life as those under the Law for the Law is a voyce of words it bids me doe this or that or I shal be damned and if I went a little awrie I should lose all my labour no I see my salvation is safe hell and damnation are shut out of doores God is my Father and I am his childe I am in an everlasting Covenant there is nothing in Heaven or Hell shall be able to separate me from the love of God Now I am redeemed from my enemies and without feare as the Scripture saith why should I not serve him and studie to doe what he commands me Besides admit the Gospel bids thee doe many things the Gospel also gives thee power to doe them 2. The Gospel gives power to do what it requireth It is not a voice of words as that on Mount Sinai Heb. 12. that is words that had a voice but no power thou shalt doe this and not that but it gave no strength and the people were not able to beare the word for they were bid not to commit adultery not to sweare not to steale and there was no strength but a voyce But the voyce of the Gospel is a voyce of power it is called The day of Gods power the power of God to salvation The Arme of God the strength of God Therefore whatsoever the Gospel commands it gives a sweet power to the heart to doe the same and then it is no bad newes If a man bid me pay a thousand pounds for my neighbour and give me a thousand pounds in my hand it is easie to doe it The Gospel bids me deny myselfe and subdue my lusts if it did give no power it were a terrible thing but if withall the Gospel carry the Spirit of Christ into the heart and kill sin and make me able to deny my selfe then it is good newes 3. Gospel duties few and easie Besides the duties that the Gospel bids me doe they are few for number and easie for nature and for the end of them it is not for life and salvation that is safe there is no danger of that and there is a Spirit to them And also there is a sweetnesse in Gospel obedience that there is nothing on this side glory so Pleasing to the soule that hath believed as obeying of Jesus Christ Ro. 6. You have your reward in holines Godly men say that this is the meaning of it that holiness is a reward to it selfe the doing of good things is a reward to it selfe To say nothing of the reward hereafter that there is a Crowne of glory 1. Cor. 15. your labour is not in vaine in the Lord. You that work for him but the very doing of Gospel dutie with a Gospel spirit it is no other than meate and drink Our Lord Christ Job 4. when he was hungrie and thirstie when hee was wearie one would have thought he might have done many things more pleasing than to be teaching a sillie woman when they came with meate hee would not leave that that he was doing I have meate saith he that you know not off who gave it thee said they Saith he It is my meate and drink to doe the will of him that sent me So when wee have the heart and the nature and the spirit of Christ it will be sweeter than meate and drink out of love to do any thing that Jesus Christ commands us Againe Object The Gospel requires Faith it may be some man will say the Gospel for the most part brings good newes but there is one thing in the Gospel that me thinks is no good newes to poore sinners saith a poore soule the Ministers use to preach and to tell me that the Law saith doe this and live and the Minister tells me that the Gospel saith believe and live he saith that there shall be all happinesse and good to me if I believe and saith the poor soule for my part it is as possible for me to keep the ten Commandments as to believe and the Ministers say that there is no good thing in the Gospel that I can partake of except I believe I would like it well but for that one thing I would but I cannot believe To answer this if the Gospel held forth Christ Answ The Gospel breeds faith and salvation upon believing as many oft preach it were little better tidings than the Law for it is as easie for a man of himselfe to keep the ten Comandments by obeying as to believe of himself to have faith to receive Christ Therefore that is a misunderstanding of the Gospel the Gospel saith not bring faith with thee and then here is all grace salvation No for whence should I have faith Whatsoever is of the flesh is flesh and what is of me is flesh and abominable to God therefore the Gospel expects not that any sinner should bring faith for he hath it not nay it is a sin to endeavour to have it of himselfe But the Gospel as it brings salvation so it breeds faith in the heart of a sinner The same word that makes known salvation the same word breeds and begets faith in the heart to receive it That God that gives his almes to us gives a purse to carry it that God that gives Physick to a poore soule will give a hand to receive it It were strange if God should expect faith from a poore sinner whereas for ought I know and learned men hold that Adam in innocencie had not the faith that we are justified by and for ought I know the Angels in heaven have it not and whence should a poore sinner have it It is God that gives repentance to Israel and God is the author and finisher of our faith Heb. 12. And in Philip. 1. It is given to you to believe Therefore when I heare of grace and glory and salvation by Jesus Christ I must not consider where I shall have a vessell to carry iâ— home where I shall have faith to receive it but it carries the vessel with it and I goe and take the promise and by the holy Spirit that same Gospel that brought the grace will work faith or else it were as harsh as the Law Therefore never stand off about faith for he that gives grace and salvation will work faith Againe Object Discipline and government in the Gospel it may be objected by some wee confesse that the Gospel is good newes and blessed be God it is performed also But it seemes that there is in the Gospel or annexed to it a discipline or a government whereby wee shall be ruled thus saith one thus saith another and if we receive the Gospel of Christ we must receive the Government of Christ say the Ministers and wee feare that will be no good newes to our poor soules Ans Two wrong governments since Christ As for that in few words as I am able I confesse Beloved that in or with the Gospel of
