Thirdly, a ministration of life and justification, and not a ministration of death and condemnation. The ground of this, and how it is thus, we shall show show you, by expressing to you, he order how these depend, and follow one upon the other: when a man hath looked upon ⟨p. 75⟩the Covenant of works, and sees death in it, sees a strict Law that he is not able to keep; then come• the Covenant of grace, and shows to him a righteousness to satisfy this Law, that himself never wrought, shows him a way of obtaining pardon and remission for the sins that he hath committed against this Law, by the death and satisfaction of another; when he sees this, he sees withal the goodness and mercy of GOD, giving this to him, for his salvation, out of his free grace and mercy; when he sees this, the opinion of a sinner is changed: mark; I say, his opinion, his disposition and affection is altered, he looks not upon God now as upon a hard and cruel Master, but he looks upon him now as a God exceeding full of mercy and compassion; whence this follows, that his heart melts towards the Lord, it relents, it comes to be a soft heart, that is easy and tractable, it is not haled now to the Commandment, but out of an ingenuity and willingness, he comes and serves the LORD with alacrity and cheerfulness: this disposition is wrought upon him, because now he sees another way, his apprehension is altered, even as a servant, when it is revealed to him that he is a son, and that those hard tasks that are laid on him, are the best way to lead him to happiness, they are but rules of direction, for his own wealth, and for his own advantage, he doth them now with all willingness, the case is altered, he looks not now upon the Law of GOD as an ⟨p. 76⟩enemy, or as a hard bondage, but he looks upon all the Law of God, as a wholesome and profitable rule of direction, that he is willing to keep for his own comfort: now when the heart is thus softened, then the Spirit of God is sent into his heart, and writes th• Law of GOD in his inward parts, as you shall see, if you compare these two places together, Heb. 8. 8, 9, 10.1 Behold, saith the Lord, I will make a new Covenant, and this is the Testament that I will make with the House of Israel:
Thirdly, a ministration of life and iustification, and not a ministration of death and condemnation. The ground of this, and how it is thus, we shall shew shew you, by expressing to you, he order how these depend, and follow one vpon the other: when a man hath looked vpon ⟨p. 75⟩the Couenant of workes, and sees death in it, sees a strict Law that hee is not able to keepe; then come• the Couenant of grace, and shewes to him a righteousnesse to satisfie this Law, that himselfe neuer wrought, shewes him a way of obtaining pardon and remission for the sinnes that hee hath committed against this Law, by the death and satisfaction of another; when he sees this, hee sees withall the goodnesse and mercie of GOD, giuing this to him, for his saluation, out of his free grace and mercie; when he sees this, the opinion of a sinner is changed: marke; I say, his opinion, his disposition and affection is altered, he lookes not vpon God now as vpon a hard and cruell Master, but he lookes vpon him now as a God exceeding full of mercy and compassion; whence this followes, that his heart melts towards the Lord, it relents, it comes to be a soft heart, that is easie and tractable, it is not haled now to the Commandement, but out of an ingenuity and willingnesse, he comes and serues the LORD with alac•ity and cheerefuln•sse: this disposition is wrought vpon him, because now hee sees another way, his apprehension is altered, euen as a seruant, when it is reuealed to him that he is a sonne, and that those hard taskes that are laid on him, are the best way to leade him to happinesse, they are but rules of direction, for his owne wealth, and for his owne aduantage, he doth them now with all willingnesse, the case is altered, hee lookes not now vpon the Law of GOD as an ⟨p. 76⟩enemy, or as a hard bondage, but he lookes vpon all the Law of God, as a wholsome and profitable rule of direction, that hee is willing to keepe for his owne comfort: now when the heart is thus softned, then the Spirit of God is sent into his heart, and writes th• Law of GOD in his inward parts, as you shall see, if you compare these two places together, Heb. 8. 8, 9, 10.1 Behold, saith the Lord, I will make a new Couenant, and this is the Testament that I will make with the House of Israel:
- 1Heb. 8. 8, 9, 10.
