The continuation of Christ's alarm to drowsie saints by the reverend and faithfull minister of Jesus Christ, Mr. William Fenner ...

THE KILLING POVVER OF THE LAVV.

Rom. 7. 9.

For I was once alive without the Law, but when the Commandment came, Sin revived, and I died.

IN these words the Apostle shewes Two things; First, What a jolly man he thought himself to be whilst he was a Pharisee, before the Lord wrought upon him by the Law: Secondly, What a miserable wretched creature he saw himself to be when the Lord took him in hand, and discovered his sins unto him: before the Law came home unto him, and convinced his Conscience, he thought himself to be alive; but when the Commandment came, Sin re∣vived, and he died.

1. In the former we may observe Two things:

First, The jolliness of the Apostle, he thought himself to be alive; I was alive without the Law, I was a Pharisee, and thought my self to be alive; I fasted twice a week, and prayed every day, and made long Prayers each day: when he considered how he walked thus in all the Ordinances of God, he thought, if this was not to be alive, he knew not what it was to be alive; I was alive once without the Law.

Secondly, We have here the cause why he had this good conceit of him∣self, it was because he was without the Law, the law of God had not convin∣ced him, it had not discovered his miserable and wretched estate unto him;

though he had some understanding in the literal sense of the Law, yet the Law was not yet come home unto him, he was as yet without the Law, and that was the reason of that good conceit he had of himself, he did esteem himself to be alive.

And then again in the latter part; When the Commandment came, Sin re∣vived, but I died. There we may also observe Two things.

First, The Law shewed him what a wretched estate and condition he was in, for all his self-conceitednesse, sin revived, and I died: Though I thought before I was alive, yet when the Commandment came, sin 〈◊〉〈◊〉, and I died: I saw I was a dead man, when the Lord took me in hand to deal with me, and let me see how my case stood before him. Howsoever I thought my self to be in a good case before, now I saw I was but a dead man; I did not see such evil, and such a masse of corruption before; but when the Lord discovered my self unto my self, and when I saw the Spiritualnesse of the Law, then I saw that sin was alive in me, and I died; when I saw how I ought to behave my self in my affections, and in my inward man, then sin revived, and I for my part was a dead man, I was sain to come down from those high conceits, and imaginations I had before.

Secondly, We have here the Cause why he was thus brought down, it was because of the Commandment of God which came home unto him, the Law of God came home unto his Conscience, and discovered un∣to him, how it was with him, and it made him to shake in the ap∣prehensions of his own estate, that he was but a dead man, and that he had gone to Hell, and perished everlastingly, if he had continued in that estate and condition.

I intend at this time to treat of the former part, Without the Law I was once alive: And here Two things must be opened: First, what doth the Apostle mean, by without the Law. Secondly, What doth he mean when he saith, I was once alive.

1. For the First, When the Apostle saith, he was without the Law, he doth not mean simply, that he did think himself without the Law, that is, without the binding Authority of the Law, for so no reasonable creature is, yea, indeed no creature at all is without the Law of God, for there is a Law of Obedience imposed upon all the Creatures, and the unreasonable Creatures do keep the Law that is imposed upon them by God; and howso∣ever reasonable Creatures depart from this Law and break it, yet they are un∣der the binding power of this Law; therefore the Apostle doth not thus mean that he was without the Law, therefore we must know, that to be without the Law is taken Four wayes:

First, To be without the Law, is meant, to be without the promulgation and publishing of the Law, and so the Heathen only are said to be with∣out the Law, as we may see, Rom. 2. 12. there the Heathen are said to be without the Law: that is, without the promulgation of the Law, it was pub∣lished only to the Jewes upon Mount Sinai, and so Paul was not without the Law.

Secondly, It is taken in regard of the literal knowledge of the Law, and so ignorant people are said to be without the Law of God; they know not the Law of God; and in this sense Paul was not without the Law, he was trained up in the Law, he was learned in the Law, for he was brought up at the feet of Gamaliel, Acts 22. 3. so that he had the logical meaning of the Law, and was able to speak of the points of Religion, better then a thou∣sand millions of carnal men, he had the literal knowledge of the Law.

Thirdly, It is taken in regard of the moral Obedience to the Law, and so wicked men are said to be without the Law, as we may see, 1 Tim. 1. 9.

The Law is not given to a Righteous man; but to the Lawless and Disobedi∣ent; wicked men are lawless, they live as if there were no Law, Drun∣kards and Prophane persons, as they are said to live without God in the world, so they are said to live without the Law, as if there were no Law to bind them; they are people that are not to be held within any compass, they take notice of no command to rule in their hearts, and rectifie their lives; and in this sense Paul was not without the Law neither, for he lived after the most strict and exact Sect of the Pharisees, Phil. 3. 4, 5. If any man think he hath whereof he may trust in the fl••sh, I much more, circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the He∣brews, as touching the Law a Pharisee; He was one that fasted and curbed himself, yea, he kept two Fasts a week, (as those Pharisees did, that were of the better rank) he Prayed daily, and performed the duties of Religion, and there was no outward Ordinance of the Law which he performed not; he was one that was conformable to the letter of the Law, according as he un∣derstood the Law, he was Morally Obedient to the Law; he was no extor∣tioner, nor unjust person; no, he did the works of the Law, and those things contained in the Law; nay, there was no body that could challenge him with any blame; none that were familiar with him, could say any thing to tax him withal, when he was in his ignorance, and blindness; therefore in this sense he was not without the Law.

Fourthly, Therefore in the Fourth place, we are said to be without the Law in regard of the spiritual sense of the Law, and so Paul was without the Law; he did not clearly understand the divine and spiritual sense of the law; he did not see the glory and the beauty of the Law of God, how it did dis∣cover all the breaches of Righteousness, how it reached to all the inward parts, how contrary the Law of God was to all his nature; thus Paul un∣derstood not the spiritual nature of the Law, he had not the spiritual under∣standing of the Law, and thus he was without the Law.

2. Now for the other words, I was alive once.

1. It is meant here spiritually towards God; he doth not mean naturally, for he was alive naturally, both before and after the commandment came; but the meaning is, he did not think himself to be such a wretched cursed creature as he was; he thought he had the fear of God in him, and true Obedience in him; he thought he had a spiritual kind of life, as we may see Rom. 6. 11. Ye are dead (saith the Apostle) to sin, but are alive to God in Jesus Christ. And, Rom. 7. 13. Give not your members as weapons unto sin, but give your selves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, i. e. As those that have the pure and spiritual life of grace in them: So Luke 15. 24. This my son was dead, and is alive again; that is, spiritually alive again; he was a dead creature, he was departed from his Father, which is the fountain of life; he was dead in sins and trespasses, he was a dead man, but now he is alive again, he hath spiritual life again.

2. To be alive is taken to be conceitedly so, alive in his own conceit, he hath no true life in him, yet he doth imagine that he hath life in him, he thinks he hath life, and is dead, Rev. 3. 1. I know thy works, thou hast a name thou livest, but thou art dead: Here the Church of Sardis did imagine she was alive, and others conceived so; she seemed to be alive, and yet not∣withstanding was dead, she had no true life in her: she seemed to be alive, not only in the sight of others, but in her own apprehension; she seemed to be alive, and yet was dead; now this is the meaning of the words, with∣out the Law I was alive once; that is, I thought my self to be alive; I ap∣prehended my self to be no dead man, no damned man: I thought not my self to be under the wrath of God, and one that should perish evermore, if

I continued in that estate wherein I was; I hoped better things of my self, I saw these signs of Grace and Life in me, and I thought I was alive indeed, till the Commandment came, till the Law of God was pressed up∣on my Conscience, and shewed me the contrary; I thought my self to be a very live man, and one that had some hope of eternal happiness, and one that might enter into glory, I took my self to be alive; Thus we see the meaning of the words.

Now the Point I intend at this time to insist upon, is the livelinesse of a carnal mans heart, before the Law comes home to him, and is pressed to him, and shews him his damnable estate, and that he is dead in his sins and trespasses, he hath some colour of Righteousness, that he is moral and civil, and orderly, and he hath somthing that is like Grace and Life, he hath some hope towards God, and hath some kind of obedience, he seems to be obe∣dient to the commandment of God; before he is humbled by the Law of God, he is a live creature. Here St. Paul shews it by his own example, Without the Law I was once alive; noting out unto us, how it is with every unhumbled man, with every unmortified man, that is not yet converted to God, he hath many things to say for himself, but he doth not understand the purenesse of the Law, the Law hath not yet killed him, it hath not yet pulled him flat down before Almighty God: A man that is un∣humbled by the Law of God is a live man, he will not be perswaded, that he is a dead, damned creature; he doth apprehend and hope he hath life: it is so with men, before their Conversion, they will not believe that they are damned creatures, and they think it unchari∣tablenesse in any to say they are damned creatures, and dead creatures, they will not believe it; so long as the Law is not charged upon their Consciences, so long as they see not how it is with them, they do verily apprehend that they have life in them, their hearts are not kil∣led, their spirits are not dead within them, they are not pulled down in the apprehension of their own cursed estates before Almighty God: this is the thing I intend to insist upon.

2. For the Proof of the Point, we may see, 1 Tim. 5. 5. there the A∣postle speaking of VVidows that lived in pleasure, saith, She that liveth 〈◊〉〈◊〉 pleasure, is dead while she is alive; that is, dead in pleasure, dead in sin, dead in the vanity of her own heart, and yet such a VVidow liveth, she li∣veth not only a natural life, but she is alive in her own conceit in regard of a spiritual life; for if she conceived she were a dead creature, a damned crea∣ture, such thoughts would kill the heart of any creature under heaven, it would break the neck of all her pleasure; but in that she took her pleasure, it was a plain token that she was not killed.

Now for the Opening of the Point, I will do these Three things:

First, I will shew what this liveliness is, and wherein it consists.

Secondly, I will shew what the Effects of it are.

Thirdly, The Uses.

First I will shew what this livelinesse is, and it consists in these Three things; I could branch them into Four, but I will reduce them into Three Heads.

1. First, It consists in the non-appearance of a mans dead, and damned estate: So long as a mans dead and damned estate doth not appear un∣to him, so long a man thinks he is alive, and that he is not a dead man, he is not a man that hath the sentence of condemnation lying upon him, so long as the Law hath not come, and shewed a man his wretched estate, and made his damnable estate appear in its ovvn colours unto him, vvhy he is alive man, he conceives himself to be alive because the Lavv of God hath not con∣vinced

him of the contrary: if the Law of God doth seise upon a mans heart, and in its own colours appear to a mans eyes, and hold it self as a glasse to a mans understanding, and shew him his wretchednesse, and what a cursed estate he is in before God, this will kill his very heart, and break the livelinesse that is in him, and make him burst out into out-cries, Oh! I am a dead man, I am a damned man; so that the livelinesse that is here spoken of, consists in the non-appearance of a mans dead and dam∣nable estate: As for example, an Adulterer, his damdable estate doth not appear to him, he knows not that he is a dead man, as Prov. 9. 18. He knows not that the dead are there, and that her guests are in the depth of hell: When he goes to lie with his Whore, and commit his wickednesse, he doth not think that they are dead and damned men that are there, nor that they are in the pit of Hell. Though his Conscience may tell him, that he is wicked, and sinful, and wretched, and that he is half dead; yet he is not a dead man, he is not absolutely a dead man, he doth not know this: It may be he will confesse it, Lord, I am a dead man, Lord, I am a damned man; it may be he will confesse this in his Prayer, because he hath some light: but yet his heart is not taken down, the livelinesse of his heart is not killed. I will prove it to you: for let another man, a Minister of God, or a child of God, say he is a dead man, a damned man, one that lies under the wrath of God, he will deny it, and say he is uncharitable, and judgeth hardly, and why may he not be a live man, and a good Christian? he hopes he is, he doth not know that he is a dead man; as the wise-man speaks, Prov. 14. 12. There is a way that seemetht right to a man, but the issues thereof are death: that is, there is a way that seems to be a way of life, and a man seems to be alive that walks in that way; but the truth is, it is a way of death, and a man that goeth in that way is a dead man, and a damned man; but yet in the mean time, while he walks in that way, it seems to be a way of life unto him; there is a non-appearance of the deadnesse, and damnednesse of a mans estate and condition that walks in that way, and therefore it seems to him to be a right way, and a way of life, and there is great hope in him that he shall live for evermore; and many men do walk in that way, and there∣fore it seems to him to be a right way, and a way of life; it seems right to a man, but the end thereof is death: And this is the First thing, wherein this liveliness consists, The non-appearance of a mans dead and damned estate.

2. Secondly, It consists in Performance; he is able, as he conceives, to do the duties that God commands; he hath wisdom and ability at home to go about his Affairs; he hath understanding and supply at home; he hath life, and sufficiency to go about these and these duties and perfor∣mances; let the Law tell him, he must be sober, he hath life to avoid the Ale-house, and if he commit a Drunken Act, he would have you think he hath grace to be sorry for it; and let a man tell him, he is a dead man, he hath no grace in him, no life in him; he will tell you, he doth thus and thus, he hears Gods Word, and he Prayes to God, and he Trusts in God, and he Believes in God; your telling of him this, doth not kill his heart, he thinks he is alive for all this; nay, let the Law of God, come and tell him, He is a dead man for all his doing; this will not kill him neither, so long as the Lord himself doth not open his eyes, and clear his eye-sight, and discover his sins, and convince his Conscience; though the Law say he is a dead man, and a damned man, this doth not kill him, he can wait upon God and per∣form these and these duties. Then let the Law of God say, He is a dead man for all this, he must deny himself: why so he will; I confesse, Lord, I am an unrighteous man, a wretched man, a sinful creature, and all my righ∣teousnesse is as menstruous raggs; and now he thinks all is well, but the

Law of God, hath not yet come home unto him, and shewed him his heavie estate, but he is alive in regard of the performance of the duty, and thinks verily he hath life at home in him; whereas, if the Law of God did come home and charge his estate upon him, and shew him, what obe∣dience the Law requires, what severity, and truth in the inward parts, it would break a mans heart, and kill him, notwithstanding all performances: but in the mean time that a mans heart is not killed, and the Law hath not given him his deaths VVound, he thinks he is alive: Cry aloud, (saith God) lift up thy voice like a Trumpet, sh••w my people their Transgressions, and the house of Israel their sins, Isai. 58. 1. there the Lord looks upon the people as dead, wretched sinners, and abominable people, but yet notwith∣standing they thought they were alive in performances, as we may see, vers. 2. Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my wayes, even as a Na∣tion that did righteously, and had not forsaken the Statutes of their God: they ask of me the Ordinances of Justice, they draw near to me, saying, We have fasted, and thou regardest it n••t. We see here they take delight in ap∣proaching unto God, they take delight in Gods Ordinances, and seek God early, they can do thus, and thus, and are alive in all performances; but that man whose spirit the Law hath pulled down, and the Lord hath convinced him of his infinite inability to perform the Law, he cannot see any liveliness in him, unto any performance. Let any duty come, it kill; his heart: I should now hear the VVord of God, but my heart is unprepared, and my ear uncircumcised, and I cannot hear aright. Let an opportunity be offered to Pray, it kills his heart; I should now call upon the Name of the Lord, but I have such a cursed heart I cannot Pray, I cannot spe••k one right word before God. Let an occasion be offered of holy Conference, it kills his heart; Alas, saith he, I want pure language, my tongue was never touched with a coal from the Altar, my lips have not ability to drop forth favoury spee∣ches, I am not able to speak one syllable aright to Gods glory; it kills his heart, he sees no life at all in him, unlesse he can have life from without, and ability from without, he is dead, all is nothing to him, the law hath ta∣ken away the livelinesse that was in him: But he that is not humbled by the Law, he is alive, he hath life in himself, it is nothing with him to Pray, and go to Church, and hear Gods Word, it is nothing, but thrusting to do the duty; he hath life in him to do duties, and wait upon God in his Ordinances, but when the Law comes home to him, it plainly lets him see that he hath no life in himself to do any good, he must seek for life and abi∣bility from without, else he is a dead man, he can do nothing in this case: David in this case cannot look up: Mine iniquities are gone over my head, I cannot lo••k up, Psal. 40. M••ses, he is a man of uncircumcised lips, and cannot speak unto Ph••raoh; Paul cannot do any thing that is good, In me dwelleth no good thing, Rom. 7. And so for the rest of Gods people, when the Law hath killed them and laid them dead, in regard of any per∣formance, they must have life from without, there is no life at home, no grace at home, no understanding at home, they must go out for all: but a carnal man, he is alive unto all performances. Many a man is like unsavoury Salt, good for nothing, but to throw upon the dung∣hil. He never received the Holy Ghost, and yet he will be inducted into a Living, and take a Pastoral Charge upon him, as if he were able to perform the Duty of a Minister, and take the Charge of Souls upon him. So Ananias will be a Husband, and Sapphira a VVife; Athalia vvill be a Queen, and Nimred a King; and Abimilech a Judge; they are alive to discharge all these Duties:

thus men are alive, the Law of God hath not killed their hearts, and pulled down their spirits; it hath not made it appear unto them, what wretched, cursed Creatures they are. This is the Second thing, wherein this Liveliness consists.

Thirdly, This Livelinesse consists in a presumptuous hope; he conceives that he is justified before God, and that God will not damn him, but forgive him his sins. There is nothing can make a mans heart more full of life, than to think that he is righteous before God, and that God will not impute his sins unto him: there is nothing can make a man more a∣live, then this. If they think they are justified before God, they have then a lively hope, 1 Pet. 1. 3. Blessed be God (saith the Apostle) even the Fa∣ther of the Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy, hath begotten us again, to a lively hope, by the Resurrection of Christ from the Dead. So these men have a hope, that makes them lively, and full of life; as a poor man that hath some grounded hope of an Earthly inheri∣tance, it makes the heart lively: Poverty deads the heart; he that hath nothing to maintain himself, and those that belongs unto him, it deads his heart; but if he hath some hopes of an hundred pound a year, and his hope is grounded, if he hath sure hope of it, and he makes no doubt of it; it makes his heart full of life: so when a man doth believe that he is in a good case, that he is delivered from death, that he is in the estate of grace, when he hath some probability that God hath justified him from sin; this breeds an hope in him of an eternal Inheritance, and this hope, the consideration of it, makes the soul full of life; There is no∣thing can make a man more lively, then a hope that he is justified before God, and that God will not impute his sins unto him. Now when a carnal man conceives he is righteous before God, and that God will forgive him his iniquities, that God will not damn him, nor count him a dead and a damned man; so long as a man doth imagine this, he must needs be a lively man; he is alive in his own apprehension; nay, all the delights in the world, cannot make a man so full of life, as this hope. It is not mens following their plea∣sure, that makes their hearts so full of life; as to have hope that the Lord doth not account them dead men, that they are justified men, and righteous men, that they have salvation to shew for, Heaven and eternal happinesse to shew for, that they shall go to heaven. But if now the Law were charged upon a man, if he knew that he were a dead man, a damned man, it would pluck down his spirits, and make his spirits dead, for all his pleasures. It is the conceit that men are Justified, that makes them so full of life; so long as the Law doth not come home to a man, and point him out in his colours, and make it appear to him, that he lyeth under the wrath of Al∣mighty God, that the Lord doth account him an abominable, wretched Creature, so long as he doth not apprehend this; especially if he have any good Gifts, and Parts, and Qualities, and Moral Obedience to the Law; doing good Duties, and a general laying hold upon the Promises, and a hope they belong to him; this makes him alive, Phil. 3. 9. Paul when he was a Pharisee, and did Moral Duties, and performed Moral Obedience to the Law of God, he thought he had Righteousnesse of his own; he calls it there, his own Righteousnesse, he so apprehended of himself; now this is that which makes men alive, when they conceive, that they have some Religion, and some Grace. You shall have many men and women that hate the Servants of God, and yet think they are godly men, and have Grace and Life in them. We may see it, Acts 13. 50. there it is said that the Jews stirred up certain devout and honourable women, and raised Persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them out of their

Coasts: Though they hated Paul and Barnabas, yet they are said to be de∣vout, and honourable women. They imagined they were very Devout, they conceived they were Religious; How many men and women are there, that think they are Righteous, and they will do many Duties, and take many good Courses; in so much, that it would pity a man to think they should go to hell? they will be very Zealous, they will be very Earnest a∣gainst Drunkennesse, and cry out against the abominations of the times; they are marvellous Devout and Godly, and yet a man that is Devout and Godly in truth and in deed, they cannot abide him, but hate him. Now if the Law should come home unto them, and discover how indeed it is with them, it would humble their souls, and pull down their spirits, and make them dead; so that this presumptuous hope, that men are in good terms with God, and that God will be merciful to them, and forgive them their sins; this makes them to be alive.

2. We come now to the Second thing, and that is the Effect of this ••ive∣liness, what Effects it works in the heart; And the Effects of this Liveliness are Four.

1. First, It makes them sound and heart-whole, like a Boyl unlaunced, it is yet sound. The true sight of sin, and wrath of God in the soul, is able to break the heart of any man; it is able to dead his spirit, and kill all the Livelinesse that is in him, and make him have little life to go on as he doth. But so long as the Law of God is not come home to a man, though he have no Title to Heaven, though Hell be the Portion of his Cup, yet he is as sound as can be, as heart-whole as may be: Let carnal comfort come, he can take it; let pleasures come, he is able to delight himself therewith, and go on in his course as if he ailed nothing, Prov. 18. 14. the Wise man saith, The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmities, but a wounded spirit, who can bear? When the Lord comes to wound a mans heart with the sight of his sins, and the fearful condition he is in, what a cursed creature he is, having no Mercy, and being out of Christ; having no Pardon, no Grace, no Ho∣linesse, but lyeth under the Curse of God: If the Law this come home, and wounds his Conscience, he is not able to bear it; this man, let carnal Comforts come, he is not able to take them; it kills the heart. Look as it is with the Stomack, if it can take meat, and digest it, it must needs be a∣live; for if the Stomack be dead, it can digest nothing. So for the Taste, If a mans Palat, and all the instruments of the taste be dead, he takes no delight in any meats: So there is a kind of soundness in the Soul, that is the reason why a man can delight in carnal pleasures, in Drinking, and Sporting, and in Profit and Gain. There is a kind of soundness, and ••iveli∣ness in the Heart; the heart is not yet broken: If the Law come, and take the Hearts life away, this will pull down the Heart, it will make a mans heart even break, it will pull down his spirit: But a man whom the Law hath not yet humbled, and shewed him his damned estate, his heart is yet whole, and sound. When the Law of God had but a little killed Ahab•• heart, you might see it in his very gate, he went softly, he could not tread so con∣fidently upon the ground, as he was wont to do; it tamed his very steps, it is wonderful how his heart was broken; it appeared in his very go∣ing up and down. When the Law comes home to a man, it is able to kill his heart, and makes him Soul-sick, and makes him cry out, O the wretchednesse of my heart; it makes a man sick at the heart, it lyes like a heavie Plague upon the heart and conscience, it will make a man at deaths door with his sins; it will make him say with Paul, When the Commandment came, Sin revived, and I died. But another man, though he hath evident demonstra∣tion that he is a dead man, yet the Law of God hath not pulled down his

heart; sicknesse will pull down a mans Stomack: so when the law of God comes home to a mans conscience, and makes him sick, it makes him yield, and pulls down his stomack. Many men are crazy, and sickly; and yet they lye not by it, but walk up and down, and go abroad; but if they were heart-sick, it would pull them down, and make them lye by it. So many a carnal man, may have some qualms of sin, but yet their hearts can go abroad after profits, and pleasures, after vanities, and delights; they can go a∣broad for all this. But when the law comes home, it will pull down a mans spirit, and make him heart-sick. This is the meaning of that place, The whole need not a Physician, but the sick Mat. 9. 12. Every carnal man, so long as he is not humbled, and broken under the sight of his sins, his heart is yet whole, his spirit is yet sound, he is not yet wounded; as the Prophet Isaiah speaks, Isa. 1. 6. From the crown of the h••ad, to the sole of the foot, there is nothing, but wounds, and swellings, and sores full of cor∣ruption; there is no soundnesse in him: He is indeed full of wounds, but the skin is yet sound, it is not broken, he fells it not; the law hath not yet dis∣covered his estate unto him. This is the first effect of this livelynesse; it makes men to be sound, and heart-whole.