Apostle bids them doe all things decently and in order They had before in prophesâ—ing spoken three or foure at once so they missed of the end the Church was not edified Secondly they made the gifts of some vaine they justled and put out one another So when you in the worship of God or any thing that God hath not determined doe so as that you attaine the end and when things suit that one is not justled out and undervalued by another then it is done orderly So this is the sence there are many things that are lawfull but are not expedient That is many lawfull things if I doe them at such a time I shall doe them disorderly As it is lawfull for you to speake but if you speake while I am a preaching it is disorderly for we shall not attaine the end of preaching you will put me out and make but a squabling so put these foure generall rules together you understand the doctrine that all things that are lawfull are not expedient If I were not desirous to make an end of this I could prove the doctrine though it need not much proofe by scripture and by parallelling it with other things with naturall things As in the Civill law many things are lawfull that are not convenient it is lawful for me to keep my child barer in apparrell than my servant but it is not convenient It is lawfull to keep my servant better than my wife but it is not convenient It is lawfull for a man to sleepe all day and to work all night I meane by the lawes of England but it is not convenient There are abundance of things that are lawfull for the saints that are no way expedient for them to doe But I passe that and hasten to the use and application briefely a word at this time Use To eye what is expedient and leave the rest for another time From this that hath been said learne this use which is the Third doctrine but for brevitie I make it the use or the application Of all that this being so that every thing that is lawfull is not expedient then it is the dutie of Christians to eye and observe not only I had almost said not so much but certainly not only to eye what is lawfull but in all their waies to looke what is expedient that is to see that it be orderly convenient laudable lovely of good report else though it be lawfull meddle not with it Therefore you shall see that the Apostle in all these questions from the seaventh Chapter to the middle of the eleaventh as you have many questions and in all or most of those the Apostle diverts the question They aske him if it were lawfull to marrie and being married if it were lawfull to put away their wives and if it were lawfull to eat meat offered to Idoles The Apostle doth not punctually answer to one of them whether it were lawfull or no but shewes what was convenient As if he should have said in all these and whatsoever else eye what is convenient and expedient as much and sometimes more than what is lawfull Reproofe of those that only regard what is lawfull Therefore this being so this points out clearly a generall fault among you That there are many professors among us this is the rule of their walking they only eye what is lawfull and what is unlawfull they goe about and trouble every minister and make endlesse questions Is this lawful and is that is it lawfull to play at Tables and at Cards and to weare long haire and naked breasts I will not dispute the lawfullnesse but I pray thee eye if it be seemly and of good report among the Saints whether it be convenient whether it advance any bodies good eye this There is a profession among you and a multitude of professors this is their religion they put their wayes under the new Testament in eye only what is absolutely lawfull or unlawfull good or evill and their questions are is it lawfull to doe this and that Sir They will goe as neare hell as one saith as the halter will reach as farr as they have law thy will goe to the brink of the pit as far as it is lawful though it may be they offend others and harden others that they will not come into God and breake the peace betweene them and their brethren and yet care not it is no matter is it not lawfull O wretched unhappie people that eye only the rule of lawfullnes and unlawfullnes What shall I say to them I have three words to say 1. It is a signe of an hypocrite First I say to such people that usually it is the signe of an hypocrit though it be not a certaine signe it is a very shrewd one it is a signe of a hollow heart that was never right to God that eyes only what is lawfull to doe it and unlawfull to avoid it it is a signe of a base heart that will do no more than needs must Why It is a signe that there is no love to God he will doe so much as God flatly commands and avoid that that God forbids or else he knowes he shall be damned but a heart full of love will alway be asking what is pleasing and seemly A drudg or servant in the house hates her master and had as live be hanged as to serve him if shee knew how but shee must but a wife that loves her husband dearely will shee doe every thing that shee may shee may goe to bed and lie til noone if she will he will not be angrie with her and though her husband bid her doe nothing yet shee will studie what is lovely and decent and comely pleasing and will not he take it kindly when he comes home O there is no love in thee a thousand to one but thou hast an hypocriticall heart for if there were love to God thou wouldest never stand so much upon lawfull and unlawfull as what is decent and comely c. hypocrites will goe as neare hell as they can that is their designe and the readie way thither is to goe to lawfull things only and not things expedient Well Secondly 2. It is a signe of an old Testament spirrit if it be not the signe of an hypocrit for I canoÌ„t say certainly it is yet it is a signe of an old Testament spirit divers of you rightly understand not that word it sounds harsh to you if you be strangers I wonder not at it but if you be those that continually heare me open the old Testament how our fathers were saved by the same Christ and by the same Covenant that we are c. I wonder that you should stumble for as you understand the book of God in reading it you coÌ„pare one thing with another so you must understand mens preaching comparing one Sermon with another Now when I say an old Testament spirit I mean not another
Lord to give you sobrietie of spirit not to be wise above what is written it is pride in your hearts that makes you misse the will of God begg sobrietie and that in two things briefly First I discerne that you want this sobrietie in that people generally will bring their crotchets â— To subject our fancies to the word and fancies that they have hatched themselves to the word of God to make the word of God a cloak only a thing to prove their owne fancies whereas you must doe the contrarie raile every lesson out of the word of God Therefore as the word is in Ephes 4. the Apostle bids us not to be carryed with every slieght of men with dyce playing of men as the Greek is that is men use the Scripture as they use dice they make it speak any thing as a dice player that is cunning he will throw aimes ace or sise sinck So I have seen a man that hath alleadged the example of Noah to defend his drunkennesse c. O it is an abominable thing to make the word of God a bawd I speak with reverence to our witts and fancies as wee too often make it I have seen a man once that kept halfe a dozen men about him to goe to assizes and Courtes to sweare and he would carry any businesse only tell him what they should sweare and he had half a dozen or halfe a score that would doe it you think this was an abominable thing Beloved you doe a more cursed thing when you make the Scripture to second your own fancies you make the word of God to speake what your fancy would have it 2. To follow notions no further than they agree with the word Secondly sobrietie in this many of you raise a notion and start it from the word of God but in the pursuite of it you goe without it then you goe to metaphisicalls and so draw one conceite out of another beware of this as you raise any thing out of the word so