covenant of Works for these two reasons 1. For that the ceremonial law neither was nor could be a part of the covenant of Works which the moral law both was and is to all that are under a covenant of works 2dly and consequently I therefore kept off from any consideration of the ceremonial law in my discourses about the law its being given by Moses that so I might have my discourse run clear in the business of the covenant of works and draw a line in it from Adams estate in innocency to the very days of the Gospel which with any mixture of discourse about the ceremonial law would have been broken and disturbed VVhereas now you see the law taken strictly for a covenant of works might have justified Adam but could not justifie the children of Israel and therefore though added to the promise given to Abraham and that in the language of a covenant of works yet was never given with design that they should accept it for such unto Justification which appears from this double demonstration as I may call it a priori a posteriori A priori for that before the law was given there was a covenant of Grace which the law could not come in to disannul and a posteriori for that the very same Moses that brought their law from God out of the Mount did not more truly acquaint them with the nature of a legal righteousness then he did with the righteousness of Faith Rom. 10.6 But the righteousness of faith speaketh on this wise Say not in thy heart c. being a text quoted out of the same Moses Deut. 30.11 which make this argument vvherefore should Moses first describe to you a legal righteousness and tell you as appears by clear consequence out of him that ye cannot attain unto that righteousness and then describe unto you the righteousness of faith but for this end that ye might forgo the one cleave to the other And there are infinite places in other Scriptures of the Old-Testament which give their testimony to Christ and the Righteousness of Faith which sufficiently argue that the Old-Testament never went about to establish a way of Justification by the Law And here I think it may be of great use to search into this place of Moses which the Apostle asserts to contain the description of the righteousness which is by faith that so we may find both that it is so and what this righteousness of faith is The place is Deut. 30.11 to 15. quoted and paraphrased by the Apostle Rom. 10.6 7 8 9. An inquiry into the sense of Deut 30 11 12 in Rom. 10.6 But the righteousness which is of Faith speaketh on this wise Say not in thine heart Who shall ascend into Heaven c. clearly referring to Deut. 30.11 12 as any may see in the Margent of their Bibles Now let us go to that place in Deut. and see what Gospel there is in it and how evident it is that there is Gospel in it The words are these For this commandment which I command thee this day it is not hidden from thee neither is it far off it is not in heaven that thou shouldest say who shall go up for us to Heaven and bring it unto us that we may hear it and do it Neither is it beyond the Sea that thou shouldest say Who shall go over the Sea for us and bring it unto us that we may hear it and do it but the Word is nigh unto thee in thy mouth and in thy heart that thou mayest do it This is the whole Paragraph in which the covenant of Grace or the righteousness of Faith is described according to the Apostle Paul But how is the Gospel or righteousness of Faith described here First of all I must separate that which doth not seem to look like Gospel from that which is pure Gospel in this place And here we may observe That the matter of the Gospel spoken of is the law or commandment which he had delivered to them This Commandment which I command thee this day the same which is spoken of as I think there being no visible difference as to matter in Lev. 18.5 the place asserted by the Apostle to contain a legal righteousness it was for matter the law of Moses This Commandment saith he which I command thee this day Again I think it will appear to be meant of the ten commandments because it is added That Commandment which I command thee is not far from thee but is nigh thee even in thy heart and mouth Now the ceremonial law was not written in their heart neither had all the children of Israel nor the generality of them to whom yet this is spoken been taught the law effectually by the Spirit of God so as that should be the sense of these words This Commandment is in thine heart and indeed that is the promise of the new Covenant not of this by Moses but the effect of the Moral law was in their heart for it was in the heart of Heathens If it be objected as perhaps it may by some that the matter of the Commandment which Moses commanded them that day was not likely to be the ten commandments nor that chiefly nor to be the same with that in Lev. 18. because this is in Deuteâ—â—româ— which very word signifies a second Law or a second Edition and giving of the Law and had more Gospel in it then the Law in the first giving of it had I answer 1. by concession That there were indeed two several Covenants which the Lord is said to have made by Moses with the children of Israel Deut. 29.1 These are the words of the Covenant which the Lord commanded Moses to make with the children of Israel in the Land of Moab be ides the Covenant which he made with them in Hoâ—eb which a as a Mountain adjoining to if not a part of Mount Sinat 2. That perhaps in this Deutetonomy or second Covenant by Moses there 〈◊〉 mâ—â—â— promises and more of Gospel then in the first Edition of the Law there was But 3dly This doth not hinder but the commandment mentioned in Deut. â—0 might be chiefly for matter of it the moral Law or ten Commandments 't is true there were promises added to encourage unto the keeping of them and there were also terrible threatnings unto the breaking of them all the twelve tribes being divided into two equal parts the one half placed upon Mount Gerizim to bless the people that were obedient to the Law the other half upon Mount Ebal to curse all that brake it Deut 27.11 12 13 But that commandment for the sake of which these promises and threatnings were added was the Law of the ten words or two tables which were twice given to Moses in Sinai and again repeated in this Covenant in the Land of Moab as we may see in Deut. 5. and the very word Deut. signifies a second Law or a second giving of the Law
that it might be by Grace the way of Grace is the way of Faith So that is the third assertion with its explication and proof The fourth Assertion is this That every man in the World hath broken the Law Rom. 3.23 For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God The Jews call the Gentiles by this Name The sinners of the Gentiles or of the Nations But what saith the Apostle speaking of the Jews of whom himself was one What then Are we better then they No in no wise For we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles that they are all under sin as it is written There is none righteous no not one v. 9 10. When the Jews brought a Woman taken in Adultery unto our Saviour to see what Judgement he would pass upon her he delivered the Woman by this sentence of stoning her Let him that hath no sin cast the first stone at her Now if there had then been but one there that durst pretend to have been without sin the Woman might perhaps have lost her life John 8.34 And we find it amongst our selves none but some brain-sick people dare pretend to be free from sin even actual sin committed in their own person either in deed word or thought at least Now if we have all thus offended the law and transgressed the law shall we dare appeal unto it or can it justifie us The fifth assertion therefore which determines the Question negatively is That the law is disabled from justifying us by reason of sin In Rom. 8.3 Justification is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that impossibility of the lavv translated thus What the Law could not do the lavv novv cannot do it according to that famous assertion of the Apostle Paul to this very purpose Gal. 3.21 For if there had been a Law given which could have given life verily righteousness should have been by the Law The Iavv cannot novv justifie and vvhat is the reason Why the Apostle tells us in Rom. 8.3 What the Law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh The law became thus disabled in the matter of Justification through the flesh through sinful flesh as appears by the following words so that now it could not justifie us if it would never so fain We can conceive no way now that the Lord hath to justifie by us the law but this one first to pardon then to give us a stock of grace ability to keep his law as he gave to Adam but then mark here you see first the way of Grace Faith must be made use of before the law can do us any good or stand us in any stead therefore still the fifth assertion holds true that the law in the present state of things cannot justifie us except the way of grace should first pass upon us and then what need vve come to the lavv again No it is so true that the lavv cannot novv justifie us nor give life unto us that if it could have done it it should have done it and God would not have made use of any other way I might now give several Scripture-proofs of this assertion under several Heads As 1. By the Law now comes onely the knowledge of sin Rom. 3.20 Therefore by the deeds of the Law there shall no flesh be justified for by the Law is the knowledge of sin Where-ever the Law comes now amongst sinners it discovers that they are guilty in such and such a particular I had not known sin saith the Apostle but by the Law for I had not known lust except the Law had said Thou shalt not covet Rom. 7.7 2. The Law worketh therefore Wrath therefore it cannot justifie this is the Apostles Argument Rom. 4. ver 15. Now the Law worketh Wrath these two ways either it setteth home the Wrath of God already deserved upon the Conscience or it gives occasion to further sinning and so to a further desert of Wrath for the Law hath this strange effect now upon a sinners heart that seeks to be justified by it that it will contrary to the first design of it which was to sanctifie justifie and save it will now stir up all manner of lusts in the heart as the Sun shining on a Dunghil sends forth a stink and so not onely discovers our former illdemerits and deserving of Wrath but provokes to further sinning so lays us under more wrath stil if this be not a truth let any make sence of these Scriptures if they can Rom. 7.8 9 10 11. Sintaking occasion by the Commandment wrought in me all manner of Concupisence for without the Law sin was dead for I was alive without the Law once but when the Commandment came sin revived and I dyed and the Commandment which was ordained to life I found to be unto death for sin taking occasion by the Commandment deceived me and by it slew me 13. Was then that which is good made death unto me God forbid but sin that it might appear sin working death in me by that which is good that sin by the Commandment might become out of measure sinful I know several of these expressions are and may be in part interpreted of sin in the guilt that it appears by the law but it must also be understood of the power of sin that the law discovers that likewise whilest it irritates and provokes it and I would fain know if there can be any other sence of that whole context from the 1. to the 7. ver of that chap. especially the 5. ver When we were in the flesh the motions of sin which were by the Law did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death 3. The law by both these effects discovering of sin and exciting sin as also shewing the Wrath due to sin is so far from justifying that it becomes the Ministration of Death and Condemnation to the sinner and not of justification unto life and for this we may consult the whole third Chap. of the second to the Corinthians My 6th Assertion therefore is this Faith is the way and the onely way that we have to take for Justification being sinners We must have Mercy Grace Pardon We must not think to stand upon our terms to require Justification as a due debt We must be glad to receive it as a gift and this is the way that Faith leads us in That Faith and Grace are one way I have proved before in reckoning up the several Synonymaes of those onely two wayes which the Apostle mentions Now that Faith is the onely way for us appears from what hath been already said and proved For if the law be no way and there be only these two wayes imaginable then there is no other way but this of Faith left us But I shall yet give one full Scripture-proof of this Rom. 3.21 Therefore by the deeds of the Law there shall no fiesh be justified in his sight but now the righteousness of God without
and this was the Commandment which that day Moses commanded them Lastly Another thing in this Paragraph that will not seem perhaps to some to look like Gospel is this That all the comfort of this Gospel by Moses lies in Doing This Commandment saith he is not far off but in thy heart and in thy mouth that thou mayest do it and so obtain life and justification by it This seems to look right like that place in Levitious so often mentioned where Moses is said to describe a Legal Righteousness The man that doth them shall live in them And so in all the Chapter after there is blessing if they do the command and cursing if they do not this to some may not look like Gospel But yet here is the Gospel and therefore wherein doth it lie VVherein is the Gospel expressed in this place of Deut. or how will it appear I have shewed wherein it cannot lie or doth not seem to lie I will shew yet wherein it must be expressed and wherein it is visibly expressed and that is in that easiness which Moses doth so much insist upon in this Scripture of doing the Commandment The Commandment for the matter of it was perhaps the same with the Covenant of Works and Doing partly at least brought in the reward of it that is Justification But is this the Language of a Covenant of Works think you to fallen man such as the Israelites were The Commandment is easie there are no such difficulties in keeping it as you may imagine ye shall not need to climb as high as Heaven after it nor to coast all Lands and compass the Ocean for it propose no such vast undertakings to thy self for the accomplishment of it for thou needest not the Word is nigh thee in thy mouth that is near yea but nearer yet in thine heart that thou mayest do it and thou mayest do it with ease and sweetness No I have shewn at large that the Covenant of Works or the Law taken strictly as a way of Justification serves now to sinners onely to terrifie their Consciences with laying home its charge it hath no such comfortable words in it nay I shewed out of the Scripture that it is an utter impossibility that the Law should be done by a sinner so as to justifie him A man might as well climb up to Heaven or compass the vast Ocean yea to add another impossibility which the Apostle adds in his Paraphras upon this Text in Deut. a man might as well descend into the infernal Abyss and make a resurrection as be justified by the Law This therefore cannot be the Language of the Law But now take the keeping the Law in a Gospel-sence as perhaps that Rom. 8.4 is to be understood where the righteousness of the Law is said to be fulfilled in us that walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit and then the Gospel in this Scripture is obvious it is easie to keep the Law now even that commandment which Moses commanded them even the Moral Law that is to keep it sincerely not exactly to a tittle but in the substance of it This Word therefore which Moses means when he says The word is nigh thee as the Apostle adds in his Paraphrase must be the word of faith which he preached The Word is nigh thee that is not the Word of the Moral law taken in its utmost exactness to be fulfilled to a tittle this is not nigh thee it is as far as Heaven further then either of the Indies further then Hell it self thou sinner canst never attain unto it to do it But yet the Word of the same Commandment in a moderated sense in the gracious acceptation of God where sincere obedience is accepted for unerring observance of it This Word is nigh thee even in thy heart and in thy month that thou mayest do it and it is saith the Apostle the Word of Faith which we preach this the new creature can undertake with the assistance of God even the keeping the Commandments of God in an Evangelical manner through Faith which works by Love Here thou dost not claim thy wages upon thy doings as if they deserved it or as if they answered the letter of the Law and so thou comest not to the Law for thy Justification but though the great Rule of thine obedience be the Law yet thou goest to the Gospel for thy Justification thou comest by Faith to the Promise and Goodness and Grace of God for thy Justification And indeed there is nothing but Faith will encourage thee in such a keeping of the Law as this is The Law strictly taken will dishearten thee that will thus reason the case with thee VVhat are all thy works what is all thy obedience so long as thoughast broken such and such a Commandment hast omitted such and such a duty What is thy sincerity good for What is thy good meaning and real intention worth I must have a full task performed I must have unerring never-failing obedience or else I must curse thee with all the curses which thou findest written against sinners Now the Soul by Faith thus answereth the Law 'T is true were I to stand to thy award it must be all as thou hast said but I am upon other terms with the Lord for my Justification I am upon terms of Grace and Mercy of which there are no footsteps in thy whole way of Justification and though I was born under thy power yet I have a Saviour that hath freed me from under it by suffering the penalty for my breach of it and now I am assured That if I walk faithfully and deal honestly with God endeavouring in sincerity to walk after the Spirit to do all the Wills of God from the heart my sincere obedience will now be as well accepted as unerring obedience would once have been Thus you see Faith bears off from coming to a legal-Justification and Faith bears up the Soul against all expostulations of the Law with it and against all the accusations of Satan in the Conscienc and yet doth keep the soul intent upon the design of universal obedience to the pure and holy Law of God Faith requires thy obedience to the Law the preaching of Faith doth establish the Law and yet the Law in this moderated sense onely observed requires thee to go or rather takes for granted that thou goest to Grace Mercy and Pardon by Faith for that thou art not an exact Doer of the Law So I have shewn how this place in Deut. seems to speak Law yet must be understood to speak Gospel and what Gospel that is which it speaks Yet I may not expect to go off without opposition in this interpretation and I am sensible that these two or three things will be objected against me 3 Objections against the interpretation of Deut. 30.11 12. 1. That I make Faith too easie a business as if those that could not keep the Law are yet able to
believe whereas some think it as hard a business to believe as to keep the whole Law 2. They 'l say That I make the Gospel but a Covenant of works in a new dress and substitute Evangelical obedience in the room of Legal as the matter of our Justification 3. They may perhaps add that I leave out the great Gospel-mysterie which according to the Apostle is contained in Deut. and that is Christ That which Moses expresseth thus the Commandment which I command thee is not in heaven that thou shouldst say Who shall ascend for us into Heaven bring it unto us that we may hear it and do it The Apostle Paul expresseth thus Who shall ascend for us into Heaven that is to bring Christ down from above or who shall descend into the deep that is to bring up Christ again from the dead But what saith it The Word is nigh thee even in thy mouth and in thy heart and leaving out that thou mayest do it he addeth the Word of Faith which we preach that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shall believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved Here we see the Apostle sinds Christ in all that speech of Moses and it was Faith on him that justified therefore it was not a keeping of the Law according to sincerity instead of unerring obedience which Moses meant and so the exposition given of Moses is useless Now I shall answer first this last objection against the interpretation of Moses his Covenant of Grace and then come to the other two objections and I shall do it in the words of truth as I hope I am sure in the words soberness The last objection first answered 1. I do believe all this which the Apostle adds by way of Paraphrase to agree wel with the words of Moses 2. That yet I cannot believe that any ordinary Saint or any other then some mightily inspired by God like an Apostle could have understood all that in Moses his words when they were first delivered viz. That Christ should descend into the deep and after that be raised from the dead and ascend into Heaven because Moses sayes Say not in thine heart Who shall ascend for us into Heaven and bring the Word from thence that we may hear it and do it Or because Moses sayes Who shall go for us beyond the Seas and bring the Word unto us Neither can I believe that it was their duty in Moses's time to confess with their mouth the Lord Jesus or to believe in their heart that God had raised him from the dead a thing which was not at that time true I say I do not think it was their duty to believe it because to us it is contained in the Word of Faith to wit the Gospel which the Apostle preached Neither do I believe that it was a necessary duty of that time so much as to believe that God would raise Christ from the dead and that for this reason For all the Apostles in the dayes of Christ's Flesh were ignorant of this Mystery yea did not believe it or understand it after Christ had told them of it as is very plein in Luke 18. from 31. to 35. The reciting the words of that Text is plain proof enough without urging them by force of Argument 31. Then he took unto him the twelve and said unto them Behold we go up to Jerusalem and all things that are written by the Prophets concerning the Son of Man shall be accomplished Ver. 33. They shall scourge him and put him to death and the third day he shall rise again Now it is said ver 34. that they understood none of these things and this saying was hid from them neither knew they the things that were spoken Therefore certainly these things were not necessary to be known and believed in Moses his time And therefore though there be so much Gospel contained in that Text of Deut. to us now that the Apostle hath discovered it unless we will say they are additional glosses upon that Text of Moses which perhaps may prove no false Divinity I say Permit all that be contained to us in that Text of Deut. which St. Paul hath discovered in it yet by them under the Old-Testament as I think there could be no more understood then this That they were not to lay it upon themselves as absolutely necessary to salvation and so unto Justification to keep the whole Law in the strictness of it but that they were to minde the keeping of it from their heart to turn unto the Lord their God with all their heart and with all their souls and so to keepe his Commandments and his Statutes which are written in this Book of the Law as it is ver 10. immediately preceding those Verses in Deut. 30. where the righteousness of Faith is said to be described and this to do to keep the Law with all their heart sincerely they should find easie and pleasant whenas for a strict Covenant of Works Do this and thou shalt live they would find it an unsupportable yoke and burthen Now I come to answer those other two objections against my interpretation The first answered the first is this That I make Faith too easie athing in comparison of keeping the Law whereas many good men judg it a hard to believe as to keep the whole Law I answer 1. That indeed I do think the way of Faith to be an easier way in it self then keeping the whole Law For I ask any sober man Whether it be not easier to keep the Law in a sincere manner that is to guide my actions onely by the rule of it and honestly to endeavour toconform to it though in some things I fail if this be not easier then the exact keeping the Law to a tittle The question I suppose is answered as soon as made Why then I say I look upon the way of believing to be this Corning to God humbling my self for my sins addicting my self to his service and walking faithfully with him The description 〈…〉 and in this way of well doing seeking for glory honour and â—mmortality In one word It is an Honesty to God upon terms of Grace and I being honest and true to him doubt not of his faithfulness to me for pardoning my sins and providing for me here and saving me here after Erge if this be Faith for proof of which I refer to my interpretation and require a better or fairer in confutation of it I say if this be faith then the way of Faith is easier then keeping the whole Law 2. But yet I have not said that though it be easier yet it is in a mans own power to believe it is not iâ— a man 's own power to move a finger without God and it is equally impossible without God to move a singer and to remove a Mountain yet there is no man in his right
