The Gospel Mystery of Sanctification, Direction 6

The Gospel Mystery of Sanctification · Direction 6

p. 97DIRECT. VI.

Thoſe that endeavour to perform ſincere Obedience to all the Commands of Chriſt, as the Condition whereby they are to procure for themſelves a Right and Title to Salvation, and a good ground to truſt on him for the ſame, do ſeek their Salvation by the Works of the Law, and not by the Faith of Chriſt, as he is revealed in the Goſpel: And they ſhall never be able to perform ſincerely any true holy Obedience by all ſuch Endeavours.

EXPLICATION.

FOR the underſtanding the terms of this Direction, note here, that I take Salvation as comprehending Juſtification, as well as other Saving Benefits, and ſincere Obedience, as comprehending holy Reſolutions, as well as the fulfilling of them. The worſt of Men that have any Senſe of Religion are prone to imagine, that the ſure way to eſtabliſh the Practice of Holineſs and Righteouſneſs, is to make it the Procuring Condition of the Favour of God, and p. 98all Happineſs. This may appear by the various falſe Religions that have prevailed moſt in the World. In this way the Heathens were brought to their beſt Devotion and Morality, by the knowledge of the Judgment of God, that thoſe that violate ſeveral of the great Duties to God and their Neighbour are worthy of Death; and by their Conſciences accuſing or excuſing them, according to the Practiſe of them, Rom. 1.32. & 2.14, 15. Our Conſciences are informed by the common Light of Natural Reaſon, that it is juſt with God to require us to perform theſe Duties, that we may avoid his Wrath, and enjoy his Favour; and we cannot find any better way than this, to obtain Happineſs, or to ſtir up our ſelves to Duty without divine Revelation. Yet becauſe our own Conſciences teſtifie, that we often fail in the performance of theſe Duties, we are enclined by Self-Love to perſwade our ſelves, that our ſincere Endeavours to do the beſt we can, ſhall be ſufficient to procure the Favour of God, and Pardon for all our Failings. Thus we ſee, that the Perſwaſion of Salvation, by the Condition of ſincere Obedience, hath its original from our corrupt Natural Reaſon, and is part of the Wiſdom of this World; it is none of the Wiſdom of God in a Myſtery, that hidden Wiſdom, God ordained before the World to our Glory; it is none of thoſe things of the Spirit of God, which have not entred into the Heart of Man, and which the Natural man cannot receive, for they are fooliſhneſs to him, neither can he know them, for they are ſpiritually diſcerned, 1 Cor. 2.6, 7, 9, 14. It is none of the fooliſhneſs of Preaching, whereby it pleaſed God to ſave them that believe, 1 Cor. p. 9910.21. And though we have a better way revealed to us in the Goſpel, for the enjoyment of the Favour of God, and Holineſs it ſelf, and all Salvation, without any procuring Condition of Works, by the free Gift of God's Grace through Faith in Chriſt; yet it is very difficult to perſwade men out of a way that they are naturally addicted to, and that hath foreſtalled and captivated their Judgments, and is bred in their Bone, and therefore cannot eaſily be gotten out of the Fleſh. Moſt of thoſe that live under the hearing and profeſſion of the Goſpel, are not brought to hate Sin as Sin, and to love Godlineſs for itſelf, though they be convinced of the neceſſity of it to Salvation, and therefore they cannot love it heartily. The only means that they can take to bring themſelves to it, is to ſtir up themſelves to an Hypocritical Practice in their old natural way, that they may avoid Hell and get Heaven by their Works. And their own Conſciences witneſs, that the Zeal and Love that they have for God and Godlineſs, their Self-denial, Sorrow for Sin, ſtrictneſs of Life, are in a manner forced and extorted from them by ſlaviſh Fear and mercenary Hope; ſo that they are afraid, that if they ſhould truſt on Chriſt, for Salvation by Free-Grace without Works, the fire of their Zeal and Devotion would be quickly extinguiſhed, and they ſhould grow careleſs in Religion, and let looſe the Reins to their Luſts, and bring certain Damnation upon themſelves. This moveth them to account them the only Boanerges and powerful Preachers that preach little or none of the Doctrine of Free-Grace, but rather ſpend their Pains in rebuking Sin and urging p. 100People to get Chriſt and his Salvation by their Works, and thundering Hell and Damnation againſt Sinners. It hath been farther obſerved, that ſome that have contended much for Salvation by Free-Grace, without any Condition of Works, have fallen into Antinomian Opinions and licentious Practices. The Experience of theſe things hath much prevailed with ſome learned and zealous men of late amongſt our ſelves, to recede from the Doctrine of Juſtification by Faith, without Works, formerly profeſſed unanimouſly, and ſtrongly defended by the Proteſtants, againſt the Papiſts, as a principal Article of true Religion. They have perſwaded themſelves, that ſuch a way of Juſtification is ineffectual, yea, deſtructive to Sanctification, and that the practice of ſincere Obedience cannot be eſtabliſhed againſt Antinomian Dotages and prevailing Luſts, except it be made the neceſſary Condition of our Juſtification, and ſo of our eternal Salvation. Therefore they conclude, that God hath certainly made ſincere Obedience to be the Condition of our Salvation. And they have endeavoured to new-model the Proteſtant Doctrine, and to interpret the holy Scriptures in a way agreeable and ſubſervient to this their only ſure Foundation of Holineſs.

But I hope to ſhew, that this their imagined ſure Foundation of Holineſs was never laid by the Holy God, but that it is rather an Errour in the Foundation, pernicious to the true Faith, and to Holineſs of Life. I account it an Error eſpecially to be abhorred and deteſted, becauſe we are ſo prone to be ſeduced by it, and becauſe it is an Error whereby Satan transforming himſelf into an p. 101Angel of Light, and a Patron of Holineſs, hath greatly withſtood the Goſpel in the Apoſtles times, and ſtirred up men to perſecute it, out of zeal for the Law, and hath ſince prevailed to ſet up and maintain Popery, whereby the Myſtery of Iniquity worketh apace in theſe days, to corrupt the Purity of the Goſpel amongſt the Proteſtants, and to heal the deadly wound that was given to Popery by preaching the Doctrine of Juſtification by Faith without Works.

