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
strive to purge out this Leaven of sin and errour and keep the feast with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth Sixthly This feast of unleavened bread which was joyned with the Passover was to be kept seven days and seven in Scripture is noted for a number of perfection and therefore let Christians labour to purge out more and more the old Leaven of sin and corruption and to walk in sincerity and truth all the days of their life even till the seventh day that is until they come to keep an eternal feast and Sabbath of Rest with Christ in his glorious Kingdom Seventhly As they kept the feast with their loins girded So let your loins be girded about and your lights burning and ye your selves like unto men that wait for the Lord when he will return from the Wedding that when he cometh and knocketh they may open unto him immediately Blessed are those servants whom the Lord when he cometh shall find watching They that wear long garments need to gird them up when they are either to walk or to work They that would have communion with him need to call in and gather up their straggling thoughts their wandring minds their loose affections to unite the powers of their souls to fix them upon Christ and the things of Christ that they may be always ready for any way or work of Christ. Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind be sober and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Iesus Christ. As they were to eat the Passeover with their shoes on their feet and their staffe in their hand as being ready for their departure out of Egypt so let those that will rightly keep the spiritual Passeover and feed upon Christ be affected as strangers and sojourners expecting daily their departure out of this world labouring to be ready to enter into the heavenly Canaan How should they condemn that earthly mindedness when they are of such a temper as if they had a continuing City here not seriously seeking one to come Eighthly They were to eat the Passeover with bitter herbs let those then that would indeed feed upon Christ unto eternal life feed upon this Lamb of God with bitter herbs of Godly sorrow for sin holy anger and indignation against themselves afflicting their souls looking upon him whom they have pierced by their sins and mourning for him as one mourneth for his only Son and being in bitterness for him as one that is in bitterness for his first-born Let them feed upon Christ by faith with self-denial which is as it were a bitter herb to the flesh denying themselves in their dearest lusts and carnal affections not sparing the right hand or the right eye Let them joyn repentance with faith otherwise they can never keep the feast according to the mind of Christ. Lastly Ye may read of the Law of the Passeover and unleavened bread and presently after that the ordinance of the first-fruits Speak unto the children of Israel and say unto them when ye be come into Land which I give unto you and shall reap the harvest thereof then ye shall bring a sheafe of the first fruits of your harvest unto the Priest and he shall wave this sheafe before the Lord to be accepted for you on the morrow after the Sabbath the Priest shall wave it It is conceived that this Sabbath or day of rest was the first day of unleavened bread scil the fifteenth day of the first month on whatsoever day of the week it fell but in the year wherein Christ suffered it fell upon the last day of the week so that it was a double Sabbath the paschal Sabbath and the weekly Sabbath meeting together upon the same day Now the sheaf of first-fruits was to be waved or offered before the Lord on the morrow after the Sabbath which was the day on which Christ rose from the dead See how the Apostle applyeth this Christ is risen from the dead and become the first fruits of them that sleep It seemeth there was such an exact agreement and correspondence between the Type and the Antetype the shadow and the substance that the Lord Christ arose from the dead the very same day that the sheafe of first fruits was to be offered and he arose as the first fruits of them that slept or of the dead I conceive the meaning is that as the first fruits being offered to God did sanctifie the whole increase of the fruits of the earth that year so Christ as the first fruits of the dead arose from death to eternal life and glory and in himself and his resurrection did as it were offer up to God the dead bodies of all his members not always to lye under the power of death and corruption but to be raised to immortality and everlasting glory Let us labour then to have part in the first resurrection rising with Christ by virtue of his quickning spirit to newness of life that this may be an earnest and sure evidence unto us of a second resurrection to everlasting life So much for the Sacraments of the Ceremonial Law CHAP. IV. SEcondly in the next place follow the Sacrifices It seemeth there were but few sorts of creatures used for Sacrifices Of sensible creatures such as have life and sense but five sorts whereof three were of four-footed beasts scil Bullocks Sheep and Goats old or young and so comprehending under them Calves Lambs and Kids and two sorts of fowls as turtle doves and young pigeons Thefe were creatures that were meek and gentle above many others and such as were in a special manner subject and serviceable to men so the Lord Christ who was appointed to be a Sacrifice to the justice of God was meek and lowly in heart He was lead as a sheep to the slaughter and like