thou do it not thou shalt die the death In which Covenant there was first contained 〈◊〉 precept Do this Secondly a promise joyned unto it If thou do it thou shalt live Thirdly a like threatning If thou do it not thou shalt die the death Imagine saith Musculus that God had said to Adam Lo to the intent that thou maist live I have given thee liberty to eat and have given thee abundantly to eat let all the fruits of Paradise be in thy power one tree except which see thou touch not for that I keep it to mine own authority the same is the tree of knowledge of good and evill If thou touch it the meat thereof shall not be life but death Nom. But Sir you said that the Law of the Ten Commandements or Morall Law may be said to be the matter of the Law of works and you have also said that the Law of works is as much to say as the Covenant of works whereby it seems to me you hold that the Law of the Ten Commandements was the matter of the Covenant of works which God made with all mankind in Adam before his fall Evan. That 's a truth agreed upon by all Authors and Interpreters that I know And indeed the Law of works as a learned Author saith signifies the Morall law and the Morall law strictly and properly taken signifies the Covenant of works Nom. But Sir what is the reason you call it but the matter of the covenant of works Evan. The reason why I rather chuse to call the Law of the Ten Commandements the matter of the Covenant of works then the Covenant it self is because I conceive that the matter of it cannot properly be called the covenant of works except the form be put upon it that is to say except the Lord require and man undertake to yield perfect obedience thereunto upon condition of eternall life and death And therefore till then it was not a covenant of works betwixt God and all mankinde in Adam As for example you know that although a servant have an ability to do a masters work and though a master have wages to bestow upon him for it yet is there not a covenant betwixt them till they have thereupon agreed Even so though man at the first had power to yield perfect and perpetuall obedience to all the Ten Commandements and God had an eternall life to bestow upon him yet was there not a covenant betwixt them till they were thereupon agreed Nom. But Sir you know there is no mention made in the book of Genesis of this covenant of works which you say was made with man at first Evan. Though we read not the word Covenant betwixt God and man yet have we there recorded what may amount to as much for God provided and promised to Adam eternall happinesse and called for perfect obedience which appears from Gods threatning Gen. 2.17 For if man must die if he disobeyed it implies strongly that Gods covenant was with him for life if he obeyed Nom. But Sir you know the word Covenant signifies a mutuall promise bargain and obligation betwixt two parties Now though it is implied that God promised man to give him life if he obeyed yet we read not that man promised to be obedient Evan. I pray take notice that God doth not alwayes tie man to verball expressions but doth often contract the Covenant in reall impressions in the heart and frame of the creature And this was the manner of covenanting with man at the first for God had furnished his soule with an understanding mind whereby he might discern good from evill and right from wrong and not only so but also in his will was most great uprightnesse and his instrumentall parts were orderly framed to obedience the truth is God did ingrave in mans soule wisdom and knowledge of his will and works and integrity in the whole soule and such a fitnesse in all the powers thereof that neither the mind did conceive nor the heart desire nor the body put in execution any thing but that which was acceptable to God so that man endowed with these qualities was able to serve God perfectly Nom. But Sir how could the Law of the Ten Commandements be the matter of this Covenant of works when they were not written as you know till the time of Moses Evan. Though they were not written in tables of stone untill the time of Moses yet were they written in the tables of mans heart in the time of Adam for we read that man was created in the image or likenesse of God Gen. 1.27 And the ten Commandements are a doctrine agreeing with the eternall wisdome and justice that is in God wherein he hath so painted out his own nature that it doth in a manner expresse the very image of God And doth not the Apostle say that the image of God consists in knowledge righteousnesse and true holinesse and is not knowledge righteousnes true holines the perfections of both the tables of the law And indeed saith M. Rollock it could not wel stand with the justice of God to make a Covenant with man under the condition of holy good works perfect obedience to his Law except he had first created man holy pure and ingraven his law in his hart whence those good works should proceed Nom. But yet I cannot but marvell that God in making the covenant with man did make mention of no other commandement then that of the forbidden fruit Evan. Do not marvell at it for by that one species of sin the whole genus or kind is shewn as the same Law being more clearly unfolded Deut. 27.26 Gal. 3.10 doth expresse And indeed in that one Commandement the whole worship of God did consist as obedience honour love confidence and religious feare together with the outward abstinence from sin and reverent respect to the voice of God Yea herein also consisted his love and so his whole duty to his neighbour so that as a learned writer saith Adam heard as much in the garden as Israel did at Sinai but only in fewer words and without thunder Nom. But sir ought not man to have yielded perfect obedience to God though this Covenant had not been made betwixt them Evan. Yea indeed perfect and perpetuall obedience was due from man unto God though God had made no promise to man for when God created man at first he put forth an excellencie from himself into him and therefore it was the bond and tie that lay upon man to return that again unto God so that man being Gods creature by the law of creation he owed all obedience and subjection to God his creator Nom. Why then was it needfull that the Lord should make a covenant with him by promising him life and threatning him with death Evan. For answer hereunto in the first place I pray you understand that man was a reasonable creature
Church and under the externall Covenant are called the chosen of God and the people of God But though they had been all of them believers yet as the Lord delivered it to them it would have done them no more hurt than it did them that were Nom. But Sir was the same covenant of works made with them that was made with Adam Evan. For the generall substance of the duty the Law delivered on mount Sinai and formerly engraven in mans heart was one and the same so that at mount Sinai the Lord delivered no new thing only it came more gently to Adam before his fall but after his fall came thunder with it Nom. I but Sir as your self said the ten Commandements as they were written in Adams heart were but the matter of the covenant of works and not the covenant it self till the form was annexed to them that is to say till God and man were thereupon agreed now we do not find that God and these people did agree upon any such terms at mount Sinai Evan. No say you so do you not remember that the people consented Exod. 19.8 saying All that the Lord hath spoken we will do And do you not remember that the Lord consented Levit. 18.5 saying Ye shall therefore keep my statutes and my judgements which if a man do he shall live in them And in Deut. 27.26 saying Cursed is he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them And doth not the Apostle Paul give evidenee than these words were the form of the covenant of works when he saith Rom. 10.5 Moses describeth the righteousnesse which is of the law that the man that doth these things shall live in them when he saith Gal. 3.10 For it is writen Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them And in Deut. 4.13 Moses doth in expresse tearmes call it a Covenant saying And he declared unto you his Covenant which he commanded you to perform even ten Commandamennts and hee wrote them upon tables of stone Now this was not the Covenant of grace for Moses afterwards Deut. 5.3 speaking of this Covenant saith God made not this Covenant with your Fathers but with you And by Fathers all the Patriarkes unto Adam may be meant saith Mr. Aynsworth who had the promise of the Covenant of Christ therefore if it had been the Covenant of grace he would have said God did make this covenant with them rather then that he did not Nom. And do any of our godly and moderne witers agree with you in this point Evan. Yea indeed Polanus saith the Covenant of workes is that in which God promiseth everlasting life unto a man that in all respects performeth perfect obedience to the Law of workes adding thereunto threatnings of eternall death if hee shall not performe perfect obedience thereunto God made this Covenant in the beginning with the first man Adam whilst hee was in the first estate of integrity the same Covenant God did repeat and make againe by Moses with the people of Israel And Dr. Preston saith the Covenant of workes runs in these termes Do this and thou shalt live and I will be thy God This was the Covenant which was made with Adam and the Covenant that is expressed by Mâ—ses in the Morall law And Mr. Walker saith that the first part of the covenant which God made with Israel at Horeb was nothing else but a renewing of the old covenant of works which