in our own time that is that ceremonies or external services not commanded in the moral Law were invented even whilest there was a ceremonial Law in force and vast numbers since its abolition and both rested upon as also that a superficial performance of Moral Duties is found both in the Scripture and in our own experience to have been rested upon For the latter first How common waâ— it with the Jews in our Saviours time to think that if they kept the Letter of the Law they had discharged their duty contained in that commandment If they did not kill a man they thought they discharged their duty in the sixth Commandment If they did not commit Adultery they had discharged the seventh and so having kept the Law they might expect the Law should justifie them and therefore St. Paul whilst a Pharisee he was touching the Law blameless as he thought which if he had truly been and continued so he might well have expected to be justified by it And so the young Pharisee Matth. 19.20 says of the Commandments All these have I kept from my youth And upon this he rested hitherto I have heard one my self whom I judged a wicked man and so did many others besides me yet sayes he Well I am confident if any Family in such a place have the blessing of God ours hath for we have prayers morning and evening and never a cross or angry word passeth between me and my wife from one end of the week to the other This imperfect obedience to the Moral Law he made the matter of his Justification perhaps even to an explicite opinion of Merit Thus you see men that have any conformity to the Motal Law are apt to place their trust there But now because there are few so strict as St. Paul whilest a a Pharisee was or as the young man was but that there is a consciousness of guilt from the Moral Law therefore they are the lewest Legallists that rest upon their obedience to the Moral Law alone if any do they must help patch up their righteousness with ceremonial observances so that the ceremonial Law whether given by God or invented by men hath most custom and bears up the weight of these mens expectations and I think I may make this assertion at least this guess that there were never any in the world that sought Justification by works but they were much in love with some superstitlons or at least with Ceremonies yea even those who have been most strict in observing the duties of the Moral Law as to the Letter of it yoâ—r greatest Pharisees they are as much for obfervation of Ceremonies as any men in the world How were the Pharisees in our Saviours time addicted to invented ceremonies and superstitions though one would think they had enough ceremonies in their Law already What washings had they invented c. And it is said they taught for Doctrines humane traditions and inventions Mat. 15.9 Wicked men and those that are careless in keeping the Moral Law are for ceremonies to patch up a righteousness Pharisees are for them to have a redundancy of righteousness such as may make sure work yea such as may serve themselves and others too and this cannot well be but by such Works as were not their duty to do and so must be inventions of their own so that however it cometh to pass one way or another both the strict Legalist and looser self-Justitiaries lay the chief stress in pleasing God and seeking his favour upon ceremonious observances I shall instance in one place of Scripture where as I take it there is a ful and lively Description of a Legal-self-Justitiary it is Mic. 6 6 7 8. And wherein is it that he pleaseth himself most or hopes to please God best but in ceremonies that is external services not commanded in the Moral Law and some of those invented Wherewith saith he shall I come before the Lord and how my self before the high God Shall I come before him with Burnt-offerings with Calves of a year old will the Lord be pleased so as to justifie me with thousands of Rams or with ten thousands of Rivers of Oyle Shall I give my first born for my transgression the fruit of my body for the sin of my soulâ— Here you see the poor man offers very fair in his way if he may have it by ceremonious services he wil do any thing he wil suffer the loss of any thing his Estate his Relations yea his dearest Relations his first-born here the man mixeth Heathenish Sacrifices with Jewish ceremonies but you see the maâ— is willing at least seems willing to do any thing The Papists wil whip themselves Baal's Ptiests wâ—â— cut themselves AFTER THEIR MANNER with Knives and Lances till the blood gush out upon them 1 Ki. 18.28 Any thing but BELIEVING These self Justificiaries are quite out in their guess what wil please God They are ready to think with Naamaâ— when he was to be cleansed of his Leprosie that they must do some GREAT THING to be cured 2 King 5 13. They slightly pass over THIS POOR EUSINESS OF BELIEVING as he did his command of washing in Jordan Are not Abana and Parphar Rivers of Damasous better then all the waters of Israel May not I wash in them and be clean saith he so he turned and went away in arage vor 11 12. So saith the legal Spirit Pish what is this Believing I wonder that is a poor thing what onely Believe I 'le offer to God rich Sacrifices Holoenrists and Hecatombs nay thousands of Rams ten thousands of Rivers of Oyle yea my first-born the fruit of my Body this is better then believing in any man's Judgement Any thing but believing But it is better to hear the Lord to declare himself what he is pleased with than go by our own foolish guesses and therefore see the 8. ver of Mic. 6. and the Lord tells us what it is nay the Lord tells us that we know our selves what it is if we would but consult our own hearts ver 8. He hath shewed thee O man what is good and what doth the Lord require of thee but to do Justice and to shew Mercy and to walk humbly with thy God Alas God doth not require all this operous laborious and costly service which men are apt to put themselves upon He loves nothing but truth in the inward parts Serve God honestly trust in him love thy neighbour do Justice shew mercy and this is better then all whole burnt-offerings and sacrifices Mark 12.33 And this I shall shew anon as I have partly already in the exposition of that Deut. 30.11 is believing that is it contains the great mystery of believing in it Not that I have so little of a Schollar as to say or think that shewing mercy is believing or doing justly is believing except in a figurative sense as we put the Name of the cause upon the effect or the Name of the
chief ingredient upon the whole composition We must not so miscall things lest at last we have no Names left us to call things by but I say herein is contained the mystery of the way of believing in opposition to the way of Works But to return What a brave flourish doth Micah's man make with his legal Righteousness What high promises What vast offers doth he make thousands of Rams ten thousands of Rivers of Oyle more then ever any Emperor in the world could set on running Yet these mighty offers doth this man here make to the Lord for his favour in the mean time he misseth passeth by this poor contemptible way of believing Only believe believe and all things are possible Do justly love mercy and walk humbly with thy God No but men that wil merit heaven they must be doing such a number of Duties so many Ave-maries so many Pater-nosters Heathenish vain repetitions they must give themselves so many stripes of a Good-Friday Surely they think God slights plain honesty as an homely thing and that he is taken with gallant gandy magnificent services or else with barbarous cruelties and severities Thus I reckon I have in some sort proved my seventh and last assertion in answer to the objection viz. That men are so far addicted to the way of works that though they had no ceremonial Law at all yet they would be finding out some way or other to vent this humour either in superficial obedience to the Moral law or in full tasks of Ceremonious observances which they could invent for themselves The Heathens did it in barbarous Sacrifices and vain repetitions the Pharisees in divers washings and that Jew in Micah in costly and diabolical offerings so that though we are freed from the Ceremonial law of the Jews and should be freed altogether from the Ceremonies in the Christian Church yet we are not quite out of all danger of seeking Justification by works All now that I can apprehend my self any way engaged to speak unto further upon the second particular in the conviction by way of discovery wherein this legality should lye is That seeing I have asserted that it must consist onely in opinion of Merit I should speak a little to prove that there is such a thing as that commonly in practise in the world of which I shall give a brief proof both in Jew and Gentile which will yet further evince that we are not wholly free from the danger and then I shall come to give some marks and signs of a Legal-spirit That there was such a thing among the Jews Mr. John Smith a late Writer in his select Discourses hath taken very good pains to prove In that Discourse which treats of a Legal and Evangelical Righteousness he tells us That it was a great affirmation of the Jewish Doctors That happiness by way of Merit is far greater and much more magnificent then that which is by way of Mercy and so that they reckoned they are his own words upon a more triumphant and illustrious kind of happiness victoriously to be atchieved by the merit of their own works then that beggarly kind of happiness as they seem to look upon it which cometh like an Alms from Divine bounty And accordingly they held I shal give you the Authors words That the Law delivered to them upon Mount Sinai was a sufficient Dispensation from God and ALL THAT NEEDED TO BE DONE BY HIM for the advancing of them to a state of perfection and blessedness and that the proper end and scope of their Law was nothing but to afford them several wayes and means of merit But yet see what their great brags of Merit came to See what strange Dispensations they gave themselves even such as the Galatians gave themselves whilst they sought to be justified by works for the same Author in the third Chapter of the Discourse mentioned quotes this passage out of the Misna Lib. Maccoth Sect. ult 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the meaning whereof is That therefore the Precepts of the Law were so many in number that so they might single out where they pleased and in exercising themselves therein procure Eternal life or as Obadias de Bartenora expounds it that whosoever shall perform any one of the 613. Precepts of the Law for so many they make in number without any worldly respect for love of the Precept behold this man shall merit thereby everlasting life Here they might have been convinced by those two Arguments which the Apostle Paul useth against the Galatians Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things And he that is circumcised that is professeth to be justified by the Law is a debtor to keep the WHOLE Law And this we find the Pharisees to do in our Saviours time they taught that if a man had devoted what he should have given his Parents to God he was dispensed with from the duty of the fifth Commandment to Father and Mother he might say it was corban that is a gift already given to God Mark 7.11 Matth. 15.5 So that they taught their Disciples to pick and chuse among the Commandments which they would do and which they would leave undone nay to leave out some of the greatest commands of all that they might but fulfil some one of their inventions Here you have seen the presumption of mankind in the business of Merit instanced in the Jews they liked the way of Merit rather then the way of Mercy and yet cheated themselves with this That if they kept any one Law of the 613. that is if they kept it constantly as the same Author tells us they should merit everlasting life And that there is such a thing as opinion of Merit in their serving of God at this day amongst men professing Christianity we may know easily if we hear but what the Papists teach and hold and practise they won the very word Merit that good works are meritorious And if they seem to avoid the thing which we mean by their distinction of Meritum excongruo condigno yet we will easily fasten the Thing upon them For Merit as I have said in the Scripture-notion of it is when a man that doth any action to God expects the Reward of Debt and so demands it at the hands of the Law Now these men profess that they can do more then the Law requires of them they can lay up a stock of good Works that shal serve for others which the Church may dispose of to those that want them and they shall be meritorious for them therefore it must follow that they have done what the Law requires for how can he do works of supererogation which were not demanded of him by the Law and which the Church may dispose of at pleasure who hath not kept the whole Law There is such a thing as opinion of Merit amongst the Papists in their serving of God therefore we may be guilty of it How doth the Pope tell them and
is also called the Promise Faith then is made void the Promise made of none effect Rom. 4.14 And lastly to mention no more the Promises is the Law then against the Promises of God Gal. 3.21 the verbs To him that worketh not but believeth his Faith is counted unto him for righteousness Having given this Muster-Roll as it were of both parties I come now to some other Positions the first was this viz. 1. That there are but these two ways imaginable of fication there are but two sorts of Righteousness and so but two ways by which men do or with pretence of reason can seek Justification in else there had been more mentioned by the Apostle The second position is this 2. That these two wayes are quite opposite one to the other and inconsâ—stent one with the other that is as to the Justification of the same man at the same time nay if a man doth but seek to be justified by the one he cannot be justified by the other at the same time This opposition I have argued out for me expresly by the Apostle Rom. 11.6 If by Grace then it is no more of works otherwise Grace is no more Grace but if it be by works then it is no more of Grace oâ—herwise work is no more work Rom. 4.4 5. Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of Grace but of Debt but to him that worketh not but believeth his Faith is counted for righteousness 3d. Position is this The way of works was once and still in its own nature is a way of justification Rom. 7.10 The Commandment was ordained to be unto life yea this way was the ancient and the first of the ways of God in his dealing with man and seems to be natural and necessary to the primitive Estate of mankind For God made made man upright in his own Image of knowledg righteousness and true holiness and gave him the Law though not written in Tables of stone yet in his heart which was better else it had not been sinne to have committed Murther Adultery Stealth false-witness bearing Perjury Idolatry and what not in the Estate of innocency for where there is no Law there is no transgression God gave man a Law and surnished him with ability to have hept it to a tittle so that if he would he might have had the works of the Law to shew for himself The way of Justification by the â—aw unsolded and aâ—gued to be the first natural way of juslification at what time soever the Creator should have called him to account and all the time he and others had kept themselves innocent and holy they must have been acceptable to God he would have had respect to them and their works and they would have obtained this Testimony from God that they pleased him which was all that Enoch who was too good to live in the World had to shew for his justification And this had been enough for Adam or any other man to have produced for their Justification if Satan had at any time turned Accuser And thus living according to the Will of God they should have continued in the favour of God and perhaps after some term of years have been translated to some more happy an estate Then they might have gloryed without sinning that is they might have pleased themselves with such thoughts and speeches as these Happy are we that we took heed and care to please God and kept our selves innocent for now have we obtained a glorious reward we might have ruined our selves as we see the Angels have done We had a Power to have started aside from God but we have kept our selves from that mischief Such an innocent glorying as this and no higher glorying can I imagine lawful even in such a state was not forbidden by the Law of Works it was not excluded Rom. 3.27 Thus we see Justification is a a thing feasible and attainable by works by the Law if a man have the works of it Our Saviour and the elect Augels were justified by the Law Yea our Saviour Christ had the Works of the Law and the Law justified him and the Angels that kept their first estate they were doubtless approved by the Law of their Creation and had all the Apostate Angels turned Devils and false Accusers of them as they are of the Brethren their Works would have justified them in the sight of God Not that the good Angels had no other reward but what a Covenant of Works would allow and before the world though I say not that the good Angels have no other reward but what a Covenant of works allots But I doubt not to affirm That the good Angels were justified and rewarded by a Covenant of Works in as much as there was a full trial made when the other Angels fell of their voluntary obedience So that the Law in it self hath not only a power to justifie and reward but hath actually rewarded the observers of it those that had the righteousness of it Yea all the Work of our redemption by Christ was brought about onely with the good leave of the Law Christ must make a recognition and publikely own the Authority and Majesty that was still remaining in the Law acknowledgement must be made how that that had been offended and some reparation must be made unto the glory of God which was much impaired as it is a revenue from us in the transgression of the Law And this was the onely way decreed by God that the Law must satisfie it self upon him whosoever would undertake our Redemption and then the Law must justifie him all which it did upon our Saviour Which proves the unquestionable Power and Authority that the Law had in it to justifie man had he but the works of it But now let any man or Angel but sin If the â—aw be once broken in a tittle it can justifie no longer and the Law can justifie him no longer if he have but the least failing in obedience the Law can onely condemn this person Man or Angel whoever he be but I shall limit my self to mankind For this take that Scripture Gal. 3.10 Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the Book of the Law to do them So that if a man hath once sinned and yet seeks to be justified he must not seek justification by the righteousness of the Law any longer there comes a necessity of Grace Pardon Mercy which the Law hath not in it the Law hath no such thing as Grace or Pardon in it The Law onely saith He that doth them shall live in them and he that doth them not is accursed Now this Grace Mercy and Pardon which a man comes to have a necessity of upon his first breach of the Law is in the way of Faith which I have proved to be the opposite way of Justification to that of the Law It is of Faith saith the Apostle