2. The Second effect of this livelynesse, when a man is alive in the non∣appearance of his dead and damned estate; alive in performance, alive in presumption, and self-justifying, and self-hopes; The effect of it is, that he is fearlesse; the more lively, the more fearlesse. First, the Object must dead the heart, before it can make the heart fear; so long as the heart is s••out, the livelynesse that is in the heart, is able to keep out fear: So the livelynesse of a sinner, makes the heart fearlesse and secure. A man would wonder how any creature durst provoke God; it is almost beyond the reach of true reason, how any creature should dare to provoke God; to con∣sider what infinite danger he is in, to have the wrath of the God of heaven and earth to hang over his head, to be under the hand of revenging Ju∣stice; to pull down all the Woes, and Plagues, and Comminations of God upon the Soul; that a man should do this, and yet be secure, it would make a man wonder at it. But a man that hath this livelynesse, he can pro∣voke God, and yet be secure, as J••b 12. 6. those that provoke God are secure, the reason is, the law of God hath not taken down their hearts, the law of God hath not deaded their spirits; they are alive in presumption, and ima∣gination, and therefore though they provoke God, they are ••ecure, and fear nothing. It is the disquietnesse of a mans heart, that makes him fear; therefore so long as a mans mind is quiet, and is not disturbed, he is fear∣lesse: So long as the law hath not disquieted a mans mind, nor broken the rest of a mans Soul, nor disturbed his conscience, but tells him, go on in quiet; he spends his dayes in security, he fears nothing; whereas, fearful∣nesse, and trembling, and horrible dread, would overwhelm him, if the law of God should come and take away his life: It is fear that deads a mans heart, as we may see, Mat. 28. 4. when the Angel of the Lord ro∣led away the stone from Christs Sepulchre, it is said, For fear of the A••gel, the Keepers trembled, and became as dead men: There is the effect of fear; if the law did but open mens eyes, and paint out before them, how it is with them, how they are liable to Gods wrath, and under the sentence of condemnation: If they were once thus feared, it would make them seem as dead men: the Drunkards would be so afraid, that they would be∣come as dead men: All wretched men, all ungrounded Christians, all that are not truly alive towards God, it would make them become as dead men; and it is the deadnesse of the heart that makes men fear, and such a man cannot be secure. Carelessenesse and fear, are two contraries, as Ezek. 30. 9.

In that day shall Messengers go forth from me in Ships, to make the care∣lesse Ethiopian afraid, and great pain shall come upon them: The Prophet there makes these two contraries; they shall be full of fear, to rouze them out of security: so the cause why men are carelesse to get Repentance, care∣lesse to get deliverance from sin, carelesse of their walking with God; the reason is, because of this damnable livelinesse that is in their hearts, they are not yet deaded by the Law.

3. Thirdly, Another effect of this livelinesse is this, it makes the heart stiff; what a deal of stiffnesse is in the hearts of carnal men? Let God for∣bid sinne, they are stiff, and will still continue in their sins, as the Pro∣phet speaks, the heart of this people is waxed stiff, their hearts are marvel∣lous stiffe; the reason of it is, because the Law of God hath not taken away their livelynesse, it hath not humbled their hearts, and pull'd down their spi∣rits: whereas if the Law had past upon them, and the consideration of their estate were rooted in their minds, it would make their stoutnesse to yeild, and their stiffenesse to come down; infinite is the stiffenesse of a man for want of this work of the law: Tell a vain gallant of his locks, how s••••••••ly will he reason for it? Tell a prophane person of the lewdnesse of his course, how stiftly will he argue for it? This is for want of this killing work of the law.

4. Fourthly, The last effect of this livelinesse is this, it makes the heart peark, and brisk; what a deal of brisknesse, and pearknesse do we see every day in the hearts of men, because their hearts are not taken down? I will give you two or three Instances; If a man have a little knowledge more then others, he is proud, and brisk, and peark; and he will be some-bo∣dy, he will be talking, and thinks he hath such a deal of knowledg; what is the reason of this, that he is so peark? It is because the Law hath not made it known unto him, that he knows nothing as he ought to know. 1 Cor. 8. 2. There saith the Apostle, If a man thinks he knows any thing, he knows nothing as he ought to know. If the law of God did shew him he were a beast, and a bruit for all his understanding; if it did discover unto him, his blockishnesse, and blindnesse, and ignorance, that he knows nothing of the Mysteries of Grace and Salvation, this would pull down his peark∣nesse; take another man, that hath more knowledge, and can speak better a thousand times, if the law hath shewed him his estate, and truly humbled him, all h•• brisknesse is taken away, the law hath taught him such a lesson, that he cannot be peark: Oh! saith he, I know nothing, there is no man more foolish then I, I have not the knowledge of the most High in me; though he have never so much knowledge, and gifts, and parts, yet the law hath discovered his estate unto him, and pulled down the pearknesse of his spirit. Again, another man is ready to carp at every word, every little occasion will make him on the top of the house, his heart is so brisk, that it is up upon every little occasion, but when the law comes home unto him, this will pull down all his pearkness; alas, he angry at a word speaking? The law hath told him how he hath offended God, and provoked his Spi∣rit from time to time; he is now cooled from being so peark, to be angry at every word. So take a man that is full of pleasure and voluptuousnesse, and is ready to be vain and foolish, every pleasure puts life into him; but now let the law come, and be charged upon his conscience, and then all his pearknesse is presently down, he is not able to look up, he seeth so many sins discovered by the law, that he is not able to look up: Jam. 5. 1. Go to now ye rich men (saith the Apostle) weep and ••owl for the misery that shall come upon you. If the law were charged upon rich men, it would make them weep and howle; rich men are fullest of pleasure and delight,

and farthest from weeping and howling, but if the Law were charged upon their consciences, it would make them weep and howle, and have little heart to be so pleasant.

I come now to the Uses, and the First Ʋse is for Instruction, to shew us the reason, why there are so many men and women among us, that think [Ʋse. 1] themselves alive, that are so secure, and fearlesse, and carelesse, that have their hearts so sound, and their spirits so unbroken; the reason is, because the Law hath not yet come home, and killed their hearts, 2 Cor. 3. 6. The very letter of the Law is able to kill as many of us as are in this estate and con∣dition; therefore the cause of this livelinesse, and security, is because we are strangers from the Law of God, our eyes were never open to behold it, the Law of God never came home unto our hearts.

The Second Ʋse is this, When we find our hearts to be brisk and peark, [Ʋse. 2] let us pray unto God that he would be pleased to charge his Law upon our Consciences: Let us buy precious eye-salve, that we may be able to look into the Law of God, this will make our hearts that they will not be so wanton, and our spirits, that they will not be so brisk; though they would never so fain mind earthly things, they cannot. If the Lord would be plea∣sed but to charge his Law upon the heart, it would make the stoutest spirit to yield.

Thirdly, This takes away the imputation that is laid upon the Word of [Ʋse. 3] God; many think hardly of the Word of God, it takes away the spirits of men: the Preaching of the Law, it pulls down the spirits of men, and breaks mens hearts, it makes men have no spirits, as they said of J••remy, thou makest the knees feeble: so the Law infeebles the knees, and takes away the spirits of a man; why here we see that the Law of God will do so, it is the Property of the Law to do so, wheresoever it comes, it kills the heart, and pulls down all the pearknesse of it. The Law, it will ever break a mans bones, as David speaks, Let me hear of joy and gladnesse, that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoyce, Psal. 51. The Lord had broken his very back∣bone by the Law, and now he could not rejoyce, Isai. 57. 15. I the Lord dwell with him that is of an humble and contrite spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble: When the Law of God hath broken a mans heart, and made him contrite, he is a dead man, till the Lord comes to revive him, and raise up his spirit.

I come now to the Second part of the Text, When the Commandment came, sin revived, and I died.

Here also, as in the former part, are Two things to be expounded:

First, What doth the Apostle here mean by reviving? When the Com∣mandment came, sin revived.

Secondly, What doth he mean by dying; I died?

When the Law and Commandment came, and discovered me to my self, and shewed me what a damnable thing sin was, and what a wretched dead creature I was for committing the same, and how I lay under the guilt there∣of, sin revived, and I died••. Therefore, What doth the Apostle mean by sin revived? I Answer, The Apostle doth not mean here, as if sin were indeed dead in him, before the Commandment came: for sin is alive in e∣very carnal mans heart, before the Commandment comes, and there∣fore he cannot mean thus, when the Commandment came, sin revived, as if it were truly, and really dead before; for his sins were not dead in him, when he was a Pharisee, his sins were not mortified, when he was in his un∣regenerat••d estate and condition sin was not dead in him, that cannot be the meaning, eas if sin vvere dead before, and now revived: But he speaks of the Appearance of the death of sin, though it vvere not dead before, yet

it did appear to be dead; as a Snake in cold weather, though it be alive, yet it appears to be dead, the life of it is in a swound; though it hath life, yet the cold benums it, and keeps it from appearing: So before the comm••••••∣ment came, sin was in Paul, but it seemed to have no life but when the ••••••∣mandment came, and discovered plainly, what a dead creature he was, then the life of sin came indeed to be manifested.

Now the Law of God doth manifest the life of sin Three wayes; it mani∣fests Three lifes of Sin: There are three lifes of sin that appear to the soul, when the Law comes.

1. First, There is the life of Aggravation; the Law of God doth ag∣gravate and point out sin to the full life of it, it makes sin appear in the true nature of it: the true nature of every thing is the life of the thing: the nature of a man is the life of a man: Now the Law did shew him the nature of his sins, it painted them out to the very life, in their lively colours; this made him see how his sins were aggravated: what a cursed and dam∣ned thing sin was, and what a person it was committed against, this made sin appear unto him in the very life of it; therefore in the 13. v••••s. of this Chapter, the Apostle saith, ••••n, that it might appear sin, wrought ••ath in me, that si•• might be out of measure sinful by the commandment: that is, when the commandment comes, and is manifested to the soul, it makes the life of sin appear, the life of sin is then manifested, the Law of God 〈◊〉〈◊〉 glasse, doth shew the life of the Commandment and the very nature of all sinning, and transgressing. Now before the Law came thus home ••••to him, he could not thus see sin; he could say, he was a sinner, and had com∣mitted these, and these sins: But what these sins were, and the exceeding sinfulnesse of these sins, he did not see that. He had a dead kind of picture of his sins before, but the life thereof was not manifested; but the Law of God did make his sin revive, and made him see his sins in the life of them.

