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kaels, to look upon the Law of God as the Creatures Bondage, as most of us do in our walking; a Chriftian in whom that Image of God is renewed according to Righteousness and Holinefs, fhould efteem Subjection and Conformity to al

Law, and to the Will of God his only tru
Liberty, yea the very Beauty of the Soul
and never is a Soul advanced in Confor-
mity to God, till this be its Delight, not a
Burden or Task.

Gal. ii. z. The Law is not of Faith; but the Man that doth then thall live in them.

Gen i. 17. But of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, thou fbalt not eat of it; for in the Day that thou cateft thereof, thou shalt furely die.

THE

"HE Lord made all Things for him- Lord in his infinite Goodness and Love, to felt, to thew forth the Glory of his add a Promife and Threatning to that Name, and Man in a more eminent and Law and Command, and fo turns it to the fpecial Manner, for more eminent Ma Nature of a voluntary Covenant and Anifeftations of himself; therefore all his greement, whereby he doth mitigate and Dealings towards Men, whether righte- fweeten his Authority and Power, and ous or finful, do declare the Glory of condefcer's fo low to Man, as to take on God. Particularly, in Reference to the himself a greater Obligation than he puts. prefent Purpose, he refolved to manifeft upon Man, Do this and thou shalt live. two thining Properties. His Sovereign-He might then out of his Abfolutenefs and ty and Goodnefs; his Sovereignty is fhew- Power, have required at the Creatures ed, in giving our a Law

to the Creature, and and Command Hand any Terms he pleased, even the

his Goodness is ma hardeft be imagined, and yet no nifefted in making a Covenant with his Injustice in him; he might have put Laws Creature: As here you fee the Terms of on Men to reftrain all their natural Liberty, a Covenant, a Duty required, and a Pro-and in every Thing, to proclaim nothing." mife made, and in cafe of failing, a but his own: Supremacy. But O! what Threating conformed to the Promife. Goodness and Condefcenfion is even in He might have required Obedience fimply, the very Matter of the Law; and then in as the Lord and fovereign Owner of the the Manner of prescribing it with a ProBeing and Operations of the Creatures, mife. In the Matter fo juft and equitable and that was enough of Obligation to to convince all Men's Confciences, yea, bind all Flesh, that the Creator is Law even engraven on their Hearts, that he giver, that he who gives a Being doth fet lays nor many Burdens on, but what Bounds and Limits to the Exercife and Mens Confciences muft lay on them U of that Being? But it pleafed the felves, that there is nothing in it all when

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fummed up harder than this, love God moft of all, and thy Neighbour as they felf, which all Men muft proclaim to be due, though it had not been required: And but one Precept added by his meer Will, which yet was so easy a Thing, as it was a Wonder the Lord of all put no other Conditions on the Creature: And then for the Manner that is propounded in Covenant-wife, with a Promise (not to expect the Creatures Confent, for it did not depend on his Acceptation, he, being bound to accept any Terins his Lord propounded) but because the Matter and all was fo equitable, and the Conditions fo ample, that if it had been propounded to any rational Man, he would have confented with an Admiration at God's Goodness. Indeed if we fpeak ftrictly, there cannot be a proper Covenant between Gold and Man, there is fuch an infinite Distance between fuch unequal Parties, our Obedience and Performance being abfolutely in his Power; we cannot promife it as our own, and it being but our Duty we cannot crave or expect a Reward in Juftice, neither can he owe any Thing to the Creature ; yet ir pleafed his Majefty to propound it in these Terms, and to ftoop fo low unto Mens Capacities, and as it were come off the Throne of his Sovereignty, both to require fuch Duties of Men, and to promife unto them fuch a free Reward; and the Reasons of this may be plain upon God's Part, and upon ours: In fuch Dealing, he confulted his own Glory, and Man's Good. His own Glory, I fay, is manifefted in it, and chiefly the Glory of his Goodness and Love, that the most High comes down fo low, as to article with his own Footftool, that he changes his abfolute Right, into a moderate and temperate Government, and tempers his lordly and truly

monarchial Power, by fuch a Commixture of Gentleness and Goodness, in requiring nothing but what Man behooved to call reasonable and due; and in promising fo much, as no Creature could challenge any Title to it. When the Law was promulgate, Do this, eat not of this Tree; Adam's Confcience behooved to fay, Amen Lord, all is due, all the Reason in the World for it: But when the Promife is added, and the Trumpet founds longer, thou shall live, O'more than Reafon, more than is due, muft his Confcience fay. It was Reason, that the most high Lord should use his Foot-ftool as his Foot-ftool, and fet his Servant in the Place of a Servant, and so keep Distance from him. But how ftrange is it, that he humbles himself to make Friendship with Man, to affume him in a Kind of Familiarity and Equality? And this Chrift is not forgetful of; when he reftores Men, he puts them in all their former Dignities,