a Lamb dumb before the shearer so opened he not his mouth who being in the form of God thought it robbery to be equal with God but made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a seâ—vant and was made in the likeness of men and being found in fashion as a man he humbled himself and became obedient unto death even the death of the Cross. Lions Bears Tigres Leopards wild-beasts beasts of prey fierce and cruel creatures Eagles Hawks Vultures or other ravenous fouls were not appointed for Sacrifice These were not fit to represent the Lord Christ in his state of humiliation in his suffering condition as he was appointed to be a Sacrifice for sin It is true Christ is called the Lion of the Tribe of Iudah I conceive to represent him in regard of his mighty powers in protecting his Church and subduing his enemies but not to resemble him as a Sacrifice for so he was in a state of suffering and of service and therefore Christians according
power and Authority striving to abolish the Law and to deface the likeness of God's holiness out of the minds of all mankind for ever that God should have none amongst the children of men to serve obey and honour him but all of them should become slaves and vassals to the Devils being led captive by them at their will 2. They aimed at the destruction of mankind to bring them into the same condemnation with themselves by blotting out the Law written in their minds according to which they should have walked and according to which they shall be judged and bringing them under a contrary Law of sin and death so then God having written this Law in the soul and the Devil having blotted it out and brought mankind under a contrary Law of sin In the third place let us consider the work of the Lord Iesus Christ that was to destroy the works of the Devil Saith the Apostle Iohn He that committeth sin is of the Devil for the Devil sinneth from the begining for this purpose the Son of God was manifested that he might destroy the works of the Devil He that committeth sin he that maketh sin his business sinning with the full bent of his will is of the Devil He remaineth in that condition into which the Devil brought mankind at the first subject to the Law and power of sin which is quite contrary to that Law of righteousness and holiness which God imprinted upon the soul of man in the Creation for the Devil sinneth from the beginning he sinned and fell from God and he drew men into sin and still leadeth them on in a course of sin and disobedience against God Now saith the Apostle for this purpose the Son of God was manifested that he might destroy the works of the Devil He doth not say barely that the Son of God destroyed the works of the Devil but for this purpose the Son of God was manifested that c. one great work of the Devil as ye heard was to deface the likeness of God in the soul of man and to bring him under a Law of sin This work among others Christ came to destroy where note 1. That no meer Creature was able to destroy this work of the Devil It may be some may think that good and holy Angels might be as able to undo this evil work as Devils or evil Angels were to do it But it is not so the reason is not because the good Angels have less power than the Devils but because of the nature of that work of the Devil for the work of the Devil was a destroying work as hath been shewed it was the destroying of the Law of mans Creation which was written in his soul the defacing and blotting out of Gods hand-writing the likeness of Gods holiness and the subjecting of man to the destroying Law of sin it was the taking away of mans spiritual life by dividing him from God the fountain of life Now to destroy or undo this destructive work of Satan is to abolish that Law of sin and death in man and to write that contrary Law in the soul of man which Satan had blotted out that is to restore man to the likeness of God to fashion him again after the Image of God in knowledge Righteousness and holiness to raise man whom Satan had murdered to spiritual life Now it requireth a far greater power to repair and restore then to destroy one Murderer may take away life all the Angels in Heaven nor all the men on earth cannot restore life to the dead None but the living God can do it who is the fountain of life So the Devil and man yeilding to the Devils suggestion could destroy spiritual life The Law written in the heart of man that primitive perfection and integrity of mans Nature framed after the Image of God in knowledge righteousness and holiness but no meer Creatures none but the Prince of life the supream Law-giver by whom all things were made could restore spiritual life write this primitive Law in the soul of man But it may be Objected That this work which the Apostle Iohn saith Christ came into the world to do is a work of destroying I Answ. We are to consider the object of this destroying work of Christ what it was that Christ destroyed that was a destructive work wrought by the Devil that great destroyer and Murderer Christ came to destroy that destruction which Satan had wrought to destroy destruction is to repair and restore that which was destroyed to destroy death is to restore life So the Apostle speaking of the Resurrection of Believers to glory saith When this corruptible shall have put on incorruption and this mortal shall have put on immortality then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written Death is swallowed up in victory Death had slain thousands of Saints and Christ by restoring them to life raising them to immortality and everlasting