Christ inviting sinners to come to him for rest

The Third Lesson.

Thirdly, A further thing that is to be learned from the deliverance we have in Christ from the Law, it is this; here appears plainly, that the way of Life and salvation is above nature, it is supernatural, for that that I have opened in the rest we have in Christ from the law, teacheth you, that believers are not to stand or fall for their eternal estates by any work of the Law, if they perform any work of the Law, this, doth not bring them to eternal life, if they break the Law this doth not cast them down unto death, therefore the way of life and salvation is supernatural, for nature can teach a man no further then this, that he must serve God, & if he do th• God will bless him, and love him, and if he sin against God, God will afflict him and chastise him, nature can tell of no way how a man should be saved but only by serving of God, and by doing the works of the Law, nature teacheth a man nothing else but this together with the other, that if he doth that, that God forbids, he must expect the wrath of God, and to lie under Gods wrath, and beyond this nature cannot go. Now then for to hear of such a thing as this is, that my soul shall not depend upon what I neglect, nor my eternal life shall not depend upon what I do, that is a high mystery that is infinitely above nature. I do not say what the neglect of Gods will doth deserve of eternal perishing, yea, even in believers; but now they are under the Covenant in Christ, they have the rest in Christ, that their souls shall not be cast one way or other by what they do or what they leave undone, though if they neglect his will the Lord may make them to know it here while they live in this world. And if upon this any shall say, then what need we regard what we do, if any shall say so, we need go no further with this man but say unto him, Thou hast no part nor portion in this thing, thou hast no part in the deliverance from the Law by Christ, shall we sin because grace abounds? God forbid, the Lord forbid that there ⟨p. 256⟩should enter any such thought; into any of our Hearts, They that are godly have the Spirit of God in them, and will not Reason after such a manner, however this is certain, that in Christ we do not depend for life and Death upon the works of the Law, and therefore the way of the Gospel is a high way, a supernatural way, it is a way beyond that that most people imagine: