The strong helper, offering to beare euery mans burthen. Or, A treatise, teaching in all troubles how to cast our burden vpon God but chiefly deliuering infallible grounds of comfort for quieting of troubled consciences. By Iohn Haivvard.

CHAP. XXIIII.

YEt hath not our troubled sinner any constāt peace•…•… but hauing his eies fixed vpon the Law of God, and hauing no power to looke vp to the Gospel of peace, out of his feare he makes a new obiection, cry∣ing & saying, Doth not the Law of God accurse euery transgressor, that abideth not in all that is written in that Booke to do it? And haue not I broken all the commandements of the law? Yes I haue broken them, in thought, word, & deed, and not onely out of ignorance, weake∣nesse, or vnaduisednesse, but I haue bro∣ken, them boldely, prowdly, contemp∣tuously; therefore sure I am that Gods curse lyeth vpon me, I feele the weight and furie of it, and I am no heire of blessednesse.

Indeede here appeares the great ma∣lice and subtilty of Satan, which it be∣hooueth all men to looke vnto with great care, and to take heede of it in the dayes of our peace and securitie, he suffereth vs not to looke into the Law

of God, lest from thence we might take any direction for the well ordering of our liues: but then hee driueth vs for∣ward after the line of our owne lusts. And then, if we haue any remembrance of God, he onely suffereth vs to thinke vpon his mercy and goodnes, and bea∣reth vs in hand, that we cannot do that euill, which hee will not forgiue, and therefore wee neede not greatly care what we doe; we shall repent in time, and all shall be passed ouer in mercie: & so maketh vs to abuse by contempt, the riches of the bountie, and patience, and long-suffering of God. And if wee haue any occasion to thinke vpon the word of God, he turnes vs away from the Law, and presently thrusteth into our mouths the promises of the gospel, and driues vs vpon that rocke of destru∣ction, that the Apostle Paul speaketh of in these words, What shal we say then? shall we continue in sinne, that grace may abound? The Gospel preacheth the mer∣cy of God in Christ, to teach, that where sinne did abound deseruing damnation, there the grace of God in Iesus Christ aboundeth more by the forgiuenesse of

that sinne vnto saluation. Heereuppon manie that abuse the grace of God vnto wantonnesse, doe resolue to commit sinne more abundantly, that so grace in the forgiuenesse of their sinne might more abound. This wicked resolution of contemptuous sinners, hee reciteth with words of detestation, saying, God forbid: how shall wee that are dead to sinne liue yet therein? The true condition of a Christian man that shall find grace to the forgiuenesse of his sinnes, is to bee dead to sinne, and no more to hearken to, and to obey the commandement of sinne, then a dead seruant can hearken vnto, and obey the commandement of his master: but to bee aliue vnto God, that is, readily to hearken vnto, and di∣ligently to obey Gods cōmandements, as a liuing seruant hearkneth vnto, and obeyeth the voyce of his master. And if this be the condition of Christians, then how shall they that by their profession are dead to sinne, liue in sinne, presum∣ing that super abounding grace shal de∣liuer him from all danger▪ But vpon this rocke, in the time of our peace and se∣curitie, doth the diuell seeke to throw

vs, keeping vs from all view and con∣sideration of the Law (when wee haue most need to be brideled by it) and ma∣king vs with the wrong hand to take holde of the Gospel, when we haue no need of it, nor skill how to make anie right and holy vse of it: and by this meanes he doth in those dayes of secu∣ritie, intangle vs in many sinnes.

