 17 9 10 Exod 12. 1 c. 24 25. Heb. 8. 5. Heb. 10. 8 9 10. Mat. 27. Instituted Ceremonies are of four sorts 1. Sacraments 1. Circumcision It s use 2. Passeover 2. Sacrifices which were of four kinds Vid. Cap. 5 3. Sacred persons and things 4. Sacred observances Sect. 2. Ceremonies misunderstood by the Iews 1. Many had very little knowledge of their mystical signification 2. They rested in the outward work done 3. They had more care to observe these than the moral Law Isa. 1. Joh. 18. 28 29 38. ch 19. 4. ver 13. 4. They rested on it as Righteousness to Justification Act. 15. 1. Gal. 5. 3 4. 5. They thought these should be perpetuated to the â—â—d of the world Act. 6. 13 14. Sect. 3. How faith doth establish the Law of Ceremonies 1. Negatively not continuing heâ—m Act. 7. 37. Joh. 4. 19 20. 21. ver 25. 26. 2. Affirmatively 1. shewing how Ceremonies attain'd their proper end 1. Leading to Christ. 2. Shewing that they were not empty appearances but Types of great things 3. Illustrating by them it self and the great Mystery of Christ. Vse 1. Sect. 1. 1. Circumcision instituted Gen. 17. 10 11. Deut. 10. 16. and what it signified Rom. 2. 29 Rom. 4. 11. Gen. 7. 17. Rom. 5. 10. Gen. 12. 2 3. Gen. 22. 18. Rom. 4. 3 11. Cor. 4. 11. Col. 2. 10 11 12. Sect. 2. 2. Passeover instituted Ex. 12. 3 c. ver 12 13. The mystical signification of the Passeover 1. Purity and perfection of Christ. Joh. 1. 29 30. 1 Cor. 5. 7. 1 Pet. 1. 18 19. Humane Nature of Christ. Christs being set apart for this work ver 20. Sprinkling of the blood of Christ for salvation 1. Use of the Mystical part of the Passeover Keep the spiritual Passeover with actual and lively faith Joh. 8. 36. Vse 2. Admire and be thankful to God Vse 3. Imitate Christ in his spotless life and nature 1 Joh. 3. 3. Vse 4. Get an unfeigned faith Vse 5. Keep the Passover always but especially at the Lords Supper with love and sincerity 1 Cor. 5. 8. Mat. 16. 6. 12. Luk. 12. 1. Vse 6. Keep it more and more towards perfection Vse 7. Be ever waiting ready for the Lord. Luk. 22. 35 36. 1 Pet. 1. 13. Vse 8. Feed on the Lamb of God with
Father in the forehead and face of his beloved Son readeth such an inscription of perfect holiness and righteousness that beholding his people in him he accepteth them as perfectly righteous through him that as this golden plate with this inscription was placed so eminently on Aarons forehead that it was visible and obvious to the bodily eyes and sight of the people of Israel so the perfect righteousness and holiness of the Lord Jesus Christ is eminently visible to the spiritual eye of his peoples faith that they may receive sweet comfort in the assurance that their iniquities are taken away through him and may behold the Fatherly love and kindness of the Father towards them and his gracious acceptance of their sevices in the face of Jesus Christ. One thing more was to be added before as belonging to the breast-plate of Judgement scil Vrim and Thummim concerning which there is a great question What it was Wherein it seemeth that neither Iewish nor Christian writers are yet agreed Whether it were these words engraven upon a golden plate and put upon a breast-plate or whether the twelve precious stones upon the breast-plate were so called or what other thing it might be Howsoever the meaning of the words is plain which being both of the plural number signifie Lights and Perfections These may point out unto us the fulness of heavenly Light wisdom and knowledge and perfection of grace that is in the Lord Jesus Christ. Saith he I am the light of the World again I am the Truth And the Apostle saith In him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge for in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bedily This may shew that all by nature are darkness and imperfection and therefore needing such a Saviour who is fullness of Lights and Perfections Ye were sometimes darkness but now are Light in the Lord. God who is rich in mercy for his great Love wherewith â—e loved us even when we were dead in trespasses and sins hath quickned us together with Christ. And ye are compleat in him who is the head of all principality and power They that are naturâ—lly full of spiritual death darkness imperfection receive spiritual life light and grace from Christ when once they are truly united to him and so are compleat not in themselves but in him upon whose breast are Vrim and Thummim in whom is fullness of Lights and Perfections And Malachy who seemeth to be one of the last Prophets before Christs coming to raise up the hearts of the godly in expectation of Christs appearing in the flesh told them or rather God speaking by him assured them thus But unto you that fear my Name shall the sun of righteousness arise with healing under his wings with light to deliver you from darkness and with healing graces the influences of his heavenly perfections to cure the diseases defects distempers of your souls Sixthly The High priest was appointed for men in things pertaining to God to offer gifts and Sacrifices for sins so the Lord Christ was ordained for men in things pertaining to God to offer Sacrifice for sins Christ hath loved us and given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour How much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God Where it is manifest that he is both the High-Priest and the Sacrifice both the offerer and the offering as he is the