God made with Adam in paradise And it is generally laid down by our Divines that we are by Christ delivered from the Law as it is a Covenant Nom. But Sir were the children of Israel at this time better able to perform the condition of the covenant of works than either Adam or any of the old Patriarks that God renewed it now with them rather then before Evan. No indeed God did not renew it with them now and not before because they were better able to keep it but because they had more need to be made acquainted what the covenant of works is then those before for though 't is true the Ten Commandements which were at first perfectly written in Adams heart were much obliterated by his fall yet some impressions and reliques thereof still remained and Adam himself was very sensible of his fall and the rest of the fathers were holpen by traditions And saith Cameron God did speak to the Patriarchs from heaven yea and he spake unto them by his Angels But now by this time sin had almost obliterated and defaced the impressions of the Law written in their hearts and by their being so long in Egypt they were so corrupted that the instructions and ordinances of their fathers were almost all worne out of mind and their fall in Adam was almost forgotten as the Apostle testifieth saying Before the time of the Law sin was in the world yet did they not impute it to themselves because there was no Law Nay in that long course of time betwixt Adam and Moses men had forgotten what was sin so that although God had made a promise of blessing to Abraham and to all his seed that would plead interest in it yet these people at this time were proud and secure and heedlesse of their estate and though sin was in them and death raigned over them yet they being without a law to evidence this sin and death unto their consciences they did not impute it unto themselves they would not own it nor charge themselves with it and so by consequence found no need of pleading the promise made to Abraham Therefore the Law entred that Adams offence and their own actuall transgression might abound So that now the Lord saw it needfull that there should be a new edition and publication of the covenant of works the sooner to compell the elect unbeleevers to come to Christ the promised seed that the grace of God in Christ to the elect beleevers might appeare the more exceeding gracious so that you see the Lords intention therein was that they by looking upon this Covenant might be put in mind what was their dutie of old when they were in Adams loines yea and what was their dutie still if they would stand to that covenant and so go the old and naturall way to work yea and hereby they were also to see what was their present infirmitie in not doing their duty that so they seeing an impossibilitie of obtaining life by that way of workes first appointed in Paradise they might be humbled and more heedfully minde the promise made to their father Abraham and hasten to lay hold on the Messiah or promised seed Nom. Then Sir it seemeth that the Lord did not renew the Covenant of workes with them to the intent that they should obtaine eternall life by their yeelding obedience to it Evan. No indeed God never made the
small measure of the spirit Nom. But Sir was not the matter of that Covenant and this all one Evan. Yea indeed the Ten Commandements were the matter of both Covenants only they differed in the forms Ant. Tâ—â—n Sir it seems that the promises and threatnings contained in the old Testament were but temporary and terrestiall only concerning the good and evill things of this life Evan. This we are to know that like as the Lord by his Prophets gave the people in the old Testament many exhortations to be obedient to his Commandements and many dehortations from disobedience thereunto even so did he back them with many promises and threatnings concerning things temporall as these and the like Scripâ—uâ—â—s do witnesse Isa. 1.10 Heare the word of the Lord ye Rulers of Sodom give eare unto the law of our God ye people of Gomorrah Iâ— ye be willing and obedient ye shall eat the good things of the land but if ye refuse and rebell ye shall be devoured with the sword for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it And Jer. 7 3 Amend your wayes and your doings and I will cause you to dwell in this place But ye steal murder commit adultery and sweare falsly by my name therefore thus saith the Lord God behold mine anger and my fury shall be powred out upon this place And surely there be two reasons why the Lord did so First because as all men are born under the covenant of workâ— they are naturally prone to conceive that the favour of God and all good things do depend and follow upon their obedience to the Law and that the wrath of God and all evill things do depend upon and follow their disobedience to it And that mans chief happinesse is to be had and found in terrestriall paradise even in the good things of this life So the people of the Old Testament being neerest to Adams Covenant and Paradise were most prone to such conceits And secondly because the Covenant of Grace and Celestiall paradise were but little mentioned in the Old Testament they for the most part had but a glimmering knowledge of them and so could not yield obedience freely as sonnes therefore the Lord saw it meet to move them to yield obedience to his lawes by their own motives and as servants or children under age Ant. And were both believers and unbelievers that is such as were under the Covenant of Grace and such as were under the Covenant of Works equally and alike subjâ—ct as well to have the calamities of this life inflicted upon them for their disobedience as the blessings of this life conferred upon them for their obedience Evan. Surely the words of the Preacher do take place here when he saith All things come alike to all there is one event to the righteous and to the wicked Were not Moses and Aaron for their disobedience hindered from entring into the land of Canaan as well as others And was not Josiah for his disobedience to Gods command slâ—in in the valley of Megiddo Therefore assure your selfe that when believers in the Old Testament did transgresse Gods commandements Gods temporall wrath went out against them and was manifest in temporall calamities that befell them as well as others only here was the difference The believers temporall calamities had no eternall calamities included in them nor following of them and their temporall blessings had eternall blessings included in them and following of them And the unbelievers temporall blessings had no eternall blessings included in them nor following of them and their temporall calamities had eternall calamities included in them and following of them Ant. Then Sir it seemeth that all obedience that any of the Jewes did yield to Gods commandements was for feare of tempoâ—â—ll punishment and in hope of temporall reward Evan. Surely the Scâ—ipâ—ure seemes to holâ— forth that there were three several sorts of people who endeavoured to keep the law of God and they did all of them differ in their ends The first sort of them were true believers who according to the measure of their faith did believe the resurrection of their bodies after death and eternall life in glory and that it was to be obtained not by thâ—â—orkes of the Law but by faith in the Mâ—ssiâ—h oâ— promised seed And answerably as they believed this answerably they yielded obedience to the Law freely without fear of punishment or hope of reward but alas the spirit of faith was very weak in the most of them and the spirit of bondage very strong and therefore they stood in need to be induced and constrained to obedience for feare of punishment and hope of reward The second sort of them were the Sadduces and their Sect and these did not believe that there was any Resurrection nor any life but the life of this world and yet they endeavoured to keep the Law that God might blesse them here and that it might go well with them in this present life The third sort and indeed the greatest number of them in the future ages after Moses were the Scribes and Pharisees and their Sects and they held and maintained that there was a Resurrection to be looked for and an eternall life after death and therefore they endeavoured to keep the Law not onely to obtaine temporall happinesse but eternall also for though it had pleased the Lord to make known unto his people by the ministrie of Moses that the Law was given not to retaine men in the confidence of their own workes but to drive them out of themselves and lead them to Christ the promised seed yet after that time the Priests and the Levites who were the expounders of the Law and whom the Scribes and Pharisees did succeed did so conceive and teach of Gods intention in giving the Law as though it had been that they by their obedience to it should obtaine righteousnesse and eternall life and this opinion was so confidently maintained and so generally imbraced amongst them that in their book Mechilta they say and affirme that there is no other Covenant but the Law and so in very deed they conceived that there was no other way to Eternall life then the Covenant of workes Ant. Surely then it seemes they did not understand and consider that the Law as it is the Covenant of workes doth not onely binde the outward man but also the inward man even the soule and spirit and requires all holy thoughts motions and dispositions of the heart and soule Evan. Oh no they neither taught it nor understood it so spiritually neither could they be perswaded that the Law doth require so much at mans hands for they first laid this downe for a certaine truth that God gave the Law for man to be Justified and saved by his obedience to it and that therefore there must needs be a power in man to doe all that it requireth or else God would never have required it
