needs be wholly unrelated unto me, and uncapable of benefit by me, as well as he is indocible, and not susceptible of my further instructions, neither capable of the precepts or privleges belonging to discipleship. He is the author of eternal salvation to all them that obey him, and will come in flaming fire to take vengeance of those that know not God, and obey not his Gospel; who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, &c. Heb. 5. 9. 2 Thes. 1. 8, 9. &c. Where it is only the sincerity of those several requisites, that is under so severe penalty exacted and called for; inasmuch as he that is sincerely a believer, a penitent, a lover of God or Christ, an obedient subject, is not capable of the contrary denomination, and therefore not liable, according to the tenor of this law, to be punished as an infidel, an impenitent person, an enemy, a rebel. When it enjoins the latter, namely all the subsequent duty, through the whole course whereof the already sincere soul must be tending towards perfection; though it bind not thereto under pain of damnation, further than as such neglects and miscarriages, may be so gross and continued, as not to consist with sincerity: yet such injunctions are not wholly without penalty; but here it obliges, under less penalties, the hiding of God's face and other paternal severities and castigations. They that thus only offend, are chastened of the Lord, that they may not be condemned with the world. 1 Cor. 11. 32. Their iniquity is visited with the rod, and their transgression with stripes, though loving-kindness be not taken away. Ps. 89. 32, 33. Yea, and while they are short of perfect holiness, their blessedness is imperfect also; which is to be acknowledged a very grievous penalty, but unconceivably short of what befalls them that are simply unrighteous. That it obliges thus diversly, is evident; for it doth not adjudge unto eternal death without remedy, for the least defect; for then what other law should relieve against the sentence of this? or wherein were this a revealing law? Yet doth it require perfection, that we perfect holiness in the fear of God; 2. Cor. 7. 1. that we be perfect as our Father in heaven is perfect. Mat. 5. 48. And otherwise, did it bind to no other duty than what it makes simply necessary to salvation; the defects and miscarriages that consist with sincerity, were no sins, not being provided against by any law that is of present obligation (unless we will have the law of nature to stand by itself as a distinct law, both from that of works, and of grace; which is not necessary; but as it did at first belong to the former, so it doth now to the latter, as shall further be shown by and by.) For to suppose the law of works in its own proper form and tenor, to be still obliging, is to suppose all under hopeless condemnation, inasmuch as all have sinned. And besides, it should oblige to cast off all regard to Christ, and to seek blessedness without him; yea, and it should oblige to a natural impossibility, to a contradiction,

to make that not to have been, which hath been; a sinner to seek happiness by never having sinned. It cannot therefore entirely, it its own form, as it was at first made and laid upon man, be of present and continuing obligation to him. But in what part aud respect it is or is not; comes now more distinctly to be shown. Here know, the law of nature, with fit additionals, became one formed constitution; which being violated by the apostacy, became unuseful to the end it was made for, the containing of man within the bounds of such duty as should be conjunct with his blessedness. Therefore was the new constitution of the law of grace made and settled, which alters, adds to, takes from it, relaxes, or re-enforces it, according as the matter of it, the exigency of man's case, and God's gracious purpose and design could admit, and did require. For the promise (implied in the threatening) it ceased; sin having disobliged the promiser. For the precept the expressed positive part is plainly abrogate, 1 Tim. 4. For the natural part as it was not necessary, so nor was it possible it should be so; its foundations being more stable than heaven and earth. For the commination, we must understand two things in it: first, that for every transgression, a proportionable punishment must become due: secondly, that this debt be in the event exacted: or, that God do actually inflict the deserved penalty entirely and fully upon the offending person.