life shall swallow up death in victory So in the Prophecy of Hosea I will ransome them from the power of the grave I will redeem them from Death O death I will be thy Plague O Grave I will be thy destruction The Lord may be said as it were to kill death and to destroy or bury the grave when he ransometh his people from death and the grave and raiseth them up to everlasting life So in this case when Christ is said to destroy the destructive works of Satan ye must understand that he was to restore that which Satan had ruined This no meer Creature in Heaven and Earth was able to do and therefore in the second place the Son of God undertook it it was a work of Almighty power to restore the Law of mans Creation spiritual life the Likeness of God his Righteousness and Holiness to any of Adams posterity to any of the seed of the woman and to inable any of them to perform â—ull and perfect obedience to the Law None but God could do it and therefore the Son of God who is very God performed it The Devil seemed for ever to have deprived mankind of the Image of God and for ever to have disabled all the Sons of men from fulfilling the Law but the Son of God confounded Satan herein and destroyed this destroying work of the Devil by restoring that which he had destroyed by framing one of Adams posterity one of the seed of the woman after the Image of God in righteousness and holiness and inabling him perfectly in every point to fulfill the Law Thirdly The Apostle shews how the Son of God performed this great work it was by the manifestation of himself For this purpose the Son of God was manifested c. His manifestation was his incarnation his being made flesh taking the nature of man into the unity of his person for the Son of God in his divine nature is invisible not manifested but when he became Man he was
Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all If the whole Congregation sinned they were to bring a young Bullock to be offered for their sin and before it was killed the Elders of the Congregation representing all the people under the Government were to lay their hands on the head of the Bullock before the Lord It seemeth bâ— this Ceremony they did as it were put off the sins of all the people from the guilty sinners upon the Sacrifice So the Lord Christ before he suffered for the sins of his people first took upon himself the guilt of all their sins for he hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him the guilt of mens sins was imputed unto him and put upon his account as his righteousness is imputed to Believers and accounted theirs 4. He subjected himself to the Curse of the Law due to men for their sins against the Law 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 then it followeth ver 13. Christ hath redeemed us from the Curse of the Law being made a Curse for us for it is written Cursed is every on that hangeth on a tree Thus he exposed himself to the flames of divine wrath which would have been a consuming fire to a meer Creature but as the wood of the Altar for burnt offering was overlaid with Brass that it might not be devoured by the fire so his humane nature being united to the God-head was so fortified to endure the burning heat of the wrath and Curse of God that it was not consumed by it but although the God-head was inseparably united to the manhood and did not leave it for a moment yet it did so withhold its divine influence from the Manhood for a time that it suffered extream and unconceivable torments in body but especially in soul as appeareth in the holy story for though God the Father loved him infinitely as his Son and as one that was perfectly holy and righteous in his own person yet he executed his justice upon him to the full as he presented himself before him burdened with the guilt of mans sins against the Law It pleased the Lord to bruise him he hath put him to grief Saith the Apostle He spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us He spared not his own Son He found him engaged to satisfie the Law for the sins of men and therefore he executed the severity of the Law upon him and spared him not but delivered him up for us all saith the Text. He did as it were deliver him up with his own hand for sinners delivering him up by the hand of his love towards sinners to the hand of his justice to be punished for their sins so that I conceive it may be said that Christ had judgement without mercy that through him mercy might glory over judgment toward repenting and believing sinners Fifthly He actually suffered death He did shed his most precious blood He humbled himself and became obedient unto death even the death of the Cross. He poured out his soul unto death Iesus when he had cried again with a loud voice yeilded up the Ghost When they came to Iesus and saw that he was dead already they brake not his leggs but one of the Souldiers with his Spear pierced his side and forthwith came thereout blood and water Lastly That it might be manifest that the Prince of life was really dead for the satisfaction of the Law He suffered his body to be caried to Prison to be shut up in the grave and held under the power of death untill the third day Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden and in the Garden a new Sepulchre wherein was never man yet laid there laid they Iesus Thus ye see the Lord Jesus Christ satisfied the Law to the full endured the rigour and bare the penalty of it Secondly by satisfying the Law and endruing the severity of it he established the Law I suppose it is not necessary to speak much of this