Christ Inviting Sinners to Come to Him for Rest, Treatise · Chapter 7
CHAP. 7.
The Burden under the law laid open in Eleven particulars, 1. The Law Requireth of us ſuch things which we are unable to perform. 2. It Requireth abſolute perfection. 3. It Accepteth not of any of our Endeavours. 4. Ʋpon any one breach of the law the Sinner looſeth al ability for ever keeping any part of it afterward. 5. Ʋpon any breach thereof, it preſently bindeth over the ſinner to eternal death. 6. It requireth conſtant obedience. 7. Being once broken, it cannot be ſatiſfied with any after obedience. 8. It accepts of no repentance. 9. It only layes open a mans miſery, and there leaves him, without ſhewing him any remedy. 10. There is no appeale from it, nor repealing of it. 11. The more it cometh to be revealed, the more are our corruptions Stirred up. Where ſome Objections are anſwered, or Doubts reſolved.
HAving finiſhed the burden of the guilt of Sin. The next is, the burden of the Law.
Come to me (ſaith Chriſt) you that are weary and heavy laden, and I wil give you reſt, viz. You that labor under the burden of the Law, and Legal performances; I wil put thoſe two together having a neceſſary dependance one upon the other: though I intend to handle them diſtinctly.
Firſt, You who come to ſee the great bondage that you are in under the Law, and feele the great burden that is upon you in ſeeking after juſtification by the law and have done ſo for a long time; ſaith Chriſt, know that you have been deceived in looking after your juſtification on that way; you have labored, and toyled in vain, for it wil not be gotten that way▪ Come to me, and you ſhal have ſuch reſt to your ſoules, as you never yet have felt, nor never ſhal feel by that way. This I take fully to be the Scope of Chriſt, as wel a… the other.
Now for the burden of the Law; That the Law compared to a burden wil appeare by that expreſſion which you have in Rom. 6.14. For ſin ſhal not have dominion over you, for you are not under, the law, but under grace; He Speakes to thoſe that were delivered, and faith, they were not now under the Law, there was a time indeed that they were under the law; the Law lay upon them as a heavy burden; but they came afterwards under grace, & they had a yoke there alſo (even grace it ſelf brings ſome kind of yoake) but not ſuch a yoake as the Law doth. Chriſt himſelf ſaith, take my yoak preſently; but the yoke is very eaſie in compariſon of the yoke of the Law.
Now that I might open what the burden under the Law is; which if a ſinner comes to underſtand, any ſoul once comes to underſtand; it is impoſſible but it muſt be laden and burdened; it wil be a load upon them, a heavy load to thoſe that underſtand it; even the burden of the law. Therefore for the underſtanding of it which I look upon as exceeding neceſſary, or elſe you cannot underſtand Chriſt aright; for it is not enough for us barely to underſtand Chriſt; but we muſt underſtand Chriſt as one that is the great Saviour, to deliver us from the Law; one that comes to give reſt and eaſe to us from the Law; Now except we underſtand the yoke, and burden of the Law, we cannot underſtand the worth of Chriſt in comming to give us eaſe and reſt from it.
1. Then I ſhal endeavour to ſhew what the yoke and burden of the Law is. And then what is the burdenſom Condition of the Soul that ſeeks after Righteouſneſs by Legal performances.
In the firſt place, the Law requires of us ſuch things that we are not able poſſibly to performe; it requires things of us that we cannot do; you wil ſay that is a greivous burden indeed, to be put upon that that we cannot do: now the Law doth ſo onelyonly at the firſt, that you may not think it hard it doth not put you upon any thing that God did never inable you to do, for that you would ſay were hard, and how could God juſtly do it; but it puts you upon that which now you cannot do; but you have brought this [cannot] upon your ſelves; it would not have been any burden, to Adam, as God made man firſt in innocency, there the Law could have bin no burden: but now as we are fallen Conſider what our Condition is now, and it is a greivous burden, for it puts us upon that which we cannot do, al the ſtrength that we have ſhould it be put forth to the performance of the Law, yet we could not do it; but we muſt not think that becauſe we have loſt our power, therefore Gods Law ſhould not goe on; the law hath its courſe whether we have power, or no power, becauſe God gave it us, and we have loſt it, this I take to be the meaning of that Scripture in Acts 15.10. Now therefore why tempt you God to put a yoke upon the neck of the diſciples which neither our fathers, nor we were able to beare; The law is ſuch a yoke which neither we, nor our fathers were able to beare.
Object. I: But it may be ſaid, this is meant of the ceremonial Law.
Anſw. To that I anſwer, Certainely, if the ceremonial Law were a yoke, then take al together Ceremonial and moral and it was greater; take meerly the performing of outward Ceremonies, and it was not ſuch an intolerable yoke; but we muſt take the whole Law in the latitude of it, & that wil appear to be the meaning; for the queſtion was here, not only about the ceremonial law; but about Moſes Law in general, and about juſtification by it: this was the Queſtion that the Church of Antioch ſent to the Church of Jeruſalem to be informed about, for this was al the Sinod that was here in Acts, 15. there were Certain men came from Jeruſalem to the City of Antioch and there taught, that they muſt ſtil of neceſſity keep Moſes Law for juſtification. Now the Church of Antioch being troubled that ſome ſhould come from Jeruſalem and teach this doctrine amongſt them; they Sent certain Brethren to the Church of Jeruſalem to be informed further about this queſtion, and you may ſee at the …. verſe, There aroſe certain of the ſect of the Phariſees which beleived, ſaying that it was needful to Circumciſe them and to command them to keep the law of Moſes as to the matter of juſtification. Now in the aſſembly of Jeruſalem Peter riſeth up and tels the reſt, that they ſhould take heed what they do, and not put ſuch a yoke upon the diſciples, eſpecially that of the law, which neither we nor our fathers were able to beare; and that it is not only meant Ceremonial but moral; it appeares at the 11. verſe We beleeve that through the grace of our lord Jeſus Chriſt we ſhal be ſaved even as they. Now the grace of our lord Jeſus chriſt is not only oppoſite to the ceremonal law, but to the moral Law, when it is taught in way of Juſtification to life. So that this law that is ſuch a yoke is that that is oppoſite to the grace of Chriſt that brings ſalvation; it is that law that reveales Sin; it is that law which is the miniſter of death, by which the mouths of al come to be ſtopped, ſo that it is a heavy yoke, thoſe that are under this Law: that is, ſuch as are under the firſt covenant, the Covenant of works, that seek for Juſtification by that, they are under a greivous burden, they are the children of the bond woman, for the law requires that that is impoſſible for them to do. Now when a ſoul comes to ſee and underſtand it ſelf to bee under the law ſuch a Law as requires things impoſſible to be done; this burdens the ſoul, & ſo by this means it comes to ſee the need it hath of Chriſt, and Chriſt cals to ſuch to come to him: as if he ſhould Say: So long as you continue unbeleivers in your natural condition, you are under Such a covenant for life, as requires that of you which you cannot poſſibly do and therefore there is no reſting in that condition: Come therefore to me, take my yoke, my eaſie yoke, the other is a heavy yoke: But I wil ſhew you a way for eaſe and reſt to your ſoules. That is the firſt.
But though the law may require hard things, & impoſſible things yet it may remit in ſome other things. Wherefore.
2. In the ſecond place: this is the yoke and bondage of the Law: that in every thing that it doth command, it doth require abſolute perfection; accepts of nothing but abſolute perfection in every thing that it doth Comand; it doth not onelyonly comand hard things; but whatſoever the law requires, it doth require an abſolute perfection in it, or otherwiſe caſts the Soul if there be but a failing on any particular in any degree of that which the Law requires, the Law caſts the Soul by it. It requires not only that the thing ſhould be done, but that it ſhould be done, in a right manner; that it ſhould be done out of a right principle, that it ſhould be done in the perfection of degrees, to the uttermoſt that is required: that there ſhould not onelyonly be a direction of our lives according to the rule, but that we come up fully to the Rule, this the law requires: Now what a miſerable yoke and burden is this, for a poor ſoul to look upon the Law as requiring, firſt things that I cannot do. And ſecondly abſolute perfection admitting of no imperfection at al: this is a heavy yoke: this neither we nor our fathers could beare: and thoſe that come to be ſenſible of this, muſt needs be under a greivous burden, and ſo ſe a need of Jeſus Chriſt, Chriſt cals thoſe that do underſtand this. It is true if it were thus, and people were left without any help, and remedy, it were a ſad condition; truly if chriſt had not come into the world to put himſelf under the law, we had been left thus; and al thoſe that do not underſtand the Goſpel, that have not had Chriſt preached unto them they are al thus, they are al in this Condition; they are under a law that they cannot performe, that law which doth require abſolute and perfect obedience in every thing or elſe caſts them.