follow it no farther than the light of the word goes before you and there lay it down Thirdly pray as for wisdome and sobrietie 3. Watchfulnesse so for a watchfull heart you must be watchfull Christians if you will walk by this rule Thereupon in the Gospel you are often called upon to be watchfull you must be fervent in spirit serving the Lord or as some will have it serving the seasons or opportunities If you will studie what is expedient you must looke to circumstances time and manner c. Or else you cannot walk by this rule Especially in this time and age wee live in and in this City that wee dwell in for I know not the man this day in the world that knows if he might have his will how to order the Church affaires in this City I know a hundred that can order all the Kingdome besides but not here Therefore you have the more need to walk warily and circumspectly to looke round about to see what may edifie and what may hinder our brethren and what hinders most you must have your eyes in your head if you will live in London as a Saint I pray the Lord to give you circumspect hearts Last of all pray to the Lord to fill you with more love above all things put on love 4. Love Col. 3. which is the bond of perfectnesse If you doe all the rest if God doe not raise your hearts to more love of God and the brethren you will not goe far enough Love doth nothing amisse it doth nothing unseemly If you have love you will find all waies and opportunities to doe things to the glory of God and the good of others So I have briefly run over that that I intended from these words I have been the more briefe in some things because I would not trouble you another time from this Scripture I leave what hath been said with you desire the Lord to blesse it to you GLAD TYDINGS from HEAVEN TO The Worst of SINNERS on Earth BY WALTER CRADOCK Late Preacher at Hallows Great in LONDON LUKE 2 10. Feare not for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people LONDON Printed by Mathew Simmons 1648. To the Christian Reader READER THe nature of man is prone to be inquisitive after newes especially in these unsetled distracted times amongst us it is a great part of the imploiment of people and takes up much of their time as if London were Athens and the people thereof Athenians Act. 17.21 who spent their time in nothing else but either to tell or to heare some newes And yet the news wee beare is sometimes bad sometimes uncertain and many times false Divert thy thoughts awhile from earthly things and in this ensuing Treatise thou shalt heare what newes from heaven in the Gospel The Law indeed brings us tidings but it is like the message of Ehud to Eglon it brings a dagger with it that stabs mortally Judge 3.21 but the ridings of the Gospel is like that message of the young Prophet to Jehu 2. King 9.6 to make him a King There is nothing truly terrible but the Gospel brings tidings of our freedome from it if we be believers nor nothing truly amiable but it tells us of our interest in it How welcome to a poore captive is newes of deliverance from slaverie The Gospel brings us tidings of our deliverance from sin Satan death hell from wrath and damnation it tells us of riches and glory and Kingdomes and Crownes and whatsoever may satisfie the capacious soule of man God hath appointed different conditions for men and Angels the Angels that stood they are so confirmed that they cannot fall the Angels that fell they are determined under eternall wrath that they cannot rise but God from everlasting in his love and mercy had appointed that fallen man should have a way of recovery as a board after shipwracke whereby he might come safe to the shore And God in time was pleased to come out of his hidden eternity and to discover this love of his to the world and hath sent his Son to puhchase it and his Spirit to apply it and his servants to tell not this or that perticuler man but all Nations Mat 28.19 Luk. 2.10 Joh. 3.16 that whosoever believeth in Jesus Christ shall have everlasting life this blessed tidings is brought by the Gospel And let none say this newes is to good to be true for God who is truth it selfe as it were on purpose to anticipate the infidelity of man hath said it and sworne it and sealed it with the blood of his deare Son that we might have strong consolation Heb. 6.8 and hath made this fabrick of the world to be as a stage to act the redemption of his people on which being finished it shall be no more It should stir us up to love and blesse the Father and his Son Jesus
shall have the Lord knows I know not but only thus much I say that what ever it will be if it be according to these straines that have been heretofore than I confesse there will be a great deale of heavie tidings and hard newes even in the Gospel of Jesus Christ if men call it Gospel or any thing belonging to it For my part as I am wholly ignorant what Government men will set up and call it Christs right or wrong So I am not ignorant of the feares and jealousies that are in the hearts of godly people of this and that thing but be sure if it be the government of Jesus Christ and his discipline there will be nothing but good newes and glad tidings to the honestest heart and tenderest conscience and if it be not such a government it is not of God for I have proved plainly that there is nothing in the Gospel of Jesus Christ but good newes and glad tidings to the worst of sinners But if it be a government that I shall be compelled against conscience and my goods confiscated for this or that trifle this is not according to the Gospel for there are none of these terrible things in the Gospel of Christ it is all sweet The two worst things in the Gospel good newes I will give you but one instance and passe it over In the government of Christ according to the Scriptures the two worst and harshest things that you shall finde there you shall see clearely that they are good things and good newes for a poore Christian to have them set up over his soule As first of all you know that in the Gospel 1. Reproofe the government or discipline call it which may you will We finde in some cases that the Lord Jesus will have us not only comfort and exhort and teach one another but in some cases he will have us reprove one another Benefit of Gospel reproofe and have our Ministers reprove us also but in love and tendernes This is one of the harshest things and this if you look right on it with a spirituall eye truly it is glad tidings for a poore Saint when he hath forgot himself by the violence of some lust Then for a sincere hearted Brother or Sister in the spirit of meeknes and love to reprove him and set his bones in joynt You have some of you found in experience that a sweet and wise reproofe hath been as pleasing to you as any Sermon of consolation that ever you heard And therefore you see in Scripture how the Lord sets downe reproofe that you may not be affraid of it Levit. 19.17 he tells you that reproofe is an argument of love Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart but rather reprove him It is an argument of love A man that reproves another wisely and meekly he loves him for otherwise his poore soule is going in the way towards hell from God and fellowship with God going on in sin Now a man that reproves him he brings him backe againe from sin and that strangnes from God that he was in a course to run into therefore I say there is no such evil in reproofe Besides the Scripture saith it is a precious thing Ps 14â— 5 David saith Let the righteous smite me and it shall be as balme it shall be a kindness let him reprove me and it shall be an excellent oile it shall not breake my head It shall be as excellent oile or balme to heale his soule Reproofe is called a profitable thing also 2 Tim. 3. The Scripture is profitable for instruction and reproofe c. If reproofe were an evil thing one could not say that the Scripture were profitable for such an end It is a great judgment of God when God casts a man into such a condition that no body will reprove him It is a thing that I am many times affraid of truly almost to trembling least a man should so carrie himselfe to the Saints and so estrange himselfe that they will not reprove him O it is fearefull when a man stands on his owne bottome and on his owne leggs that men shall say there is a Professor he is so proud and so foolish that none will reprove him Saith God to Ezkiel Thou shalt not be a reprover to this peaple and in Hosea 3. Let no man strive or reprove another Why so saith the Lord in the end of the Chapter Let him be as a backsliding heifer Ephraim is joyned to Idols let him alone It is a pitifull thing when God shall leave a man as a heifer that is turned into the meddow to grasse let him alone They used to plow with heifers in those dayes as we doe with horses and Oxen and the horses and Oxen are called from the house to the Plow and are driven and beaten but when the Oxe is turned to grasse to be fatted let him alone he lies downe and riseth when he will so these people were so wicked that no man should reprove his brother but he should be as a lambe in a fat Pasture So that reproofe that is one of the harshest things in the government of Christ in the Gospel it is a good a precious and profitable thing It is a great judgment to be without it therefore though that be used the doctrine holds true that there is nothing but good newes glad tidings in the Gospel of Jesus Christ There is another thing that is Excommunication 2 Excomunication cutting a man off from the people of God or delivering him up to Satan A man may say that is a terrible thing It is terrible as I said before when there is secular punishment with it confiscation of goods and losse of estate and freedome but according to the Gospel of Christ you shall see that even the delivering men up to Satan Christ Jesus intends it in love for the good and salvation of their soules It is harsh but it is good newes 2 Cor. 5. saith the Apostle In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ when yee are gathered together and my spirit with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ to deliver such a one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus speaking of the incestuous person If men will be so wretched as to sin grosly the Lord Jesus hath ordered that such a man shall be delivered to Satan for what that he may be damned and to bring him to hell No for the destruction of the flesh that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus And truly Beloved I have seen more than one that have blessed God for that Ordinance that have been brought to humble their soules and sweetly and closely to walk with God againe by the blessing of God on that Ordinance Now I have told you the worst in the Gospel either reproofe and that but upon great occasion or else delivering to Satan
not quite rooted out that there is in the Gospel administration some ill and bad tidings there is some love and some hatred some mercy and some wrath you think that it may be God is your father and it may be he is your enemie and that because you have sinned he will damne you to hell This is naturall and ordinary Now if you were convinced that there were nothing in the Gospel since our Lord Jesus is gone to heaven and is at the right hand of his Father there is nothing in his dispensation but love and mercy and no wrath hell and damnation and sin c. are all thrown away and if I be perfectly righteous and perfectly justified from all my sins if I have the spirit of Christ given me and am one with God for ever by an everlasting Covenant and shall have life and a Crowne of glory for ever and my sins shall not be laid to my charge O what a cleare and sweet spirit should I have in Gods service and not a muddie and dogged and froward spirit that ariseth from guilt soaking into the soule When I view this truth over and pull it by peice-meale and see that there is no gall nothing in the Gospel first or last but what is amiable and beautifull and blessed newes to sinners then there should follow this consideration why should there be any thing in my heart and spirit towards God but amiable thoughts and love c why should there be any of those coares of unbeliefe and distruct and feare and horrour Those mixtures of adoption and bondage Why should there be hellish feares or guilt in me since there is no wrath not anger at all in God Why should not the carriage of my heart be clear towards him as his is in his Sonne by the administration of the Gospel towards me Labour for a perfect spirit of adoption that you may not have any of those bublings of bondage in your spirits that now over take you and are twisted and woven with that little adoption that you have For who is there among us to this houre but when he comes before the Lord and hath a little smiling in his soule to see his favour and a little joy and delight to come at him and yet there is some feare and trembling as Peter when he was on the waves and what if God will not receive me c. Therefore studie to keep up the spirit of adoption It is a hard thing to keep up the temper of a childe in the soule especially when God lets a man fall into temptations and folly and weaknesse c. But though it be hard labour to keep up that temper at least thus much that thou never come to so low a condition which was the prayer of one that was a good man wherein thou canst not with a full mouth and with a cleare heart call God father and thee his childe though the unhappiest and unworthiest childe If thou come below this if thou call on God with feare and canst not cry abba abba that is as much as daddie daddie as our babes use to say if thou doe not come so high thou art spoiled and undone desire God to teach you this Lesson also The damnation of them that refuse the Gospel just Thirdly if this be so that the Ministery of the Gospel is all glad tidings to the worst of sinners then I appeale to you all and let every man put his hand upon his owne breast and if this be a truth as I hope it hath been cleared you shall all be your own judges how just will the damnation of that sinner be that will not receive the Gospel If there were in the Gospel ridged tidings sad newes as people are apt to fancie to themselves then it were no wonder if one persecuted it and another despised it and another neglected it and another turned it into wantoness But when it comes in such a â—reame that there is nothing but love and light and salvation and grace and all freely laid down at the feet of a sinner for his receiving nay he shall have power and grace to receive it he shall have salvation and a vessell to carry it in judge how justly thy damnation will be in the last day man or woman whosoever thou art that settest thy selfe against the Gospel and wilt not receive salvation Damnation mentioned frequently in the new-Testament why This is the reason why damnation comes out so rife in the new Testament it is scars ever mentioned in the old Testament that I know of damnation is not mentioned in the old Testament nor hell but as it is taken for the grave c. But when grace and the Gospel and life comes damnation comes at the heeles of it How can yee escape the damnation of hell Then comes the worme that never dieth and the fire that never goeth out The reason is because then damnation is proper Then when a man will not receive salvation not because he cannot no man is damned because he cannot receive Christ but because he will not receive this salvation and grace Therefore saith Christ Mat. 28. Goe preach the Gospel he that believeth shall be saved he that believeth not shall be damned That is saith that godly Dr Preston go tell every wicked man this good newes that Christ hath brought salvation But it may be they will not believe what we say to them there is no more in the long and short but in a word tell them they shall be damned That is the reason in Mat. 22. where the Ministery of the Gospel is compared to a feast of dainties and one slights it and another despiseth it and another rejecteth it and when the Master of the feast came it is said he found one without a wedding garment and that the man was speechlesse he was as a man saith Beza with a halter about his neck saith hee goe Binde him hand and foot and cast him into utter darknesse there shall be weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth He was speechlesse he had nothing to say and truly I have had more experience lately than ever I had in my life I saw a man that was accounted all his life a professed Athiest and I was with him in the roome when one in the company opened the Gospel from one end to the other as I have endeavoured in my poore abilitie to doe now and all the riches and the salvation of it how free it is how there is no core nor nothing but what is amiable Saith the man when he had done judge yee will yee not think it just if yee be damned if ye will not receive and obey this Saith he it is so I deserve to be damned without mercy Consider this you will say so too you will be made to confesse how just your damnation will be for refusing it If there were any thing in all this that were harsh and cruell and rough
passion Thus of the 1. generall head Things indifferent Next of the morall Law 2. For the morall law of the ten Commandements whose injunctions and prohibitions directly determine the question what things are necessary viz. must be done or must not be done and consequentially what it leaves out it resolves us to be indifferent the licentious of this age lay aside thereby to attain a vaster liberty to make more things indifferent then ever God made and so to doe even what they please And their pretended reason is because they conclude it to be of the Covenant of works And I wish they have not learnt it from Pulpits unskilfully handling it and putting it wrongfully under that notion For the morall law of the to Commandements is cleerly an appendix or part of the Covenant of Grace For as Love answers to faith in the New Testament so did the ten Commandements answer to the Ceremoniall law in the Old Testament Will any man that is in his wits according to Scripture deny that either love in the New Testament or the Ceremoniall Law in the Old Testament were of the Covenant of Grace The text is plain Gal. 5.6 In Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing that is then or at any time in the outside nor uncircumcision but faith which worketh by love And the Lord Christ and the Apostles have this often up The law is fulfilled in this one word LOVE And saith Christ of the Ceremoniall law John 5.48 Had ye believed Moses yee would have believed me for he wrote of mee I need say no more to mind men that love in the N. T. and the Ceremoniall Law in the O. T. were of the Covenant of Grace and that love in the N. T. answers to the ten Commandements in the O. T. And is there any thing in the ten Commandements to bespeake them a place in the Covenant of workes Doth commanding Why then doth Christ so often say to believers John 14 c. If you love me keepe my Commandements It 's farre more suitable to a Gospel way and a gracious Covenanting Spirit rather to be commanded by the authority of his Saviour then to pinne all obedience upon the power of his own uncertain love Luther hints notably to this Lord saith hee thou commandest me to pray I cannot pray as I would but I will obey Though my prayer be not acceptable yet thine owne Commandement is acceptable to thee And if ever any man Luther was of a most pure high gospel-Gospel-spirit deny it who can that hath read his Commentary on the Epistle to the Galatians now common in English On the other side what meanes the preface to the ten Commandements viz. I am the Lord Hebr. JEHOVAH Thy God which have brought thee out of the LAND of AEGYPT out of the house of bondage Doe not these words usher in the Commandements and set them down amidst the Covenant of Grace For here God as our God upon new tearms of redemption freely offering himselfe to us not upon the old namely doe this and thou shalt live We are brought out of Aegypt in Christ Mat. 2.15 That is we are brought out of sprituall Aegypt the wicked world as John expounds it Revel 11.8 An hint of these things is enough to them that will understand And doe not severall promises annexed to severall Commandements as to the 2d 4th 5th sound of Gospel-grace to the same tune with the preface I am importuned to be short for the accommodation of the Printer therefore I can but touch things It were strange if God many hundred yeares after his Govenant of Grace which he promised and plighted with man Gen. 3. Expounded and further confirmed Gen. 17. Compare Rom. 4. Should at Sinai make a Covenant of workes Learned and pious Polanus renowned for both is bold to speak higher It were very unreasonable saith hee to imagine that God should make a Covenant of workes with man after Adams fall and so unable to doe any spirituall thing having made THAT only ONCE viz. in Paradise when man was in a CAPACITIE to enter into SUCH a Covenant Object The Apostle Paul often in his Epistles opposeth the Law to faith and seemes to understand both the Ceremoniall and morall Answ The Apostle doth not oppose the Law to faith as the Law is considered in it selfe but as it is misconceived and misemployed by the Justiciary Selfe-justifier Cleer enough the morall law is not opposite to faith Jam. 2.21 to the end of the Chapter study