consideration of your own unworthiness how to give an answer to those temptations ib. 7. Her victory Page 210 Question Why doth Christ rather commend her faith than her other graces Answer Faith commends Christ above all other graces ib. If the Lord Jesus commend faith so much then labor to strengthen faith ib. Observation The strength of faith doth not lie in the assurance of our salvation Page 211 How many have strong faith that think they have no faith at all ib. Lesson We ought to beleeve in the face of all discouragment Page 212 Objections Answered Page 213 THE CONTENTS OF CHRISTS COMING c. On MATTHEW 25.6 TEXT opened Page 2 Doctrine Christ comes at midnight Page 5 Explication 1 Christ will come again ib. 2. How it may appear that Christ will come at midnight 1. When he comes with converting grace he comes at midnight Page 7 2. When he comes with comforting mercy he comes at midnight Page 8 3. When he comes with outward deliverances he comes at midnight Page 9 4. At his last coming he will come at midnight ib. Reasons 1. Christ loves his people should watch for him Page 9 2. He would not have them be proud of mercies Page 10 3. He loves to come so as he may be most welcom ib. Application 1. This Doctrine looks wishly upon such 1. as Christ comes against Page 11 2. as Christ comes for Page 13 Duties flowing from this Doctrine 1. Trust in the Lord for ever Page 14 2. Why should those that are employed for Christ be unconstant because of opposition Page 15 3. Why should we not go meet him with some present of thankfulness Page 16 Application 2. Then his personal coming is not far off Page 19 Wakening observations 1. A most desperate sleep is to come upon all professors immediately before the great coming of Christ Page 20 Desperate because 1. Vniversal ib. 2. In the midst of trouble Page 21 2. They shall never wake again till Christ come ibid 3. There are two sorts of sleepers some keep their oyle Page 22 some spend their oyle Page 22 THE CONTENTS Of the SAINTS HIDING-PLACE c. On ZEPHANIAH 2.3 TEXT Opened Page 2 Doctrine 1 God hath his daies of Anger Page 5 Application 1 It is not unlawful to be angry Page 7 Applic. 2 How infinitly are our souls bound to Jesus Christ by whom we are delivered from the wrath to come Page 8 Applic. 3 What just cause there is why godly and faithful Preachers should be sent into all places of the Kingdom Page 9 Doct. 2 In the dayes of wrath God is exceeding willing to hide his own people Page 11 Object How is it so many of his dear servants have faln in these late wars Answered Page 12 Applic. Behold a shelter in time of a storm Page 13 Whom God hath by promise engaged to hide 1 Those that hide the Saints of God Page 14 2 Those that keep the word of Gods patience Page 15 3 Those that fear not the fears of men ibid 4 Those that are flourishing in Religion notwithstanding opposition Page 16 5 The meek of the earth ib. Doct. 3 Though God be willing to hide his people yet many times he leaves them at great uncertainties Page 17 Doct. 4 When Gods wrath is abroad and his people know not what will become of them then especially it is their duty to seek God Page 19 Object But the wrath of God is pacified towards us Answered I would it were Three Reasons why it is not 1 The plague is begun Page 20 2 We are so angry one with another ib. 3 The former sins God hath been punishing for all this while live stil amongst us Viz. 1 Idolatry and Superstition Page 21 2 Opposition to the Saints ib. 3 Oppression and Injustice ib. Question What shall we do in this case Answered 1 Seek the Lord Himself Page 24 2 Seek Righteousness 1 The Righteousness of Christ ib. 2 Righteousness in opposition to Oppression and Injustice Page 25 3 Righteousness in seeking the Truth Page 27 Only in seeking this part of Righteousness observe these Rules 1 Do not despise any Truth because 't is old nor neglect any Truth because it is new ib. 2 Be as plain and open-hearted as you can ib. 3 Rest not upon any means though never so great nor despise any means though never so smal Page 28 4 Look not for grapes among thorns ib. 5 Do not so hold the greater as to neglect the less and do not so seek the less as to forget the greater Page 29 3 Seek meekness Page 30 Doct. 5 If any man can do any good in the day of Gods Anger either for himself or others It is the meek of the earth Page 30 1 They have the promise ib. 2 They most honor Christ ib. 3 They leave their cause to God Page 31 4 They are most fit for Gods service ib Applic. How little is this Nation beholding to those that are of a frow ard and perverse spirit Page 31 Exhortation To meek ones go to God improve your interest Page 33 The Titles of the first and second Volumns of the Works of Mr. WILLIAM BRIDGE lately puplished I. The great Gospel-Mysterie of the Saints Comfort and Holiness opened and opplied from Christs Priestly-Office II. Satans power to Tempt and Christs love to and care of his people under Temptation III. Thankefulness required in every condition IV. Grace for Grace or The overflowings of Christs fulness received by all Saints V. The Spiritual actings of Faith through Natural Impossibilities VI. Evangelical Repentance THE Spirituall-Life AND IN-BEING of CHRIST In all BELEEVERS Preached at Stepney July 2. 