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thereby, they may come to further conviction of, humiliation for, and hatred against fin"; together with a clearer fight of the need they have of Christ, and the perfection of his obedience”. It is likewife of ufe to the regenerate, to reftrain their corruptions; in that it forbids fin; and the threatenings of it ferve to fhew what even their fins deferve, and what afflictions in this life they may expect for them, although freed from the curfe thereof threatened in the law'. The promises of it, in like manner, thew them God's approbation of obedience, and what bleffings they may expect upon the performance

forbid. Nay, I had not known fin but by the law, for I had net known luft, except the law had faid, Thou shalt not covet. Rom. 3. 20.-For by the law is the knowledge of fin.

o Rum. 7. 9, 14, 24. For I was alive without the law once, but when the commandment came, fin revived, and I died. For we know that the law is fpiritual: but I am carnal, fold under fin. O wretched man that I am! who fhall deliver me from the body of this death?

P Gal. 3. 24. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster, to bring us unto Chrift, that we might be juftified by faith. Rom. 8. 3, 4. For what the Jaw 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, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Rom. 7. 24, 25.

For he that

¶ Jam. 2. 11. faid, Do not commit adultery, faid alfo, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a tranfgreffor of the law. Pial. 119, 128. Therefore I efteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right; and I hate every falfe way.

r Ezra 9. 13, 14. And after all that is come upon us for our evil deeds, and for our great trefpafs, feeing that thou our God, haft punished us lefs than our iniquities deferve, and haft given us fuch deliverance as this. Should we again break thy commandments, and

thereof; although not as due to them by the law as a covenant of works': so as a man's doing good, and refraining from evil, because the law encourageth to the one, and deterreth from the other, is no evidence of his being under the law, and not under grace'.

VII. Neither are the aforementioned uses of the law contrary to the grace of the gospel, but do fweetly comply with it"; the Spirit of Christ fubduing and enabling the will of man to do that freely and cheerfully, which the will of

join in affinity with the people of thefe abominations? Wouldeft not thou be angry with us till thou hadst confumed us, fo that there should be no remnant nor efcaping? Pfal. 89, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34.

f Pfal. 37. 11. But the meek fhall inherit the earth; and fhall delight themfelves in the abundance of peace. Pfal. 19. 11. Moreover by them is thy fervant warned; and in keeping of them there is great reward. Lev. 26. to the 14th verfe, and Eph. 6. 2. Mat. 5. 5.

t Gal. 2. 16. Knowing that a man is not juftified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jefus Chrift, even we have believed in Jefus Chrift, that we might be juftified by the faith of Chrift, and not by the works of the law for by the works of the law fhall no flesh be justified.

v Rom. 6. 12, 14. Let not fin therefore reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in the lufts thereof.For fin fhall not have dominion over you for ye are not under the law, but under grace. Heb. 12. 28, 29. Wherefore, we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably, with reverence and godly fear. For our God is confuming fire. 1 Pet. 3. 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, Pfal. 34. 12, 13, 14, 15, 16.

VII w Gal. 3 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 righteoufness should have been by the law. Tit. 2. 11, 12, 13, 14.

God, revealed in the law, requireth to be

done*.

CHAP. XX.

Of Christian Liberty, and Liberty of Conscience.

HE liberty which Chrift hath purchased

THE

for believers under the gospel consists in their freedom from the guilt of fin, the condemning wrath of God, the curfe of the moral law; and in their being delivered from this prefent evil world, bondage to Satan, and dominion of fin, from the evil of afflictions, the fting of death, the victory of the grave, and everlasting

x Ezek. 36. 27. And I will put my Spirit within you, and caufe you to walk in my ftatutes, and ye fall keep my judgments and do them. Heb. 8. IO. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Ifrael, after those days faith the Lord, I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts; and I will be to them a God, and they fhall be to me a people. Jer. 31. 33.

