thou also having transgressed and broken the law | Hebrews to stick close to Jesus Christ, lest they of God, if the law be not executed upon thee, it is not because the law is merciful, or can pass by the least offence done by thee, but thy deliverance | comes another way; therefore, I say, however it be by the laws of men where they be corrupted and perverted, yet the law of God is of that nature, that if it hath not thy own blood or the blood of some other man-for it calls for no less, for to ransom thee from the curse of it, being due to thee for thy transgression, and to satisfy the cries, the doleful cries, thereof, and ever for to present thee pure and spotless before God, notwithstanding this fiery law-thou art gone if thou hadst a thousand souls; for without shedding of blood there is no remission,' Ile. ix. 22; no forgiveness of the least sin | against the law. Object. Fourth. But, you will say, 'I do not only repent me of my former life, and also promise to do so no more, but now I do labour to be righteous, and to live a holy life; and now, instead of being a breaker of the law, I do labour to fulfil the same. What say you to that?' Answ. Set the case, thou couldst walk like an angel of God; set the case, thou couldst fulfil the whole law, and live from this day to thy life's end without sinning in thought, word, or deed, which is impossible; but, I say, set the case it should be so, why, thy state is as bad, if thou be under the first covenant, as ever it was. For, first, I know thou darest not say but thou hast at one time or other sinned; and if so, then the law hath condemned thee; and if so, then I am sure that thou, with all thy actions and works of righteousness, canst not remove the dreadful and irresistible curse that is already laid upon thee by that law which thou art under, and which thou hast sinned against; though thou livest the holiest life that any man can live in this world, being under the law of works, and so not under the covenant of grace, thou must be cut off without remedy; for thou hast sinned, though afterwards thou live never so well. The reasons for this that hath been spoken are these First, The nature of God's justice calls for itthat is, it calls for irrecoverable ruin on them that transgress against this law; for justice gave it, and justice looks to have it completely and continually obeyed, or else justice is resolved to take place, and execute its office, which is to punish the transgressor against it. You must understand that the justice of God is as unchangeable as his love; his justice cannot change its nature; justice it is, if it be pleased; and justice it is, if it be displeased. The justice of God in this case may be compared to fire; there is a great fire made in some place; if thou do keep out of it, it is fire; if thou do fall into it, thou wilt find it fire; and therefore the apostle useth this as an argument to stir up the fall under the justice of God by these words, 'For our God is a consuming fire,' He. xii. 29; into which, if thou fall, it is not for thee to get out again, as it is with some that fall into a material fire; no, but he that falls into this, he must lie there for ever; as it is clear where he saith, Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings, and with devouring fire?' Is. xxxiii. 14. For justice once offended knoweth not how to show any pity or compassion to the offender, but runs on him like a lion, takes him by the throat, throws him into prison, and there he is sure to lie, and that to all eternity, unless infinite satisfaction be given to it, which is impossible to be given by any of us the sons of Adam. Secondly, The faithfulness of God calls for irrecoverable ruin to be poured out on those that shall live and die under this covenant. If thou, having sinned but one sin against this covenant, and shouldst afterwards escape damning, God must be unfaithful to himself and to his Word, which both agree as one. First, he would be unfaithful to himself; to himself, that is, to his justice, holiness, righteousness, wisdom, and power, if he should offer to stop the runnings out of his justice for the damning of them that have offended it. And secondly, he would be unfaithful to his Word, his written Word, and deny, disown, and break that, of which he hath said, 'It is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail,' or be made of none effect. Lu. xvi. 17. Now, if he should not, according to his certain declarations therein, take vengeance on those that fall and die within the threat and sad curses denounced, in that his Word could not be fulfilled. Thirdly, Because otherwise he would disown the sayings of his prophets, and gratify the sayings of his enemies; his prophets say he will take vengeance; his enemies say he will not; his prophets say he will remember their iniquities, and recompense them into their bosom; but his enemies say they shall do well, and they shall have peace, though they walk after the imagination of their own hearts, and be not so strict as the Word commands, and do not as it saith. De. xxix. 19, 20. But let me tell thee, hadst thou a thousand souls, and each of them. was worth a thousand worlds, God would set them all on a light by fire, if they fall within the condemnings of his Word, and thou die without a Jesus, even the right Jesus; for the Scriptures cannot be broken.' What! dost thou think that God, Christ, Prophets, and Scriptures, will all lie for thee? and falsify their words for thee? It will be but ill venturing thy soul upon that. And the reasons for it are these:-First, Because God is God; and secondly, Because man is man. First, Because God is perfectly just and eternally just, perfectly holy and eternally holy, perfectly 5. In a word, Adam led them out of their paradise, that is one more; and put out their eyes, that is another; and left them to the leading of the devil. O sad! Canst thou hear this, and not have thy ears to tingle and burn on thy head? Canst thou read this, and not feel thy conscience begin to throb and dag? If so, surely it is because thou art either possessed with the devil, or besides thyself. faithful and eternally faithful; that is, without any | violently carried away, that they fly as fast to hell, variableness or shadow of turning, but perfectly and the devil, by reason of sin, as chaff before a continueth the same, and can as well cease to be mighty wind. God as to alter or change the nature of his Godhead. And as he is thus the perfection of all perfections, he gave out his law to be obeyed; but if any offend it, then they fall into the hands of this his eternal justice, and so must drink of his irrevocable wrath, which is the execution of the same justice. I say, this being thus, the law being broken, justice takes place, and so faithfulness followeth to see that execution be done, and also to testify that he is true, and doth denounce his unspeakable, insupportable, and unchangeable vengeance on the party offending. Secondly, Because thou art not as infinite as God, but a poor created weed, that is here to-day and gone to-morrow, and not able to answer God in his essence, being, and attributes; thou art bound to fall under him, for that thy soul or body can do nothing that is infinite in such a way as to satisfy this God, which is an infinite God in all his attributes. [Misery of man by this law.] But to declare unto you the misery of man by this law to purpose, I do beseech you to take notice of these following particulars, besides what has been already spoken:-First, I shall show the danger of them by reason of the law, as they come from Adam; Second, as they are in their own persons particularly under it. [Second.] But I pass this, and come to the second thing, which is, the cause of their being in a sad condition, which is by reason of their being in their particular persons under it. 1. Therefore, they that are under the law, they are in a sad condition, because they are under that which is more ready, through our infirmity, to curse than to bless; they are under that called the ministration of condemnation, that is, they are under that dispensation, or administration, whose proper work is to curse and condemn, and nothing else. 2 Co. iii. 2. Their condition is sad who are under the law, because they are not only under that ministration that doth condemn, but also that which doth wait an opportunity to condemn; the law doth not wait that it might be gracious, but it doth wait to curse and condemn; it came on purpose to discover sin, 'The law entered,' saith the apostle, 'that the offence might abound,' Ro. v. 20, or appear indeed to [First, The danger of them by reason of the law, be that which God doth hate, and also to curse for as they come from Adam.] 1. As they come from Adam, they are in a sad condition, because he left them a broken covenant. Or take it thus: because they, while they were in him, did with him break that covenant. O! this was the treasure that Adam left to his posterity; it was a broken covenant, insomuch that death reigned over all his children, and doth still to this day, as they come from him, both natural and eternal death. Ro. v. It may be, drunkard, swearer, liar, thief, thou dost not think of this. 2. He did not only leave them a broken covenant, but also made them himself sinners against it. He [Adam] made them sinners-'By one man's disobedience many were made sinners.' Ro. v. 19. And this is worse than the first. 3. Not only so, but he did deprive them of their strength, by which at first they were enabled to stand, and left them no more than dead men. O helpless state! O how beggarly and miserable are the sons of Adam! 4. Not only so, but also before he left them he was the conduit pipe through which the devil did convey off his poisoned spawn and venom nature into the hearts of Adam's sons and daughters, by which they are at this day so strongly and so VOL. I. that which hath been committed; as he saith, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.' Ga. iii. 10. 6 3. They are in a sad condition, because that administration they are under that are under the law doth always find fault with the sinner's obedience as well as his disobedience, if it be not done in a right spirit, which they that are under that covenant cannot do, by reason of their being destitute of faith; therefore, I say, it doth control them, saying, This was not well done, this was done by the halves, this was not done freely, and that was not done perfectly, and out of love to God.' And hence it is that some men, notwithstanding they labour to live as holy as ever they can according to the law, yet they do not live a peaceable life, but are full of condemnings, full of guilt and torment of conscience, finding themselves to fail here, and to fall short there, omitting this good which the law commands, and doing that evil which the law forbids, but never giveth them one good word for all their pains. 4. They that are under the law are in a sad condition, because they are under that administration that will never be contented with what is done by 3 s the sinner. If thou be under this covenant, work | calleth for; and canst thou, being carnal, do that? But there is no man that hath understanding, if he should hear thee say so, but would say that thou wast either bewitched or stark mad. as hard as thou canst, the law will never say, 'Well done;' never say, 'My good servant;' no; but always it will be driving of thee faster, hastening of thee harder, giving of thee fresh commands, which thou must do, and upon pain of damnation not to be left undone. Nay, it is such a master that will curse thee, not only for thy sins, but also because thy good works were not so well done as they ought to be. 5. They that are under this covenant or law, their state is very sad, because this law doth command impossible things of him that is under it; and yet doth but right in it, seeing man at the first had in Adam strength to stand, if he would have used it, and the law was given them, as I said before, when man was in his full strength; and therefore no inequality if it commands the same still, seeing God that gave thee strength did not take it away. I will give you a similitude for the clearing of it. Set the case that I give to my servant ten pounds, with this charge, Lay it out for my best advantage, that I may have my own again with profit; now if my servant, contrary to my command, goeth and spends my money in a disobedient way, is it any inequality in me to demand of my servant what I gave him at first? Nay, and though he have nothing to pay, I may lawfully cast him into prison, and keep him there until I have satisfaction. So here; the law was delivered to man at the first when he was in a possibility to have fulfilled it; now, then, though man have lost his strength, yet God is just in commanding the same work to be done. Ay, and if they do not do the same things, I say, that are impossible for them to do, it is just with God to damn them, seeing it was they themselves that brought themselves into this condition; therefore, saith the apostle, 'What things soever the law (or commands) saith, it saith to them who are under the law; that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.' Ro. iii. 19. And this is thy sad condition that art under the law. Ga. iii. 10. But if any should object, and say, But the law doth not command impossible things of natural man, I should answer in this case as the apostle did in another very much like unto it, saying, 'Understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm.' For doth not the law command thee to love the Lord thy God with all thy. soul, with all thy strength, with all thy might, &c., and can the natural man do this? How can those that are accustomed to do evil, do that which is commanded in this particular? Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots?' Je. xiii. 23. Doth the law command thee to do good, and nothing but good, and that with all thy soul, heart, and delight? which the law as a covenant of works 6. They that are under the law are in a sad condition, because that though they follow the law, or covenant of works; I say, though they follow it, it will not lead them to heaven; no, but contrariwise, it will lead them under the curse. It is not possible, saith Paul, that any should be justified by the law, or by our following of it; for by that is the knowledge of sin,' and by it we are condemned for the same, which is far from leading us to life, being the ministration of death. 2 Co. iii. And again; Israel, which followeth after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but by the law, and by the works thereof.' Ro. ix. 30-32. 7. They that are under the law are in a sad condition, because they do not know whether ever they shall have any wages for their work or no; they have no assurance of the pardon of their sins, neither any hopes of eternal life; but poor hearts as they are, they work for they do not know what, even like a poor horse that works hard all day, and at night hath a dirty stable for his pains; so thou mayest work hard all the days of thy life, and at the day of death, instead of having a glorious rest in the kingdom of heaven, thou mayest, nay, thou shalt, have for thy sins the damnation of thy soul and body in hell to all eternity; forasmuch, as I said before, that the law, if thou sinnest, it doth not take notice of any good work done by thee, but takes its advantage to destroy and cut off thy soul for the sin thou hast committed. 8. They that are under the law are in a sad condition, because they are under that administration; upon whose souls God doth not smile, they dying there; for the administration that God doth smile upon his children through, is the covenant of grace, they being in Jesus Christ, the Lord, of life and consolation; but contrariwise to those that are under the law; for they have his frowns, his rebukes, his threatenings, and with much severity they must be dealt withal- For they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord.' He. viii. 9. · 9. They are in a sad condition, because they are out of the faith of Christ; they that are under the law have not the faith of Christ in them; for that dispensation which they are under is not the administration of faith. The law is not of faith, saith the apostle. Ga. iii. 12. 10. Because they have not received the Spirit; for that is received by the hearing of faith, and not by the law, nor the works thereof. Ga. iii. 2. 11. In a word, if thou live and die under that covenant, Jesus Christ will neither pray for thee, neither let thee have one drop of his blood to wash away thy sins, neither shalt thou be so much as one of the least in the kingdom of heaven; for all these privileges come to souls under another covenant, as the apostle saith- For such are not under the law, but under grace—that is, such as have a share in the benefits of Jesus Christ, or such as are brought from under the first covenant into the second; or from under the law into the grace of Christ's gospel, without which covenant of grace, and being found in that, there is no soul can have the least hope of eternal life, no joy in the Holy Ghost, no share in the privileges of saints, because they are tied up from them by the limits and bonds of the covenant of works. For you must understand that these two covenants have their several bounds and limitations, for the ruling and keeping in subjection, or giving of freedom, to the parties under the said covenants. Now they that are under the law are within the compass and the jurisdiction of that, and are bound to be in subjection to that; and living and dying under that, they must stand and fall to that, as Paul saith, To his own master he standeth or falleth.' | The covenant of grace doth admit to those that are under it also liberty and freedom, together with commanding of subjection to the things contained in it, which I shall speak to further hereafter. [For what purpose the Law was added and given.] But now, that the former things may be further made to appear—that is, what the sad condition of all them that are under the law is, as I have shown you something of the nature of the law, so also shall I show that the law was added and given for this purpose, that it might be so with those that are out of the covenant of grace. First, God did give the law that sin might abound, not that it should take away sin in any, but to discover the sin which is already begotten, or that may hereafter be begotten, by lust and Satan. Ro. v. 20. I say, this is one proper work of the law, to make manifest sin; it is sent to find fault with the sinner, and it doth also watch that it may do so, and it doth take all advantages for the accomplishing of its work in them that give ear thereto, or do not give ear, if it have the rule over them. I say, it is like a man that is sent by his lord to see and pry into the labours and works of other men, taking every advantage to discover their infirmities and failings, and to chide them? yea, to throw them out of the Lord's favour for the same. Second. Another great end why the Lord did add or give the law, it was that no man might have anything to lay to the charge of the Lord for his condemning of them that do transgress against the same. You know that if a man should be had before an officer or judge, and there be condemned, and yet by no law, he that condemns him might be very well reprehended or reproved for passing the judgment; yea, the party himself might have better ground to plead for his liberty than the other to plead for the condemning of him; but this shall not be so in the judgment-day, but contrariwise; for then every man shall be forced to lay his hand on his mouth, and hold his tongue at the judgment of God when it is passed upon them; therefore saith the apostle, 'What things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law;' that is, all the commands, all the cursings and threatenings that are spoken by it, are spoken, saith he, that every mouth may be stopped;' mark, I beseech you, it saith,' saith he, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.' Ro. iii. 19. So that now, in case any in the judgment-day should object against the judgment of God, as those in the 25th of Matthew do, saying, Lord, when saw we thee thus and thus? and why dost thou pass such a sad sentence of condemnation upon us? surely this is injustice, and not equity: now for the preventing of this the law was given; ay, and that it might prevent thee to purpose, God gave it betimes, before either thy first father had sinned, or thou wast born. So that again, if there should be these objections offered against the proceedings of the Lord in justice and judgment, saying, Lord, why am I thus condemned, I did not know it was sin? Now against these two was the law given and that betimes, so that both these are answered. If the first come in and say, Why am I judged? why am I damned? then will the law come in, even all the ten commandments, with every one of their cries against thy soul; the first saying, He hath sinned against me, damn him; the second saying also, He hath transgressed against me, damn him; the third also saying the same, together with the fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth; even all of them will discharge themselves against thy soul if thou die under the first covenant, saying, He or they have transgressed against us, damn them, damn them: and I tell thee also, that these ten great guns, the ten commandments, will, with discharging themselves in justice against thy soul, so rattle in thy conscience, that thou wilt in spite of thy teeth be immediately put to silence, and have thy mouth stopped. And let me tell thee further, that if thou shalt appear before God to have the ten commandments discharge themselves against thee, thou hadst better be tied to a tree, and have ten, yea, ten thousand of the biggest pieces of ordnance in the world to be shot off against thee; for these could go no further but only to kill the body; but they, both body and soul, to be tormented in hell with the devil to all eternity. Third, Again; if the second thing should be ob jected, saying, But, Lord, I did not think this had been sin, or the other had been sin, for nobody told me so; then also will the giving of the law take off that, saying, Nay, but I was given to thy father 1. Because God hath a time to magnify his ance and mercy. We read in scripture that his eyes are too pure to behold iniquity, and then we shall find it true. Hab. i. 13. We read in scripture that he will magnify the law, and make it honourable, and then he will do it indeed. Now, because the Lord doth not strike so soon as he is provoked by sin, therefore poor souls will not know nor regard the justice of God, neither do they consider the time in which it must be advanced, which will be when men drop under the wrath of God as fast as hail in a mighty storm. 