offering or sacrifice so he was figured by such sacrifices as those formerly spoken of As he is the offerer or High-priest so he is figured by the High-Priest of the old Testament None was worthy to offer this sacrifice of infinite value but Christ himself and the infinite worth of Christ God and man who as the High-Priest or Sacrificer presented this offering to God the Father and the infinite worth of the same Christ presented as an offering may assure the greatest sinners which truly turn to the Lord and come to him that there is enough done to make atonement and reconciliation between God and them only take heed least by neglecting so great salvation the infinite worth of the High Priest and sacrifice prove in the Issue an aggravation of your guilt and condemnation Seventhly The High-Priest having killed the Bullock of the sin-offering was to take a Censer full of burning coals of fire from off the Altar before the Lord and his hands full of sweet incense beaten small and bring it within the Vail scil into the holy of holies and then fire the Incense that the cloud of the Incense might cover the mercy-seat and then to sprinkle of the blood of the bullock upon the mercy-seat and before the mercy-seat seven timesâ— so first the Lord Christ having sacrificed himself entred with his own blood scil with the merit and virtue of his blood into the most holy place within the vail that is into Heaven it self into the second sci the most holy place went the High priest once every year not without blood which he offered for himself and for the errours of the people but Christ being being become an High-Priest of good things to come by a greater and more perfect Tabernacle not made with hands that is to say not of this building neither by the blood of Goats and Calves but by his own blood he entred once into the holy place having obtained eternal Redemption so that the merit and virtue of Christ his most precious blood is always presented before God in Heaven in behalf of those that truly lay hold on Christ. Also the sweet incense put upon the fire in the Golden Censer and resting as a cloud upon the mercy-seat may teach us that the sweet incense of Christ his sacrifice and offering make way for the Persons Prayers and services of Gods people that so they may approach to the mercy-seat or gracious presence of God in Heaven The blood also sprinkled upon and before the Mercy-seat may note unto us that the blood of Christ procures mercy with God for repenting and believing sinners and maketh way for them to draw nigh unto God And so much for this eminent Type of Christ. The High-Priest of the old Testament figuring Christ the eternal High-Priest In the next place somewhat might be spoken of the inferiour Priests which were of the posterity of Aaron These I take to have been Types of the Members of Christ of whom it is said that Christ hath loved them and washed them from their sins in his own blood and made them Kings and Priests unto God and his Father to whom also Peter saith Ye are are a chosen generation a royal Priesthood an holy Nation a peculiar people And these are first to offer themselves as sacrifices to God I beseech you Brethren by the mercies of
actual either of commission or omission in thought word or deed and Peter saith He was a Lamb without blemish and without spot who did no sin neither was guile found in his mouth and that he suffered for sins the just for the unjust these and the like passages compared with that place prove that he performed perfect obedience to the Law for being as was said made under the Law it was absolutely necessary that he should fulfill it that he might approve himself to be the just one knowing no sin a Lamb without blemish and without spot c. because every 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whatsoever is against the Law is sin whatsoever is contrary to the Râ—le of the Law whatsoever is defective and falleth short of the perfect purity of the Law is sin and therefore in as much as the Lord was made under the Law and yet was found to be without all spot of sin when he offered up himself in sacrifice and poured forth his blood for the sins of the world It is most clear that he performed full and perfect obedience to the Law and this was necessary 1. That he might be a perfect High Priest The Priest in the old Testament being a Type of Christ was to be without outward blemish in his person or body No man that hath a blemish of the seed of Aaron the Priest shall come nigh to offer the offering of the Lord made by fire and in the next Chapter there is a severe threatning against any of Aarons posterity if having any legal uncleanness upon them they should presume to meddle with the holy things of the Tabernacle suppose they were polluted with Leprosie or a running Issue or by touching an other that was unclean c. This figured the perfect purity and holiness of Christ the true and eternal High-Priest who was to offer up himself in sacrifice to God for such an High-Priest became us who is holy harmless undefiled seperate from sinners made higher than the Heavens who needeth not dayly as those High Priests to offer up Sacrifice first for his own sin and then for the sins of the people for this he did once when he offered up himself He is an High-Priest holy harmless undefiled separate from sinners and whereas the High-Priests of the old Testament were subject to sin and