by, fanctification being the best proof of juftification and an intereft in Chrift; after Paul's example, who gives this as a character of their being in Chrift, they walk not after the flesh, but after the sprit. XV. It is a moft dangerous thing for minifters, who are ftewards of the mysteries of God, to hold forth comfort unto a people, hand over head, the wicked being moft ready to fuck poifon from the fweeteft herbs; and therefore they fhould fo qualify fuch, unto whom they would hold forth comfort, as ftrangers may not take themselves to be interested therein: Therefore doth Paul qualify thofe who he faid, were free of condemnation, by adding, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

VERSE 2. For the law of the Spirit of life, in Chrift Jefus, hath made me free from the law of fin and death.

Hat comfortable truth which was fet down in the foregoing verfe, is further profecused by the apostle unto verfe 9. And here, he confirmeth the fame thus, There is in Chrift Jefus the head of all believers, virtue and efficacy, both to fatisfy juftice, and fo to loofe believers from the fentence of condemnation and death which they were bound over unto by the Jaw of works, for the brea thereof; and alfo to bear down and fubdue the power of corruption in them, fo that it fhall not ftill bear dominion over them, and prefs them to fin as by a law; and therefore all fuch as are joined to this Head, as lively members, are freed from condemnation. There being two things which mainly affright believers, viz. 1. The guilt or the condemning power of fin, binding them over to God's curfe and wrath; And 2. the domineering, inflaving power thereof, whereby it conftrains them to fin, as a cruel potent tyrant. Now both these are fo weakened to believers, as that there is a good ground of confolation founded

thereupon, as to their freedom from condemnation, and all in Chrift, in whom there is a law of the Spirit of life, a new way of falvation, as a new law, laid down, viz. the covenant of grace, whereby the old law of the covenant of works is repell ed, and a law of life, whereby only life is held forth, and the spirit of life, the lively quickening Spirit of God is only to be had; which hath fuch influence, power, and virtue, by the miniftry of the gospel, with it, as to renew and quicken more and more the foul in grace, and to kill, fubdue, and bear corruption at under, so as it fhall not reign as before; and fo free the be liever from the law of fin, or its power and dominion, (as if it were a law in force) as by the former he was freed from the law of death. In this he fpeaketh of himfelf in his own perfon, not as if this did not concern other believers; but as, in the laft chapter, he brought forth himfelf as an inftance, in the matter of infirmities, fo here, in the matter of confolation, to teach every particular believer how to apply comfort to themselves...

OBSERVATIONS.

I. However fuch as are in the state of nature, do please their condition very well, as a state of freedom, they not knowing of a better, being blinded by the god of this world, 2 Cor. iv. 4. and dead in fins and trefpaffes, Eph. ii. 1.; yet it is a state of bondage and vile fervitude, and they bound over in the prison of Satan, as flaves to fin and corruption, which fo domineereth, and tyrannically infulteth over, and constraineth them by force, as by a law: for believers are freed from a law of fin; and fo fin kept them fo at under, as if it had juft laws on its fide, and from this they were fet free; the word properly fignifieth, to free from bondage and flavery.

II. Such a tyrant is corruption over thefe who are under its power, that it commandeth nothing but what is finful, and forceth the poor foul to what is finful continually,

and

neck-break, but they fhall be delivered | from death: for he proves that there is no condemnation to them that are in Chrilt, because there is a law of the Spirit of life in Chrift, &c.

X. As minifters fhould labour to be experimentally acquainted with thofe truths they deliver unto people, left they prove caft aways themfelves, while they labour to fave others; fo it will be useful, not only for themselves, but alfo for others, in a fober, prudent way, to back their doctrine with their own experiences; as Paul doth here, in bringing in his own inftance, faying, The law of the Spirit of life in Chrift bath made me free from the law of fin and death.

VERSES 3.4. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God fending his own Son, in the likeness of finful flesh, and for fin condemned fin in the flesh:

That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us,---

freed from the condemning and commanding power of fin. Here then we are to confider the way whereby believers are freed from the law of fin and death, fet down, 1. negatively; and 2. pofitively. 1. I fay negatively; the law could not do this; it lay under an impoffibility to effectuate this: And why? Because it was weak; and this he cleareth, left he should be thought injurious to the law, by fhewing, that the law is not to be blamed for this weaknefs, for it is yet able to justify and fave all fuch as will perfedly keep it; but all the fault lieth in man, who is nothing but corruption and flesh by nature; therefore he addeth, thro' the flesh. 2. Politively; where, (1.) we have the perfon defcribed who works this deliverance, viz. the Son of God; his own Son. (2.) The prime and principal caufe of this, God fendeth his own Son; the whole Trinity agree that the fecond perfon fhall undergo the work. (3.) The way how he is fent, viz. in the likenefs of finful fleb: He affumed a true body, and fo was like our finful flesh in all things except fin, and fo is more prone to fympathize with us, knowing now by perience what our infirmities are. (4.) The end of this incarnation of Chrift, viz. for fin; that is, to this end, that he might become a facrifice for fin, as the word is taken, 2 Cor. v. 21. and fo might fatisfy juftice: or it may be taken for the impulfive caufe; and fo the meaning will be, He was fent because of fin. (5.) The fruit and effect of Chrift's incarnation and fuffering, or one main end of this great defign, viz. the annulling the condemning power of fin, and cancelling its obligation, he condemned fin in the flesh, that is, in Christ's human nature; fo that as man offended, man fatisfied. (6.) Another main end is, that the righteoufnefs of the law might be fulfilled in us, that is, that having fuffered death which the law bound us over unto; and having performed that perfect righteoufnefs which the law required; and all this being imputed to us, we might be account

7Hat he faid laft is here confirmed, viz. That believers are freed from the law of fin and death, in Christ, thus; Man being now fallen from his eftate of integrity, and loft his original righteouf nefs, and all ability to fulfil the law of righteoufnefs; fo that the law, which formerly could have helped folk to perfect conformity unto God's image, and to falvation thereby, meets with an impoffibility to effectuate that now, not thro' any fault in itself, but by reafon of man's corruption: God fent forth his own Son like us in all things, except fin, to die, and fo to become a facrifice for fin, and thereby condemned and abolished fin, by cancelling the bond by which we were bound over to punishment; and alfo to fulfil the law for us, fo as his fulfilling of the law might be imputed to us, and we renewed by his Spirit daily, to be more and more conform unto the law: So that hereby we are both

ed

ed to have done it, he being our head and husband; and also, that we might have the Spirit communicated, whereby we might be renewed, and fo be daily fanctified more and more, till in end we be made perfect in holiness at death, and fo this place is like that, Ephef. v. 26. That he might fanctify and cleanfe it with the walking of water by the word.

OBSERVATIONS.

I. Albeit the Lord had determined and decreed from all eternity, that neither Adam nor any of his pofterity fhould attain life in and through the law of works, yet in itself it was a way appointed of God, whereby man might have attained unto life, had the way carved out by the Lord been fully followed; for it is fuppofed, that the law, or this covenant of works, was once ftrong, when now it is faid to be weak; the word, Gen. ii. 17. faith thus, that man being now in poffeffion of life, should have continued by keeping the covenant.

II. This covenant being now broken and violated, can never again be repaired, being made with Adam in his state of integrity, and fo a covenant of friendship, fo that no man can now heal the matter after this breach is made; for now it is weak, and there is an impoffibility for man to get life by it.

III. This impoffibility of reaching the crown by this covenant of works, is not through any defect in that covenant, as if that way and difpenfation had been imperfect in itself, and an unfit mean for such an end; but merely because man having now broken that covenant, hath rendered himself altogether unable to perform the conditions of that covenant; therefore it is faid to be weak through the flesh: The fault lieth on man, who by reafon of his corrupted nature is now utterly unable for the performance of the leaft part of the condition therein required; befide that, fuch is the nature of this covenant, that

being once broken, it can never be repaired again, as we thewed, Doctrinal Obfervation II.

IV. Man being now plunged into guilt, and mifery therefore, is not only unable to rid himfelf out of the gulph, but alfo could never have invented a way of deli very; it was altogether beyond the reach of men or angels to have found out a way of recovery, but this device only bred in the breaft of the only wife God; therefore it is faid, God fent his own Sen, and no word of our feeking of him, or alking for him.

V. The way of the redemption of loft man which infinite Wisdom has fallen upon, is a way altogether without a man's felf, and only in Jefus Chrift; in the contrivance and carrying on whereof man has no active hand, for God has fent him forth.