the place For the least thou canst make of it will be thus much that a working faith is the only living justifying faith Working must justifie faith to be true faith as faith justifies us to be true Saints But the justiciary that would justifie himselfe by working he lookes upon all law both morall and Ceremoniall yea and upon the law of FAITH too as the Apostle cals it as on works Those of the Jewes that were such justiciaries obeyed the morall law not out of faith working by love Gal. 5. but out of selfe-love to justifie themselves by selfe-wrought righteousnesse Mark 10.20 Luk. 10.29 And they sacrificed and used other things of the Ceremoniall law not as an expiation and attonement including Christ as the kernel but as on workes by them performed to their cost and labour and so rested in the deede done Jer. 7.4 And so the Prophet cals Ceremonies there then lying vanities And forbids them Isa 1. Upon this consideration the Apostle speaks acuratly and precisely to the false notion of these Jewish justiciaries Rom. 9.31 32. They attained not to righteousnesse because they sought it not by faith but AS IT WERE by the workes of the Law meaning that the law morall or Ceremoniall was not in themselves of the Covenant of works but by the false notion of justiciaries they were to them tanquam WORKES they were as so to them to this Luther speaks notably to this effect Men saith he looke on the law asquint they looke on the law given by Moses as MOSES MOSISSIMUS that is MEER MOSAIGALL MOSES i. e. upon the Outward things and performances abstracted by themselves and so the Law saith he kills And not on the Law as given by Moses AARONICUS that is AARONICALL MOSES i. e. as Aaron the High Priest joyned with Moses typifying Christs Priestly office as Moses did his Propheticall and Kingly whereby attonement is signified for our persons and for the sins of our imperfect obeying the commands of either law and so our soules are saved alive So that as faith and love cannot be separated nor may they be confoūded in the New Testament Not confounded to make the law of faith a worke as the Papists and others doe whiles they adore it as a quality in us without its object Christ grasped in the hand thereof and so looke upon it as love viz. as a working thing in us or to make love as faith as if love were the forme of faith perfecting
use for salvation A second instance is this that the Gospel holds forth to sinners all the wrong wayes that they goe and all the wrong meanes that they use to save their soules this is by the light of the Gospel Man naturally is either dead in sin or asleep or if he be a little awaked he takes a thousand wayes to goe to heaven and none of them Gods way none of them the right way Every carnall man sometime or other hath some designe in his head to save his soule one man thinks to doe it by his equity and justice in his dealing and trading another by his hospitality and charity to the poore another by hearing of Sermons and performing of duties as in the time of Poperie how many yeares did they spend spent their strength and time and their money and when all came to all all was lost all their ways were the wrong way to Heaven Now the light of the Gospel discovers all these false wayes and shewes that you will come short of the glory of God and the salvation of your soules and will convince you that There is no Name under heaven by which you can be saved but only the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ Consider is not this good newes that God should come first by the Ministery of the Gospel and shew thee thy wretched condition and then when thou hast spent thy time and strength in false wayes to be reconciled to God and to save thy soule the Gospel comes and discovers all these that thou maiest go seek the true way 3. It holds forth Gods love to sinners Thridly the Gospel holds forth to poore sinners that there is a love an eternall love an infinite love in Gods breast to poore sinners before ever the world was made You know in reason a man would think that God should hate such a one as I am God foresaw what a creature I would be when I was borne and how I have lived and reason would think that love should proceed from something amiable in the object that should produce love some beautie or bountie as wee say but God sees me to be wicked and sinfull and therefore reason would think God must damne me world without end Now the Gospel comes to such a sinner and tells him the case is otherwise it is not so poore sinfull man or woman and though God hate sin above all things in heaven or hell yet God loved thee knowing what thou wouldest be God knows the reason of it we doe not it is as it is said in Deutrenomie I loved thee because I loved thee God hath an infinite speciall love to thy poore soule yet hates thy fin from before the world was made and the Mountaines were brought forth So God loved the world that he gave his Son c. There was a love in God out of which he gave his Son Jesus Christ to die for us This the Gospel and the Spirit of God in it reveales to the poore soule that when I was an enemie to God hee was my friend when I hated him he loved me nay before I was God had thoughts of an infinite eternall love to me 4. Gods love fruitful Then fourthly the Gospel holds forth to a sinner that as God had an infinite love towards him so it was not a cold love that ended in nothing but out of this love God would send his Son Jesus Christ into the world to save sinners This is one maine principle of the Gospel that the Father out of his love sent his own Son that was the Image of his person the Son of his love and delight into this world to lay downe his life and to die for sinners Were it not for the Ministery of the Gospel we could never know this how could we know but by the Gospel that the Lord Jesus Christ did come to die to save sinners So God loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that hee that believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life Fiftly 5. Christ came to work redemption breifly for I doe but give you a few touches of instances it holds out to us that as the Father out of his love seat his Son so that Jesus Christ actually and really is come into the world and took our nature upon him soule and body and the infirmities of both and sanctified our nature that he took and in that nature became our Surety a Publick person for us our Advocate a second Adam That he was conceived and born of the Virgen and that he lived here and so did the will of God and fulfilled his Law and conversed many yeares among men and that therein while he did so he gave us many blessed experiments of his love and mercy to poore sinners in healing the sick in giving sight to the blinde in raising the dead And while he conversed among men he taught and discovered in a great measure the mysteryes of his Fathers counsells to us that else we could never have known and gave us a holy patterne and example of life in humility and patience and delligence and prayer and thankfulnesse All these things are good newes and glad tidings to poore sinners every part of them Then the Gospel