1648. GALATIANS 2. part of the 20. vers Nevertheless I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me IN this Epistle the Apostle Paul does industriously prove That a man is justified by faith in Christ alone and not by the works of the law Which he plainly affirms at the 16. verse Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by the faith of Jesus Christ even we have beleeved in Jesus Christ that we might be justified by the faith of Christ and not by the works of the law for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified But if a man be not justified by the works of the law then a man may live as he lists may cease from working Not so saies the Apostle for so we our selves should be found sinner and Christ would be made the minister of sin which God forbid verse 17. yea and I should build again the things which I have destroyed and make my self a transgressor verse 18. But I through the law am dead unto the law that I might live unto God verse the 19. But if a man be justified by faith alone and so by the death of Christ then a man is crucified with Christ and if a man be crucified or if you be crucified with Christ how then do you
By this justification I mean That act of Gods grace wherby through the imputation of our sins to Christ and Christs righteousness unto us God the father doth pronounce us righteous in his sight This is justification And this is done by the Righteousness and the Blood of Christ only as the Material and Meritorious cause 'T is done only by Faith as the Instrumental cause so we are said to be justified by Faith alone Yet not so as that a man is justified by faith which hath no works for all justifying faith is full of works but these works do not come into our justification As now a mans servants they have him to bed Servants have their Master and Mistris to bed tend upon them to bed but they do not go into the bed with them They are with them again in the morning they bring them water and necessary things but they do not come to bed to them Now saies Luther Justification is that bed where Christ and a Beleeving soul lies though good works Duties and Prayers tend upon Christ and where ever there is faith there are these yet this bed of Justification is kept free and entire and only for the Righteousness of Jesus Christ and they come not to bed they come not into this work Or if you will thus Ye know that when an Israelite was stung in the wilderness by a fiery biting serpent he was then to look upon the Brasen serpent and by the beholding of the Brasen-serpent he was cured the looking of his eyes cured him He had other members there was the Arms and the Legs and other members that did accompany the Eyes but though there were other members that did accompany the Eyes it was the seeing of the Eyes that did cure the person And so though works do accompany faith and there is no saving justifying faith but works accompany it yet it is only the beholding of this Brasen-serpent by the eye of faith that does cure the soul as to the point of Justification When Abraham went up into the mountain to offer up his son he spake to his servants to stay below Gen. 22.5 Stay you here till I come again at the foot and the bottom of this hill and so they did Servants he had but they stayed below And so when a man goes up into this hil of justification this high mountain he takes only his faith with him and he sayes unto all his works and unto all his duties stay you below at the bottom of the hil and there they attend So that faith justifying faith though it hath alwaies works yet they come not into this matter of Justification 'T is Faith alone that justifies This by way of Explication Quest 2 But Secondly You will say How may it appear now that this free-justification of a poor sinner by Faith alone is the original of all our Holiness and Spiritual life Answ 1 Thus it appears by contraries Contraries have contrary Consequences If the Law and Justification thereby be no friend but a real enemy unto all our Grace and Holinesse then Justification by faith alone is a friend to it But now take the Law and you shall find that justification thereby is no friend but a real enemy unto all our Holiness and the power of godliness What greater enemies had the world ever to the power of godliness than the Jews were and they sought to establish their own Righteousness and to be justified by the Law And now a dayes What more bitter more fel enemy unto the power of godliness than a Moral Civil man Why Because though he do not understand himself yet he doth secretly seek his acceptance with God by his own doing and good meaning A man can never live to God that lives in himself So long as a man seeks Justification by his own doing working he lives in himself Therefore saies the Apostle Phil. 3.9 I desire not to be found in mine own righteousness to be found in it Hope is the Spring of action The Plow-man plowes in hope he sows in hope Hope is the Spring of action Now if a man seeks to be justified by the Law or the works of the Law there is no hope for all works are imperfect and if no hope saies the soul why should I work as good never a whit as never the better That cannot be the Principle of our grace and holiness which can neither Convert a man nor mortifie his sins nor quicken one to what is good nor comfort or free him from temptation Now I pray What is it that Converts a soul to Christ is it the Law or the preaching of the Law Nay Joh. 16.9 saies our Savior I will send the Comforter and he shall convince the world of sin But where do I receive the Spirit Saies the Apostle in the next chapter the 3. of the Galatians O ye foolish Galatians this would I know of ye Received ye the Spirit by the preaching of the Law or by the hearing of Faith Not by the preaching of the Law And as for Mortification of sin Can the Law do that Nay saies the Apostle in the 8. of the Romans The Law is weak What the Law could not do being weak God sent his own Son to condemn sin in the flesh So that the Law cannot mortifie sin the Law cannot do it And as for our Quickening unto what is good Can the Law do that Nay saies the Apostle The Law is a dead letter and the Law is the ministration of death And can that which is a dead letter and the ministraction of death quicken us unto what is good certainly it cannot And as for our Temptations and freedom from them Does the Law do that Ye know the Apostle triumphs Rom. 8.33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect And who shall lay any thing to may charge shall the Anger and Wrath of God shall Satan or mine own Conscience I will not be much afflicted saies he why for It is God that justifies He does not say for it is Moses that justifies but 't is Christ that died and God justifies not Moses Sampson ye know found honey-combs in the body of the dead lyon not in hives at home or trees abroad but he found honey-combs in the body of the dead lyon So does a poor tempted soul find all the honey-combs of comfort in the body of the dead Lyon of the tribe of Judah not in his own hive I have read of a certain man that was much in prayer fasting and reading and the Devil came to him and told him Friend Why doest thou Pray so much and Reade so much and Fast so much 't is all to n purpose for thou shalt go to Hell at the last thou shalt never go to Heaven Saies he As for that I leave that to God it is not my Question whether I shall go to Heaven or Hell but my Question is How shall I serve God
of faith and after once I understood this Doctrine of Free-remission and Justification by faith alone then I loved Repentance As for the Mortification of sin Ye know what the Apostle saies Let not sin raign in your mortal bodies Rom. 6.12 14. or have dominion over you why for ye are not under the Law but under grace So then 't is being under grace that does mortifie sin And as for the matter of Obedience Ye know what the Psalmist saies There is mercy with thee O Lord Psal 130 4 that thou maiest be feared That is that thou maiest be Served that thou maiest be Obeyed So that Obedience also comes from the sight of mercy and of Free-remission Now if Free-remission and the sence thereof be the Cause of our Holinesse then surely Justification by faith alone can be no Enemy but must needs be a real friend unto all our spiritual life Object But by way of Objection it will be said In the Third place This Doctrine of Free-remission and Justification by faith alone seems to carry somwhat with it that is opposite unto Grace and Holiness for the more a man is bound unto the Law and takes himself to be so the more obedient he will be to the Law but now a man never takes himself more to be bound unto the Law than when he seeks to be justified by the works of the Law and so he will be most obedient Answ For Answer Ye must know that the word Law in the new Testament is taken Two waies Either it is taken for the Covenant of Works thus If you keep the Ten Commandements perfectly you shall live for ever this is the Covenant of Works Somtimes the Law is taken for the Ten Commandements the Rule of mans life In the first sence a Christian is dead vnto the Law and is freed from it but in the second sence a Beleever a Justified person is more bound to the Law to observe it as a Rule of life than ever he was Onely you must know there is a Twofold Bond There is the bond of Love and there is the bond of Fear as there is the Law of Love and the Law of Fear Love and the bond of Love is stronger than Fear and the bond of Fear for Fear is servant to Love Fear is the hand maid to Love for ye never Fear the losing of any good thing but what ye first Love Fear is the servant to Love and therefore Love is stronger than Fear and the bond of Love stronger than the bond of Fear Now though a Justified person be not bound unto the Law with the bond of a servile-Fear yet he is bound unto the Law with the bond of Love and so he is more obedient as the bond of Love is stronger than the bond of Fear A man must needs be obedient unto Christ that takes himself to be none of his own but Christs Therfore saies the Apostle 1 Cor. 6.20 Glorify Christ with your body because ye are bought with a price and because ye are Gods So long as a man seeks to be justified by works and by the Law so long he looks upon himself as his own but when a man sees that he is justified by faith alone then he looks upon himself as Christs that he is not his own and so he is more obedient unto Christ than ever be was before Object 2 Secondly If this be such a