2. Secondly, There is the life of Irritation, as I may so call it, or of ••ching, and egging a man. This is another life of sin, whereby it is full of Operation, and Working in the Soul: The Operation of a thing, is the life of a thing. Now before the Commandment came, sin seemed dead, it wrought indeed many evils in him, but he did not think his heart had been so full of life, and so full of activity against Gods Law and com∣mandments. Sin seemed to lye dead before, but now when the Command∣ment came, and set upon his heart, and began to charge him with better O∣bedience; now his heart grew itching, and marvellous full of life unto lust. Hereupon sin egged him the more on to lust: It is like water, when a man goes about to stop it, it runs the more violently. So it is with sin in the heart, the more the Law of God goes about to stop it, and hinder it, the more eager it is, and the more full of life and working, as the Apostle speaks, vers. 8. Without the Law, sin was dead: there was no such wor∣king of sin in my mortal body then: but vvhen the Commandment came, vvhen the Lavv vvas charged upon my heart, then sin took occasion hereby to be the more violent, and vvork in me all manner of Concupiscence: be∣fore I committed sin vvithout any check, I had vain thoughts, and foolish courses, and many a lust in my soul, and I vvent to it as if it had been a good thing, not as if it had been evil: But vvhen the Lavv of God came to shevv me the slacknesse of my Obedience, and to controle me, and convince me, and to stop the course of sin, it vvrought all manner of Con∣cupiscence in me; it vvrought before in Paul, for it vvrought all his security, and all his hardnesse of heart, and all his vain thoughts and ima∣ginations: but this vvas but a dead kind of vvorking, in comparison of that

which it wrought after the commandment came. There are none that have such active Rebellions against the Law and Commandment of God, as those to whom the Law comes; it eggs a man forward, and makes him itch unto Rebellion. If a man had asked Paul before, whether he had such a divelish heart against God? he saw no such matter, he never meant God any hurt when he went on in his course, he thought not that he was so stubborn and Rebellious, he did not feel this stubbornnesse and re∣bellion; But when the Law came once, it shewed him the ve••ome, and cur∣sed nature of his sins.

3. The Third life of sin is the worst of all; and that is, the life of Impu∣tation; for here sin is so full of life, that it is not only able to discover unto him, that he is a sinful wretch, and an abominable creature; but to bind him over to wrath and send him to Hell, and everlasting destructi∣on. Now it is the Law of God that discovers this life of sin: before the Law comes, a man hath many vain hopes, that God is merciful, and Christ died for sinners, and that God will forgive him his sins, he doth not see the imputation of sin: the imputation of sin lying upon the Soul is not clearly discovered, before the Law come; for where there is no Law, there is no imputation of sin, Rom. 5. 13. there saith the Apostle, Ʋnto the time of the Law was sin in the world; but sin is not imputed, while there is no Law. Before the Law is charged upon the heart, the heart never dreams of the imputation of sin, as if he should answer for sin, and be damned for sin for ever: He thought the contrary before, but now the Law discovers the life of sin unto him, and sin revives, and appears to have life to damn him for evermore. Sin now appears to have life to cast him off from God, and to bind him over to Everlasting vengeance. Thus it was with Paul, when the Commandment came, sin revived: I saw sin was alive indeed, and I saw the life of Aggravation, I saw the hellish nature of sin, it was painted out to the full; I saw the life of Irritation, I saw the infinite egging, and itch∣ing of sin, how it did work in me; I saw the life of imputation, how all my sins were imputed unto me, and did all lye upon my conscience, and so sin re∣vived, that is the meaning.

Now for the meaning of the Second word, I dyed; that is, I saw I was a dead man; I saw plainly, and clearly, that I was but a dead man; I thought I was alive before, because I did good duties, and walked in the Ordinances of God; and I thought that I might go for a Christian, and Servant of God, as well as another. I did not think I was a dead man, I thought I had some goodnesse in me, some hope of eternal life in me; I did not conclude that I was a dead man. But when the Law of God humbled me, and discovered my estate plainly unto me; then I saw I was a dead man indeed, my heart failed me, and the livelyness that was in me before, departed from me. I saw I was a dead man, and had not the Spirit of Christ come and quickned me, I had been a dead man to all eterni∣ty; I now saw that sin began to revive in me, and I began to be a dead man. Thus we see the meaning of the words.

Now the Theame I propounded to you was this, namely, how the Lord converts the will; and the first work that prepares a man hereunto, is the work of pulling down the vvill, and the pulling down of a mans heart; for the will of a man is full of obstinacy, full of livelinesse a∣gainst the truth and commandment of God; full of livelinesse in sin, and conceives it self to be in a better estate and condition, and so the will is obsti∣nate still. Now when it pleaseth God to convert a man, first he pulls down the will of a man, and pulls down his spirit; now here is a Doctrine to make way for this.

Namely, That when the Lord takes a man in hand to pull him down, to pull down his will, he doth shew him what a dead Creature he is. The Lord by pronouncing a man in his own Bosom, a dead man, a damned man, one that can no way help himself; he is dead, absolutely dead in his own e∣state, and in Gods account, all his hopes are rotten; he is meerly, a dead, damned man: hereby the Lord pulls down his Will. We may see this in Paul, before his Conversion; his Will was full of Obstinacy and Rebel∣lion against God, he would go and make havock of the Church, he would not submit to the Will of God; but when the Lord came to work upon him, Saul, Saul, Why persecutest thou me? It is hard for thee to kick a∣gainst the pricks: What wilt thou that I shall do Lord, saith he, Act. 9. 6? Now his Will is come down: but mark how the Lord puts him off; Go to such a place (saith he) and there it shall be told thee what thou shalt do. The Lord puts him off, and would not give him an Answer presently, what he should do; as who should say, Thou hast as yet an ob∣stinate Will, thou wilt not do as I command thee: I will not tell thee as yet, what I will have thee to do, but go to such a place, and I will Arrest thee there, and charge my Law upon thy Conscience, and shew thee thy dead, and damned estate. And now his Will is come down; he bids him be Baptized, and he was so; he bids him go and Preach the Gospel, and he did so; now his Will is come down.

So the Prodigal, his Heart was marvellous Obstinate against his Fathers commandment; he would be gone from his Father, he could not abide to stay in a house where there were such strict courses, he would have his Goods and Patrimony in his own hand, (as it is the Property of every carnal man) he would have his Inheritance in his own hand; he would have Power, and Strength, and Ability, and these Gifts, and Parts, in his own hand: but when he is humbled by the Law, he is content to have all in Gods hand, he is content to have all his VVisdom there, that he may come thither for it; he is content to have all his Righteousnesse there, and all his Ability, Strength, and Sufficiency there, that he may come thither for it; all is there, and he sees himself a beggar, if he comes not to God, and keeps close to God, and keeps fast to his Covenant, he is a very beg∣gar. But this man would have all in his own hands, and go and squander away all upon his Lusts and Pleasures, and he would not stay at home with his Father. Now when the Law of God came home to him, to shew this man to himself, when he came to himself, as the Text saith (his Fa∣ther did esteem him a dead man before,) but when he came to him∣self, and saw he was a dead man for going away from his Father, the Father of Life: Novv his VVill is come dovvn, I will go to my Father, and say, Father, I have sinned against Heaven, and against thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy Son, make me as one of thy hired servants, Luke 15. 17. Here his VVi••l is come dovvn: he vvould be gone from his Fa∣ther before, he could not abide to be held in so strictly, he vvould fain be gone, and be at liberty; he had no mind to stay in his Fathers house: But vvhen he came to himself, vvhen the Lavv shevved him, he vvas but a dead man, for going from his Father; and going after his Lusts and Pleasures; novv his VVill is brought dovvn, and it submits, and yields; and novv he vvill go to his Father, and humble himself before his Father, and say, Fa∣ther, I have sinned against heaven, and against thee, &c. Novv I desire here to shevv you Three things, as I did in the former Point.

First, VVherein this deadnesse consists.

Secondly, VVhat be the effects of this deadnesse, and how it pulls down the heart. And.

Thirdly, The Uses we are to make of it.

1. For the First, Wherein this deadnesse consists: and it consists in Three things.

First, In deadnesse in being.

Secondly; In deadnesse in Gods account.

Thirdly, In deadnesse to all doing.

1. First, It consists in deadnesse in being. When the law comes, it shews a man indeed to be a dead man, 2 Cor. 3. 6. the Letter killeth, saith the Apostle: the very letter of the law, without the Spirit of life, which Christ doth inform it with, when he comes to work upon his chil∣dren; The letter alone, without the Spirit of God, kills a man: now when a man is killed, he is a dead man; he is then fully dead, he hath the very being of a dead man, he is a dead man; that is his Estate and Condi∣tion. So when the law of God comes ••ome to a man, it shews him indeed that he is a dead man. The property of the law, when it is let in to work upon the heart, is to slay a man, I have slain them by the words of my mouth, Hos. 6. 5. The law which proceeds from Gods mouth, is able to slay a poor sinner, and kill him at the heart, and lay him for dead before Al∣mighty God, that he can strive no more; the reason is, because the law doth charge the truth of God upon a man. Now the truth is, that e∣very sinner is a dead man, this is the very truth of it, Rom 8. 6. To be car∣nally-minded is death: That man is a dead man; there is the very death of sinne, and hell, and condemnation in that man, that is a carnal-minded man. Now the law of God when it comes, doth charge this Truth upon the Soul, it discovers a man to be in this estate and condition, wherein in truth he is.

2. Secondly, It consists in deadnesse in Gods account. For all a mans presumptions, for all a mans vain hopes that he is justified; for this is the nature of man, before he is convinced by the law of God, to justi∣fie himself, (you are they that justifie your selves,) not that he is in∣deed justified; but he falsely applies justification to himself, and he hopes he is justified before God, he is apt to pronounce this hope unto himself. Let a Minister tell him of his sins, here is his Salve, God is merciful, and Christ came to save sinners. Let Sermons beat upon him from day to day, to humble him, he cannot imagine that he is in a damnable estate: Prea∣chers are too harsh, and censorious, and the like. But when the Law comes, it shuts up a man that he cannot get out, as the Apostle speaks, Gal. 3. 22. The Law hath concluded all under sin: that is the nature of the word of God, to shut up a man, that a man is not able to get out: be∣fore the law is charged, the heart hath a thousand starting-holes. De∣nounce hell, and damnation against it, it hath this starting-hole, that Christ dyed for sinners: discover plainly that he is a dead man, he hath these starting-holes, he hopes he shall have peace, and he hopes he is not so vile before Almighty God, and he hopes he hath better righteousnesse then you would bear him down with; and so he hath an evasion to get out: but when the law comes, and shuts him up, this will tame him. As we use to tame Lions, and Bears, and such like fierce and cruel creatures, by shutting of them up, so the Lord tames the heart of a poor creature, when he would pull him down, he shuts him up, and layes him in the prison, and in the Gaole, and he hath no way to get out, he is a dead man, and there is no way to get out, no evasion to escape; but still he is a dead man, and a damned man, he cannot open his mouth any more, Ezek. 16. 63. That thou mayest remember, and be confounded, and never open thy mouth any more, when I am pacified towards thee, for all

that thou hast done, saith the Lord God. The law indeed works thus in the Regenerate, though the Lord be pacified towards them, yet they shall never open their mouths, never cavil against Gods precepts more, never be so brisk any more. But so long as a man is in his sins, the law doth not only convince him that he is dead in himself, but that he is also dead to∣wards God; that God accounts him a dead man, that God is not paci∣fied towards him, but he lies under the wrath of God, and this pulls him down, and stops his mouth. A carnal mans mouth will not be stopped, but he will have some thing to say, some vain hope, or confidence, or other, some pleading, or excusing or other. His mouth will never be stopped, till the law of God comes; and when that comes, that will stop his mouth, and make it appear, that he is guilty before God, Rom. 3. 19. the Apostle saith, Now we know, that whatsoever the Law saith, it saith to them that are under the Law, that every mouth might be stopped, and all the world may be culpable before God. But before the law comes, a mans mouth will not be stopped. Gen. 20. 3. God came to Abimilech by night, and said, Thou art but a dead man, because of the woman which th••u hast taken, for she is a mans Wife: He was a dead man, but he little thought it; he would not believe that he was a dead man: As the Text there speaks of temporal death. So it is true of the other, carnal men are indeed dead men, but they will not believe that they are dead men, and damned men; they hope for mercy, and cry, peace, peace to their soul••; but when the law comes, that knocks off all mens hopes, and layes them for dead in Gods account.