by the body of CHRIST Now by the body of CHRIST is ment the passion of CHRIST upon the Crosse or which is all one the suffering of CHRIST in his humane nature and therefore certainely wee may conclude with godly Tindall that all such are dead concerning the Law as are by faith crucified with Christ. Nom. But I pray you Sir how doe you prove that the Law is dead to a believer Evan. Why as I conceive the Apostle affirmes it Romams 7.1 6. Nom. Surely Sir you doe mistake for I remember the words of the first verse are how that tbe Law hath dominion over a man as long as hee liveth and the words of the sixth verse are But now we are delivered from the Law that being dead wherein wee were holden c. Evan. I know right well that in our last Translation the words are so rendred but godly and learned Tindall renders it thus Remember yee not brethren that the Law hath dominion over a man as long as it endureth and B. Hall paraphraseth upon it thus Know yee not brethren that the Mosaicall Law hath dominion over a man that is subject unto it so long as the said Law is in force So likewise Origen Ambrose and Erasmus doe all agree that by these words while Hee or it liveth wee are to understand as long as the Law remayneth And Peter Martyr is of opinion that these wordes while Hee or it liveth or indifferently referred eyther to the law are to the man for sayth hee The man is said to bee dead Verse the fourth and the law is said to bee dead Verse the sixth even so because the word He or it mentioned Verse the first doth signifie both sexes in the Greek Chrysostome thinketh that the death both of the law and the man is insinuated And Theophylact Erasmus Bucer and Calvin doe all understand the sixth Verse of the law being dead And as the death of a believer to the law was accomplished by the death of Christ even so also was the laws death to him Even as M. Fox in his Sermon of Christ crucified testifieth saying Here have wee upon one Crosse two Crucifixes two the most excellent Potentates that ever were the Sonne of God and the Law of God wrastling together about mans salvation both cast downe and both slaine upon one Crosse howbeit not after a like sort first the Sonne of God was cast downe and took the fall not for any weaknesse in himselfe but was content to take it for our victory by this fall the law of God in casting him downe was caught in his one trip and so was fast nayled hand and foot to the Crosse according as we read in S. Pauls words 1 Col. 2.14 And so Luther speaking to the same point sayth this was a wonderfull combate where the law being a creature giveth such an assault to his Creatour in practizing his whole tyranny upon the Sonne of God now therefore because the law did so horribly and cursedly sinne against his God it is cursed and arraigned and as a thiefe and cursed murderer of the Son of God looseth all his right and deserveth to be condemned the law therefore is bound dead and crucified to mee it is not only overcome condemned and slaine unto Christ but also to mee believing in him unto whom hee hath freely given this victory now then although according to the Apostles intimation Romans the seventh at the beginning though the Covenant of workes and man by nature bee mutually engaged each to other so long as they both live yet if when the wife bee dead the husband bee free then much more when he is dead also Nom. But I pray Sir what are wee to understand by this double death or wherein doth this freedome from the law consist Evan. Death is nothing else but a dissolution or an untying of a compound or a separation between matter and forme and therefore when the soule and body of man is separated wee say hee is dead so that by this double death wee are to understand nothing else but that the bargaine or covenant which was made betweene GOD and man at first is dissolved or untyed or that the matter and forme of the Covenant of works is separated to a believer so that the Law of the ten Commandements doth neyther promise eternall life nor threaten eternall death to a believer upon condition of his obedience or disobedience to it neyther doth a believer as hee is a believer eyther hope for eternall life or feare eternall death upon any such termes no wee may assure our selves that whatsoever the Law sayth on any such tearmes it sayth to them who are under the Law But believers are not under the Law but under Grace and so have escaped eternall death and obtained eternall life onely by faith in Jesus Christ For by him all that believe are justified from all things from which they could not be justified by the Law of Moses For God so loved the World that he gave his onely begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life And this is that Covenant of Grace which as I told you was made with the Fathers by way of promise and so but darkly but now the fulnesse of time being come it was more fully opened and promulgated Ant. Well Sir now I doe perceive there was little difference betwixt the Jews Covenant of Grace and ours Evan. Truly the opposition betwixt the Jews Covenant of Grace and ours was chiefly of their owne making they should have been driven to Christ by the Law but they expected life in obedience to it and this was their great errour and mistake Ant. And truly Sir it is no great marvell though they in this point did so much erre and mistake who had the Covenant of Grace made known to them so darkly when many amongst us who have it more cleerly manifest do the like Evan. And truly it is no marvell though all men naturally do so for man naturally doth apprehend God to be the great master of heaven and himselfe to be his servant and that therefore he must do his work before hee can have his wages and the more work he doth the better wages he shall have And hence it it was that when Aristotle came to speak of blessednes to pitch upon the next means to that end he said it was operation working with whom also agreeth Pythagoras when he saith It is mans felicity to be like unto God as how by becoming righteous and holy and let us not marvell that these men did so erre who never heard of Christ nor of the Covenant of grace when those to whom it was made known by the Apostles of Christ did the like witnesse those to whom the Apostle Paul wrote his Epistles and especially the Galathians for although hee had by his preaching when he was present with them made
behalfe of all his chosen perfectly fulfilled the Law as it is the covenant of works divine justice delivered that bond in to Christ who utterly cancelled that hand-writing so that none of his chosen were to have any more to doe with it nor it with them and now you by your believing in Christ having manifested that you are one that was chosen in him before the foundation of the world his fulfilling of that covenant and cancelling of it is imputed to you and so you are acquitted and absolved from all your transgressions against that covenant either past present or to come and so you are justified as the Apostle saith Freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ. Ant. I pray you Sir give mee leave to speake a word by the way was not he justified before this time Evan. If he did not believe in Christ before this time as I conceive hee did not then certainly he was not justified before this time Ant. But Sir you know as the Apostle saith It is God that justifieth and God is eternall and as you have shewed Christ may be said to have fulfilled the covenant of works from all eternity and if he bee Christs now then was he Christs from all eternity and therefore as I conceive hee was justified from all eternity Evan. Indeed God is from all eternity and in respect of Gods accepting of Christs undertaking to fulfill the covenant of works he fulfilled it from all eternity and in respect of Gods electing of him he was Christs from all eternity and therefore it is true in respect of Gods decree hee was justified from all eternity and hee was justified meritoriously in the death and resurrection of Christ but yet he was not justified actually till he did actually believe in Christ for saith the Apostle By him all that believe are justified so that in the act of justifying faith and Christ must have a mutuall relation and must always concur and meet together faith as the action which apprehendeth and Christ as the object which is apprehended for neither doth Christ justifie without faith neither doth faith except it bee in Christ. Ant. Truly Sir you have indifferently well satisfied me in this point and surely I like it marvellous well that you conclude no faith justifieth but that whose object is Christ. Eva. The very truth is thuogh a man believe that God is mercifull and true of his promise and that he hath his elect number from the beginning and that he himselfe is one of that number yet if this faith doe not eye Christ if it be not in God as he is in Christ it will not serve turn for God cannot be comfortably thought upon out of Christ our mediator for if we finde not God in Christ saith Calvin salvation cannot bee known wherefore neighbour Neophytus I will say unto you as sweet Master Bradford said unto a gentlewoman in your case Thus then if you would be quiet and certain in conscience then let your faith burst forth through all things not onely that you have within you but also whatsoever is in heaven earth and hell and never rest untill it come to Christ crucified and the eternall sweete mercie and