One thing aſſerted in the Direction againſt this fundamental Error, is, that it is a way of Salvation by the Works of the Law, and not by the Faith of Chriſt, as revealed in the Goſpel. Though the maintainers of it would have us believe, that it is the only way of the Goſpel, that ſo we may not doubt of its Power and Efficacy for our Juſtification, Sanctification, and our whole Salvation. Their Reaſons are, becauſe the Law, as a Covenant of Works, requireth us to do all its Commandments perfectly, that we may live; whereas they plead only for a milder Condition of ſincere doing, that we may live. And they plead not for doing of Duties, as obliged thereunto by the Authority of the Law given of God by Moſes, but only in obedience to the Commands of Chriſt in the Goſpel. Neither do they plead for Salvation by ſincere Obedience without Chriſt, but only by Chriſt, and through his Merit and Righteouſneſs; and they acknowledge, that both Salvation itſelf and ſincere Obedience, are given to them freely, by the Grace of Chriſt, ſo that all is of Grace. They acknowledge alſo, that their Salvation is by Faith, becauſe ſincere Obedience is wrought in them by believing the Goſpel, and is included in p. 102he nature of that Faith, which is the entire Condition of our Salvation: And ſome call it the reſignating Act of Faith; but all theſe Reaſons are but a fallacious Vizard upon a legal way of Salvation, to make it look like pure Goſpel; as I ſhall evince by the following particulars.

Firſt, All that ſeek Salvation by the ſincere performance of good Works, as the procuring Condition, are condemned by the Apoſtle Paul, for ſeeking Righteouſneſs by the Works of the Law, and not by Faith, Rom. 9.32. and for ſeeking to be juſtified by the Law, and falling from the Grace of Chriſt, Gal. 5.4. This one Aſſertion, if it can be proved, is enough to pluck off the fallacious Vizard from the Condition of ſincere Obedience, and to make men abhor it as a damning legal Doctrine, that bereaveth its Followers of all Salvation by Chriſt. And the proof of it is not difficult to perſons that warily conſider a point of ſo great moment for their Salvation. The Jews and Judaizing Chriſtians, againſt whom the Apoſtle chiefly diſputeth in this whole Controverſie, did not profeſs any hope of being juſtified by perfect Obedience, according to the rigour of the Law, but only by ſuch Obedience as they accounted to be ſincere, and not hypocritical. And we have no cauſe to doubt, but that the Judaizing Galatians had learned by the Goſpel to diſtinguiſh ſincere Obedience from Hypocriſie. The Jewiſh Religion bound all that profeſſed it, to acknowledge themſelves to be Sinners, as appeareth by their anniverſary Humiliation at the day of atonement, and ſeveral other Rights of the Law, and many clear Teſtimonies in the Oracles of p. 103God, that were committed to them, Pſal. 143.2. Prov. 10.9. Eccleſ. 7.20. Yet they knew they were bound to turn to the Lord with all their Hearts, in Sincerity and Uprightneſs, and that God would accept of ſincere Obedience, for which Cauſe they might better put it for the Condition of the Law, than we can of the Goſpel, Pſal. 51.6, 10. Deut. 6.5. Deut. 30.10. So that if the Apoſtle had diſputed againſt thoſe that held only perfect Obedience to be the Condition of Juſtification, he had contended with his own ſhadow. And they might as readily judge ſincere obedience to be the condition of Juſtification under the Law, as we can judge it to be the condition under the Goſpel. Neither doth the Apoſtle condemn them meerly for accounting ſincere Obedience to the Law as given by Moſes, to be the Condition of their Juſtification, but more generally for ſeeking Salvation by their own Works. And he alledgeth againſt them, That Abrabam, who lived before the Law of Moſes, was not juſtified by any of his Works, though he did perform ſincere Obedience; and that David, who lived under the Law of Moſes, was not juſtified by his Works, though he performed ſincere Obedience, and was as much bound to obey the Law given by Moſes, as we are to obey any Commands of Chriſt in the Goſpel, Rom. 4.2, 3, 5, 6. Neither doth he condemn them for ſeeking their Salvation only by Works, without reſpecting at all the Grace and Salvation that is by Chriſt; for the Judaizing Galatians were yet Profeſſors of the Grace and Salvation of Chriſt, though they thought Obedience to the Law a neceſſary Condition for the partaking of it, as alſo many other p. 104Judaiſing Believers did: And doubtleſs they accounted themſelves obliged thereunto, not only by the Authority of Moſes, but of Chriſt alſo, whom they owned as their Lord and Saviour. And we may be ſure it was no damning Error, to account Moſes's Law obliging at that time, for many thouſands of the Jews, that were ſound Believers, held the Ceremonies of Moſes to be in force at that time, and Paul was tender towards them in it, Acts 20.20, 21. Acts 15.5. And other Jews ſought Juſtification not only by their ſincere Works, but alſo by truſting on the Promiſe made to Abraham, and on their Prieſthood and Sacrifices, which were Types of Chriſt. And the moſt legal Phariſees would thank God for their good Works, as proceeding from his Grace, Luke 18.11. And they could as well acknowledge their Salvation to be by Faith, as the Aſſertors of Salvation by ſincere Obedience can in theſe days; for they accounted, that their ſincere Obedience was wrought in them by believing the Word of God, which contained Goſpel as well as legal Doctrin in it; and therefore that it muſt be included in the nature of Faith, if Faith were taken for the Condition of their whole Salvation. Let the Aſſertors of the Condition of ſincere Obedience learn from hence, that they are building again that Judaiſm which the Apoſtle Paul deſtroyed, whereby the Jews ſtumbled at Chriſt, Rom. 9.32. And the Galatians were in danger of falling from Chriſt and Grace, Gal. 5.2, 4. And let them beware of falling under that Curſe which he hath denounced on this very occaſion, againſt any Man or Angel, that ſhall preach any other Goſpel than that which he hath preached, Gal. 1.8, 9.

p. 105Secondly, The difference betwixt the Law and Goſpel doth not at all conſiſt in this, that the one requireth perfect doing, the other only ſincere doing; but in this, that the one requireth doing, the other no doing, but believing for Life and Salvation. Their terms are different not only in degree, but in their whole nature.