stedfastly behold his face ver 7. And this Law of Moses is called the Old-Testament ver 6. And this is that which is compared with the Gospel which Paul preached ver 12.13 Seeing that we have such hope we use great plainness of speech and not as Moses which put a vail over his face c. Ergo The Law reacht further then the days of Adam for a way of Justification for it was given to the Children of Israel by Moses and it was their Covenant or Testament and if it be done away it was not till the dayes of the Gospel by Christ according to that of the Apostle John 1 John 17. The Law was given by Moses but Grace came by Jesus Christ So in Gal. 3 23. Before Faith came we were kept under the Law shut up unto the Faith which should afterwards be revealed So in Heb 8.6 speaking of Christ But now hath he obtained a more excellent Ministry by how much also he is the Mediator of a better Covenant which was established upon better promises ver 7. For if that first Covenant had been faultless then should no place have been sought for the second but finding fault he saith Behold the dayes come saith the Lord when I will make a new Covenant with the House of Israel and with the House of Judah not according to the Covenant that I made with their Fathers when I brought them out of the Land of Aegypt And what Covenant was that I pray but the Law the Law of Moses ver 13. In that he saith a New Covenant he hath made the first old now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away From this whole context I conclude sayes the objector That the Law which is famously known to be the Law of Moses was a Conant till Christs time at least with the people of of God Jews and Proselytes and so a way of Justification which is quite contrary to your fifth and seventh Positions or else shew of what use the Law was when given to the Children of Israel besides this of being a way of Justification or a Covenant of Works which is all one Wherefore then serveth the Law Is it of no use now unto us Or rather wherfore then was it given to the Jews Was it of no use to them Was it not their Covenant And therefore must it not be their way of Justification Else shew how it would deserve the Name of the first or old Covenant or Testament Nay to adde a little more matter of Objection the Law hath the Language of a Covenant a condition annexed and that when it was given to the children of Israel and the Lord tells his people Lev. 18.5 after the delivery of the Law That if a man do these things he shall live And Moses is said by the Apostle Paul Rom. 5.10 in those words of Leviticus to describe a legal righteousness in opposition to the Righteousness of Faith For Moses describeth the righteousness of the Law that the man which doth those things shall live by them but the righteousness which is of Faith speakethon this wise that is in an opposite manner Therefore certainly saith the objection the Law when it was given by Moses was given as a way of Justification Nay our Saviour himself saith in Luke 10.28 speaking of the law of Moses This do and thou shalt live Therefore certainly the law is a way if not the onely way of Justification unto fallen man for those Jews then were fallen as well as we are now This is the objection which is indeed weighty and considerable and of purpose raised by the Apostle in the first great branch of it that it might receive an answer It consists of several branches to all which I shall endeavour to apply an answer in its place and first I shall begin with that part which is greatest which when well answered the rest will receive an easie solution and it is this For what ends or purposes was the Law given to the Children of Israel if not for a way of Justification Now as I gave the objection first in the Apostles words so I shall give you the answer to it in his words in that same Chap. Gal. 3. This great objection therefore the Apostle answers in the same way that our Saviour sometimes answered the cavilling Pharisees with a question all as hard or harder A You come saith the Apostle in a cavilling way against the Doctrine of Faith which we preach and tell me the law hath been a way and therefore is a way and the way of Justification and you tell me it was not onely a way to Adam in innocency but to all the people of God before that Jesus and we his Apostles preached up this way of believing And you go to prove this last thing that you say that it was the way to all the Saints of God till Christ's time which is the great thing that I deny by a meer cavil Forsooth else wherefore doth it serve Of what use else is it And I answer you with an harder question by far Wherefore then sereth the promise To what end serve the promises To what end serves the Gospel that was preached to Abraham Gal. 3.8 The Scriptute foreseeing that God would justifie the Heathen through Faith preached before the Gospel unto Abraham c. You ask To what end serveth the Law then And I ask To what end serveth the Gospel then that was preached to Abraham before the law was given Yea to what end serves the Covenant made of God in Christ to Aâ—braham and his Seed 430. years before ever the law was given by Moses ver 17. Shall I ever be induced to believe that when God had set up a way of Grace nay had established confirmed it in a Covenant not to Adam only who was a remote Father but to our Father Abraham and his Seed nay had confirmed it in Christ shall I think that the law coming by Moses 430 years after should disannul this Covenant and make the promise of none effect What did God repent of his being so gracious and set up a way that had no Grace and can have no Grace in it or was not the great God obliged to make good his Promise and Covenant Why if it be but a mans covenant yet after it is confirmed no man disannulleth or addeth thereto Now this was Gods Covenant and therefore saith the Apostle Gal. 3 15 16 17 18. that is This is the full scope and genius of his Discourse Finding thus a Covenant made and confirmed so long before I wil never believe it can never be that the law coming so long after should come in to put an end to it to make the way of Justification by Faith to cease What ever therefore the law came for this could never be the end of it And here the Apostle might have ended the enquiry having silenced the question by a greater For it is as certain
if not more that God cannot faâ—l in the promise of his Grace as it is that he should exact the rigour of his Law But yet now if those which make the objection will be sober the Apostle will give them further satisfaction yet 2. Ans There were other ends of giving the Law There were other ends of giving the Law besides justification by the works of it besides Justification by the works of it For the Apostle wil readily allow that there were great and weighty ends of the delivery of the law that it was delivered with great Majesty and Authority that the law is holy and the commandment holy and just and good The Apostle never speaks lightly of the law no you shall find saith the Apostle that by the preaching of Faith we go the highest way in the World to establish the Laws Rom. 3.31 We will allow any thing that can be thought or imagined for the honour of the law if you will abate us thus much that it is not a way of Justification I come therefore to shew some other ends of the law 's being given which were indeed very considerable besides that of its being a way of Justification by the works of it And first in general and I shall answer in the words of the Apostle in the same verse where the objection is made Gal. 3.19 Is was added because of transgression The Law was added because of transgressions till the Seed should come to whom the Promise was made Here may be observed in this answer the substance of the answer which is the true reason of the laws being given and two at least if not more cautionary circumstances in the manner of expressing this reason or answer The substance of the answer or the main reason of the law 's being given was this it was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it was given for the sake of or by occasion of or because of transgressions How transgressions occasioned and even necessitated the giving of the law we shall easily understand if we consider that All transgressions did not occasion the giving of the Law first it was not given because of Adam's transgression or transgressions for then it must have been presently given as soon as Adam fell whereas it was not given for the space of 2400. years after Adam's fall so it seems it was not necessary to be given for Adam's Salvation by occasion of his transgressions he had indeed the promise of the Seed of the Woman given him presently upon his fall by which he was to be saved Again it was not necessary to be given for Abrahams salvation not by occasion of his transgressions it was not given in his time he had the promise and the Gospel preached to him by the Faith of which he was saved the Law was not given till above 400. years after he received the promise which was long after Abraham was dead and buried So you see all transgressions did not necessitate the Law 's being given for all the good men that were before the Law had their transgressions and yet the Law was not given in their time they went to Heaven without it The truth is therefore this seems to be the plain reason of the Law 's being added with respect to transgressions Before the Law and the Scriptures written by Moses How transgressions occasioned the Laws delivery the People of God had only the Light of Nature the Promise given to Adam or other promises and discoveries from God made to some eminent Patriarch such as Enoch and Noah but especially and famously to Abraham and by these delivered to the people Enoch is said to be the seventh from Adam and to prophesie Jude 14. and Noah to be the 8th person a Preacher of Righteousness which perhaps may as wel signifie his being the eighth famous Preacher from Adam as one of the eight saved in the Ark 2 Pet. 2.5 from these the people of God before the Law had a traditional Divinity and Gospel which might serve well enough and did very well with the People of God in their days who were but few as it should seem to hinder them from running out violently into transgressions but when God had entered into Covenant with a carnal Seed of Abraham that should come of his Son Isaac and this Seed of Abraham according to the promise grew and multiplied like the stars of Heaven for number could not be contained in their duty by so few traditional Rules as the Patriarchs and the good men in their days lived and served God by or that the Prophets which they had amongst them one at a time were not able to teach so great a people as they should be taught but that they would be apt to break out into manifold transgressions except they had the Law written plainly for them in Tables of Stone so that every man might teach his Neighbour when they grew irregular and ungodly saying Know the Lord then for the sake of these transgressions and for the prevention of them the Law was added So you see the Law was given by Moses onely occasionally If the Children of Israel could have been contained in obedience as well as Adam and the Church of God in his time was and till Abrahams time and after Abraham's time for a great while and this without the Law it seems the Law had never been given by Moses This is the substance of the answer and to this suits exceeding wel another place of the same Apostle 1 Tim 1.7 8 9. There are a sort of men saith he that have swerved from the way of Faith and they will needs be teachers of the Law but alas they know not what they undertake in it 'T is true saith the Apostle the Law is good if a man use it lawfully but you may make such an use of the Law viz. in the matter of Justificaton that it may do you a mischief And whereas these ignorant Law-preachers tell us that the Law was given by Moses for a way of Justification we know saith he ver 9. that the Law is not made was never given for the righteous man but for the lawless and disobedient for the ungodly and for sinners for the unholy and prophane for these serve the Laws of the first Table for Murtherers of Fathers and Murtherers of Mothers for Man-slayers serves the sixth Commandment For Whoremongers and them that defile themselves with mankind serves the seventh Commandment for Men-slayers the eighth for Lyars for perjured persons the ninth and if there be any thing that is contrary to sound Doctrine The Law was given because of these transgressions and transgressors else it should not have been given at all more then it was before viz Clearly written in the heart of man before the fall and obscurely in the heart of all men ever since yet plainly enough for those that were minded to use their light faithfully and honestly together with those vouchsafements they should
have had from God at times of further Discoveries This is the substance of the answer of the Apostle and this reason Because of transgressions you see was a weighty reason why the Law should be given to the Jews if God had any love for them to make them his people above all other Nations viz. to keep them from running out into these gross sins which otherwise they would and other Nations not having the Law did run out into C. 19. Ver. 19 20. He sheweth his Word unto Jacob his Statutes and his Judgements unto Israel he hath not dealt so with any Nation And as for his Judgments they have not known them for though the Work of the Law be written in every mans heart as the Apostle tells us Rom. 2.14.15 where he is speaking of the Gentiles yet men will not be at the pains to read or study what is written there neither would Israel have done it had not the Law been written for them in Tables of stone too they would not have known God's Judgements any more then other Nations had not God given his Law to them by Moses And this we see by the event for that notwithstanding this Law yet when they came amongst other Nations they ran into their abominations though they had express Laws against them what would they have done therefore if they had been wholly without this Law There was therefore a necessity at least a great requisitness of a Law to be given to Israel if God loved them and would manifest his love to them more then to any other people he could not do it in an higher instance then in giving them the Law Therefore you see the Law might be given for other reasons then this to be a way of Justification by the works of it I will shew further anon why the lavv vvas given with respect to transgression I shall onely in the mean time observe one or tvvo things further in the Apostles answer to the objection which I mentioned by the Name of cautionary circumstances in his Answer one is this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it was added non data sed addita est it is not said simply the Law was given but added because of transgressions Added to what Why to the Promises to the Gospel that vvas on foot before long before above 2000. years before in Adam's time 430. years before in Abraham's time it vvas added to the Covenant that vvas before confirmed of God in Christ and it vvas added not as a supplement for the Gospel vvas compleat in it self it saved thousands before ever the Lavv vvas given by Moses and it vvould have saved thousands more and might have served till the coming of Christ for all any absolute necessity that there vvas of it Onely if the Lord vvould be so gracious to his people of Israel above all Nations in the World to give them his Will in Writing at large that they might be the better contained in their obedience better then other Nations vvere This vvas the Lords Bounty and Grace to them but it is certain ' t vvas never given them to be so much as a necessary supplement to the Gospel that vvas before in the matter of Justification It vvas added onely occasionally as an useful Appendix not as a necessary supplement not vvith design to supplant but to serve the Gospel I have mentioned one of the limitations or cautionary circumstances vvhich the Apostle useth in his assigning the reason of the Lavv's being given As the law was given onely occasionally and additionally so it was but a temporary dispensation it vvas added there is another 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 until such time as the Seed should come As the Law was but occasionally and additionally given at first so it is but temporary in its continuance as there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in its beginning so there is an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a set-time of its continuance Here observe that though the Apostle doth allow that there was a weighty reason a great occasion of the Law 's being given yet he is afraid at the same time lest the Law should get too much advantage by this allowance of his and therefore gives these several terms of diminution whilest he speaks most for the honor of the Law Let us return now a little more to discover the mystery that is contain'd in that phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Law was added because of Transgressions for you shall find that there is much of mystery in it yet besides what I have mentioned What I have mentioned lyes more obvious that which remains is much more wonderful and mysterious yet expresly asserted by the Apostle in several places The Law therefore was added because of transgression in these three respects The Law was added because of transgression in three respects 1. To hinder transgression from being committed 2. To aggravate transgressions that were or should be committed And 3. ultimately to finish transgressions and make an end of sin by driving and directing the wounded sinner to a Saviour And all those three reasons are as I may say fundamental in the occasion of the Law its being added to the promises till the time that the Seed should come 1. The Law was added because of transgressions that is to hinder transgressions from being committed and the Law was added to hinder transgressions these two ways 1. As a large plain Rule to shew them what was their duty that so they might not run into transgressions through ignorance And 2dly as a fiery Law to deter them from sin and frighten them into their duty that so they might not run into transgressions through negligence 1. As a large plain Rule to shew them their duty This particular and this onely I insisted upon ere-while when I explained what was the substance of the Apostles Answer to the Objection and I shall add no more unto it 2dly It did not onely hinder transgression by informing them in their duty lest they should run into transgression through ignorance but as a fiery Law to deter them from transgression and to frighten them into their duty that they might not transgress through negligence though this doth not so much refer to the matter of the Law as to the manner of its delivery But yet this manner of its delivery is as much taken notice of by the Apostle and was as necessary almost as the matter of the Law it self Now this manner of its delivery with dread and terror consists of two things 1. Wherein consists the terror of the Law That it was delivered with thunderings and lightnings c. 2. That it was delivered much in the form of a Covenant of Works without that mixture of promises which the Gospel abounds with and these two things make up the terror of the Law of Moses and indeed this terror made up of these two parts is almost all that which is peculiar to their dispensation For else for
the matter of it setting aside the Ceremonial and Judicial Law it remains still obliging us in the dayes of the Gospel and the Apostle professeth to establish the Law even by the preaching of Faith 'T is true it was first of all given to the Jews that was their priviledge but now that it is given it is ours as well as theirs that therefore which seems to be peculiar to them in it was the manner of its delivery both being without promises and in that terrible manner given upon the Mount but yet still it was thus given because of transgressions to hinder transgressions they needed this terror at that time Children though they know their duty must have some terror to make them do it The Heir whilest he is a Child differeth nothing from a servant though he be Lord of all he is used like a servant harshly severely he is under Tutors and Governors till the time appointed by the Father Gal. 4.2 there is the same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the Apostle hath in his answer to the objection 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But because this particular hath some affinity with the second general end mentioned why the Law was given with respect to transgressions I shall now enter upon that and it was this 2. The Law was added because of transgressions for the heightning and aggravating of transgressions Rom. 5.20 The Law entered that the offence might abound 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 subingressa est irrepsit the Holy Ghost is pleased frequently to use such words as should shew that the Law came in by the by for some considerable ends indeed that the Lord had in delivering it but not as the great establisht way for Justification for certainly that could not come in by the by but the Law came in thus it stole in subingressa est it crept in by stealth irrepsit so the Original signifies But what was the end of the Law when it thus entred why it entred because of transgressions that the offences of men might abound In the 12. ver of Râ—â— 5. 〈◊〉 read that sin entered into the World and 〈◊〉 that the Law entered the Law hunted it followed it stole in afterwards to discover sin for as ver 13. hath it Before or until the Law sin was in the world that is not before the Law did oblige but before the Law was delivered in such a solemn manner as it was upon Mount Sinai before the Law sin was in the world but sin was not imputed when there was no Law yet death reigned all this while till Moses his time which was the curse of the Law Now that men might know wherefore they suffered death and the curse it was sit the Law should come into the world in a solemn manner delivered that so sin might be imputed by men to themselves as it was by God to men witness death the curse of the Law which reigned from Adam to Moses from Adam that sinned to Moses that gave the Law sin did not appear to be sin till the Law entred therefore it is said Sin that it might appear sin working death in me by that which is good viz. the Law that sin by the Commandment might become out of measure sinfull So Rom. 3.20 the Apostle proves that the Law cannot justifie for by the Law is the knowledge of sin The Law is so far from justifying saith the Apostle that it only brings sin to light brings the knowledg of sin with it makes the offence to abound and if that be the way to justifie sinners to aggravate their sins bind on their guilts more then ever upon their consciences let any man judg therefore indeed the Law in the immediate great intent of it was a killing Letter an Administration of Death a Ministration of Condemnation a Ministration of Desperation and not of righteousness unto justification and accordingly it was delivered with thundering lightning upon Mount Sinai to shew the horrible fire darkness tempest that there was in the Law it self to all that should come near it to think to make use of it for a way of Justification as Moses put a Vail upon his face to shew the vailedness of his Dispensation so the Law was delivered with fire to shew the fieriness of the Law unto the conscience for the Law was not only terrible to the beholders of it when it was given upon Mount Sinai but this terribleness is in the Law it self to all that ever had to do with it feelingly ever since to all that ever came near it for justification Indeed for those that stand aloof off from it only play about it at a distance hope to be saved in a loose way by their works by their good doings and by their good meanings they may perhaps never feel the stinging fiery lashes of the Law but let any of these self-Justiciaries drive their Principle to an Head let them come up near to the Law let them advance toward Mount Sinai and approach it and challenge their Justification from God by the Law and they shall quickly find themselvs scorched and scalded sent away with sad hearts and affrightned consciences they'â— find the Law to be a ministration of Death and not of Righteousness I might here shew in several particulars how the Lâ—w doth discover sin it discovers habitual sin St Paul or the man personated in Rom. 7. had never found there had been such a bottomless depth such a lively body of death within him but for the Law when that came sin revived and he dyed Rom. 7.9 2. It discovers actual sin I had not known sin that is lustings to be sin except the Law had said Thou shalt not covet ver 7. But I shall not insist longer upon this particular The third end of the Law 's being â—â—ded I hasten to the third great end of the Law 's being added with respect to transgressions and that was for the finishing of transgressions and making an end of sin as the expressions are though somewhat otherwise used Dan. 9.24 What shall we think that when God had given promises to Abraham and confirmed a Covenant in Christ to him and his Seed that he now gave a law to drive all his people into despair this amounts all to one as if he had broken his promise and his covenant as I have before argued out of the Apostle Paul did the Lord only send his law that they might know their duty and be affrightned into their duty as the first particular carries it if they did not do their duty should the law aggravate their sin bind on their guilts upon their Conscience and so leave them under desparation and be a ministration of death to them Was this all the Law came for If this were all they might better have been without the law at a venture then have had it they might have done better with the promises alone This therefore was not all the end