tells us that this Lord Jesus Christ after he had walked among men for many yeares together that then as a Publicke person 6. Christ died for us and second Adam and our Surety he did lay downe his life and die for our sins But you will say Where is the good newes from that Hence it is that poore sinners are reconciled to God they are made friends with God Hence it is that poore sinners are redeemed from all their enemies sin and death and wrath and curse and hell all these by the death of the Lord Jesus are removed Then the Gospel tells you that Jesus Christ as hee died for our sins so he rose againe for our justification he rose againe from the dead the third day 7. He roase from death whereby poor sinners are assured that they are justified and freed from all their sins and whereby they shall rise to grace here and their soules and bodies shall rise to glory hereafter with Christ and whereby they shall rise out of all afflictions also in due time For the resurrection of Christ is the ground of our resurrection out of afflictions in this world and every tittle of this is glad tidings and good newes to poore sinners Then the Gospel tells you that after his resurrection he conversed with his Disciples 8. Conversed with his discipls and not with the world and that he met with his Disciples from one mountaine to another from one Towne to another for a few dayes after and there he made many precious Prayers to his Father for them and for all that should believe in him and there he gave them instructions and directions how they should order the Churches of God
hearted sinners or mortified sinners as soone as ever temptation tells you that you are not humbled enough you will be gone againe the bone will be out of joynt againe and so you will be as a reed tossed of the winde you will never be fastened to Christ whosoever holds Christ upon any qualifications on his side must let him goe one time or other As for instance if he thinke the Gospel be directed to broken heartednes and he can weep at a sermon to morrow his heart may be hard and then hee thinks he is a devill that was but now a Saint Therefore many Christians after many yeares Profession of Religion never felt their souls knit till God rightly and truly taught them this lesson but then they were knit to Christ and their soules were never in and out they were never loose more because they were able in all temptations to retreat to this truth as a refuge For let the devil tell a man he is no Saint the soule can say I am a sinner if the devill say thou art an hypocrite I but an hypocrite is but a sinner I am a sinner still though I be not a broken hearted sinner so let the devill and hell say what they will they shall never beat him from that refuge And saith the soul being a sinner I am the proper object of grace and life and salvation in the Gospel and though I have no comfort as a Saint that I am in the Kingdome of Heaven yet at least I have comfort that I am a sinner and I may be there though I have no comfort that I am in yet I have comfort that I am neare and the doore is open though I be not a Siant I am a sinner and if I have no reall interest in Christ as a Saint yet I have interest in the promises of Christ as a sinner and though I cannot serve God chearfully as a Saint yet I will serve God as comfortably as I can as one that may be a Saint In Matth. 13. It is said of the Merchant man he found the feild wherein was the treasure he rejoiced I remember a worthy man of this countrie he saith hee rejoyced not that he had found the pearle the treasure but he rejoyced that he was come neare a good bargaine he was come to the feild where it was so though I be not assured that I am a Saint yet a sinner may rightly receive this truth with joy as a sinner because he is neare a good bargaine Many doe little for God why This is the reason that you have many Professors that mislearne the first principles of religion of which this is the greatest they will never doe any thing for God but when they are assured of their salvation if there be the least doubt that the work of grace is not right they mope and will doe nothing for God but vex and fret and tug and when their qualifications are gone that they builded on then they think they are hypocrites and damned creatures and God shall have no service from them when other people that it may be have not fully assurance they are Saints not one day of three in the whole yeare yet there is a current and streame of obedience and love and delight in God in some measure and they goe on constantly though not so strongly doing and suffering his holy will Why because they have learned the Gospel aright they obey God in the notion of sinners saith the soule I see a great deale of love in God to poore sinners and the Gospel containes nothing but glad tidings to sinners and though I have nothing in me that may make me the childe of Christ yet the way is open therefore I will goe on with the work let him doe what he will Thus the soule is knit to Christ that come what will it will never be beaten off from Christ I never knew my owne soule knit to Christ till God had taught me this but it was off and on as a bone in and out a Saint to day and an Hypocrite to morrow to call God Father to day and Enemy to morrow The Gospel is directed to a sinner quasi a sinner not as this or that sinner but as a sinner there is the object of salvation This makes a Saint I say go with constancie if I cannot goe to Christ as a Saint yet I can as a sinner so he hath something that kâ—epes him that he is not as many Professors that are ready to kill and hang and drowne themselves because they see the Gospel is made to Saints and they see they are not Saints then they are in a worse condition than sinners Learne this you that are Professors of Religion that are in and out that have spent ten or twentie or thirtie yeares and your soules are not knit to Christ begg of the Lord to teach you this lesson The next Lesson that I would teach you from the Lord is Use 2 To labour for a perfect spirit of adoption that this being so that in the administration of the New Testament or the Ministery of the Gospel there is nothing but glad tidings no object but what is amiable and good then all you that have received Jesus Christ let me exhort you to this labour to get up in you a perfect spirit of adoption my meaning is this you know there is a spirit of adoption and a spirit of bondage the spirit of adoption is a frame of heart a temper of spirit like that of a childe to his father And you know it is ordinary with the Saints that they have a little adoption they can cry Abba father a little and low and at sometimes but there is a great deale of the spirit of bondage mingled with it there are sometimes feares secret whisperings in the heart O thou art not right Christ is not in thee if he were it is impossible thou shouldest be so weak and so easily overcome and there will be some flaw in the heart and soakings in of guilt that wâ— eat out a mans peace that sometimes he shall call God father another while he will look strangely upon God and be afraid to come to God and be loath to goe upon his knees before him and be glad when he is got out of his presence there is a spirit of bondage mingled with the spirit of adoption Now in the New Testament wee should labour for a full spirit of adoption Full spirit of adoption what What is that that is that there may be nothing in my heart towards God but pure love because in his dealing to me there is not a sillable but love and grace and glad tidings to me and my heart and life should be answerable Feares horrours whence For the reason of all the horrour that you finde in your hearts and all your feares and troubles that arise there they are from this error in your mindes this opinion that is
