Sect. 4. Use 3d, & 4th.

THirdly let us heare pause a while, that we may consider, and admire the won∣derfull condescension of the Lords goodnes, and wisdome towards the sonnes of men, in that he doth so sweetly allay, and mitigate the curse, that it doth not poure out all it's furie upon us. All the inhabitants of the world being accursed through sinne, it's a wonder, that the first, and second death have not fallen pel-mel upon them all, and devoured them at once: its a wonder, that the curse hath not dashed us all to peices, and brought the whole world into a Chaos long agoe. This is from the wise, and good providence of God, who for the preservati∣on of the whole frame, and for the comfort of his owne people, doth snub, restraine, and moderate the curse, and keepes it within certaine bounders, as the Sea within its banks, that it cannot overflow, and destroy Page  39 the earth, We see that the horse, the Ox, and other such like creatures have not quite renounced mans service, but are easily brought into subjection: Yea, the most sa∣vage creatures are not invincibly rebellions but God affords to man both skill, and pow∣er to tame them Jam. 3.7. And 2. What a mercifull dispensation is this, that such swarmes of curses should flie abroad in the world, and yet so very few of them (in com∣parison) should touch us? That so few are born blind, deafe, maimed, idiots? That nature is sustained in health, strength, vi∣gour? yea, that we live upon the earth, and enjoy the influence of heaven? That the heaven over our head is not brasse, and the earth under our feet, iron, yea, that we are in any estate short of hel, who might justly have been stript of all at once, and made the com∣mon Butt of all his curses? And further, Isa. 3. What a sweet providence is it, that when the Lord inflicteth evils or judgments, which are properly, and in themselves the bitter fruits of the curse, he doth not alwayes in∣flict them meerly as curses, in reference to the sinnes of the persons, but sometimes one∣ly praeventions of sinne, and the miseries which follow it, as. 1. Cor. 11.32: Or as exer∣cises of patience, as in the famous example of Job; or as meanes, which his divine wis∣dome is pleased to use, for the manifestation of his owne glorie, in some, way, or other. Whereof we have a notable instance in the man, which was blind from his birth, Jo. Page  40 9.1.2.3. The disciples ask our Saviour, whose sinne was the cause of that judgment, his owne, or his parents? He answers, neither of both, but that the works of God should be made manifest in him, his meaning is this; you think this man is thus marked out for some notorious sinne either of his owne. Or his Parents: but you are mistaken: for al∣though sinne be an universal cause of all judg∣ments,∴ yet in this case the Lord did not look upon the sinnes of either of them, as the adaequate, or next mooving cause of in∣flicting this blindness: but he intended here∣by the manifestation of his works the work of justice, and severitie, in afflicting him so sadly, and so long; the work of goodnes, and mercie, in bestowing the blessing of sight upon him; and cheifly, that this miracle wrought by me (saith Chirst), may be a cleare, and undeniable demonstration, that I am the Son of God, seeing it could not possibly be done by any other hand.∴ To shut up this use; let us not reckon our selves the lesse miserable, because of these, and the like providences, but rather ascribe them to the indulgence of mercie, and adore the glorie of his dispensations, who suffereth us not to be so accursed, as we deserve.

