Certain select discourses on those most important subjects, requisite to be well understood by a catechist in laying the foundation of Christian knowledge in the minds of novitiates viz., First discourses on I. The doctrine of the two covenants both legal and evangelical, II. On faith and justification / by William Allen. Secondly, Discourses on I. The covenant of grace, or baptismal covenant, being chatechetical lectures on the preliminary questions and answers of the Church-Catechism : II. Three catechetical lectures on faith and justification / by Thomas Bray, D.D.

CHAP. II. For what Ends the Law was added to the Promise.

I Now come to shew, in the next place, for what end the Law of Moses was added to the Promise. And before I do this in particular, I shall note only in general, That it was not added to cross or confront the Promise, or God's Design in it, but to be subservient to it, Gal. 3.21. Is the Law then against the Promises? God forbid. For it is not to be thought that God would prevaricate in his Design, so that when he had once made a New Law of Grace for the Saving of faln Man, he would yet afterwards give any Law, but what should one way or other subserve to the same End, if Men do not deprive themselves of the in∣tended Benefit, by perverting it. And therefore, to be sure, God did not intend to revive the Old Covenant of Works made with Adam in Para∣dise, in the after promulgation of the Law of Nature (which we call the Moral Law) already broken. He did not therein come to demand his full Debt of Innocency in Mans Broken and Bankrupt Condition, or to let him know, that he would, without any other Condition than perfect Innocency, cast him into Prison, until he had paid the utmost farthing. For if he had, then the Law indeed would have been against the Promise, which declares quite otherwise. It is true, the Law of Nature, as it is a perfect Rule of natural Righteousness, founded in God's Nature and Man's Nature, doth of it self require perfect Innocency, and can require no less, being suited to the Nature of Man in its perfect State: But when God brings this Law forth, and sets it before Men that are now faln from that state, as he doth in the promulgation of it, it is to let them know indeed what they once were, and from whence they are fallen, and how unhappy their Condition now is, according to the Tenour and Terms of that Law; and that it would have continued so for ever, if God had not made a New Law of Grace, to over-rule that Law; and to let all know that they shall still remain in that Condition, that wilful∣ly exclude themselves from the benefit of the Law of Grace, by not performing the Condition of it: But not to let them know, they should have no better terms from him than that Law affords them, nor to make their perfect keeping of it the condition of their Justification. But the Law of Moses, entirely taken in all its parts, was rather given as an Appendix to the Promise, both as a Rule of the material part of that Obedience, which God would now require of the Israelites in con∣junction with their Faith in the Promise, and as a Motive to that Obedi∣ence: This in general.

The Question is put, Gal. 3.19. Wherefore then serveth the Law? And the Answer there is, That it was added because of transgression, until the

Seed should come. And it was added because of transgression in more respects than one.

1. It was added to discover Sin, to make that known to be Sin, which was so of it self, and in its own nature, before the promulgation of the Law. For by reason of that grievous Wound which Man got in his Understanding by the Fall, and by reason also of a progressive De∣generation in Mankind, the natural Sense of Moral Good and Evil, was to a great degree worn out of the minds of Men. For the repai∣ring of which decay, a promulgate Law (the Ten Commandments) an∣swerable to the Law of pure Nature in the Spirituality of it, was set on foot in the World. And by this Law came Sin and Duty to be more clearly known than they were before. Rom. 3.20. By the Law is the knowledge of Sin. Rom. 7.7. I had not known Sin, but by the Law: For I had not known Lust, except the Law had said, Thou shalt not Covet.

2. The Law was added, not only barely to make known that to be Sin, which was so of it self before, but to set it out in its Colours, to make it known in the horrid nature and consequence of it, that Men might be the more afraid to have to do with it, The Law entred, that the offence might abound: That is, that by that means it might be rendred the more Criminous and Demeritorious: That Sin by the Command∣ment, might become exceeding sinful, Rom. 5.20. and 7.13.

