Images de page
PDF
ePub

1 main in those that are regenerated/: and although it be thro Christ pardoned and mortified, yet both itself, and all the motions thereof, are truly and properly fin m.

1

VI. Every fin, both original and actual, being a tranfgref fion of the righteous law of God, and contrary thereunton, doth, in its own nature, bring guilt upon the finner d, whereby he is bound over to the wrath of Godp, and curfe of the lawq,

thefts, falfe witnefs, blafphemies. V. 1 1 John i. 8. If we fay that we have no fin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. v. 10. If we fay that we have not finned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. Rom. vii: 14. For we know that the law is fpiritual: but I am carnal, fold under fin. v. 17. Now then, it is no more I that do it, but fin that dwelleth in me. v. 18. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is prefent with me, but how to perform that which is good, I find not. v. 23. But I fee another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of fin, which is in my members. James iii. 2. For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the fame is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body. Prov. xx. 9. Who can fay, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my fin? Eccl. vii. 20. For there is not a juft man upon the earth that doth good and finneth not.

Rom. vii. 5. For when we were in the flesh, the motions of fins which were by the law, did work in our members, to bring forth fruit unto death. v. 7. What fhall we fay then? Is the law fin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known fin, but by the law: for I had not known luft, except the law had faid, Thou shalt not covet.

v. 8. But fin taking occafion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupifcence. For without the law fin was dead. v. 25. I thank God, through Jefus Chrift our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the fleth the law of fin. Gal. v. 17. For the flesh lufteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flefh: and these are contrary the one to the other, fo that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

VI. John iii. 4. Whofoever committeth fin, tranfgreffeth alfo the law, for fin is the tranfgreffion of the law.

. Rom. ii. 15. Which fhew the work of the law written in their hearts, their confcience alfo bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accufing, or elfe excuf ing one another. Rom. iii. 9. What then? are we better than they? No, in no wife: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under fin. v. 19. Now we know, that what things foever the law faith, it faith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.

Eph. ii. 3. Among whom alfo we all had our converfation in times paft, in the lufts of our flesh, fulfilling the defires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. D a 9 Gal.

law q, and fo made subject to death r, with all miseries fpiritual, temporalt, and eternal v.

CHAP. VII. Of God's Covenant with Man.

'HE diftance between God and the creature is fo great,

THE

that although reasonable creatures do owe obedience unto him as their Creator, yet they could never have any fruition of him as their blessedness and reward, but by fome voluntary condefcenfion on God's part, which he hath been pleased to exprefs by way of covenant a.

9 Gal. iii.ro. For as many as are of the works of the law, are under the curfe: for it is written, Curfed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.

Rom. vi. 23. For the wages of fin is death: but the gift of God is eternal life, through Jefus Chrift our Lord.

Eph. iv. 18. Having the underftanding darkned, being alienated from the life of God, through the ignorance that is in them, becaufe of the blindness of their heart.

Rom. viii. 20. For the creature was made fubject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath fubjected the fame in hope. Lam. iii. 39. Wherefore doth a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his fins?

v Matth. xxv. 41. Then fhall he fay alfo unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye curfed, into everlafting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. 2 Theff. i. 9. Who fhall be punished with everlafting deftruction from the prefence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power.

I. a Ifa. xl. 13. Who hath directed the fpirit of the Lord? or being

II. The

his counfeller hath taught him? v. 14. With whom took he counfel, and who inftructed him, and taught him in the path of judgment, and taught him knowledge, and fhewed to him the way of understanding? v. 15. Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the finall duft of the balance: Behold, he taketh up the ifles as a very little thing. v. 16. And Lebanon is not fufficient to burn, nor the beafts thereof fufficient for a burnt offering. v. 17. All nations before him are as nothing, and they are counted to him lefs than nothing, and vanity. Job. ix. 32. For he is not a man, as I am, that I fhould answer him, and we fhould come together in judgment. v 33. Neither is there any days-man betwixt us, that might lay his hand upon us both. 1 Sam ii. 25. If one man fin against another, the judge fhall judge him: but if a man fin against the Lord, who fhall intreat for him? Pfal. cxiii. 5. Who is like unto the Lord our God, who dwelleth on high? v. 6. Who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven, and in the earth. Pfal. c. 2. Serve the Lord with gladnefs: come before his prefence with finging. v. 3. Know

II. The first covenant made with man was a covenant of works b, wherein life was promised to Adam, and in him to his pofterity c, upon condition of perfect and perfonal obedience d.

III. Man by his fall having made himself uncapable of life by that covenant, the Lord was pleased to make a feconde,

3. Know ye that the Lord he is God, it is he that hath made us, and not we our felves: we are his people, and the sheep of his pafture. Job xxii. 2. Can a man be profitable unto God, as he that is wife may be profitable unto himself? v. 3. Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that thou art righteous? or is it gain to him, that thou makeft thy ways perfect? Job xxxvii. 7. If thou be righteous, what givest thou him? or what receiveth he of thine hand? v. 8. Thy wickedness may hurt a man as thou art, and thy righteoufnefs may profit the fon of man. Luke xvii. 10. So likewife ye, when ye shall have done all thofe things which are commanded you, fay, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do. Acts xvii. 24. God that made the world, and all things therein, feeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands: v.25. neither is worthipped with mens hands, as tho' he needed any thing, feeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things.

II. Gal. iii. 12. And the law is not of faith; but, The man that doth them fhall live in them.

Rom. x. 5. For Mofes defcribeth the righteoufnefs which is of the law, that the man which doth thefe things fhall live by them. Rom. v. 12. to 20. (See chapter vi. Sect. 3. letter f.)