goodnesse of God in â—hrist Neo. But Sir I am not yet satisfied concerning the point you touched before and therefore I pray you proceed to shew me how far forth I am delivered from the Law as it is the covenant of works Evan. Truly as it is the covenant of works you are wholy and altogether delivered and set free from it you are dead to it and it is dead to you and if it be dead to you then it can doe you neither good nor hurt and if you be dead to it you can expect neither good nor hurt from it consider man I pray you that as I said before you are now under another covenant to wit the covenant of grace and you cannot bee under two covenants at once neither wholy nor partly and therefore as before you believed you were wholy under the covenant of works as Adam left both you and all his posterity after his fall so now since you have believed you are wholy under the covenant of grace Assure your selfe then that no Minister or Preacher of Gods Word hath any warrant to say unto you hereafter either doe this and this dutie contained in the law and avoid this and this sin forbidden in the Law and God will justifie thee and save thy soule or doe it not and Hee will condemne thee and damne thee no no you are now set free both from the commanding and condemning power of the covenant of works so that I will say unto you as the Apostle saith unto the believing Hebrews You are not come to Mount Sinai that might not be touched and that burned with fire nor unto blacknesse and darknesse and tempests but you are come unto Mount Sion the City of the living God and to Jesus the Mediator of the new Covenant so that to speak with holy reverence God cannot by vertue of the covenant of wotks either require of you any obedience or punish you for any disobedience no he cannot by vertue of that covenant so much as threaten you or give you an angry word or shew you an angry look for indeed he can see no sin in you as a transgression of that covenant for saith the Apostle Where there is no Law there is no transgression And therfore though hereafter you doe through frailty transgresse any or all the ten Commandements yet doe you not thereby transgresse the covenant of works there is no such covenant now betwixt God and you and therefore though you shall hereafter heare such a voice as this if thou wilt be saved keep the commandements or cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are writen in the book of the Law to doe them nay though you heare the voice of thunder and a fearfull noyse nay though you see blacknesse and darknesse and feel a great tempest that is to say though you heare us that are Preachers according to our commission Lift up our voice like a trumpet in threatning hell and damnation to sinners and transgressors of the Law though these be the words of God yet are you not to thinke that they are spoken to you no no the Apostle assures you â—hat there is no condemnation to them that â—â—re in Christ Jesus believe it man God never threatens eternall death after he hath once given to a man eternall life nay the truth is God never speaks to a believer out of Christ and in Christ hee speaks not a word in the terms of the covenant of works and if the Law of it selfe should presume to â—ome into your conscience and say herein and herein thou hast transgressed and broken â—â—e and therefore thou owest so much and â—o much to divine Justice which must be
unto you both how it hath been wieh mee formerly and how it is with me for the present wherefore I would intreat you to tell me plainly and truly what you think of my condition Evan. Why truly I must tell you it appears to me by your relation that you have gone as far in the way of the Covenant of works as the Apostle Paul did before his conversion but yet for ought I see you have not gone the right way to the truth of the Gospell and therefore I question whether you be as yet come truly to Christ. Neo. Good Sir give me leave to speak a few words By the hearing of your discourse concerning the Covenant of works and the Covenant of grace I was moved to feare that I was out of the right way but now having heard my neighbour Nomista make such an excellent relation and yet you to question whether hee bee come truly to CHRIST or no makes me to conclude absolutely that I am far from Christ surely if he upon whom the Lord hath bestowed such excellent gifts and graces and who hath lived such a godly life as I am sure he hath done be not right then woe be unto me Evan. Truly for ought I know you may be in Christ before him Nom. But I pray you Sir consider that though I am now throughly convinced that till of late I went on in the way of the Covenant of works yet seeing that at last I came to see my need of Christ and have verily believed that in what I come short of fulfilling the Law hee will help mee out me thinks I should be come truly to Christ. Evan. Verily I doe conceive that this gives you no sure evidence of your being come truly to Christ then some of your strict Papists have for it is the doctrine of the Church of Rome that if a man exercise all his power and doe his best to fulfill the Law then God for Christs sake will pardon all his infirmities and save his soule and therefore you shall see many of your Papists very strict and zealous in the performance of duties morning and evening so many Avie-Maries and so many Pater-nosters yea and many of them doe great deeds of charity and great works of hospitality and all upon such grounds and to such ends as these the Papists sayth Calvin cannot abide this saying by faith alone for they think that their own works are in part a cause of their salvation and so they make a hotch potch and mingle mangle that is neither fish nor flesh as men use to say Nom. But stay Sir I pray you are mistaken in me for though I hold that God doth accept of my doing my best to fulfill the Law yet doe I not hold with the Papists that my doings are meritorious for I believe that God accepts not of what I doe either for the work or workers sake but onely for Christs sake Evan. Yet doe you but still goe hand in hand with the Papists for though they doe hold that their works are meritorious yet they say it is by the merit of Christ that they become meritorious or as some of the moderate sort of them say our works sprinkled with the bloud of Christ become meritorious but this you are to know that as the justice of GOD requires a perfect obedience so doth it require that this perfect obedience be a personall obedience viz. it must bee the obedience of one person onely the obedience of two must not bee put together to make up a perfect obedience So that if you desire to be justified before God you must either bring to him a perfect righteousnesse of your own and wholy renounce Christ or else you must bring the perfect righteousnesse of Christ and wholy renounce your own Ant. But believe me Sir I would advise him to bring Christs and wholy renounce his own as I thank the Lord I have done Evan. You say very well for indeed the Covenant of Grace terminates it selfe onely on Christ and his righteousnesse God will have none to have a hand in the justification and salvation of a sinner but Christ onely and to say as the thing is neighbour Nomista Christ Jesus will either be a whole Saviour or no Saviour hee will either save you alone or not save you at all for among men there is given no other name under heaven whereby we must be saved sayth the Apostle Peter and Jesus Christ himselfe sayth I am the way the truth and the life and no man commeth to the father but by mee so that as Luther truly sayth besides this way Christ there is no way but wandering no verity but hypocrisie no life but eternall death and verily sayth another godly writer We can neither come to God the Father bee reconciled unto him nor have any thing to doe with him by any other way or means but onely by Jesus Christ for we shall not any where finde the favour of God true innocency righteousnesse satisfaction for sin help comfort life or salvation any where but onely in Jesus Christ he is the summe and centre of all divine and evangelicall truths and therefore as there is no knowledge or wisdome so excellent necessary or heavenly as the knowledge of Christ which made the Apostle tell the Corinthians that he determined to know nothing amongst them but onely Jesus Christ and him crucified so is there nothing to be preached unto men as an object of their faith or necessary element of their salvation which doth not some way or other either meet in Christ or refer unto Christ. Ant. O Sir you doe please me wonderous well in thus attributing all to Christ and surely Sir though of late you have not been so evangelical in your teaching as some others in this City which hath caused me to leave off hearing you to hear them yet have I formerly perceived and do now also perceive that you have more knowledge of the doctrine of free grace then many other Ministers in this City have and to tell you the truth Sir it was by your means that I was first brought to renounce mine owne righteousnesse and to cleave onely to the righteoasnesse of JESUS CHRIST and thus it was After that I had been a good while a legall professour just like my friend Nomista and heard none but your legall Preachers who built me up in works and doings as they did him and as their manner is At last a familiar acquaintance of mine who had some knowledge of the doctrine of free grace did commend you for an excellent Preacher at last prevailed with me to goe with him to hear you and your text that day I wel remember was Tit. 3.5 Not by the works of righteousnesse that we had done but according to his own mercie he saved us whence you observed and plainly proved that mans own righteousnesse had no hand in his justification and salvation whereupon you dehorted us
