The nature of the two testaments, or, The disposition of the will and estate of God to mankind for holiness and happiness by Jesus Christ ... in two volumes : the first volume, of the will of God : the second volume, of the estate of God / by Robert Dixon.

The CONTENTS.

Grace cannot deceive.

TITLE XIV. Of the Innocency of the Law.

NOtwithstanding all that hath been said of the weakness and in∣sufficiency of the Law, and of the deceit and bondage there∣by, still the Law is holy, just and good, because God is so that made it: That must needs be Spiritual, because God is a Spirit. A thing therefore may be the occasion of sin, though in it self it be never so harmless: As all the good Creatures of God, which being abused groan again after their manner, and long to be delivered from their servitude. So the Law of God gives no occasion to Sin of it self, but Lust takes occasion from the Law, to stir up sin contrary to the Law: And there∣fore the Law retorts upon Sin again to condemn it so much the more, and to punish it so much the more. So that the effect of the Law through the sinfulness of sin is to work sin and wrath, deceit, fear and bondage, and to hold men down continually under this trembling condition all their life long through the horrour of death.

And the Law of Morality, besides the penalty of scourging, or Death without mercy annexed thereunto to keep men from Transgressions, hath also a Ceremonial Yoke to put upon the Shoulders of such, as otherwise would fall to Idolatry, &c. which altogether could not do, but was a hea∣vy

Yoke too heavy for them to bear. And therefore the Law it self, for that part thereof which was Typical and Ritual, fell of it self, as altoge∣ther unprofitable, and that small part thereof, which was Moral, fell not, but longed for greater perfection, and Grace to be added above the Justice and Rigour, which was so ineffectual; and accordingly the Law was de∣livered from the Insufficiency thereof, as it was but the lowest part of Mo∣rality, and was fulfilled to the highest pitch of Spiritual Perfection by Christ, who came not to destroy the Law, but to fulfil it. And those that were under this Law, either written or not written, either Jew or Gen∣tile, were delivered from this State of Bondage and Fear into the glorious liberty of the Children of God.

So the Law of Justice must needs be a just Law to direct, and a severe Law to punish; and when it had directed and punished, it did all it could do, but reformed none from Sin, at least inwardly, nor saved none from Punishment; so that still it left men sinful, as it found them, and more too, and left men miserable, as it sound them, and more too: So that there is an Impossibility, that ever any man should be saved by the Law, and an Impossibility that any man can be saved by any thing but Grace.

II. In all God's Dispensations he giveth us to understand.

1. That the Law of nature was not sufficient to keep man in the Inno∣cency, in which he was created, because he was deceived by his Lust, a∣against which that Law gave him no strength; by the strength of his Will, he might have stood, but not by the strength of the Law: So he was de∣ceived in that.

2. That when the Law of Nature came to be written, for him to read with his bodily eyes, as he might before with the eyes of his mind, yet still it would not do.

And when Poenal Laws were added, they might keep him in bondage and bodily fear of Death, as they did, but never secure him from of∣fending, nor spare him, when he did offend, and still it would not do.

So Justice still shews us every way, and by the Law so much the more.

So the Law deceives us by shewing us the way, into which it had no power to put us, but left us to take that right way, and threatned us if we should offer to leave it.

So still alas! we are deceived by Law and Justice, which both intended us good, but our own Lust hindred it from coming upon us.

But as for Grace and Mercy, they can no way deceive us, nor will they suffer our Lust to deceive us: Law and Justice in themselves do not deceive us, but Lust does properly deceive us by them.

Grace and Mercy in themselves do our Work for us, and can no way deceive us directly nor indirectly. Law and Justice, though they did not directly deceive us, yet Lust did for all them, for they could not help it, though they stood by all the while, and looked on.

But Grace and Mercy, they do no ways deceive us, nor suffer us to deceived.

So that there is more power in Grace and Mercy, than in Law and Justice: For what the Law could not do, in that it was weak through Lust, that Grace did do, in that it was strong through Faith: And not only condemned Sin in the flesh, as the Law did not, but destroyed Sin

in the flesh and out of the flesh, as the Law could not do, by Christ's taking in mercy our Flesh upon him.

See how God gives us wonderfully to understand the power of his Justice to humble us for sin, so much condemned and punished in us, and to know the greater power of his Mercy to raise us up from sin, so much pardoned and unpunished in us.