3. Thirdly, This deadnesse I here speak of, it consists in regard of all manner of doing; when the law of God hath charged it self upon the con∣science, and discovered to a man, that he is a dead, and a damned man. It makes it now appear unto him, that he is utterly unable to do any thing; he is in the depth of misery, and he is unable to cry mercy aright, he is not able to make a prayer, no more then a dead man: he seeth he can no more keep a Sabbath as he ought, than a dead man. So for any duty of Religion, he seeth he hath no more life to do it, then a dead man hath to do the actions of the living: as the Apostle speaks, Gal. 2. 19. I am dead to the Law, that I might live unto God. God made Saint Paul alive unto him, but first he charged his law upon his conscience, and made him seem to be a dead man to the law: That he had no life or ••••••∣ty to do any thing pleasing to God: but when the Lord made him aliv•• to himself, then he could do something; nay, he was able to do all things, through the Lord Jesus Christ that strengthned him. But in himself, both still, and before, he was altogether dead to the law of God; so that when the law comes, and shews a mans estate unto him, it shews him his utter inability to the performance of any good duty. The Pharisee will to the Temple as well as the Publican; Saul will Sacrifice as well as Samuel; Pro∣phane people will take up the Ordinances of God, as if they had life to go through them, as well as the people of God. But when the law comes, it plainly convinceth a man; it makes him feel and understand, that he hath no activity, or life to perform any thing pleasing to Almighty God; a dead man can do nothing, he is cut off from all the actions of the living; dead men they cannot devise ought, they cannot purpose ought, they cannot work ought. So when the Law of God is charged upon a man, and shews him that he is but a dead man; and a damned man, now he seeth, he can as well create a world, as make a prayer: he can as well remove a Mountain, as do any thing acceptable to God. Such a man will say, I am a dry tree, and cannot grow; I am lost in the

wildernesse of sin, and cannot get out again. Thus we see wherein this dead∣nesse consists.

2. Now I come to shew you the Effects if this deadnesse, how it pulls down the heart: this will pull down the heart of a man marvellously, when the Law chargeth this upon him, that he is but a dead man; though the will of man be infinitely unruly, it is wild, it is like the mad man in the Gospel, that the Divel was in, no man was able to bind him, no Chains were able to hold him, no Creature could tame him, Mark. 5. 34. So it is with the will of an unregenerate man, his will is marvellous wild, he breaks all bonds, and snaps all cords in pieces, and casts off the yoak from him. Let God bid him do this, he will not do it; let him be in a good mood, he is presently out of it again; let him be convinced of his vain hopes, and let him see what a wretched Creature he is, he will have vain hopes again; his will is infinitely unruly, and desperately wild, the very Divel in hell hath the rule of it; it is full of life against God and his Commandments, and will never yield while the wo••ld stands, till now the Lord comes with his Law, and shews a man, that he is a dead man, and a damned man, and shews him that he is under the wrath of God; the Law is able to do this, as the Apostle speaks, Rom. 4. 15. The Law causeth wrath, It makes a man appear to lye under the wrath of God, under Gods ever∣lasting displeasure, and in the mouth of hell and damnation; and if God be not merciful to him, and more merciful then to a world of men, he seeth he is a dead man, utterly lost, and undone for ever; now this will make his spirit yield, and make his heart begin to come in; as the Psalmist speaks concerning Princes, He shall cut off the spirit of Princes, he is ter∣rible to the Kings of the earth, Psal. 76. 12. Kings and Princes have stout spirits; now when the Lord sends but a little terrour into their hearts, he is able to snib their spirits, for all their security, and for all the height of their magnanimity; he is able to cut off all, by sending his terrour into their hearts, so the Law sends terrour into the heart. Can there be a greater terrour then to have the Law denounce a man to be a dead man? and that the wrath of God is gone out against him? and that he lyeth in the very mouth of all the Canons of the fury of the most High? This will break the heart of a man, if his heart were made of brasse, this would break it. Look as it was with the Moabites, 2 Sam. 8. 2. They were stout against David, and would not yield and submit unto him; but when David smote them, and measured them with a cord, and cast them down to the ground; when he measured them with two cords to put them to death, and with one full cord to keep them alive; then saith the Text, the Moa∣bites became Davids servants, and brought him gifts. So it is with a pro∣phane creature, whilest God lets him go on, he is stout, and will not serve God, but his will is altogether crosse, and contrary to Gods will and Commandments; he will not take up those courses that God commands, he will not submit himself to the precifenesse of the Gospel, his will is infinitely crosse in this kind, and marvellous obstinate. But if the Lord takes him in hand, and charges his Law upon his conscience, he puts such terrours into his heart, that he is willing to submit unto God upon any terms. I confesse the Law cannot do this of it self; it cannot thus bring down the will of a man, and mortifie a mans sins: For if the damned in hell were let loose again, to live here upon earth, they would forget all their former Plagues, and Torments, and sin would revive again in them. The Law of it self, can only lay sinne in a swound, it will up again if it be loose: the law cannot do this of it self; but I speak now of the Law, as it is Gods Instrument. Hereby he pulls down the heart of a man, and

pulls down his Spirit; labour will pull down any mans spirit: when a man is in labour, and pain, and affliction, it will make a mans stomack come down; as we may see, Psal. 107. 11, 12. Because they rebelled, against the words of the Lord••; therefore he humbled their heart with labour and heaviness; then they fell down, but there was no helper: Before they were stout a∣gainst the Lord, and would not hearken unto him, and obey his Command∣ments; now the Lord brought down their heart. But how did he bring them down? he pulled them down by laying labours upon them; la∣bour, and torment, and heavynesse pulled down their hearts. So when the Law makes the heart labour under the wrath of God, it lies labouring, and quaking, and shaking, and weltring, and bleeding under the wrath of God; this pulls down the will▪ And now I come to speak of the Effects it works, in doing of it.

1. The First Effect is this, It casts the heart into those woful privations we read of; there are abundance of comfortable things, which the man which is alive in his own conceit, thinks himself to have. Now when the Law comes to deaden him, it knocks him off from all those comfortable things he seemed to have; whereas he seemed to have some admittance to God in prayer, he could pray to him before, but now he sees he is an out-cast, and dares not lift up his eyes to heaven: Before he hoped that God would have mercy on him, and that he had some interest in Christ, and hope of salvation; but now he seeth he is lost: Before he seemed to have liberty, and freedom; he could do this, and that, and had a thou∣sand evasions; but now he seeth himself a meer captive: before he thought he had some riches, some goodnesse; but now he seeth he is but a poor begger: before he had some Fig-leaves to cover him, but now he seeth he is altogether naked: before he was heart-whole, and sound, he had peace, and comfort, and quietnesse within him, but now he is altogether broken. This is the effect of this deadnesse, it brings all these privati∣ons into the soul; death is a privation it self, and it brings an hundred pri∣vations with it; even a privation of all the priviledges of the living: this the Law doth when it comes. All this while the Soul is lost, and captived, and poor, and blind, and miserable, and naked, and an out∣cast; it is utterly undone, and altogether unable to help it self; and this as it doth make a man an Object of the Gospel, one for whom Christ dy∣ed, as it points out such a man; so there is a Finger of the Gospel in it also, when the soul understands the goodnesse of the Gospel, and sees it self to be lost for want thereof; yet notwithstanding the first stroke is given by the Law, the first stroke that casts the Soul into this privation is done by the Law, and if the Lord means to convert, there the Gospel begins, Luk. 4. 18. The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath annointed me, that I should preach the Gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the broken hearted, to preach deliverance to the Captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, that I should set at liberty them that are bruised. When the Law hath humbled a man, and thus brought down his will, then begins the work of the Gospel. As we use to say of Natural Philosophy; where Natural Philosophy ends, there Physick begins; So where the Law ends, the Gos∣pel begins. Thus we see the first Effect of this deadnesse.

2. Secondly, When the Law hath done this, when the deadnesse the Law hath wrought, hath produced this Effect; then the next Effect is this, the Law holds the heart there: when a man is dead, the effect of death is to hold a man there. There is no redresse, no return, without the Al∣mighty power of God: there is no return to his former life. So when the Law hath deaded a man, it holds a man there, though a man would

never so fain get out, he cannot; he will be snatching at a Christ, and looking at the promises, and be presuming that there is mercy for him; he would fain be brisk again. But if the Law hath killed him, and made him a dead man, he cannot get out. Rom. 7. 6. the Apostle saith, We are delivered from the Law, being dead unto that wherein we were holden▪ St. Paul could not get out to his livelynesse again, but the Law held him. So it is with the Law, when the Law of God hath humbled a man, and made him a dead man, it holds him there; let the Divel come with all the comforts he can, there is no evasion; let his vain neighbors bring what Scriptures they can to cheer him, there is nothing can lift that soul up: let all profits and pleasures come, they cannot take off his heart, they can∣not make him alive again, unlesse it please the Lord to quicken and revive him.

2. The next Effect of this deadnesse is, that it makes the heart stiff: when the body is dead, all the members are stiff, the beatings of the pulses cease, and all are stiff. So when a man is killed by the Law, it makes his head stiff, it breaks off all his arguing, and reasoning, and disputing against the Law of God; That is against my profit, and that is against my pleasure, and that is against my credit; thus the heart is full of life end activity before. But when the Law comes, and shews him he is a dead man: now he is not able to stir, now he can say, what if it be against my profit, and plea∣sure? what if it be against my credit? what if men make a mock at me? I am a dead man if I live not in this course. Psal. 36. 12. There saith the Text, They are fallen that work iniquity, they are cast d••w•• 〈◊〉〈◊〉 shall not be able to rise. So when the Law of God comes, and preacheth righteousnesse to a man, and shews him against whom he hath sinned, it makes him a dead man, he cannot stir any more; if the Divel bids him reason for his lusts, he dares not do it; if his old company perswade him to his former life and conversation, he dares not do it. Isa••. 41. 21. Stand to your cause saith the Lord, bring forth your strong reasons, saith the God of Jacob. You could be reasoning, and pleading for your lusts, let us now hear your strong reasons, and arguments. Now this man is a dead man, and a damned man; he hath no reason, no plea to alledge, to go on in his former course, this man is killed now.

4. Fourthly, This deadnesse makes the ••eart yield; before the Law comes, the heart is marvellous obstinate, but now when the stiffnesse of it is gone, and the Law hath made him a dead man, now he will yield, 2 Chron. 30. 8. As H••zekiah speaks; Be not now stiff-••ecked as your fa∣th••rs, but give the hand to the Lord, and come into his Sanctuary. So when the Lord hath broken the neck of a mans stiffnesse, and hath broken his back-bone, that he cannot stand stiffly out, and hath taken away his livelynesse, which was his whale-bone as it were, to uphold him in his strength, and courage, and in his sins Now his heart is made to yield to God, he cannot now but yield to the Lord. Thus it is with a poor creature, when the law works upon him, he cannot stand out any longer: It is m••st true, before the Lord converts a man he doth take away his stiffnesse, and make a man a dead man. But you will say, when a man is dead, all his joynts are stiff, his body is cold, and grows stiff; but when a man is alive, his joynts are lithe and lively. I Answer, It is true, the law of God cannot take away a mans natural stiffnesse, but his voluntary stiffness is taken a way. The voluntary stiffnesse is taken away when he is dead; when a man was alive, he could shut his hand, and hold it so; he could stretch out his arm, and hold it so: but when a man is dead, he cannot do so. So it is in this case, although the stiffnesse of nature remain still; yet

the voluntary stiffnesse is taken away; the will and heart of a man is out of life; It cannot be stiff towards God. I confesse, the Lord doth not take a way all stiffnesse, no not out of his Saints; but he takes so much stiff∣nesse out of the heart, as to make it a patient, he shall not be voluntarily stiff, he shall not be overcomingly resisting. Divines use to say, that in the first conversion of a sinner, he is meerly a Patient; first the Lord makes him a patient, and then converts him, Jer. 31. 19. After I was con∣verted, I repented, after I was instructed, I smote upon the thigh, &c. ••••st God made him a patient, and instructed him, and afterwards converted him.