particular because the opening of the former giveth light unto it breifly thus 1. The Law required perfect obedience as ye heard the full performance of every branch and tittle of it 2. In case of disobedience transgression defect and failing in obedience the Law denounced a grievous penalty a Curse death and destruction as was noted also yea the Law given to mankind in Adam had the sentence of death annexed In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die 3. Hence it followeth that if neither the Law be fulfilled in a way of obedience nor satisfied by the inflicting of the punishment then it is made void and declared to be of no force to have lost its authority its vigour and to be frustrated of its end 4. Thereupon we may infer by the rule of contraries that the Lord Jesus Christ having in the nature of man born the full penalty severity and Curse of the Law due to the sins of men against the Law and by his God-head to which his humane nature wherein he suffered is personally united gave sufficient value and worth to his sufferings to make full satisfaction to the Law to the uttermost that the Law in its greatest rigour could require hence it clearly followeth that Christ established the Law This was a reall and full acknowledgement of the Authority of the Law the wonderful abasement the grievous sufferings of the Son of God were signal evidences infallible demonstrations of the force and authority of the Law the Lord of glory appearing in the form of a Servant to make way for satisfying the Law he that is the brightness of the Fathers glory enduring the shame of the Cross did abundantly witness to the world the Authority of the Law The Lord Jesus Christ spared not his most precious blood but freely poured it forth to satisfie the Law for the sins of his people and thereby ratified and sealed the Authority of the Law How should this be improved to stir up poor souls without delay to turn to the Lord and flee to Christ For in as much as the Lord Jesus did both perform perfect obedience to the Law and bear the full penalty and curse of the Law and by both these establish the Law it sheweth clearly that the Law standeth in full force against all that are out of Christ they being guilty of sin against the Law are subject to the Curse of the Law for being not found in Christ they have no part in his perfect righteousness and full satisfaction and therefore are every moment in danger of the sentence of condemnation denounced by the the Law It is true that Christ hath fully satisfied the Law But what doth this help them that remain in their natural estate
the Curse of the Law but that was done without the least prejudice to the force and authority of the Law because himself did bear the Curse in his own person and so he did both save his people from the Curse of the Law and yet fully satisfie the Law but herein did Christ put an high degree of honour upon the Law that though he had made full satisfaction to the Law in behalf of his people yet he will have the Law to remain as a Directory and Rule of holiness and righteousness for those that are appointed heiâ—s of salvation He hath made the Law a Rule for the ordering of his Royal family of his spiritual Kingdom The Lord Christ hath exalted the Law to a great height of dignity in that himself being the Law-giver and having united Believers to himself by his spirit and ruling in their hearts by his grace yet requireth them to attend to the Law as the Rule by which they should regulate and order their hearts and wayes The use of this may be first to shew the errour of those who seem to deny the use of the Law for Believers in any kind as if they were to bring them in Bondage under a Covenant of works How usual is it with men to mistake the meaning of the holy Scripture and in special to take those things as absolutely meant which are to be understood only in some respect So in this case because the Scripture sheweth that Christians are not under the Law therefore they seem to say they have nothing to do with the Law and that the Law hath not any thing to do with them but though they are free from the Curse of the Law yet the Law is still of great use to them to guide them in such a course of holy obedience wherein they are to glorifie God and to walk worthy of the Lord to all pleasing The Apostle I conceive speaketh of such licentious libertines and Antinomian teachers who when they speak great swelling words of vanity they allure through the lusts of the flesh through much wantonness those that were clean escaped from them that live in errour while they promise them liberty they themselves are yet servants of corruption for of whom a man is overcome of the same he is brought in bondage Is it not common with many to complain of bondage under the Law who on the other side remain in a miserable bondage under their lusts Secondly This may open the eyes of those self-deceivers who pretend faith in Christ as if their sins were pardoned through his satisfaction and their persons justified by his righteousness without the works of the Law and thereupon sin securely not caring to order their hearts and wayeâ— according to the Law nor to make it the rule of their lives The Apostle notably sheweth the folly of such for having proved that Believers are freely pardoned and justified by the righteousness of Christ without any consideration of their own works done in obedience to the Law insomuch that he saith Where sin abounded grace did much more abound whereas sin abounded in men the grace and free love of God did much more abound