The display of glorious grace, or, The covenant of peace opened in fourteen sermons…

2. We affirm, that the Law of Perfect Obedience results from the Holiness, Purity, and Rectitude of God's Nature; and therefore it stands as a perpetual Law, and can never be abolished as a Rule of Life, tho it be taken away as it required perfect Obedience of us, or as a Law of Works to be fulfilled and satisfied for in our own Persons in point of Justification. ⟨p. 78⟩Do we then make void the Law through Faith? ¹God forbid? Yea, we establish the Law; because by Christ we attain a perfect Righteousness, being interested in his most complete and perfect Obedience to the Moral Law, and by his Spirit to live in more exact Conformity thereunto: My Brethren, Is it not our Duty still, and as much as ever it was, To love the Lord our God with all our Hearts, with all our Souls, and with all our Strength, and our Neighbour as our selves; not only sincerely, but perfectly; nay,² to be perfect as our Father in Heaven is perfect: Tho we are not able to do this, yet the Moral Law still remains, and requires us thus to do; true, we shall not be Damned for want of this perfect Obedienc, because Christ hath in our Nature, and stead, kept the Law perfectly for us; and so he is the end of the Law in respect of Righteousness to all that believe.

2. We affirm, that the Law of Perfect Obedience results from the Holiness, Purity, and Rectitude of God's Nature; and therefore it stands as a perpetual Law, and can never be abolished as a Rule of Life, tho it be taken away as it required perfect Obedience of us, or as a Law of Works to be fulfilled and satisfied for in our own Persons in point of Justification. ⟨p. 78⟩Do we then make void the Law through Faith? ¹God forbid? Yea, we establish the Law; because by Christ we attain a perfect Righteousness, being interested in his most compleat and perfect Obedience to the Moral Law, and by his Spirit to live in more exact Conformity thereunto: My Brethren, Is it not our Duty still, and as much as ever it was, To love the Lord our God with all our Hearts, with all our Souls, and with all our Strength, and our Neighbour as our selves; not only sincerely, but perfectly; nay,² to be perfect as our Father in Heaven is perfect: Tho we are not able to do this, yet the Moral Law still remains, and requires us thus to do; true, we shall not be Damned for want of this perfect Obedienc, because Christ hath in our Nature, and stead, kept the Law perfectly for us; and so he is the end of the Law in respect of Righteousness to all that believe.

1. 1Rom. 3.31.
2. 2Matt. 6.28

Christ did not come to engage, or undertake as a Mediator, that we should perfectly in our own Persons, keep the Moral Law, and so be Justified in God's Sight; nor did he come to undertake that we should sincerely keep any other Law to that end; much less, leave us to the exercise of our Natural, or Spiritual Abilities, to keep such a Law, as the Condition of our Justification, and Acceptation with God; but he came to procure for us such a Righteousness by his own Obedience and Suffering, that the Holiness, Justice, and Law of God doth require of us if we are Justified with God, for what the Law could not do, ¹in that it was weak through the Flesh, God sent forth his Son, &c. Tis ⟨p. 79⟩a hard case, my Brethren, that these degenerate Presbyterians, or any pretending to be Gospel-Preachers, should deny Christ to be a Common Head and Surety for the Elect; for he that dies in the stead and room of others, is by the consent of the Law-giver substituted in their Law place, and so takes upon him the Capacity of a Surety, Representative, or common Person, undertaking to do, and suffer what others should, but these Men deny this Relation or Capacity of Christ as a Surety, in this Sense, and therefore deny he obeyed and died in our stead. And from hence it follows also that Christ did not do that for us, which our own Perfect Obedience did do, whilst Man stood, and would have done, had he not sinned, i. e. Justified him, or have given him a Title to Life.

Christ did not come to engage, or undertake as a Mediator, that we should perfectly in our own Persons, keep the Moral Law, and so be Justified in God's Sight; nor did he come to undertake that we should sincerely keep any other Law to that end; much less, leave us to the exercise of our Natural, or Spiritual Abilities, to keep such a Law, as the Condition of our Justification, and Acceptation with God; but he came to procure for us such a Righteousness by his own Obedience and Suffering, that the Holiness, Justice, and Law of God doth require of us if we are Justified with God, for what the Law could not do, ¹in that it was weak through the Flesh, God sent furth his Son, &c. Tis ⟨p. 79⟩a hard case, my Brethren, that these degenerate Presbyterians, or any pretending to be Gospel-Preachers, should deny Christ to be a Common Head and Surety for the Elect; for he that dies in the stead and room of others, is by the consent of the Law-giver substituted in their Law place, and so takes upon him the Capacity of a Surety, Representative, or common Person, undertaking to do, and suffer what others should, but these Men deny this Relation or Capacity of Christ as a Surety, in this Sense, and therefore deny he obeyed and died in our stead. And from hence it follows also that Christ did not do that for us, which our own Perfect Obedience did do, whilst Man stood, and would have done, had he not sinned, i. e. Justified him, or have given him a Title to Life.