Thirdly, The Burden of the Law is this; you may ſay; though it doth require perfect obedience; but wil it accept of no endeavours at al? ſuppoſe we do endeauor to obey to the uttermoſt that we can? There are many men wil require things that are hard, and beyond ſtrength, I but when there are endeavours to do that that is required, that wil be accepted: wherefore we are to know this; that the Law accepts of no endeavours; though a man, or woman ſhould ſtrive their hearts out to obey, to come to the height of the perfection of the Law, the Law doth not accept of thoſe endeavors: It is true, when the Soul comes unto Chriſt in the Goſpel; when the Soul comes under the covenant of Grace; endeavors are accepted; therefore do not ſay that God wil not accept of our endeavors, and why ſhould we endeavor? Yes, if you come unto Chriſt your endeavors wil be accepted, as we ſhal ſhew you when we come to diſcourſe the reſt that the Soul hath in Chriſt; But now here is an argument to drive poor ſouls to Chriſt; to conſider that while you are out of Chriſt, your endeavors are not accepted, you are not in away of life; for life, and Salvation, it is not to be had in the condition you are now in: for the Law requires obedience, it muſt have the work done; you can be but either under the covenant of works, or the covenant of grace; ſo long as you are under the covenant of works, there the work is called for, and not meerly endeavors, that wil not do; therefore the Apoſtle ſaith in the Rom. 10.5. For Moſes deſcribeth the righteouſneſs of the Law; that he which doth thoſe things ſhal live by them: You muſt either be Righteous by the Righteouſneſs of the Law, or by the Righteouſneſs of Chriſt; now if you would be Righteous by the Righteouſneſs of the Law; hear what it is; he that doth theſe things ſhal live by them; If you do them, Moſes doth not ſay, he that endeavors to do theſe things; he that ſtrives to do theſe things; No, but Moſes ſaith he that doth them; he that doth theſe things ſhal live by them; it muſt be doing▪ and not endeavoring, that the Law accepteth, and that is the third thing wherein the bondage of the Law conſiſts. Saith Chriſt come to me and you ſhal have reſt; it is by beleeving in Chriſt that you muſt have reſt. There can be no reſt but a grievous burden upon the ſoul til it doth come to Chriſt; if it doth underſtand things; and if it doth not underſtand theſe things, it is in ſo much the worſe condition; though perhaps it be not ſenſible of ſuch a burden through ignorance, as moſt people ſpend off al their daies and through ignorance do not come to be ſenſible of it; but when the Soul comes to underſtand what tearms there are between God and it, and how it muſt ſtand before God, that it muſt either ſtand by vertue of a Covenant of Works, or a Covenant of Grace, and that al naturally are under a Covenant of Works; and ſo long as I am in my natural Condition, I am under ſuch a Law that accepts of no endeavors, this muſt needs be a great burden unto the Soul and make it to ſee an abſolute neceſſity of going to Chriſt for eaſe and Reſt.