principle of Grace and Holiness How comes it to passe that men sin the more as they hear more of this Free-remission and Justification of a poor sinner by faith alone Oh! saies one God is merciful and gracious and therefore I will now live as I list and repent afterward If this Doctrine this truth and this Grace of God be the Principle of all our Holiness How comes it to passe that men sin more hereby Answ I pray How comes it to passe if that water do cleanse that it doth not cleanse the Blackmore and if fire do warm how comes it to passe that it doth not put heat into the Dead man and if the Sun do enlighten how comes it to passe it doth not enlighten those that are blind I may ask you the reason likewise But I wil tel you the reason the reason of this is Because men are contrary unto God and all that do make this use application of the Lords mercy and grace they are contrary unto God for God works good out of evil Now a wicked man being contrary unto God he works evil out of good God works the greatest good grace out of the greatest evil sin a wicked man he works the greatest evil sin out of the greatest good Gods love and grace Why because he is contrary to God But now take this Truth and this Grace of God as it is in it self and so it is a very real friend unto all our grace and holiness Quest 4 But in the Fourth place You will say then What is there in this Justification by faith alone or Free-remission that does advance our Holiness how comes it to passe what is there in this that hath such an influence upon our lives to make us the more holy the more heavenly Answ 1 First The more a man does forsake any good thing of his own for Christ the more Christ is engaged to give a man his good things There is no losing in losing for Jesus Christ what ye lose for Chirst ye shal gain by Christ And the greater and sweeter any blessing is that ye lose for Christ the greater blessing will Christ give unto ye in the room thereof Now what neerer thing is there to a man than his own Righteousness In Justification by faith alone a man laies down al his own Righteousness at the feet of Jesus Christ and therfore Christ is engaged to give him a better Righteousness the Righteousness of God Secondly God does never cause any man to passe under any Relation but he does write the Law of that Relation upon his heart For example If the Lord does cause a man to passe under the Relation of a Magistrate God wil write the Law of that Relation upon him and give him ability to it If God doe cause a man to passe under the Relation of a Minister God will write the Law of that Relation on him If God do cause a man to passe under the Relation of a Husband or a Father God will cause the Law of that Relation to be written upon his heart Now when a man is justified by faith alone then he becomes the Son of God To as many as receive him he gives power to be called the Sons of God even to as many as beleeve on his Name John 1.12 I say When a man is justified by faith alone he becomes the Son of God he passes under that Relation therefore then does the Lord write the Law of that Relation of a Son upon his heart and thereby he is made more Son-like by his
obedience Thirdly The more a man does agree with God and the Law the more fit he is to walk with God and observe the Law when a man is justified by faith then he is agreed with God Amos 3.3 Can two walk together unless they be agreed Now when a man is justified by faith he is Reconciled to God reconciled to the Justice of God reconciled to the Anger of God reconciled to the Law of God the Law is his friend Now before a man was justified the Anger of God was his enemy and the Justice of God his enemy and the Law his enemy but now being justified he is reconciled to God reconciled to his Anger that is satisfied by Christ reconciled to the Law that is satisfied by Christ thus he is made a friend to God he is agreed with God and with the Law and so he can walk with God and so he is the more obedient But Fourthly and especially thus As by Works and seeking Justification by Works a man is Estated in the Covenant of Works So by Faith and seeking Justification by Faith alone a man is Estated in the Covenant of Grace When a man is Estated in the Covenant of grace God is engaged to give grace unto him to make him Holy For that I pray do but reade what ye have in that 36. Chapter of Ezekiel at the 25. verse and so downwards Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you and ye shall be clean from all your filthiness and from all your idols will I cleanse you A new heart also will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and I wil give you an heart of flesh And I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my Statutes and ye shall keep my judgments and do them First I pray mark here That the Lord does promise Remission of sin although it be never so great I will sprinkle clean water upon you and wash ye from all your filthiness and from all your idols wil I cleanse you But saies a poor doubting soul Though the Lord do thus wash me I am so foule and so unclean that I am afraid I shall never be cleansed Yes saies the Lord I will sprinkle clean water upon you and ye shall be clean But though I be clean and cleansed from my guilt and