of the Law to bring them into desperation and there to leave them but by this desperation which indeed the Law was to bring them into to make them hunger and thirst after another righteousness then that of the law which by the law they might see they could not have to make them in love with the promises with any thing that looks like mercy and grace and in a word to direct them and drive them to Christ and a Gospel-Justification Gal. 3.24 The law was our School-master to bring us to Christ that we might be justified by Faith ver 22. The Scripture that is the Law hath concluded all under sin that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe 23. Before Faith came we were kept under the Law included as prisoners shut up unto the Faith which should afterwards be revealed Rom. 10.3 Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness unto every one that believeth So that indeed the Law was given not to undermine the promise but to serve the ends and honour of the promise The law entred not to preach a Legal Justification but an Evangelical The Law came into the world to confess its own impotency to save or justifie us as also to send and direct us to one that could according to that of Rom. 3.20.21.22 Therefore by the deeds of the Law shall no flesh be justified in his sight for by the Law is the knowledge of sin But now the righteousness of God without the Law is manifested being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets even the righteousness of God which is by Faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe The righteousness of God without the law is witnessed by the law There are other Scriptures to this purpose which I forbear to mention Thus the Law and the Gospel do mutually good turns for one another the Law preacheth the Gospel most effectually for men never well close with the Gospel till they feel the lash of the Law And the Gospel again most effectually establisheth and obligeth to the keeping of the Law for till men have a principle of faith they never have a living principle of obedience thus the elder which is the Law is made to serve the younger that is the Gospel but the Gospel hath an ingenuity in it to return the Law a due acknowledgement And the Law might well direct the sinner to Christ and preach Justification by Faith for this was the onely way of recovering its own honour and obedience which was due unto it Reas 1. Why the Law might well direct to Christ as appears in these three particulars First for that Christ personally fulfilled it to a tittle he lived a most perfect life and performed unerring obedience for more then thirty years together here amongst men upon earth and this is said by some Divines to be for the Justification of his own person and is known by the name of his active obedience 2. For those whom he was to save and redeem from under the law from under the punishments and penalties which were due to them for the breaches of it he underwent all that the law exacted from him as their Mediator till the law was fully satisfied 3. As for the persons themselves thus redeemed by the sufferings of an innocent and legally-righteous Saviour they are not owned by this Saviour to be his redeemed ones any further then as they acknowledg the perfect holiness of the law that they themselves are obliged as Creatures and the redeemed ones of Christ to endeavour to their utmost to keep the law still to a tittle and do actually perform a sincere obedience to it not dispensing with themselves in any command of it but bewailing their infirmities wherein they fall short of unerring obedience so that in the way of faith the law obtains its true end though not exactly in the persons justified yet in their Saviour Christ is the end of the law for righteousness Rom 10.4 Yea and in their persons thus far that they perform a sincere obedience and endeavour an unerring obedience to the law and thus the righteousness of the law is said to be fuifilled in them in as much as they walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit Rom. 8 4. So that now I have answered the great objection against Justification by Faith which was th s Wherefore then serveth the Law and that with some advantage to the present cause I have shewn that whatever the law was intended for in its delivery it was not given for a way of Justification because the way of faith was establisht before the reasons of its delivery were these 1. It was given to the Jews in mercy to shew them their duty more plainly then they could otherwise have known it by the light of nature or any other way of teaching which they had amongst them till that time that so they might not run into transgressions through ignorance and it was given with terror that they might not rush into transgressions through negligence and these two particulars made up the first end of the delivery of the law viz. to hinder transgressions from being committed 2. It was added to heighten transgressions in the guilt of them when they should be committed 3. Not to leave them in desparation but to direct them unto Christ and I have shewn that great advantage did accrue to the law this way that hereby it came to pass that though it was not fulfilled by the first Adam in the first giving of it yet it was all as well fulfilled by the second and every way recompensed and satisfied as if it had never been broken so that I reckon the Objection is quite taken off and may be retorted upon the objectors thus If they ask Wherefore then serveth the Law We answer It serveth to lead men unto Christ that they may be justified by Faith I have some things yet to add upon the two last last ends of the law 's being given which I thought not fit to insert in the first mention of them upon the second end of the law 's being given viz. for the aggravating of transgression and loading the Conscience with guilt I have this to add It is so true that the law was given to the Jews to make the offence to abound and to press the conscience with guilt that it had the same effect upon the Gentile World to whom it was not delivered as it was unto the Jews so saith the Apostle Rom 3. where when he had recited out of the Psalms a Catalogue of sins which the law doth condemn men for from the 10. to the 19. ver in that 19. ver Now we know saith he that whatsoever things the Law saith it saith to them who are under the Law that every mouth may be stopped and the whole world might be guilty before God Certainly the Gentiles are a part and the greatest part of the
world now the whole World becomes guilty before God by the law and every mouth is silenced and stopped by it I do not say that the law as given to the Jews by Moses had this effect upon the Gentiles to whom it was not given but the Apostle tells us Rom. 2.15 how this came to pass that the law though not given to the Gentiles in the same manner as it was to the Jews did yet convince and condemn the Gentiles as well as the Jews because the effect and substance of the same law that was written upon Tables of Stone by Moses was written in the hearts of the Gentiles so that their thoughts did accuse them when they did evil as well as excuse them when they did well Now hence I draw an argument a minorâ—â— If the law written upon the hearts of the Gentiles though obscurely had yet an accusing and condemning power in it to them how might it well have upon the Jews to whom it was delivered plainly written and engraven in stones with thunder lightning earthquakes as is before expressed That which I have to add upon the third great end of the Law it's being delivered viz. to direct and bring the wounded sinner to Christ O How 〈…〉 Christ is by way of answer to this question How did the Law lead to Christ I shall give several answers unto this question and first of all The Law was our School-master unto Christ A. â—â— as the Dispensation of the Law made way for the Dispensation of the Gospel Sowre things make the sweet more pleasant Darkness makes Light more desirable Slavery and Severity makes Liberty more welcom Quineseâ—t servâ—re nescit imperare the School makes fair way for the University This consideration makes the succession of the Gospel to the Law more comely and it is insisted on very much by the Apostle in Gal. 4 for the seven first verses Ver. 3. When we were Children we were in bondage unto the Law but when the fulness of time was come God sent forth his Son to redeem us into liberty and to give us the spirit of sons Gal. 3 23. Before Faith came we were kept under the Law and kept under by the Law shut up unto the Faith which should afterwards be revealed wherefore the Law was our School-Master to bring us unto Christ that we might be justified by Faith but after that faith is come we are no longer under a School-Master it would now be an incongruous thing to be under a School-master any longer as it was very convenient that before we should be and thus the Law was a School-master unto Christ as John Baptist was by its severities to humble us and break our hearts and to make us 〈◊〉 people ready prepared for the Lord. And the beauty great conveniency of the succession of these two Administrations of the Law Gospel each to other appears still in the great work of Conversion upon every sinners heart where the same method is observed first to humble the soul by legal convictions then to make a discovery of Christ the Grace of the Gospel And this our practical Divines insist much upon in their Sermons and Treatises giving us this account of the Work of Grace upon the heart that first there is conviction compunction and humiliation all yet a legal work then Faith or Conversion And I do verily believe that the Spirit of God doth use this method though as all acknowledge not with the same degrees in every work of Regeneration And again they observe that as after the Gospel and Faith is come it is absurd to return to the Law of Moses in the whole Dispensation of it so they apply that Scripture Rom. 8.15 Ye have not received the Spirit of Bondage again to fear to this purpose That after men have received the Spirit of Adoption which in some degree every regenerate person hath received they receive not again the spirit of bondage to fear which they take to be a spirit of legal convictions preparatory to the Work of Conversion and indeed according to the Calvinist-principles it must needs be true that after they are regenerate they can never receive a spirit of Bondage again because a spirit of bondage is not Grace but onely preparatory to it and therefore men that have once been regenerate can never return to this Spirit without being emptied of all Grace But here it may be further queryed Q How did the Law direct those to Christ that lived and lived before Christ came that indeed it is not to be doubted that the Law in the dispensation of it made excellent way unto the Gospel for those that were to live in the days of the Gospel as we find in the Analogical succession of Law and Gospel in the Work of Grace but how was the Law a School-Master unto Christ to those that lived in the dayes of the Old-Testament Who dyed before Christ came How were they directed to Christ by the Law The Law might perhaps be a Ministration of death and desperation only to them How did the Law witness the righteousness of God by Faith unto them In answer I shall first of all premise these two things and then answer more directly 1. Negatively that to these it must not come to destroy the promise and the covenant that was made before nor the comfort of it It must not come to hinder but they might have as true saving comfort from the promises as the Saints before the Law had or else the Law had been against the promises which the Apostle denyes with a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. It must preach Christ to them as truly though perhaps not so clearly as it doth unto us Thirdly and more directly The Law did preach Christ to the Jews under the Old-Testament these two ways 1. Virtually or consequentially 2. Formally and expresly 1. Virtually as it convinced them all of their necessity of some other besides a legal Righteousness as I have shewn at large in explaining the second end of giving the Law because of transgressions 2. Expresly as it made mention of Christ and this it did either improperly figuratively in types and shadows or properly in the prophecies and promises of Christ Or the answer may be better given after this distinction of the Law A different acceptation of the Law in the Scripture The Law in Scripture amongst the various significations of it hath these two very eminent 1. It signifies the strict and bare command and so is naturally a Covenant of Works that hath no mercy or grace in it can onely justifie the righteous and condemn the transgressor and in this sence it hath been taken by me for the most part hitherto in my Discourse I have produced several places where it is taken in this sence in the Scripture Take that for instance As many as are of the works of the Law are under the curse as it is written Cursed
his face so that they could not look stedfastly to the end of his Dispensation The fault of the first Covenant There was some kind of fault as it were in the Law it self so the Apostle tells us Heb. 8.7 For if that first Covenant had been faultless there should no place have been sought for the second What this fault was is commonly known and discoursed and it was the obscurity of it the promises of it were not so plain therefore it is said Christ is the Mediator of a better Covenant establisht upon better promises ver 6. There was a Covenant of works inserted in their Dispensation Else how could the Apostle give you a description of the righteousness of it out of Moses Which he doth both in Rom. 10.5 and Gal. 3.12 And no caveat entred in the place where the Covenant of Works is delivered 'T is true the same Moses describeth the righteousness of Faith too but an inobservant Reader might chance to mistake the Covenant of Works for his way to Heaven as well as take the Covenant of Grace for his way and they might keep in that way all their lives if they were not strict observers of the effects of that way upon their Consciences which was to gall and sting them and weary them out of their very lives till they came to the way of Grace And thus we find the generality of the Jews did mistake and ruined themselves by it so that unless God had by a wonderful hand as he plucked Lot out of Sodom and perhaps by irresistable illuminations and attractions brought a remnant to himself all Israel had been burnt up by the Wrath of God they had been as Sodom and Gomorrah Rom. 9.29 to the end Rom. 10.1.2.3 I might well transcribe every word of these eight Verses Now this was the fault which God found with his first Covenant that though it were a Covenant of Grace yet he is so gracious that he thought it was not plain enough to save the generality of them they would be still mistaking and misconstruing his Covenant it would not make them holy enough nor save enough of them and therefore this Fault the Lord amends in the second â—ovenant in the New-Covenant Heb. 8 9 For finding fault he saith Behold the dayes come saith the Lord that I will make a new Covenant with the House of Israel not according to the Covenant that I made with their Fathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the Land of Aegypt because here is the reason of the change because they continued not in my Covenant and I regarded them not It was a Covevenant which they brake with me and I brake with them upon there was a fault in that Covenant which seems to be this It had not Grace enough in it to hold them they continued not in it The fault is laid upon the Covenant not so much upon the parties covenanting though they were not free from blame God indeed was free he was ready to give his Grace and Spirit under the first Covenant but the Covenant was not a free channel for conveyance of this precious Water of Life for the Spirit runs freest in the clear promise therefore the Gospel which is full of rich and plain promises is called the ministration of the Spirit and called by the Name of Spirit whereas the Law of Moses was a dead meer out-side literal thing in comparison of it 2 Cor. 3.6 I say the fault was laid upon the covenant which yet was a covenant of Grace Now what other fault it could be then this that the Lord did not think it gracious enough I cannot imagine and I think that is the fault the Scripture pitcheth upon Now because Moses's Dispensation or the first covenant made with the Jews was thus faulty had a covenant of Works in 〈◊〉 and was mistaken by the Jews to be a covenant of Works it might well be called by the Apostle There was the same reason of the Gospel its being added to the Law that there was of the dispensation of Moses to be added to what they knew of God before a killing letter a ministration of death and condemnation and deserve to be abrogated and disannulled if the Lord will make a better clearer more gracious and saving and yet it can by no means be concluded hence that it was truly either in its own nature or in the intention of the Lord who gave it a covenant of Works nay the contrary hereunto is sufficiently evinced Ob. 4. But yet there is a very considerable Objection behind which is thus You have acknowledged that in Moses's Writings there is a covenant of Works described that St. Paul asserts now I will add saith the Objection that it is not onely there described but there commended to the children of Israel as a part at least if not the chiefest part of the Dispensation by Moses and it is given with as great Authority and hath as solemn a Sanction upon it as any part of the Law of Moses for in that place which the Apostle Paul quotes out of Moses viz. Lev. 18.5 for the description of a legal righteousness we have these words Ye shall therefore keep mp Seatutes and my Judgements which if a man do he shall live in them I am the Lord. So in the fore-going verses 1 2. And the Lord spake unto Moses saying Speak unto the children of Israel and say unto them I am the Lord your God then follow the three verses wherein the covenant of Works is described ver 3. After the doings of the Land of Aegypt wherein ye dwelt shall ye not do and after the doings of the Land of Canaan whither I bring you shall ye not do neither shall ye walk in their Ordinancee Ver. 4. Ye shall do my Judgements and keep mine Ordinances to walk therein I am the Lord your God Ver 5. Ye shall therefore keep my Statutes and my Judgements which if a man do he shall live in them I am the Lord. Here I observe 1. The simplicity and plainness of the delivery of these commands which contain the covenant of Works they are delivered without any caveat or caution to the Reader lest he should mistake this for his covenant which he should be saved by 2. I observe the Authority and Majesty they are delivered with even with this addition three several times in the compass of four verses I am the Lord and I am the Lord your God This doth not look like an old antiquated covenant made with Adam about 2000. years before and of use to him but onely for the strst day of his creation I conclude therefore saith the objector That it is a valid covenant and delivered with intention that men should be justified by it And besides I add that which hath great strength in it That even Jesus Christ himself repeats this covenant of Works in Moses his own Words and directs a man to this