The Apoſtle Paul oppoſeth the Believing required in the Goſpel to all doing for Life, as the Condition proper to the Law, Gal. 3.12. The Law is not of Faith, but the man that doth them ſhall live in them. Rom. 4.5. To him that worketh not, but believeth on him that juſtifieth the ungodly, his Faith is counted for righteouſneſs. If we ſeek Salvation by never ſo eaſie and mild a Condition of Works, we do thereby bring our ſelves under the Terms of the Law, and do become Debtors to fulfill the whole Law in perfection, though we intended to engage our ſelves only to fulſill it in part, Gal. 5.3. for the Law is a compleat Declaration of the only Terms whereby God will judge all that are not brought to deſpair of procuring Salvation by any of their own Works, and to receive it as a Gift freely given to them by the Grace of God in Chriſt. So that all that ſeek Salvation right or wrong, knowingly or ignorantly, by any works, leſs or more, whether invented by their own Superſtition, or commanded of God in the Old or New Teſtament, ſhall at laſt ſtand or fall, according to thoſe Terms.

Thirdly, Sincere Obedience cannot be performed to all the Commands of Chriſt in the Goſpel, except it be alſo performed to the Moral Law, as given by Moſes, and as obliging us by that authority. Some Aſſertors of the Condition of Salvation p. 106by ſincere Obedience to the Commands of Chriſt, would fain be free from the authority of the Law of Moſes, becauſe that juſtifieth none, but thundereth out a Curſe againſt all thoſe that ſeek Salvation by the Works of it, Gal. 3.10, 11. But if they were at all juſtified by ſincere Works, their reſpect to Moſes's Authority would not hinder their Succeſs, for many that were good Chriſtians accounted themſelves bound to obey not only the moral but the ceremonial Law; and if they had ſought Juſtification by any Works, they would have ſought it by thoſe Acts 20: 20, 21. They knew not of any Juſtification by ſincere Works, as commanded only in the Goſpel; yet if they had erred in any thing abſolutely neceſſary to Salvation, the Apoſtles would not have tolerated their weakneſs. And whether they will or no, they muſt ſeek their Salvation by the Works of the moral Law, as given by Moſes, or elſe they can never get it by ſincere Obedience to the Commands of Chriſt, Chriſt never loved their new Condition ſo well, as to aboliſh the Moſaical Authority of the moral Law, for the eſtabliſhment of it; he came not to deſtroy the Law and the Prophets, but to fulfill them in the Practice required by them, and hath declared, that thoſe that break one of the leaſt of theſe Commandments, and teach men ſo, ſhall be called the leaſt in the Kingdom of Heaven: but whoſoever ſhall do and teach them, the ſame ſhall be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven, Mat. 5.17, 19. He commandeth us, to do to men whatſoever we would they ſhould do to us, becauſe this is the Law and the Prophets; which is ſufficient to prove, that He would have us to account the Law authoritative to oblige us in this matter. He requireth p. 107his Diſciples to obſerve and do whatſoever the Scribes and Phariſees bid them, becauſe they ſate in Moſes's Seat, Mat. 23.23.

And to come to the point in hand, when Chriſt had occaſion to anſwer the Queſtions of thoſe that were guilty of the ſame Error that I am now dealing with, in ſeeking their Salvation by their own Works, He ſhewed them, that they muſt obey the Commands as they were already eſtabliſhed by the Moſaical Authority in the Scripture of the Old Teſtament. What is written in the Law? how readeſt thou? This do, and thou ſhalt live, Luke 10.26. If thou wilt enter into life, keep the Commandments, which are, Thou ſhalt do no Murder, Thou ſhalt not commit Adultery, &c.