and gloriously manifest it self through Christ towards Believers in pardoning their sins and accepting them as righteous thereupon he proposeth a question or Objection What shall I say then Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound as if some licentious person turning the grace of God into laciviousness should say if our best works be of no force or weight at all towards our justification on the one side and the grace of God on the other side be gloriously illustrated by occasion of our sins why should we fear to sin against the Law or be careful to walk according to that Rule The Apostle answereth by way of detestation God forbid or let it not be Let not so vile a thought enter into the heart of any Christian Secondly By way of confutation How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein know we not that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were Baptized into his death therefore we are buried with him by Baptisme into his death that like as Christ was raised up from the deâ—d by the glory of the Father even so we also should walk in newness of life as if he had said they that are justified by the righteousness of Christ applied by faith are by the same faith united unto Christ and therefore dead to sin as Christ died for sin and raised to newness of life as Christ rose from the dead the spirit of Christ thus manifesting the vertue of Christ his death and the power of his Resurrection in them and so leading them in the way of holy obedience according to the rule of the Law They therefore that fancy to themselves pardon of sin justification and salvation through faith in Christ and give up themselves to walk according to their own lusts and not according to the Law of God do highly dishonour Christ and delude their own souls for the Apostle Peter speaking of him And him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour for to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins The Lord Jesus Christ is exalted to be both a Prince and a Saviour to rule and to save as a Prince to give repentance whereby men and women are subjected to his government and to his holy Law and as a Saviour to procure for them forgiveness of sin and justification They then who would have their sins pardoned through Christ but not their souls subjected to the will and Law of Christ they would have but an half Christ they would have Christ the Saviour but not Christ the Prince and this is the way to have no Christ at all no portion nor interest in Christ. I beseech you therefore as you love your souls take heed of this soul deceiving fancy and as you desire Christ for your Saviour so obey Him as your Prince according to his holy Law which He hath established as a Rule of life for his People FINIS Texts of Scripture Explained occasionally 2 Thes. 2. 1 2 3. page 10. Rom. 7. 18. p. 16. Revel 8. 13. p. 50. 1 King 18. 40. p. 59. Mat. 13. 22 30. p. 61. Acts 7. 37. p. 83. Joh. 4. 19 20 21. p. 83. Gen. 22. 18. p. 91. Lev. 1. 4. p. 105. 2 King 3. 20. p. 108. Dan. 9. 21. p. 108. Heb. 10. 5 6 7. p. 115. 1 Cor. 9. 13 14. p. 119. 1 Cor. 10. 18. p. 126. 2 Cor. 2. 4. p. 147. 1 Cor. 6. 18 19. p. 148. Num. 23. 5. p. 158. Rom. 1. 19. p. 179. Rom. 5. 13 14. p. 188. Amos 2. 4 5. p. 191 192 193. Gal. 5. 4. p. 209. James 2. 24. p. 210. 1 John 3. 8. p. 227 c. Luke 9. 30 31. p. 233 234. John 1. 1 2 3. p. 234 235. Mat. 22. 35 to 40.
The Law of God Ratified By the GOSPEL of CHRIST OR THE HARMONY OF THE Doctrine of Faith WITH THE Law of Righteousness Wherein many of the Types and Rites of the Ceremonial Law are unfolded And the Moral Law adjusted a Rule of holy living to all though justified by Faith As it was delivered in several Sermons Preacht to the Parochial Congregation of Mayfield in Sussex by Mr. Mainard late Rector thereof publisht since his Death Col. 1. 27 28. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 3. 14. 18. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 London Printed for Francis Tyton at the Sign of the three Daggers in Fleet-street 1674. THE Epistle Dedicatory To Mrs. Elizabeth Baker Widow To Captain Iohn Baker and his Wife And to Mr. Iohn Baker and his Wife To Mr. Clement Read and to the rest of the Inhabitants of Mayfield in Sussex Auditors of these ensuing Sermons Much honoured and well-beloved in our Lord THe high Opinion he hath of you who desired me to dedicate these Sermons to you commands me to make good my compellation by bearing a particular respect to that worth and love for those Graces and Profession in you which were sufficient to determine the Publisher of these Sermons to the choice of you to be Countenancers of them now printed and exposed to publick View which you first heard from your own privater Pulpit The Publisher makes the Church somewhat a debtor but Mayfield very much a debtor to him for his care of your spiritual profit and advantage to which end these Discourses delivered in such plainness as becomes the truth and with such clearness as may capacitate any amongst you to read understand and gain by them are set before you That of your faithful Monitor now dead might be said as is in somewhat different sense said of Abel Being dead he yet speaketh Instruction unfolding that which many would else not discern Caution that you avoid what he knew was dangerous and might prove deadly And Exhortation perswading you to weighty instances of obedience and constancy If it be as doubtless it is a Truth that the Legal and Mosaick Rites were the Gospel vailed this piece deserveth your serious perusal for it takes the vail from