the Citie and wee shall die there and if we sit still here we die also nâ—w therefore come and let us fall into the hands of the Assyrians if they save us we shall live and if they kill us we shall but die even so say I in mine heart if I goe back to the covenant of works to seek justification thereby I shall die there and if I sit still and seek it no way I shall die also now therefore though I be somewhat fearfull yet am I resolved to go unto Christ and if I perish I perish Evan. Why now I tell you truly the match is made Christ is yours and you are his this day is salvation come to your house your soul I mean for what though you have not that power to come so fast unto Christ and to lay such firme hold on him as you desire yet comming with such a resolution to Christ to take him you need take no care for doing it you may be sure that Christ will enable you to do it for is it not said John 1.12 But as many as received him to them hee gave power to become the sonnes of God even to them that believe on his name O then I beseech you stand no longer disputing but be peremptory and resolute in your faith and in casting your selfe upon God in Christ for mercy and let the issue be what it will yet let me tell you to your comfort that such a resolution shall never go to hell nay I will say more if any soule have a roome in Heaven such a soul shall for God cannot finde in his heart to damne such a one I might then with as much true confidence say unto you as John Careless said unto John Bradford Hearken ô ye Heavens and thou ô earth give eare and beare me witnesse at the great day that I do here faithfully and truly the Lords message unto his deare servant and singularly beloved John Bradford saying John Bradford thou man so specially beloved of God I doe pronounce and testifie unto thee in the word and name of the Lord Jehovah that all thy sins whatsoever they be though never so many grievous or great be fully and freely pardoned released and forgiven thee by the mercy of God in Jesus Christ thy onely Lord and sweet Saviour in whom thou dost undoubtedly believe as truly as the Lord liveth he will not have thee die the death but hath verily purposed determined and decreed that thou shalt live with him for ever Neo. O Sir If I have as good warrant to apply this saying to my self as Mr. Bradford had to apply it to himself I am a happy man Evan. I tell you from Christ and under the hand of his spirit that your person is accepted your sins are done away and you shall be saved and if an Angell from Heaven should tell you otherwise let him be accursed therefore you may without doubt conclude that you are a happy man For by means of this your matching with Christ you are become one with him and one in him you dwell in him and he in you Hee is your welbeloved and you are his so that the mariage union betwixt Christ and you is more then a bare notion or apprehension of your mind for it is a spirituall reall union it is an union betwixt the nature of Christ God and man and you it is a knitting and closing not onely of your apprehension with a Saviour but also of your soule with a Saviour whence it must needs follow that you cannot be damned except Christ be damned with you neyther can Christ be saved except you be saved with him And as by means of corporall marriage all things become common betwixt man and wife even so by means of this spirituall marriage all things become common betwixt Christ and you for when Christ hath married his spouse unto himselfe hee passeth over all his estate unto her so that whatsoever Christ is or hath you may boldly challenge as your own He is made unto you of God wisdome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption and surely by vertue of this neer union it is that as Christ is called the Lord our righteousnesse Jer. 23.6 so is the Church called the Lord our righteousnesse Jer. 35.16 You may by vertue of this union confidently take unto your selfe as your own Christ watching abstinence travails prayers persecution slanders his tears his sweat his bloud and all that ever he did and suffered in three and thirty years with his Passion Death Resurrection and Ascention for they are all yours and as Christ passeth over all his estate unto his spouse so doth he require that shee should passe over all unto him wherefore you being now married unto Christ you must give all that you have of your own unto him and truly you have nothing of your own but sin and therefore you must give him that say thou unto Christ without fear I give to thee my dear husband my unbelief my mistrust my pride my arrogancie my ambition my wrath my anger my envie my covetousnesse my evill thoughts affections and desires I make a bundle of these and all my other offences and give them unto thee thus was Christ made sin for us which knew no sin that wee might be made the righteousnesse of God in him now then saith Luther let us compare these things together and we shall finde inestimable treasure Christ is full of all grace life and saving health and the soule is fraught full of all sin death and damnation but let faith come betwixt these two and it shall come to passe that Christ shall bee loaden with sin death and hell and unto the soule shall be imputed grace life and salvation who then saith he is able to value the royalty of this marriage accordingly who is able to comprehend the glorious riches of this grace where this rich and righteous husband Christ doth take unto wife this poore and wicked harlot redeeming her from all evils and garnishing her with all his own jewels so that you as the same Luther saith through the assurednesse of your faith in Christ your husband are delivered from all sins made safe from death guarded from hell and endowed with the everlasting righteousnesse life and saving health of your husband Christ and therefore you are now under the covenant of grace and freed from the Law as it is the covenant of works for as M. ball truly saith at one and the same time a man cannot be under the covenant of works and the covenant of grace Neo. Sir I doe not yet well know how to conceive of this freedome from the Law as it is the covenant of works and therefore I pray you make it as plain to me as you can Evan. For the true and cleer understanding of this point you are to consider that when Jesus Christ the second Adam had in the
justified by faith it is a very needless thing for him to endevour to keep the law and to do good works Evan. I remember Luther sayth that in his time there were some that did reason after the like manner if faith say they do accomplish all things and if faith be onely and alone sufficient unto righteousnesse to what end then are wee commanded to doe good deeds we may go play us then and work no working at all to whom hee makes an answer saying not so ye ungodly not so And there were others that said If the law do not justifie then is it in vaine and of none effect yet is it not therefore true saith he for like as this consequence is nothing worth money doth not justifie or make a man righteous therefore it is unprofitable the eyes doe not justifie therefore they must be plucked out the hands make not a man righteous therefore they must be cut off so is this nought also the law doth not justifie therefore it is unprofitable we do not therefore destroy and condemne the law because wee say it doth not justifie but we say with Paul the law is good if a man do rightly use it and that this is a faithfull saying That they which have believed in God might be carefull to mayntaine good works these things are good and profitable unto men Neo. Truly Sir for mine own part I do much marvell that this my friend Antinomista should be so confident of his faith in Christ and yet so little regard holinesse of life and keeping of Christs commandements as it seemes hee doth for I give the Lord thanks I doe now in some small measure believe that I am by Christ freely and fully justified and acquitted from all my sins and therefore have no need eyther to eschew evill or do good for feare of punishment or hope of reward and yet me thinks I finde my heart more willing and desirous to doe what the Lord commands and to avoid what hee forbids then ever it was before I did thus believe surely Sir I doe perceive that faith in Christ is no hinderance to holinesse of life as I once thought it was Evan. Neighbour Neophytus if our friend Antinomista do content himself with a meere Gospell knowledge in a notionary way and have run out to fetch in notions from Christ and yet is not fetcht in by the power of Christ let us pitty him pray for him and in the mean time I pray you know that true faith in Christ is so far from being a hinderance from holinesse of life and good works that it is the onely furtherance for onely by faith in Christ a man is enabled to exercise all Christian graces a-right and to performe all Christian duties a-right which before he could not As for example before a man believe Gods love to him in Christ though he may have a kind of love to God as he is his creatour and preserver and gives him many good things for this present life yet if God do but open his eyes to see what condition his soul is in that is if he do but let him see that relation that is betwixt God and him according to the tenour of the conant of works then he conceives of him as an angry Judge armed with justice against him and must be pacified by the works of the law whereunto he finds his nature opposite and contrary and therefore