4ly. Hence I inferre, that there is no justification to be had, no, nor any possibili∣tie thereof by the works of the Law. It is a vaine thing once to expect it. The Law curseth sinners; how then doth it bless them? but if it justifie them, it blesseth them. Page  41 All men are under the curse of the Law: therefore no man is under the acquittance, and absolution of the Law. This is one of the Apostles arguments in the verses before to look for justification, and blessing from the Law, is not onely to lose our labour, but also to bring upon our selves more mis∣cheif. Its the way to inwrappe us more in the folds of the curse, to implunge us into a deeper Sea of guilt, yea to seale up the curse against our owne soules, and to make it sure to our selves. Observe, what is the conclusion, which the Apostle would prove, from the text alledged out of Deuteronomie. vers. 10. before, It is, that those, which are of the works of the Law, are under the curse, that is, not onely those, which break the Law, or doe not keep it perfectly, but those that depend upon it, and reckon of justification by the works of it, even these also are accursed, so Rom. 3.19.20. The Law chargeth all men with sinne, and thereby stoppes every ones mouth, and makes all the world subject to the vengeance of God.* Whence it followes unavoydably, that no flesh shall be justified by the deeds of the Law. Therefore the Apostle professeth, that he would by no meanes be found, having his owne righteousnes, which is of the Law, Phil. 3.9. As if he should say, If I should ap∣peare before Gods judgment-seat, clothed in that habit, he would abhorre me, and I were utterly undone. So then, there is no justification to be had by the Law; No Page  42 man can possibly reach that conformitie to the Law of God, either inward, or outward, in the frame of the heart, or cariage of the life, which will be able to plead his justification in the sight of God, It is not any good qualitie with∣in us, or any goodwork, that comes from us, or both joyned together (though never so ex∣cellent for kind, or degree), that can set us right in the court of heaven. There is nothing at all, which a man hath, nothing at all, which he doth or can doe, for which God will pronounce him righteous: but when he hath done all, and is got up to the high∣est pitch, the Law will tell him to his face, that he is still Accursed. This is needfull to be urged: for not onely the world, but the churches of Christ, are full of justitiaries, which carve unto themselvs an imaginary self-righteousness according to the Law. Oh that these persons would open their eares to this truth, and take it down. Of these I observe 4 sorts, I meane such, as seek a Blessedness by the Law, which they shall never find.

1. Professed Papists, which submit unto, and hold fast the establish'd doctrine of the Church of Rome, especially as it is set forth in the councell of Trent; where they determine thus. The alone formal cause of the Justification of a sinner before God, or that which gives being to it, is Righteousness implanted, or a new qualitie of grace, or frame of holines wrought in the soule: which what is it else, but personall, and inhaerent conformitie to the Law of God? They tell us further, Page  43 of a, first justification, whereby of unrighteous, a man is made righteous; and secondly, whereby of unrighteous, he is made more righ∣teous. The former (if I mistake not) they hold incompleat, and so insufficient; being but a kind of entrance made by faith, and other preparative dispositions: the latter is that, on which the maine waight of the business lies; and its done (say they) by the improovement, and exercise of those good dispositions, according to the com∣mand of the Law. So that a Papist, keeping to the principles of his religion, must either have his blessedness from the Law, or stand accursed still: and if we make the best of it, he is chargeable with that follie, for which the Apostle taxeth the Galathians. vers. 3. Of beginning in the spirit, and seeking to be made perfect by the flesh. And herein the hand of God is remarkeable, either in mer∣cie, or justice, or both, to some of them, in taking them off from their old plea, so that when they are to die, they dare not trust their soules in so crazie a bottome: yea their great Champion Bellarmine, when he hath bett his braines, and stretched his wits, in sundrie pages to uphold the doctrine of justification by inhaerent righteousnes, yet at length he comes to this resolve. * Because of the uncertaintie of our owne righteous∣nes, and the danger of vaine glorie, there∣fore it is * the safest way to trust onely in the mercie and goodnes of God. In which words, he doth (upon the matter) unweave Page  44 his owne webbe, and destroy what he had built. For if this be the safest way, it is so, because it is Gods onely approoved way for the justification of a sinner; and conseq. this way alone must be taken, and all other wayes must be rejected, and avoided, as be∣ing not onely not the safest, but positively unsafe, and certainly full of danger, yea, unquestionably destructive.

2. Blind ignorant Protestants, which have nothing of religion, but onely the bare name, a meer outside, their Christendome, the faces of Christians. They were baptised, they keep their church, they come to the communion, and receive their Maker (as they carnally, and grosly speak), they have a share in the outward priviledges of the church, saying, Lord, Lord, and therefore they think, that no blame lies upon them, the curse is farre enough of from them, they are accepted of God, and in a blessed condi∣tion thus the Jewes gloryed in the Temple of the Lord, which the Lord condemneth, as a trusting in lying words, Jer. 7.4. They boasted of their priviledges, that they were Abrahams seed, never under bondage, yea, that they had one father, even God, &c. The Lord Jesus tels them plainly, that they were the servants of sinne, and of their fa∣ther the Divel, Jo. 8.33, 34, 41, 44. A clear glasse, wherein the generalitie of our people may see their faces; all their religion stands in this, that they are called Christians, and goe among the people of God: this is their Page  45 blessedness. But oh wofull people, how came you by this blessedness? whence had you it? you are under the Law; it holds you under guilt, and pronounceth you accursed; and (alas) these priviledges and services are far too weak, and poor things to take off that guilt, and to remove that curse which sticks to your wretched souls. Oh my soul pitties your sottishness. Awake from your slumber, and deliver your selves from these delusions, before ye perish in them.