I. a Tit. 2. 14. Who gave himself for us, that he might

redeem us from all iniquity: and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. Gal. 3. 13. Chrift hath redeemed us from the curfe of the law: being made a curfe for us for it is written, Curled, &c.

b Gal. 1. 4. Who gave himfelf for our fins, that he might deliver us from this prefent evil world, according to the will of God, and our Father. Acts 26. 18. To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and

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damnation; as alfo in their free accefs to God', and their yielding obedience unto him, not out of flavish fear, but a child-like love, and a willing mind. All which were common alfo to believers under the law; but under the New Teftament, the liberty of Chriftians is further enlarged in their freedom from the yoke of the ceremonial law, to which the Jewish church was fubjected; and in greater boldness of access to the throne of grace", and in fuller communications of

from the power of Satan unto
God, that they may receive
forgiveness of fins, and inheri-
tance among them which are
fanctified, by faith that is in me.
Rom. 6. 14. For fin fhall not
have dominion over you: for
ye are not under the law, but
under
grace.

c Pfal. 119. 71. It is good for me, that I have been af Aicted that I might learn thy Statutes. I Cor. 15. 54 55. ver. 56. The ting of death is fin; and the ftrength of fin is the law, v. 57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jefus Christ. Rom. 8. I.

d Romi 5. 2. By whom alfo we have access by faith into this grace wherein we ftand

e Rom. 8. 14, 15. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the fons of God. For ye have not ceived the fpirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption,

re

whereby we cry, Abba, Father. 1 John 4. 18. There is no fear in love; but perfec love cafteth out fear: becaufe fear hath torment: He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

f Gal 3 9, 14. So then they which be of faith, are bieffed with faithful Abraham.

That the bleffing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jefus Chrift; that we might receive the promife of the Spirit through faith.

g Gal. 5. 1. Stand faft therefore in the liberty wherewith Chrif hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Acts 15. 10, II. Now therefore, why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the difciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? Gal. 4. I, 2, 3, 6.

h Heb. 4. 14, 16. Seeing then that we have a great High Priest, that is paffed into. the heavens, Jefus the Sox of K

the free Spirit of God, than believers under the law did ordinarily partake of'.

II. God alone is Lord of the confcience, and hath left it free from the doctrines and commandments of men which are in any thing contrary to his word, or befide it, in matters of faith or worship'. So that to believe fuch doctrines, or to obey fuch commandments out of confcience, is to betray true liberty of confcience"; and the

God, let us hold faft our profeflion. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. Heb. 10. 19, 20. Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holicft by the blood of Jefus, by a new and living way which he hath confecrated for us, through the vail, that is to fay, his flesh.

i John 7. 38, 39. He that believeth on me, as the fcriptúre hath faid, out of his belly thail flow rivers of living water. But this fpake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive; for the Holy Ghost was not yet given, because that Jefus was not yet glorified. 2 Cor. 3. 13,

17,18.

Ilk Rom. 14. 4. Who art thou that judgeft another man's fervant? to his own mafter he ftandeth or falleth. Yea, he fhall be holden up; for God is able to make him

fland.

1 Acts 4. 19. But Peter and John aufwered and faid unto them, Whether it be right in the fight of God, to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. Acts 5. 29. Then Peter and the other apoftles anfwered and faid, We ought to obey God, rather than men. 1 Cor. 7. 23. Mat. 23. 8, 9, 10. 2.Cor. 1. 24. Mat. 15.9.

m Col. 2. 20, 22, 23. Wherefore, if ye be dead with Chrift from the rudiments of the world; why, as though living in the world, are ye fubject to ordinances, Which all are to perifh with the ufing, after the commandments, and doctrines of men ?-Which things have indeed a fhew of wifdom in will-worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body, not in any honor to the fatisfying of the flesh. Gal. 1. 10. For do I now perfuade men, or God? or do I feek to please men? for if I yet pleafed men, I should not be the fervant of Chrift. Gal.

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