1. 1Rom. 8.2, 3

3. Moreover, if Christ was not put in our Law place, as our Representative and Surety, Why was he made of a Woman, ¹and made under the Law? Was it not that the Law might reach him?

1. 1Gal. 4.

(2.) And as a Sinner, in a Law Sense, to die, or be made Sin for us, (that is by Imputation;) for had not he been under the Law, the Law could not have reached him in either sense, i. e. either to do or suffer, and had not he took our Law place upon him, we could not have been the better; for what could his taking our Nature on him have profited us, had he not been substituted in our room? But as we were obliged by the Law, Justice, and Holiness ⟨p. 80⟩of God, to keep the Law perfectly, so he was made under the Law to keep it for us, and as we were sinful Men, and liable to the Just Sentence of the Law for our Violation of it, so he was made under the Law, and as our Representative and Surety, to die and to satisfy Divine Justice for our Transgressions that were against it.

(2.) And as a Sinner, in a Law Sense, to die, or be made Sin for us, (that is by Imputation;) for had not he been under the Law, the Law could not have reached him in either sense, i. e. either to do or suffer, and had not he took our Law place upon him, we could not have been the better; for what could his taking our Nature on him have profited us, had he not been substituted in our room? But as we were obliged by the Law, Justice, and Holiness ⟨p. 80⟩of God, to keep the Law perfectly, so he was made under the Law to keep it for us, and as we were sinful Men, and liable to the Just Sentence of the Law for our Violation of it, so he was made under the Law, and as our Representative and Surety, to die and to satisfie Divine Justice for our Transgressions that were against it.

He was made under the Law, i. e. under the Preceptory part of it, to fulfil and establish that; he satisfied for that part of the Law.

He was under the Law, as being liable to the Punishment, or Penalty of the Law, that he might answer and fulfil that, and for ever deliver us from the Punishment thereof, and all this as our Surety standing in our Law place.

Reproof. This may tend severely to reprehend those new and erroneous Notions that so prevail amongst us,¹ concerning Christ's Work and Office as Mediator; we say, and prove that by Christ's Active and Perfect Obedience to the Law, we are justified and delivered from Wrath and Condemnation, or that by Christ's Righteousness imputed, Believers are perfectly Justified, and freed from the Curse of the Law, and are certainly entitled to Eternal Life.

Reproof. This may tend severely to reprehend those new and erroneous Notions that so prevail amongst us,¹ concerning Christ's Work and Office as Mediator; we say, and prove that by Christ's Active and Perfect Obedience to the Law, we are justified and delivered from Wrath and Condemnation, or that by Christ's Righteousness imputed, Believers are perfectly Justified, and freed from the Curse of the Law, and are certainly entituled to Eternal Life.

1. 1A Use of Reproof.A Ʋse of Reproof.

1. But our new Work-mongers assert, That our Justification or Right to Life, dependeth wholly upon our Obedience (to the Gospel as a Law) as the Condition to which it is promised: Therefore (as one observes) it puts us into a Condition of Life imperfect, and subject to change, as Obedience it ⟨p. 81⟩self is, and that we are not perfectly Justified till our Obedience is perfected: Thus Mr. Clark of High-Wickham, and others.¹ Take Mr. Clark's Words, viz. Our Justification at present, while we are in this World, is but Partial, Imperfect, and Incomplete.

1. But our new Work-mongers assert, That our Justification or Right to Life, dependeth wholly upon our Obedience (to the Gospel as a Law) as the Condition to which it is promised: Therefore (as one observes) it puts us into a Condition of Life imperfect, and subject to change, as Obedience it ⟨p. 81⟩self is, and that we are not perfectly Justified till our Obedience is perfected: Thus Mr. Clark of High-Wickham, and others.¹ Take Mr. Clark's Words, viz. Our Justification at present, while we are in this World, is but Partial, Imperfect, and Incompleat.

1. 1Clark's Script. Justific. p. 18.