The Use of the Points is this, Is it so that the law of God doth make a man a dead man? Then here we may observe the wonderful p••wer of the law; a man hath so much livelinesse in him, so much ••se and activity, and so many strong conceits, that it is wonderful hard to make him dead; therefore the word of God is mighty. It is said of ••p••••••, that he did migh∣tily convince the Jewes, Act. 18. 28. for he was mighty in the Scriptures; there had need be might in the Scriptures to do this. What strong rea∣sons had they in regard of flesh and blood, that Jesus was not the Christ? What, he the Christ that was born in a manger, and hath none but a beg∣gerly company to his kindred? Are not his brethren and kinsfolk 〈◊〉〈◊〉? None but th•• tag-rag and refuse of the Country follow him. What, he that had no form or beauty in him, the Saviour of the world? The Word of God was marvellous powerfull, that could convince them of thi••; so a man that goeth on in his sinful estate and condition, it is a marvellous hard thing to convince him that he is a dead man: he hears the Word con∣stantly, and goes on in his Calling diligently, and he hopes that Christ ••ed for him; he is afraid of sin, and his heart trembles to commit sin, and he is sorry for his sins, he is thus, and thus: he that hath so many things to plead for himselfe, what, he a dead man? It is impossible Therefore if the law of God be able to convince a man, and make a man a de a man that is so full of l••fe, the law must needs be mighty that can do this: to dead this man, and kill this man, is a mighty work. So that we may say, as the Psalmist saith of the Sea and the Mountains, Psal. 114. 5, 6. W••a•• ••••∣ed ••hee, O Sea, that thou fleddest? O Jordan, why were th•••• turned back? Ye Mountains, why leaped ye as Rams, and ye Hills as Lambs? So I may say, What ayleth this poor man that he is now driven from his former courses, and like the ••ea, out of his own Channel? what ayls those Moun∣tains of lusts and corruptions, that were settled upon his soule, as a Moun∣tain upon his Base; what ayle these to move, and stir, and fall away? What ayls the man that was so full of life before, that at one Sermon he is killed? What ayls the man? he came brisk and peark into the Church, and who but he? He was immoveable from his sinful lusts, and corruptions, and he had this Plea, and that confidence, and was full of life, but by one hours discourse (which it may be another heard as well as he, and went a∣way as brisk as before, but) this mans spirit is deaded, and his heart taken down; what ayls the man now? why the law of God hath done it: See therefore the marvellous power of the law.

I told you formerly, That when the Law comes home to a mans soule, and is charged upon his Conscience, it casts the heart into all those woful priv••tions we read of in Scripture; a man before he is thus deaded by the law, thinks himselfe to be possessed of abundance of comforts, but now he seeth himselfe to be an out-cast, and utterly lost, to be a captive, and poor, and miserable, and blind, and naked; he lies under all these privations:

And as the Philosopher saith, That Privation is one of the Principles of Nature: Every body (saith he) hath Three Principles, Matter, Form, and Privation: No natural thing can have this or that From put into it, but it must be deprived of all other Forms, as if fire be turned into air; first the form of fire must be taken away, before it can be turned into air, so it is in Grace, Privation is one of the Principles of Religion; before the life of Christ can be brought into a man, there must first be a Privation of all other contrary lives: the life of the flesh, that cursed livelinesse of the flesh, the life of sin, and the life of the world, whereby a man lives unto the world, and the things of the world. A man must be deprived of all other lives, of all other forms, he must have a Privation of all other forms, before the life of Christ can be formed in him. As for example, Take a man that is worldly wise put him upon civil Affairs, he is wise enough to order all his businesse; in eating and drinking, he is wise enough not to distemper him∣self, wise enough to keep a good diet: Put him upon matters of Religion, he is wise there too, he will not be so precise as some are, that are more nice then wise; he will be moderate, and wise in the Service of God Tell him, that he is one that doth not please God that he walks to hell-ward, that he hath no care of his Salvation; he thinks that he is wiser then so. Would you make this man a wise man indeed? you can never make him truly a wise man, till you bring a Privation upon him, till he be first depri∣ved of all that worldly wisdom that is in him; If any man among you seem to be wise (saith the Apostle) let him become a fool that he may 〈◊〉〈◊〉 wise. I Cor. 3. 18 Let him have first a Privation of all the seeming wisdom he hath, of all the wisdom of the flesh and carnal reason; he must first be a fool, or else true wisdom is not able to enter it to him: So if a man would be high, he must first be humbled, and brought low, before he can be trul•• high; a man must be naked, before he can be cloat••ed; a man ••ust be lost, be∣fore he can be found; there are none of you that live in your sins, but you must be stripped of all the forms that are in you; there must be a Priva∣tion come into you, before true Grace can be formed in you. Privation is one of the Principles of Religion, and unlesse you be deprived of all other forms, you cannot have the essential form of Religion come into you; it is the poor that receive the Gospel: when a man is deprived of all other forms, then is he fit to receive the forme of the Gospel. When a man is deprived of his own wisdom, he may then receive the wisdom of the Gospel; when a man is deprived of his own self-confidence, of his own strength, and sufficiency, then he may receive the strength of the Gospel: when a man is deprived of all other contrary livelinesse and contrary forms that are opposite to all these, when a man is deprived of all these, he is capable of the true life of Christ, and the Gospel. I will Instance onely in one thing which I named before, and that is poverty: a man can never re∣ceive Christ, or any impression of the true form of Christianity, till first his Heart be emptied, and his Will and his Mind be emptied and his Con∣science be emptied, till all other forms be voided out, and he begins to be made poor and nothing in himself, till every room in the soule be naked, and empty, there is never a room for the kingdome of God to come into the soule, the kingdom of God is a great thing, and will take up a great deal of room where it comes, therefore the Heart, and the Mind, and the Will, and the Affections must be emptied: the soul must be rid and void of all other things, or else there is no room for the Kingdom of God. As our Saviour saith Matth. 5. 3. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for they shall receive the Kingdome of God: Then there is room for the Kingdom of God, when the heart is made poor, and all is voided out, the world, and the

flesh, and all cranal delights, and pleasures, and all self-conceitednesse, which the heart was full of. When it was full of the world, there was no room for Gods Kingdome; but when a man is made poor in spirit, when he hath a Privation of those things wherewith his soule was filled; now there is room for the Kingdom of God; the reason is, because a man can never be brought to Christ, till he is pinched with these Privations; before he can never come to Christ, his heart can never be brought to bid so much, and stake down so much for Christ, as he must do, if ever he come to attain him; unlesse his heart be pinched with poverty, unlesse his heart be void of all these high imaginations he had of himself, he will never come to Christ. It is plenty that brings down the market, and scarcity that makes it rise: plentiful years, will make Corn of no price almost; but if there be famine, and scarcity, and no bread almost to be had, but men are ready to dye for hunger, then they wil give any thing, they will give ten shillings a bushel, twenty, nay fourty shillings hath been given for a bushel of Corn, as I have read in Chronicles; it is poverty that makes men come to a price. So must the heart be pinched with Spiritual poverty, else it will not come to Christ; men will give nothing for the King∣dom of God, they will not part with a single groat for Christ; the pro∣phane Gallant will not part with a look for Christ; the proud vain fool, will not part with a foolish lace, a foolish fashion for Christ; the drunkard will not foregoe a pot for Christ, men will not part with any thing for Christ; they will not part with a paultry lust, or base affection for Christ; People will not stir, they will not open their purses, they will not open their hearts to give any thing for Christ; the reason is, their hearts are full already. People count their profits, and pleasures, and lusts, and vanities, and delights, their Jewels, a man must be poor, be∣fore he will part with his Jewels; but if a man be throughly pinched with poverty, he will part with his old Gold; and Rings, and Jewels, and all; but he will never part with his Jewels, till he be forced to it by extremity. So all the lusts of the heart, all the things of the world, that the mind and affections run upon, men account them their Jewels, and they will not part with them, till they be pinched with poverty. Thus it was with the Jaylor, Acts 16. 30. when he was pinched with this poverty, he cryes out, Men and brethren, what shall I do to be saved? when his heart was pinched with this poverty, he was content to part with any thing, he was willing to do any thing, to hearken to any terms that he might have mercy: So that it is necessary for a man to have all these Privations wrought in his heart, and be made poor, else he will never take Christ upon those terms whereupon he is offered.

Secondly, Suppose a man should conceive worth to be in Christ: suppose he should put a great price upon him, yet if a man be not under these Privations, if he be not pinched with poverty, with Spiritual need and want; he will never use all means for the attaining of the Kingdom of God. He will never betake himself to all those courses that God hath commanded himselfe to be sought in. It was need that made Ahab send up and down all Countries, and Soiles for water; it was need that made the rich Women of Shunem to hazard her life, and her family, and houshold in a forraign Country; she would not have gone a mile of that Journey, but for her poverty, as Divines use to speak. Let two men go to the market, the one hath need, the other hath not; he that hath need will go whatsoever the weather be, though the weather be never so foul, he will go; bread he wants, and bread he must have, and bread he will have; and if he cannot have it at an easie rate, he will part with any

thing; he will pawn his very cloaths from his back for it. Why? Be∣cause he, and his Wife, and his Children want it. But the other he will go according as he likes the weather, if the weather be answerable to his mind, it may be he will go; and it may be not; and when he is there, it may be he will buy, and it may be not, according as the price goeth, because he hath no need of it. So it is in Grace, let two men be called upon to seek out for Grace; one doth not feel any great need, he is not pinched with the want of Faith, and Repentance, and Pardon, and Peace of Conscience: though he want these, yet he is not pinched with the want, his heart is yet full, he is not yet come to this Spiritual poverty. It may be he will come to a Sermon, it may be not; it may be he will part with a Lust, and it may be not; it is ac∣cording as the bargain pleaseth him, he will never use all means, nor take up all courses that are prescribed: But a man that is ready to starve for want of Christ; as Sisera said, Give me drink or else I perish; so, give me Christ or else I perish: This man will take any course, use any means, he must have Christ, and will have him; when he comes to the Word, Christ he wants, and Christ he will have, and must have; all Ser∣mons, and all hearing, are but as Oile to the fire, they do but pinch his Soul so much the more, till Christ comes; he must have Christ in his Ordinances, because he is sensible of his Spiritual poverty. So that it is he which is lost that will be found, it is he which is a captive that will be freed, it is he that is blind that must have his sight, and it is he that is na∣ked that must be cloathed; he that lies under these woful Privations, he must have the form, he looks after it, he cannot be without it. Thus we see that Privation is necessary for Religion, the true life of Religion can never come into a man, till he be layed under all these woful Privations we read of in Scri∣pture.

But now here is a Question which will arise, which those that are godly [Quest.] would be glad to have resolved, and that is this: Whether these Priva∣tions that the Apostle here speaks of, makes a man the formal Object of mercy? Saint Paul was alive once before the Law came, but when the Law came, and was charged upon his Conscience, it deprived him of his livelynesse, and made him a dead man; I dyed saith he. Now the Que∣stion is this, Whether is such a man the formal Object of mercy? When the Law hath deprived a man of his conceited riches, and made him a poor man, and hath proclaimed him a bank-rupt, and a begger, and made him a captive, that he is not able to stir one foot, he is not a∣ble so much as to think a good thought; but he lyeth under wrath, and is not able to get out: Whether is such a man the formal Object of mer∣cy? I mean, whether is he such a one, as the Gospel hath promised de∣liverance unto? When a man by the Law is made a dead Creature, and is altogether deprived of life and health; he hath no life actually, and there is no life actually to be had for him, (for so the law leaves him without any hope of getting any life.) Whether is this man the formal Object of mercy? whether is he such a one as the Gospel doth make promise to of quickning, and enriching, and gathering, and finding, and saving, and comforting, and the like? whether is this man the formal Object of mercy? Every man is the Object of mercy, but whether hath this man got those properties that belong to the actual Ob∣ject of mercy?

