The True Bounds of Christian Freedom, Text (1 of 5)

The True Bounds of Christian Freedom · Text (1 of 5)

p. 1THE TRVE BOVNDS OF Chriſtian Freedome; or, A Diſcourſe ſhewing the extents and reſtraints of Chriſtian Libertie, &c. Wherein the truth is ſettled, many errors confuted, objections anſwered: And the whole applyed, upon this place of Scripture.

Ioh. 8. verſ. 36.

If the Sonne therefore ſhall make you free, ye ſhall be free indeed.—

IT is ſet down as a part of the ſufferings of Chriſt, Hebr. 12.3. that he endured the contradiction of ſinners. And among all the Chapters in the Goſpel, there is none that ſets down ſo great a part of the ſufferings of Chriſt in this p. 2kinde, as this 8 of Iohn. from the 12 verſ. to the 59. which is the end of the Chapter, almoſt every verſe ſhews you how the Iews ſet the pride of their obſtinate and rebellious wils, againſt his Divine and infinite wiſdome. There was nothing that Chriſt could ſpeake but their rebellious hearts did cavill at it, and thwart and contradict him in it. Yet there were ſome among them, that the word had better effects upon, you ſee in the 30. verſe, that though there were many contradictors, yet ſome were wrought upon, ſome beleeved: To thoſe in particular, Chriſt directs himſelfe, by way of Caution and incouragement, and tels them, if they did continue in his word, they ſhould know the truth; yea, and the truth ſhould make them free.

Whereupon the Iews anſwered (not thoſe that beleeved, as appears by the 37. verſ. for the ſame perſons that thus anſwered, ſought to kill him) We are Abrahams ſeed, and were never in bondage to any man, how ſayeſt thou, we ſhall be made free? Chriſt might have returned this impudent Cavill on them, Beza in locum. 32. ver.by giving them to review their former ſtate under the Egyptians, Babylonians, and preſent condition under the Romanes, Rom. 18.but paſſing by their corporall p. 3bondage; he proves them to be in Spirituall, and ſoule bondage to ſinne. 34. verſ. He that committeeth ſinne, is the ſervant of ſinne, but you commit ſinne. And having ſhewed them their preſent ſinfull condition, hee comes to tell them what ſhal be their future doome, they muſt be caſt out of the houſe, though they were now in the Church of God, yet they ſhould not continue in it, they muſt be caſt out, as the Apoſtle ſaith, Gal. Lege Cameron. Myrothe. in locum.4.30. Caſt out the bond-woman and her ſonne. And this he proves by ſetting down the condition of a ſervant and a ſonne, the ſervant abideth not in the houſe for ever, but the ſonne abideth for ever. 35. verſ. And yet he leaves them not here under their ſad doome, but propounds them a way to prevent it, and that is by endeavouring to get free, and then ſets down the meanes how this freedome may be obtained, and that is by the Sonne. **Conditionem filii ſubjungit, ut credant fieri poſſe ut per eum liberentur. Rolloc. 530.Though the worke be difficult, yet he that abides in the houſe for ever, he that is the Sonne can effect it: for if the Sonne ſhall make you free, you ſhall be free indeed.

And thus have I carryed you down to my Text; and ſhewed the reſpects that theſe words have to, and the dependance they have upon the former words.

p. 4We ſhall now come to looke upon it as intire, of it ſelfe. If the Sonne ſhall make you free —

In which you may obſerve an Antecedent, and a Conſequent; or, firſt, a Suppoſition, if the ſonne ſhall make you free: ſecondly, a Conceſſion, then ſhall you be free indeed. But give me leave to branch it forth in theſe foure particulars.

Firſt, Here we have a Benefit expreſſed. Freedome. If the Sonne make you free.

Secondly, We have the Qualities of this freedome. It is a true and reall freedome, free indeed.

Thirdly, We have the Subiect of it, which ſure are Beleevers. If the Sonne ſhall make ye free.

Fourthly, We have the Author of it, Chriſt. If the Sonne ſhall make you free. That which is expreſſed, and that which is implyed, would afford foure Concluſions.

1. 4. Concluſions from the Text.That every man by nature, and in the ſtate of nature is in Bondage,

2. That there are ſome, who are ſet free from this Bondage.

3. That thoſe that are ſet Free, are ſet Free by Chriſt.

4. That ſuch as Chriſt hath ſet Free, they are Free indeed—

p. 5I ſhall not ſpeake diſtinctly to all theſe which I have propounded; It will not ſute ſo well with my deſigne in this work. The firſt Doctrine might challenge ſomething by way of Introduction to what ſhall follow: and it might be ſerviceable to ſet off, and command this high priviledge of Spirituall freedome. Contraries, Contraria contrariis illuſceſcunt.they do inlighten one another. Something of heaven might be known from hell, and ſomething of the excellency of our Spirituall freedome, from the conſideration of our naturall bondage: A bondage, 1. to Sinne; 2. to Satan; 3. to the Law. All which is firſt a Soul-bondage; and that Vniverſall bondage: ſecondly, a Cruell bondage: thirdly, a willing bondage: fourthly, a bondage out of which we are not able to redeeme our ſelves by price, or deliver our ſelves by power.

But this firſt Doctrin we ſhall let goe for preſent, and what I might here ſpeake of it, I ſhall reſerve to ſome Application. The other foure I will ſum up into this one.

Doct. Doctrin. That there is a true and reall Freedome which Chriſt hath purchaſed, and into which he hath inſtated all thoſe who are true beleevers.

And in this you have the whole Text. p. 6The Benefit freedome: The Qualitie of it, true and reall: The Subiects of it, true Beleevers; and the Author of it, Chriſt. If the Sonne ſhall make you free, then — All which makes this one Concluſion, That there is a true and reall freedome.

Now in the proſecution of this, we ſhall indeavour to do theſe three things. And ſo come to the Anſwer of thoſe Queries which induced me to enter upon this Diſcourſe.

1. We will ſhew you the Quality of this freedome here ſpoken of.

2. We will ſhew you the Nature of it.

3. We ſhall diſcover the parts of it.

And this briefly, that ſo we may come to that which I have chiefly intended.

1. For the nature of it, what freedome that is for kinde, of which Chriſt doth here ſpeake, and into which Chriſt doth inſtate Beleevers. For the clearing of which, it is needfull to tell you that there are foure kinds of freedome.

1. A naturall freedome. 2. Politicall. 3. Senſuall. 4. Spirituall.

Firſt, A Naturall freedome, ſuch a freedome as is in every thing by nature, every thing in nature injoyes a naturall freedome: but of this it is not ſpoken.

p. 7Secondly, There is a Politicall freedome, which is freedome of ſuch a Nation, ſuch a State, ſuch a Commonwealth, and Corporation; and of this the Iewes thought Chriſt ſpake; they were Abrahams ſeed, and therefore free; but of this Chriſt did not ſpeake.

Thirdly, There is a corrupt and ſinfull freedome, which we expreſſe under the word Libertiniſme: and the Apoſtle ſets downe in the 5. Gal. 13. Brethren ye are called unto libertie; but uſe not libertie as an occaſion to the fleſh; that is, as an occaſion to ſinne; this is fearefull, to turne the grace of God into wantonneſſe, of whom the Apoſtle ſpeaketh in the fourth of Iude, There are certaine men creept in unawares, who were of old ordained to the condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of God into laſciviouſneſſe.

Who perhaps did reaſon with them, 6. Rom. That they might abound in ſinne becauſe God hath abounded in grace; which was fearefull, no reaſoning of a child of God. And of the ſame men the Apoſtle ſpeaks in 1 Pet. 2.16. As free, and not uſing your libertie as a cloake of maliciouſneſſe; that is, a pretence, or a colour to ſin. But as the ſervants of God, &c. It is evill to p. 8ſinne, to doe any act of maliciouſneſſe, but much more to cloake it, cover it; and much more againe to make Chriſtian libertie the cloake of ſinne, that is moſt damnable; to make Religion, to make the truth of God, to make Chriſtian liberty ſo dearely purchaſed, a cloake or pretence to ſinne; or to take occaſion to ſinne by it, is a fearefull ſinne.

But of this Chriſt doth not here ſpeake, this is our bondage, and not our freedome as I ſhall ſhew you.

Fourthly, There is a ſpirituall and heavenly freedome; a freedome purchaſed by Chriſt, revealed in the Goſpel, conveyed to the Saints, as the great dowry of Chriſt to his Church and Spouſe.

There are two great things Chriſt hath intruſted into the hands of his Church: Firſt, Chriſtian faith. Secondly, Chriſtian liberty. And as we are to contend earneſtly for the maintenance of the faith, as the Apoſtle ſaith, Jude 3.Jude 1:3Iude 3. So alſo for the maintenance of Chriſtian libertie, Gal. 5.1.Gal 5:1againſt all oppugners and underminers of it. Gal. 5.1. Stand faſt in the libertie wherewith Chriſt made you free. And much like to this is that of the Apoſtle, You are bonght with a price, be p. 9no more the ſervants of men, 1 Cor. 7.23. 1 Cor. 7.231 Cor 7:23But of this more hereafter.

In the generall then I ſay, the freedome into which Chriſt hath inſtated beleevers, is a ſpirituall, a divine freedome; a freedome in oppoſition to our former bondage. Which clearely underſtood, would diſcover what our freedome is. We come to the ſecond.

Secondly, What is the quality of this freedome?

There is one qualitie in the Text: I ſhall but adde two more to it.

Firſt, It is a reall freedome, not an imaginary, not a fancied freedome; there are too many who are imaginary free, and really in bondage: But this is no imaginarie freedome; it is a freedome indeed, a true and reall freedome, whom the Sonne makes free are free indeed.

Secondly, It is an univerſall freedome: a freedome which leaves us in no part of bondage: that look what ever was any part of our bondage before; in our liberty now, we are freed from it. But we muſt take heed of taking any part of our libertie for our bondage; or of our bondage for our libertie; too many doe: as I ſhall ſhew hereafter.

p. 10We were then in bondage to Satan, to ſinne, to the law, to wrath, to death, to hell, &c. And by this priviledge are freed from all, &c. It is an Vniverſall freedome. Vniverſall in reſpect of perſons; all beleevers: and univerſall in reſpect of parts. We are free from all that was, or is any way part of our bondage: we are free from Satan, from ſinne, from the law: as I ſhall ſhew anon, &c.

Thirdly, It is a conſtant freedome: you are inſtated into a condition of freedome; a ſtate of freedome, as you were before in a ſtate of bondage.