And after, when he hath vs fast in his bands, hauing made vs guiltie of infinit transgressions, then hee seeketh leaue to set our sinnes in order against vs, and to raise vp stormes of feare and terrour in our soules. And this leaue obtained, and these stormes raised, then hee with∣draweth the Gospell from before our eies, and suffereth vs onely to gaze in the glasse of the Law, that by sight of our owne deformities, hee might alto∣gether confound vs: and then he suffe∣reth vs to haue no other remembrance of God, but of his iustice and seueritie. Then hee presents him vnto vs such a one as Moses describes him, saying; The Lord thy God is a consuming fire and aiealous God. And such a one as the hy∣pocrites in Sion, in the day of their feare

conceiue him to be, when they say, Who among vs shall dwell with the deuouring fire? who among vs shall dwell with euer∣lasting burnings? And then he suffereth vs not to think vpon any word of God, but the condemning Law, the accu•…•…∣sing Law, the killing letter: then he re∣moueth from vs all remembrance of the gracious Gospel, of the free, liberall, & faithfull promises, and of the mercifull mediator, and sweet Sauior Iesus Christ. Then he telles vs, we haue no right to a∣ny of those things, they belong to the Saints, to the righteous, to penitent sin∣ners, not to such bold contemners as wee are. And then he maketh vs obiect against our owne soules, as the troubled sinner heere doth, that the Law without fauour accurseth transgressors, that wee without measure haue transgressed the Law, and that therefore without reme∣dy we are accursed creatures. But let vs see how wee may relieue the affrighted soule of this sinner, and against this ob∣iection, teach him, with comfort, to cast his burden vpon the Lord.

Thine eie is vpon the Law: I mislike it not. The Law shall make thee a full

amends for al this feare that it puts thee into. Paul writing to the Galathians speaketh thus of the Law; The Law was •…•…r Schoolemaister to bring vs to Christ, that we might be made righteous by faith. This Law that accurseth thee with such •…•…igour and seuerity, euen in that curse serueth as a Schoolemaister to instruct thee, by driuing thee from all liking of thine owne waies, to seeke thy iustifi∣cation by Iesus Christ that died for thee. As the tempest by Sea maketh men flie with all speed and skill to safe harbour; and as a storme by land maketh men flie with all possible haste into the house: E∣uen so the thundering of the Law de∣nouncing curses against transgressors, maketh them with all speed and skill to flie vnto Iesus Christ our Sauiour, who onely is the sure harbour, and house of rest and safetie, to all poore and wea∣ther-beaten and distressed sinners. To him truely, and in the first place, be∣long those words of the Prophet, That man shall bee as an hiding place from the wind, and as a refuge for the tempest, as riuers of water in a dry place, & as the sha∣dow of a great rocke in a weary land. And

as hunger and thirst kindle a desire of meat and drinke, and as paine and sick∣nesse felt and knowne, kindleth a desire of the counsell and helpe of the Physici∣an, so feare and anguish wrought in our hearts by the rigorous sentence of the Law accursing vs, kindleth in vs a de∣sire to slie vnto this man, euen the man Iesus Christ, our hiding place, our re∣fuge, our fountaine of liuing waters, our shadow that refresheth: that in him we might find defence against the storme of curses that the Law powreth downe vpon vs. Be not therefore afraid of the Law, but be aduised by it, and confes∣sing thy sinnes, flie, as the Law compels thee, vnto Iesus Christ, who as the Apo∣stle Peter saith. His owne selfe bare our sinnes in his bodie on the tree, that we be∣ing deliuered from sin might liue in righ∣teousnesse, by whose stripes ye were healed.

Turne thee therefore from the •…•…igo∣rous face of the Law, to the farre more cheerefull countenance of Iesus Christ, and behold him hanging vpon the tree, where he suffered for sinnes, not for his owne (for in him was no sin, nor guile in his mouth) but for thy sinnes imputed

