The Rule of the Law Under the Gospel, Chapter 1
CHAP. 1.
Containing the ground of the following discourse and dispute, out of Rom. 6. 14. For ye are not under the Law.
IN the words of the Apostle are to be enquired, 1. What is meant by the Law: namely, The Morall Law in the ten Commandements, containing our whole duty to God, and to our neighbour. 2. What it is to be under the Law: namely, not under the rule and obedience of the Law, for our Apostle looseth no Christian from that; but Christians are not under the raigne of the Law, by the raigne of which, sinne raigneth unto death. This being the Apostles reason, that the raigne of the Law, puts them under the reign of sin. 3. Who are these that are not under the Law? Yee: that is, beleevers, justified and sanctified persons, that are dead to sinne, and alive unto God in Iesus Christ our Lord, verse 11. and onelyonly these, seeing the naturall man is yet in his sinnes, and under the whole power of the Law in the rigour and extremity of it. Rom: 7. 6. We are delivered from the Law, being dead unto it wherein we were holden. But who are these? those that serve in newnesse of spirit, not in oldnesse of letter; that is, which now serve God in a new spirituall manner, excited and wrought by the spirit; and not according to the olde corruption of our nature before grace,It is the priviledge of beleevers, not to be under the Law. nor according to the externall letter of the law, which onelyonly breedeth externall actions. And that it is the priviledge of beleevers appeareth by these reasons.4 Reasons.
1. Because Christ was made under the Law, to redeeme those that were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption of sonnes, Galat. 4. 4. The reason is good; Christ was under the Law, therefore Christians beleeving are not under it; and, Christians are redeemed from being under the Law, and therfore are no longer under it.
2. As many as are under the Law,Gal. 3. 10. are under the curse. But it is the priviledge of beleevers, not to be under the curse; for they that are of the faith of Abraham, are blessed with faithfull Abraham. Therefore they are not under the Law.
3. It is the priviledge of beleevers, to receive the spirit of Christ. Rom. 8. 14. As many as are Christs, are led by the spirit of Christ: and therfore they are not under the Law. Gal. 5. 18. If yee be led by the spirit, yee are not under the law.
4. It is the priviledge of beleevers to have eternall life, and the inheritance, by promise, and not by the tenour of the Law; and therefore all they, and only they are free from being under the Law. Gal. 3. 18. If the inheritance be by the Law, it is no more by promise. But God gave it to Abraham by the promise. Were beleevers under the Law, they should have the inheritance by the Law: but they have it not by the Law, but by promise; and therefore are not under the Law. For the Law and the promise in the cause of righteousnesse, and life, will not be agreed, no more than light and darknesse, fire and water, whose natures are most abhorring.
Quest. But what or wherein is this priviledge of not being under the Law?
Answ. This priviledge will appeare the clearer, if we consider the danger of being under the Law,The danger of being under the Law, in 4 things in foure things. First, in that the Law wrappeth every sinner in the curse of God, both in this life, as also in the life to come; so as hee is no where secure, but lyeth naked to the curse meeting him at every corner. The Law is a thunderbolt to blast him in his person, in his estate, in his name, in his goods, in his calling, in his comforts, in all his enterprises, and occasions; the sentence is passed upon him, and where ever he is, hee is in the way to execution. It would daunt, and astonish the hardiest, and stoniest heart, to heare the sentence of death pronounced upon it for violating the law of his Prince and Country. It would marre all his merriments to conceive hee were presently to suffer but a temporall death for offending the law of man. And it would much more spoyle the pleasure of sin, if the sinner could with an hearing eare, heare the sentence of eternall death denounced by the Law, against soule and body, for violating the righteous Law of the eternall God. If an house were ready to fall upon a mans head, how would hee bestirre himselfe, and winde every way to hye himselfe out of the danger. But the burden of the Law is more intollerable than the weight of all the sands, and mountaines in the world; and this oppressing weight is ready to fall on the head of every sinner: which how should it amaze, and affright them, and make them restlesse, till they bee gotten without the reach of the danger.