If ever the Lords Jubile was proclaimed and pronounced in the ſoule, you ſhall never heare of a returne to bondage more; you ſhall never more returne into bondage to Satan; never come under the bondage to the Law more, &c.

And this Chriſt implies in the 8. of Iohn 35. The ſervant abideth not in the houſe for ever, but the ſonne abideth for ever. The Apoſtle expreſſeth the ſame under an alluſion, Gal. 5.22. where he diſtinguiſheth between thoſe who are under the law, and under the Goſpel; the children of the bond-woman, and thoſe of the free; the heires of the promiſe, and the ſervants of the law; p. 11the one muſt be caſt out, ſaith Paul, and ſo Chriſt here: The ſervant abides not in the houſe for ever; they ſhall not inherit, but the Son abideth in the houſe for ever; they ſhall inherit, they ſhall enjoy a perpetuall freedome, never again to return to bondage.

3. We come now to the third thing propounded, the parts of this freedome.

Before I come to tell you what are the parts of our Chriſtian freedome, I muſt neceſſarily tell you that freedome in generall is divided into theſe two branches.

Firſt, inchoate freedome. Secondly, conſummate freedome, or the freedome we enjoy in the way, and the freedome of our Fathers houſe: the one in Grace, the other in Glory.

We ſhall ſpeake chiefly to the firſt: the freedome of Saints here in Grace, which is our inchoate freedome. And we will briefly lay down the parts of it, which are two

1. Privative.

2. Poſitive.

We will begin with the firſt.

Firſt, They are free from Satan: I ſay, beleevers are freed from Satan. Chriſt hath wreſt us, and delivered us out of Satans hands. We were priſoners to Satan, even in his chains, but Chriſt hath delivered us. This is ſet down by way of parable in Luk. 11.21, p. 1222. When the ſtrong man keeps the houſe, all is in peace: But when a ſtronger ſhall come, he ſhall ſpoyle him of his armour wherein he truſted, &c. But plainly in Heb. 2.14, 15. Chriſt came into the world, that through death he might deſtroy him that had the power of death, the devill.

Chriſt freed us from the wrath of God by purchaſe, Non pretio dato ſed manu potenti.but from the devil by ſtrong hand. Indeed he bought us out of the hands of his Fathers juſtice by price; but he delivers us from Satan, as he delivered the children of Iſrael out of Egypt, not by price, but by power; not by purchaſe, but by ſtrong hand. And this is the firſt.

Secondly, Reatus. Regnum. Macula.we are freed from ſinne. There are ſaid to be three things in ſinne. 1. The guilt of ſin. 2. The dominion of ſin. 3. The defilement of ſinne. I ſhall onelyonly ſpeake unto two of them, viz.

Firſt, Chriſt hath freed us from the guilt of ſin: yea of all ſin: which appeares in this.

1. That none of our ſinnes ſhall condemne us.

2. That none of our ſins ſhall bring any fruits of wrath upon us.

Firſt, that none of our ſins ſhall be able to condemne us; Chriſt interpoſeth himſelfe between us and wrath, that none ſhall be able to condemne us, Rom. 8.1. There is no p. 13condemnation to ſuch as are in Chriſt. Deo et legi ſatisfeciſti in Chriſto, qui in Chriſto es. Piſcat.Chriſt himſelfe ſhall aſſoone be called to account for thy ſin as thou; if thou haſt an intereſt in him, ſinne ſhall never condemne thee, Chriſt hath ſatisfied for ſin.

It were no juſtice for God to require the payment of Chriſt; nay to receive the full ſatisfaction of Chriſt, and to require any thing of thee. This God did, He laid on him the iniquitie of us all, Iſa. 53. and this hath Chriſt done; he paid God till he ſaid, he had enough; he was fully ſatisfied, fully contented: This is my well-beloved Sonne, Mat. 12.18. foreign. in quo complacui, in quo placatus ſum. Lege Bez. in Matth. 3.17.Matt 12:18Matt 3:17in whom I am well pleaſed; in whom I am fully ſatisfied and appeaſed. So the Apoſtle, 2 Cor. 5.1. God was in Chriſt reconciling the world unto himſelfe, &c. He was paying himſelfe out of the bloud, ſcourges, and ſufferings of Chriſt; and in that Chriſt made a full payment. Hence Chriſt ſaith, Joh. 16.10. I ſend my Spirit, and he ſhall convince the world, as of ſinne, ſo of righteouſneſſe, becauſe I goe to the Father, and ye ſhall ſee me no more; that is, you ſhall ſee me no more in this kinde; you ſhall never ſee me againe as a ſufferer, as a ſatisfier of Gods Iuſtice for ſinne more; I have done this. Indeed we ſhould have ſeen Chriſt againe if he had not ſatisfied Iuſtice; if but the guilt of one of thoſe ſinnes he bare had lien on him unſatisfied p. 14for, it would have held him under chains of death, the power of the grave, for ever; he could never have riſen, much leſſe have aſcended, and gone to the Father, if he had not anſwered Iuſtice to the full. And therefore the Apoſtle makes a challenge, he ſets the death of Chriſt againſt what ever Sinne, Satan, Iuſtice, or Law can ſay, Rom. 8.33, 34. Who ſhall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect? It is God that iuſtifieth: Who is he that condemneth? It is Chriſt that dyed, yea rather that is riſen againe, who is even at the right hand of God, who alſo maketh interceſſion for us. He ſaies not, Who ſhall accuſe, but, who condemne? Indeed we may have accuſers enough, Sin, Satan, Conſcience, &c. but none can condemne: the iſſues of life and death are not in their hand. And as none of our ſinnes ſhall condemne us, ſo none of our ſinnes ſhall put us into a ſtate of condemnation more; none of our ſinnes ſhall ever put us under the curſe, under wrath againe. And that is the ſecond.

2. None of our ſins ſhall bring any fruits of wrath on us. We are freed from all miſeries, calamities, afflictions, puniſhments, which yet are the fruits of ſin, as they may be conceived to be fruits of wrath, or have wrath in them.

p. 15If you take away the body, the ſhadow muſt needs be removed; ſinne is ſhe body, puniſhment the ſhadow that doth attend it and follow it: take away ſinne, and then the puniſhments are alſo taken away, all Gods diſpenſations are in mercy.

1. For eternall puniſhments. All doe agree, thoſe can never lay hold of any of thoſe whom Chriſt hath freed from ſinne, thoſe whom he hath juſtified.

2. For other puniſhments that have part of eternall puniſhments in them, any thing of the nature of wrath, from thoſe we are freed.

3. And from all that beare relation, ſubordination, to any eternall puniſhment: theſe certainly beleevers are for ever freed from.

I grant, that God doth afflict thoſe whoſe ſin he yet pardons, but there is a great deale of difference, both in the hand whence they come, the perſon that beare them, the grounds of inflicting; the ends that God aymes at in the inflicting them on us. As I ſhall ſhew afterward.

God doth not afflict his people for ſin.

Firſt, As afflictions are part of the curſe for ſinne; ſo he cannot doe: So we all agree.

p. 16Secondly, Afflictiones piorum non ſunt ſatisfactoriae, ſed caſtigatoriae.As they are payments for ſin, ſatisfactions for ſinne, as if Gods iuſtice were not full enough ſatisfied for ſinne by Chriſt, but he had left ſomething for us to beare in way of ſatisfaction; So the Papiſts ſay, (and therefore they penance and puniſh themſelves) but ſo doe not we.

Thirdly, God doth not afflict his people for ſinne, as afflictions are the meere fruits of ſinne; for as they are the meere fruits of ſinne, ſo they are part of the curſe. Affliction upon wicked men are meerely penall part of the curſe: there is nothing medicinall in them, they are the effects of meere vindictive juſtice, and not of fatherly mercy, &c. but afflictions on the godly, they are medicinall to cure us of ſinne.

And this is the Firſt. Chriſt hath freed us from the guilt of ſinne, by which we can underſtand nothing elſe but that wrath, that puniſhment which is due to ſinne. Temporall, Spirituall, Eternall. And

1. From Eternall puniſhments, we all agree God hath freed us.

2. From Spirituall, as they have relation to eternall: So we muſt needs conclude.

3. From Temporall, ſo farre as they have relation to either ſpirituall or eternall puniſhments; or, as they have any thing of wrath in them.

p. 17God hath thoughts of love in all he doth to his people: the grounds of his dealings to us is love, though the occaſion may be ſin, the manner of his dealings are love, and the end of his dealings are love. 1. Our good here, to make us partakers of his holineſſe; As the Apoſtle ſaith. 2. Our glory hereafter, to make us partakers of his glory.

But now it is not ſo in Gods puniſhments of wicked men. Neither is the ground love, nor the manner love, nor the end love, all his dealings with them in this kind, they are parts of the curſe, and parts of their demerits for ſinne. And that is the firſt particular branch, he hath freed us from the guilt of ſinne.

Secondly, Chriſt hath freed us from the Dominion of ſinne, Rom. 6.14, Sinne ſhall not have dominion over you. Why? for ſaith he, You are not under the law, but under grace. Indeed while we were under the law ſin had full dominion; it had not onelyonly poſſeſſion in us, but dominion over us. And that dominion a voluntary, a willing, a free ſubiection and reſignation of our ſelves, to the motions and ſervices of ſin. Then we went downe ſtreame, winde, and tyde; there was both power of luſt, and luſtfull p. 18inclinations to carry us: this was the tyde, the other was the wind.

But now being under grace, a covenant of grace, intereſſed in Chriſt, and ſet free by him; we are freed from the dominion and power of ſin.

