A discourse of the true nature of the Gospel demonstrating that it is no…

If any should deny the Argument, I am yet confident they will have a regard to the express Words of Christ himself, which are to the same Purpose, John 3. 18. He that believeth on him, is not condemned; but he that believeth not, is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the Name of the only begotten Son of God. What is this but to say, that he introduced no new Law to condemn the wretched and desperately lost Sinner for not believing on him, since he was before condemned for the Offences committed against the Moral Law? But it will be urged, What is more frequently pronounced by Christ and his Apostles, against all Unbelievers, than an unavoidable Ruin and Damnation? such Threatenings are almost as thickly scattered in the New Testament, as the Promises of Grace. What then! will it thence follow that the Gospel, which is a Doctrine of Grace, is also a dreadful threatening Law? No certainly, for these two are altogether inconsistent. All then which can be concluded, is only this, that the Gospel repeats the Threatenings of the Law, to show Sinners their Danger if they do not believe. This Gospel only tells them what severe Measure they will have from a violated Law, if they are not enclosed within the compass of the Mediator's Favour and Blessings. It plainly and sincerely declares to them, that they can expect nothing but certain Death from a Law which kills the Sinner, if they refuse the only healing Remedy which Christ offers. Thus it is told to a Patient, That he will certainly die, if he takes not the prescribed Physic: And yet who will say that this Threatening is any part of the Medicine? Thus the Physician pronounceth Death to a Man, who when mortally Sick, wilfully refuseth to observe his Directions. And how absurd is it from this to imagine, that he who came to cure, designed to murder him, when it is only the Disease, and his own Obstinacy, which have this fatal Effect?

If any should deny the Argument, I am yet confident they will have a regard to the express Words of Christ himself, which are to the same Pupose, John 3. 18. He that believeth on him, is not condemned; but he that believeth not, is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the Name of the only begotten Son of God. What is this but to say, that he introduced no new Law to condemn the wretched and desperately lost Sinner for not believing on him, since he was before condemned for the Offences committed against the Moral Law? But it will be urg'd, What is more frequently pronounc'd by Christ and his Apostles, against all Unbelievers, than an unavoidable Ruin and Damnation? such Threatnings are almost as thickly scatter'd in the New Testament, as the Promises of Grace. What then! will it thence follow that the Gospel, which is a Doctrine of Grace, is also a dreadful threatning Law? No certainly, for these two are altogether inconsistent. All then which can be concluded, is only this, that the Gospel repeats the Threatnings of the Law, to shew Sinners their Danger if they do not believe. This Gospel only tells them what severe Measure they will have from a violated Law, if they are not inclos'd within the compass of the Mediator's Favour and Blessings. It plainly and sincerely declares to them, that they can expect nothing but certain Death from a Law which kills the Sinner, if they refuse the only healing Remedy which Christ offers. Thus it is told to a Patient, That he will certainly die, if he takes not the prescrib'd Physick: And yet who will say that this Threatning is any part of the Medicine? Thus the Physician pronounceth Death to a Man, who when mortally Sick, wilfully refuseth to observe his Directions. And how absurd is it from this to imagine, that he who came to cure, design'd to murder him, when it is only the Disease, and his own Obstinacy, which have this fatal Effect?