The former of these is in the strictest and most proper sense natural, and therefore also unalterable. This dueness arising immediately from the relation of a reasonable creature offending, to his Maker. Whence also it is discernible to mere natural light. Pagans are said (Rom. 1. 32.) to have known the righteous judgment of God, that they who commit such things (as are there mentioned) are worthy of death. And hence was the mention and dread of a Nemesis, and an Exdıxov õμμa a vindictive Deity, and a revengeful eye over them so frequent with them. "If therefore (as the learned Grotius speaks) there had never been a penal law; yet a human act, having in itself a pravity, whether intrinsical, from the immutable nature of the thing; or even extrinsical, from the contrary command of God, had deserved pnnishment, and that very grievous." Now what an arbitrary constitution did not create, it could not nullify; but might add strength, and give a confirmation to it. But now for the latter, that this debt be entirely and fully exacted of the sinner himself; though that be also natural, yet not in the strictest and most proper sense. That is, it is convenient and agreeable to the nature of the thing; not what it doth so necessarily require, that it can upon no terms be dispensed with. It is so natural, as that the son inherit from his father, which yet may, sometimes, for just causes be ordered otherwise. It is what, if it were done, justice could not but approve: not what it doth strictly and indispensably require; or, is a debt which it might exact, but which

may, without injustice, upon valuable considerations be remitted. The former of these, therefore, the new constitution doth no way infringe or weaken, but confirm and reinforce. The latter it so far dipenses with, as that, for the satisfaction made by the Redeemer, the debt incurred by sin, be remitted to the sinner that truly repents and believes, and continues sincerely (though imperfectly) to obey for the future. So that his after-delinquencies, consisting with such sincerity, do not actually, or in event, subject him to other penalties, than the paternal rebukes and chastenings before-mentioned. But this latter part, considerable in the commination, the determination of the full penalty, to the very person of the transgressor, it doth not dispense with to others (that is of the adult, and of persons in a present natural possibility of understanding the Law-giver's pleasure herein) than such before described; but says expressly, he that believeth not the Son, shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him : (Joh. 3. 36.) That indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, shall be upon every soul of man that doth evil.-Rom. 2.

8. 9.

Therefore the morally preceptive part of the law of works, is not in force as man's rule of duty, considered in conjunction with the promise; that is, it doth not now say to any man, "Do this, that is, perfectly obey without ever having sinned, that thou may'st live." Both which he was obliged to eye conjunctly; the former, as containing the rule; the other the end, in part, of his obedience: but it is in force even by the new constitution itself as God's rule of judgment, considered in conjunction with the commination, upon all whom the law of grace relieves not, as not coming up to the terms of it; whom also this supervening law brings under a supervening aggravated condemnation. For where the obligation to obedience is violated, the obligation to punishment naturally takes place. We see then how far the law of works is in force, it is to be looked on as taken into the new constitution of the law of grace, is evident. For it is new modified, and hath received a new mould and stamp by this law: which is now become (so far as it is promulgate) the standing rule of government over the lapsed world. The principal modifying act herein, is dispensation. Now this, it is true, may be so understood, or may be taken in such a sense, as wherein it will only belong to the executive part of government: that is, when it is not the act of the same power that made the law; as where only the execution of a deserved penalty is dispensed with, which may be done, in some cases, by a Judge that is only a minister of the law, and not the maker of it; being (as may be supposed) enabled thereto by that law itself or by an authority annexed to his office; or by virtue of instructions, which leave to him some latitude of managing the affairs of his judicature in a discretionary way, as present occasions shall dictate. And yet by none of

these would any change be made in the law; but this is dispensation in a less proper sense. In the proper and more famous sense, dispensation belongs to the legislative part of government, being the act of the same power that made the former law, now dispensed with; and an act of the same kind, namely, legislation; the making of a new law that alters the former which it hath relation to whence it was wont to be reckoned amongt hose things that make a change in a law. And so the case is here. (Vid. Suarez de Legibus.) The former law is dispensed with by the making of a new one; which so alters and changes it in its matter and frame, and more immediate end, as hath been shewn: and a changed law is not the same.