Though ſtill we have the preſence, nay the ſtirrings and workings of corruptions, which makes us to have many a ſad heart and wet eye. Yet Chriſt hath thus farre freed us from Sinne, it ſhall not have dominion; Plus Romae negotii cum ſemitura Carthagine quam cum integra.there may be the turbulencie, but not prevalency of ſinne: there may be the ſtirrings of corruption; as it was ſaid of Carthage, that Rome was more troubled with it when halfe deſtroyed, then when whol. So a godly man may be more troubled with ſin when it is conquered, then when it reigned. You ſhall ſtill heare of its workings, but they are checked workings; rather workings for life, Operat peccatum ſed fractae operationes. Non dicet paulus ne tyranidem exerceat ſed neregnet. Theod.then from life: they are not ſuch uncontrolled workings as formerly. Sin is under command; Indeed it may get advantage and have a tyranny in the ſoule, but never ſoveraigntie more: I ſay, it may get into the throne and play the tyrant in this or that particular act of ſin, but it ſhall never be as a king more. It ſhall never p. 19reigne more, you ſhall never yeeld a voluntary willing obedience to ſin. Sinne is conquered, though it ſtill have a being in you. Saint Auguſtine ſet downe man under foure conditions; that is, Homo conſideratur ante legem, ſub lege, ſub gratia, in pace. Ante legem non pugnamus, ſub lege, pugnamus ſed vincimur, ſub gratia pugnamus et vincimus in pace ne pugnamus quidem. Aug. in Rom. Ʋbi non eſt bellum, ubi pax perverſebefore the law we did neither fight nor ſtrive againſt ſinne; under the law we fight, but are overcome; under grace we fight and conquer; but in heaven there is all conqueſt, and no combats more to all eternitie. It is our happineſſe here in grace, that there is a conqueſt, though daily combat: we fight, but we get the victory, ſin ſhall never have more dominion over us: thoſe ſinnes that were kings are now captives in us; they that were in the throne, are now in chaines. And what a mercy is this, where others are under the authoritative commands of every paſſion, of every luſt: every ſin hath command over them, no temptation comes but it conquers, A ſinfull heart ſtands ready to entertaine every ſinne, if it comes on with power, It is taken captive at pleaſure, and with pleaſure.

But thou art free from it, ſin is broken in the tempting: there is no allowing of ſin in the underſtanding, the ſoule is not willing to allow of ſinne as ſinne under any notion; p. 20no cloſing with it in the will, no embracing of it in the affections; the workings of ſinne are broken and wounded, &c. You will never be willing captives to ſinne againe: you may be captives, never ſubiects; ſin may tyranize, never reigne. The reigne of ſinne doth denominate a ſoule under the power of ſinne, and under a ſtate of ſinne. But Sinne rather dies then lives in you. As you know a man that lives ſickly; a man that is conſuming daily he is ſaid rather to die then live; to live implies a getting ſtrength, and ſo ſinne doth not: It is in a Conſumption, dying daily.

It is dead iudicially, Chriſt hath ſentenced it, Chriſt hath condemned ſin in the fleſh, Rom. 8.3. it had its dead blow in the death of Chriſt. And it is dying actually: As the Houſe of Saul. It is in its decreaſing every day. But onelyonly God hath choſen to put ſin to a lingring death, a death upon the Croſſe; for the greater puniſhment of ſinne, that it might ſenſim mori, and for the further humiliation of Saints, that they might be put upon exerciſe of prayer, & caſt upon the hold of their faith; and exerciſe their faith for the daily breaking of the power of ſin and corruption in them. And ſo much ſhal ſerve for p. 21the ſecond. Chriſt hath freed us from ſinne, —

Thirdly, Chriſt hath freed us from the law; that is another part of our freedome by Chriſt. We are freed from the law, Rom. 7.3.6. We are delivered from the law, that being dead to it, we ſhould ſerve in newneſſe of ſpirit, and not in the oldneſſe of the letter. Gal. 2.19. I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. Gal. 5.18. If ye be led by the Spirit, ye are not under the law. Rom. 6.14. Ye are not under the law, but under grace.

And this is another part of our freedome by Chriſt; we are freed from the law: But what this is we ſhall ſhew at large.

1. We are freed from the Ceremoniall law, which was a yoke which neither me, nor our fathers were able to beare, Act. 15.20. But this is not all, here is but a ſmall part of our freedome.

2. We are freed from the Morall law. Firſt, as a Covenant ſay our Divines. It would ſave a great deale of trouble to ſay we are freed from the law, as a condition upon the obedience whereof we expected life. But take it in thoſe words, we are freed from the law as a Covenant; the enquiry will be then, what Covenant it is?

p. 221. Some would have it a Covenant of workes, and yet will not have it oppoſite to the Covenant of grace.

2. Some would have it a Covenant of grace, but more legally diſpenſed.

3. Some again would have it a mixt Covenant, mixt of the Covenant of Nature, and of Grace.

4. Some again would have it a ſubſurvient Covenant; a Covenant given to them in way of ſubſerviencie to the Goſpel and Grace.

5. And others would have it no Covenant, but rather the repetition of the Covenant of works made with man in Innocency. And that God in giving of the law, did but repeat the Covenant under which we did, and doe ſtand, till we come over unto Chriſt.

And this God did with mercifull purpoſes, to drive us out of our ſelves, and to bring us over unto Chriſt: As the Appoſtle ſeems to ſpeake when he demands this Queſtion, Gal. 3.19. But if the inheritance be not by the law, wherefore then ſerveth the law? the Appoſtle anſwers, the law was added becauſe of tranſgreſſions till the ſeed ſhould come, that is, it was added to the promiſe, to diſcover tranſgreſſions, Lex datur ut gratia quaeratur.to make ſin and wrath appeare, to ſentence and humble us for ſinne. In p. 23ſhort to make us to ſee the tearmes under which we ſtood; that ſo we might be brought out of our ſelves, and brought over to Chriſt; that we might expect nothing in relation to life from the law, or from our obedience to it, but all from Chriſt, who is our righteouſneſſe and peace.

I ſhall not in this place debate theſe things, I have referred it to another place; onelyonly I ſay, that the Scripture ſeemes not to hold forth, that it was the repetition of a Covenant, but that it was a Covenant it ſelfe, Exod. 19.4. & 6. and expreſly in Deut. 4.13. And the Lord declared unto you his covenant which he commanded you to performe; even tenne Commandements, and he wrote them upon two Tables of ſtone.

So that you ſee it is in expreſſe tearmes called a Covenant. And it is generally laid down by Divines as one part of our freedom by Chriſt, to be free from the law as a Covenant. And therefore I conceive they doe not underſtand it to be a Covenant of grace, onelyonly legally diſpenſed; becauſe then it would be better ſaid, that we are free from the legall adminiſtrations of it, then from the thing it ſelfe. But they conceive it to be a Covenant of workes; yet not of life and death, that we ſhould ſtand or fall upon our p. 24obedience or diſobedience to it: So it were oppoſite to Grace, and could no way be conſiſtent with it: ſo it would ſpeake God contrary to himſelfe, foreign Poſita, pro appoſita, hoc eſt, promiſſioni adjecta. Bez.& to repent of his own mercy, ſeeing he had given the promiſe foure hundred and thirty yeares before, and the law was added to the promiſe; and therefore cannot be conceived that it was oppoſite to it; this were not addition to, but the deſtruction of the promiſe. Beſides, It is ſaid to be given in the hands of a Mediatour, which a Covenant of workes ſo underſtood will not admit of; that will not beare with a Mediatour: As I ſhall ſhew at large afterward. So that when they ſay, that the law was a covenant of workes, they doe not underſtand thereby that it was a Covenant of life and death; then ſhould it be oppoſite to Grace: But that it was ſuch a Covenant of works which might in the diſpenſation of it conſiſt with Grace. Foedus operis et foedus Gratiae ſunt ſubordinata et oppoſita. Alſted.And though it ſtood upon oppoſite tearmes to Grace, as the Apoſtle ſhews in his Epiſtle to the Romanes, in many places; I will name but one, Rom. 10.5, 6. Moſes deſcribeth the righteouſneſſe of the law, that the man that doth thoſe things ſhall live by them; but the righteouſneſſe which is of faith ſpeaketh on this wiſe, verſ. 9. That if thou ſhalt confeſſe with thy mouth the p. 25Lord Ieſus, and beleeeve in thy heart that God raiſed him from the dead, thou ſhalt be ſaved. But though it ſtood upon oppoſite tearmes to Grace, yet had it its ſubſervient ends to it: as the Apoſtle ſhews at large in the third of the Galatians, in many places: take but one verſe, the 21. where the Apoſtle ſaith, Is the law againſt the promiſes, God forbid? implying that though it ſtood upon oppoſite tearmes, yet had it its ſubſervient ends to the promiſe, and Covenant of Grace: if which be their meaning, whether it were not better for diſtinctions ſake, expreſt by ſome other word, I leave you upon the ſequele to determine.

We will now returne to the firſt particular laid down, viz. that we are free from the law as a Covenant. It is the diſtinction which is laid down uſually in anſwer to the objections againſt the obligation to the law. The Law may be conſidered as a Rule, and as a Covenant, when you read the Law is ſtill in force; Plane dicimus decepiſſe legem quoadonera non quoad juſtitiam.It is to be underſtood of the Law as a Rule, not as a Covenant; Againe, when you read the Law is abrogated, and that you are freed from the Law, It is to be underſtood of the Law as a Covenant, not as a Rule. But yet in all this it is not expreſſed, what Covenant it is, the Apoſtle calles it p. 26the old Covenant. foreign.Heb. 8.13. VnderUnder which they were and from which we are freed. It could never give you life, it ſhall not now inflict death on you. You are dead to it, and it is now dead to you; you have an expreſſion in the 7. Rom. 3.6. The law hath dominion over a man ſo long as he liveth, and his Argument is this, for the woman that hath a husband, is bound by the law to her husband, ſo long as he liveth, but if her husband be dead, ſhe is looſed from the law of her husband, Beza in Rom. 6.14. & in locum citatum.Rom 6:14&c. Among other interpretations, which might be ſet down; I ſhall only ſuggeſt this one, which yet is ſubmitted to better judgement by nature or covenant, the law is your husband; you are under ſubiection to it, as looking by your ſubiection to it to be iuſtified and ſaved; And till the law as a covenant, or husband be dead to you, and you to it, for the Apoſtle makes them both one. verſ. 4. you will never looke for righteouſneſſe and life in another; Till the law doe kill you, and you are dead to it, you will looke for righteouſneſſe and life in obedience to it. But when once the law hath killed you, and ſhewed you it is dead to you, and can doe you no good, and you are dead to it, and can expect nothing from it, then will p. 27you looke for life alone by Chriſt.