In like manner the Apoſtles of Chriſt urged the performance of moral Duties upon Believers, by the authority of the Law given by Moſes. The Apoſtle Paul exhorteth to love one another, becauſe He that loveth another hath fulfilled the Law, Rom. 13.8. and to honour our Father and Mother, which is the firſt Commandment with Promiſe, Epheſ. 6.2. The Apoſtle John exhorteth to love others as no new, but an old Commandment. The Apoſtle James exhorteth to fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, Thou ſhalt love thy Neighbour as thy ſelf, and to keep all the Commands of the Law, one as well as another, becauſe He that ſaid, Do not commit Adultery, ſaid alſo Do not kill, Jam. 2.8, 10, 11. Sound Proteſtants have accounted the denial of the Authority of the moral Law of Moſes to be an Antinomian Error; tho' our late Prevaricators againſt Antinomianiſm maintain this Error, yet they eſtabliſh a worſe Error of Juſtification by their ſincere Goſpel-works. I think the denomination p. 108of the Antinomians aroſe from this Error. The Law of Moſes had its Authority at firſt from Chriſt, for Chriſt was the Lord God of Iſrael, that ordained the Law by Angels on Mount Sinai, in the hand of Moſes a Mediator for the Iſraelites, who were then his only Church, and with whom we believing Gentiles are now joyned, as fellow-Members of one and the ſame Body, Eph. 3.6. And though Chriſt hath ſince abrogated ſome of the Commandments then given by Moſes, concerning figurative Ceremonies and judicial Proceedings, yet he hath not anulled the obligative Authority of the moral Law, but hath left it in its full force, to oblige us in moral Duties, that are ſtill to be practiſed; as, when ſome Acts of any Parliament are repealed, the Authority of the ſame Parliament remaineth inviolable in other Acts that are not repealed. I know they object, that the Ten Commandments of the Moral Law, the Miniſtration of Death, written and engraven on Stones, are alſo done away by Chriſt, 2 Cor. 3.7. but this maketh altogether againſt their Conditional Covenant, for they are the miniſtration of Death, and done not as they commanded perfect Obedience, for even Chriſt himſelf commandeth us to be perfect, Mat. 5.48. but as they were Conditions for procuring Life and avoiding Death, eſtabliſhed by promiſe of Life to the Doers, and a Curſe to the Breakers of them, Gal. 3.10, 12. The Covenant made with Iſrael on Mount Sinai, is aboliſhed by Chriſt the Mediator of the new Covenant, Heb. 8.8, 9, 13. And the Ten Commandments bind us not as they were words of that Covenant, Exod. 34.28. I mean, they bind us not as Conditions of that Covenant, except we ſeek p. 109to be juſtified by Works; for the Law, as a Covenant, doth ſtill ſtand in force enough to curſe thoſe that ſeek Salvation by their own Works, Gal. 3.10. and if aboliſhed, it is only to thoſe that are in Chriſt by Faith, Gal. 2.19, 20. & 15.15. But the Ten Commandments bind us ſtill, as they were then given to a People that were at that time under the Covenant of Grace made with Abraham, to ſhew them what Duties are holy, juſt, and good, well pleaſing to God, and to be a Rule for their Converſation. The reſult of all is, that we muſt ſtill practiſe moral Duties, as commanded by Moſes, but we muſt not ſeek to be juſtified by our Practice. If we uſe them as a Rule of Life, not as Conditions of Juſtification, they can be no miniſtration of Death, or killing Letter unto us; their Perfection indeed maketh them to be harder Terms to procure Life by, but a better Rule to diſcover all Imperfections, and to guide us to that Perfection which we ſhould aim at. And it will be our Wiſdom not to part with the Authority of the Decalogue of Moſes, until our new Divines can furniſh us with another Syſtem of Morality as compleat as that, and as excellently compoſed and ordered by the Wiſdom of God, and more authentick than that is.

4ly, Thoſe that endeavour to procure Chriſt's Salvation by their ſincere Obedience to all the Commands of Chriſt, do act contrary to that way of Salvation by Chriſt's Free-grace, and Faith diſcovered in the Goſpel, though they own it in Profeſſion never ſo highly. They act contrary to the way of Salvation by Chriſt, for they would heal themſelves, and ſave themſelves from the Power and Pollution of Sin, and prooure God's p. 110Favour by performing ſincere Obedience before they are come to Chriſt the only Phyſician and Saviour. They lay their own Obedience loweſt in the Foundation of their Salvation, and build the Enjoyment of Chriſt upon it, who ought to be the only Foundation. They would ſanctifie themſelves before they have a ſure Intereſt in Chriſt, and going about to eſtabliſh their own Righteouſneſs, they do not ſubmit themſelves to the Righteouſneſs of God in Chriſt, Rom. 10.3,4. Sometimes they will call the Righteouſneſs of Chriſt, their Legal Righteouſneſs, that they may make room for an Evangelical Righteouſneſs of their own Works, to be the immediate procuring cauſe of their Juſtification by Chriſt, whereas the Apoſtle Paul knew no Evangelical Righteouſneſs, but that of Chriſt, which he calleth the righteouſneſs of faith without the law, Rom. 3.21, 22. and not of the law, Phil. 3.9. Thus they make void Chriſt's Salvation, while they pretend to own it, and Chriſt profiteth them nothing, Christ is become of none effect to them, while they would be juſtified by the Law, Gal. 5.2, 4. If we would be ſaved by Chriſt, we muſt own our ſelves dead, loſt Sinners, that can have no Righteouſneſs for Juſtification but his, no life or ability to do Good until God bring us to Union and Fellowſhip with him. They do alſo act contrary to Salvation by Grace, according to the true meaning of the Goſpel. For we are not ſaved by Grace, as the ſupreme Cauſe of Salvation by the Intervention of Works given and accepted by Grace as the procuring Cauſe, in which ſence we might be ſaved by Grace, though by a Covenant of Works. As a Servant that hath Monies given him by his p. 111Maſter to purchaſe an Annuity of his Maſter at a low rate, may profeſs that he had an Annuity, given him freely, and yet that he hath purchaſed it and may claim it as a due Debt. But we are ſaved by Grace, as the immediate and complete cauſe of our whole Salvation, excluding procurement of our Salvation by the condition of Works and claiming it by any Law as a due Debt. The Scripture teacheth us, that there is a perfect Oppoſition and utter Irreconcileableneſs betwixt Salvation by Grace and Works: If by grace, then it is no more of works, otherwiſe grace is no more grace; but if it be of works, then it is no more of grace, otherwiſe work is no more work, Rom. 11.6. So alſo there is an Oppoſition betwixt a Reward reckoned of grace, and of debt, Rom. 4.4. Betwixt a Promiſe of Happineſs by the law and by grace, Rom. 4.13.16. God is ſo jealous of the Glory of his Free-grace, that he will not ſave us by any Works though of his own working in us, leſt any man ſhould boaſt, Epheſ. 2.9. He knoweth that when he healeth Men by Phyſick or maintaineth them by the Labour of their hands, they are prone to attribute the Glory, rather to the means they uſe, than to his ſole Bounty and Goodneſs.