covenant for salvation that came to ask of him what he should do to be saved the place is Luke 10.25 26 27 28. And behold a certain Lawyer stood up and tempted him saying Master what shall I do to inherit eternal life He said unto him What is written in the Law How readest thou Christ sends him to the Law and you shall see it is not to the Law in a large sence as it comprehends both a covenant of Works and a covenant of Grace but to the Law taken strictly for a covenant of Works it follows therefore ver 27. The Lawyer answering said The Law saith Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy strength and with all thy mind and thy neighbour as thy self And Jesus said unto him Thou hast answered right this do and thou shalt live which are the very words of Moses where he describes a legal righteousness From whence I conclude That the Covenant of Works is still good unto Justification the Covenant of Works is still in force else Moses would never have delivered it in that simplicity and with that Authority else Jesus Christ himself would never have directed one unto it to get eternal life by it I answer 1. That Moses indeed did deliver a covenant of Works to the people of Israel as truly as he did a covenant of Grace and that without any caution that I can find in the place where it is delivered and I think I may say also that our Saviour Christ did deliver a Covenant of Works too in that 10. of Luke above-mentioned And 2dly I may add There was very good reason why they might and why they did For that the covenant of Works is still in force all men by nature are under it for it is nothing but the natural law of our creation All men are naturally under a Covenant of works There was indeed a positive Law besides given to Adam but the observing of it needed not have created any trouble to innocent man All men are naturally under a covenant of Works for they are naturally under the Law of their Creation which is the covenant of Works Yea the Saints themselves are not freed from it any further then from the condemning power of it by Christs having suffered the penalty for them That all men are naturally under the Law or under a covenant of Works which are all one appears for that all those whom Christ came to redeem were under the Law Gal. 4.5 which must be meant of the Law strictly taken for a covenant of Works for else none but the Jews and proselyted Gentiles were under the Law as delivered by Moses whereas in that Scripture it is plain that all those whom Christ came to redeem were under the Law therefore it is meant under the Law as a covenant of Works Besides the Apostle in Rom. 7. the first six verses argues thus That the conscience or soul of a man must either be married to the Law as its Husband or to Christ as its Husband and till it is marryed to Christ the Law is its natural Husband but when it is married to Christ the law is its husband no longer therefore till a man come to Christ he is under a covenant of Works therefore all men naturally are under a covenant of Works for no man is in Christ by nature I answer in the third place That it 's true Moses and our Saviour both preached a covenant of Works as well as a covenant of Grace and well might because all men are naturally under it Yet neither our Saviour nor Moses did it with design to make men seek justification by Works but only to burthen mens consciences with insupportable loads of guilt that so they might readily flee to the hope that was set before them in the covenant of Grace which they had together with the covenant of Works in the same Dispensation That Moses did it with this design St. Paul asserts as I have shewn in several places the law entred that the offence might abound and so was a School-Master unto Christ And that our Saviour did it with this design the place quoted in the objection will sufficiently evidence Luke 10.25 to the 28.25 v. Behold a certain Lawyer stood up and tempted him saying Master what shall I do to inherit eternal life Here this Lawyer came not with a good intention for it is said he stood up and tempted our Saviour made the question rather to see what our Saviour would say then to get any satisfaction to himself and in the 29. ver it is said This Lawyer was willing to justifie himself Now how could the pride of this tempting Lawyer be better repressed then by sending him to the Law to a covenant of Works which if he would but set himself in earnest to keep would quickly prick the bladder of his pride and let out that wind with which he was so swoln as to dare come and tempt Christ and justifie himself But now our Saviour takes another course with the Woman of Canaan who after she was tryed with a knock or two with some harsh words so as to be called Dog yet continuing humble and submissive had her faith extolled by our Saviour and is strengthened with the highest consolations as we have the story Matt. 15. from ver 22. to ver 29. Thus God resisteth the proud he hath a Covenant of Works to oppose them withall but he giveth Grace and sheweth Mercy to the humble he hath a covenant of Grace to comfort them with Obj. 5 There is one objection yet more concerning the ceremonial law which I did not mention at the first and it is this Certainly it appears from the ceremonial law that the law of Moses was given to them for a covenant of Works else why had they such multitude of ceremonies imposed upon them if they were not to have life for the observation and doing of them together with the duties of the moral Law And it is very observable that in that place of Leviticus which the Apostle quotes as containing the righteousness of the law the ceremonies are as strictly enjoined as the moral duties of the law are with this badge of the law of works upon them The man that doth them shall live in them Lev. 18.4 5. Ye shall do my Judgements that is say Commentors my judicial Laws and keep mine Ordinances that is say they either moral or ceremonial so in ver 5. You shall therefore keep my Statutes and Judgements which if a man do he shall live in them I am the Lord. Now hence I argue saith the Objector Here you have acknowledged is a covenant of Works described Now here is their whole Dispensation by Moses of laws moral ceremonial and judicial contained therefore their whole Dispensation was a covenant of Works besides if the Law moral alone which you have called the law of Nature he of it self a covenant
of Works as it seems to have been to Adam who had but a few other commands besides viz. such as we call Positive and if every man by Nature be under a covenant of works though a stranger to the Old-Testament or New as having never heard of either being under the law of his creation how much more were the Israelites under a covenant of Works who besides the moral law had the judicial and ceremonial added for them to observe and altogether given them vvith this language of a covenant of Works these ye shall observe which if a man do he shall live in them I am the Lord. I shal add onely one observation more to strengthen the objection and it is this That when St. Paul disputes against the Galatians for embracing a covenant of Works most of his Work lyes in beating them off from the ceremonial law vvhich they were exceedingly addicted to as looking upon the lavv of Moses to be very much of the nature of the covenant of Works and the ceremonial law as a great sign of it there being so much vvork cut out for them in it and verily believing that if they vvere pretty strict in keeping the ceremonial law God vvould justifie and save them Therefore it is very probable that the law of Moses was given to them as a covenant of Works for this reason as well as others that there were so many ceremonies appointed for them to observe most of which it is more then probable the greater number did not understand and so must take up und satisfie themselves with the Work done then which vvhat can look more like a covenant of vvorks for men to do a great many things which they did not understand meerly because God had commanded them Now for answer to this objection and I shall give it in several particulars A. 1 I confess that the ceremonial law proved a great snare and a stumbling-block unto the careless Jews and so to the Galatians for when they found such a great task of ceremonies set them they cared not much to study the meaning of them but took up with the doing of them which to do did not much trouble their hearts or consciences and so placed themselves by it under a covenant of vvorks in their treating with God for Justification 2dly I grant that the ceremonial law was a great burthen and an unsupportable yoke even to those that were good amongst the Jews Acts 15.10 and it is a great piece of the liberty of the Gospel to be freed from it 3dly I grant that the laws moral judicial and ceremonial were given altogether and are included in that place where a covenant of vvorks or the righteousness of the Law is said to be described by the Apostle and I grant in this particular that though the law of nature alone is a covenant of vvorks to those that are in a state of nature though they never received any positive law from God yet that it is possible for a ceremonial lavv or a law consisting of many ceremonies or positive laws to be a part of a covenant of vvorks as we find in Adam's covenant of works there was a Sacrament as some reckon it of the Tree of life and there was a positive law concerning the forbidden fruit which vvere neither of them branches of the law of Nature and he might have been as well forbidden as allowed all the trees save one if the Lord had pleased he might have had a systeme of positive and ceremonial laws inserted in his covenant of vvorks if the Lord had thought good and no wrong had been done him for he was able to have kept them 4thly Yet here I deny that the ceremonial law was any part of a covenant of works though brought in near that place where the righteousness of the law is said by the Apostle to be described and that for this reason which fully answers the objection That the ceremonial law did contain Gospel in it which cannot be said of any branch of the covenant of works I allowed indeed above that the law taken strictly for a covenant of works did preach the Gospel virtually or by consequence as it burthened the sinners conscience and so made him seek further for a righteousness but I said then it is the law taken in a large sence onely as it contains the whole Old-Testament or at least a considerable part of it that teacheth Christ and the Gospel formally and expresly VVhy now the ceremonial law teacheth Christ in many perhaps in all the parts of it if wel understood VVhat could the shedding of so much blood for remission of sins signifie but the shedding of Christs blood for them and us all which is the great mysterie of the Gospel Now if any say they understood it not and yet must do it and so it was all one to them as if it had not singnified any thing at all and therefore must still pass with them as a covenant of works I answer 1 in the words of the Apostle Rom. 3 3. What though some did not believe did not understand must their unbelief and ignorance make the Faith of God that Doctrine of Faith which the ceremonial law preached of none effect or signification But you will say they could not see the blood of Christ in the blood of a sacrifice having no clearer discoveries then they had of Christ I ans I confess I cannot say they could see so much though still so much was contained in it as now we well understand But yet if they could not see so much yet somewhat they might have learned for certainly God appoints no idle useless insignificant ceremonies in his Worship therefore I suppose they might have learnt thus much by their ceremonies and particularly by their sacrifices which I suppose was known even amongst Heathens in their sacrifices that when they killed a Beast for attoning the anger of God here life went for life and God might as well have taken their lives from them as accepted the life of that Beast and so by this they might see that their lives and salvations did depend purely upon the Mercy and Grace of God now this sufficiently weaned them from the law or covenant of works which had no Grace or Pardon in it it was therefore the grossest mistake of all to understand the ceremonial law for a part of the covenant of Works when it was greatly intended to be a Gospel to them 5thly and lastly If yet it were dark and did confound them with the multitude of duties which it imposed Why might it not herein do the good turn that a covenant of Works did for them Which was to make them study and search and long for the pure and clear discoveries of that rich Grace which we now see in the dayes of the Gospel I have now done with this objection also which I of purpose kept out from the rest in which I only considered the moral law as a
the Law of Moses And this the Apostle aggravates so that he seems to make it a worse business in the dayes of their knowledge thus to go off to the Law then in the days of their ignorance to serve Idols Thus you have seen their Disease now for further proof yet that this was their distemper we may observe that the Apostle applies several arguments by way of remedy which were proper onely for this distemper in that one chap. Gal. 3. I shall observe mine several Arguments sive of which are contained in the first five verses of that chap. and are more particular and experimental for the conviction of the Galatians the minor of every ' yllogism being evident in their experience the major evident in its own nature or from Scripture the other four being sufficiently convincing to every man and of no particular concernment to them more then others in ver 1. Who hath bewitched you that you should not obey the truth before whose eyes fesus Christ hath been evidently set forth as if he had been crucified amongst you Makes this syllogism They who had Christ clearly preached to them so as if he had been crucified before their eyes should not for shame go off to the Law But you have had Christ thus clearly preached Ergo 2d Argument in the 2d ver Ye received the Spirit by this plain preaching of Christ which ye never did by your Law-Preachers This one would think was a mighty Argument to them This onely would I learn of you Received ye the Spirit by the works of the Law or by the preaching of Faith The Syllogism They that have received the Spirit by the preaching of Faith should not for shame go off But you have received Ergo 3d. Arg. in ver 3. Are ye so foolish having begun in the Spirit are ye now made perfect in the flesh 'T is a disgrace for wise men to begin in any way and alter their way at all before they make an end but it is a higher disgrace to begin in a better way and end in a worse to begin in the Spirit and to end in the Flesh As much as Spirit doth excel Flesh their Horses are Flesh and not Spirit Isa 31.3 so much doth the Gospel-way of Justification excel the Legal The Syllogism is this They that have once begun in a more excellent way then the Law is should not go off to the Law but you have begun in a more excellent way viz. the Spirit Ergo 4th Arg. from the 4. ver Have ye suffered so many things in vain if it be 〈◊〉 in vain They had not onely embraced the Gospel and begun in the Spirit to do something but they had suffered many things from the persecuting Jews for professing a pure Gospel-way and now would lose all their sufferings 5th Arg. from the 5th ver He therefore that ministreth to you the Spirit and worketh miracles among you doth he it by the works 〈◊〉 the Law or by the hearing of Faith The Law-Preachers could neither administer the Spirit to their Hearers nor yet work miracles in proof of what they delivered both which the Apostle had done and their present Minister Epaphrus did do and yet they were so mad upon the Law and the way of Justification by works that they were ready to shake off the Gospel for the insupportable burthen of the Law There are ye see at least five Arguments in the compass of five verses proper to them and all five proposed in the way of interrogation to express the Apostles vehemency his trouble at their desection his strange admiration at it his longing for their recovery all which this interrogation-form implies Then the Apostle proceeds to general and universal Arguments not of such particular concernment to them such as I have in my former Discourse urged viz. the example of Abraham from the 6. to the 10. from the nature of the Law requiring strict obedience or else accursing the sinner ver 10. from an express proof out of the Old-Testament Hab. 2.4 The just shall live by Faith therefore not by the Law saith the Apostle for the Law is not of Faith 11 12. And then comes in that great Argument which I have so largely insisted upon That there was a Covenant of Grace on foot before ever the Law was given by Moses which could not be broken therefore the Law came not in for a way of Justification else it must have disannulled this Covenant from the 15 to the 1. I now recollect and argue Here you see that not onely the Jews but the Gentiles desired to be under the Law would needs be justified by the works of the Law else the Apostle had disputed largely and strenuously against no Enemy Nay the Galatians though they never had had the Law before but onely first Heathen Idolatry and then a pure Gospel and received it with joy and admiration and great intensness of affection received the Spirit through the Ministry of it suffered much for the profession of it begun wel and did run wel yet though they had begun in the Spirit no sooner came the Law-Preachers among them but they turned from St. Paul who had called them unto Christ like fools and men bewitched unto another Gospel that is unto a Law-Gospel The Law-Preachers no sooner came amongst the Galatians but they turned the very Gospel which the Apostle had preached and they received into so much Law so that there ye might have seen Christians to be the pure Disciples of Moses nay far worse then the true Seed were in Moses's time Now from hence I infer the first assertion in the coviction viz. That there have been and therefore may be such a generation of men that notwithstanding the preaching of the Gospel nay and the profession of the Gospel are legal in the business of Justification followers of the Law seek to be justified by works and also that we are very apt to run into this way without much care and caution Who would ever thought that the Galatians that had so many reasons to engage them to keep in that way of Faith should ever have turned carnal and fleshly in the business of Justification Certainly this Apostacy of theirs argues a great aptitude in humane nature to this way unless you will think that the Galatians were of another make from all the men in the world I shall add somewhat moreof proof to this proposition and the parts of it by and by only I must first enter upon the explication of the 2d thing proposed viz. Wherein this legality lyes or wherein the great inistake lies that so many should seek to be justified by a Covenant of Works and yet acknowledge themselves sinners and in the explication of this there will new proof arise to the first Proposition viz. That men are generally addicted to the way of works 2dly 2d parâ—iculâ— in the conâ—iction viz. wherein 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I Negaâ—vel Therefore it comes to be explained wherein
this legality lies of what it consists which men are so generally inclinable unto and this is the chief thingin the Conviction this I shall dispatch in three Propositions the first is negative shewing what it is not yet ought to be if they understood what they go about 1. It is not a professed putting themselves upon the Law of God strictly as it requires perfect unerring obedience for Justification so the Jews durst not adventure their souls the Jews acknowledged themselves sinners though not such sinners as the Gentiles We find when the Jews brought the Woman to Christ that was taken in Adultery he set the Woman at liberty by this Sentence of stoning her He that hath no sin let him 〈◊〉 the first stone Neither did the Galatians assert themselves free from sins alas they had been sinners of the Gentiles Gal. 4.8 They had been Idolaters and accordingly the Apostle disputes against them with such arguments as took that pro confesso that they were sinners Gal. 3.10 Is many as are of the works of the Law are under the curse for it is written Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the Book of the Law to do them Now surely as it might be supplyed you will not pretend to have continued in all things therefore you cannot expect to be justified by the works of the Law Though I must needs say this If they had gone wisely to work in their seeking Justification by the Law they must first have found themselves free from sin hitherto of their lives together with a power of keeping themselves free for the remainder of their lives or else must have desisted in the beginning and therefore the Apostle batters down their high imaginations of self-righteousness with such arguments as these The Law saith Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things now you have not continued in all things And in Rom. 3.19 20. when the Apostle had recited a Catalogue of sins out of the Law he infers Now we know that whatsoever things the Law saith it saith to them that are under the Law and so to you Jews especially that every mouth may be stopped and all the world may become guilty before God As much as to have said As for all these sins some are found in one and some in another and where-ever any of them is found there that man's mouth is stopped by the Law and every such person is become guilty or subâ—ect to the Judgement of God 20. Therefore by the deeds of the Law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight for by the Law is the knowledge of sin the Law tells you what is sin and so the wrath due to sin and by the Law every transgrestion should receive a just recompence of reward And so Gal. 5.3 I testifie again to every man that is circumcised which was the usual sign of their going off to the Law that he is a debtor to do the whole Law And yet this you dare not undertake O ye Galatians this you dare not profess to do A strange Dispensation that they gave themselves that they would aim to be justified by the Law and yet not hold themselves obliged to keep the whole Law How could they ever think that the Law should justifie them and yet these arguments brought by the Apostle to convince them both shew that they did not pretend to answer the Law byunerring obedience and fulfilling of it as also that they should have done thus had they gone wisely to work So much for the first Proposition shewing what their way was not yet ought to have been had they understood themselves 2. Yet though they did not profess to appeal to a strict Covenant of Works for Justification and did not understand themselves in what they did yet by the way that the Jews Galatians took for righteousness they fell under that way of Works were so reckoned by God to be and by the Apostle in his Discourses against them else his Arguments had concluded nothing against them And the reason is this for that though they did not formally intend a Covenant of Works yet the way they took was of that nature and tendency and we have a distinction in the Schools of sinis Scientiae Scientis now the sinis Scientiae is eternal and unalterable as proceeding from the nature of the thing let the finis Scientis be what it will so if the way they took be legal it is no matter whether they intended it or no. But you will say What was that in their way or what is that in this way which you say men usually taken which makes it so justly and unavoidably be called and reckoned by God a putting our selves under a Covenant of Works though we are not our selves aware of it I answer in the third and last place 3dly Wherein Legality consists positively It is such a mixture of the Covenant of Works with the Covenant of Grace as in which the Covenant of Works is predominant and so most justly gives the denomination to their way I fix upon the Word Predominant For else as I shal shew anon all the Saints have some legal mixtures in their Spirits even whilst they treat God for their justification and acceptation but because they are byassed and swayed more by Evangelical Principles then by Legal they are after the Spirit not after the Flesh in the business of Justification I shewed in the first Proposition that the Jews and Galatians did not profess themselves perfectly holy and so durst not appeal to the Law in a strict sense for a righteousness I shall now further shew how in many things it appears that these Legallists even whilst such did profess and adhere to the Gospel which is the way of Grace and then that yet by reason of their Legal mixtures all their Gospel was soured to them and turned into so much Law and they are no longer to be reckoned for Christians but the Disciples of Moses in Gal. 5.2 3 4. There are three proofs of this together that they were great professors of the Gospel when yet at the same time the Apostle disputes against them as adhering to a Covenant of Works for Justification Ver. 2. Behold I Paul say unto you That if ye be circumcised Christ shall profit you nothing Here you see they thought to have had some profit and benefit by Christ Now this was a great mixture of Gospel in their way for if hope of benefit by Christ be not Gospel what is Nay you may see in another place of this Epistle that they had hope in the death of Christ which certâ—inly is a mixture of the Gospel with their Legal way Gal. 2.21 If righteousness come by the Law as your way leads you to say then Christ is dead in vain but you will not allow that Christ died in vain you hope for benefit from the death of Christ notwithstanding your cleaving to