my sin pardoned yet notwithstanding I have such a naughty filthy heart as I shall foul my self again See what follows A new heart also will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you Oh! but my heart is so hard like a stone that I shall resist this mercy of God Nay saies he And I will take away the stony heart cut of your flesh I will take away the Resistance the stony heart out of your flesh But though it be so as long as my nature is unchanged I shal never do that which is right Saies God I will change your nature for you I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and I will give you an heart of flesh I wil make such a change in you That whereas before Naturally ye were as hard as a stone now I wil make you as soft as flesh But though the Lord do thus change my Nature yet notwithstanding I shall never be able to order my conversation aright I shall never be obedient Mark what follows I will put my Spirit within you and I will cause you to walk in my Statutes I will make you obedient saies God Oh! what streams of mercy are here But I pray mind the Fountain whence these flow They al flow from this fountain of Free-remission The first is I will sprinkle clean water upon you and cleanse you from all your idols I will forgive you freely I but though this be set first it may be this is not the Cause of the rest how shal it appear that this Free-remission is the Cause of all our holiness Then I pray look into the 8. chap. of the Epistle to the Hebrews where this Covenant of grace is repeated at the 10. verse For this is the Covenant that I will make with the house of Israel saith the Lord I will put my laws into their minds and write them in their hearts and they shall not teach every man his neighbor and every man his brother saying Know the Lord for all shall know me from the least to the greatest Why for I will be merciful to their unrighteousness and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more So that Remission is the Cause of Sanctification I will thus and thus sanctifie saies the Lord For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness and their sins and iniquities will I remember no more this is the Cause of all that Now I say When a man is once estated in this Covenant of grace the Lord ye see is engaged then for to make him holy And as by works and seeking Justification by works a man is estated in the Covenant of works So by faith and seeking Justification by faith alone a man is estated in the Covenant of grace and so the Lord is engaged for to make him holy So that thus you see now This Free-grace of God Justification of a poor sinner by faith alone it is no enemy but a real friend unto all our Holiness and Spiritual life No wonder therefore that the Apostle saies And now I live Applyca By way of Application If all these things be so Then here we see the reason why men are no more Gracious no more Heavenly no more Holy no more Spiritual in their lives because they think not of this they study not this they never had the true sence of this Even because they do not stand cleer from their own Duties and their own Doings as to the great matter of Justification and acceptance with God Is the Free-remission of sin and Justification by faith alone the Fountain and Original of all our Holiness Then why stand ye gazing upon your own Duties upon your own Prayers and Mournings Would ye live I know you would Skin for skin Job 2.4 and all that a man hath will he give for his life But would you live Spiritually would you live an Eternal life that life that never dies that Communicative life that life that is better than you should have had in the State of innocencie Then do you stand clear from all your own Doings and Duties and Workings as to this great matter of your Acceptance with God the Father Do ye think that Jesus Christ will present a Duty or a service unto God the Father that steps into his room and place and Office What is the Place and room of Christ He is our Saviour and the Mediator between God and man that stands between God and man for to cause Acceptance with God the Father if then you Pray Hear Reade Mourn and think
by al these to fetch in your Acceptance with God the Father Do you not bring your Duty into the room of Christ and into the place of Christ and do ye think that the Lord Jesus Christ will ever present such a Duty unto God the Father as steps into his room and place What a sad thing is it for a man to draw his own Works or his own Doings into his Acceptance or Justification for a man to turn aside to the Covenant of Works Object You will say But when may a man be said for to draw his own Works or Duties into his Acceptance with God the Father Or when may a man be said To turn aside to the Covenant of Works Answ Even godly men do it too much Abraham though the father of the faithful went into Hagar the type of the Law And so now the children of Abraham Beleevers do too much go into Hagar still and to the Law still When a man cannot dares not relye upon Jesus Christ till he first sees his own Duty and his own Prayer and Inlargment in Duty then he does this too much When a man does measure all his Acceptance with God the Father by his own Performance if I be Enlarged then I am Accepted if I am