Fourthly, the burden of the law is exceeding great in this reſpect. That upon any one breach of the law, the ſoul comes to be broken ſo as to loſe ability to be able to keep any part of the Law for ever; I ſaid there is this in the Law more then in the Goſpel; that upon any one breach of the Law in the Covenant of works, the ſoul comes to be ſo broken, as to looſe all the abilities of ever keeping any part of the Law again; as thus, I ſhewed you in Adam. Adam was the Head of the firſt Covenant of works, of the Law; now Adam he breaks it in one particular, failed in one Particular of what God required of him, and in breaking of it in that one thing, he, and al his poſterity was ſo broken that they loſt all their abilities of keeping of the Law for ever, except God come and create any ability, they have loſt what ability was given at firſt in their Creation; ſo then this is a very great miſtery, that one by doing a thing that is evil ſhould weaken the contrary habit; that by doing a thing that is evil we ſhould quite looſe the Habit, that is quite looſe the habit by one act; and not only looſe the habit that is contrary to the particular evil that we do, but looſe al habits of al good whatſoever, and that by one act; now this is a thing above Nature; this is only by vertue of the covenant of works. God makes ſuch a covenant; it runs upon ſuch tearms, as if Adam did but ſin in one thing, he muſt die; that is, his Soul as wel as his body muſt die a ſpiritual death, and ſo looſe al habits of al Grace. And this is the Reaſon, why we are by Nature dead in ſin.
Further, ſuch is the condition of the Law, that ſuppoſe God ſhould reſtore us al to be as perfect as ever Adam was in the ſtate of innocency, void of al ſin, and having the Image of God perfect, and then God ſhould come and put us upon the covenant of works again; I ſay if we then ſhould but fail in any one thing, it would break us ſo, as we ſhould looſe al our abilities to perform any duty ever after: this is the condition of the law; But it is not ſo with the Goſpel; though we ſin againſt the Goſpel; we do not preſently looſe al our habits of Grace; But the Reaſon of the difference; That though Adam when he ſinned againſt the Law, he loſt al his habits to do any good after, and that though we ſin againſt the Goſpel; yet we do not looſe thoſe habits. That I ſhal ſhew afterwards, when I ſhal come to ſhew, that the yoke of the Goſpel is eaſier then that of the Law. And that is the fourth thing in the burden of the Law.
Fiftly, The firſt thing is this. That the Law upon every breach it doth take advantage againſt the ſoul preſently; I ſay takes advantage againſt the ſoul preſently and binds it over to death, to eternal death, preſently binds it over; Yea, and doth actually put it under a curſe upon every breach, inſtantly it doth it; its true, the law it may be is not preſently executed, as ſoon as a ſinner hath broken it, but this is certain that though God doth not come upon you as ſoon as you have broken the Law, yet know that there are theſe three things come upon every one that is out of Chirſt, as ſoon as any one ſin is committed, there are theſe three things come upon him preſently.
Firſt, He is bound over by Gods Juſtice, by ſuch abond as hath more ſtrength in it then al the power of Heaven and Earth is able to break; as a man that hath done that that is evil, it may be the Law hath not preſent execution upon him, I but he is bound over preſently.
And not only ſo, but in the Second place, the Law paſſeth ſentence, the binding over that is the guilt, but the Law paſſes ſentence upon the ſinner, and condemns it; the Soul is preſently under the ſentence of condemnation.
Thirdly, The Law puts the ſinner under a curſe, for ſo it is in the latter end of the 27. of Deu. Curſed is every one that abides not in every thing that is written in the Book of the Law to do it. Mark, [every one] that abides not [in every thing] he is pronounced accurſed, and that is a fift perticular.
Sixtly, And in the Sixt place. This Law requires conſtant Obedience alſo: and ſuch is the rigour of it; that if you ſhould obey it never ſo much for a great part of your lives; If you ſhould conceive you could obey it perfectly for a great while; yet if at laſt you ſhould offend in any one particular you are caſt for al; and al that you have done before is utterly rejected; it wil take advantage againſt you for any one particular. If it were poſſible that all your life time you ſhould keep it and at the laſt houre of your life break it in any one particular; certainly you would be condemned by it; this is the condition of the Law; for ſo it is in thoſe words that are named; though you do it, if you do not abide to do (every thing) If there be but any one thing whereby it can take advantage, it will certainly condemn you for it. This is the condition of al that are under the covenant of works; and is not this a load? Would not this burden the Soul? If ſo be the ſoul comes to underſtand it; and whether it underſtands it or not, yet certainly it is the truth of God.