call you not Servants but Friends: Next, his Wifdom doth appear in this, that when he had made a reasonable Creature, he takes a Way of Dealing, fuitable to his Nature, to bring forth willing and free Obedience by the Perfwafion of fuch a Reward, and the Terror of fuch a Punifhment. He moft wifely did inclofe the Will of Man as it were on both Sides, with Hedges of Punishment and Reward, which might have been a fufficient Defence or Guard against all the Irruptions of contrary Perfwalions, that Man might continue in Obedience, and that when he went to the right Hand or left, he might be kept in, by the Hope of fuch an ample Promife, and the Fear of fuch a dreadful Threatning. But then the Righteousness of God doth appear in this, for there is nothing doth more illuftrate the Juftice of the Judge, than when the Malefactor,

hath

hath before confented to fuch a Punishment in cafe of Tranfgreffion; when the Law is confirmed by the Confent and Approbation of Man, now he has Man fubfcribing already to his Judgment, and fo all the World muft ftop their Mouth and become guilty in cafe of Tranfgreffion of fuch a righteous Command after fuch Warning.

challenge him upon his Faithfulness to perform it. And then Lastly, There was no Way fo fit to commend God, and fweeten him unto his Sout as this. Adam knew that his Goodness could not extend to God, that his Righteousness could not help him, nor his Wickednefs hurt him, and fo could expect nothing from his exact Obedience; but now when God's But in the next Place, 'tis no lefs for Goodnefs doth fo overflow upon the Man's Good: What a Honour and Dig- Creature, and the Lord takes Pleasure to nity was put upon Man, when he was communicate Himself to make others taken into Friendship with God? To be happy, tho' he had need of none; 0, in Covenant of Friendship with a King, how muft it engage the Heart of Man O what a Dignity is it accounted? And to a delightful Remembrance, and Confome do account it a great Privilege to verfe with that God? As his Authority be in Company and Converse with fome fhould imprint Reverence, fo his Goodeminent and great Perfon. But may not nefs thus manifefted fhould engrave ConMan fay with the Pfalmift, Lord what fidence. And thus the Life of Man was is Man that thou art fo mindful of bim, not only a Life of Obedience, but a Life or the Son of Man that thou vifiteft him, of Pleafure and Delight; not only a hoPfal. viii.? Again, what Way more fitly, but a happy Life, yea, happy in Hoand fuitable to ftir up, and conftrain linefs. Adam unto a willing and conftant, Obedience, when he had the Encourage ment of fuch a gracious Reward, and the Determent of fuch a fearful Punishment? Between these two Banks might the Sil-ken Ship to this fure Plank of Grace that ver-ftreams of Obedience have run for ever without breaking over. He was bound to all, though nothing had been promised: But then to have fuch a Hope, what Spirits might it add to him? The Lord had been free upon Man's Obedience either to continue, him his happy Eftate, or, to denude him of it, or to annihilate him, there was no Obligation lying on him; but now, what Confirmation might Man have by looking upon the certain Recompence of Reward? When God brings himself freely under an Obligation of a Promife, and fo afcertains it to his Soul, which he could never have dreamed of, and gives him Liberty to

Now as it was Paul's great Business in preaching, to ride Marches between the Covenant of Grace, and the Covenant of Works, to take Men off that old bro

is offered by Jefus Chrift to drowning Souls; So it would be our great Work. to fhew unto you the Nature of this Covenant, and the Terms thereof, that you may henceforth find and know that Salvation to be now impoffible by the Law, which fo many feek in it? We have no Errand to speak of the first Adam, but the better to lead you to the fecond: Our Life was once in the firft, but he loft himself and us both, but the second by lofing himself faves both. We have nothing to do to fpeak of the firft Covenant, but that we may lead you, or purfue you rather to the fecond, eftablished upon better Terms and better Promifes.

The

Now, This Law is not of Faith, faith the Apoftle: This opens up the Nature of the Bargain; and the Oppofition between the prefent Covenant, and that which is made with loft Sinners with a Mediator. This Covenant is called, of Works, Do this, and live; to him that worketh is the Promife made, though freely too. It is Grace that once a Reward fhould be promifed to Obedience, but having once refolved to give it, herein Juftice appears in an equal and uniform Diftribution of the Reward, according to Works; So that where there is an Equality of Works there fhall be an Equality of Reward, and no Difference put be tween Perfons equal: Which is the very Freedom of the Covenant of Grace that it paffes over all fuch Confiderations, and deals equally in Mercy with unequal Sinners, and unequally it may be with them that are equal in Nature.

