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 duvéλdev 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 name 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

formed in the soul, or put on; the new creature in its being and operations; the truth learned as it is in Jesus, to the putting off the old man, and the putting on the new. More distinctly, we may yet see wherein it lies, upon a premised view of some few things necessary to be fore-known in order thereunto. As, that this righteousness is a renewing righteousness, or the righteousness of one formerly a sinner, a lapsed perishing wretch, who is by it restored into such a state towards God, as he was in before that lapse (in respect of certain great essentials, though as yet his state be not so perfectly good, while he is in his tendency and motion; and shall, by certain additionals, be unspeakably better, when he hath attained the end and rest he is tending to.)

That a reasonable creature, yet untainted with sin, could not have a temper of mind suitable to such apprehensions as these, namely, That as it was not the author of being to itself, so it ought not principally to study the pleasing and serving of itself, but him who gave it being; that it can no more continue and perfect itself unto blessedness, than it could create itself; and can therefore have no expectation hereof, but from the same author of its being; and hence, that it must respect and eye the great God, its Creator and Maker: as, The sovereign authority whom it was to fear and obey, and the sovereign good whom it was to love and enjoy. But because it can perform no duty to him, without knowing what he will have it to do: nor have any particular expectation of favors from him, without knowing what he will please to bestow; and is therefore obliged to attend to the revelations of his will concerning both these: it is therefore necessary, that he eye him under a notion introductive and subservient to all the operations that are to be exerted towards him, under the two former notions; that is, as the eternal never-failing truth, safely to be depended on, as intending nothing of deceit in any the revelations, whether of his righteous will, eoncerning matter of duty to be done; or of his good will concerning matter of benefit to be expected and enjoyed :-That man did apostatize and revolt from God, as considered under these several notions; and returns to him, when a holy rectitude is recovered, and he again becomes righteous, considered under the same: That it was not agreeable to God's wisdom, truth, and legal justice, to treat with man a sinner in order to his recovery, but through a mediator; and that therefore he was pleased in wonderful mercy to constitute and appoint his own Son Jesus Christ, God-man, unto that office and undertaking; that through him, man might return and be reconciled to himself, whom he causelessly for sook; designing that he shall now become so affected towards himself, through the mediator; and firstly therefore towards the mediator's own person, as he was before, and ought to have been towards himself immediately.

Therefore, whereas God was considerable in relation to man, both in his innocency and apostacy, under that fore-mentioned twofold notion of the supreme authority and goodness; He hath also set up and exalted our Lord Jesus Christ, and represented him to sinners under an answerable two-fold notion of a Prince and a Saviour. That is a mediating Prince and Saviour to give repentance first; to bow and stoop the hearts of sinners, and reduce them to a subject posture again, and then by remission of sins to restore them to favor, and save them from the wrath to come. Him hath the Father clothed with his own authority, and filled with his grace; requiring sinners to submit themselves to his ruling power, and commit themselves to his saving mercy; now both lodged in this his Son to pay him immediately all homage and obedience, and through him ultimately to himself; from him immediately to expect salvation and blessedness, and through him ultimately from himself. That whereas the spirits of men are not to be wrought to this temper, but by the intervention of a discovery and revelation of the divine will to this purpose; our Lord Jesus Christ is further appointed by the Father to reveal all this his counsel to sinners and is eminently spoken of in Scripture upon this account, under the notion of the truth; in which capacity he more effectually recommends to sinners both his authority and his grace. So that his threefold (so much celebrated) office of King, Priest, and Prophet, (the distinct parts of his general office as mediator) which he manages in order to the reducement of lost sinners, exactly correspond (if you consider the more eminent acts and properties of each office) to that threefold notion under which the spirit of man must always have eyed and been acted towards God, had he never fallen; and hence this righteousness, which consists in conformity to the gospel, is the former righteousness, which was lost; with such an accession as is necessary, upon consideration that it was lost, and was only to be recovered by a mediator.

Therefore you may now take this short, and as compendious an account as I can give of it, in what follows. It includes so firm and understanding an assent to the truth of the whole gospel revelation, as that the soul is thereby brought, through the power of the Holy Ghost, sensibly to apprehend its former disobedience to God, and distance from him, the reasonableness of subjection to him, and desirableness of blessedness in him; the necessity of a Redeemer to reconcile and recover it to God; the accomplishments and designation of the Lord Jesus Christ to that purpose: and hence, a penitent and complacential return to God, as the supreme authority, and sovreign Good, a humble. and joyful acceptance of our Lord Jesus Christ as its Prince and Saviour, with submission to his authority, and reliance on his grace (the exercise of both which are founded in his blood,) looking and pitching upon him, as the only medium, through

which he and his duties can please God, or God and his mercies approach him; and through which he hath the confidence to venture upon a covenant-acceptance of God, and surrender of himself to him, afterwards pursued to his uttermost, by a continued course of living in his fear and love, in obedience to him, and communion with him through the Mediator, always, while he is passing the time of his pilgrimage in this world, groaning under remaining sin, and pressing after perfect holiness; with an earnest expectation (animating him to a persevering patience through all difficulties) of a blessed eternity in the other world. That such a conformity to the gospel should be expressed by the name of righteousness, cannot seem strange to such as acquaint themselves with the language of the Scripture. That gracious frame which the gospel (made effectual) impresses upon the soul, is the kingdom of God, in the passive notion of it, his kingdom received, and now actually come with power upon our spirits. And this kingdom (sometimes also by an apt synecdoche called judgment in the same notion) is said to consist in rightghteousness; whence then result also, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. Rom. 14. 17. The same holy impressions and consequent operations are mentioned by the apostle under the name of fruits of righteousness, wherewith he prays his Philippians might be filled. (Phil. 1. 11.) It was Elymas's opposition to the gospel, that stigmatized him with that brand, "Thou enemy of all righteousness." To yield ourselves servants to righteousness, in opposition to a former servitude to sin, is obeying from the heart the doctrine of the gospel, into the type or mould whereof we have been cast or delivered. Rom. 6. 17. And sure, both the seal and the impression, God's revelation, and holiness (however now more explicit and distinctly conspicuous in all their parts) are the same, with us substantially, and in David's time; whence we need make no difficulty to own this latter, when we meet with it, as here, under the same name. By what hath hitherto been said, it may be already seen in part, how exactly this righteousness corresponds to the blessedness for which it qualifies; whereof we shall have occasion hereafter to take further notice. In the mean time, it will be requisite to shew which was promised to be done in the next place.

Secondly. How it qualifies. To which I say (very briefly) that it qualifies for this blessedness two ways:

-The unrighteous Cor. 6. 9.) Say to (Isa. 3. 10.) The him.-In his right

1. Legally, or in genere Morali, as it describes the persons, who by the gospel-grant have, alone, title thereunto.-The righteous into life eternal, (Mat. 25. 26.)shall not inherit the kingdom of God. (I. the righteous, it shall be well with them. righteousness of the righteous shall be upon eousness he shall live. (Ezek. 18. 23.) In which last words, how this righteousness conduceth to life, is expressed by the