2. The Law in the raigne of it shuts up heaven, (which receives no trangressour) and setteth the gate of hell wide open upon the sinner; and not onelyonly casteth him into hell hereafter, but bringeth an hell into his conscience before hell; that if his heart be not dead within him as Nabals, it is restlesse as the raging sea, tormenting him for the present with hellish feares, dreadfull horrours, and selfe-accusing; the biting and gnawing of which worme is the very entrance into hell, and a beginning of the eternall torments of it: for the avoiding whereof many wicked men have chosen death, and hastned their owne execution, as farre more sufferable and easie.
3. The Law in the raigne of it, thrusts the sinner under the power of the Divell, as a condemned malefactour into the hand of the executioner, to be ruled at his will. Now must hee blinde his eyes, and as it were by an handkerchiefe over his eyes, hee must pinion him, and binde him hand and foote, and by effectuall delusions prepare him to his death. And what is more just, than that he who will not be led by the spirit of God, should be given up to be ruled by the Divell.
4. The Law in the raigne of it, addeth a sting, and sharpneth the point of all afflictions, which by it become the beginning of hell, and properly curses; retaining their naturall acrimony and poyson; and are as the red sea, even a well, and a devouring gulfe to drowne the Egyptians, which same sea is a wall and paved way to save the Israelites. It armeth all Gods creatures against the sinner, who are ready in their severall rankes to revenge their Lords quarrell, till he enter into that new covenant; of which see Hosea 2. 18. It is the Law that makes death a doore to hell, and a downefall to eternall perdition: the Law is mercilesse, and knoweth no other condition, but doe or die: so as if a man dye under the Law, there is no expectation but of death without mercy.
Quest. 2. But how may a man get from under this dangerous estate?
Answ. By the attaining and exercise of three saving graces.How a man may get from under this dangerous state. First, Faith in the Son of God; which 1 apprehendeth Christs righteousnesse for the fulfilling of the Law. 2. Faith establisheth the Law; both because it attaineth in Christ Remission of sinnes, and so remission of the rigour of the Law, as also an Imputation of that full righteousnesse which the Law requireth. 3. Faith is the Law of Christ, by obedience of which Law every beleever must live,Habak. 2. 4. and is answerable to the obedience of the whole Law.
The second grace is Repentance, and timely turning unto God; this helpeth a man from under this danger. 1. In that it flyeth from the dreadfull sentence of the Law, and knocketh at the gate of mercy; it seeks and sues for pardon, and will not give over, till it have got a gracious answer, that all the sins are remitted. 2. In that it wipes off all old scores, repealeth all the actions of the Law, getteth all sinnes cast into the bottome of the sea, never to be remembred any more: nay it gett… not onelyonly sinnes …, but …ven the law it selfe … …ort buried to the penitent person: as Moses body, and is unknowne where it was laid.
The third grace is new and inchoate obedience to the Law, which is a kinde of fulfilling it. For 1. It is a worke of the spirit in the regenerate, who hath written the law in their hearts, and made them of rebells and enemies to the Law, and the righteousnes of it, lovers of the Law, and lovers of obedience. 2. It hath the promise of acceptance, and is accounted as full and compleat obedience to the Law: and themselves now called perfect and undefiled in the way. God looketh not now on their obedience as theirs, but as on his owne worke in them, nor approveth the person for the work, but the work for the person.
Quest. 3. How may we know a man gotten from under this da…ger of the Law?
Answ. By sundry notes or markes.Sixe notes of tryall, to know one gotten frō under the danger of the Law. First, by subjection to the Gospel in the power of it; when a man contenteth not himselfe with a title of faith, or a shew of profession, or a forme of godlinesse, or a name that he liveth; but groweth in the knowledge and obedience of the Gospell: for would a man be saved, and obey neither the Law nor Gospell? No, no, the Apostle concludeth him under the whole power of the Law, that knoweth not, nor obeyeth the Gospel of Christ, 2 Thes: 1. 8.