Seventhly, A ſeventh Burden of the Law is this, that when once the ſinner hath broke it, the Law cannot be ſatisfied with any obedience which may make amends afterwards, by any thing that the ſinner can do; ſuppoſe a man ſhould be never ſo angry and offended, he that hath offended him may make amends, again a Servant thinks, though I have offended my Maſter and done ſo many faults; Yet, I wil make amends for al. So many people think though we have broken the Law of God; and lived a great while in ſin, and done that which is evil; yet we wil make amends again; and we wil give almes; and come to Church and the like. Theſe are the Reaſonings of many poor Ignorant hearts, that do not underſtand upon what tearms they ſtand with God; al the Children of men ſtand before God either under a Covenant of works; or under the Covenant of Grace, one of the two: now thoſe kind of men that Reaſon after this manner, ſurely they are not acquainted with the Covenant of Grace; they are under the Covenant of Works; and now let them know that the covenant of Works admits of no ſuch amends as they ſpeak of; but when once you have broken the Law all that ever you can do; If you could live a thouſand years never ſo ſtrictly; or be willing to ſuffer never ſo much for God; yet all this will not ſatisfie for what is paſt; many when they have ſinned and their Conſciences are a little awakned for it, then they think to live better and to do otherwiſe afterwards; as if they would make amends for what is done before; but you muſt know that this is a meer deceit and wil not ſatisfie, you muſt come to me ſaith Chriſt; you muſt come to Chriſt and beleeve in him, or otherwiſe all that you can do wil never make amends; you wil ſay, If we cannot make amends what ſhal become of us; it is true, if there were not a Savior, a Chriſt: our condition were ſad Certainly amends muſt be made, but it is impoſſible that ever you can make amends: and this you muſt think of: you muſt not only think of what you are bound to do, for the time that is to come: but how the breach of the law ſhal be made up for that which is paſt; & when the ſinner comes to think of theſe two together, I have thus ſinned, Lord what ſhal I do for time to come; I & what ſhal I do to make up the breach of the law for that which is paſt; this wil burden the ſoul; and the ſoul wil feel upon this ſuch a burden that nothing in the world can give it reſt tel it come to Chriſt; If we did apprehend this we would ſee that our Condition out of Chriſt were a reſtleſs condition; and this invitation of Chriſt would be very acceptable. Now becauſe I was loth to tel you of reſt before I had opened a little this burden, for otherwiſe you might ſay as thoſe Jewes did to Chriſt in an other caſe when Chriſt told them If the Son made them free, they ſhould be free indeed; why, Say they, are we bound to any man, it is in John. 8.32. why do you talk of freedom to us. If I ſhould have gone on in the invitation [Come to me and I wil give you reſt] come to Chriſt. Why what reſtleſs Condition are we in, you might have ſaid? But now when you ſee your reſtleſs condition, then I ſuppoſe you wil be willing to harken to the invitation [Come to me and I wil give you reſt] thoſe things wil make you to know what it is to beleeve, and to come to Chriſt, when you come to underſtand what you are in being out of Chriſt.