hee hates both God and his law and doth secretly wish and desire there were neyther God nor law and though God should now give unto him never so many temporall blessings yet could hee not love him for what malefactour could love that Judge or his law from whom he expects the sentence of condemnation though he should feast him at his table with never so many dainties But after that the kindnesse and love of God his Saviour hath appeared not by works of righteousnesse that he hath done but according to his mercy hee saved him that is when as by the eye of faith he sees himselfe to stand in relation to God according to the tenour of the covenant of grace then he conceives of God as a most mercifull and loving Father to him in Christ that hath freely pardoned â—nd forgiven him all his sins and quite released him from the covenant of works and by this means the love of God is shed abroad in his hart through the Holy Ghost which is given to him and then he loves God because he first loved him for as a man seeth and feeleth by faith the love and favour of God towards him in Christ his Son so doth he love again both God and his law and indeed it is impossible for any man to love God till by faith hee know himself loved of God Secondly though a man before he believe Gods love to him in Christ may have a great measure of legall humiliation compunction sorrow and griefe and be brought down as it were to the very gate of hell and feele the very flashings of hell fire in his conscience for his sins yet is it not because hee hath thereby offended God but rather because he hath thereby offended himself that is because hee hath thereby brought himselfe into the danger of eternal death and condemnation but when once he believes the love of God to him in Christ in pardoning his iniquity and passing by his transgression then he sorrows grieves for the offence of God by the sin reasoning thus with himselfe and is it so indeed hath the Lord given his own Sonne to death for me who hath been such a vile sinfull wretch and hath Christ borne all my sins and was hee wounded for my transgressions ô then the working of his bowels the stirring of his affections the melting and relenting of his repenting heart then he remembers his own evill ways and his doings that were not good and loaths himselfe in his own eyes for all his abominations and looking upon Christ whom he hath pierced he mournes bitterly for him as one mourneth for his onely sonne thus when faith hath bathed a mans heart in the bloud of Christ it is so mollified that it quickly dissolues into the teares of godly sorrow so that if Christ doe but turn and look upon him ô then with Peter hee goes out and weeps bitterly and this is true gospel mourning and this is right evangelicall repenting Thirdly Though before a man doe truly believe in Christ he may so reforme his life and amend his ways that as touching the righteousnesse which is of the Law he may be with the Apostle blamelesse yet being under the covenant of works all the obedience that he yields to the Law all his leaving of sin and performance of duties all his avoyding of what the law forbids and all his doing of what the law commands is begotten by the law of works of Hagar the bond-woman by the force of self-love
content with what is most repugnant to its desire as with hunger cold nakednesse yea and with death it self such is the wonderfull working of the hearts quiet and rest in God So that although such a mans senses be still exerâ—ised in and upon their proper objects yet is not his life sensuall for his heart taketh no contentment from any such exercise but is still for the most part exercised in a more transcendent communion even with God in Christ so that he useth the world and the things of the world as though hee used them not and receiveth no cordiall contentment from any sensuall exercise whatsoever and that because his heart is withdrawne from them which withdrawing of the heart is not unaptly pointed at in the speech of the Spouse Cant. 5.2 I sleep sayth she but my heart waketh so that it may be sayd that such a man he is sleeping looking hearing tasting eating drinking feasting c. but his heart is withdrawne and is rejoycing in God his Saviour and his soul is magnifying the Lord so that in the midst of all sensuall delights his heart and secretly sayth I but my happinesse is not here Nom. But Sir I pray you why do you call rationall and religious exercises a wildernesse Evan. For two reasons first because that as the children of Israel when they were got out of Egypt did yet wander many yeers in the wildernesse before they came into the land of Canaan even so doe many men wander long in rationall and religious exercises after they have left a sensuall life before they come to rest in God whereof the land of Canaan was a type Secondly because as in a wildernesse men often lose themselves and can finde no way out but supposing after long travell that they are neere the place whither they would goe are in truth further off even so fareth it with many yea with all such as walk in the way of reason they lose themselves in the woods and bushes of their works and doings so that the longer they travell the further they are from God and true rest in him Nom. But Sir you know that the Lord hath endued us with reasonable souls would you not then have us to make use of our reason Evan. I pray you doe not mistake mee I do not contemn nor despise the use of reason onely I would not have you to establish it to the chief good but I would have you to keep it under so that if with Hagar it attempt to beare rule and Lord it over your faith then would I have you in the wisdome of God like Sarah to cast it out from having dominion in few words I would have you more strong in desire than curious in speculation and to long more to feele communion with God then to be able to dispute of the genus or species of any question eyther humane or divine And presse hard to know God by powerfull experience and though your knowledge be great and your obedience surpassing many yet would I have you to be truly nullified anihilated and made nothing and become fools in all fleshly wisdome and glory in nothing but only in the Lord and I would have you with the eye of faith sweetly to behold all things extracted out of one thing in one to see al in a word I would have in you a most profound silence contemning all curious questions and discourses and to ponder much in your heart but prate little with your tongue Be swift to heare but slow to speake and slow to wrath as the Apostle James adviseth you and by this meanes will your reason be subdued and become one with your faith for then is reason one with faith when it is subjugated unto faith and then will reason keepe its true lists and limits and you will become ten times more reasonable then you were before so that I hope you now see that the hearts farewell from the sensuall and rationall life is not to be considered absolutely but respectively it doth not consist in a going out of either but in a right use of both And now for a conclusion let mee tell you when any of your souls shall thus forget her own people and her fathers house Christ her King shall so desire her beauty and be so much in love with her that like a Load-stone this love of his shall draw the soule in pure desire to him again and then as the Hart panteth after the rivers of water so will your souls pant after God yea then will your souls be so ravished with desire and so sick of love that it will bee manifest by your seeking him whom your soul loveth and so shall your soule come to have a reall rest in God and according to the measure of your faith be filled with joy unspeakable and glorious and how can it bee otherwise when your soule shall really communicate with God and by faith have a true taste and by the Spirit have a sure earnest of all heavenly preferments having as it were one foot in heaven whilst you live upon earth ô then what an Eucharisticall love will arise from your thankfull heart extending it selfe first towards God and then towards man for Gods sake because his everlasting love in his Christ is made known to your soule so that then according to the measure of your faith you shall not need to frame and force your selfe to love and doe good duties but being so assured of Gods love to you in his CHRIST your soule will stand bound ever more to love God and according to the measure thereof you will stand bound to the keeping of all his Commandements and this love of God in the heart will cut down selfe love so that now you will be for God and it will be your meat and drinke to doe his will whilst you live on earth and much more when you come to heaven the place of perfect and everlasting rest whither our Lord JESUS CHRIST bring us all in his due time Amen And now Brethren I commend you to GOD and to the word of his grace which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified Neo. Well Sir at this time I will say no more but that it was a happie houre wherein I came to you and a happie conference that wee have had together surely Sir I never knew Christ before this day ô what cause have I to thanke the Lord for my comming hither and my two friends as a means of it and Sir for the payns that you have taken with me I pray the Lord to requite you and so beseeching you to pray the Lord to increase my faith and to helpe mine unbeliefe I humbly take my leave of you praying the God of love and peace to be with you Nom. And truly Sir I doe believe that I have cause to speake as much in that case as you have for