2. By thankefull walking worthy of the Gospel: Ephes. 2. 10▪this man knoweth that all the regenerate are Gods workmanship; and that the end of all our freedome from sinne, is the free and cheerefull praise of God: and therefore he cannot but be thankfull to Christ his deliverer from under so hard and cruell a Master as the Law, which did nothing but accuse, accurse, terrify and condemne him: now will he highly prize his freedome, and glory in his happy liberty: now will he live to Christ, and for Christ; and ascribe all his happinesse unto him, as doth the Apostle for that happy victory over sinne and the Law, 1 Cor: 15. last: and Rom: 7. 24, 25.
3. There is now peace of conscience, which formerly (if waking) did bite and sting; but now excuseth and acquitteth. I meane not here a sencelesse or brawny conscience, the issue of a dead conscience; which like a dead man, lay him under a Church or mountaine, he is quiet, feeleth nothing, complaines of nothing: so lay the secure sinner under the intolerable burden of innumerable sinnes, his conscience is quiet, and complaineth not. But this peace followeth not from unfeelingnesse, but from feeling sin pardoned, from perceiving sin subdued, and from discerning sinne repented of, striven against and conquered: for the spirit of grace is ever a spirit of mourning, and from that sowing in teares ariseth the harvest of joy.
4. Hee that is got from under the Law is now a Law to himselfe, that is, he willingly submitteth himselfe to the rule and obedience of the Law: the way to escape the yoake and coaction of the Law is to become a free and cheerfull observer of the Law. Which standeth in three things. 1. In a care to doe the duties which the Law requireth, and in such manner as the Law doth require, so neare as we can, Psal: 119. 6. Rom: 7. 22. 2. In huhumility and griefe that we are so short of the Law in our best duties; that when wee have done all we can, we are so unprofitable, and that even all our righteousnesse is as a stained clout. 3. And all this out of love of God, and of obedience, not for feare of hell or judgement: whence Gods people are called a willing people. Psal: 110. 4.
This must every beleever aime at; for hee that willingly liveth in the breach of the Law is certainly under the curse of it.
5. A man gotten from under the Law, giveth up himselfe to the leading of the spirit: Gal: 5. 18. If yee be led by the spirit, yee are not under the Law. Now to be led by the spirit is, 1. To suffer the spirit of God to guide the minde, with knowledge, for he being the spirit of illumination, his office is to lead the Saints into all …uth. 2. To allow him to carry and order the heart, will, and affections with cheerfulnesse, and constancy in all good duties, whence hee is called a free spirit, not onelyonly because he worketh in himselfe freely, and as the wind bloweth where he will; but from his powerfull effect in the Saints, who by his strong and mighty gales are caried strongly in their motions of grace and obedience. This finde and challendge thy freedome from under the Law. But if the spirit that rules in the world guide the course, or Satan carrie a man into the foule lusts of uncleannesse, worldlinesse, voluptuousnesse, malice, or the like, as the swine into the lake; this man is under the whole curse and raigne of the Law, because he is under the power and reigne of his sinne.
6. There is joy and thankfulnesse for others freedome as for a mans owne: he that is truly converted is unfeignedly glad for the worke of Gods grace in others, Rom. 6. 17. God be thanked that yee have beene the servants of sinne, but now ye have obeyed the forme of doctrine, &c. Eph. 1. 5. Phil. 1. 5. A godly Pastour with Paul wisheth all as himselfe, except his bonds. A godly parent will rejoyce to see his children to walk in the truth. A father or husband cannot content himselfe with his owne safety from a deadly danger, and see his wife and children left in it still. A godly Master as Ioshua will have all his house serve the Lord with himselfe, and will not endure in his family, a wicked servant, a vassall, and slave to the Divell, and sinne; but will pull him out of the fire or water, or turne him out of doores: yea every sinner converted himselfe, wil strengthen the brethren, as Peter, and David, Psal: 51. 13. By these notes may a man try and discerne whether he be yet under the Law or not.