2 Pe. iii. 9. Ps. 1. 21, 22. Now, therefore, look to it all you that count the longsuffering and forbearance of God slackness; and because for the present he keepeth silence, therefore to think that he is like unto yourselves. No, no; but know that God hath his set time for every purpose of his, and in its time it shall be advanced most marvellously, to the everlasting astonishment and overthrow of that soul that shall be dealt withal by justice and the law. O! how will God advance his justice! O! how will God advance his holiness! First, by showing men that he in justice cannot, will not regard them, because they have sinned; and, secondly, in that his holiness will not give way for such unclean wretches to abide in his sight, his eyes are so pure. Adam before he had sinned, or before thou wast born, and have ever since been in thy soul to con-justice and holiness, as well as to show his forbearvince thee of thy sins, and to control thee for doing the thing that was not right. Did not I secretly tell thee at such a time, in such a place, when thou wast doing of such a thing, with such an one, or when thou wast all alone, that this was a sin, and that God did forbid it, therefore if thou didst commit it, God would be displeased with thee for it: and when thou wast thinking to do such a thing at such a time, did not I say, Forbear, do not so? God will smite thee, and punish thee for it if thou dost do it. And besides, God did so order it that you had me in your houses, in your Bibles, and also you could speak and talk of me; thus pleading the truth, thou shalt be forced to confess it is so; nay, it shall be so in some sort with the very Gentiles and barbarous people that fall far short of that light we have in these parts of the world; for, saith the apostle, 'The Gentiles which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law,' that is, not written as we have, yet they are a law unto themselves: which show the works of the law written in their hearts.' Ro. ii. 14, 15. That is, they have the law of works in them by nature, and therefore they shall be left without excuse; for their own consciences shall stand up for the truth of this where he saith, Their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the meanwhile accusing or else excusing one another.' Ay, but when? Why, 'in the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.' Ro. ii. 15, 16. So this, I say, is another end for which the Lord did give the law -namely, that God might pass a sentence in righteousness, without being charged with any injustice by those that shall fall under it in the judgment. Fourth, A fourth end why the Lord did give the law it was, because they that die out of Jesus Christ might not only have their mouths stopped, but also that their persons might become guilty before God.' Ro. iii. 19. And indeed this will be the ground of silencing, as I said before, they finding themselves guilty, their consciences backing the truth of the judgment of God passed upon them, 'they shall become guilty'—that is, they shall be fit vessels for the wrath of God to be poured out into, being filled with guilt by reason of transgressions against the commandments; thus, therefore, shall the parties under the first covenant be 'fitted to destruction,' Ro. ix. 22, even as wood or straw, being well dried, is fitted for the fire; and the law was added and given, and speaks to this very end, that sins might be shown, mouths might be stopped from quarrelling, and that all the world,' mark, the world may become guilty before God,' and so be in justice for ever and ever overthrown because of their sins. And this will be so for these reasons 2. Because God will make it appear that he will be as good as his word to sinners. Sinners must not look to escape always, though they may escape awhile, yet they shall not go for all adoe unpunished; no, but they shall have their due to a farthing, when every threatening and curse shall be accomplished and fulfilled on the head of the transgressor. Friend, there is never an idle word that thou speakest but God will account with thee for it; there is never a lie thou tellest, but God will reckon with thee for it; nay, there shall not pass so much as one passage in all thy lifetime but God, the righteous God, will have it in the trial by his law, if thou die under it, in the judgment-day. [WHO THEY ARE THAT ARE UNDER THE COVENANT OF WORKS.] THIRD. But you will say 'But who are those that are thus under the law?' Answ. Those that are under the law may be branched out into three ranks of men; either, first, such as are grossly profane, or such as are more refined; which may be two ways, some in a lower sort, and some in a more eminent way. First, Then they are under the law as a covenant of works who are open profane, and ungodly wretches, such as delight not only in sin, but also make their boast of the same, and brag at the thoughts of committing of it. Now, as for such as these are, there is a scripture in the first epistle of |