Christ and the holy Spirit and to imbrace the Messengers that bring those glad tidings to account their very feet beautifull the meanest part of the body and upon the moutaines Isa 52.7 the barren places of the earth And I doubt not but many poore soules can from experience blesse God for the worthy Authour in those barren mountaines where he converseth and else where and say of him as David of Ahimaaz he is a good man and bringeth good tidings 2 Sam 18.27 Though others being hardened spit at such lights and labour to extinguish who God in just judgment will cause to stumble and fall and lie downe in eternall darknesse But I shall detaine thee no longer from the the work but commend it and thee in Gods blessing and rest Thine in the Gospel of Christ GOOD NEWES To the Worst of SINNERS MARKE 16.15 And hee said unto them goe yee into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature YOu may easily understand who spake these words and to whom they were spoken In these words our Lord Jesus Christ after his resurrection when he had all power in Heaven and Earth given to him he sends forth his Apostles to Preach and he bids them Goe into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature This was their Commission they were to have now to go preach the Gospel Indeed they had a Commission before but it was only to the Jewes and it was a little but by spirts but now Christ was risen from the dead and had received all power in Heaven and Earth he sends them for good and all as it were he gives them a full and compleate Commission Goe yee into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature The words opened Before I come to the Lesson that I mean to insist upon there are two things here in the words that must be opened that you may see the foundation or ground of this Lesson And that is Gospel what meant by it First what is meant by Gospel Goe and preach the Gospel Then what is meant by creature Goe preach the Gospel to every creature For the first what is meant by Gospel I will not stand upon the severall acceptations of it onely you may understand that both in the Scripture language and also among the Heathen Gospel hath been taken for Glad tidings good newes in generall any Good newes or Glad tidings have been called Gospel So the Greek word signifies so some conceive the English word Godspel being old English signifies Gospel that is good speech good newes good hearing good tidings but in a peculiar sense in Scripture it is taken for that Good tidings of grace and salvation by Jesus Christ And so in this sense we read of it in the old Testament and in the new In the old Testament you shall read in Heb. 4.3 that our Fathers they had the Gospel as well as we but Beloved you are to take notice that though our Fathers had the Gospel that is the glad tidings of life and salvation by Jesus Christ from Adam from the beginning of the world yet they had it but dimly and darkly and they had it mixed with a great deale of Law a great deale of bad tidings as I may speak they had a little good newes with a great deale of bad So Adam had a little good tidings The seed of the woman shall bruise the Serpents head and there was bad tidings also there was the curse upon the Serpent and upon the woman the man the woman should bring forth in paine the man must eat his bread in the sweat of his browes And so in all the old Testament there was a little Gospel in the Prophecies and Gospel in the sacrifices and Gospel in the visions but abundance of law mingled with this Gospel the one spake sad tidings as well as the other did good for you know the Law spake curses and damnation to those that in every point did not observe it But in the new Testament especially after the resurrection of Jesus Christ when he went up to Heaven we read that there was perfect Gospel or only good newes and glad tidings for the bad newes was now all gone And so it is to be understood here Goe preach the Gospel As if he should say I doe not my disciples bid you goe and give them now good newes and then bad to give them a little of the Law and a line of Gospel but goe preach the Gospel emphatically that is meerly purely Gospel for now Christ is risen from the dead and now the Gospel in the purity and simplicity is erected Goe preach the Gospel Creature what meant by it To every creature What should be the meaning of that We know that in the Scripture language creature most usually signifies not men but beasts things without life as in Rom. 8. you have it twice or thrice The creature groaneth the beasts and the woods and every thing that God hath made as being a name somewhat too low for men in the ordinary Scripture expression Yet so as it comprehends men for men also are sometimes called creatures Now what should the meaning of this be that now the Gospel being to be purely and fully and compleatly set up whether the Lord Jesus would have them preach and make known glad tidings to all creatures that is that even the bruit beasts and these creatures without life that they should have glad tidings and good newes from the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ I will not averr that it is so that that is the meaning of it but surely beloved there is no creature under heaven but hath a great deale of glad tidings and good newes from the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ for we read Rom. 8. that the creature groanes and the creature exspects deliverance and redemption All these creatures by sinne are brought into slavery and certainly they shall partake of the libertie of the Sonnes of God there is a redemption for them out of slavery as well as for men by the redemption of the Lord Jesus Christ But what that shall be or in what sort I cannot determine Now whether you will understand it so that our Lord Christ meant not men and women only but that by creature the poore creatures that are without life and bruit beasts and all might understand the precious worth of this Gospel Gentiles called creatures Or take it more restrained as generally the godly doe that by creature here is meant the Gentiles in opposition to the Jewes for they knew that they were to preach the Gospel to the Jewes which they also did before the resurrection but now saith Christ Goe preach the Gospel to every creature That is now I will have no distinction of persons I doe not now say take heed of the way of the Samaritans but goe which way you will goe to the Gentiles to Sinners to