have fortified wals, and prostrated laws; how much more is this true of Gods Commandments: Those three things which are required in a Law giver, au∣thority, wisdom, and holiness, were transcendently in God, therefore every sin hath disobedience in it, because it is against authority; folly in it, because it's against wisdom; and injustice in it, because against righteousness.
In the next place, it's worth the observing how Paul in this place, and so in his other Epistles is still carefull so to bound the doctrine of the Law and the Gospel, so as neither may incroach upon each other, from whence floweth this Doctrine.
That the Law ought so to be preached, as that it should not obscure the Gospel, and the Gospel so commended, as that there may be no destruction to the Law.
This was Pauls method in all his Epistles, which he diligently observed: Indeed, it hath been very hard so to give both their due, that either the prea∣cher, or the hearer, hath not thereby been inclined to make one prejudiciall to the other: Not but that the Gospel is to be preferred, and that in divers respects, but when it is so extolled that the Law is made useless, and unprofit∣able, this is to go beyond lawfull limits; and how difficult it hath been to hit the mark here, appeareth in that the Iews, Papists, Arminians, Socinians, and generally all Heretiques have advanced the Law, to the eclipsing of the Gos∣pel, and there have been few who have extolled the Gospel to the prejudice of the Law.
To proceed therefore regularly, we will shew when the Law is preached pre∣judicially to the Gospel, and when the Gospel to the Law.
In the first place, the Law is then stretched too far, when the works of it are pressed to justification, whether these works be the fruits of grace, or ante∣cedaneous to grace, it is not much difference to this point; and this is that dangerous doctrine of the Law, which the Apostle in his Epistle, doth so ve∣hemently withstand, and for which, he is not afraid to charge the teachers thereof, with apostacy from Christ, and such who make Christ, and all his suf∣ferings in vain. And this is indeed to be a legall Preacher, insomuch that it is an high calumny to charge Protestant Preachers, with the odious accusation of legall preachers; for he is not a legall preacher in the Scripture sence, which presseth the duty and works of the Law but that urgeth them for justification, and that righteousness which we must rely upon before the Tribunall of God: and thou mayst justly fear it is thy unsanctified & corrupt heart, which makes thee averss from the Law in the former sence.
2. The Law is used derogatory to the Gospel, when Christ is not indeed ex∣cluded from justification, but Christ and works are conjoyned together, and this is more sugred poison then the former: Now this was the doctrine of those false Apostles among the Galatians, they did not totally exclude him, but yet they did not make him all in all: but God doth not approve of such unequall yoking. It is equall impiety to preach no Christ, or an half and imperfect Christ; and therefore as those were cursed Doctrines which take away any of his natures, so also are those which diminish of his sufficiency. There is but one Mediator, and as God will not give his glory to another, so neither will Christ that of his Mediatorship to any other; so that, as God is jealous of his