Divine Drops Distilled from the Fountain of Holy Scripture, Part 15
Expoſitions and Obſervations on ROM. 6. 14.
For ye are not under the law, but under Grace.
FOr ye are not under the Law.
There are three things in which a Chriſtian is ſubject to be under the law, and ſo to be ſcourged by it, and if he can get himſelf in thoſe three things Saints under the Law in three reſpectsout from it, then he is wholy clear. The Saints are under it partly, either
In reſpect of their
Perſons.
Actions.
Afflictions.
For their perſons, that is, we do conceive that we do 1. As to their perſonsdeal with God in ſome meaſure according to his law, we think that God doth deal with us according to his law, and that we deal with God in ſome meaſure according to his law. Whereas we ſhould conceive that God doth not look on me, or ſpeak to me, or deal with me at all according to the law (Chriſt having fulfilled it, and I being dead to it) but only in reference to grace, ſo I deal with God as he is my Father, as he is revealed to me in grace in the Doctrine of the Goſpel: ſo that if we could conceive that our perſons are fully juſtified, that all my weakneſſes thoughout the day, or week, or year do not make me according to his Law one jot more unjuſt nor all my good doth not make me more juſt, for Chriſt Jeſus his Death and Reſurrection doth that wholly, therefore my perſon for ever is freed from the power of the Law, and if I ſin, grace may call me to account for it, and whip and ſcourge me with his Ferula: but for the Law, what have I to do with that? what have I to do with a husband that is dead and buried? what have I to do with the Covenant of works that Jeſus Chriſt hath fulfilled and cancelled?
Therefore get your perſons clear of the Law; for that is it that evidenceth many times that you are not, becauſe when you ſin againſt God, then there ariſeth ſtorms within you that were once without you, on Mount Sinai, that blackneſs and darkneſs, then you fear you are hypocrites, then you finde wrath in your conſciences: as oft as you finde wrath, (that is the work of the Law, for the Law worketh wrath) it ſhews clearly that your perſons are not quite freed from the Law, for though there ſhould be ſorrow, and more kindly, and abundant ſorrow then ever you felt before, and care, and other things, yet even that wrath, and horror, and hardneſs of heart, and riſings of ſpirit againſt God, will teſtifie that in ſome meaſure your perſons are under the Law.
Ye are not under the Law.
Secondly, Your actions I (ſay) ſhould not be under 2 In reſpect of their actions.the Law, for as one ſaith, as our perſons are juſtified fully by Chriſt, ſo are our actions; that is, whatſoever action I do, or commit, however that action may not be pleaſing to God according to Grace or the Goſpel, it may not be an acceptable ſacrifice, as all our actions ſhould be, yet notwithſtanding we ſhould not conceive that our actions are to be ſquared and meaſured according to the rule and life of the Law, which is the Covenant of works. As for Inſtance, when a man is under the Law, whoſe actions are under the Law, he labors all the day long to pleaſe God, to ſerve, and obey him, but if he fail but once or twice that day in his duty, there is ſome confuſion whiſpered in his ſoul that all is loſt, there is more trouble for that one failing, then he hath comfort for all that he hath done that day; that is juſt the Law, for the Law ſaith, if he fail in one he is guilty of all. Now if a man be under grace, he rejoyceth in his ſincere indeavor to honor God, and he rejoyceth in the paſſages of that day, that he hath had communion with God, and where there is weakneſs, there would be a ſweet, clear mourning for it in reference to God as a Father, and not to have the heart eſtranged from God, and ſtraitned. Our actions in a great meaſure are under the Law. Our actions are freed from the Law in this life, but we know not our freedom. They are freed thus, all ariſe either from fleſh or ſpirit; for thoſe are the two beginnings, the two firſt beeings of all. Now thoſe of the fleſh (for a Chriſtian may do an action that is purely fleſh, that hath no good in it, then) that is a ſin, Chriſt Jeſus hath done it away. Now if it be an action that ariſeth from his holy Spirit, that flows from the principle of Ieſus Chriſt that is in him, the Lord accepts of it, that is done already, if he were able to do it, yet it comes too late; but onelyonly he doth it as the honeſt upright indeavor of a loving childe to a dear father. So, could we meaſure our actions according to that rule, our lives would be more holy, and more ſweet and comfortable.