now heare of his performance of it Evan. Touching this point the Scripture testifieth that God according to his purpose before time and his promise in time Did in the fulnesse of time send forth his Sonne made of a woman made under the Law to redeeme them that were under the Law c. That is to say looke how mankinde by nature are under the Law as it is the Covenant of works so was Christ as mans suretie contented to bee so that now according to that Eternall and mutuall agreement that was betwixt God the Father and him he put himself in the roome and place of all the Faithfull and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquities of us all Then came the Law as it is the Covenant of Workes and said I finde him a sinner yea such a one as hath taken upon him the sinnes of all men therefore let him die upon the Crosse. Then said Christ Sacrifice and Offering thou wouldest not but a bodie hast thou prepared mee In burnt offerings and sacrifice for sinne thou hast no pleasure Then said I loe I come to doe thy will O God And so the law proceeding in full scope against him set upon him and killed him and by this meanes was the justice of God fully satisfied his wrath appeased and all true beleevers acquitted from all their sinnes both past present and to come so that the Law as it is the Covenant of workes hath not any thing to say to any true beleever for indeed they are dead to it and it is dead to them Nom. But Sir How could the sufferings of Christ which in respect of time were but finite make full satisfaction to the Justice of God which is infinite Eva. Though the sufferings of Christ in respect of time were but finite yet in respect of the person that suffered his sufferings came to be of infinite value for Christ was God and Man in one person and therefore his sufferings were a sufficient and full ransome for mans soule being of more value then the death and destruction of all creatures Nom. But Sir you know that the Covenant of workes requires mans owne obedience or punishment when it saith Hee that doth these things shall live in them and cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the Law to do them how then could beleevers be acquitted from their sins by the death of Christ Evan. For answer hereunto I pray you consider that though the covenant of workes requires mans owne obedience or punishment yet it no where disalloweth or excludeth that which is done or suffered by another in his behalfe neither is it repugnant to the Justice of God for so there bee a satisfaction performed by man through a sufficient punishment for the disobedience of man the Law is satisfied and the justice of God permitteth that the offending partie be received into favour and acknowledge God after such satisfaction made as a just man and no transgressor of the Law and though the satisfaction be made by a surety yet when it is done the principall is by the Law acquitted But yet for the further proofe and confirmation of this poynt wee are to consider that as JESUS CHRIST the second Adam entered into the same Covenant that the first Adam did so by him was done whatsoever the first Adam had undone so then the case stands thus that like as whatsoever the first Adam did or befell him was reckoned as done by all mankinde and to have befallen them even so whatsoever CHRIST did or befell him is to bee reckoned as to have been done by all believers and to have befallen them so that as sinne commeth from Adam alone to all mankinde as he in whom all have sinned so from Jesus Christ alone commeth righteousnesse unto all that are in him as hee in whom they all have satisfied the justice of God for as by being in Adam and one with him all did in him and with him transgresse the Commandement of God even so in respect of faith whereby believers are ingrafted into Christ and spiritually made one with him they did all in him and with him satisfie the justice of God in his death and sufferings and whosoever reckons thus reckons according to Scripture for in Rom. 5.12 all are sayd to have sinned in Adams sinne In whom all have sinned sayth the Text namely in Adam as in a publike person all mens acts were included in his because their persons were included in his so likewise in the same Chapter it is sayd that death passed upon all men namely for this that Adams sinne was reckoned as theirs even so Rom. 6. the Apostle speaking of Christ sayth In that he dyed he dyed unto sinne once but in that hee liveth hee liveth unto God so likewise sayth he in the next verse Reckon ye your selves to be dead unto sinne but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. And so as touching the resurrection of Christ the Apostle argues that all believers must and shall arise because Christ is risen and is become the first fruitâ— of them that sleepe CHRIST as the first fruits ariseth and that in the name and stead of all believers and so they rise in him and with him for CHRIST did not rise as a private person but hee arose as the publike head of his Church so that in his arising all believers did virtually arise and as CHRIST at his resurrection was justified and acquitted from all the sinnes of all believers by God his Father as having now fully satisfied for them wherefore the obedience of Christ being imputed unto believers by God for their righteousnesse it doth put them into the same estate and case touching righteousnesse unto life before God wherein they should have been if they had perfectly performed the perfect obedience of the covenant of works Doe this and thou shalt live Nom. But Sir are all believers dead to the Law and the Law dead to them Evan. Believe it man as the Law is the Covenant of works all true believers are dead unto it and it is dead to them for they being incorporated into Christ what the Law or Covenant of works did to him it did the same to them so that when CHRIST hanged on the Crosse believers after a sort hanged there with him and therefore the Apostle Paul having sayd I through the Law am dead to the Law addes in the next verse I am crucified with CHRIST which words the Apostle brings as an argument to prove that hee was dead to the Law for the Law had crucified him with CHRIST upon which Text Luther sayth I likewise am crucified and dead to the Law Forasmuch as I am crucified and dead with CHRIST and againe I believing in CHRIST am also crucified with CHRIST In like manner the Apostle sayth to the believing Romanes So yee my brethren are dead also to the Law
right well that Luther sayth the conscience hath nothing to doe with the law or works and that Calvin sayth the consciences of the faithfull when the affiance of their justification before God is to be sought must rayse and advance themselves above the Law and forget the whole righteousnes of the Law and lay aside all thinking upon works Now for the true understanding of these two worthy servants of Christ two things are to be concluded First that when they speak thus of the law it is evident they mean only in the case of justification secondly that when the conscience hath to doe with the law in the case of justification it hath to doe with it onely as it is the covenant of works for as the law is the Law of Christ it neither justifies nor condemns and so if you understand it of the Law as it is the Covenant of works according to their meaning then it is most true that they say for why should a man let the Law come into his conscience that is why should a man make any conscience of doing the Law to be justified thereby considering it is a thing impossible nay what need hath a man to make cōscience of doing the law to be justified thereby when he knows he is already justified another way nay what need hath a man to make conscience of doing that law that is dead to him and hee to it hath a woman any need to make any conscience of doing her duty to her husband when hee is dead nay when shee her selfe is dead also or hath a debter any need to make any conscience of paying that debt which is already fully discharged by his surety will any man be afraid of that obligation which is made void the seale torne off the writing defaced nay not onely cancelled and crost but torne in pieces I remember the Apostle saith That if the sacrifices which were offered in the Old Testament could have made the commers thereunto perfect and have purged the worshippers then should they have had no more conscience of sins that is their conscience would not have accused them of being guilty of sins now the blond of Christ hath purged the conscience of a believer from all his sins as they are transgressions against the covenant of works and therefore what needs his conscience be troubled about that covenant but now I pray you observe and take notice that although Luther and Calvin doe thus exempt a believer from the Law in the case of justification and as it is the law or covenant of works yet doe they not so out of the case of justification and as it is the Law of Christ. For thus saith Luther out of the matter of justification wee ought with Paul to thinke reverently of the Law to commend it highly to call it holy righteous just good spirituall and divine yea out of the case of justification we ought to make a God of it And in another place saith he there is a civill righteousnesse and a ceremoniall righteousnesse yea and besides these there is another righteousnesse which is the righteousnesse of the Law or of the ten commrndements which Moses teacheth this also we teach after the doctrine of faith And in a third place he having shewed that believers through Christ are far above the Law adds howbeit I will not deny but that Moses sheweth to them their duties in which respect they are to be admonished and urged