And this was the Apoſtles caſe, he was once one that expected, (as well he might) as much good from the law and his obedience to it as any man, Rom. 7.9, 10. I was alive, ſaith he, without the law once, that is, without the knowledge of the law once: But ſaith he, when the commandment came, then ſinne revived and I dyed, and the commandment which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death, that is, I found in ſtead of ſaving me, it killed me. It gave death inſtead of life. For ſaith he, ſinne taking occaſion by the law, deceived me, and by it ſlue me, that is, the law came in with an enlightning, convincing, accuſing, condemning power, and laid me on my backe, did cleane kill me, I ſaw I could expect nothing there, nothing from it as a covenant. And as the law was now dead to him, and could afford nothing to him, ſo was he now dead to the law, and expected nothing from it after. As he telles you afterwards, Gal. 2.19. I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live to God. That is, the law having now ſlaine me, I am for ever dead to it, I expect nothing from it as a covenant, all my life is in Chriſt. I look now to live by another. I through the law, p. 28that is, through the convincing, enlightning, condemning killing power of it, ſee that it is dead to me, and I to it: and can expect nothing from it, that is, as a covenant of life and death. It is dead to me, and I to it, and I look for all from Chriſt, — but thus much ſhall ſuffice to have ſpoken of the firſt. We are freed from the Law as a Covenant. Of which we ſhall ſpeake more largely in the Anſwer to the Queries: We will come to other branches of our Chriſtian freedome from the Law; which will hang upon this, if we looke upon it, as a Covenant of life and death.

Secondly, You are freed from the maledictions and Curſes of the Law. The Law requires two things of them who are under it. Either, that you ſhould obey the precepts which was impoſſible, in that ſtrictneſſe and rigidneſſe the law commanded them. Gal. Gal. 3.10. Abrogata eſt ex quoad maledictionem non quoad directionem. Cheami.Gal 3:103. or that we ſhould beare the penalties of the Law which are inſupportable. Either you muſt obey the commands, or ſuffer the Curſes of the Law; either doe Gods will, or ſuffer Gods will, in forfeitures of Soule and body: And in that ſad dilemma thoſe are who are under the Law, as a Covenant. Ioh. 3. He that beleeveth not is condemned p. 29already, the wrath of God abideth on him, &c. Therefore muſt needs be under the Curſes of the Law.

But now thoſe that are beleevers, they are freed from the law, as a covenant of life and death. And therefore are free from the curſes and maledictions of the Law, the law hath nothing to doe with them, as touching their eternall eſtate and condition.

Hence the Apoſtle, Rom. 8.1. There is no condemnation to them that are in Chriſt, that is, to them who are not under the law.

Were you indeed under the law as a covenant, there were condemnation, nothing elſe but condemnation. Though the law be not able to ſave you, yet it is able to condemn you, though not able to beſtow the bleſſing; yet it can poure the curſe upon you, Gal. 3.10. As many as are of the works of the law, (that is under the law, as a covenant that look for life and juſtification thereby) they are under the curſe. And he uſeth this Argument, For it is written: Lex nos reos facit jubendo, & non adjuvando, Aug.Curſed is he that doth not obey in all things, declaring he muſt needs be under the curſe; becauſe it is not poſſible to obey in all things, and to faile in any, you are left under the curſe.

So that I ſay, were you under the law, p. 30the law is able to condemne you: though it cannot ſave you, Rom. 8.3.

But now being in Chriſt, Chriſt hath freed you: from the curſes of the law, and that by bearing this curſe for you: as the Apoſtle, Chriſtus juſtus longe fortior ad ſervandum per gratiam quam injuſtus Adamus, ad perdendum per naturam, Beza.Gal. 3.13. Chriſt hath redeemed us from the curſe of the Law, by being made a curſe for us: he doth not onelyonly ſay by bearing the curſe for us, but by being made a curſe for us. For it is written; Curſed is every one that hangeth on the tree. And this is another benefit flowes from it. You are freed from the Law as a Covenant, and ſo from the curſe of the Law, the Law cannot paſſe ſentence upon you, it cannot condemne you. 1. You are not to be tryed in that court. 2. Chriſt hath ſatisfied it to the full.

And this priviledge is not onelyonly for preſent, but for ever, though you ſhould ſinne, yet the Law cannot pronounce the curſe on you; becauſe you are not under the Law, becauſe ye are freed from the curſe of the Law: And the curſe can never take hold on thee. A man will never be afraid of that Obligation which is made voyd, the Seale torne off; **Fuſo ſanguine ſine culpa omnium culparum Chirographa deleta ſunt. Aug.the writing defaced, nay, not only canceld and croſt, but torne in pieces: p. 31why thus hath God dealt with the law to beleevers, as touching its obligation to the curſe; its power to ſentence and condemne, the Apoſtle tels us, Col. 2.14. Non contentus eo quod dixerat Superiori verſu omnia peccata condonata, Subnectit ipſum Chirographum eſſe deletum. Sed fortaſſe non ita deletum quin poſſit lis nova ſuboriri, addit igitur e medio in ſuper eſſe ſublatum, ſed fortaſſe ſervatur alicubi abſconditum & proferetur inpoſterum, imo inquit eſt cruci affixum, i. e. delaceratum, &c. Daven. in locum. Abrogata lux quoad vim damnatoriam, non quoad vim directoriam. Dav. 2. lib.He hath blotted out the hand-writing of ordinances that was againſt us, which was contrary to us, and tooke it out of the way, nailing it to his croſſe; By hand-writing of Ordinances, I conceive is not meant the Ceremoniall Law alone; but the Morall too, ſo farre as it was againſt us, So farre as it did bind us over to the curſe. And the Apoſtles Gradation is here obſerveable, he hath blotted out, but leaſt this ſhould not be enough, leaſt any ſhould ſay, it is not ſo blotted out, but it may be read, therefore he addes, he hath taken it away. But leaſt this ſhould not be enough neither, leaſt ſome might ſay; yea, but it will be found againe, and put in ſuit afreſh: therefore he addes, he hath nailed it to his croſſe, he hath torne it in pieces, never to be put together more. The Law ſhall never have any thing to ſhew for the ſinnes of beleevers. Indeed it hath blacke bills, bloody inditements againſt ſuch who are under it: but it ſhall never have any thing to produce againſt thee, who haſt an intereſt in Chriſt; p. 32I may ſay of ſuch, as the Apoſtle doth in another ſenſe, againſt ſuch their is no law. As there is no law to iuſtifie them, ſo there is no law to condemne them.

This the Apoſtle ſhews plaine, Rom. 8.34. Who is he that condemneth, it is Chriſt that died. He ſets the death of Chriſt againſt all that can be brought. And it is evident.

Firſt, That Court cannot condemne, becauſe that Court is condemned, the curſes, judgements, and ſentences of it are made invalid, and of no power **Damnati linguam non vocem habent.men that are condemned, they have a tongue, but no voice. So here, though the Law have a tongue ſtill to accuſe, yet hath it no power to condemne, it cannot faſten condemnation on you.

Secondly, That Court cannot condemne you, becauſe you are not under it as a Court, you are not under the Law as a Covenant of life and death. If you be in Chriſt, you are under a Covenant of grace.

Thirdly, That Court cannot condemne you: becauſe you are not under the condemnation of it, you are under the conduct, but not under the curſes of it, you are under the precepts (though not as the Law doth hold them out, upon theſe termes doe this and live,) but you are not under the penalty of it.

p. 33Fourthly, againe, that Court cannot condemne you, becauſe Chriſt in our perſon and ſtead was condemned by it, that we might be freed. Gal. 3.13. Chriſt hath redeemed us from the curſe of the law being made a curſe for us. **Lex retinet aliquam vim condemnandi, quia peccatum arguit, et condemnat in ipſis fidelibus, quamvis non fideles. Ameſ. Luk. 18.Luke 18It may condemne ſinne in us: but cannot condemne us for ſin.

Fifthly, that Court cannot condemn, becauſe you have appealed from it: you ſee this in the Publican, he was arreſted, dragged into the Court of juſtice, ſentenced and condemned: but this takes no place becauſe he makes his appeale; God be mercifull to me a ſinner: he flies to Chriſt, and ſaith the Text, he went away iuſtified. So that Court (provided your appeale be juſt) cannot condemne, becauſe you have appealed to the Court of Mercy.

Indeed there be many who make a falſe appeale: they appeale in part, not wholly; they will truſt part on Chriſt, and part on themſelves. Many that appeale to Chriſt for ſalvation, who doe not appeale to him for ſanctification: this is falſe.

Many who appeale to Chriſt before they be caſt in the former Court; before p. 34they be humbled, convinced, condemned in the law.

You may read what kind of appeale will doe you good in the poore Publican; he ſeems a man caſt and condemned in the Court of the law, and thereupon makes his appeale to Chriſt in the Goſpel: Read the words, it is ſaid of him, He ſtood afarre off, Luk. 18.13.Luke 18:13and would not ſo much as lift up his eyes to heaven; but ſmote his breaſt, ſaying, God be mercifull to me a ſinner. Here was a three-fold demeanour, and it anſwers to a three-fold affection in him. Firſt, he ſtood afarre off; and this anſwers to his feare and conſternation: He would not ſo much as lift up his eyes; this anſwered to his ſhame and confuſion: He ſmote his breaſt; this anſwered to his ſorrow and compunction: and being thus caſt he then appeales: God be mercifull to me a ſinner.

In briefe then, if thy appeale be right, and ſuch as will doe thee good; 1. It muſt be a totall, not a partiall appeale; you muſt not come to Chriſt for ſome reliefe onelyonly, but for all. Chriſt muſt have the honour of all. 2. It muſt be an appeale for grace as well as mercy; for ſanctification, p. 35as well as ſalvation; to bee made holy by Chriſt, as well as to be made happy by Chriſt. 3. It muſt be the appeale of a man humbled and caſt in himſelfe. No man will appeale to another Court, till firſt he be caſt and condemned in the former. So here we cannot appeale to Chriſt, till firſt we be caſt, condemned by Moſes. And this the Apoſtle ſhews, Rom. Rom. 3.9.Rom 3:93.9. We have proved both Iewes and Gentiles to be all under ſinne. As it is written, There is none righteous, no not one; there is none that underſtandeth, none that ſeeketh after God.

There is the indictment, and the accuſation of the Law: and in ver. 19. you have the ſentence, or iudgement upon it; and there the Apoſtle tels you the reaſon, why the Law ſaith this; it is that every mouth might be ſtopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Now when the law hath accuſed, when it hath ſentenced us; ſtopt our mouthes, and we become guilty; now comes the ſinner to make his appeale from the law as a Covenant, to Chriſt as a Saviour: he lookes for nothing from Iuſtice, but all from mercy.

And having thus appealed, the Law hath no more to doe with him; he is not p. 34duplicate page p. 35duplicate page p. 36under the ſentence, the penalties of the law: he is out of the reach of it. The law can take no hold of him for condemnation: he is fled to Chriſt, he hath taken ſanctuary in him.

And what a priviledge is this, that you are free from the curſes and penalties of the law; that if the law threaten, Chriſt promiſeth; if the law curſe, Chriſt bleſſeth? this is a high priviledge: if God did but let one ſparke of his wrath and diſpleaſure fall upon your conſciences for ſin, you would then know what a mercy it were to be thus freed.