off the face of Moses and doth with plainness and brevity explicate many of those divine Riddles and heavenly Hieroglyphicks on whose out-side too many of the Jews like unexperienced Children gazing on Pictures determin'd their eye inapprehensive of the import of them I would give you some account of the Subjects handled in this ensuing Treatise but it is publisht that your reading might inform you Nor will I doubt your readiness to view that with your eye which I believe much pleased your ear And I hope your desires to profit by it wish my Epistle brief that you may be taken up with the seasonableness and pertinency of the Subject A piece which I assure you doth very particularly express the temper of its Author who could have walked abroad as easily as most in a gorgeous dress of rich learning but he was as well versed in this part of self-denial and resolved to practice it as he was vers'd in Authors and knew how to use them He preacht it to you that you might understand it and his Son-in-law hath taken care it should be printed that you might read and remember it I wish that among the many eagerly snatcht occasions men take to publish their own Conceptions More would take this course and print for the use of particular places some of the choice and profitable Sermons of their own Ministers as soon as might be after their death when in all likelihood the mourning remembrance of their dead Minister will enhance the value of his living Sermons whilst the sense of their loss in the death of his person would increase the care of some at least that they lose not his Counsels Exhortations Reproofs and Comforts which by this means do survive him I know many are so obstinate in their Vnbelief and so unperswadable to Obedience they will not promise to believe or obey unless one arose from the dead to witness to the Promises and to require their Obedience God shew them mercy opening their blind eyes and perswading their hard hearts If there be any such among your Inhabitants of Mayfield and alas in so great a Parish there are too too many Behold here is that which of all courses seemeth to come nearest to such a condescension Though your Minister be not sent from the dead yet providence sends as it were from his Grave And if you will not obey Commands nor follow Counsels nor be warned by Cautions in his writings you would not be perswaded if he came from the dead But of you in particular I have no jealousie to whom this Epistle and the Book is dedicated Instead of perswading you to read it of which I am perswaded you are very forward of your selves I shall adventure and I hope with no more boldness than success to move you to bestow many of these Books among your poorer Neighbours who will gladly read Mr. Maynard's Book when perhaps they have as little mind to read other mens Works as they have knowledge of their persons Promote knowledge of Christ and saving Grace by the means which are most likely to do it hereby you shall through the blessing of the Lord turn many to righteousness and shine as the brightness of the Firmament for ever which is that great thing that with hope of success is for you all and for the rest of the Church-of God the prayer of From my Study in the house of the Right Honourable the Countess of Manchester at Waltham-Abbey April 3. 1674. Yours in our Common Lord both Servant to your Souls and Coheir of your Hopes H. Hurst The Contents of the several Chapters Chap. I. NO justification by works to Gentile or Iew transgressours of the Law and how yet the Iew had advantage by the Law which is not voided by doctrine of Faith Corrupt nature dispute perversely against the truths of God partly out of ignorance and mistakes Christ's righteousness the matter of our justification Prepossession of false opinions pervert the Scripture this ruin'd the Iews obstructed the Gospel among the Greeks Pride natural to us and opposite to the Gospel Love of sin of the world pervert truths of the Gospel the danger of this as rejecting the remedy or turning it to the increase of the disease Errors easily increas'd How Errors found in godly men while sometime the carnal are free from them Chap. II. Grace abhors the Perverting of truth So Moses Elijah c. St. Paul c. For hereby God is dishonoured the New Nature is thwarted Errors broken out are hardly limited easily overgrow the truth So the bulk of Popish Errors did So Arianisme did Errors divide the Church So the Errour of the Necessity of Circumcision the Errour about keeping Easter in Victor's time Pope's Supremacy now divides the Church Such
not the light of his word and his Law written in the Scriptures to many Nations yet he giveth to them all the light and Law of Nature and therefore the transgressions of the Law of Nature are sins against God The Apostle saith until the Law sin was in the world but sin is not imputed where there is no Law nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses even over them that had not sinned after tbe similitude of Adams transgression Sin was in the world before the Law was given on mount Sinai But how can it be just to charge sin upon them who had no Law against which to sin Nevertheless death raigned from Adam to Moses even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adams transgression Who are they Some seem to understand Infants only who sinned not actually in their own persons as Adam did yet dying in their infancy were guilty of original sin Others take it for all that lived between the time of Adam and Moses who sinned not after the similitude of Adams transgression because