The reason why I propound this Question, is this, Because the Scripture seems to make such a one the formal Object of mercy, such a one as mercy is promised to, such a one as the Gospel looks upon, as the proper and

actual Object of mercy; for the Gospel is said to quicken the dead, and to give them life; it is the Letter that killeth, and the Spirit that giveth life, 2 Cor. 3. 6. It giveth life to him that was before a dead man, to him that was killed by the letter. So for poverty; Luk. 4. 18. To the poor the Gospel is preached, the Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath an∣nointed me to preach the Gospel to the poor, he hath sent me that I should heal the broken hearted, and preach deliverance to the Captives, and reco∣vering of sight to the blind: So that when the Law hath made a man a poor man, and hath stripped him of all his conceited riches, and hath made him a begger, it seems that Christ is anointed to preach mercy to such a one; it seems that such a one is the formal Object of the Gospel. See Psal. 147. 2. He gathers the out-casts of Israel: when the Law hath made a man an out-cast, it seems he is the formal Object of mercy: The Gospel undertakes to gather such people so far lost. The Son of man is come to save that which is lost, Mat. 18. 11. he is come for that pur∣pose, it is his Commission, he is sent to save that which is lost; when the Law hath made a man to be a lost man, that he seeth he is utterly undone without mercy; Christ is come to save such people, and to look upon them as the formal Object of mercy.

So for death it self, when a man is made dead by the Law; The houre shall come saith our Saviour, and now is, that the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God; and they that do hear it shall live, Joh. 5. 25. It seems that the Scripture makes such as are made dead by the Law; and poor, and blind, and naked, and wretched, and miserable, by reason of the Law be∣ing pressed upon them, and pulling them down with terrour and con∣viction; it seems such a one is the formal Object of mercy, such a one to whom mercy is promised. I do not mean that he is the formal Object of the invitations of the Gospel, that is most certain, there is no que∣stion of that, Come unto me all ye that are weary, and heavy lad••n, and you shall find rest to your souls. Come unto me, all you that are poor, and blind, and naked, and dead, and I will give you life; have you a hard heart, that you cannot free your selves from, come unto me, and I will free you from it? have you no power to repent and believe? come unto me, and take mercy upon my terms, and believe in me; whatsoever weak∣nesse is in you, I will strengthen you; whatever discomforts and wants lye upon you, I will relieve and chear you. This is certain, the more a man seeth himself a dead man, the more he is the formal Object of the invi∣tation of the Gospel. But the Question is, Whether he is the formal Object of the promises of the Gospel?

I Answer, No; There is a great deal of difference between legal Priva∣tions, and these Privations as they are Evangelical, as the Gospel makes [Answ.] them before it quickens a man: there is a great deal of difference between a man that is dead, and poor, and blind, and naked, and miserable by reason of the Law; and a man that hath these privations wrought in him by the power of the Gospel: when a man is made dead by the Law, and sees himself a lost creature by reason that the Law plainly shews him his estate and condition, this man may be a Reprobate for all this, and go to hell; there is no promise in the Word that God will quicken him, and raise him up, Christ is free from any promise in this kind, he may quicken him if he will, and not quicken him if he please. I may say in this sense, as Christ him∣self saith, Joh. 5. The Son of man quickens wh••m he will; He is free to quicken whom he will, though a man be made a dead man by the Law, and cry out he is a dead man, and a damned man, though he hath the works of the Law, and be terrified, and gastered, and humbled by the Law,

yet Christ is free from any promise he hath made to these people; there is never a Promise in all the Word, that Christ hath bound himself by to these people to quicken them: they cannot say there is such a Promise in the Word that Christ shall quicken them. There are plain places in the Scripture, wherein the Lord invites such people, upon condition they will come and believe, and submit to the Gospel; there is a conditional invita∣tion upon these terms: But that these People shall be quickned, and shall have eternal Life given them, there in no such Promise; the Lord is free, the Lord hath not bound himself to it; but when a man is dead according as the Gospel makes a man dead before it quickens him, and when a man is poor according as the Gospel makes him poor, and when a man is blind ac∣cording as the Gospel makes him blind, now a man is within the compasse of Gods Promises, he is one that is the formal Object of Mercy, he is one that shall have Mercy, and shall have Salvation, and Redemption by Jesus Christ; these dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and shall live; the tongue of these stammerers shall speak plain, the eyes of these blind shall see, these out-casts shall be gathered, these naked shall be cloathed, these lost shall be found, these poor shall be enriched; when a man is dead, so as the Gospel deads a man, before it quickens a man (for the Lord damns a man before he saves a man, and kills a man before he quickens him) like a good Surgeon, that cuts before he cures; or like a good Physician, that kills a man almost with Physick, so the Lord doth bring a man to deaths door before he quickens him; it is the Gospel that truly humbles him, and works these Privations; and now he is within the compasse of the Promise: now he hath a Promise that he shall be quickned, and have supply in regard of all these Privations; but so long as these Privations are only legal, he hath no Promise that he shall be quickned, for many are humbled and made dead as it were by the Law, and yet shake it off again, and go to their pro∣••its, and pleasures, and delights, and hardnesse of heart again; many a man hath been gastered by the Law, and cryed out of his damned estate and condition, and yet hath got up again, and recovered himself by the world and the things of the world; and it was ever so of old, as we may see in Cain, the Law had discovered him to himself to be a dead man, and a damned man: I see my sins are greater then can be forgiven, or are forgiven, or shall be forgiven: he saw his punishment was intolerable, his condemnation was more then he was able to bear; From thy presence am I cast out, and a Vagabond shall I be upon the fac•• of the earth, Gen. 4. 14. Yet he was not the formal Object of Mercy; the Gospel did not quicken him, nor convert him: he was not the formal Object of Mercy, for he shook off these ter∣rours again, as we may see in the very same Chapter, and went to building of Cities, and inventing of Musick, and other Arts and Sciences; and this quickned, and revived him again: but he never came to true Life. So it is with many men, though they be terrified, and gastered, and humbled, and cast down by the Law, yet they get up again, and run after the world, and af∣ter security, and hardnesse of heart again, so that such a man is not the for∣mal Object of Mercy.

2. Again, We see many, though they be wrought upon thus by the Law, and their Eyes be enlightned, and their Consciences awaked, and they see that they are in a wretched and damned estate; yet they scrape to∣gether a company of vain hopes, and so heal themselves again. VVhen they have been terrified by the Law, they seek presently for Promises, and how they may get up again, and they would fain get up; and they lye at catch at every Sermon, and at every Chapter, and at every Word which a good man speaks, and if they can get any hold, they catch at it; and

so get up again and go on: And when they have got a little comfort, and think they shall do well, they are as carelesse, and as stubborn, and as se∣cure as ever they were; they may go on in the profession of Religion, but yet their latter end is worse than their beginning: The unclean Divel may be cast out, but the Devil transforms himself into an angel of light, and en∣ters into them, and they go on in doing good duties, but they never have the power of Religion.

Again Thirdly, Many that are humbled by the Law, they run away, and never come to Christ, as Judas when he saw he was condemned, he went and hanged himself, Matth. 27. 3, 5. Some expound it of Christ, when he saw Christ was condemned; but others expound it of himself, when Judas saw himself was condemned, and that seems to be the meaning of the place; for Christ was not condemned, nor so much as accused; there came not any witnesse against him, till Judas had hanged himself, as we may see if we read that Chapter. But whether that be the meaning or no, this is true and certain, he saw he was a dead man, he saw he lay under the guilt of his sins, and he despaired of Mercy, and went and hanged him∣self.

Again Lastly, If such a man were the Object of Mercy, then all the damned in Hell were the formal Objects of Mercy; for there is never a man in Hell, but the Law hath its work to the uttermost upon him; it can work a man no lower, it can sink a man no deeper, it can make a man no more miserable, then those that are in Hell. Now if a dead man by the Law should be the formal Object of mercy, then the damned in Hell should be the formal Object of mercy, which cannot be; for from thence there is no Redemption, Go ye cursed into everlasting fire, prepared for the Divel and his angels, Matth. 25. there is no quenching of that fire. So that we see, the legal killing of the Law, doth not make a man the formal Object of mercy. But yet such a man hath a great deal of advantage, he is before a world of other men, that live secure; if men were in this e∣state, they were in a thousand times more likelyhood to be saved. If I could hear of people that were gastered, and cast down by the Law; that saw themselves without Christ, and without Mercy, in the power of Satan, and in the bond of iniquity; if they cryed out, I am a dead man, and a damned man, if I dye now at this present I shall go to Hell, if People were in this estate and condition, there were more hopes of them a thousand times: there is no hope of people that do live secure in their sins; so long as the Trumpet of the Law hath not sounded in their ears, so long as the Hammer of the Law hath not sounded upon their hearts, there is no hope of mercy for them. Therefore now for the clearing of this a little more, let me shew you,

First, What it is to be dead, according as the Gospel makes a man to be a dead man.

Secondly, What is the difference between Legal Privation, and Evangeli∣cal; and when these Privations are Evangelical, and put a man under the actual title to Mercy, under an actual interest in the Promises.

Thirdly, VVhat Use we are to make of it.

For the First, VVhat it is to be Evangelically dead: To be Legally dead, is not to be half a quarter so much dead, as to be Evangelically dead, so as the Gospel makes a man dead before it quickens him. VVhen a man is Evangeli∣cally dead, it makes him more dead by a thousand degrees, then all the Law in the world can make him, it makes him more dead by odds; when a man is Legally dead, and sees himself to be a damned creature, and whereas he hoped to have mercy, he seeth now he hath none; and whereas he hoped

to go to Heaven, he now seeth the Gates are shut against him; and whereas he hoped he had some good in him, now he sees he hath nothing in him: a man would think this were a dead man, but his livelinesse is only in a swound, the Law lying upon him, will not let his livelinesse appear; and if the Law should lye upon him for ever, it would never let his livelinesse actually appear; but yet he is not throughly dead all this while: as for ex∣ample.

1. Self-conceitednesse, it is not deaded when a man is killed by the Law: you would think his conceitednesse were gone: he was con∣ceited he was a good Christian; but now he sees no such matter: he was conceited before, that he would repent, and God would be merciful to him; but now he seeth, he is utterly deprived of mercy, and lies under the wrath of God: you would think now that all his conceitedness was gone; but it is but only in a swound all this while, he lies for dead as it were, but he is not dead. So take a man that is in Hell, all his good conceits of mercy, and of himself, and his profits, and pleasures, and vanities, and delights, they are all gone now. What doth Pride profit me? What good do Riches do me? What have all my Pleasures and De∣lights done me good? All my labour is vanity, and all my delights folly; one would think all his conceits were clean gone; but they are only in a swound. If a damned man were out of Hell, if the Lord should take off the lash of his Law from him, he would have as good a conceit of his Pro∣fits, and Pleasures, and Riches again, as ever he had; and he would have his carnal Reasons against the strictnesse of Religion again, as rise as ever he had; they are only laid in a swound, indeed there they shall lie: a man can never get up again, because the Law lies continu∣ally upon him, he is continually under the lash of the Law; and the Law holds this picture before his eyes, and shews him his damned estate an•• condition: but upon such a supposition, that he might come out of Hell, his conceits would rise up again. Prov. 5. 12, 13. Solomon there brings in a man wrought upon by the Law, the Law discovered him to be a dead man. How have I hated instruction, and despised correction; and have not obeyed the voice of them that taught me, nor inclined my eare to them that instructed me? His carnal Reasons are now all gone, they are in a swound; they were true Instructions that I have hated, they were true Reports that I have despised, and they were base and damned Courses which I have followed. How have I lived? One would think all his foolish con∣ceits now were gone: they are in a swound indeed, and cannot get up. But the Gospel will give a man his deaths wound; a man can never have that good conceit of himself he had before; nor of his lusts, and vanities, and profits, and delights; his self-conceitednesse hath now got his deaths wound.

Secondly, For self-confidence, when the Law hath humbled-a man, his self-confidence is only in a swound; when he lyeth in Hell under the lash of the Law, he seemeth to have no power in himself, no life, or acti∣vity to any duty. He sees that he is poor, and weak, and rotten, and wretched. A poor creature he is, he seeth it plainly, and all his self-confi∣dence seems to he gone; but yet there is a great deal of self-confidence actual∣ly in Hell, for though they are in Hell, yet they think if they were alive a∣gain, what they would do; I would hear the Word, and call upon God; I would repent, and not live in sin, and not do as I have done; they think they would do thus, and thus, as it was with Dives, Luke 16. 30. I have five brethren (saith he) if one should come to them from the dead, they would repent, and not come where I am. If they knew but as much as I know,

they would repent; I am sure if they were in my case, they would, if they were in hell where I am, if they knew how certain it is, that they shall come to hell where I am when they die, unlesse they do repent at the prea∣ching of the Prophets, and hearken to the voice of Gods Ministers, and yield and submit to God; they would do it: I would, if it were my case. This is self-confidence; for self-confidence is only laid asleep in Hell, and it cannot rise again. It is true, the Law may dead a man, and give him three deaths wounds. There are Three Wounds that the Law gives a man.