Thirdly, You are freed from the Indictments and accuſations of the law, Rom. 8.33. Who ſhall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect? One would thinke, this a ſtrange queſtion, Who ſhall? why there is enow will lay to their charge.

1. Satan, he is ready to lay things to their charge; he is called, Revel. 12.10. the accuſer of the Saints night and day; he is the great Calumniator, ever preferring Bils of indictment againſt the Saints: ſometimes he accuſeth God to man, as you ſee he did with our firſt Parents, where he charged God with envy to his creature, as if he had forbidden them p. 37that tree, becauſe they ſhould not be wiſe enough: and you ſee how ordinary it is with him, either to accuſe Gods mercy, when he tels them they may ſinne, and yet God will be mercifull; or his iuſtice, that if they ſinne, there is no mercy for them. As he ſtretcheth Gods juſtice above the bounds of the Goſpel; ſo he ſtretcheth Gods mercy above the bounds of his truth.

And as he accuſeth God to man; ſo man to God. 1. Either by way of complaint, as you ſee in Ioſhua, Zach. 3.1, 2, Zach. 3.1, 2, 3, 4.Zech 3:1Zech 3:2Zech 3:3Zech 3:43, 4. And thus he is ever laying crimes, and preferring Bills againſt the Saints. So that in all his temptations we may ſay, as the man to Ioab, when he asked why he killed not Abſolom; 2 Sam. 18.12, 13.2 Sam 18:122 Sam 18:13Thou thy ſelfe heard what the King commanded, that Abſolom ſhould not be hurt; and if I had done this thing thou thy ſelf would have been the firſt would have accuſed me to the King. So may we anſwer Satan; Thou thy ſelfe doeſt know that God hath forbidden this thing: and if I ſhould have done it, would not thou have beene the firſt that would have accuſed me to God? This is Satans way, he is firſt a tempter to draw us to ſinne, and then an accuſer to accuſe us to God p. 38for ſinning. 2. Or by way of ſuſpition and conjecture; as it was with Iob. God commends him, Satan condemns him; as if he knew Iob better then God himſelfe. Nay, Job 1.Job 1and though he could not condemne his actions, yet he would quarrell with his affections. Surely, what ever his actions are, yet Iobs intentions are not good; which was as much as to tell God that he was deceived in Iob, for certainly, what ever thou thinkeſt of Iob, yet Iob doth not ſerve thee for nought; he is a mercenary fellow, one that ſerves thee for loaves, belly bleſſings: thou haſt heaped outward favours on him, and haſt made a hedge about him; Job 10.Job 10fenced him in thy favours that nothing can annoy him. So that you ſee there are thoſe that will lay to the charge of Gods people. Satan will accuſe.

But now Satan cannot condemne; the iſſues of life and death are not in his hands, nor ſhall his accuſation take place with God againſt us. **Vocem habet, vim non habet damnatus.A man condemned himſelfe though he have a voyce, yet he hath no power; his teſtimony is invalid againſt another, &c. Satan is a condemned wretch, and all his accuſations ſhall take no place with God againſt his p. 39Saints. You ſee in Ioſhua; though his accuſation was true, Ioſhua was in his filthy garments, yet God would not owne it, Zach. 3. The Lord rebuke thee, Zach. 3.4.Zech 3:4Oh Satan. Is not this a brand pluckt out of the fire?

2. Yea, but not onelyonly Satan, but wicked men may accuſe us too: Sometimes iuſtly, of ſins committed, but forgiven; and herein they ſhew their malice and want of Charitie; not forgetting that which God hath forgiven. Sometimes uniuſtly, of things they never did; as Potiphars wife accuſed Ioſeph of incontinency, becauſe he would not be incontinent. And David complaines, Quantum ille accuſat vitiummeum tantum ego laudabo medicum meum.They laid to his charge the things he never did: the like in Daniel. But none can condemne us.

3. Yea, but not only Satan and wicked men, but conſcience it ſelfe may lay things to our charge. Conſcience may accuſe, and then how can we ſay, Who ſhall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect? Conſcience, I ſay, may accuſe: 1. Sometimes bringing true light. 2. Sometimes falſe information. 3. Sometimes returning old Bills cancelled, and croſſed long agoe.

In the firſt we are to liſten to the accuſations p. 40of conſcience when it doth charge us truely; Ioſephs Brethrens, conſcience accuſed them when they were ſo evil intreated in Egypt, & tels them, They were verily guilty of the wrong done to Ioſeph. Si non monendo, mordendo.So David, after he had numbred the people, his heart ſmote him. Conſcience was not a bridle, but it was now a whip; it was not a curb, & therfore now a ſcourge: he did not hearken to the warnings, and therefore feels the laſhings of conſcience: & when conſcience doth juſtly accuſe us; when it comes in with evidence according to the Word, we muſt hear; for there God ſpeakes. If a Diall be not ſet by the Sunne, it is no matter what it ſayes; but if it goes by the Sunne, we muſt hearken to it: So if Conſcience doe not ſpeake according to the word, we need not matter its accuſations: but if it ſpeak according to evidence there, it is good to liſten to it. 2. Sometimes Conſcience brings in falſe informations; it will perhaps tell you thoſe things to be ſinne which are not: and here it is an erroneous conſcience; we are not to heare it. 3. Sometimes it will bring in old caſes, anſwered and ſatisfied long agoe: then it is a quarrelſome Conſcience: Conſcience in this caſe is like p. 41a contentious troubleſome fellow at Law, & God wil deal with it as an honeſt Iudge doth with ſuch a contentious quarrelſome fellow; he caſts all out of Court, as matters not worth hearing; or things that have beene determined long agoe. Theſe accuſations ſhall not take hold of the ſoule. In this caſe I may ſay, when conſcience condemnes, God is greater then conſcience to acquit and abſolve the ſoule.

4. Yea, but there is a fourth, which is ready to lay to the charge of Gods people; and that is the Law: The Law may accuſe, &c. And how then is it ſaid, Who can lay any thing to the charge of Gods people? and if the Law may accuſe, we cannot be ſaid to be free from the indictments and accuſations of the the Law?

I anſwer: If we ſpeake of ſinnes pardoned; neither hath Conſcience, nor Satan, nor the Law any right to accuſe the people of God. God hath juſtified, and who then ſhall accuſe?

Indeed while we are under the Law, before faith; we are both under the accuſations, judgements, and ſentences of the Law. The Law doth not onelyonly accuſe p. 42us, but the ſentence and curſe takes hold of us.

1. It accuſeth us, Ioh. 4.45. as Chriſt told them that would not beleeve in him, but looked for juſtification by the Law; Joh. 5.45.John 5:45Doe not thinke that I will accuſe you to the Father, there is one that will accuſe you; even Moſes in whom you truſt: that Law which they looked to be juſtified by, ſhould accuſe them.

2. It doth not onelyonly accuſe us, but ſentence us; yea and the ſentence and curſe takes hold of us, Ioh. 3.18. He that beleeveth not is condemned already. And in the 36. verſ. He that beleeveth not, the wrath of God abideth on him.

So that while you are under the Law, before faith and intereſt in Chriſt, the law doth not onelyonly accuſe; but the law doth condemne.

But now thoſe that have an intereſt in Chriſt: 1. The law cannot accuſe them of ſinne before grace; becauſe they are pardoned; and this accuſation is made void. 2. The law cannot accuſe of ſinne after grace, ſinne after a pardon. They are not under the accuſations, arreſts, ſentences of the Law.

1. I ſay, the law cannot ſo accuſe us p. 43of ſinne, as to call us into that Court, as the word doth ſignifie Rom. 8.33. foreign; of foreign quod fignificat, accuſare, in jus vocare. Paſſ.Who ſhall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect? Or rather, who ſhall call into Court. The word doth not onelyonly ſignifie to accuſe; but in ius vocare, to call into Court? And ſo neither the Law, Iuſtice, Conſcience, Satan, can accuſe us, to call us into Court; the Court of the Law. For we are (when beleevers) freed from it as a Court, as a Covenant, and ſo from the judgements, ſentences, condemnations, curſes, and accuſations of it. If it ſend any of its Officers out to accuſe us, and attach us for ſinne, we may refuſe to obey, to come in and appeare; becauſe we are to be tried by another Court: we are to be tryed by the Goſpel. And did Gods people, when they have ſinned, goe to the right Court, they might both ſooner get ſorrow for ſinne, and aſſurance of pardon of ſinne; they would find more ſorrow and leſſe horrour for ſinne.

2. When I ſay, we are freed from the accuſations of the law: I meane accuſations of it as ſubordinate to condemnation.

There is a twofold accuſation.

p. 44Firſt, An accuſation to conviction and humiliation for ſinne.

Secondly, An accuſation to ſentence and condemnation for ſinne, the Law accuſeth and condemneth alſo, all the accuſations of the Law to them who are under the Law, they are ſubordinate to Sentence, Iudgement, and condemnation for ſinne: the Law accuſeth and alſo condemneth all them under it. But all the accuſations of the godly for ſinne they are in ſubordination to conviction for ſinne, and humiliation for it, and ſo ſubordinate to life and ſalvation, &c. And ſo I conceive the Law may accuſe thoſe who are yet the Freemen of Chriſt. It may diſcover to them how farre they come ſhort of the glory of God, how farre they have erred and wandered from the paths of righteouſneſſe, &c. and accuſe them for it, but this accuſation is to humiliation, not to condemnation. As I ſhall ſhew hereafter: either this muſt be ſo, or elſe you muſt deny the Law from being a Rule.

But here two Queries are propounded.

Whether the Law may juſtly accuſe us, Quere. 1 ſeeing we are not under it.

p. 45In briefe I Anſwer, Anſw. we are not under the curſes, but we are under the commands of it; we are not under the Law for iudgement, but we are under the Law for conduct. So farre as we walke not according to it, as a Rule, it hath an accuſing power, though we are taken out of the condemning power of it. There is no further power left in the Law then for our good, our humiliation, our edification. And this is onelyonly a power for our good, and our furtherance in grace.

Whether the Law is iuſt in its accuſation of us, ſeeing we doe not ſinne. Quere. 2 And that is founded upon the former; if it be true, that we are freed from the Law as a Rule, or as a Direction of life, (which yet ſo to be freed were not a part of our freedome but our bondage) then our breaches of the Law are not ſinne; D. C. Seems to ſpeake to this purpoſe in his, Chriſt alone exalted. p. 245.if no Law for us, then we doe not ſinne in the breaking of it, no more then we doe, if we breake now the Laws of Spaine, or any other Nation, which is no law for us: as ſome doe ſeeme to exemplifie this.