8. An eighth particular is this; That the Law accepts of no repentance, as it wil not be made amends for; ſo it wil not accept of repentance. Let the Sinner be never ſo ſorrowful for what he hath done, and lament his ſin never ſo much; if he could bewail his ſin with teares of blood, the Law would not accept of this. You wil ſay this is a ſtrange doctrine, that our repentance ſhould not be accepted of. I do not ſay abſolutely, that God wil accept of no Repentance; but I ſay that the Law wil accept of no Repentance. Repentance is the doctrine of the Goſpel; the Law preacheth no ſuch doctrine as the doctrin of Repentance; it is an evangelical doctrine: but now repentance, that is merely trouble of Conſcience, that I ſee my ſelf in ſuch danger of the Law, this may be a natural repentance, and not evangelical; that is, I ſee I have undone my ſelf by reaſon of my ſin, and now am troubled, and ſo go no further; I ſay this is a natural repentance, and not evangelical. When you do think of repenting of your ſins, this is a ſaving meditation for you to think of your Repentance, thus: I am now ſorry and Repent, and am humbled for my ſin; I but this is through a ſecond Covenant, through a covenant of grace, that this can be accepted, it is infinit mercy in God and that in Chriſt, it is purchaſed by the blood of Chriſt, that any Sorrow for any ſin ſhal ever be accepted of God, you muſt thank Chriſt for that; and therefore when you come to the work of mourning for ſin, you ſhould come to it as a work of the Goſpel, as an evangelical work, and ſo come freely to it; for that which is a work of the Goſpel, is a fruit of the blood of Chriſt, and it is a great mercy of God unto you that you may be admitted to come before him to ſorrow for your ſins in ſuch a way as you may be ſaved: al your tears, and trouble for ſin except it be through the grace of the goſpel, it is not accepted, and yet how many thouſands of poor ſouls never think of this in the work of their repentance; perhaps when they lie upon their ſick or death beds, their conſciences tels them that there is a hel and miſery for ſinners, and there they lie roaring and Crying out, but the truth is they never underſtand the way of God in the Covenant of grace: and how the Lord hath looked upon the Children of men under the Covenant of works, and now hath entred into a ſecond Covenant through his Son, and there hath provided a way for their ſalvation which could not be in the other covenant: we are to know that the law doth accept of no repentance; now O! what a bondage is this that when I am ſorrowful for my ſins, and think that God wil pardon me, then I am curſt by ſuch a Law, that wil accept of no repentance: but when we come to Chriſt, there Godly ſorrow is accepted of: and it is ſaid to be Sorrow unto life, but that is the priviledg of thoſe that are under the covenant of grace in Chriſt: therefore conſider ſeriouſly of this point, that you may make a difference between a covenant of works, and a covenant of grace. I know nothing in al divinity that is greater for you to underſtand then theſe two things: and thoſe people that are not acquainted with theſe two covenants, they underſtand but little in thoſe miſteries of religion that may bring Salvation; I ſay little or nothing of true divinity is underſtood by people, that do not underſtand the difference between the firſt and the ſecond covenant, between the covenant of works and the covenant of grace; and the right underſtanding of the difference between theſe two, would let in abundance of knowledg. I dare undertake that after people come to have the underſtanding of theſe two, and to know the difference of them, in one quarter of a year, they wil come to have let into their hearts more knowledg in the main principles of religion then they had in many years before, and for want of knowing this one thing, people do moſt groſly miſtake in abundance of points of Religion, and never come to underſtand, and to know chriſt at al in that way that is propounded in the Goſpel. And that is the eighth thing.
Ninthly, In the Ninth place: the burden of the Law appears in this: that it only opens to man his miſery, and there leaves him; as if a Chyrurgeon ſhould open a wound, and there leave it, (as it were) in the open aire. The Law tels not man of any way of Redemption, of any way of deliverance, but meerely ſhews unto us our miſery and ſo leaves us. I do not mean the law that is in the book of the old teſtament, for there is Goſpel mingled. I do not ſay that Moſes doth not tel us of any way of Redemption; but I mean the Law of the Covenant of works ſo far as that is revealed in Moſes, and that is revealed in the new Teſtament in a great p…rt of it; that only ſhewes us our miſery, and there leaves us; but grace, and truth, and mercy, that comes in by Jeſus Chriſt.