to him, as the Prophet Esay teacheth vs, saying, All wee like sheepe haue gone a∣stray, we haue turned euery one to his owne way, and the Lord hath laid vpon him the iniquitie of vs all. Looke therefore from the Law that was giuen by Moses vnto Iesus Christ, by whom grace and trueth are reuealed: behold him sweating in the Garden, till droppes of blood fell from him to the ground: behold him scourged with whippes, and crowned with thornes, till the blood issued from all parts of his body: behold him nailed to the tree, there reuiled most disdaine∣fully by the Priests and all the people: heare him crying out vnder the weight of thy sinnes; and of Gods displeasure indured for them, My God▪ my God, why hast thou for saken me? Behold him giuing vp the Ghost, & his life search, whether it were departed from him or no, with a speare. Then O troubled sinner, then did he sustaine the curse of the law, when he was made a curse for vs, as Saint Paul te•…•…cheth saying. Christ hath redeemed vs from the curse of the law, when hee was made a curse for vs. For it is written, cur∣sed is euery one that hangeth on tree, that

the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Iesus Christ, that wee might receiue the promise of the spirit through faith. Dooth the law thunder out curses, Iesus Christ stepped in be∣tweene the law and vs, and receiued the stroke of that curse vppon his owne head, whereof he gaue all the world assu∣rance, when he humbled himselfe to the death of the crosse, which manner of death was by a particular sentence of the law, pronounced accursed: and why should the law threaten againe the curse of God against thee, which alreadie be∣fore, it hath not onely pronounced but executed vpō another for thee? Thou art discharged from the curse of the law, in the curse that Christ sustained for thee: yea thou art so fully discharged of the curse, that in place there of thou art made heire of the blessing promised to Abra∣ham, for so are the Apostles wordes. That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gētiles through Iesus Christ. Now this blessing of Abraham is the firme fauour of God to bee our God, accor∣ding to the couenant which hee made with Abraham, and his seede after him

in their generations for euer Which seed is not to be accounted by carnall birth, but by spirituall faith, without regard of line•…•…l discent in bloud, for god is able of the stones, (that is, of the heard & stonie∣harted Gentiles) to raise vp children vn∣to Abraham. For which cause it was said vnto him, In thy seed shal all the nati∣ons of the earth be blessed. By seed in this place, he meaneth the Messias, the re∣deemer that came of Abraham, Isaack, Iacob, Iudah, & Dauid: and in him all na∣tions (without respect of persons) be∣leeuing in him, as Abrahams heires, walking in the steps of his faith, shall become blessed by inheriting the coue∣nant, euen Gods fauour according to the couenant, and thou among the rest.

Feare not therefore the sentence of the law, but from the law turne thy face to Iesus Christ, and the feared curse shall not fall vpon thee. Reuerence the law as it teacheth a rule of life, and feare it not as it pronounceth sentence of death. God made his sonne vnder the law to re∣deeme them that were vnder the law. And the same sonne of God is called by Saint Paul, The end of the law for righte∣ousnes,

vnto euery one that beleeueth. If therefore being in the hands of the law, thou wilt looke vnto Iesus Christ, tho•…•… hast attained to the end of the law, and so art no more vnder the lawe, but vnder grace. And remember what Iesus Christ hath said in the Gospell, As Moses lifted vp the serpent in the wildernes, s•…•… must the sonne of man be lift vp, that who∣soeuer beleeueth in him, might not perish, but haue eternall life. Looke vp therefore vnto that serpent, lift vp vpon the tree of the crosse, and the sting of death which is thy sinne, and the strength of sinne which is the law, shall neuer hurt thee▪ Against all danger of death of sinne, and of the law, heare what the Apostle saith, Thankes be vnto God, which hath gi•…•…en vs victorie through our Lord Iesus Christ.

Notes

• An eight obiection: the Lawe curseth trās goessours, and he is a transgressor therefore cursed.
• A fraud of Satan d•…•…s∣couered, with war∣ning to take heede of it.
• Rom. 6. 1.
• Rom. 6. 2.
• Deut. 4. 24
• Esa. 33. 14
• An answer to this eight obiection.
• Gala. 3. 24.
• Esa. 32. 2.
• 1. Pet. 2. 24
• Esay. 53. 6.
• Mat 27. 46
• Gal. 3. 13.
• Gen. 22. 1•…•…
• Rom. 10. 4
• Iohn. 3. 14.
• 1. Cor. 15. 57.