the Law for a righteousness Here was a great mixture you see of Gospel with their way And in the 3d. ver of Gal. 5. we see they thought it was not their duty to keep the whole Law but that I have spoken to already in ver 4. You may see yet the strangest mixture of Gospel in their way which yet the Apostle calls Legal that can be imagined for they did profess themselves all this while they so cryed up the Law were such admirers of it and Votaries to it they did profess themselves to be under Grace to be in the way of Grace Gal. 5.4 Christ is become of none effect unto you whosoever of you are justified by the Law â—e are fallen from Grace that is from the way of Grace and Mercy to be upon perfect strict exact terms with God Ye renounce the Grace of God the benefit of Christ's death Christ can do you do good let your false Preachers call what they preach Gospel while they will and you may think you are removed to another and better Gospel then what you received from me chap. â— v. 6 7 8. But there is no other Gospel but what I preached Some indeed have perverted the Gospel of Christ and made it a mongrel thing but it 's Name now muse not be Gospel any longer but Law and Works not Grace and Gospel Here you have â—â—en that they did not only avoid the rigor of the Law in exacting perfect obedience to a tittle but did take in the Gospel-Principles into their way of Justification such as the Death of Christ and the Grace of God and yet these were legal all this while else the Apostle had disputed impertinently where he had no Adversary Now what was that which soured all their Gospel which made their Grace no Grace and their Christ no Christ and made them perfect Debtors to the Law thus unexpectedly to themselves but this that they went to make a compromise betwixt the Law and the Gospel in the matter of Justification they would join them together that were as irreconcilable as fire and water The Law is not of Faith if it be of Grace then it is no more of works otherwise work is no more work Now by reasoâ— of the incompossibility and incompatibleness of these two in their * For else as the Elements are said to be mixed in a natural body losing their proper forms so the Lâ—w and Gospel will well mix one of them viz. the Law losing as I may say its natural form of a Covenant of works may be well reconciled to the Gospel and mixed with it for the matter of it proper and precise notion and nature they that mix these two must destroy one of them they can never agree togegether in this business of Justification any otherwise then heat and cold agree in water that look unto what degree the one is there the other is expelled so much as there is of cold so much there is wanting of heat and so much as there is of heat so much there is wanting of cold so here so much as there is wanting of legality in any heart so much there is of a Gospel-Spirit é contra Now because these Jews and Galatians did more hanker after the Law then after the Gospel though they owned many Gospel-principles and durst not own the Law in the strictness of it yet their predominancy of inclination to the Law for righteousness justly gave them the denomination of Legal as the predominancy of cold in water justly gives it the name of cold water and the Evangelical or Gospel-like men and women though they have always had some Legal-mixtures in their obedience yet because Gospel-Principles are predominant they obtain the name of Spiritual and Evangelical And according to this representation which I have now given of Legal-persons that is that they are more propending and inclining to the Law then to the Gospel doth the Apostle be-speak them and speak of them he speaks to them so in Gal. 4.21 Tell me saith he you that Desire to be under the Law They were such as though they durst not quit the Gospel and come off wholly to the Law yet had a desire to be under the Law So he speaks of them Rom. 9.31 32. But Israel which followed after the Law of righteousness hath not attained unto the Law of righteousness Wherefore because they sought it not by Faith but as it were by the works of the Law And this though it were but anâ— as it were and a Desire yet it ranked them under a Covenant of Works and accordingly the Apostle useth such arguments against them as would have served any that had perfectly renounced the way of Faith and the Death of Christ and wholly betaken themselves to the Law of Works I have done with the second particular in the Conviction viz. the explication of the Legality which is so generally to be found and wherein the deceit lies that men who acknowledge themselves sinners and profess themselves Christians may yet set themselves under a Covenant of Works for their Justification They that wil after what I have said deny that there may be or hath been such a thing such persons to be found that did acknowledge themselves sinners and profess themselves Christians and yet sought to be justified by the works of the Law let them quarrel with the Scriptures and with the Apostle Paul if they dare out of whom I have so clearly described them and confute him if they can Again if any one questions that which I have asserted to be the manner how this comes to pass that these persons are justly denominated and reputed Legal self-Justificiaries viz. by the predominancy of their inclination to the Law more then to the Gospel let them shew a more probable way and I shall gladly quit this Now the explication and proof of this matter being the very great thing of all should not pass without some improvement or observation from it which I shall perform by and by in the mean time methinks a sober person might very well desire to be further satisfied in this great business viz. the explication of the nature of a Legal-Spirit I suppose it will be acknowledged that that which gives denomination to a Legal-Spirit is his greater propension to the Law then to the Gospel but yet it may be queried Wherein doth this propension exert and shew it self in what one word or more then one would you express it Now this I confess is the great difficulty hic labor hoc opus est this were worthy of the most excellent Saint and the most learned and accurate Head to discover I can do it onely after my manner that is rawly enough but would God I could provoke some able man to undertake it in the strength of God Very many of those that have medled with it have dealt rudely and yet saucily with this subject I mean the Autinomians They will express the whole
for the Gospel yet all of a sudden like men bewitched away they turn to the Law and in effect though not in profession they leave the Gospel From whence again I add new proof as I promised to the first thing proposed in the conviction which is my third observation Therefore certainly mankind is exceedingly addicted to this way of works 3 Obser though not in a-strict way yet in this mixt way which comes all to one at last and must be called by the same Name I say I may justly infer from this one example of the Galatians That mankind is exceedingly addicted unto this way of works For though an argument ab exemplo be not ordinarily cogent yet such an example as this wil of it self almost amount to a demonstration for it is not an example of one man but of a great company of men they were the Churches of Galatia as it is in chap. 1. ver 2. and Galaria was not a Town or a City but a large Countrey that had many Churches up and down in it and these were such as had gladly received the Gospel they had received the Apostle Paul as if he had been an Angel of God even as Christ Jesus they blessed themselves exceedingly in this that they had heard the Gospel from him they received the Spirit by it c. Now notwithstanding all this no sooner do a company of Law-Preachers come that could do no Miracles at all could not convey the Spirit in their Ministry and yet the Galatians are so bewitched and besotted with them through their own natural inclinations to a Legal Righteousness that they fall off to the Law in the sight and view of all those demonstrations and convictions to the contrary and swallow down four several contradictions to boot Ergo hence it evidently appears that men are exceeding apt to run into this way of Justification by Works unless we shall imagine that this inclination in whole Churches of Galatia was some strange kind of special distemper arising from the soyle or some such trifling cause that hinders it from being common to us with them I say I take it for proved and granted from this example which is to me much like an Induction the whole Nation of the Jews the Churches of Galatia that were Gentiles were wholly given to this way therefore this way is mighty natural to mankind and we have all a strong propension and inclination to it but here comes in one considerable objection upon the answering of which the truth of this last Assertion wil be much clearer and that is this You say Object that because the Nation of the Jews and the Gentile Galatians were so much addicted to the way of Justification of Works therefore it is an argument that all mankind is addicted to this way and that we are in danger of running into this way but you do not seem to observe the great snare and stumbling-block that lay in their way to put them upon it and that was the Ceremonial Law which they did not understand as typical of Christ and Gospel-Mysteries but looked upon it as a task of duties which if they did go thorow and do their best to keepe they should undoubtedly please God and be saved Now this Ceremonial Law was given to the Jews and not perfectly out of use when the Galatians were thus led aside by it but was preached up by the devout Jews that were turned to Christianity that if they were not circumcised and kept not the Law of Moses they could not be saved Act. 15.1 Now this the Galatians receiving as true and holding the Gospel with it they did with the Jews too much dote upon Ceremonial Observances and so their Gospel which they professed with it was sowred and spoiled by it but we are not in this danger we know that the Ceremonial Law is down and so we are free from this snare and danger therefore we need not fear lest we run into a Covenant of Works or seek Justification by works This is the objection and you see it is considerable to which I shall endeavour an answer And first of all I answer by way of concession in three particulars Ans 1. 'T is true the Jews had the Ceremonial Law imposed upon them by God and the Galatians by the seduction of false Teachers received it likewise as their duty 2. The Ceremonial Law was apt to prove a snare to all that were under it in leading them into a Covenant of Works For to be set to do a great many things which we understand no meaning almost in how naturally will it teach us to take up with the opus operatum the work done to look no further Which easily mis-leads us into an opinion of Merit especially when we think our selves prettily well to have discharged our selves of the duties of the Moral Law besides 3. Let it be granted that this did actually prove a great snare both to the Jews and Galatians which appears from this that the Apostle when he is rebuking the Galatians for their Legality he instanceth for proofs often in their observing the Ceremonial Law Gal. 4.8 9. I winder saith he that after ye were set free from bondage to Idols by the Gospel of Christ ye should desire again to enter into bondage to ceremonies which there he calls beggarly rudiments and in ver 10 11. saith he Ye observe dayes and months and times and years I am afraid of you lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain Nay the Apostle instanceth so frequently in the business of the Ceremonial Law that an incurious Reader might think that all thrir fault was but this that they made Conscience of keeping the Ceremonial Law though 't is certain and I have proved it already that this was not the greatest fault they had fallen into for then the Apostle would onely have gone about to convince them that the Ceremonial Law was abolished by the death of Christ or at least that they being Gentiles need not have their Consciences obliged to it which doth not scarce at all appear to have been any part of his design but his main design is to beat them off from a Covenant of works unto which the Ceremonial Law served for an Inlet And indeed this was the nature and genius of their mischievous error they thought as the Jews also did that though they were not so strict as they should be in observing the great weighty duties of the Moral Law yet if they were strict and careful in observing the Ceremonial this would make some amends for their other great defects and herein we see the Ceremonial Law proved a great snare Thus our Saviour chargeth the Jews even whilest it was their duty to keep the ceremonial Law that they placed the observances of the ceremonial Law in the room of their obedience to the moral Law Ye pay tythe of Mint and Annise and Cummin and have omitted the weightier matters
kept themselves from Legal uncleannesses and from eating every thing that was unclean and placed too much in this whilst it was their duty to observe these things The Colossians erred but in making conscience of the Legal uncleanness of Meats Let no man judge you saith the Apostle in meat or drink that is value no man's judgement let no man abridge you of your liberty in it Now for our selves we are wholly free from Jewish Observations about meats and I think pretty free from any Religious Observations at all about meats and if we are forbid flesh in Lent those that are healthy yet the reason which the Law gives is civil and political for the breed of Cattel but if we should come to have our Consciences ensnared to think that flesh were not as lawful in it self all the Lent-time as at another time this were a symptome of Legality venting it self in superstition But now if we go over amongst the Papists what conscientious observations of Meats are there To eat an Egg in Lent is punished with imprisonment c. that upon a religious account which is a plain argument of legality amongst them very rise I might instance in Priests Vestments as I apprehend an high piece of formality very fit to please the humour of a Legal Spirit that for want of substance pleases it self with shadows shews and outsides but I shall not proceed further to touch at things he that hath an eye to see let him look into the Scriptures and he that hath an ear to hear let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches But we may speak freey of the Papists their Superstitions not onely in doing but in putting themselves upon needless sufferings What Pilgrimages and Processionings what Abstinencies and Penances do they put themselves upon wearing Sackcloath scourging themselves What crossings cringings and sprinklings do they impose upon themselves 't were endless almost but to name the kinds of their inventions Yea some of our own people will say over the Creed and ten Commandments for a prayer and when they come as beggars at your door they will say over the Lords Prayer as if it were a charm to the house from all mischief Now I look upon all Superstitions where they are with any seriousness practised as those things which do exactly sit a Legal Spirit for as I have several times intimated your Legallists cannot endure to come at the Law in the spiritual sense of it so none but a Gospel-Spirit doth it is Faith alone that establisheth the Law and obeys the Law Now because the Legallist cannot endure to come up to the true spiritual obedience of the Law and yet seeks to be justified by Works he is fain to find out a thousand things to please himself and satisfie his Conscience with whereby he thinks he makes God amends and we have seen in the instances before us how that though men are as wicked as they could be by lying swearing and committing adultry yea and Idolatry too yet they cryed The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord they thought God must love them because they were Jews especially when they brought him rich Sacrifices and burnt rich Incense and kept all their Festivals in the time and manner appointed Now what then their over-valuing the Commands of the Coromonial Law was that is Superstition to us now For not having such a Law left us by God we find out somewhat like it and place the same considences in it that they did in their Law onely ours is so much the worse by not being of Divine institution I have now only one particular more belonging to this Character of external fleshly service and that is an external partial conformity to the moral Law which is indeed the last and strongest fort of a Legal-spirit As for these external Priviledges or Ceremonies and Superstitious Performances which I have insisted upon they are a slighty thin covering if we come once to try it and rationally to examine it and though people wrap themselves in it yet they cannot bear out any rough argument from galling or pinching through it External conformity to the duties of the Moral Law What defence is it for an Harlot to say This day have I paid my vows to one that can convince her of being a common Whore Prov. 7.14 But now if men have lived in some conformity to the duties of the Moral Law as the young man in the Gospel had done All these have I kept from my youth saith he speaking of the commandments Believe it our Saviour himself shall not by an ordinary word perswade him that he lacketh any thing more Let us see the beld audacious Pharisee in the Parable that goes into the Temple to pray how doth he challenge his acceptance with God and upon what terms We have it in Luke 18.11 God I thank saith he that I am not as other men are extortioners unjust adulterers or even as this Publican I fast twice in the week I give tythes of all that I possess Really the man might well have thanked God as he did had it not been for two things 1. His making comparisons 2 His valuing those things which he mentions as a sufficient Righteousness It was good not to be an Extortioner Unjust an Adulterer it was good to fast and to give tythes of all and he might well bless God that he was enabled to do these things but this was but a partial holiness for all the Commands are not reckoned up here then perhaps it was but an external obedience to these commands that are referred to he was no actual Adulterer but might he not commit heart-Adultery He was no Extortioner or unjust person as he saith But if it were true at all it may be it was onely thus That he was not so in the highest degree perhaps what others accounted injustice and extortion he did not But I need not go upon a Perhaps I will lead the Reader to a certain place of Scripture where the Legallist prides himself and challenges acceptance from God onely upon a partial and external obedience unto some duties of the first Table it is Isa 58.2 3. In the 2d ver we have an high commendation as one would think of them They seek me daily and delight to know my ways as a Nation that did righteousness and forsook not the Ordinances of their God they ask of me the Ordinances o◠of Justice they take delight in approaching to God These are great matters and upon these the Jews grew high and argue the case with God for his acceptance they wonder when they are so good that God should make so little reckoning so small account of them ver 3. Wherefore have 〈◊〉 fasted say they and thou seest not Wherefore have 〈◊〉 afflicted our soul and thou takest no knowledge The Lord answers them in the same verse Behold in the day of your fast ye find pleasure and exact all your