wherefore such doctrines and admonitions ought to be among Christians as it is certain there was among the Apostles whereby every man may be admonished of his estate and office And Calvin having said as I told you before that Christians in the case of justification must raise and advance themselves above the law adds neither can any man thereby gather that the law is superfluous to the faithfull whom notwithstanding it doth not cease to teach exhort and prick forward to goodnesse although before Gods Judgement seat it hath no place in their conscience Ant. But Sir if I forget not Musculus sayth that the law is utterly abrogated Evan. Indeed Musculus speaking of the ten commandements sayth if they be weak if they be the letter if they do worke transgression anger curse and death and if Christ by the law of the spirit of life delivered them that believed in him from the law of the letter which was weake to justifie and strong to condemne and from curse being made a curse for us surely they be abrogated Now this is most certaine that the ten commandements doe no way worke transgression anger curse death but onely as they are the covenant of works neither hath Christ delivered believers any otherwise from them then as they are the covenant of works and therfore wee may assuredly conclude that they are no otherwise abrogated then as they are the covenant of works Neither did Musculus intend any otherwise for sayth he in the words following it must not be understood that the points of the substance of Moses covenant are utterly brought to nothing God forbid for a Christian man is not at liberty to do those things that are ungodly and wicked and if the doing of those things which the law forbids do not displease Christ if they be not much different yea contrary if they be not repugnant to the righteousness which we received of him let it be lawful for a christian man to do them or else not but a Christian man doing against those things which be cōmanded in the Decalogue doth sinne more outragiously then hee that should so do being under the law so far off is he from being free from those things that be there commanded Wherfore friend Antinomista if eyther you or any man else shall under a pretence of your being in Christ exempt yourselves frō being under the law of the ten cōmandements as they are the law of Christ I tel you truly it is a shrewd signe you are not yet in Christ for if you were then Christ were in you if Christ were in you then would he governe you and you would be subject unto him I am sure the Prophet Isaiah tels us that the same Lord who is our Saviour is also our King and Law-giver truly he will not be Jesus a Saviour to any but only to those unto whom he is Christ a Lord for the very truth is whersoever he is Iesus a Saviour he is also Christ a Lord therfore I beseech you examine your self whether he be so to you or no Ant. Why then Sir it seemeth that you stand upon marks and signes Evan. Yea indeed I stand so much upon marks and signes that I say unto you in the words of the Apostle John in this the children of God are manifest and the children of the Devill whosoever doth not righteousnesse is not of God for sayth Luther he that is truly baptised is become a new
your believing that you have believed upon and so forcibly to hasten your assurance before the time for though this be not to turn quite back to the covenant of works for that you shall never do yet is it to turn aside towards that covenant as Abraham did who after that he had long wayted for the promised seed though he was before justified by believing the free promise yet for the more speedy satisfying of his faith hee turned aside to go in unto Hagar who was as you have heard a type of the covenant of works so that you see this is not the right way but the right way for you in this case to get your assurance again is when all other things fail to look to Christ That is go to the word and promise and leave off and cease a while to reason about the truth of your faith and set your heart on work to believe as if you had never yet done it saying in your heart well Satan suppose my faith hath not been true hitherto yet now will I begin to endevour after true faith and therefore ô Lord here I cast my self upon thy mercy afresh For in thee the fatherlesse finde mercy thus I say hold to the word goe not away but keep you here and you shall bring forth fruit with patience Neo. Well Sir you have fully satisfied the concerning that point but as I remember it followeth in the same Verse Know yee not your owne selves how that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be repoobates wherefore I desire to heare how a man may know that Jesus Christ is in him Evan. Why if Christ be in a man hee lives in him as sayth the Apostle I live not but Christ liveth in me Neo. But how then shall a man know that Christ lives in him Evan. Why in what man soever Christ lives according to the measure of his faith he executes his threefold office in him viz. his Propheticall Priestly and Kingly Office Neo. I desire to hear more of this threefold office of Christ and therefore I pray you Sir tell me first how a man may know that Christ executes his Propheticall office in him Evan. Why so far forth as any man heares and knows that there was a covenant made betwixt God and all mankinde in Adam and that it was an equall covenant and that Gods justice must needs enter upon the breach of it and that all mankind for that cause were lyable to eternall death and damnation so that if God had condemned all mankinde yet had it beene but the sentence of an equall and just Judge seeking rather the execution of his justice then mans ruine and destruction and thereupon takes it home and applyes it particularly to himself and so is convinced that hee is a miserable lost and helplesse man I say so far forth as a man doth this CHRIST executes his Propheticall office in him in teaching him and revealing unto him the covenant of works And so far forth as any man hears and knowes that God made a covenant with Abraham and all his believing seed in Jesus Christ offering him freely to all to whom the sound of the Gospell comes and giving him freely to all that receive him by faith and so justifies them and saves them eternally and thereupon hath his heart opened to receive this truth not as a man taketh an object or a theologicall point into his head whereby hee is onely made able to discourse but as an habituall and practicall point receiving it into his heart by the faith of the Gospell and applying it to himselfe and laying his eternall state upon it and so setting to his seal that God is true I say so far forth as a man doth this CHRIST executes his propheticall office in him in teaching him and revealing to him the Covenant of grace and so far forth as any man hears and knows that This is the will of GOD even his sanctification c. And thereupon concludes that it is his dutie to endeavour after it I say so far forth as a man doth this Christ executes his propheticall office in him in teaching and revealing his law to him and this I hope is sufficient for answer to your first question Neo. I pray you Sir in the second place tell mee how a man may know that Christ executes his priestly office in him Evan. Why so far forth as any man hears and knows that Christ hath given himselfe as that onely absolute and perfect sacrifice for the sins of believers and joyned them unto himselfe by faith and himself unto them by his spirit and so made them one with him and is now entred into Heaven it self to appear in the presence of God for them and hereupon is emboldned to go immediatly to God in prayer as to a father and meet him in Christ and present him with Christ himselfe as with a Sacrifice without spot or blemish I say so far forth as any man doth this Christ executes his priestly office in him Neo. But Sir would you have a believer to goe immediately unto God how then doth Christ make intercession for us at Gods right hand as the Apostle sayth hee doth Rom. 8.34 Evan. It is true indeed Christ as a publike person representing all believers appeares before God his Father and willeth according to both his natures and desireth as he is man that God would for his satisfaction sake grant unto them whatsoever they aske according to his will But yet you must goe immediately to God in prayer for all that you must not pitch your prayers upon Christ and terminate them there as if he were to take them and present them to his Father but the very presenting place of your prayers must be God himselfe in Christ neither must you conceive as though Christ the Sonne were more willing to grant your request then God the Father for whatsoever Christ willeth the same also the Father being well pleased with him willeth in Christ then I say and nowhere else must you expect to have your petitions granted and as in Christ and no place else so for Christs sake and nothing else and therefore I beseech you to beware you forget not Christ when you go unto the Father to beg any thing which you desire either for your selfe or others especially when you desire co have any pardon for sin you are not to thinke that when you joyn with your prayers fasting weeping and afflicting of your selfe that for so doing you shall prevail with God to heare you and grant your petitions no no you must meete God in Christ and present him with his sufferings your eye your minde and all your confidence must be therein and in that be as confident as possibly you can yea expostulate the matter as it were with God the Father and say lo here is the person that hath well deserved it here 〈◊〉 the person that