straightened now I am not Accepted then he does this too much When a man will not come to Christ till his heart be first quickened and warmed by some particular word then he does this too much But Oh! you you that are godly labour I beseech ye in Christ to stand clear from your own Duties and Doings The more distinct knowledge ye have in this Truth and the more ye walk in the sence of it the more Spiritual and Holy ye will be Object 1 But will some say that I may take off some scruples and answer some Cases of Conscience If these things be so then do I fear that my Obedience was never right for truly I have even turned aside to a Covenant of Works the Lord knows I have I remember the time when I had Legal-breakings and all my Obedience hath flowed from thence Is Free-remission and Justification by faith alone the fountain and spring-head of all our Obedience and Holiness then seeing that Legal-breakings have been the spring-head of all my Obedience then do I fear my Obedience was never right Oh! I fear that I have been wrong all this while that I have been but an Hypocrite all this while and have deceived my self and been under the Law all this while Answ Stay a little You read in Scripture concerning Jacob and Esau 't is said That the Elder shall serve the Younger Gen. 25.23 That is saies Luther in a spiritual way the Elder the Law shall serve the Younger the Gospel and the Elder Sin shall serve the Younger Grace Now have your former Legal-breakings made you more for to prize Grace and to prize Christ and to prize Free-remission and Justification by faith alone Here then the Elder does serve the Younger And what though Legal-breakings were first and were the Elder in your heart yet so long as the Elder does serve the Younger thou hast no reason to be discouraged in this respect Object 2 I fear that my Obedience and my Holiness is not right because it is so little and so scant Free-remission the fountain of all our Holiness that is a full Fountain and if my Holiness were a stream from that Fountain it would be more full and more abundant The Jews they knew little of this Truth Justification by faith alone and yet they were Holy David holy and Moses holy and Josiah holy is this the fountain of all our Grace and of all our Holiness Free-remission and Justification by faith alone Then the more discovery there is of this the more Holy we should be but alas I find my Holiness and my Obedience so scant and little that I am afraid it can never come from so full a fountain as this is Answ Beloved There is nothing little between God and a gracious soul There is nothing smal that comes from God to you because it comes from an infinite God There is nothing smal that goes from a gracious soul unto God again because it comes from an infinite desire of pleasing God It is one thing to be more in the Shell and another thing to be more in the Kernel Luther professes that when he was a Monke as it seems by his writings he was fifteen years in a Cloyster Saies he When I was a Monke I was a great deal more Holy then according to the outward appearance than I am now then I Prayed and then I Fasted and then I Macerated my body and then I went meanly but now I Eat and I Drink and I Cloath my self as others do and yet now one little Prayer is more accepted with God than all my fifteen years Prayers before why because saies he then I prayed in a way of Works and sought Justification in a way of Works but now I have had a taste of this Justification by faith alone and a little from thence is more pleasing unto the Lord then all the fifteen years before But who ever you are that make this Objection Give me leave to propound these Two Questions to you First Whereas you say It is little and therefore you fear it cannot come from so full a fountain Doest thou stint or limit thy self in thy Obedience or in thy Holiness A man that seeks to be justified and saved by his working he does stint and limit himself I have enough saies he for to bring me to heaven and what need I more a great many are very precise and strict but I praise the Lord I have enough for to bring me to heaven and what need I more So he stints and limits himself And I have been Weeping and Mourning enough for to get forgivenesse and the Lord now hath forgiven me and what need I more Thus he stints and limits himself because he is under the Law and under a Covenant of Works Again Though your Obedience as you think is very little and very small Do you oppose those that have much do you oppose those that have the power of godliness and those that have more than your self A man that seeks Justification by Works he does oppose those men that have more Holiness than himself See I pray how it was with the Jews in that 9. of the Romans and the 31. vers But Israel which followed after the Law of righteousness hath not attained to the Law of righteousnesse Wherefore Because they sought it not by faith but as it were by the works of the Law for they stumbled at that stumbling stone They stumbled at Christ they stumbled at Christianity they stumbled at the corner stone And so now Moral and Civil men that seek acceptance though they do not understand themselves in a way of working they oppose those that are more godly that have the power of