Thirdly, our afflictions, or ſufferings, (it were well 3 Relating to their afflictions.if we could get out from under the laſh of the Law in all theſe) there we are deeply under it; as ſoon as ever we are whipped, then we ſay, God hath found me out, and it is true, God may whip me for it, becauſe I will not take notice of it: though God will not hide his countenance, and his ſmiles from his childe, one jot further then he muſt needs do it for fear of cockering him: therefore I know if God frown, and hide his face, that God loves me, and he would ſhew it: but I have a baſe heart, that at ſuch times as that would like ſome ſin, and be wanton, otherwiſe, God hath no delight to hide his face a moment. Now all my afflictions, and ſufferings, I am not to look on them under the Law, that is, as though God in reference to theſe had a purpoſe to ſatisfie himſelf, and his vengeance, and to let his wrath fall upon me, (that is clearly to fruſtrate the death of Chriſt) but I am to look on that as fully ſatisfied, and done by Chriſt, and God is more faithful then to be paid twice: but I am to look upon all my afflictions, as proceeding from the love of a dear father, and I can take notice of many ſins that diſpleaſe him, and he hath many Goſpel-ends to do me good: therefore in afflictions I admit not one hard thought of God, but love him more for his favor in the Goſpel. If we ſee afflictions under grace aright, then afflictions do exceedingly kindle love to God, and increaſe our communion with him; and whereas they make us run from God, they would make us run to him, and delight in him, but we are under the Law, and that makes our perſons and actions, and afflictions to be a burthen. O that the Lord would help us to get clear of it, that every one would labour to get his ſpirit, his perſon, his actions, and his corrections, and all clear of that, and dead to that.
But ye are under grace.
Grace in this place (as I conceive) hath a very large extent, and is not taken onelyonly for that favor of God, as it is uſually in Scripture, but there is ſomething meant by it, that ſhall be equivalent (in all reſpects to a Chriſtian) to the Law, for ye are not under the Law, but under Grace: they are oppoſites.
Now what that is that is meant by it, I conceive, and can give divers Scriptures alſo if I had time, that by Grace here is meant the whole Doctrine of the Goſpel. Indeed the ſubſtance of the Law is contained in it; for the ſubſtance of the Law is one and the ſame for ever. I ſay the whole Doctrine of the Goſpel, that is called Grace; becauſe it is a gracious Doctrine, it is a Doctrine full of Grace. The ſtream, and the maine thing of our Preaching, is, or ſhould be the Grace of God, the love of God, and the goodneſs of God. If it be taken for the whole Doctrine, as that in Tit. 2. The grace of God hath appeared to all men, teaching us to deny ungodlineſs, and worldly luſts, and to live holily and ſoberly, &c. Grace, that is, the Doctrine of Grace or the Doctrine of the Goſpel, 2 Cor. 6. I beſeech you receive not the grace of God in vain, that is, the Doctrine of the Goſpel, which hath in it grace and mercy, and life and ſalvation, and the like. Grace and the Law are oppoſites, as we ſee Iohn 1. The Law came by Moſes, but grace and truth came by Ieſus Chriſt. So grace in this place is to be underſtood in a large ſenſe.
You are under grace,
That is, not onelyonly you are freed from the Law, and you are now in a condition wherein God will have mercy on you, and ſave you, but far more then that. For beloved, as the Law hath Precepts, and Commands, and Teaching: ſo Grace hath its Precepts alſo, and commands as well as Promiſes: therefore he ſaith, The grace of God teacheth us. He ſaith not the grace of God tells us, and promiſeth us, or the like, but it teacheth us. Grace hath a School, as the Law had: the Law had a School, and thoſe that lived under it, according to its method it did train and teach them: ſo a Chriſtian now in the School of Grace, under grace, he hath all that was good, or neceſſary in the Law, and much more, that it is ſufficient in all reſpects. For a Chriſtian if he be under grace, there he ſhall have Precepts and Promiſes, and Directions, and Comforts, any thing that is neceſſary for him. So that it were well if you would indeavor to conceive, that the onelyonly maſter you have is Grace, the onelyonly rule by which you walk is Grace, it is the Goſpel, which implies in it all the ſubſtantiall Precepts of the Law: ſo in that reſpect we are bound to the Law, and the Law is of uſe, and will be to the end of the world.