they sinned not against an express Law given by revelation from Heaven as Adam did who sinned against that express prohibition of God forbidding him to eat of the fruit of the Tree of knowledge of good and evil under the pain of certain death and destruction I conceive this latter sense more probable because of that special limitation of time from Adam to Moses for the case of those that dye in their Infancy for ought I know is the same whether before or after the time of Moses before and after the Law written but the condition of those that lived between Adams time and that of Moses differed from those that lived after Now the Apostle sheweth that death the punishment of sin fell upon them so did many other judgements the flood destroying the old world the showr of fire and brimstone upon Sodom fell within the compass of that time and therefore certainly they were guilty of sin and justly punished because these calamities were the just judgements of God who is the righteous judge of all the world and therefore although these sinned not against any positive Law of God delivered to them either by word or writing yet they sinned against the light and Law of Nature which God had given them Secondly This may shew us the reason and the justice of those severe executions of God upon Heathen Nations who had no Scripture nor written Law to sin against They sinned against the Light and Law of Nature for the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold the truth in unrighteousness because that which may be known of God is manifest in them for God hath shewed it unto them c. The Judgements and Calamities publick national private personal brought upon any of mankind in several ages are evidences of Gods wrath and displeasure against them and therefore proofs of their sin and guiltiness against God otherwise the Lord who is perfectly righteous would not bring these evils upon them and among the rest the death of the body is a universal declaration of the wrath of God against mankind for sin If any should be free from all other evils yet this alone would be a sufficient proof of their sinfulness and therefore the Lord said unto Adam and in him to each particular person of his posterity soon after he had sinned and they had sinned in him Dust thou art and to dust thou shalt return By one man sin entred into the world and death by sin and so death passed upon all men for that all have sinned Euery dead Corps every Funeral that ye see or hear of all the persons that have died from the beginning of the world unto this day have by their death manifested the wrath of God against sin and mens guiltiness before the Lord for though through the grace and mercy of God in Christ the death of a true believer is turned into a blessing and made an inlet or entrance into everlasting life yet in its own Nature it is a consequent of sin and sin was the original of it In special the Heathens who had not the mind of God so fully revealed to them as those within the Church yet had the Light and Law of Nature and in sinning against that Light and Law were justly punished for they held the Truth in unrighteousness This common Light and Law of Nature was the Truth of God und they by opposing their wills and lusts against it and so not following the guidance of it were found guilty of fighting against God and crossing that Light which the Lord had given them and therefore the Lord dealt with them as Enemies So the Lord punished Sodom and the Cities adjoynning with fire and brimstone So the Canaanites and Amorites were destroyed for their sins against the Light and Law of Nature and Israel was planted in their Land The Lord told Abraham that his seed should possess it but not until after four hundred years Why Because the iniquity of the Amorites was not yet full so that it was the fullness of their iniquity which was the cause of their destruction it was because their sin was come to its full height that they were rooted out So the Lord having forbidden Israel the practice of divers great sins saith Defile not your selves in any of these things for in all these things the Nations are defiled which I cast out before you And the Land is defiled therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it and the Land it self vomiteth out the Inhabitants The Lord threatned divers grievous Judgements by the Prophet Amos against many Heathen Nations Syria the Philistines Tyrus Edom Ammon Moab All the miseries of war brought upon Heathen Nations what were they but revelations and reall demonstrations of the wrath of God from Heaven for their sins against the Law and Light of Nature The ruining of the Babylonish Monarchy by the Medes and Persians of the Persian by the Macedonians and Grecians the Macedonians by the Romans of the Roman by the Saracens and Turks on the one side and divers Northern Nations on the other these and the like were just Judgements of God upon Heathens for sins against the Light and Law of Nature So I conceive the cruel Spaniards were unjust executioners of the righteous Judgements of God upon the poor Indians or Americans for their sins against the same common Light and Law of Nature for the Lord executeth just Judgements by wicked men yea by Divels who aime not at all at the Lords end but either delight to exercise their malice and cruelty or act thus to make a ful conquest and utterly disable a people to make head again Thirdly This may clearly convince us that the sins of Christians are far more heinous then the sins of Infidels and Heathens because they sin against the same Law