First, It makes it appear that a man is worthy of death; the Law makes him see his guiltinesse.

Secondly, The Law pronounceth upon a sinner the sentence of death, as Paul saith of a natural death, I received the sentence of death, 2 Cor. 1. 9. that is, I was a dead man, I took my self to be a dead man. So the Law doth make a man to be a dead man, it pronounceth the sentence of death upon him; it doth not only make it appear that he is worthy of death, (for so it may do, and yet he may have hope of mercy) but it makes a man re∣ceive the sentence of death, and to be a dead man: If a man be once con∣demned, if the sentence of death be passed upon him, then he is without hope that the Judge will save him, because the sentence of condemnation is passed upon him. A man may see himself worthy of death, and yet hope for mercy, Rom. 1. 31. Therefore the Law doth pronounce the sentence of death upon him, and makes a man in a second degree dead.

Nay, Thirdly, The law makes a man see there is no hope of return; as it is with a dead man, when a man is truly dead, there is no return from death, there is no rising again: as the Wise-man speaks of the strange women, Prov. 2. 18, 19. Surely her house tendeth to death, and her paths unto the dead, they that go unto her return not again, neither take they hold of the wayes of life. Here the Wise-man sets forth the infinite misery, and damnable estate of such a creature, and the irrecoverableness of such a person, without the extraordinary mercy of God. Ordinarily, such persons are seldom, or never brought to repentance: ordinarily they are irrecoverable. So the Law makes a man see he is guilty of death, and it passeth the sentence of condemnation upon him, and it makes him see there is no repeal of that sentence; thus the law leaves him. Now a man would think, Can a man be more dead then thus? How can a man be more dead? Yet he may be a thousand times more dead; for the livelynesse of a man is but in a swound all this while: a man cannot be brisk, and peark, and self-conceited, he is now laid in a swound, but is not stark dead. But when a man comes to be Evangelically dead, he is more dead a great deale. And I will shew you it in these three things.

1. First, He is most dead that is hardest to recover: Now when a man is legally dead, it is easie to recover that man; let but the lash of the law be taken off, let but God let him alone; and the profits and plea∣sures of the world, will make him alive again; his friends, and vanities, and delights, will put life into him again, it is an easie matter to recover this man; but let a man be evangelically dead, when the Gospel hath deaded a man, he is a thousand times more dead, and a great deal harder to recover, nothing can recover that man but Christ; let all the profits in the world come, they cannot chear him without Christ; if the devil should come and put into his minde all good conceits, and the good opinion of the world: If the Ministers should tell him he is in a good estate, they cannot quicken his heart, he is dead still, he is harder a thousand times to be revived then the other, as the Apostle saith, Col. 3. 2, 3. Set your

affections on things that be above, not on things that are on earth; for ye are dead, and your life is hid in Christ. The Gospel hath made you dead, and you cannot be revived by any thing but Christ, your life is hid with Christ; do not you set your affections on things that are below, they can never put life into you, therefore let not them take up your minds and af∣fections any more, for your life is in Christ alone.

2. Secondly, He is most dead that life it self cannot make alive: When a man is but legally dead, the law hath made him a dead man, and killed him, and shewed him he is a damned creature; this man, let him have but a little life, or any thought of life come into him, let him have a∣ny affections towards God, any seeming desires, it will make him think I am alive: But if the Gospel once have made a man a dead man, life it self can∣not quicken him, Christ himself cannot make this man a live man in him∣self, though life come into him, and though he hath life from God, yet h•• himself is dead. I am dead through the law, (saith Paul) that I might live unto God; thus I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me, and that life I now live in the flesh, I live by Faith in the Son of God, Gal. 2. 19, 20. When the Gospel had made him dead (for that is the meaning of the words) he was not only dead by the law, but by the power of the Gospel working by the law: Now, saith he, though I have life, and Christ be come into me, and lives in me, yet I do not live: I live, but not I, but it is Christ that liveth in me: I live, yet do not mistake me, I am a dead man, I have no life, it is Christ that liveth in me: when a man is evangelically dead, it makes a man content, that God should keep life in his hand, and keep the purse in his hand, and all in his hand, it makes him content to be with∣out strength and ability, and to have nothing in his own hand, but to have all from the Lord; and he saith, I am a dead man, and if I ever have comfort, I have none in my self, I must go to Christ for comfort, and life, and strength, and ability: and so for power and activity, and riches, and means, and maintenance, and every thing; it is not my parts and gifts that can help me to them, but I must go to Christ to fetch them: now it is the desire of mans heart to have life at home, he cannot abide to have life in ano∣thers hands: and though the law, and hell it self proclaim a man a dead man, and make a man see himself a dead man, yet it cannot kill this Principle, a man would have life and strength in his own hand, and ability, and sufficiency in his own custody; we may see this Principle in Gods own Children, though this Principle be begun to be killed, yet it rests part∣ly in Gods children, there is still a secret lust in their hearts, to have life, and grace, and strength in their own keeping; and if any child of God be neg∣ligent in coming to God, it is because of this Principle that remains in him.

3. Thirdly, He is most dead that death hath most power over: Now when a man is legally dead, and the law hath made him a dead man, though he be a dead man, yet death hath no power over him, his heart is stubborn still, and will not look toward Christ and the Gospel, he is still as stubborn as ever he was; he will roar and howl, and hear every Sermon, but still he hath a hard heart, the law hath not power to break his heart to powder, and to soften his heart: but when a man is evangelically dead, when the Gospel hath made him dead, as it doth before it quickens a man, it breaks the sturdinesse of a mans heart, and shatters a man all to pieces; that is the meaning of that place, Psal. 147. 3. He healeth those that are broken in heart, and bindeth up their sores: Now he is thus made a dead man, it makes his heart to burst under the weight of his sins, and it beats him to powder: but a man that is onely legally dead, he is heart-whole

still, and his spirit is as stout against the kind working of the Gospel asever it was, nay, worse a great deal; there are none more hardened then those that see themselves dead, damned creatures, by the power of the law, without the power of the Gospel. But when the Gospel comes, it breaks the heart to powder, Isa. 57. 15. Thus saith the high and lofty one, He that inhabiteth Eternity, whose name is Holy, I dwell in the high and holy place, and with him who is of an humble and contrite spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to give life to them that are of a contrite heart. This man is the object of Mercy that is evangelically dead, he is the formal object of mercy: Why? because he is dead with such a kind of death as hath gotten power over him, power to break his heart, to make it an humble and contrite heart: now saith the Lord, I will revive such a man. This man is the formal object of mercy, and into him eternal life will come.

2. The Second thing I promised to shew you, is the difference between these two, between legal and evangelical Privation. Between one that is legally dead, and one that is dead as the Gospel deads a man before it quickens him.

1. First, He that is legally dead lies all along in his death: but when the Gospel makes a man a dead man, it makes him stand up that he might have life, Ephes. 5. 14. Awake thou that sleepest, and stand up from the dead, and Christ shall give thee life: He doth not mean, stand up from being dead, but stand up from the dead, and then Christ shall give thee life; he means such a standing up from the dead, as before Christ gives him life: the Gospel doth thus far awaken a man, though he be more dead a thousand times, then he that is dead by the law, yet thus far it quickens him, that he stands up from his secure estate: when the law comes and shews a man that he is a dead man, he still lies under his sins, he is a dead man, and can∣not stand up that Christ may give him life. That is the First thing.

2. Secondly, He that is legally dead, made dead only by the law, he is deaf to the Gospel: but when a man is evangelically dead, it boars his ears and makes him hear the voice of the Word, and not only so, but the voice of Christ in the Word, Isa. 55. 3. Incline your ears and come un∣to me, hear and your soul shall live: He calls those that were evangelically dead, Hear, and your soul shall live; they are made able to hear: Let their profits, and old courses, and old companions come and tempt them to walk as they have done, they are deaf of that ear, they cannot go that way to work, no, now their ears are open heaven-wards, seek the Lord, and you shall live, Amos 5. 6. They are made to seek the Lord, thus much life they have: though they are more dead in regard of their own misery, then one that is dead by the law; yet thus much life they have put into them, that they will go and seek unto God in the use of the means, and follow him up and down, and nothing will satisfy the heart but Christ, they leave no stone unroled, they seek up and down every where.

3. Thirdly, He that is legally dead, it is a kind of death to love; but he that is evangelically dead, it is a death of love; when the Church in the Canticles was but sensible of the countenance of Christ, she was present∣ly sick of love, I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, if ye find my welbeloved, tell him that I am sick of love, Cant. 5. There is a great deal of difference between sicknesse and death, death is a total privation of life; sicknesse is but a partial privation: now when the Gospel hath wrought upon a man that he hath some of Christ, and is not deprived of all, that privation makes him sick of love; but when the Gospel makes a man see he is dead, and altogether deprived of Christ, now he is dead of love: when

a man is legally dead, this is his death that he is damned, and must go to hell; this is his death that he hath no mercy, not that he hath not grace, and holiness, and Christ; but if a man be evangelically dead, this is his death, that he hath not Christ.

The Use is this, If there be any that the law hath made dead, rest not [Ʋse.] there, but labour that the Gospel may make you dead also; when thou art humbled by the law, thou mayest think that mercy is prepared for thee, but thy lusts may recover again, and that damned life that is in thee may re∣cover again; therefore labour to be more deaded by the Gospel, that thou mayest have a total death begun in thee, that thou mayest have thy deaths wound given thee deep, not only to be in a swound, but to be dead indeed. Joh. 11. Christ staid four dayes after Lazarus was dead be∣fore he would raise him, because he would have him irrecoverably dead before he would raise him: Lord, (saith Martha) he stin∣keth, f••r he hath been dead four dayes, vers. 39. If he had raised him sooner, his glory had not been so great: so thou must labour to be dead in deed, and to be buried, and to be loathsome and abominable, and then Christ will quicken thee: It is certain, that Gods Children have some of this death wrought in them, before they are quickned at all; for death is be∣fore quickning in order of nature: there must be a corruption of one thing, before there can be a generation of another; there must be a privation of one form, before there can be an introduction of another: A child of God must be dead before he can be quickned. Now then, if he will have more life, he must labour to be dead more and more: now thou must labour to have this death truly begun to be wrought in thee, thou must labour to have the love of this world and self-conceitednesse altogether dead in thee. Hos. 6. 2. After two dayes will he revive us, and the third day will he raise us up, and we shall live in his sight: A man may be alive, though he have been seemingly dead twenty four hours; therefore it is a good custom among us to keep men near two dayes before we bury them, that we may be sure they are throughly dead; for there are many have been buried alive: so after two dayes he will revive us, and the third day he will raise us up: when a man is dead indeed, and hath his liveliness through∣ly killed in him, then God will revive him; if he should revive him be∣fore, his glory would not be so great, if he should revive him before he were quite dead; when Ahab humbled himself, and put on sackcloth, and went softly, a man would have thought he had been dead; but in the next Chap∣ter we may see he is alive again. So Ananias and Sapphira, one would have thought their covetousnesse had been dead, (whether they were any of the three thousand that were pricked at Peters Sermon, I dispute not; but they were pricked and made sensible of their damned estate, and pre∣tended to lay down all at the Apostles feet, one would have thought their covetousness had been dead) but yet it was alive: therefore labour that the Gospel may make thee throughly dead.

Notes

• The Division of the Text.
• Obser.
• The latter part of the Text Opened.
• Obser.
• Luke 16.
• 1 King. 2••.
• Acts 5.