3. The Law as it discovered Sin, and made it more criminous, and the People the more sensible of guilt, and more apprehensive of their ob∣noxiousness to punishment, was given to set off so much the more, the Glory, Beauty, and Desirableness of God's Grace in the Promise of Pardon and Salvation. Rom. 5.20. The Law entered that the offence might abound: But where Sin abounded, Grace did much more abound. By how much the more Sin appeared Sin, and was enhanced, and ag∣gravated, and rendred manifestly mischievous by a Promulgate Law; by so much the more Grace appear'd to be Grace, in all its Glory, that brought Deliverance from it. Rom. 5.21. That like as Sin hath reigned unto death, (viz. by the Law, that being the strength of Sin, 1 Cor. 15.56.) Even so Grace might reign through Righteousness unto eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. After Christ came, the Rest which he gave, was so much the more sweet to those Jews who received him, by how much they had been weary and heavy-laden under a Spirit of Bondage before.

4. The Law (saith St. Paul) was our Schoolmaster, to bring ••s unto Christ, that we might be justified by Faith, Gal. 3.24. That is, It was a lower sort of Institution, accommodated to the weak and more imperfect state of the Church, until afterward it should deliver them over to a more perfect Institution under Christ. Parents first teach their Children to Speak, and after put them to School to learn Letters, Syllables, Words, and Sentences; the use and design of all which they do not understand while they are Children, as they do when they come to be Men. In proportion to this hath God dealt with his Church in the World, begin∣ning with a lower and more imperfect sort of Instruction, Precepts, and Promises, and so proceeding to those that are higher and more perfect, and so by certain gradations, to lead on, and build up his

Church to a more perfect Spiritual and compleat state of Faith and Holiness; To all the riches of fulness of understanding of the Mystery of God, of the Father, and of Christ, Col. 2.2. And thus the Law, as Schoolmaster, had a double end and use: The one respecting the time then present: The other that which was then future and to come.

The then present use of it was twofold also.

1. To reclaim and restrain them from the Superstitious Customs of the Heathen, to which they were addicted; in which respect also it was added because of transgression. The Heathen-Worship, stood in divers Superstitious Rites or Ceremonies: And because the Israelites were addicted to a bodily Worship like theirs, (for they said, Let us make us Gods to go before us, Exod. 32.1.) and were in danger thereby of being drawn to Worship their Gods, therefore to prevent this (as Pa∣rents put their Children to School, partly to keep them out of harms way) the Lord by way of condescention to their childish humour, did ordain a Worship consisting much in bodily Exercise, and Instituted divers Laws, which stood in Meats and Drinks, and divers Washings, and carnal Ordinances, until the time of Reformation; till he should, by sending his Son, appoint more excellent Laws for Reforming both them and the rest of the World. Lev. 18.3, 4, 5. After the doings of the Land of E∣gypt wherein ye dwelt shall ye not do; and after the doings of the Land of Canaan whither I bring you shall ye not do; neither shall ye walk in their Ordinances. Ye shall therefore keep my Statutes and my Judgments: Which if a Man do, he shall live in them, Ezek. 20.6, 11.

2. The Lord did Institute divers Temporary Laws for tryal and ex∣ercise of their Obedience in those lesser things for a time, as being such as they were as yet best capable to receive, thereby to lead them on to higher instances of Obedience afterward. Those many Ceremonies which they were obliged to observe, were not things of any natural or intrinsick Goodness, but only made use of by God for a present turn, which when that was served, they (as to practise) were of no value, but became beggerly Elements. But yet while they continued commanded of God, their Obedience in the use of them, was Rewardable, as well as their Obedience to any other Laws.

The other end and use of the Law, as it was a Schoolmaster, respected the time then to come. For the High Priesthood, and Sacrifices of the Law, as they were Types of what Christ should be, do, and suffer, as Mediator, were of great use to the Jews after Christ had Suffered, and was Risen again, and Ascended into Heaven, to facilitate both the knowledge and belief of the Mystery of Redemption by Christ.

1. To facilitate the knowledge thereof, and to beget in them a right Notion of those things in Christ, by which forgiveness of sins, and ac∣ceptance with God, is obtained on our behalf. For those who had long seen and known the effect of Legal Sacrifices, as how they did pro∣cure Legal Impunity for Offences commited, God accepting the Life of a Beast that had not sinned, instead of the life of a Man that had, might soon come to understand, by parity of reason, that God would much more accept of his own Sons offering himself in Sacrifice for us, so as to excuse us from suffering Eternal Punishment for our sin. For if the blood

of Bulls, and of Goats, and the ashes of an Heifer sprinkling the unclean, sancti∣fieth to the purifying of the flesh; how much more shall the Blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your Con∣science from dead works, to serve the living God? Heb. 9.13, 14. And so the High Priest's entering into the Holy of Holies in the behalf of the People with the Blood of the Sacrifice, and burning Incense there, doth greatly assist the mind in understanding the nature of Christ's Intercession for us in Heaven, in virtue of his Bloodshed for us on Earth, Heb. 9.