therefore needed to offer sacrifice for their own sins as well as for the peoples He being free from sin offered not needed not to offer for any sins of his own They offered dayly often renewing their offerings because they were imperfect and had respect to the perfect offering of Christ but he offered himself once for all for the sins of his people His sacrifice being most perfect and compleat never to be renewed 2. It was necessary that the Lord Christ should perform full and perfect obedience to the Law that he might be a pure offering a spotless sacrifice to take away the sins of his people How much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternal spirit offered himself without spot to God purge your Conscience from dead works to serve the living God That the vertue and efficacy of Christ's blood might reach to the inward man and purge the soul and Conscience from sin it was necessary that he should offer up himself a sacrifice without spot as one whom the Law could not charge with the least aberration or swerving from the perfect purity of it The second particular noted was that the Lord Christ by fulfilling the Law did establish it Here we may consider First That God gave man his Law in the Creation writing a perfect Law of Righteousness and true holiness in the mind and heart of the first man and woman God created man in his own Image in the Image of God created he him male and female created he them Now what was this framing of man in the image of God but the fashioning of his heart and soul according to the wisdom purity holiness and righteousness of God which was the writing and imprinting his Law upon the sould of man as he gave to other creatures natural properties and natural instincts according to their several kinds each of which was a Law unto them scil the Law of their Creation So he imprinted the likeness of his own wisdom Righteousness and holiness upon the first man and woman as the Law of their Creation Now this likeness of God his holiness and Righteousness imprinted upon the souls of our first parents was the same for substance with that moral Law written in the Scriptures for as the moral Law written in the Scriptures is a declaration of the wisdom Righteousness and holiness of God and a rule of Righteousness and holiness to men So was that Image and likeness of God imprinted upon the souls of the first man and woman It was the moral Law written in their hearts and minds Secondly Consider that the great mischeivous design of the Devil 1. Was to destroy this Law of God written in the heart of man to deface the likeness of God his wisdom holiness and Righteousness in their souls to make void and abolish the Law of mans Creation for ever that none of mankind should ever have either knowledge or ability or will to do any thing pleasing unto God and therefore the Apostle declaring the woful ruines of mankind brought upon them by sin and Satan and shewing what all are by nature saith There is none Righteous no not one there is none that understandeth there is none that seeketh after God none Righteous none able to please God none that understandeth none that know how to do it none that seek after God none that have a will truly bent and resolved upon it 2. To subject and enslave the souls of men and women to a contrary Law to the Law of sin and death called a Law of sin in regard of the nature of it and a Law of death and destruction in respect of the end toward which it leadeth His design was to fill the souls of men with darkness errour false conceits about things that concern salvation with rebellion against God and his Law with lusts and corruptions inclining him to all manner of sins against the Law and therefore it is said they are all gone out of the way they have a Law of sin in their hearts and souls that hath turned them quite out of the way to which the Law of God directed them and set them in a course derectly contrary to it 3. I conceive the Devil herein aimed at two things 1. The dishonour of God 2. The destruction of mankind excercising his malice both against God and man 1. The Devils being cast down by the justice of God from their glorious estate and habitation for their Apostacy from God and reserved under chains in darkness acted an high degree of rebellion against God opposing him in his Soveraignty in hâ—s legislative
a pattern of holiness to men and women So the Lord in his Law saith Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self So that the least want of love unto our neighbour the least defect in love is condemned the least inclination contrary to love is forbidden Then again whatsoever is contrary to the right order of the affections in relation to God and our neighbour is against the Law for the Law commandeth to love God with all the mind c. And this is the first and greatest Commandment that of love to our Neighbour is the second and therefore love to God is to hold the chiefest place and so the weighty and principal duties of the first Table scil those toward God are to be looked at as the principal and love to our Neighbour is to be subordinate unto this love to God God is to be loved for himself Men are to be loved in the Lord and for the Lord. Now every inordinate affection every disorder of the affections this way is against â—he Law When the first and greatest Commandment is as it were turned into the second when any man hath an higher place or