1. God put Mankind under the administration of the Law of Justice, to convince him of his sin, and of God's just wrath: That he might see there was no help for him in himself, nor from any Creature, no not from God's Law it self; that he might abhor himself, and bewail his sin, and look out for a farther remedy, than the Law could afford: That he might renounce and disclaim all beside God, and take him only for his helper, by flying from the Throne of his Law and Justice to the seat of his Grace and Mercy, admiring and praising the superexcellency of his Grace a∣bove all his Works, and for ever after deny any hope or comfort in any thing, save in the free Grace of God.

2. God put Man under the administration of the Gospel of Grace, to convince him of God's love and favour unsought for and undeserved: That he might see that there was help in the Creatour alone; that he might adore and praise his Redeemer, and rejoyce in his Love, and enjoy his Rewards in full satisfaction to his Soul for ever.

O the riches of the glory of God's Grace, that hath done more than his Law or Justice could do! We should never have been undeceived, nor unpunished, without Grace, but had been for ever sinful and miserable without it; but now, if we will, we may be for ever holy and happy with it.

There was a spirit of Rule and Direction in the Law; there is a spirit of Help and Assistance in the Gospel.

There was a spirit of Anger and Wrath in the Law; there is a spirit of Love and Favour in the Gospel.

There was a spirit of Punishment and Death in the Law; there is a spirit of Pardon and Life in the Gospel.

So God attains to his ends and designs by Grace. His end and design is to save, and in order thereto to relinquish the rigour of his Justice, and draw them out of the fire that, run into it, by the offer of his Grace. To throw out a cord of Love to them that will catch hold of it, after they have plunged themselves into a gulf of wickedness. So much God delights in his best and greatest Works.

And now after all this, if we will not be saved, but sin wilfully, or trust to our own Righteousness, we can have no excuse.

Before men might say something, though not sufficient, that they had no strength to avoid sin, though they had sufficient from that dispensa∣tion of Grace that then was; and that the Law made them know and desire sin more, though not properly this last, to make them desire it; but because forbidden, therefore their Lust made them the more desire it.

But now, what can they say? They are sinful and therefore miserable. Here is Grace to make them holy and happy.

What shall they do to be saved? They must accept this Grace, and they shall be saved by it.

Will they accept, or will they not? If they will they may, nothing hinders them; They are not under the Law, but under Grace.

The Lust in their Members strives to hinder them, but cannot without their consent. The World and the Devil tempt them, by their Lust to hinder them, but cannot without their consent.

This is the last and great Remedy of Sin and Misery; this will do, if men will take it, else nothing can do. How can a sick man be cured, that will not take his Medicine? How can any thing do any man good against his will? Salvation it self cannot save those that will not be saved.

Now every mouth must be stopped. God can, nor will do no more than he hath done: What could I have done more for my Vineyard, which I have not done? &c.

He hath given the World to understand his two great dispensations of the Law and Gospel.

1. How the Law was a Rule to direct and reward those that kept it, and punish them that broke it; but Lust by it deceived us into sin and misery.

2. How the Gospel is a Help, as well as a Rule, to save those that em∣brace it; and Lust cannot deceive us by it into sin or misery, but ob∣stinacy and refusal may and will dam up all hope.

God therefore hath left off his Threats and Poenal dispensations, to all faithful Souls. Though he do inflict some Judgments as he did before, yet not in that manner, nor for that end as formerly.

The Unbelieving are justly punished, but the Faithful are fatherly corrected: This is a dispensation of mercy even in Afflictions to them.

1. The assistances of the Spirit, and the comforts thereof, do abun∣dantly recompense and moderate the pains of the flesh.

2. The hope of Rewards engages them against hope to believe in hope.

Still God draws by the cords of Love, by Perswasions and Entreaties, not by Threats or Compulsions. Understand therefore O Man, the work of God's grace toward thee.

Whereas by Law and the Righteousness thereof, thou art deceived in trusting to thy self, breaking the Law by Lust: By Grace and the Righ∣teousness of God, thou art not deceived in trusting to Christ, fulfilling the Law by love.

A Covenant of Works by Law could not save thee, for they are ex∣ternal only: A Covenant of Faith by Grace can save thee by internal Righteousness.

So, no Salvation by Law or Covenant of Works for outward Righte∣ousness: But by the Gospel or Covenant of Grace, by inward Righte∣ousness. This is Faith, this is the Righteousness of Faith.

Notes

• Transition.
• Grace cannot deceive.