Theſe two Queries the invalidneſſe of them, and danger of them, we ſhall ſhew afterwards; in the meane I muſt tell p. 46you, that the Law in its directive power doth remaine to us. And this muſt needs be plaine from Galathians 3.17. The Law was given 430. years after the Promiſe.

1. Arg. If the Law was given 430. yeares after the Promiſe, then either as a Covenant, or as a Rule.

But as a Covenant it could not be given; for then were God contrary to himſelfe, firſt in giving a Covenant of Grace, then of Workes. And therefore he gave it as a Rule, to diſcover to us after Iuſtification by the Promiſe, a Rule of walking with God to all manner of pleaſing.

2. Arg. That can never be ſaid to be part of our Freedome, which is a part of our Bondage: or that can never be ſaid to be part of our Bondage, which is part of our Holines. But conformity to the Law, and ſubjection to the Law of God is part of our holines: Therefore it can never be ſaid to be part of our Bondage. Indeed there is a Two-fold ſubiection, The Subjection of a Son, and of a Slave. We are freed from the one, the ſubiection of a Slave, this was part of our Bondage; but not from the other, the ſubjection of a p. 47Son, it is part of our Freedome. But I will not anticipate my Diſcourſe, wee ſhall come to ſpeake to this at large in our following Diſcourſes.

Fourthly, Lex moralic electis abrogata eſt quantum ad rigidum ſuum poſtulatum, adeo que quantum attinet ad iuſtificationem, & maledictionem Alſted. Opera renatorum non exiguntur ad ſeverum legis examen. Calvin. Lex reos faciebat iubendo, & non adjuvande: gratia adjuvat ut quisquis ſit legis factor. Aug. Lex jubet tantum, nihil operis affert. Theophil.We are freed from the rigour of obedience required in the Law, wee are not freed from exact obedience; but from that rigour of obedience which the Law required unto ſalvation.

Firſt, The Law did not only command difficult, but impoſſible things of us; it laid a yoke upon us which we could not bear, and it would not, nor could it give us the leaſt aſſiſtance and concurrence. Like the Scribes and Phariſees, who laid heavie yokes and burthens upon mens ſhoulders; but would not touch them with one of their fingers: So the Law, it laid heavie yokes upon us, but gives us not the leaſt aſſiſtance and concurrence of ſtrength for the doing of it. Iubet, ſed non iuvat, it commands, but it gives no ſtrength, no grace. And therefore Divines have compared this rigour in the Law to the bondage of Iſrael under Pharaoh, who required the tale of bricke, but afforded no ſtraw; So the Law requires the full tale, it abates of nothing in the command, but it gives no aſſiſtance and concurrence for the doing p. 48of it; It anſwers us there as the Prieſts did Iudas, See thou to that.

But now in the Goſpell wee are freed from impoſſibilities, here omnia poſſibilia, all things are poſſible, not in reſpect of us, but in reſpect of God, who hath undertaken to work all our works in us; Iſai. 26.12. Quod a me requiris ipſe donaſti prius. Chryſ. Iubet, & juvat: litera jubetur, ſpiritu donatur.Isa 26:12and for us; Chryſoſtome bleſſeth God, that that which God required of him, he had given to him. Indeed the workes of the Goſpell are as great as any workes of the Law, nay, greater, viz. to beleeve, which is a greater worke then to doe all the duties of the Law; But God hath given us more ſtrength, we have Communion with the power and ſtrength of Chriſt. As without whom wee can doe nothing: Iohn 15.5. Phil. 4.13.John 15:5Phil 4:13So with whom wee ſhall be able to doe all things. A weake Chriſtian, and a ſtrong Chriſt ſhall be able to do all; Nothing ſhall be too hard for that man, that hath the ſtrength of Chriſt to inable him, and the Spirit of Chriſt to worke with him; If God command the works of an Angel, and give us the ſtrength of an Angel, all will be eaſie. The workes commanded may be difficult in reſpect of divine impoſition; Decalogus eſt lex ſpiritualis, Evangelium lex Spiritus.but yet they are eaſie in reſpect of divine cooperation: the Law was a ſpirituall Law, but the p. 49Goſpel is the Law of the Spirit, Rom. 8.2. Decalogus eſt lex ſpiritualis, Evangelium lex ſpiritus.and doth therefore inable to doe, what it commands to be done: take one inſtance, Rom. 6 12. the Spirit enjoynes that we ſhould not let ſinne reigne in our mortall bodies. There is the command, and reade the 14. verſe. Sinne ſhall have no dominion in your mortall bodies. There is the promiſe, and he alleadgeth this reaſon; for you are not under the Law, but under Grace: as if he had ſaid, had you been under the Law you could not have expected ſuch aſſiſtance, but you are under grace, and therefore ſhall have that power.

Secondly, This was the rigour of the Law, that the Law required obedience in our own perſons, it would not allow of any to doe or worke for us, nor any to help us in the doing of it, we are now freed from this rigour, and God will accept of our obedience by another.

There was a twofold debt we owed to God,

1. The debt of ſinne.

2. The debt of ſervice.

Theſe two, The debt of ſinne and ſervice, were both tranſacted upon Chriſt, and he hath fulfilled all righteouſneſſe, legis & crucis, for us, 2 Col. 10.hence we are ſaid p. 50to be compleat in Chriſt, though we be im perfect in our ſelves.

Thirdly, This was the rigor of the Law, that it required univerſall, actuall, as well as perſonall obedience, yea and with that rigor, that if you failed in one tittle, you were gone for ever, 3 Gal. 10. Curſed is he who obeyes not every thing written in the booke of the Law to dee it. Lex perfectam obedientiam & dilectionem exigens omnem imperfectionem damnat, niſi rigore mitigate. Calv.Here was 1 obedience, and 2 perſonall obedience, and 3 univerſall obedience required, and 4 that univerſall actuall, nay and 5 that conſtant and perpetuall, if he failed in any tittle, nay and at any time, he comes under the curſe. All your deſires, all your endeavours would not ſerve the turne; if you failed in the leaſt tittle, Non relinquitur poenitentiae locus in lege. Camer.you were gone for ever; no repentance, no teares, no prayers, no future care would make it up. Though the Goſpell doe admit of repentance, yet the Law will not owne it. It looks for exact obedience to every tittle: From this rigid obedience hath God freed you. And God is pleaſed for univerſall actuall, to accept of univerſall habituall obedience. Pſal 119.6. Even reſpect to all his Commandements. Though there be failing in action, yet where there is truth of affection, God can owne it. p. 51In the Goſpell God accepteth of affections for actions, of endeavours for performance, of deſire for ability. Here is all, a Chriſtian he is made up of deſires, of mournings, thirſtings and bewaylings. Oh that my wayes were directed; and oh miſerable man that I am! here is Goſpell perfection. Adams want was rather will then power, ours rather power then will; there is will to doe, but wants power to doe: Not that the will is perfect; for as we cannot doe the things we would doe, there is fleſh in our members: ſo we cannot will the things we ſhould will; there is fleſh in our wils: but yet I ſay, the fayling of Gods people is more for want of power then want of will; there is will to doe, but there wants power to doe, as the Apoſtle, To will is preſent with me, &c. Rom. 7.18. but how to performe that which is good I find not. And God hath mercy for can nots, but none for will nots: God can diſtinguiſh between weakneſſe and wickedneſſe While thou art under the Law, this weakneſſe is thy wickedneſſe, a ſinfull weakneſſe, and therefore God hates it. VnderUnder the Goſpell he looks not upon the weakneſſe of ſaints as their wickedneſſe, and therefore he pitties them. Sinne makes thoſe who are p. 52under the Law the obiects of Gods hatred: Sin in a Beleever makes him the obiect of Gods pitty. Men you know hate poyſon in a toade, but pitty it in a man. In the one it is their nature, in the other their diſeaſe: Sin in a wicked man is as poyſon in a toad; God hates it and him, it's his nature; but ſin in a childe is like poyſon in a man; God pitties him, he pitties the Saints for ſinnes and infirmities, he hates the wicked. It's the ones nature, and the others diſeaſe.

Fourthly, This was againe the rigour of the Law, that it inforced it ſelfe upon the conſcience with threats and with terror; but now the Goſpell comes otherwiſe, with beſeeches and love. I beſeech you brethren by the mercies of God, Rom. 12.1. In the Goſpell the ſpirit is not a ſpirit of bondage and feare, Non foreign, vel foreign, ſed foreign. Abrogata eſt Lex non quoad obedientiam, ſed quoad modum obedientiae. Abrogata Lex quoad juſtificationem, accuſationem, condemnationem, coactionem, &c. Chemni.but a ſpirit of power and love, as you ſee Rom. 8.15. 2 Tim. 1.7. The Law urgeth obedience upon paine of eternall death, Deut. 27.16. Gal. 3.10. and it inforceth it by terror, but the Goſpell by ſweetneſſe and love, all terror is gone. The booke of the Law was placed between the Cherubims, and upon the Mercy-ſeat, to tell us under the Goſpell; p. 53that every Law comes now to the Saints from the Mercy-Seat.