The Terms of this Covenant are, Do inftead of that poffeffed and expected this, and live; perfect Obedience with- Happiness, Mifery here on Soul and out one Jot of Failling or Falling, an intire Body, in Pains, Sickneffes, Troubles, and univerfal Accomplishment of the Griefs, &t. And eternal Mifery on both, whole Will of God, that is the Duty re- without Measure hereafter. Eternal quired of Man; there is no Latitude left in Destruction from the Prefence of the the Bargain, to admit Endeavours inftead Lord, and the Glory of bis Power. of Performance, or Defire instead of Duty; there is no Place for Repentance here; if a Man fail in one Point, he falls from the whole Promise; by the Tenour of this Bargain, there is no Hope of Recovery. If you would have the Duty in a Word, 'tis a Love of God with all our Heart and Soul, and our Neighbour as our felf, and that teftified and verified in all Duties and Offices of Obedience to God, and Love to Men, without the leaft Mixture of Sin and Infirmity. Now, the Promife on God's Part is indeed larger than that Duty, not only because undeserved, but even in the Matter of it, 'tis fo abundant; Life, Eternal Life, Continuance in a happy Eftate. There is a Threaning added, In what Day thou eatest thou shalt die; that is, thou shalt become a mortal and miferable Creature, fubject to Mifery here and hereafter; which is more preffingly fet down in that Word, Curfed is be that abides not in all Things written in the Law to do them. It is very peremptory, that Men dream not of efcaping Wrath, when they break but in one, fuppofe they did abide in all the reft. Curfed is every Man from the higheft to the loweft, the Lord Almighty is engaged against him, his Countenance, his Power is against him to deftroy him and make him miferable; whoever doth fail but in one Jot of the Commands, he fhall not only fall from that bleffed Condition freeby promifed, but lofe all that he already poffeffed, fall from that Image of God, Dominion over the Creatures, and incur,

You may ask, Was not Adam tỏ believe in God, and did not the Law require Faith? I anfwer, Chrift diftinguishes a twofold Faith,You believe in God,believe alfo in me. No Queftion he was called to believe in God the Creator of the World, and that in a threefold Confideration.

Firft, To depend on God the Selfbeing and Fountain-good: His own Goodnefs was but a Flux and Emanation from that Sun of Righteousness, and fo was to be perpetuated by conftant abiding in his Sight; the Interpofition of Man's felf between him and God did foon bring on this eternal Night of Darkness. Nature

might have taught him to live in him in whom he had Life, and Being, and Motion, and to forget and look over his own Perfections as evanithing Shadows; But this quickly extinguished his Life when he began to live in himself.

Next, he was obliged to believe God's Word, both Threatning and Promife, and to have these conftantly in his View; and certainly, if he had kept, in his ferious Confideration, the inestimable Bleffing. of Life promised, and the fearful Curfe of Death threatned, if he had not been induced first to doubt, and then to deny the Truth and Reality of these, he had not attempted such a defperate Rebellion against the Lord.

it fpeaks of no Pardon, it declares no Cautioner or Redeemer; there is nothing to be expected, according to the Tenor of that Covenant, but Wrath from Hea ven; either perfonal Obedience in all, or Perfonal Punishment for ever, that is the very Terms of it, and it knows no other Thing. Either bring compleat Righteouf nefs and Holiness to the Promile of Life, or expect nothing but Death.

the moft noble Creature are moft ruinous, the Spot of the Soul most abomi nable; we are nothing but a Mass of Darknefs, Ignorance, Error, inordinate Luft; nothing but Confufion, Disorder, and Diftempers in the Soul, and in the Converfation of Men; and in Sum, that bleffed Bond of Friendship with God broken, Difcord and Enmity entered upon our Side and feparated us from God, and fo we can expect nothing from that firft Cove

This may be a fad Meditation to us, to ftand and look back to our former Eftate, and compare it with that into which we are fallen; that Image we spoke of is defaced and blotted out, which was the Glory of the Creation, and now there is. nothing fo monstrous, fo deformed in the Then Thirdly, He was to believe World as Man; the Corruption of the and perfwade himself of the Lord's father-beft Things is always worst, the Ruins of ly Love, and that the Lord was well pleaf ed with his Obedience, and this Faith would certainly beget much Peace and Quietnefs in his Mind, and alfo conftrain him to love him, and live to him who loved him, and gave him Life and Happine.s out of Love; yet this holds true that the Apoftle faith, the Law is not of Faith, to wit, in a Mediator and Redeemer; it was a Bond of immediate Friendship, there needed none to mediate between God and Man, there needed nonant, but the Curfe and Wrath threatned: Reconciler where there was no odds nor Distance: But the Gospel is of Faith in a Mediator; it's the Soul plighting its Hope upon Jefus Chrift in its defperate Necef fity, and fo fuppofes Man finful and miferable in himself, and in his own Sense too, and fo putting over his Weight and Burden upon one whom God hath made mighty to fave: The Law is not of Faith, but of perfect Works, a Watch-word brought in of Purpofe to bring Men off their hankering after a broken and defpegate Covenant; it admits no Repentance,

By one Man's Difobedience Sin entered upon all, and Death by Sin; because in that Agreement Adam was a common Perfon reprefenting us, and thus are all Men once fubject to God's Judgment, and come short of the Glory of God, fallen from Life into a State of Death, and, for any Thing could be expected, irrevocably. But it hath pleased the Lord in his infinite Mercy, to make a better Covenant in Chrift his Son, that, what was impoffible to the Law, by Reafon of our Weakness and Wickedness, his Son, fent

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