3dly, They do alſo act contrary to the way of Salvation by Faith: For, as I have ſhewed already, the Faith which is required for our Salvation in the Goſpel is to be underſtood in a ſenſe contrary to doing good Works, as a Condition to procure our Salvation, that ſo the true difference between the Terms of the Law and of the Goſpel may be maintain'd. Believing is oppoſed to all working for Salvation, and the Law of Works to the Law of Faith, Rom. 4.5, & 3.27. page missing p. 116againſt Antinomian Errours, by making it the procuring Condition of their Salvation, when after all this ado, the Remedy is found to be as bad as the Diſeaſe, equally unſerviceable and deſtructive to that great end for which they deſigned it, and that it hath an Antimonian Effect and Operation contrary to the Power of Godlineſs. Much more might be ſaid for the Confutation of this novel Doctrine, but if this one thing be well proved it may be ſufficient to make the zealous Contrivers of it to be aſhamed of their Craſt, and angry with themſelves, and ſorry that they have taken ſo much Pains and ſtretched their Wits to maintain ſuch an unprofitable unſanctifying Opinion. It will be ſufficient for the Proof of it, if I ſhew, that the practice of true holineſs cannot poſſibly be attain'd unto by ſeeking to be ſaved by the Works of the Law, becauſe I have already proved that this Doctrine of Salvation by ſincere Obedience, is according to the Terms of the Law, and not of the Goſpel. And hereby thoſe alſo may ſee their Errour that aſcribe Juſtification only to the Goſpel, and Sanctification to the Law. Yet becauſe thoſe Aſſertors of the Condition of ſincere Obedience, will hardly be perſwaded by what hath been ſaid, that it is the way of the Law of Works. I ſhall for their more full Conviction ſufficiently manifeſt, that it is of no other nature and operation than any other Doctrine that is proper to the Law, and hath no better Fruit, as I proceed to prove by the following Arguments, that holineſs cannot be attained by ſeeking it by the Law of Works, that ſo it may appear not worthy to be called Goſpel Doctrine.

Firſt, The way of Salvation by the Works of p. 117the Law is contrary and deſtructive to thoſe neceſſary means of an holy Practice, that have been laid down in the foregoing Directions, and manifeſtly proved out of the holy Scripture. I have made it appear, that a hearty Propenſity to an holy Practice cannot be attained without ſome good Perſwaſion of our Reconciliation with God by Juſtification, and of our everlaſting Happineſs, and of ſufficient ſtrength both to will and to perform our Duty; and that theſe, and all other Endowments neceſſary to the ſame end, are to be had only in Chriſt, by Union and Fellowſhip with him, and that Chriſt himſelf with all his Fulneſs is united to us by Faith, which is not a Condition to procure a Right or Title to Chriſt, but an Inſtrument whereby we receive him actually into our Hearts by truſting on him for all Salvation freely promiſed to us in the Goſpel. All theſe means of an holy Practice are things wherein our ſpiritual Life and Happineſs doth conſiſt, ſo that if we have them, everlaſting Life is begun in us already, and becauſe they are the neceſſary means of an holy Practice, therefore the beginning of everlaſting Life in us, muſt not be placed after ſuch a Practice, as the fruit and conſequent of it, but muſt go before it, as the Cauſe before the Effect. Now the Terms of the Law are directly contrary to this Method; they place the Practice of Holineſs before Life, and make it to be the means and procuring cauſe of Life, as Moſes deſcribeth them, Rom. 10.5. The man that doeth theſe things ſhall live by them. By theſe Terms you are firſt to do the holy Duties commanded before you have any Intereſt in the Life promiſed, or any Right to lay hold of it as yours by Faith, and you muſt practice p. 118Holineſs without the forementioned means, or elſe you can never attain to them. Thus the true means are turned out of their Office, and inſtead of being Cauſes, they are made to be Effects and Fruits of an holy Practice. And it will be in vain ever to expect ſuch Effects and Fruits; for Holineſs it ſelf with all its Effects muſt needs be deſtroyed when its neceſſary Cauſes are taken away. Therefore the Apoſtle Paul teſtifieth, that the way of ſalvation by the works of the law maketh faith void, and promiſes of none effect. And fruſtrateth the grace of God, as if Christ died in vain, and maketh Christ to be of no profit and of none effect to us, as thoſe that are fallen from grace, Rom. 4.14. Gal. 2.21. & 5.2, 4. Let us now examine the modern Doctrine of Salvation by the Condition of ſincere Obedience to all the Commands of Chriſt, and we ſhall quickly find it to be a chip of the ſame block, with the former legal way of Salvation in the ſame manner deſtructive to the means of Holineſs, and to Holineſs it ſelf. It requireth of us the Performance of ſincere Obedience before we have the means neceſſary to produce it, by making it antecedent to our Juſtification and Perſwaſion of eternal Happineſs, and our actual Enjoyment of Union and Fellowſhip with Chriſt and of that new Nature, which is to be had only in him by Faith. It deſtroyeth the nature of that ſaving Faith whereby we actually receive and enjoy Chriſt and all his Benefits, and knocketh off our Hands from laying hold of Chriſt and his Salvation, by telling us ſtill, as Chriſt told the Legalworker after all his Labour, that yet we lack ſomething, Mat. 10.21. That it is Preſumption to take him as our own until we have performed p. 119the Condition for our Right and Title to him, which is another kind of ſaving Faith, otherwiſe called ſincere Obedience. By this deviſed conditional Faith Satan keepeth many poor Souls at a bay poreing upon their own Hearts for many years together, to find whether they have performed the Condition, and whether they have as yet any Right to Chriſt for their Salvation, not daring to venture to take him as their own. It is a ſtrong Partition-wall that will certainly hinder the Soul from coming to Chriſt, until it be thrown down by the Knowledge of Salvation by grace, without any procuring Condition of Works. And though it be accounted but as the Payment of a Peppercorn for a great Eſtate, yet it is enough to break the ableſt Man in the World, becauſe it debarreth him from laying hold of the only effectual means of Holineſs, whereby that Pepper-corn may be obtained.

2dly, Thoſe that ſeek Salvation by the Works of the Law, do therein act according to their natural State, they live and walk according to the Fleſh, or Old-man, not according to the New-ſtate by Chriſt living in them. I doubt not but ſeveral of them that live under the light of the Goſpel are Partakers of a new State in Chriſt, and do walk holily in it; but the beſt in this World have in them Fleſh as well as Spirit, and may act according to either State in ſome meaſure, and in this matter they do act only according to their carnal natural State. When the believing Galatians were ſeduced to a Legal way of Salvation, the Apoſtle Paul chargeth it upon them as their Folly, that having begun in the ſpirit, they would now be made perfect in the fleſh, Gal. 3.3. And he reſembleth p. 120thoſe that deſire to be under the Law, to Abraham's Son born of Hagar the Bondwoman, to ſhew that ſuch do walk as thoſe that are born after the fleſh not after the ſpirit, Gal. 4.19, 23, 29. The Law was firſt given to Adam in his pure natural State to preſcribe Terms for his continuance in Happineſs which he then enjoyed, and ever ſince that time, the Fleſh or Natural-man is married to the Law, and the Law hath Dominion over a Man as long as he liveth, i. e. until he be dead to his fleſhly State by the Body of Chriſt, and married to him that is riſen from the dead, Rom. 7.1, 4. We are not at all under the Law as a Covenant of Works according to our new State in Chriſt, as the Apoſtle teſtifieth, Rom. 6.14. Ye are not under the law, but under grace. And Gal. 3.18. If ye be led by the ſpirit ye are not under the law. From hence we may firmly conclude that none can poſſibly attain to true Godlineſs by acting according to Legal-terms, becauſe I have fully proved already, that it is impoſſible to be godly while we are in the fleſh or in a natural State, and that as far as we act according to it, we can do nothing but ſin. The Law is weak through the Fleſh, that it cannot bring us to fulfil its own Righteouſneſs, Rom. 8.3, 4. It is married to a croſs piece of fleſh that is Enmity to it, and can never be ſubject to it, Rom. 8.8. It ſueth the Natural-man for an old Debt of Obedience that he is utterly unable to pay, ſince the Fall and the Succeſs is according to the Proverb, Sue a beggar and catch a louſe. Neither do thoſe take a better Courſe that would bring themſelves to Holineſs by making ſincere Obedience to Chriſt's Commands, the Condition of their Salvation. Their way is the ſame for Subſtance p. 121with that of the Calatians before mentioned, who would be made perfect in the Fleſh, not by perfect Obedience, but ſincere, as hath been ſhewed before. Their Eudeavours to procure an Intereſt in Chriſt by their ſincere Obedience, do teſtifie againſt themſelves, that they do not act as People that are in Chriſt, but rather as People that judge themſelves to be without an Intereſt in Chriſt, and to be yet to ſeek for it. And ſincere Obedience is as impoſſible to be attained unto as perfect Obedience, if we act according to our dead natural State.

3dly, As the Law bereaveth of all ſtrengthning means, that are to be had by Faith in Chriſt, and findeth us without ſtrength in our natural State; ſo of it ſelf it affordeth us no Strength to fulfil its own Commandments. If there had been a law given that could have given life, verily righteouſneſs ſhould have been by the law, Gal. 3.21. It doth not ſo much as promiſe us life until we have performed the Obedience required by it, The man that doth theſe things ſhall live by them, Rom. 6.5. It is well called a voice of words, Heb. 12.19. becauſe its high and big words are not acompanied with any enlivening Power; and the Doctrine of Life and Salvation by ſincere Obedience is not better natur'd or more bountiful to us: For it exacteth of us the Performance of the Condition, before it alloweth us any Life or Salvation by Chriſt. Can any Man rationally expect ſtrength to obey ſincerely, by following a Doctrine that doth not ſo much as promiſe it. The true Goſpel is of a more benign Nature, For it promiſeth that God would pour out of his ſpirit upon all fleſh, Acts 2.17. And will put his law in our mind, and write them in our bearts, p. 122Heb. 8.10. And will cauſe us to walk in his ſtatutes that we ſhall keep his judgments, and do them, Ezeck. 36.27. This word of God's Grace, that requireth not Holineſs of us as a Condition, but promiſeth it to us as a Free-gift, muſt needs be the only Doctrine that is able to build us up, and to give us an inheritance amongst them that are ſanctified, Acts 20.32. Seeing it pleaſeth God to bring us to Holineſs by believing a Doctrine we may reaſonably expect that God ſhould work upon us ſuitably to the nature of the Doctrine which we believe, that he ſhould give by a giving Doctrine, and exact by an exacting Doctrine.

4thly, The way of procuring Life and Happineſs by the condition of perfect or ſincere Works, is not a rational method for the Recovery of fallen Man, though it were good for the preſerving of Life before the Fall, it preſcribeth the immediate Practice of Holineſs to recover a Man dead in Sin. As if one ſhould ſay to the ſick of the Palſie, Ariſe up and walk, and then you ſhall be whole and able to walk. We ſometimes ſay jeſtingly to a Child that is fallen on the ground, Come hither, and I will help thee up; but if we ſhould ſay to one that is caſt on his Bed by a dead Palſie, we ſhould be guilty of mocking and cruel inſulting over the Afflicted. Thoſe that are humbled and made ſenſible of their original Sin and natural Deadneſs, know that they muſt firſt live by the Spirit, before they can act holily, Gal, 5.25. They will enquire, How ſhall we have ſtrength to perform the Duty required? If you anſwer that they muſt truſt in God and Chriſt to help them, they may readily reply, They have no ſure Ground to truſt on God or Chriſt for any ſaving Grace, according to this Doctrine, before p. 123they have performed this Condition, at leaſt in a ſincere Reſolution of Obedience, and that they are as unable to bring their Hearts to ſuch a Reſolution, as a dead Man is to raiſe himſelf out of the Grave. Take another Inſtance, the method of the Doctrine of Works is, you muſt love God firſt, and then on that Condition he will love you again; whereas on the contrary, we love God becauſe he loved us firſt, 1 Joh. 4.19. and if God ſuſpend his Love to us upon any condition, our Love to him will not be abſolute, but ſuſpended upon the ſame condition, and no way contrary to an actual hating of him.

