An answer to the discourse of Mr. William Sherlock, touching the knowledge of Christ,…

The Law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus, (that divine and spiritual Law, which Christ hath given us, which governs our Minds, and is a Principle of Spiritual Life) makes us free from the Law of sin and death; (from the power and dominion of sin, which is called a Law, and the Law in our Members warring against the Law of our Minds: For what the Law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh (what the Law could not do, to deliver us from the power and dominion of sin) this God effected by sending Christ into the world to publish the Gospel to us, and confirm the Promises and Threatenings contained in it with his Blood, that the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit: ⟨p. 368⟩How can Imputation come in here? What pretty sense would this make of the Apostle's Argument? The Law was too weak to make men throughly good, to conquer their sin, reform their hearts and lives, therefore God sent his Son into the world; What for? to give them better Laws, more excellent Promises, and more powerful assistances to do good? No, by no means; but to fulfil all Righteousness for them, that they may fulfil the Righteousness of the Law, not by doing any thing themselves, but by having all done for them, by having Christ's Righteousness imputed to them: There was no reason to abrogate the Law of Moses for this end, it might have continued in force still, and have been as available to Salvation as the Gospel is, with the supplemental Righteousness of Christ; but the weakness of the Law, the Apostle complains of, was not the want of an imputed Righteousness (which might have been had as well under the Law as under the Gospel, if God had pleased;) but a want of strength and power to subdue the sinful appetites of men: It was weak through the flesh; by the prevalency of lusts, which the Law could not conquer; therefore the Gospel must supply this defect, not by imputed Righteousness, but by ⟨p. 369⟩an addition of power to enable men to do that which is good, to fulfil the Righteousness of the Law by a sincere and Spiritual Obedience.

The Law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus, (that divine and spiritual Law, which Christ hath given us, which governs our Minds, and is a Principle of Spiritual Life) makes us free from the Law of sin and death; (from the power and dominion of sin, which is called a Law, and the Law in our Members warring against the Law of our Minds: For what the Law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh (what the Law could not do, to deliver us from the power and dominion of sin) this God effected by sending Christ into the world to publish the Gospel to us, and confirm the Promises and Threatnings conteined in it with his Blood, that the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit: