goodness, no hope of his favour in Chrift, where is his purity and holinefs? Nay, it is he that hath this hope, that purifies himself, as he is pure. I know not what experience you have, Sirs, but fome of us know, that when our fouls are moft comforted and enlarged with the faith of God's favour through Christ, and with the hope of his goodness, then we have most heart to the duties; and when through unbelief, we have harth thoughts of God, as an angry judge, then we have no heart to duties and religious exercises: and I perfuade myself, this is the experience of the faints in all ages.

But that this moral influence, which dying to the law, or covenant of works, hath upon living to God, or holiness and fanctification, may be further evident: let us confider, how the law to the believer, having now loft its legal or old covenant form, and being put into a gofpel-form, and changed from the law of works into a covenant of grace, or the law in the hand of Chrift; how, I fay, every part of it now constrains the believer to obedience and fanctification, in a moft loving manner. The gofpel-law, or the law of grace, that now he is under, is a chariot paved with love. The law, in the hand of Chrift, hath now another face, even a fmiling face, in all the commands, promises, threatenings, and in the whole form thereof.

(1.) The commands of the law, in the hand of Christ, have lost their old covenant-form, and are full of love. The command of the law of works is, Do, and Live; but in the hand of Chrift, it is, Live, and Do: the command of the law of works, is, Do, or elfe be damned: but the law in the hand of Chrift, is, I have delivered thee from hell, therefore Do: the command of the law of works is, Do in thy own ftrength; but the law in the hand of Chrift is, "I am thy ftrength; My ftrength fhall be perfected in thy weakness," therefore Do. The command is materially the fame, but the form is different the command of the law of works is, Do perfectly, that you may have eternal life; but now, in the hand of Chrift, the form is, I have given thee

eternal

eternal life in me, and by my doing; and therefore do as perfectly as you can, through my grace, till you come to a state of perfection. The command, I fay, is the fame materially; for I do not join with thefe, who infinuate, as if here lefs obedience were required than under the law of works: though lefs be accepted in these who have a perfect obedience in their Head, yet no lefs is required, though not in the old covenant-form. And as the command is materially the fame, fo the authority enjoining obedience is originally the fame, yet vaftly diftinct; in that the command of the law is the command of God out of Christ, an abs folute God and judge; but now, under grace, it is the command of a God in Chrift, a Father in him : and fure I am, that the authority of the commanding God is not leffened, or loft, that the command is now in the hand of Chrift: Chrift is God, co equal and co-effential with the Father; and as God's authority to judge is not loft, or leffened, in that all judgment is committed to the Son; fo his authority to command, is not loft or leffened, in that the law is in the hand of Chrift: nay, it is not leffened, but it is fweetened, and made amiable, lovely, and defirable to the belie ver, conftraining him to obedience, in that the law is in the hand of his Head, his Lord, and his God.The end that he hath in commanding, and that they fhould have in obeying, is now diftinct, and different from what took place under the law of works: the end that ne hath in commanding, is not to lay a heavy yoke of duties on their necks, to be born by their own ftrength; nor, though performed by his ftrength, to be a righteoufnels for their juftification, or a condition of life; but only to fhew his holy nature, that he will not have a lawless people; to fhew his great grace, that condefcends to feek our fervice; to grace and beautify his people, their chief happinefs confifting in a confirmity to his will; that his people may get good, which is neceffarily joined to duties, and conneЯed thereto by the promifes; that he may have fomething to commend his people for; and that he may, without a compliment, have ground to fay, "Well done, good Vol. II.

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by the works of the law? No; but by the hearing of faith," Gal. iii. 2. It is the doctrine of grace, not of works, that makes us partake of this Spirit. It is the new teftament, or new covenant, that is the manifef tation of the Spirit, 2 Cor. iii. 6. Thereby the Spirit is miniftred, or conveyed to us, but not by the law. It is the gofpel that calls us effectually to fanctification, 2 Theff. ii. 13, 14. We received the promife of the Spirit through faith, and not by the works of the law, Gal, iii, 14.

4. Remark, That the man that is under the law, is without Chrift, in whom fanctification only is to be found; they that are faints, are faints in Chrift Jefus, as the apoftle defigns them; and fanctified in Chrift: and our implantation into Chrift, is only from grace, and not from the works of the law; and fo is our fanctification only from grace, and only in Chrift, who gave himfelf for his church, that he might fanctify it, Eph. v. 25.