Ans. Now, say I, this confounds Justification, with Sanctification; and as I have told him,¹ then it also follows that Believers are partly justified, and partly condemned, i. e. we are not acquitted from the guilt of all Sin, whilst in this World, and so Christ's Dove is not Undefiled: Lord, what an Age do we live in!

Ans. Now, say I, this confounds Justification, with Sanctification; and as I have told him,¹ then it also follows that Believers are partly justified, and partly condemned, i. e. we are not acquitted from the guilt of all Sin, whilst in this World, and so Christ's Dove is not Ʋndefiled: Lord, what an Age do we live in!

1. 1See Medium betwixt two Extremes.See Medium betwixt two Extreams.

2. We say, that we are made Partakers of Christ's Righteousness, and the Benefits of it, by our Union with him through the Spirit, by which means Faith is wrought in us, by which we apprehend him; and we say, that Faith is an Instrument whereby we receive him, Faith only Justifying us objectively, i. e. It is not Faith, but Jesus Christ that Faith takes hold of, that doth Justify us in the Sight of God.

2. We say, that we are made Partakers of Christ's Righteousness, and the Benefits of it, by our Union with him through the Spirit, by which means Faith is wrought in us, by which we apprehend him; and we say, that Faith is an Instrument whereby we receive him, Faith only Justifying us objectively, i. e. It is not Faith, but Jesus Christ that Faith takes hold of, that doth Justifie us in the Sight of God.

But they say, That Faith in its whole Latitude, is our believing and obeying the Gospel; that is, Faith and all the Fruits thereof, or Faith and Obedience, (or, if you please, Faith and Gospel-Works:) For Mr. Clark says, That Justification by Works, springing from Faith,¹ is Justification by Faith, in this Sense.

1. 1P. 71.

Again, they say, That we are made Partakers of the Benefits of Christ, he having purchased this Grant or Law, i. e. That they that do obey him to the end, shall be saved; that is, Our Obedience doth both Justify us and Save us.

Again, they say, That we are made Partakers of the Benefits of Christ, he having purchased this Grant or Law, i. e. That they that do obey him to the end, shall be saved; that is, Our Obedience doth both Justifie us and Save us.

Answ. The Vanity of which, and how erroneous it is,¹ we have showed some time since *.

Answ. The Vanity of which, and how erroneous it is,¹ we have shewed some time since *.

1. 1See the Marrow of Justific.

3. They say, Christ hath merited a New Law, or easier Terms and Conditions, that our Faith, Obedience, and Good Works may Justify, and Save us; but what saith Paul, All boasting is excluded; not legal boasting only, but all boasting, and cause of boasting, but by their New Law boasting is let in. Moreover, he says,¹ If it be of Grace, it is not of Works; and if it be of Works, it is not of Grace; or else Grace is no more Grace, and Works no more Works. Brethren, Works cannot mix with Free Grace; they are directly contrary to each other in their Nature; besides, these Men forget that we are Justified alone by the Obedience and Righteousness of one, ²(even as we were made Sinners by the Disobedience of one) and that is by the Righteousness of Christ imputed to us; for it was by the Disobedience of Adam, as imputed to us, that we became Sinners.

3. They say, Christ hath merited a New Law, or easier Terms and Conditions, that our Faith, Obedience, and Good Works may Justifie, and Save us; but what saith Paul, All boasting is excluded; not legal boasting only, but all boasting, and cause of boasting, but by their New Law boasting is let in. Moreover, he says,¹ If it be of Grace, it is not of Works; and if it be of Works, it is not of Grace; or else Grace is no more Grace, and Works no more Works. Brethren, Works cannot mix with Free Grace; they are directly contrary to each other in their Nature; besides, these Men forget that we are Justified alone by the Obedience and Righteousness of one, ²(even as we were made Sinners by the Disobedience of one) and that is by the Righteousness of Christ imputed to us; for it was by the Disobedience of Adam, as imputed to us, that we became Sinners.

1. 1Rom. 11.6.
2. 2Rom. 5.18, 19.

In a word, Christ hath wrought out a Righteousness for us, which is put upon us, or accounted, or imputed to us, and not that Christ merited a Law, that a Justifying Righteousness might be wrought out in us, or by us, in conforming to that New Law;¹ Who of God is made unto us Wisdom, and Righteousness, and Sanctification, and Redemption: Not only that his Righteousness, is the Meritorious Cause of our Justification, as Mr. Clark affirms, p. 104. but the Material Cause thereof, or that by which we are Justified, no other Righteousness ⟨p. 83⟩but his which is perfect, being pleadable at God's Bar.

1. 11 Cor. 1.30