5thly, The Law is ſo far from healing our ſinful Corruption, that it proveth rather an Occaſion of ſinful motions and actings in thoſe that ſeek Salvation by the Works of it. This cometh to paſs by reaſon of the Power of our natural Corruption, which is ſtirred up and rageth the more, when the holy and juſt Law of God is ſet in oppoſition againſt it, ſo that the fault is not in the Law, but in our own hearts. Thoſe that find not this by their own Experience ſhould believe the Apoſtle Paul, who teacheth it plainly, and that from his own Experience, Rom. 7.5. to the 14. He affirmeth that there are motions of Sin by the Law in a fleſhly State, and that Sin taketh occaſion by the Commandment, Thou ſhalt not covet, wrought in him all manner of Concupiſcence, deceived him, flew him, became exceeding ſinful, and that without the Law he was alive and ſin dead, but when the Commandment came, Sin revived and he died. He ſheweth that the cauſe of this irreconcileable enmity and contrariety betwixt his ſinful Nature and the Law; the law is ſpiritual, but I am carnal p. 124ſold under ſin. Take notice here that the Reaſon given by the Apoſtle that the Doctrine of Salvation by ſincere Obedience will have the ſame event. Corrupt Nature is contrary to ſincere Obedience as well as perfect, and if we make it the condition of our Salvation, Sin will take the ſame occaſion by it to become exceeding ſinful in its motions and actings. The Succeſs of legal Doctrine upon the natural Man is according to the Proverb, Reprove not a ſcorner lest he hate thee, Prov. 9.8. Rebuking a mad Man is the way to enrage him, and ſuch is the natural Man in ſpiritual things ſince he fell out of his right Mind by the Sin of Adam. We find by manifold Experience, that though Men be generally addicted to the Principle of Salvation by Works, yet multitudes of of them hate all ſtrict Preachers and Profeſſors of true Holineſs, becauſe they are a Torment to their Conſciences. They endeavour to ſhelter themſelves in Ignorance of the Law, accounting that the leſs they know, the leſs they ſhall anſwer for, and therefore they would not have right things propheſied unto them, Iſ. 30.10. And they have prevailed generally in the World to darken the natural knowledge of moral Duties in ſuch a Degree that there is a neceſſity of learning them by divine Revelation out of the Scriptures. We may find how prone Legal-writers are to corrupt the Senſe of the Law, that they may leave ſtarting holes for their Corruptions, by the corrupt Gloſſes of the Scribes and Phariſees from which Chriſt did vindicate it, Matth. 5. And as far as I have obſerved, none more endeavour to diſcover the Purity and Perfection of the Law, than thoſe that ſeek Holineſs and Salvation, without any Legal p. 125Condition by the meer Free grace of God in Chriſt. The Doctrine of Salvation by ſincere Obedience, is but a mincing of the Perfection required in the Law, and yet how is this Doctrine minced again and again until it be come ſo ſmall, that the Subſtance of all true Obedience is loſt, without any farther Practice of Holineſs. A willingneſs to be ſaved according to Chriſt's terms, or a Conſent that Chriſt ſhould be our Lord, or a Reſolution to obey his Commandments (which is little more than ignorant men truſt on, when they ſay that they hope God will ſave them, becauſe they have a good meaning, tho' they live in the neglect of all Religion) ſhall paſs with many for enough ſincere Obedience both to enter them into a State of Salvation, and to continue them in it, ſo that they ſhall never be accounted Breakers of the Goſpelcovenant while ſo much can be pretended. The moſt that is made neceſſary for Salvation, ſhall be only to endeavour to do what we can to obey Chriſt's Commands, tho' all that the moſt can do is nothing that is truly good. Thoſe that have a little more Zeal for their Salvation by Works, are prone to ſpend it in ſuperſtitious Obſervances, becauſe they ſuit better with their carnal Nature than the ſpiritual Commands of God and Chriſt. I doubt not but this hath been one occaſion of the prevailing of Heatheniſh, Jewiſh, and Popiſh Superſlitions in the World. We find by experience how Popery fell in ſeveral Nations in late years when the great Pillar of it, the Doctrine of Juſtification by Works, was overthrown by the Proteſtant Doctrine of Juſtification by Faith alone. If theſe Legal Zealots be forced by ſtrong Conviction to endeavour the Practice of ſpiritual Duties for the quieting of p. 126their guilty Conſciences, they may be brought to ſtrive and labour earneſtly, and even to macerate their Bodies with Faſting, that they may kill their Luſts, but ſtill their Luſts are alive and as ſtrong as ever they were, and do ſhew forth their Enmity againſt the Law of God by inward fretting, repining and grudging at it as a grievous Task-maſtertho' a ſlaviſh Fear reſtrain their groſs outward actings. And if once theſe Zealots be enlightned with the Knowledge of the Spiritual nature of the Law, to diſcern that God rejecteth all their ſlaviſh Service, and will not own it for ſincere Obedience, then they fall into Deſpair of their Salvation, becauſe they ſee they have failed in their higheſt attempts to perform the Condition, and then they can eaſily diſcover themſelves that their Hearts ſwell in Anger and manifeſt Hatred againſt the Law, yea, and againſt God and Chriſt for preſcribing ſuch hard Conditions of Salvation, which they cannot keep, and yet expect to be damned eternally for breaking of them. This filleth them with blaſphemous thoughts againſt God and Chriſt, and they can hardly refrain from blaſpheming with their tongues; and when they are brought to this horrible Condition, if God doth not in mercy diſcover to them the way of Salvation by Free-grace, through Faith alone, they will endeavour if they can to ſear their Conſciences paſt feeling of Sin, and fully to abandon all Religion, which have proved ſuch an unſufferable Torment to them, or if they cannot ſear their Conſciences, ſome of them are eaſily prevailed over by Satan, rather to murder themſelves than to live longer in the Hatred of God, the Spirit of Blaſphemy and continual horror of Conſcience. This is the peſtilent effect of p. 127Legal-Doctrine upon a carnal heart, that doth but rouſe up and terribly enrage the ſleeping Lion, our ſinful Gorruption inſtead of killing of it, as is too evident by the ſad Experience of many that have endeavoured with all their might to practice it, and by the Scripture that ſheweth a ſufficient cauſe why it cannot be otherwiſe. Therefore the Doctrine of Salvation by ſincere Obedience, that was invented againſt Antinomianiſm, may well be ranked amongſt the worſt Antinomian Errors. For my part I hate it with perfect Hatred and count it mine Enemy, as I have found it to be, and I have found by ſome good Experience the Truth of the Leſſon taught by the Apoſtle, that the way to be freed from the Maſtery and Dominion of Sin, is not to be under the law, but under grace, Rom. 6.15.