3. Civil livers, which go far in the obser∣vation of the outward duties of the second Table, they are honest in their dealings, equal in their actions, sweet in their behaviour, and as far as the letter os the Law will carry them, unreprovable; these are the righteous men which justifie and bless themselves, as the young man, Matth. 19.20. and the Pharisee, Luke 18.11. but these went away unjusti••ed, and therefore accursed. Thus it was with the Apostle Paul before his conversion, who had more to boast of in the flesh than any man; for besides circumcision, and many other Je∣wish priviledges which he enjoyed, he came up so high in conformity to the righteousness required in the Law, that as touching it, he saith he was blameless: and these things were his gain; but when he found Jesus Christ, he looked upon them all as loss, and cast them away as dung, yea as dogs-meat,∵ Phil. 3.5-8. as if he had said, If those dogs, those evil workers (the Jewish Teachers, which press circumcision and legal righteousness) do taste Page  46 such savour and sweetness in this kinde of meat, let them take it to themselves, as fittest for them, it will not down with me; I have other meat, which these men either do not know, or cannot digest. This is just the case of many among us. But oh man, if thou wilt bring thy self and thy work to the standard, thou wilt finde, that although thou blessest thy self, and others bless thee too, yet thou art without the sun-shine of Gods blessing. For if it were granted, that thou hast gone thorow-stitch in thy duty to men, yet still the business is lame, and halts on a side; all this while thou hast neglected thy duty to God, and dost thou look to be accepted for thy partial obedience? would this be a sufficient acquittance to a child in his fathers house, that he hath discharged himself well in all his carriage to his brethren, and servants in the family, while he hath never regarded his duty to his father? or can he expect his fa∣thers blessing? may he not rather fear his curse? This is thy case, who restest in the moral righteousness of the second Table.

4. Religious professors, who besides all these, have also a form of godliness; they have the form of knowledge, and of the truth in the Law, Rom. 2.20. and in the Gospel too 2 Tim. 3.5. they have seen, and sorrowed for their sins and bad courses; they have broken off their iniquities, and reformed their ways; they perform religious duties, pray, reade the Scriptures, hear the Word preached, observe the Lords day, shew some degrees of love and Page  47 respects to good men. In a word, they have sundry commendable abilities within, and bring forth many (materially) good fruits without; and hereby they work out unto themselves a carnal peace, perswading them∣selves that they are in good case, and accoun∣ting themselves righteous, and blessed of God; but all this will go for no more in the Court of Heaven, than the righteousness of the Law, which holy Paul durst not stand to for his justification. He did not onely disclaim those priviledges, and that righteousness, which before he had accounted his gain, but all things whatsoever; yea doubtless (saith he) I do count all things but loss; I do, even at this present, since I came truly to know the Lord Jesus Christ, renounce and cast a∣way all things, whatsoever I am, or have, in the business of my justification before God, save the righteousness which is through the faith of Christ, Phil. 3.8, 9. Let a man reach out as far as is possible in conformity and o∣bedience to the first Table (as well as to the second) both in religious dispositions, and holy performances, and let this be joyned with a glorious external profession of Christ and the Gospel, yet he may still abide under the Law, and so be a stranger to the grace of justification. It is not any one of these, or the like qualifications and workings, nor all of them put together, that can raise the soul in∣to a justified condition, but still it abides un∣der the curse. What high characters of more than ordinary holiness doth the spirit of God Page  48 put upon the Jews? Isa. 58.2. they sought God daily, they delighted to know his ways, as if they were a Nation that did righteous∣ness; yet they are rejected and disallowed, even in their choicest and strictest duties; Je∣sus Christ professeth that he will send away many at the last day, which have done won∣derfull works in his Name, Matth. 7.22, 23. This is a fine spun, but (I fear) too common hypocrisie, to make graces, duties, reforma∣tions, performances, the matter of our righ∣teousness before God. Let Christians take heed, lest while they reckon on the blessing, they be found under the curse.

The issue of this use is, to knock us all off from thoughts of justification by the Law, seeing we are all under the curse of it. Let us not make account of such a thing, it will prove but a dreame, and we shall be deceived. Let us by all means shun this most perilous work.