All rigor is now gone, Liberamur a coactione logis, Deus exigit obedientiam, ſed non cogit minis, & terriculis, ut prius, quoniam Spiritu Dei ſic ſcripta eſt in cordibus juſtificatorum, ut ſpontaneam gratitudinem Deo juxta Legem praeſtare parati ſunt, Pareus in Rom. 6.14Rom 6:14and nothing but ſweetneſſe is the motive to it, and the principle of your obedience. It is the Love of Chriſt which conſtraines, as the Apoſtle, 2 Cor. 5.14. And nothing more powerfull then Love; things impoſſible to others, Mat. 11.30. Eo quod jugum grave, quod tuum leve. Filiis Dei lex non tam imperat, quam monſtrat obedientiam, quam gratiae auxilio spontanea gratitudine Deo praeſtant Sicut dicitur in lege Domini voluptas, Pſa. 1.3. jugum meum leve, Mat. 11.20. Pareus in Rom. 6.14. Diſtin. 8. Amor meus, pondus meum, eo feror, quocunque feror, Aug.Matt 11:30Ps 1:3Matt 11:20Rom 6:14are eaſie to them that love; Love knowes no difficulties, My yoake is eaſie, my burthen is light; Love is an affection that is not to be poſed with duties or difficulties to the perſon beloved: Iacob ſerved a hard prentiſhip for Rachel, and yet ſaith the Text, He eſteemod the time little, becauſe he loved her. Love doth ſhorten time, and facilitate labour. When Achilles was demanded what enterpriſes he found the moſt eaſie of all he had undertaken in his life, he anſwered, thoſe which he undertooke for a friend. This is the ſpirit which God implants in his children, not a ſpirit of feare, but a ſpirit of love; which is the ſpring of all their actions, and makes thoſe things p. 54which otherwiſe would be tasks and burthens, refreſhments and delights. A Godly man takes in what ever concernes his happineſſe by faith, and layes out what ever concernes his dutie by love: Faith and love are the all of a Chriſtian, Iuſtificati ſunt potius in lege, quam ſub lege.the Apoſtle ſaith ſo, Gal. 5.6. For in Chriſt Ieſus neither Circumciſion availeth any thing, nor uncircumciſion; but Faith, which worketh by Love. Filiis Dei ultroneis mandata eius gravia non ſunt. Par. in loc. cit.Faith like Mary ſits at the feet of Chriſt to hear his word, and Love like Martha doth compaſſe him about with ſervice. Faith is the great Receiver, and Love is the great Disburſer; we take in all by Faith, and lay out all by Love. And this is another priviledge Beleevers injoy, they are freed from the rigour of the law. There are ſome more, which becauſe I would haſten, I ſhall but name.

Beleevers are not onelyonly freed from Satan, 4from Sin, from the Law; but they are freed from obedience to men. We have no Lords over us, men are our brethren, and our Lord & Maſter is in heavē. We find in Scripture a double charge. 1. Not to uſurp Maſterſhip. 2. Not to undergoe ſervitude.

Firſt, for the firſt, viz. not to uſurp maſterſhip. You have it in Matth. 23.8.9, 10. Be not ye called Rabbi; for one is your p. 55Maſter even Chriſt, and all yee are Brethren. Neither be ye called maſters; for one is your Maſter, even Chriſt, &c.

Secondly, for the ſecond, not to undergoe ſervitude, 1 Cor. 7.23. Ye are bought with a price, be not yee the ſervants of men: But the meaning is, that we are not to acknowledge any our ſupreame maſter, nor are we to give our Faith and Conſciences, nor inthrall our iudgements to the ſentences, definitions, or determinations of any man, or men upon earth, becauſe this were to make men Maſters of our Faith, which the Apoſtle ſo much abhorred, 1 Cor. 3.1. We are not maſters of your faith, but helpers of your ioy. There are two-fold maſters, 1. Maſters according to the fleſh, and 2. maſters according to the ſpirit. The firſt you read of in the 6. Epheſ. 5.7. Servants be obedient to your Maſters according to the fleſh; the ſecond we read of in that 23. Matth. 9.10. Wee are to be obedient to our maſters according to the fleſh, ſo farre as appertaines to the outward man in all outward things: But of our ſoules and conſciences, as wee have no fathers, ſo we have no maſters upon earth, onelyonly our Maſter and Father which is in heaven, and in this ſenſe Chriſt ſpeakes, that we muſt not abſolutely yeeld up our p. 56ſelves to be ruled by the will of any, nor inthrall our indgements, and ſubmit our faith and conſciences to any power below Chriſt. It were high uſurpation for any to require it, it is to enter on Chriſts Prerogative Royall, and it is no leſſe iniquity for us to render it. And ſo much ſhall ſerve for the fourth branch, I may ſpeak more unto it, when we come to the query on it.

Fiftly, we are freed from death. There is a three-fold death. Firſt, A Spirituall death, the death of the ſoule in the body. Secondly, a naturall death, the death of the bodie from the ſoule. Thirdly, an eternall death, the death of ſoule and body for ever. Two of theſe you do not doubt of, all the queſtion is about the third, viz. naturall death, of which I ſhall ſay no more but this, Firſt, that it is the body only dies, the worſer part, and our duſt and bones are ſtill united to the Son of God. Secondly, you are freed from death as a Curſe. Bonus ſopor in Ieſu. Sancti habent vitam in patientia, mortem in defiderio.The nature of death is taken away, and therefore the name is changed; it is but called a ſleep, and a ſleep in Chriſt, and a gathering to our fathers, a change, a departing. Death is the Godly mans wiſh, the wicked mans feare. Ariſtippus being demanded in a ſtorm why he feared not as well as others, p. 57hee anſwered, there is great odds, they feared the torments due to a bad life; but he expected the rewards due to a good life. Thirdly, this is another part of our freedome from death, that wee ſhall not die till the beſt time. Indeed none ſhall die till Gods time, the wickedſt man in the world ſhall not die till Gods time. What David ſaid to his enemies, ſo may any man ſay, My times are in thy hands. Pſal. 31.15.Ps 31:15But this is not ever the beſt time: thou may die with Baltaſar carouſing, with Ananias and Saphira lying, with the Nobleman unbeleeving, with Iulian blaſpheming: But this is the priviledge of Saints, they ſhall not die till the beſt time, not till that time, when if they were but rightly informed they would deſire to dye.

Men cut downe weeds at any time, but their corne they will not cut downe till the beſt time, you are Gods husbandry ſaith the Apoſtle, you are his wheat, and when you are ripe, when you have done your worke, then, and not till then ſhall you be gathered into your Maſters Garner. So much for the fift.

Sixtly, wee ſhall be freed from the Grave, and this comes under our Conſummate freedome. We will but touch p. 58it, We ſhall be freed from the Grave, we will give you this in three concluſions. Concluſion. 1

Firſt, Though our bodies doe die and be conſumed to duſt, yet they ſhall ariſe freſh, heavenly and Glorious, in theſe foure qualities.

Firſt, they ſhall ariſe perfect bodies, freed from ſicknes and all imperfections.

Secondly, they ſhall ariſe ſpirituall bodies, 1 Cor. 15.44. which muſt not be underſtood in regard of ſubſtance, but in regard of qualities.

Thirdly, they ſhall ariſe immortall bodies, never to die more.

Fourthly, they ſhall ariſe glorious bodies: Every one filled with brightneſſe and ſplendor, ſhining as the Sun in the firmament, Dan. 12.3. Mat. 13.43. Concluſion. 2

The ſame bodies ſhall ariſe, the ſame ſoule ſhall be united to the ſame individuall body againe. And this is a myſterie, the Philoſophers dreamed of a transformation of bodies, or bodies transformed into new ſhapes, & a tranſmigration of ſouls, or fouls ſlitting into new bodies, but could never apprehend the truth of this the reſurrection of the body, that the ſame individuall numericall body after it is corrupted in the water, conſumed by fire, converted into earth, vaniſhed into aire, nay caton up by p. 59fiſhes, and thoſe fiſhes eaten by men; it was above them to think this ſame individuall and numericall body ſhould riſe againe. When Paul diſputed this point at Athens, the great Philoſophers of the Epicureans laughed at him; What will this babler ſay? they looked upon this as Babling; but the Scripture tells us, That we ſhall ſee him with theſe ſame eyes, Iob 19.27. And it ſuits with Gods juſtice, that the ſame bodies which have ſinned or ſuffered, ſhall be puniſhed, or rewarded.

The ſoule and body ſhall never be parted more to all Eternitie. When you die, Concluſion. 3 by death you ſhall be freed from death, after this union there ſhall never be ſeparation more.

Thus I have done with the Privitive part of our freedome, what we are freed from.

I ſhould now ſpeak ſomething to the Poſitive part of it, what we are free unto. I will but name a few particulars.

Firſt, we are freed from a ſtate of wrath, Epheſ. 2.Eph 2to a ſtate of mercy and favour.

Secondly, Rom. 8.1.Rom 8:1you are freed from a ſtate of Condemnation, to a ſtate of Iuſtification: before you were under the condemnation of the Law, becauſe you had ſinned, and p. 60of the Goſpel becauſe you beleeved not.Rom. 8.1. foreign. Non una condemnatio.Rom 8:1

But now there is no condemnation, not one condemnation: The Law cannot condemne you, becauſe you have appealed: the Goſpel cannot, becauſe you do beleeve. God condemned ſinne in Chriſt, that hee might juſtifie the ſinner by Chriſt, and caſt out condemnation for ever, as one doth Criticize upon that place, **foreign, in aeternum. foreign, eijcio. foreign, condemnatio. Vid. Ludovic. dedem. in loc.Mat. 12.10. He wil bring forth judgement into victorie, he renders it, he will caſt out condemnation for ever, and ſo it will beare.

Thirdly, you are freed from a ſtate of enmity, to a ſtate of friendſhip And you that were enemies hath God reconciled, Col 1.21.

Fourthly, you are freed from a ſtate of death to a ſtate of life. You that were dead in your treſpaſſes and ſinnes hath he quickned, Ephe. 2. begin.

Fiftly, you are freed from a ſtate of ſin, to a ſtate of ſervice. Hee hath redeemed us from our enemies, that we might ſerve him. Luke 1.34. Therefore did God diſcharge the debt of ſin, that we might render him the debt of ſervice; hee freed us from the bonds of miſery, that we might take on us the ingagements of dutie. Rom. 8.12. The Apoſtle inferres this after all the benefits p. 61expeſſed by Chriſt; Therefore brethren we are debters. Tibi ſervire eſt regnare.And he that thinks not ſervice his freedome, thinks not ſin his bondage, and therefore is in bondage.

Sixtly, you are freed from a ſtate of Bondage, a ſpirit of ſlavery in ſervice, to a ſpirit of ſon-ſhip and libertie in ſervice: as by his blood he redeemed us from being ſlaves; ſo by his Obedience and Spirit hee hath redeemed us to be ſonnes. Now you are drawne to ſervice, not with cords of feare, but with the bands of love; not out of compulſions of conſcience, but propenſions of Nature. As the love of God to us was the Spring of all his actions to us, ſo our love to God is the riſe of all our obedience to him.