5. Remark, The man that is under the law, is with out ftrength, and cannot perform obedience to the law: the law is weak through the flesh, and cannot justify him, neither can it fantify him. In order to fanctification, a new creation is neceffary: the clean heart must be created; and the man created unto good works; creating power muft be put forth; and creation is a work of God. We must therefore make a God of our works, and deify them, and endow them with a creating power, if we think, by the works of the law, to be fanctified; or afcribe fuch efficacy to them, as to work true fanctification in us. No man, then, that is under the law, or covenant of works, by giv, ing himself to all holy duties and actions, and exercif ing himself in them, can come to attain true holinefs, or to be truly fanctified,

6. Remark, That the man that is under the power of the law, is under the power of fin. Whence is it, that the believer is freed from the power and domini. on of fin? It is because he is under grace, and not un der the law, Rom. vi. 14. Shewing us, that thefe that are under the law, are under the power and dominion

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of fin. How fo? Even upon the account of all the reasons already affigned; and not only fo, but because the law is the strength of fin, 1 Cor. xv. 56. Particu larly as it irritates corruption, ftrengthening and flirring it up; "Sin taking occafion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupifcence." Sin, by occafion of the refifting command, brake out the more fiercely. Hence the law is only the occafion, and fin dwelling in us the caufe; as the fhining of the fun is the occafion, why a dung-hill fends forth its filthy favour, it is the corruption and putrification therein that is the caufe; fo here, the light of the law fhining, and discovering fin and duty, is the occafion of fin's irritation and increase, but corruption itself is the caufe. Well, fo it is, that a man being under the law, is under the power of fin; how then can he live unto God, while under the law? or, how can fanctificati on take place while he is alive to the law, or not dead thereto? These things may make it evident, I think, that it is neceffary that a man be dead to law, and brought from under it, before he can have true fanctification, or live unto God.

2dly, Whence it is neceffary, that a man be dead to the law in point of juftification, in order to his living to God in point of fanctification: Thefe particulars already mentioned, afford fo many reafons of the neceflity thereof yet fome things more may be faid, for the further clearing of this point, namely, The influence, that dying to the law, hath upon our living unto God. Here two queflions occur. 1. What influence living ro the law, hath upon a man's living in fin. 2. What influence a man's dying to the law, hath upon his dying to fin, and living UNTO God.

1. What influence a man's living ro the law, or being alive to the law, hath upon his living in fin.This is a ftrange doctrine, fome may think; but it is as true as ftrange, that the law, and our works of obedience to the law, while we are under it, is the cause of deftruction, instead of falvation, Romans ix, 31, 32. There you fee it deftroyed the whole Jewish nation;

and faithful fervants :" and that by them he may have matter of condemnation against the reft of the world, who walk not in his commandments. In a word, he commands, that his fovereignty may be kept up, and the fenfe thereof, in the hearts of his people; and that, his word of command, he may, as many times he doth, convey ftrength to do what he calls to; and in cafe of thort-coming, to force them out of themfelves, under a fense of weakness and finfulness, into Jefus Chrift, the end of the law, for ftrength to fanctify, as well as for righteoufnefs to juftify. For thefe, and fuch like ends, does the Lord command.-And then the end that they fhould have in obeying, is not to fatisfy confcience, nor to fatisfy juftice, to purchase heaven, or the like; but to glorify God, to edify our neighbour, and to teftify our gratitude to God, and Christ, that hath delivered us from the law, as a

covenant.

(2.) The promises of the law, in the hand of Chrift, have loft their old covenant-form, and are full of love. The law of works promises eternal life, as a reward of our doing, or obedience; and here the reward is a reward of debt: but the law, in the hand of Chrift, promises a reward of grace to gofpel-obedience, especially as it is an evidence of union to him, in whom all the promises are Yea and Amen. Eternal life was promised in the covenant of redemption to Chrift, upon his perfect obedience, who paid that debt, when he came under the law of works for us; and now, eternal life being obtained to the believer in Christ, as the reward of Chrift's obedience to the death, there is no other reward of debt that now takes place.-Rewards of grace are now come in fashion, and this encourages the believer to live unto God, that in the way of gofpel-obedience, there is a gracious promise of sweet communion and fellowship with God; "He that loves me, and keeps my commandments; I will love him, and manifeft myself to him, and my Father will love him," John xiv. 21. Here there is a fatherly promise of God's favour and familiarity with him; yea there is a promise of heaven itfelf, in the way of gofpel-obedience,

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