Gen. ii. 17. But of the tree of

[ocr errors]

com

the knowledge of good and evil, thou fhalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eateft thereof, thou fhalt furely die. Gal. iii. 10. For as many as are of the works of the law, are under the curfe: for it is written, Curfed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.

III. e Gal, iii, 21. Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid; for if there had been a law given, which could have given life, verily righteoufne is fhould have been by the law. Rom. viii. 3. 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 flefh, and for fin condemned fin in the flesh. Rom. iii. 20. Therefore by the deeds of the law there fhall no flesh be juftified in his fight: for by the law is the knowledge of fin. v. 21. But now the righteoufnefs of God without the law is manifefted, being witnessed by the law and the prophets. Gen. iii. 15. And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy feed and her feed: it fhall bruife thy head, and thou fhalt bruife his heel. Ifa. iv. 6. I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles. ƒ Mark

Chap. VII. commonly called the Covenant of Grace: wherein he freely offereth unto finners life and falvation by Jefus Chrift, requir ing of them faith in him, that they may be favedf; and promifing to give unto all those that are ordained unto life, his holy spirit, to make them willing and able to believeg.

IV. This covenant of grace is frequently fet forth in the Scripture by the name of a teftament, in reference to the death of Jefus Christ the teftator, and to the everlasting inheFitance with all things belonging to it, therein bequeathed b. V. This covenant was differently adminiftred in the time

f Mark xvi. 15. And he faid unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gofpel to every creature. v. 16. He that believeth and is baptized, fhall be faved; but he that believeth not, fhall be damned. John jii. 16. For God fo loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whofoever believeth in him, fhould not perish, but have everlasting life. Rom. x. 6. But the righteoufnefs which is of faith, fpeaketh on this wife, Say not in thine heart, who fhall afcend into heaven? (that is,to bring Chrift down from above.) v. 9. That if thou fhalt confefs with thy mouth the Lord Jefus, and fhalt believe in thine heart, that God hath raised him from the dead, thoufhalt be faved. Gal, iii. 11. But that no man is juftified by the law in the fight of God, it is evident: for, The juft fhall live by faith.

g Ezek. xxxvi. 26. A new heart alfo will I give you, and a new fpirit will I put within you, and I will take away the ftony heart out of your fleth, and I will give you an heart of flesh, v. 27. And I will put my fpirit within you, and caufe you to walk in my ftatutes, and ye fhall keep my judgments, and do them, John vi. 44, No man can come to

of

me, except the Father which hath fent me, draw him: and I will raise him up at the laft day. v. 45. It is written in the prophets, And they fhall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me..

IV. h Heb. ix. 15. And for this caufe he is the Mediator of the new teftament, that by means of death for the redemption of the tranfgreffions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance, v. 16. For where a testament is, there must also of neceflity be the death of the teftator. v. 13. For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no ftrength at all whilft the teftator liveth. Heb. vii. 22. By fo much was Jefus made a furety of a better teftament, Luke xxii. 20. Likewife alfo the cup after fupper, faying, This cup is the new teftament in my blood, which is fhed for you. 1 Cor. xi. 25. After the fame manner alfo he took the cup, when he had fupped, faying, This cup is the new teftament in my blood; this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.

V. i 2 Cor.

[ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small]

of the law, and in the time of the gofpeli: under the law it was adminiftred by promises, prophecies, facrifices, circumcifion, the Paschal Lamb, and other types and ordinances delivered to the people of the Jews, all fore-fignifying Chrift to comek, which were for that time fufficient and efficacious, through the operation of the Spirit, to inftruct and build up the elect in faith in the promised Meffiah, by whom they had full remiffion of fins, and eternal falvation; and is called the Old Teftament m.

V. i 2 Cor. iii. 6. Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the fpirit: for the letter killeth; but the spirit giveth life. v. 7. But if the ministration of death written and engraven in ftones was glorious, so that the children of Ifrael could not stedfastly behold the face of Mofes, for the glory of his countenance, which glory was to be done away; v. 8. how fhall not the miniftration of the Spirit be rather glorious? v. 9. For if the miniftration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the miniftration of righteousness exceed in glory.

(Heb. viii, ix, x. chapters.) Rom. iv. 11. And he received the fign of circumcifion, a feal of the righteousness of the faith, which he had yet being uncircumcifed; that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcifed; that righteoufnefs might be imputed unto them alfo. Col. ii. 11. In whom alfo ye are circumcifed with the circumcifion made without hands, in putting off the body of the fins of the flesh, by the circumction of Chrift: v. 12. Buried with him in baptism, wherein alfo ye are rifen with him, through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.

VI. Un

1 Cor. v. 7. Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Chrift our passover is facrificed for us.

II Cor. x. 1. Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye fhould be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all paffed through the fea; v. 2. and were all baptized unto Mofes in the cloud, and in the fea; v. 3. and did all eat the fame fpiritual meat; v. 4. and did all drink the fame fpiritual drink: (for they drank of that spiritual rock that followed them: and that rock was Chrift.) Heb. xi. 13. These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having feen them afar off, and were perfuaded of them, and embraced them, and confeffed that they were ftrangers and pilgrims on the earth. John viii. 56. Your father Abraham rejoiced to fee my day: and he faw it, and was glad.

m Gal. iii. 7. Know ye therefore, that they which are of faith, the fame are the children of Abraham. v. 8. And the fcripture foreseeing, that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gofpel unto Abraham, faying, In thee fhall all nations be blessed. v. 9. So then, they which be of faith

« PrécédentContinuer »