2. The Law, in the Typical nature of it, was of great use to the Jews, to facilitate and strengthen their Belief in Christ; and so were the Predictions of the Prophets in conjunction with it: For these and the accomplishment of them in Christ, did so answer each other, as in Water, Face answereth to Face, that those who believed the Law and the Prophets, had a great advantage by means thereof, to believe in Christ. And therefore our blessed Saviour, when he would satisfie his Disciples touching himself, that he was indeed the Christ, and of the necessity of his Death, (which Death occasioned at first a stag∣gering in their Faith) beginning at Moses, and all the Prophets, he ex∣pounded to them in all the Scriptures, the things concerning himself, Luke 24.27. And St. Paul, when he laboured the Conversion of the Jews at Rome, to Christianity, as the chiefest way to effect it; he expounded to them, and testified the Kingdom of God, perswading them concerning Jesus, both out of the Law of Moses, and of the Prophets, from morning to evening, Acts 28.23. Had ye believed Moses (Saith our Saviour to them) ye would have believed me; for he wrote of me: But if ye believe not his Writings, how shall ye believe my Words? Joh. 5.46, 47. And thus in both the forementioned respects, the Law was a Schoolmaster indeed, to bring them to Christ, that they might be Justified by Faith.

5. The Law was given to the Jewish Nation, not only for their be∣hoof and benefit, but also for a general Good to the World: That the Nations round about, hearing of such excellent Laws, and percieving how happy and prosperous those People were, so long as they observed them; might thereby be invited to quit their Idol Gods, and to take hold of the Covenant, and to join themselves to the people of the God of Abraham, even as it came to pass in such as were Proselited. And upon this account it seems to be, that the Psalmist prayed thus: God be merciful unto us, and bless us, and cause thy Face to shine upon us: That thy way may be known on Earth, thy saving health unto all Nations, Psal. 67.1, 2. and concludes ver. 7. That if God should so do, his fear would be propagated through the World: God shall bless us, and all the ends of the Earth shall fear him, Deut. 4.6, 7, 8. Keep therefore and do them, for this is your Wisdom, and your Ʋnderstanding in the sight of the Nations, who shall hear all these Statutes, and say, surely this great Nation is a Wise and an Ʋnderstanding People. For what Nation is there so great, that hath God so nigh unto them, as the Lord our God is in all things that we call upon him for? And what Nation is there so great, that hath Statutes and Judgments so Righteous, as all this Law which I set before you this day? To them were committed the Oracles of God, Rom. 3.2. They were com∣mitted in trust to them as Feoffees for the World, to communicate the

knowledge of God and of his Laws to the Nations; to carry on further the Reformation of the World, begun in their Father Abraham, and which was promised to be more compleatly effected by the Messias, in that all Nations of the Earth should be Blessed in him. And as God's Judgments on the Jews for breaking his Laws, was Admonitory to the Nations about them, Deut. 29.24,—28. so his famous Deliverances wrought for them upon their Repentance for breaking his Laws, made God known abroad to be a great favourer of such as repent of their worshipping and serving other Gods, and such a one as could and would Save, Deliver and Bless them, that turned to him, to serve him only. Which seems to be his meaning, when he saith, he will be sanctified be∣fore the Heathen, when he should gather them from among the people where they were Captives, and that the Heathen should know that he was the the Lord, Ezek. 20.41. and 36, 23. And by this means he brought them to fear and worship the God of Israel. Psal. 102.13, 15. Thou shalt arise and have mercy upon Zion; So the Heathen shall fear the Name of the Lord; and all the Kings of the Earth thy glory. When the Lord turned again the Captivity of Sion, they said among the Heathen, The Lord hath done great things for them, Psal. 126.1, 2.

6. The whole Law was given to be a Political Instrument of Gover∣ning the Israelites, (according to that state of their minority) as a peculiar Republick, of which God himself was the Soveraign Legislator. But of this more afterward.