Tenthly, A tenth particular wherein the greivous bondage under the law appeares, is this. That it is ſuch a Law as there can be no appeal from it, no, nor no repealing of it, though it be thus ſtrict, and thus ſevere, yet I ſay there is no appeale from it, nor no repealing of it: there are many Laws that we may appeal from one to another, or if that Law be hard it may be called in again: we cannot appeale from the Authority of this law▪ nor can it, be repealed. You wil ſay, this excluds us from al help, though there be many hard Laws made by men and as long as they ſtand in force people are in a very ſad Condition; yet there may be meanes to repeal them: but as for this Law there can it ſeems be no appeale from it, nor repealing of it. May we not appeale from Gods juſtice to Gods mercy ſeat? I have indeed ſpoken of ſuch an expreſſion, but that expeſſion muſt be warily underſtood, for the truth is there is no proper appealing from the juſtice of God to his mercy; when the ſinner comes to Chriſt it hath the pardon ſealed in the Court of juſtice, as wel as in the Court of mercy; there is no ſoule that is ſaved, but Gods juſtice is as wel ſatiſfied as his mercy is glorified, nor no repeale of this law. What muſt the law ſtand in force then? yes, the law ſhal ſtand in force, and yet there ſhal be thouſands of ſoules ſaved. How is that you wil ſay? This is the miſtery of the Goſpel that the law ſhal ſtand in force, and yet men ſhalbe ſaved, there ſhal be a way to ſave men for al this, Certainly if the Law went on in its courſe, one would think that it would carry on al mankind to eternal deſtruction; yea, and ſo it would have done but onelyonly for this great Saviour, and redeemer Jeſus Chriſt that cals Sinners to him, that they might have reſt. He comes and puts himſelf under the Law and what the Law requires, he doth, and he Suffers; ſo that here is al the alteration, the Law goes on, and hath its courſe, onelyonly whereas it might have required to have had the courſe of it upon our ſelves in perſon; now God is content that it ſhould have its courſe upon our ſecurity. When a man oweth a debt, the Law requires performance, its one thing to have the law repealed, and an other to have the debter delivered: if a ſure… wil come and undertake the debt, he is delivered though he hath not paid it, & yet the law hath its courſe; for the ſurety diſchargeth what the debter ſhould have done: ſo the way of ſalvation for any ſoul, it is not either by appealing from the law, or by the repealing of the law: but we muſt look upon the Law to have its courſe, only to have its courſe upon Chriſt our ſurety, who hath fully ſatisfied the law, and Chriſt looked thus upon, is the true object of our faith, and except we apprehend Chriſt thus, as one made under the Law as the Scripture ſaith, and one that did indure the law to have its courſe upon him, and ſo to ſatisfie the law: except we look upon Chriſt thus, we look not upon him as the right object of our faith; and Chriſt he thus cals upon you that are weary and heavy laden to come to him: as if he ſhould ſay poor Sinners that are under ſuch a Covenant as this is, you know that though it be not repealed I have come and put my ſelf under this law, it hath had its courſe upon me; come to me, and the law ſhal be ſattisfied, it ſhal have nothing to ſay againſt you, but you ſhal have through reſt in me: come therefore to me.
Eleventhly: The Eleventh thing in the Law is, That it is ſo far from inabling us to perform that obedience which it requires, that (in regard of our own wretched condition that we are now in) the more it comes to be revealed, the more are our Corruptions ſtirred up; it doth through our fault, not from any fault in the Law, ſtir up our Corruptions ſo much the more. Luther compares it to Water caſt upon Lime, the Law coming into the heart being in its Natural Condition till God oovercomes it by the Grace of the Goſpell, is ſtirred up ſo much the more. You have a notable expreſſion for this in the example of Paul, who felt it thus in himſelf, in Rom. 7.5. For when we were in the Fleſh, the motions of ſin which were by the Law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death; and again in ver. 8. For ſin taking occaſion by the Commandment wrought in me all manner of Concupiſcence. It took occaſion by the Commandment; there are many people that are the worſe by hearing the Law revealed unto them, until God pleaſeth to overcome their hearts by the grace of the Goſpel. Now put all theſe together, and the ſoul that comes to be enlightened to underſtand theſe, do you not think that ſuch a ſoul wil be burdened? Is it not a burden to be in this Condition? Is it poſſible that the ſoul can have any reſt in this Condition? You will ſay, theſe things are hard in themſelves. But firſt if you did but underſtand the infinite holineſs there is in God, and the infinite Juſtice of God with whom you have to deal. And if you did but underſtand the perfect Condition that God did make man in at the firſt; preſent before your ſouls the infinite Holineſs and Juſtice of the great God with whom you have to do; and then preſent before your ſouls that perfect ſtate that God did make man in Innocency, and then theſe things wil be clear unto you. And if theſe things were only preached to you, and nothing elſe, they would ſeem to be hard; but it is all in order to this Invitation of Chriſt.