think the Papists do generally ruine themselves by resting upon externals nay inventions in the service of God So much for the cautions and for the Character as it concerns those that are under predominant Legality Now because the same character that will discover it at this height will discover it also where it is in any less degree and for that I have asserted that there is a mixture of Legality in the services of the best Christians and Saints of God I think it good to improve this character yet further for the discovery of that Legality which may be found in the Saints themselves That Legality of the Saints therefore which is discoverable and reprovable by this Character is 1. That I doubt not but some good men have a Conscience of some superstitious observations and I would not for all the world think the contrary lest I should condemn the generat on of the just and think too hardly of some dear Saints of God And I must needs confess there is too much occasion given men to run into this extream of Superstition by the irreverence of others perhaps good men in the service of God How ordinaâ—ily do many sit at prayers in the Church when they are not necessitated by weakness or any other occasion and with their Hats upon their heads Now how easily may this give occasion to others that take offence at this irreverence out of a fear lest they should not be reverent enough in the service of God to approve of kneeling at the Sacrament which I doubt not but many good men may be very zealous for as also forbowing at the Name of Jesus But yet I reckon that good men are in greater danger of Legality in the matter of Moral duties then in ceremonies and superstitions for though I have acknowledged that some good men may have a conscience of some superstitious observations being misled by the care to be sufficiently reverent yet to be greatly superstitious in Gospel-days is a shrewd sign of a rotten heart and so not so incident to good men 2dly For the duties of the Moral Law good mens Legality lies in two particulars 1. When they have performed a duty rightly and spiritually they are apt to reflect upon it with a spiritual pride and ready to lay too much stress upon it and to think that now God must needs grant the Petitions they have asked whereas perhaps they have answer enough in the very sweetness of the duty it self and the communion with God which they have enjoyed in it and therefore if they are not humbled after such a duty to see their great unworthiness notwithstanding all they have done they are so far guilty of Legality Or which is more usual 2dly The Saints too often content themselves with doing their tale and number of duties praying morning and evening perhaps reading so many Chapters but are not spiritual in what they do watching over their hearts that they worship God in a right manner with those spiritual affections stirring in prayer that attention in reading that should be this is commonly known by the name of resting in duties this is â—egality and yet I think that which is found more or less in all the Saints and so far indulged to themselves by some Saints till at last they have a general deadness and benummedness in all their Graces and then they fall into sad complaints of desertions and run into a maze and a Labyrinth of doubts and troubles of mind which perhaps they get not out of for some years together As for those Saints that pick and choose amongst the Commandments that are high-flown in their notions and yet err grosly in matters of common Justice and honesty that are indeed not only slanderously reported or unworthily suspected to be so disobedient to Magistrates with other like irregular Christians I have nothing to say to them here I refer these to the head of hypocritical Legallists that expect to be justified by a parcial obedience to the Commands of the Moral Law these not being spots of Gods Children There are other miscarriages of the Saints in duties that are to be referred to their Legality of Spirit as for instance if they chance through extraordinary occasions to have missed the time of prayer morning or evening to have missed the reading their number of Chapters or doing any good task which they had laid upon themselves then they have a great fear and terror lest God should be angry and displeased with them though indeed Mercy was at ended instead of Sacrifice but such as these belong to another head or character of a Legal Spirit to wit a Spirit of Bondage which I shall come unto anon I have now perfectly done with the first Character as to its explication proof and application both to Legality predominant and that which is found in a less degree in which I may be thought tedious enough Onely I would not leave so much as a cavil without some endeavour at least of an answer to it Now I am sensible that thoughts may arise in some as if this whole particular were impertinent Obj. Whoever thought before may they chance say that Superstition was Legality that a partial performance of the Moral Law either by the less strict or more strict Morallists was Legality If men would seek to be justified by the Law they would endeavour at least to keep the whole Law and if they knew they fell short of it as those prophane wicked men which you mention out of Isaiah Jeremiah and other places that were very wicked did and yet rested in Ceremonious performances and external Priviledges these indeed deserve the Name of wicked men but not of Legallists or such as seek justification by the Law Now to this I answer and I shall say but little more then what I have said before 1. 'T is true none ought to seek Justification by the Law but those that have perfectly kept it hitherto and undertake to keep it for the future part of their lives 2. If any seek justification any other way they do but be-fool themselves 3. But yet the Jews and Galatians did seek justification by Works by the Law ASIT WERE by the Works of the Law else the Apostle had disputed against no adversary And yet they did not pretend to perfect and unerring obedience So I reckon the objection is answered already that men may seek Justification by the Law that have not nor think they have the exact Works of it But yet to give some overplus of answer There being a generation of men that do seek Justification by the Works of the Law yea forasmuch as all men are apt to seek it this way it must be in some kind of actions or other Now I have shewn that these very men that are taxed for Legality by the Apostle viz. the Jews and Galatians they were also taxed for their being so much in love with ceremonies and superstitions and with external
come it will not tarry This was the very case with the wicked King last instanced out of 2 King 6.33 if the Visiontarry wait for it But now it follows ver 4. If you will not wait if your soul be lifted up in you with pride and impatience why this soul that is lifted up is not upright in him this Spirit is quite contrary to the Spirit of a just and justified man But the just shall live by Faith that is will be patient in such straits this is the great famous place which the Apostle Pau. makes use of to prove Justification by Faith in three several Epistles Rom. 1.17 Gal. 3.11 Heb. 10 38. Ergo Impatience weariness of the service of God is a great argument and symptom of a Legal Spirit in the service of God the thing that we have now under demonstration Now to apply this Character So far as thou findest thy self sloathful sluggish in the service of God ready to draw back and to be weary of well-doing contentious against God with Job angry as Jeremy and Jonah were in their sits of distemper So far Legality is discovered to be the principle of serving God For the Spirit of the Gospel is humble chearful I will bear the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him saith the Church in Micah ch 7 9. If God defers to hear and answer prayers yea gives denials yet the true Saints of God think it their duty to wait patiently on the Lord and to find out the cause of these denials in themselves Christ calls the woman of Canaan Dog Truth Lord saith she yet the Dogs eat of the crumbs And this is commended for an high piece of faith Mar. 7.28 I join these Scriptures of Old and New-Testament together and use them promiscuously for proof of the same thing because it is plain there were spiritual Worshippers under the Old-Testament as wel as there are Legal-Worshippers in the new Now in a consonancy to and connexion with this latter part of this last Character viz. the irksomness heaviness and weary somness that there is often found in a Legal Spirit as to the service of God I might make this a third Character That a Legal Spirit is weak and feeble and devoid of all strength in the service of God But I shall make this rather an Observation then a Character of a Legal Spirit yet I shall insist some what upon it I say then The Legal spirit is without strength in the service of God That the Legal-Worshipper is faint-hearted weak in the service of God like Ephraim in Hos 7.11 as a silly Dove without heart and it may very well be for the joy of the Lord alone is our strength Neh. 8.10 Which joy the Legallist never partakes of having never any true sence of divine acceptance And indeed what strength can the Law give us that is now through our fall become a poor weak feeble thing it self What the Law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh c. Rom. 8.3 The Law became weak through our sinful flesh so that it can neither justifie nor sanctifie and it gives no quickness at all in the service of God it gives quickness to the body of death indeed and to the motions of sin in our members as it is Rom. 7. â— but none at all to serve God with The A postle therefore appeals to the Galatians experience that they never received the Spirit by all the preaching of the Law which they had amongst them Gal 3 2. And this was the very reason of God's nâ—aâ—ing a new Covenant of his removing his old Dispensat on by Moses which was so full of Law and so like a Covenant of Works Heb 7.8 19. For there is verily a disannulling of the Commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof for the Law made nothing perfect Thus the Law being weak the Legallist must needs be a weak imperfect thing in the service of God But now it is said They that wait on the Lord by Faith shall renew their strength they shall mount up with wirgs like Eagle they Well run and not be weary and they shall walk and not faint Isa 40.31 He that believeth on me saith our Saviour out of his belly shall flow kavers of living water this spake he of the Spirit which they that believed on him should receive John 7.38 39. The Gospel of Christ is and in its preportion ever was so far as at any time it was understood and embraced in the times of the Old Testament the Ministration of the Spirit In Col. 1.11 the Apostle prays for his Colossians that they may be strengthened with All might according to his glorious power in the Gospel there is ALL Mâ—GHT and a gâ—orious Power to strengthen and quicken the Saints with no wonder therefore if this quicken and encourage them mightily in the service of God beyond what ever the Law can do for its dependants and admirers I might here take fair occasion to discover what infinite quickning considerations and motiveâ— the Gospel carries in it unto the spiritual service of God beyond what the Law could afford But seeing I do not so much as make this a Character I shall not take the liberty to enlarge further upon it I shall onely now acquaint the Reader why I do not make this a Character and then pass on And truly one great reason is for the sakes of some good people I may say very many that we have amongst us who if we should make this a Character of a legal spirit that it is weak sluggish heartless in the service of God that it is not lively active and vigorous they would presently apply it to themselves and cry out that they are legal for that they find themselves that they are just thus whereas yet it is true that every true Saint the meanest Saint in the World hath more life and vigor of heart in his serving God then the devoutest and strictest legallist in the World And what if I should say in comparing the two Dispensations of the Old and New-Testament that there is never a Gospel-Saint since the day that the Spirit came down upon the Apostles but hath more life and spirit or it is hâ—s fault if he have not then the highest true Saint under the Old-Testament Would not that Scripture bear me out in it which says that John the Baptist was the greatest that ever was born of a woman before him and yet that the least in the Kingdom of Heaven which is often interpreted of the Gospel-state of the Church is greater then he Matth. 11.11 And would not that other Scripture countenance it which saith The feeble shall be as David Zech. 10.8 And accordingly I might affirm that if these complaining Saints had but the true courage of Saints and the true Character of themselves and at the same time the Character of the highest legallists yea of the most
will not like this neither and it is because it is the duty of the Creature to serve its Creator whether he promiseth any reward or no. Now this will not look neither like a Gospel-principle being the very Law of Creation Well then what principles will they suggest for Gospel-principles Why such as these Love and Ingenuity and Gratitude and apprehending an excellency in the wayes of God Now I confess these are good principles and these are right Gospel-principles the fruit of the Spirit is love And we love him because he loved us first 1 John 4.19 which is gratitude Shall we continue in sin because we are not under the Law but under Grace and that so Grace may abound God forbid This were highly disingenuons Rom. 6.1.15 And in keeping thy Commandments there is great reward Psal 19.11 There is a sight of the excellency of the precept But pray observe that where nobleness and ingenuity is the onely Principle of Actions there is no necessity for any thing to be done at all for actions of nobleness and ingenuity and gratitude come under no Law but are left free to the Agent to do or not to do only that hereby as he doth them or not the Agent will discover whether he be of an unworthy Spirit or no. And thus these men have brought things to a fair pass that God is to be served under the Gospel onely upon courtesie so that any that will may slip their neck out of Christs yoke and their back from under his burthen or else they must acknowledge that men ought to serve God because there is a MUST upon it 't is our duty as Creatures if we will not there is an Hell to punish but to encourage you in it if you will there is an Heaven to reward And what if a Legal Spirit go to work with these principles ONELY as indeed I think he hath no other and that he may have all these in a degree viz. the sense of his Obligation as a Creature the fear of Hell and some general hope of Heaven I say What if he may have all these principles are they evertheless good or unsuitable to the Gospel because he useth them If he used them to good ends or used them aright they would do him good as well as they do others good the reason why these do him no good is for that in the use of the same principles in the general which a good man may use A Legallist hath always these three gross defects that undo him Three ruining defects in the service of a Legallist First though the hope of Heaven in general as a place of happiness may somewhat quicken him in what he doth yet he hath no true notion or apprehension of Heaven that the happiness of it consists chiefly in likeness to God in holiness which if it were his notion of Heaven he could not find in his heart to desire it much less to endeavour after it The second gross defect is this All the endeavours that he makes to please God in one thing or in another as I have instanced in several wayes never reach to a thorough heart-work whereas that is the chief thing that God looks after because he is a Spirit the Father of Spirits And the lastthing is this That yet for all this slightiness hypocrifie of a Legal Spirit the very rule that he proceeds by in his expectations of his Reward is That God is bound to give it him as having well deserved it at his hands Now what though a Legallist may make use of the same principles that an Evangelical Spirit doth unsuccessfully yet what should hinder but the Evangelical Worshipper may use the same principles rightly and with acceptation from God May not a good thing be abused or not rightly used And doth this destroy the nature of it Let us now a little examine the word Mercenary because indeed it sounds harshly as if it were a low principle for a Christran to act towards God by and then we will see briefly what other Principles there are in conjunction with it in every true Saint of God The word Mercenary founds so ill meerly from the common usage of it not so much from the Etymology or native signification the Natural signification of it is when any one acts for wages or for a reward the use of it is when a man that is engaged to do courtifies or at least stands not in any need to receive courtesies will yet do no good turns for any without a good reward in his hand or well assured to him nay perhaps will do any mischief if he may be well rewarded so that Mercenariness is a Vice alwaies contrary to Nobleness that is more free to do than receive courtesies and often contrary to justice but now this Mercenariness especially as contrary to nobleness is a Vice onely or chiefly amongst equals and those that stand not in need of one another as for those that are far inferiour it is pride with them to be unwilling to receive courresies or rewards for wherefore are any advanced in place but that they may do good to those that are below them 'T is no dishonour at all for a poor man that wants bread to hire our his labour for a reward nor for a child that is bound to do what his facher commands to be encouraged by any reward that his father proposeth to any action Now let us apply these things to the bufiness before us and we shall see how ill or how well Mercenariness becomes us in our service of God First of all we are not here to consider the Saints as doing evill things for a reward that is the worst Mercenariness of all no but they serve God for a reward Now wherein can the sordidness of this Spirit lye is it that we need not to receive courtesies at the hands of God or that we cannot endure to receive a courtesie which we know we are not able to requite Such a struin of nobleness there is sometimes found amongst men out if we should aim at such a strain of nobleness with God How will such men ever offer to receive heaven especially when they did not work for it which makes it far more obliging Truely in my minde it is very high pride for a poor creature that is poor and blind and naked and in want of all things that when God offers to supply his poverty to cure his blindness to cover his nakedness he shall not be exceedingly over-joyed at it and seeing that these supplies are of this nature that they cannot be compleatly obtained till we come to heaven nor yet certainly obtained except we persevere whilest we are here to labour after them it seems a strange wantonness to me that men should not labor and own it that they do labour for them as the command is No fault in labouring for the reward except it be for the reward of a debt Labour for