Now then I would conclude with this, to ſhew you a little concerning this Argument, Sin ſhall not have dominion over you, becauſe ye are not under the Law, but under Grace. There are three main Reaſons Sin hath leſs power over thoſe under grace upon three reaſons.why a man that is under Grace, that is, clearly freed from the Law, why ſin ſhould have leſs power over him, then when he was under the Law: for thoſe that live under Grace, though they be not perfect, yet they are eminently holy in compariſon of what they were, and of what others are that are under the Law.
One reaſon is, becauſe that Grace hath clearer and more ſpiritual inſtructions, and directions to holineſs then the Law hath. It hath what the Law hath, but it teacheth a great deal of exactneſs that cannot be expreſt: for what the Law teacheth, we may expreſs it by natural underſtanding, and you by natural underſtanding may comprehend it; and if you miſs it, we may by natural underſtanding convince you of the breach of the Law: but the precepts of the Goſpel are ſpiritual, and cannot be conceived by natural underſtanding. I ſay, the courſe of a Chriſtian, the main walk of a Chriſtian under grace is ſuch, that a natural man cannot ſee, or underſtand which way he goeth, becauſe a natural man conceives not the things of God. By the Law a man may convince, and ſhew it clearly; but the precepts of Grace are ſo ſublime, and ſpiritual, that they muſt be underſtood ſpiritually. And thereupon, being that the Precepts, and Inſtructions, and Directions of Grace, being clearer and brighter, and higher, that is the reaſon why a man under Grace is brought into fuller obedience to a freer ſervice then a man under the Law.
Beſides, Secondly, when a man is under grace, there is a kinde of ingenuity, a Spiritual ingenuity of the heart, yet though it may be there are not ſo many Covenants, and Reſolutions, and Vows, and the like, yet there is a kinde of ingenuity, that underſtanding the grace of God, he cannot ſin as another doth that is under the Law, and that is the meaning of thoſe Phraſes of the Apoſtle, how abhorrent ſuch a thing would be: As for inſtance, Shall we continue in ſin that Grace may abound? God forbid. As if he ſhould ſay, our hearts are againſt it, we cannot endure to render an anſwer of all Gods grace and goodneſs in ſuch a manner as that; and ſo in 2 Cor. 5. whether we be mad or ſober, The love of God conſtraineth us: for we thus judg, that if one died, then all were dead, that we ſhould not henceforth live to our ſelves but to him that died for us, That is, this is, our reaſon, we have a kinde of ingenuity in us that makes us thus reaſon, that if one man did come, and die, and purchaſe everlaſting life, we cannot but live to him that died for us.
That is the reaſon why a man under the Law, that it may be is a Swearer, a Drunkard, a Spendthrift, and this conſumes his ſoul, and body, and family, and all; and he knows this, yet notwithſtanding he goes on, he cannot help it, why? becauſe he is under the Law, becauſe when he hath had his pleaſure all day, the Law whips him at night, and thereupon he hardens his heart, and it grows more and more againſt God, and his Commandments: Now if God would let it into his ſoul to ſee what Chriſt hath done for him, and how righteouſly the Law is fulfilled through Chriſt, and thereupon he is freed from Satan, and ſin, and death. If God would ſhew him the hope of his calling, and the glorious condition that he ſtands in, there would be ſuch an ingenuity that he could not do it, he need not make Vows and Promiſes that he would be drunk no more, but he would abhor to do ſo baſely and unworthily to ſo gracious a God that had done ſo wondrouſly and incomprehenſibly for his ſoul.
Laſtly, There is a power in grace. The Law, was a voyce of words; it did teach juſt as the Commandments upon a wall; a poor man may come in and read them, but his heart is not the warmer, there is no diſpoſition to obſerve the Law: but Grace comes, and in ſome meaſure gives a bleſſed power and ſtrength to do that it teacheth, therefore ſaith the Apoſtle, Sin ſhall not have dominion over you, becauſe ye are not under the Law but under Grace.