VI. Howbeit angels be fometimes called the fons of God, Job i. 6. and xxxviii. 7. in that they are fpirits, holy and powerful, and thereby refemble God, and are daily near him, admited to behold his bleffed face continually; and faithful believers alfo have this title, John i, 12. yet that being by God's free grace, they are not after the fame manner the fons of God that Jefus Chrift is, for in an eminent way he is here his own Son, as being his proper Son by eternal generation; the Father having the divine effence of himself immediately, doth beget the Son by eternal generation.

VII. Chrift being thus eternally begoten of the Father, fo that he is his image and exprets character, Heb. i. 2. and being in a special manner called the Son of God, and the only begoten Son of God, John i. 18. and iii. 16. not because of his fingular way of conception and incarnation, nor becauf of his extraordinary endowment with the Spirit, nor becaufe of the Father's fingular love to him, nor yet because of his refurrection, which only declared him to be the Son of God, Rom. i. 4. nor yet becaufe

of

of his exaltation, he being the Son of God before he was conceived, or incarnate, or exalted, as here he is called his own Sen, before he was fent in the likeness of finful fef; fecing it is fo, I fay, Chrift must be truly and really God: fo God fent his own Son, in the likeness of finful flesh.

VII. So that though God be one in regard of his effence, which is fimple and indivifible, Exod. xx. 2. 3. Deut. xxxii. 39. and iv. 35. 39. Exod. xxxiii. 11. I Cor. viii. 4. yet in this moft fimple and indivifible Godhead, there are more perfons, or individual fubftances, than one; and tho' thefe individual fubftances be not ef fentially diftinguifhed, having but one indivifible effence, nor poffibly can be feparated one from the other, feeing they mu tually fubfift in one another, without any confufion or mixture, yet are they really diftinguished, fo as the one is not the other; for here there is God fending, and bis Son fent, and fo both are not one and the fame perfon, but diftinct.

IX. Albeit all the diftinct perfons of the Trinity have one and the fame effential Godhead, yet are they not all incarnated when one is incarnate; and neither doth it agree to the Father, nor to the Holy Gholt to be incarnate, but only to the Son, feeing he is not incarnate as having the divine effence, but as having it in fuch a manner, viz. from the Father by generation; for it is the Son who is fent in the likeness of finful fefb: See Luke i. 35. Rom. i. 4. Gal. iv. 4. Phil. ii. 7. Heb. ii. 6.

X. As all the external works of God in and for the creature, are common to all the Perfons of the Trinity; fo is this of appointing Chrift to become Mediator to loft man, and to take on him our nature: The incarnation of Chrift is the joint work of all the Three, albeit there be a certain order and fubordination, as among the perfons themfelves, fo in their actings; for God (which may be taken effentially for all the three perfons, wirich are but one God) feat his Son.

XI. Jefus Chrift the Son of God, the fecond perfon of the Trinity, who was equal with the Father in power and glory, Phil. ii. 6. took on him, in the tuluefs of time, man's nature, and fo wa made flesh; yet fo as he was God ill, and had not two perfons, but one, affuming man's nature, which was void or any fubilance, into the fame fubitance with his own perfon, Phil. ii. 7. Heb. ii. 16. and hence became the fon of man, and fo as there was no confufion betwixt his two natures, the one being fill God, and the other man, each having their own proper operations and effential properties notwithstanding, nor change among them, every nature abiding the fame it was, and fo as both of them concur not as parts making up a third diftinct perfon; for here he was fent in the likeness of finful flesh.

XII. The body which Chrift affumed, altho' it was not conceived as ours are, but in an extraordinary manner, yet was it no phantafm, but a real body; fo that he became really man, having a true body, Heb. ii. 4. and a reasonable foul, Matth. xxvi. 38. for he was fent in the likeness of finful flesh, and fo it was feh really.

XIII. The human nature which Chrift affumed, though now it be glorified, yet while he was in the flesh, in the form of a fervant, Phil ii. 7. being like us in all things, except fin, Heb. iv. 15. it was cloathed with fuch infirmities as are common to men; therefore it is faid, the likeness of finful fiesh: hence is he called our Brother.

XIV. Though Christ had a body like ours in all effentials and finiefs infirmities; yet was he free of fin; For fuch an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, and undefiled, Heb. iv. 15. For tho' his body was really fle, Matth. xiv. 26. Luke xxiv. 39. yet he was only fent in the likeness of finful flesh.

XV. The Lord having enacted a law, binding a man to obedience under the pain of death, there was a neceffity flowing therefrom, that as man fined, fo man fhould

fuffer