He that is righteous let him be righteous still which two places the Doctor makes use of for proof But that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 should have these significations where the Apostle is strictly speaking to the business of Justification I can by no means allow yea I think it most abhorrent from the Apostles designe in this business what saith the Apostle Rom. 3.11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there is none righteous no not one here the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith Rom. 1.17 There is no other righteousness takes place here And to rip up the whole business again which here I am put upon by the Doctor 's assertion and interpretations though otherwise I might have gone on smoothly in my way First of all surely the Doctor will not deny that Justification and Sanctification have different proper conceptions and notions which they are to be understood by that Justification is God's pardoning our sins and receiving our persons into special love and favour that Sanctification is a mans likeness to God in his heart and life or if the Doctor should deny this there are several places will evidence it I shall name but two Acts 13.38 39. Be it know unto you therefore Men and Brethren that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins and by him all that BELIEVE are justified FROM ALL THINGS from which yee could not be justified by the Law of Moses That is saith Dr Hammond shall certainly be freed and purged from the wrath of God and the punishments attending sin in another world from which the Law of Moses could not by all its Ceremonies Washings and Sacrifices purge or cleanse us The other Scripture shall be that in Janes 12.24 Yee see then how that by works a man is justified and not by faith onely Take Justification here for sanctification and let any one see if he can make sence of it nay it is plain in that Chapter that Justification is taken for being highly approved of God and being made the friend of God ver 25. And the Scripture was fulfilled which saith Abraham believed God and it was imputed unto him for righteousness and then as it were exegetical of that expression it is added he was called the friend of God But I know the Dr will allow of the particular without this proof That Justification and Sanctification have these different and proper conceptions mentioned 2dly Certainly the Dr. will allow that the Apostle Paul hath a mighty vigorous and curious Discourse concerning Justification in its proper notion or its foreusal acception as the Dr himself expresseth it pag. 379. ad finem The Apostle forms a professed Discourse nay a Dispute with the Jew and Judaizing-Gentile upon the business of Justification taken for Divine approbation they thought to obtain the favour of God one way but he shews them another These two particulars I shall take for granted Now I proceed 3dly The Apostle therefore being to remove one way of Justification viz. that of the Legallist and to set up another he makes mention of two Righteousnesses one of the Law the other of Faith That of the Law as I have shewed in the beginning of this Treatise is a perfect conformity to the Law perfect inherent righteousness unerring obedience this saith the Apostle no man hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there is none righteous no not one and the Apostle in that third chap. of the Rom. by enumerating all sorts of sins which we are all more or less guilty of proves that no man can be jusâ—â—ed by the Law this righteousness therefore the Apostle having fully removed as an impossible unattainable thing he as a Messenger from heaven substitutes another righteousness which he calls Gods Righteousness in opposition to our own the righteousness of God is revealed that is that righteousness which God will accept and what is that why it is Faith The righteousness of God is revealed from Faith to Faith as it is written The Just shall 〈◊〉 â—aith Rom. 1.16.17 The scope of the Apostles Discourse I doubt not is this That God hath designed and determined that seeing men have lost their Original purity and to can no longer stand upon their own bottom he will take them off from it altogether and make them live a life of pure dependance upon himself and that is by faith which must have holiness of life attending it and those that come off to do this renounce themselves their own righteousness and all creature-dependencies and roll themselves and all their concerns upon him and upon his Son though their imperfections may be 〈◊〉 yet this their faith shall be imputed to them â—â—r righteousness which they may plead for their â—â—tilication according to the Law of the new Covenant and they shall pass for righteous men as truly iustified and approved as if they had perfectly kept the whole Law under which they were created especially since God had made provision otherways how thâ— honor of that Law might receive râ—â—â—ation viz. by the death of his Son upon the Cross And this I suppose is no santastical notion of Justification by Faith which I suppose the Dr. is chiefly set against and seeing how many wayer men had corrupted the Doctrine of Justification by Faith after he had solidly confuted their opinions betakes himself to that of his own which I dare say had no evil intention though I still affirm that it is most unhappily exprest and I cannot but read it with a great displeasure and indignation For to think that the Apostle should make so much to do to decry the design of a legal Righteousness which in truth was no other in it self but true and real onely it must be perfect holiness however the Legallists all along in their pursuit after the Righteousness of the Law minded nothing less I say for the Apostle to dispute so vigorously against a Righteousness by perfect unerring obedience under the name of one's own righteousness and to set up Faith as Gods righteousness and yet that this righteousness of saith should signifie nothing else but those poor inconsiderable effects of Faith in holiness of life which the greatest part of Christians attain unto onely this seems a mean business for the Apostle to labour about Alas 't is true Faith works holiness and all the great Legallists shall never attain by all their stir and ado to so much true holiness as the meanest believer attains unto but yet this which we attain though by faith is nothing to give name to a righteousness in the sight of God for Justification to be justified by or for our holiness of faith is a low and base expression of Gospel-Justification The righteousness of Faith is an higher thing when a man comes off from himself and from all Creature-dependencies and professeth to live upon the Power and Goodness and Faithfulness of God and the blood spirit of Christ alone such a
the Cross and Christ nailed the Law to the Cross and all this without violence or affront offered to the Law it being but naturally consequent upon what the Law did first to Christ for if the Law set upon Christ as our Surety and do the utmost to him that it can it must needs follow that it hath no strength left against those for whom he undertook and so must die and expire by the same death that our Saviour dyed it being nailed to the Cross which is but a sigurative expression And yet I shall carry the Allegory a little further herein still following the Apostle Paul Is it any wonder now is it any unreasonable thing now that the Law is dead and taken out of the way that we should be married to another husband that we should reckon our selves to be no longer under the Law The woman which hath an husband saith the Apostle Rom. 7.23 is bound by the Law to her husband so long as he liveth but if the husband be dead she is loosed from the Law of her husband So then if while her husband liveth she be married to another man she shall be called an adulteress but if her husband be dead she is free from that Law so that she is no adulteress though she be married to another man ver 4. Wherefore my brethren ye also are become dead to the Law or the Law is become dead to you BY THE BODY OF CHRIST that ye should be warried to another even to him that is raised from the dead that we should bring forth fruit unto God The Law is every soul's first Husband since the fall so every one's actual sin the Law is an intolerable husband there is no living with it it so sets on guilt presseth the soul w th terrors nay instead of producing good works the natural fruit of this Marriage-relation of the Soul to the Law whilest in innocency it now produceth all manner of lusts according to the 5. ver of that 7. chap. When we were in the flesh the MOTIONS OF SINS WHICH WERE BY THE LAW did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death Now God in much mercy to mankinde finding that if the Law and the conscience or soul of man keep together his creature will be lost and himself lose those fruits of good works which the soul was first created for he provides another husband for the soul which is Jesus Christ only Christ must redeem his Spouse from that tyrannical Husband which now it lives with else the Soul shall be but an Adulteress to pretend marriage to Christ that is the way of grace whilest the Law can make a just claim to her as a wife which it might have done as long as it lived The manner of the rescue I have before declared it was by suffering and yielding to the Law yet so as in it the Law destroyed it self and then is it lawfull for the Soul that was before wife to the Law to be married to another husband and who so fit as he that redeemed her Now the Soul shall have it's forbearance under failings which the Law would not endure and God shall have a kindly and ingenuous Service there will be fruits unto God and this is the passage from Works to Faith from the Law to Grace I though the Law saith the Apostle am dead to the Law that I might live to God Gal. 2.19 that is through what the Law hath done to Christ it hath nothing to do with me But now we are delivered from the Law that being dead wherein we were held that we should serve in newness of spirit and not in the oldness of the Letter Rom. 7.6 One Scripture more to this purpose it is Rom. 8.1 23.4 There is therefore now no condemnation to ohem which are in Christ Jesus who are married to Christ and have accepted the terms of the Gospel who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit for the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the Law of sin and death this chiefly relates to sanctification that the inward law or power of corruption which was occasionally and accidentally strenghtned by the Law of God was now broken by that inward power spirit and life which is conveyed by the Gospel of Christ and is called the spirit of life which is in Christ Jesus ver 3. for what the Law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh that is it could neither justifie nor sanctifie both these did God bring to pass by sending his Son in the likeness of sinfull flesh when for sin that is Christ's making himself a Sin-offering so answering the Law God condemned Christ in the flesh that is destroyed it both in the guilt and power of it out of us that were sinners so it follows that the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit that is that the Law might no longer accuse us being answered by our Saviour and that we might attain to that which is the chief designe of the Law to wit righteousness and holiness which if we had continued under the Law we could never have attained unto What so common now with the Apostle in the Epistle to the Romanes as to tell them that now they are not under the Law but under grace by this means namely the BODY OF CHRIST offered and that therefore there shall be no condemnation and that therefore sin shall not have dominion over them which are the two great effects of the death of Christ though the first chiefly belongs to that subject which I am upon viz. Justification Having given now all these things in an allegorical and mystical dress yet herein only following the Apostle I shall deliver the same thing somewhat plainly and so conclude this first particular The summe of all this is Man was made holy had a Law to live by to which there was a threatning annexed In the day thou eatest thou shalt die the death or shalt surely die * This threatning I take it is due by the Law to intended against all sins according to that of the Apostle The wages of sin is death Ro. 6.23 speaking of sin indefinitly besides wise Adam might have committed any other sin and not have dyed Man did eat and so was to die death accordingly entred by this sin into the world that is a natural death and for eternal death hereafter and the spiritual death of the soul here which consist's in alienations from God both which all men at age are obnoxious unto being sinners as for children I neither affirm nor deny any thing the Lord in mercy designing to deliver men from provided a Saviour who should first live a perfect life that so he might be the more acceptable Sacrifice and his terms of saving men must be these that he must freely offer himself up to
these words I finde it only this That the sins that are past should be meant of the sins of a man's life past before he comes to believe which is a good honest sense for it is very true That when a man comes to believe in Christ and in his blood all the sins of his past life shall be forgiven him but that this is not meant by the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sins that are past seems clear to me from that term of opposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at this time which is certainly meant of the times of the Gospel in opposition to a former time in which those sins past were committed and therefore that former time was the time before the Gospel-dayes which observation is strengthened by that parallel place in the Acts where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is opposed in the very same case to the times of Ignorance and Forbearance which God winked at I have now finished my proof of the second Assertion and so I have done with what I thought necessary to adde by way of Appendix to the former treatise the designe of which was to shew how the great business of Justification came to be transferred from Works to Grace from the Law to Faith in which I must needs say I reckon is contained the most considerable piece of Gospel-mystery in the whole Book of God The Lord give Me thee Reader a spirit of Illumination rightly to understand it and rellish it I come now to the Uses of the whole Discourse fore-going and here I need not be so large as otherwise I might be having inserted applications in several places of the body of the Discourse for that the very Discourse it self is altogether practical but most especially for that the chief end of the Discourse was the discovery of Legality and this I have so done my endeavour unto in the characters and their applications that I shall have nothing at all of that to do in the Uses Yet something I shall adde by way of application And first of all Is it so as I have above evinced that the Law was our natural way of Justification which we were born under 1 Use of Inso mation that we had all made our selves obnoxious to the wrath and curse of it that that had seised of us as Prisoners and Mâ—lefactors and that yet notvvithstanding all this we are all of us now either under the tender of Grace or in the state of Grace Favour vvith God all this in a comly and honourable vvay for the Lavv. Then this gives us matter of Information of or rather Admiration at the several Attributes of Goodness Wisedom and Holiness in God I shall be as brief as I may be in this Use because these things are obvious But here is certainly eminent goodness and grace to mankinde shevvn in this vvonderfull change of Justification from Works to Faith 1 Of the grace and goodness of God in this Gospel-way What that vvhen vve had undone our selves as to the Law had not only weakened our ovvn strengths when we were weak Christ died for the ungodly but weakened the Law it self for the Law was made weak through our Flesh so as it could not justifie us that then the Lord should not only seek out a vvay to support us from falling and sinking but set us into a better a more easie and more glorious vvay of salvation than we vvere in before this is a wonder of Grace and Mercy 1. For the glory of this way When an earthly Adam had betrayed all his trust for his posterity and undone us that then vve should have a second Adam who is the Lord from heaven and vvho is infinitely to be preferred before the first vve have a glorious representation of him in his similitude unto and dissimilitude from the first Adam in Rom. 5. from the 14. ver to the end 2. For the easiness of this way That vvhen we had made not found the Lavv not only difficult but impossible to be kept by us so that the going about to fulfill that novv would be like climbing up to heaven descending dovvn to hell and getting up again nay raising a Saviour thence or like compassing the vvhole world that instead of this novv vve should have a vvay set before us so plain That wayfaring men though fooles shall not erre therein Esay 38.5 so near us that vve need not go out of our selves for it if I may so express it the word is nigh thee even in thine heart and in thy mouth that thou mayest do it even the word of Faith Rom. 10.8 so easie that vve may run in it I will run the way of thy Commandements Psal 119.32 His Commandements are not grievous 1 John 5.3 My yoke is easie and my bur-then is light Math. 11.29 30. This way of salvation is so easie to every honest soul that it is but Ask and have seek and finde knock and it shall be opened Math. 7.7 And Rom. 10.13 Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved though this easiness be not found by wicked men Knowledge is easie TO HIM THAT UNDERST ANDETH and to him only Prov. 14.6 Neither is it easie to us without the assistances of the Spirit but these assistances are at hand to good men and therefore the way of Gospel-Justification and Salvation is wonderfull easie and delightsom and this is a very great argument of the goodness of God If God had proposed the highest difficulties imaginable and made it our duty to overcome them if we would obtain the Crown of Glory proposed to us we should have had no reason to complain but when he hath taken us off from a difficult nay an impossible way though once the true way that we were upon and set us upon an easier way that that is pleasant and delightsom and still proposeth the same or a greater reward this is grace and mercy indeed here are riches of Mercies Mic. 6.8 He hath shewed thee O man what is good and what doth the Lord REQUIRE of thee but to do justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God What canst thou do less What wouldst thou do else Thy very work is reward enough and yet thou shalt have a reward infinitely more glorious than thy work deserves Besides in this way the holiness of God 2 Of the Holiness of God that is his hatred of and displeasure against sin is made very illustrious in that his Law must be taken off honourably before the way of Grace must enter I am sure this is so for us under the Gospel and if under the Old Testament men were saved another way I should think it very strange but of this above Lastly 3 Of the Wisedom of God not to mention the power of God discovered in this way in the Miracles of Christ his Apostles raising Christ from the dead c. The Wisedom of God is exceedingly manifested
justifie the ungodly as Faith can Rom. 4.5 How Faith receives pardon and what this Faith is I shall have best opportunity to discover in the following part of this Discourse in the mean time I reckon that I have established these two positions in the general that the Law is now no way of Justification and that Faith which is the way of Grace and Pardon is the only way left us which sufficiently appears from Reason and Example the Reason is that of the fall and sinfulness of mankind The Example is that of Abraham which may serve instead of all and that which is of kin to it viz. the Allegory of Hagar and Sarah Isaac and Ishmael together with all the Saints of the Old-Testament reckoned up in Heb. 11. To which as an overplus I may adde the reason of God's approbation of this way of believing and preferring this way before the reviving the old way of Works again And this we have Rom. 4.16 The reason why after there was once a necessity of pardon the Lord was pleased to continue the way of grace altogether Therefore it is of Faith that it might be by Grace When once man had fallen and so brought on a necessity of another way of Salvation if the Lord wouldshew so much mercy when once the way of Grace became necessary the Great God liked this way of Grace altogether not to pardon man and then set him up a new in the way of Works and the Lord liked the continuation of the way of Grace rather then re-introducing the old way that hereby he might have a great revenue of Glory from his Grace which would be shown in this way the Lord liked not so well that his Creature should come and as it were challenge his Justification and Salvation as a Debt which in the way of the Law he might have done To him that worketh the reward is not reckoned of Grace but of Debt The Lord liked not that the Creature should glory and boast that it had saved it self as in the way of Works it might have done for glorying is not excluded by the Law of Works but onely by the Law of Faith whereas this way of Grace excludes glorying and that indebtedness of God to the Creature and holds the Creature in continual debt and obligation to God When Paul would have had the Thorn in the flesh the Messenger of Satan taken off from buffeting him the Lord teacheth Paul to be contented with this answer My Grace is sufficient for thee for my strength is made perfect in weakness 2 Cor. 12 7 8 9. This way of believing taught Paul to depend upon the Grace and Strength of God by which the Lord received an Honour which he should not have had if the temptation had been suddenly taken off And this we find to be the great Reason alledged by the Apostle frequently in this subject God in the way of his Gospel-Grace goes quite cross to that way which man would have chosen for this very reason to hinder man's glorying and boasting so we have it 1 Cor. 1.28 29. The base things of the World and things which are despised hath God chosen to bring to nought the things that are that no flesh should glory in his presence And in the 30.31 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus who of God is made unto us Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption that according as it is written He that glorieth let him glory in the Lord So in Rom. 3. when the Apostle had shewed what God had declared to be his Righteousness even that of Faith Where is glorying then saith the Apostle It is excluded Again the righteousness of the Law and Works is called our own righteousness but Faith is called the righteousness of God Rom. 3.22 Now God will not allow that we should be justified by our own righteousness he will have another righteousness which is not our own that we may glory in him alone Having asserted and proved those two Positions That the Law is no way and that Faith is the onely way of Justification I come now to answer the objections that may be made against what I have asserted either in behalf of the Law or against the way of believing The great objection and that which contains almost all that can be mentioned is started by the Apostle Paul himself Gal. 3.19 Object Wherefore then serveth the law Wherefore then serveth the Law is the Law of no use then as you seem to make it For if it were once a way of life as you acknowledge and the Scripture affirms it was ordained to be unto life Rom. 7.10 and it be now no way unto life but the way of Faith onely is then you make it an old antiquated thing out of date out of use And the Apostle is sensible that this inconvenience would be objected Rom. 3.31 Do we then make void the Law through Faith But the meaning of the objection in Gal. 3.19 is chiefly this Wherefore then serveth the Law that is To what end or purpose was the Law given to the Children of Israel by Moses You assert say the objectors that as soon as Adam fell the Law became of no use to him nor any of his posterity in the matter of Justification but yet we find that the Law was given by Moses 2000. years after Adam's fall and it was given in the most glorious manner with the most astonishing glory that ever God appeared in at any time unto the World it was delivered by Angels with the voice of a Trumpet with Thundering and Lightning and Earthquakes so that the whole Mountain was of a fire and all the people saw and heard the thunder and fire and the voice of Words Yea God himself is said to descend upon the Mount in fire and speak with Moses Deut. 4.17 18 19 20. Heb. 18.19 20 21. And say the Objectors Whereas you seem to say in your third Position That the Law was onely a way of Justification to Adam The Scripture makes no mention that ever the Law was given to Adam but onely to the Children of Israel and when ever you have a comparison made between the Covenant of Works and the Covenant of Grace or betwixt the Lavv and Faith it is the comparing still of the Covenant vvith the Children of Israel under the Old-Testament and the Nevv-Covenant mad by Christ vvith his people under the Gospel So vve sind these two ways compared in 2 Cor. 3. throughout the chap. and Heb. 8. throughout that chapter but especially from v. 6. to the end In 2 Cor. 3. there the Law is indeed called a Ministration of death but yet it is the Law of Moses for in the same ver it is said to be written engraven in stones which is plainly the Law of the ten Commandments and that when Moses brought them to the people his countenance had such a glory and lustre upon it that the children of Israel could not