Seventhly, In a word, for wee cannot ſtand to name all, you are freed from death and hell, to life and glory; heaven is your Portion, your Inheritance, your Manſionhouſe. It was made for you, and you for it; it was prepared for you, and you for it; you are veſſells prepared for glory, Rom. 9.23, And this is called the glorious liberty of the ſons of God, Rom. 8.21. Epheſ. 1.14. And to tell you what you are freed from, and what you ſhall injoy hereafter; for to take p. 62you to the top of Nebo, and ſhew you all this Canaan, would make you willing to lay downe your bodies there, and go up to injoy it. I ſay, to open this priviledge alittle, which yet is farre above man to do. Eye hath not ſeene, nor eare heard, nor can it enter into the heart of man to conceive what God hath reſerved for us, 1 Cor. 3.9.1 Cor 3:9and yet that is ſpoken of Grace, and therefore what is Glory? Could we but open this to you, it were even enough to put you into heaven, while you are here upon earth. It is called the new Ieruſalem, glory, joy, Maſters joy, Fathers houſe, Kingdome, Kingdome of glory, Heaven, Light, Life, Eternall life. Look but on that one place, 2 Cor. 4.17. For our light afflictions which are but for a moment, worketh for us a farre more exceeding and eternall weight of glory. It is one of the nereſt expreſſions we read of. 1. Glory, 2. Weight of glory, 3. Exceeding weight of glory, 4. More exceeding weight of glory. 5. A far more exceeding weight of glory, 6. Nay, a far more exceeding and eternall weight of glory, and this is the glorious liberty of the ſons of God: But we muſt ſhut up this, becauſe I would not willingly keepe you p. 63off, from that which is the chief I intended in this diſcourſe.

Thus have we as briefly, as the largenes and concernment of the ſubject would ſuffer us, finiſhed thoſe three Generals which we propoſed in the handling of this Doctrine: I ſhould now come to the application of what I have ſaid, and the largeneſſe of the ſubject would afford much for comfort & for caution: for direction and incouragement to the people of God. But I have other worke to doe firſt.

This Text is the maine Baſis whereon this Doctrine of Chriſtian freedome is built: and in regard many have endevoured to build their owne ſuperſtructures, hay and ſtubble on it, which the foundation will never beare; I ſay, in regard there are ſo many Opinions which plead patronage from this Doctrine, I conceive it is my great worke to vindicate ſo excellent a Doctrine as this is of Chriſtian freedome, from thoſe falſe, I may ſay, licentions doctrines which are faſtened and fathered on it: And to ſhew you that neither this Doctrine, nor yet this Text, will afford countenance, or contribute any ſtrength to ſuch poſitions, and p. 64opinions, which they would ſeeme to deduce from it, and build upon it.

The worke is great, for I am to deale with the greateſt knots in the practicall part of Divinitie, and mens iudgements are various, Scripture is pleaded on all hands: The more difficult the worke, the more need of your prayers, that the Father of light, would goe before us, and by his owne light leade and guide us into the waies of all truth **Primium toto pectore precor ut Dominus noſter Jeſus Chriſtus, qui factus eſt nobis a Deo patre, ſapientia, juſtitia, ſanctificatio, & redemptio, & in quo ſunt omnes theſauri ſapientiae & cognitionis abſconditi, ut ſpiritu ſancto ſuo ſanctificet, et in omnem veritatem ducat, ad divinae ſuae gratiae gloriam, & aeternam noſtram ſalutem. Aug. de ord. et modo praedeſtin. Cupimus enim inveſtigare quid verum ſit, neque id ſolum ſed quod cum veritate pietatem quoque praeterea erga Deum hâbeat conjunctam. C. Sadol. in 8. Rom..

In confidence of which we ſhall adventure to lanch into theſe deepes, and fall to the examination and triall of thoſe Doctrines, which are deduced from, and would ſeeme to be built upon this Text.

The firſt Doctrine and the maine that they would ſeeme to build upon this Text is, That Beleevers are freed from the Law. And this ſhall be the firſt Query we will propound and examine.

1. Quaery. 1 Query. Whether this be any part for freedome by Chriſt to be freed from the p. 65Law? I ſet it down in this largeneſſe and wideneſſe, but ſhall gradually fall into the cloſer handling of it.

Anſw. For the anſwer of this in generall as it is propounded, we muſt confeſſe we are not without ſome places of Scriptures which declare the Law to be abrogated: nor without ſome againe that ſpeake it yet to be in force. We will give you a taſte of ſome of them.

1. We will beginne with thoſe that ſeeme to ſpeake the abrogation of it, Ier. 31.31, 32, 33. Behold, the dayes come, ſaith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the houſe of Iſrael, and with the houſe of Iudah: 32. Not according to the Covenant that I made with their Fathers in the day that I tooke them by the hand, to bring them out of the land of Egypt, which my Covenant they brake, although I was an husband to them, ſaith the LORD. 33. But this ſhall be the Covenant that I will make with the houſe of Iſrael; After thoſe dayes, ſaith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts, and I will be their God, and they ſhall be my people. Rom. 7.1, 2, 3. Know ye not, brethren, (for I ſpeak to them that know the Law) how that the Law p. 66hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth? Verſ. 2 For the woman which hath an husband, is bound by the Law to her huſband ſo long as he liveth, but if her huſband be dead, ſhe is looſed from the law of her husband. Verſ. 3 So then if while her huſband liveth, ſhe be married to another man, ſhe ſhall be called an adultereſſe; but if her husband be dead, ſhe is free from that law, ſo that ſhe is no adultereſſe, though ſhe be married to another man. And that the Apoſtle doth here ſpeake of the Morall law is evident from the ſeventh verſe, And that we are freed from it, ſee the ſixth verſe, &c. See alſo, Rom 6.14. Let not ſinne reigne, for you are not under law. Gal. 3.19.24. The law was added becauſe of tranſgreſſion till the ſeed come. Gal. 4.4, 5. Chriſt was made under the Law, to redeeme them that were under the Law, &c. Rom. 8.2. For the law of the ſpirit of life hath made me free from the law of ſinne and death, &c. Gal. 5.18. But if you be led by the ſpirit, you are no more under the law. Rom. 10.4. Chriſt is the end of the law, &c. 1 Tim. 1.8, 9, 10. The law is good if uſed lawfully, but the law is not made for the righteous, &c.

So that you ſee there ſeemes to be a p. 67great deale of ſtrength in the Scripture to prove the Abrogation of the Law, that we are dead to the Law, freed from the Law, no more under the Law. Which Scriptures we ſhall have to deale with all afterwards; for the preſent I doe onelyonly name them, to let you ſee the ſtrength which the Scriptures ſeeme to hold out for the firſt Opinion, the Abrogation of the Law.

2. Now ſecondly, there are ſome Scriptures againe which ſeeme to hold up the Law, and ſay, the Law is ſtill in force: I ſay, ſome which ſeeme to ſpeak the Obligation, as the other the Abrogation of it, Rom. 3.31. Doe we make void the Law through faith? God forbid: yea we eſtabliſh the Law: this ſeemes to be contrary to the former: the other ſeemes to ſpeake of the abrogation, this of the eſtabliſhment, and obligation of the Law. So

Matth. 5.17. Thinke not that I am come to deſtroy the Law or the Prophets, I am not come to deſtroy but to fulfill: for verily I ſay unto you, till heaven and earth paſſe away, one iot, or one tittle ſhall in no wiſe paſſe from the Law, till all be fulfilled, &c.

VponUpon theſe varieties of Texts, men p. 68have grounded their varietie of Opinions for the Abrogation of, and Obligation to the Law. There is no queſtion but the Scripture ſpeakes truth in both, they are the words of Truth; and though they ſeeme here to be as the accuſers of Chriſt, never a one ſpeaking like the other; yet if we were able to find out the meaning, we ſhould find them like Nathan and Bathſheba, both ſpeaking the ſame things.

Now for the f…ding out the truth under theſe ſeeming contrarieties, and for the anſwer to the Quaere, leſt we ſhould beate the ayre, and ſpend our breath to no purpoſe; it will be neceſſary to inquire two things.

1. What is meant by the word Law.

2. In what ſenſes this word is uſed in Scripture. And when this is done there will be a way opened to the clearing of the truth, and anſwer of the Quaeries.

1. For the firſt: What is meant by this word Law aaLegis nomen eſt foreign, et variae ſunt legis ſpecies. Beza. Vide Minſh. in verb: Decalog.?

Paſſing by others; the word which is of frequent uſe for the Law, in the Old Teſtament is bbforeign Ex radic. foreign in Hiphil. foreign docuit, inſtituit, &c. hinc nomen foreign doctrina, inſtitutio.Torah; which is derived of another word, which ſignifies to throw darts; and in a ſecond ſignification to p. 69teach, to inſtruct, to admoniſh; Lex ſagitta quae collimet in Chriſtum tanquam ſcopum ſuum. Pſſaor.and ſo it is uſed for any doctrine or inſtruction which doth teach, informe, direct us; as in Prov. 13.14. ccforeignThe law of the wiſe is a fountaine of life to depart from the ſnares of death. Here law is taken in a large ſenſe for any doctrine or direction, which proceeds from the wiſe. So Pro. 3.1. & 4.2.

In the New Teſtament the word ddforeign, a verbo foreign, tribue, diſtribue, &c. vid. Paſſor.Law is derived of another word which ſignifies to diſtribute; becauſe the Law doth diſtribute, or render to God and man their due.

And in briefe, this word Law, in its naturall ſignification, both in the Old and New Teſtament, doth ſignifie any doctrine, inſtruction, law, ordinance, ſtatute, divine or humane; which doth teach, direct, command, or bind men to any dutie which they owe to God or man. And ſomuch for the firſt.

2. In what ſenſes this word Law is uſed in the Scriptures.

I ſhall not trouble you with all the acceptations of it; onelyonly name ſome of the chief to you.

1. It is ſometimes taken for the Scriptures of the Old Teſtamēt, the Books of p. 70Moſes, Lex aliquando late ſumitur pro univerſa religionis aeconomia ante Chriſtum, proque univerſis libris V. T. Chamier. 5. T. l. 15. c. 3. ſect. 5.6.7. Sumitur aliquando pro univerſa doctrina. Vet et Nov. Teſta. Litera jubetur, ſpiritu donatur. Lex imperat, ſed fides efficit. Beza in loc.Pſalmes, and Prophets. And ſo the Iewes underſtood it in the 12. Ioh. 34. We have heard out of the Law that Chriſt abideth for ever. So Ioh. 15.25. This cometh to paſſe that the word might be fulfilled which was written in their law, They hated me without a cauſe, Pſal. 35.19. The like you have in 1 Cor. 14.21. where the Apoſtle repeating the words of Iſaiah, Iſa. 28.11. ſaith it is written in the Law.

2. It is ſometime taken for the whole word of God, Promiſes and Precepts, Pſal. 19.7. The Law of God is perfect converting the ſoule: You know converſion ſpeakes the promiſe; neither juſtification nor ſanctification are the fruits of the Law alone; The Law commands, but gives no grace. So that either by Law muſt be meant the Promiſe too; elſe that by this converſion is not meant regeneration.