greater share in thine affections then God The Law forbiddeth and condemneth whatsoever in the heart or soul is contrary to any Commandment of the Law not only â—ctual thoughts but the inherent corruption every inclination to evil whatsoever distemper there is in the heart and soul contrary to any branch of any Command either of the first or second Table All sin is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whatsoever is contrary to the Law Now the very inclination to sin is contrary to the Law and therefore sinful Every inclination to distrust to Idolatry superstition to the dishonour of God c. is condemned by the Law This is the sin that naturally dwelleth in every one the corruption of Nature propagated from Adam the body of sin cross and contrary to the body of the Law in every point in every iota or title 3. All omissions of duties towards God and men are condemned by the Law 4. All commissions of sin in thought word and deed are condemned by the Law every evil thought every vain thought every profane â—ngodly obscene unchast malicious speech every idle word every action contrary to the Law grosser actions looks gestures And as we are to consider the perfection of the Law so on the the other side take notice of the severity of the Law The Law spareth not the least sin but denounceth a curse against every one Cursed is every one that confirmeth not all the words of the Law to do them and as the Apostle hath it Cursed iâ— every one that continueth not in all things written in the book of the Law to do them Nothing contrary to the Law can escape the curse oâ— the Law The word spoken by Angels was steadfast and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward This word was the Law in the delivering whereof the Lord was pleased to use the ministry of Angels Such is the severity of the Law that it spareth no transgression or disobedience but layeth a penalty upon every one 3. Consider the perfect the infinite justice holiness purity majesty of God who is both the Law giver and the Judge who gave his pure and perfect Law and who will judge impartially by the Law Shall mortal man be more just than God Shall a man be more pure than his Maker Behold he put no trust in his servants and his Angels he charged with folly How much less on them which dwell in houses of clay whose foundation is in the dust Saith the Psalmist O Lord my God thou art very great thou art cloathed with honour and majesty who coverest thy self with light as with a garment behold the Nations are as a drop of a bucket and are counted as the small dust of the ballance behold he taketh up the Isles as a very little thing All Nations before him are as nothing and they are counted to him less than nothing and vanity The Prophet Isaiah in a glorious vision beheld a representation of the divine Majesty saith he I saw the Lord sitting upon a Throne high and lifted up and his train filled the Temple about it stood the Seraphims each one had six wings with twain he covered his face and with twain he covered his feet and with twain he did fly and one cried unto another and said holy holy holy is the Lord of Hosts the whole earth is full of his glory With what terrour glory and majesty did the Lord appear on Mount Sinai when he published the Law to the people of Israel There were Thunders and Lightnings and a thick cloud upon the Mount and the voice of a Trumâ—et exceeding loud so that all the people that was in the Camp trembled and Mount Sinai was altogether on a smoak because the Lord decended upon it in fire c. And Moses told the people The Lord thy God is a consuming â—re even a jealous God Now lay these things together the woful corruption of mans Nature every way contrary to the holy Law of God as darkness is to light having nothing in it conformable to the Law the â—umberless sins of omission and commission â—f each person against the Law the just â—igour and severity of the Law denouncing â—curse against every transgression and disâ—bedience the unspeakable unconceivable â—â—finite purity justice majesty of God who 〈◊〉 both Law-giver and judge And then â—ow clear is it that none can be justified in the sight of God by any works of theirs performed in obedience to the Law Secondly But there was a second thing proposed scil to shew how it appeareth by the doctrine of the Gospel that none can be justified by any works performed by themselves in obedience to the Law The Angel said to Ioseph concerning Christ Thou shalt call his name Iesus for he shall save his people from their sins He shall save them and therefore their own works shall not save them He shall save them from their sins and therefore he found them in their sins poor guilty condemned creatures and such as could not be saved or justified by their own works or righteousness The Lord Christ the night before he died said This is my blood of the new Testament which is shed for many for the remission of sins The Lord Christ did shed his most pretious blood for the remission or forgiveness of sins He by his death and obedience satisfied the justice of God for the sins of those who could not satisfie for themselves by any works of righteousness of their own compare this with that of the Apostle I do not frustrate the grace of God for if righteousness come by the Law then Christ is dead in vain This sheweth clearly that justification by the righteousness of Christ and justification by a mans