Nor is it at all strange, that the minatory part of the law of works related to the preceptive so as with it to constitute the debt of punishment, should be now within the compass of the Redeemer's law. For by this applied, and urged on the consciences of sinners, he performs a necessary preparatory part of his work for their recovery, namely, the awakening, the humbling them; and reducing them to a just and useful despair of relief and help, otherwise than by his merciful hand and vouchsafement; and the rendering them hereby capable of his following applications. Cutting or lancing, with other such severities, are as proper and useful a part of the chirurgeon's business, as the applying of healing medicines: nor have they the same design and end for which wounds are inflicted by an enemy, the taking away of life, but the saving of it. And the matter is out of doubt that the most rigorous determination of the penalty that shall be understood duly belonging to the least sin, hath a place, and doth stand visibly extant to view in the publicly avowed declaration, and among the placita or decretals of the Redeemer. We there read, that whosoever shall say to his brother, fool, shall be in danger of hell-fire: (Mat. 5. 22.) (yea, and the lower degrees of the same kind of sin, do expose to lower degrees of the same kind of punishment, as our Saviour's words must be understood if we attend the plain meaning of his allusive and borrowed phrase of speech:) That the wages of sin is death: Rom. 6. 23. That as many as are of the works of the law, are under the curse for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things written in the book of the law to do them. Gal. 3. 10. 22. And we are told, that the Scripture (which is the word of Christ, and was written not for innocent, but lapsed man) hath concluded all under sin. Where also we find what is the true intent and end of this rough and sharp dealing with men, the shutting them up, like sentenced malefactors, as in order to execution (which seems to be the import of the word OUVÉXλd here used) namely, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe (or to them believing, as the words may be read.) And moreover the Spirit, which

breathes not in the law of works, as such, but in the law of grace, performs that operation which belongs to it, as it hath the Rame of the spirit of bondage, by applying and binding on the sentence of death, as due to the guilty person.

Therefore we must understand the Redeemer's Constitution to have two parts. First, An assertion and establishment of the ancient determined penalty due for every transgression; and to be certainly inflicted on all such as accept not the following offer of mercy upon the terms prescribed. Whereby the honor and justice of the Creator is saved and vindicated, in reference to the first covenant made with man. And the case of the sinner is plainly stated before him, that he may have a distinct and right apprehension of it. Secondly, The grant of pardon and eternal life to those that repent unfeignedly of their sins, and turn to God; believing in the Mediator, and resigning themselves to his grace and government, to be by him conducted, and made acceptable to God in their return, and that continue sincere herein to the end. Whereby the wonderful mercy of God in Christ is demonstrated, and the remedy is provided and ascertained to the, otherwise, lost and hopeless sinner. And these two parts therefore are to be looked on in this constitution, though distinctly, yet not separately. The sinner is, at once to consider the same penalty as naturally, and by divine sanction, due to him; but now graciously to be remitted; the same blessedness as justly lost, but mercifully to be restored, with a high improvement. And to own both these jointly, as the voice of the Redeemer in his gospel. Death is due to thee; blessedness forfeited by thy having sinned but if thou sincerely repent, believe and obey for the future, thou art pardoned, and entitled to everlasting life.

It therefore now appears, that as the law or dictates of pure nature, comprehended together with other fit additionals, became at first one entire constitution aptly suited to the government of man in his innocent state, unto which the title did well agree of the law or covenant of works: so the same natural dictates, transcribed and made express (because now sullied, and not so legible in the corrupted nature of man) do, with such allays and additions as the case required, compose and make up the constitution which bears the title of the law or covenant of grace, or the law of faith, or the gospel of Christ, and is only suitable to the state of man lapsed and fallen; as the measure of that righteousness which he is now to aim at, and aspire unto. The rule of this righteousness therefore being evidently the law of faith, the gospel-revelation, wherein it is preceptive of duty this righteousness can be understood to be nothing but the impress of the gospel upon a man's heart and life: a conformity in spirit and practice to the revelation of the will of God in Jesus Christ; a collection of graces exerting themselves in suitable actions and deportments towards God and man; Christ