6thly, The way of Salvation by works was blaſted by the Curſe denounced againſt the firſt Adam's Sin, ſo that now it cannot work Life in us or Holineſs, but only Death: For the Law which requireth both ſincere and perfect Obedience to God in all things, was made known to Adam at his firſt Creation, as the means of continuing the happy Life that was then beſtowed upon him; and it would have been effectual for this end if he had not tranſgreſſed in the forbidden fruit, but when he had once brought himſelf and his Poſterity under the terrible Sentence, Thou ſhalt ſurely die, Gen. 2.17. all that Knowledge of God or his Law that before wrought for continuance of Life, was turned by that curſing Sentence the contrary way to work for his death, even for the death of his Soul in ſin, as well as for the death of his Body, and therefore it quickly moved him to hide himſelf from God as an enemy. It was as if God ſhould ſay, All the light and knowledge that thou haſt, ſhall not be able to continue p. 128thy life or reſtore it, but it ſhall rather tend to thy death. Therefore while we continue in our Natural ſtate under the firſt Adam's Guilt and Curſe, the knowledge of the Law, yea, and all ſuch knowledge of God and his Attributes as natural Men may attain to, muſt needs be in like manner accurſed to us; and ſeeing Man did not uſe his natural Knowledge and Wiſdom aright, God is reſolved to revenge the abuſe of it by giving us Salvation in a way contrary to it, that ſeemeth fooliſhneſs to the Natural man and wholly to aboliſh the way of living by any of our works, or by any Wiſdom or Knowledge that the Natural-man can attain unto; for it is written, I will deſtrey the wiſdom of the wiſe, and will bring to nothing the underſtanding of the prudent. Hath not God made fooliſh the wiſdom of the world: For after that in the wiſdom of God, the world by wiſdom knew not God, it pleaſed God by the fooliſhneſs of preaching to ſave them that believe, 1 Cor. 1.19, 20, 21. Hence we may conclude, that no Truth known by the light of Nature can be an effectual Principle or Motive to work Holineſs in us, and Goſpel-principles and Motives are but abuſed, when they are applied to a Legal-way of Salvation.

7thly, The end which God aimed at in giving the Law by Moſes, was not that any ſhould ever attain to Holineſs or Salvation by the condition of perfect or ſincere Obedience to it, tho' if there had been any ſuch way of Salvation at that time, it muſt have conſiſted in the Performance of that Law which was then given to the Church to be a Rule of Life as well as a Covenant. There was another Covenant made before that time with Abraham, Iſaac and Jacob, a Covenant of Grace promiſing all Bleſſings freely through Chriſt, the promiſed Seed, by which only they were to be ſaved, and the Covenant p. 129of the Law was added that they might-ſee their ſinfulneſs and ſubjection to death and wrath, and the impoſſibility of attaining to life or holineſs by their works, and be forced to truſt on the free Promiſe only for all their Salvation, and that Sin might be reſtrained by the Spirit of Bondage, until the coming of that promiſed Seed Jeſus Chriſt, and the more plentiful pouring out of the ſanctifying Spirit by him. This the Apoſtle Paul ſheweth largely, Gal. 3.15 to 24. Rom. 5.20, 21. & Rom. 10.3, 4. None of the Iſraelites under the Old Teſtament were ever ſaved by the Sinai-Covenant, neither did any of them ever attain to Holineſs by the terms of it. Some of them did indeed perform the Commandments of it ſincerely, tho' imperfectly, but thoſe were firſt juſtified and made Partakers of Life and Holineſs by virtue of that better Covenant made with Abraham, Iſaac and Jacob, which was the ſame in ſubſtance with the New-covenant or Teſtament, eſtabliſh'd by the Blood of Chriſt. Had it not been for that better Covenant, the Sinai-covenant would have proved to them an occaſion of no Happineſs, but only of ſin, Deſpair and Deſtruction. Of it ſelf it was only a killing Letter, the miniſtration of death and condemnation, and therefore it is now aboliſhed, 2 Cor. 3.6, 8, 9, 11. We have cauſe to praiſe God for delivering his Church by the Blood of Chriſt from this Yoke of Bondage, and we have cauſe to abhor the Device of thoſe that would lay upon us a more grievous and terrible Yoke, by turning our very New covenant into a Covenant of ſincere works, and leaving us no ſuch better Covenant as the Iſraelites had under their Yoke, to relieve us in our Extremity.