A77854:534
Vindiciæ legis
Vindiciæ legis: or, A vindication of the moral law and the covenants, from the errors of papists, Arminians, Socinians, and more especially, Antinomians. In XXIX. lectures, preached at Laurence-Jury, London. / By Anthony Burgess, preacher of Gods Word.Vindiciæ legis: or, A vindication of the morall law and the covenants, from the errours of papists, Arminians, Socinians, and more especially, Antinomians. In XXIX. lectures, preached at Laurence-Jury, London. / By Anthony Burgess, preacher of Gods Word.
London: printed by James Young for Thomas Underhill, 1646
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
4. If the Law of God have that objectively in it, that may work §4exceedingly upon the heart, when set home by Gods Spirit, then it may be used instrumentally as well as the Gospel; but it hath objectively such a nature in it: which doth appear by Davids approving and delighting in Gods Law: by Paul, Rom. 7. who delighted in the Law of God. When therefore a Minister setteth forth the lovely purity and excellency of the matter of the Law, how it resembleth the nature of God, why may not the Spirit of God, in the exercise hereof, raise up the heart and affections to be more and more in love with it? If the Heathen said of Virtue, that if it could be seen with corporal eyes, the beauty thereof would ravish men: how much more may this be true of the purity and holiness of the Law?
4. If the Law of God have that objectively in it, that may work §4exceedingly upon the heart, when set home by Gods Spirit, then it may be used instrumentally as well as the Gospel; but it hath objectively such a nature in it: which doth appeare by Davids approving and delighting in Gods Law: by Paul, Rom. 7. who delighted in the Law of God. When therefore a Minister setteth forth the lovely purity and excellency of the matter of the Law, how it resembleth the nature of God, why may not the Spirit of God, in the exercise hereof, raise up the heart and affections to be more and more in love with it? If the Heathen said of Vertue, that if it could be seen with corporall eyes, the beauty thereof would ravish men: how much more may this be true of the purity and holinesse of the Law?
5. If the Law of God may be blessed after a man is converted, to §5the increase of his grace, and holiness; why not then to the first beginning of it? That it is for the increase of godliness in persons already regenerated, is apparent by experience. And it is hard to think, that a Minister, having opened any Moral duty of the Law, may not pray to God for his Spirit, to clothe that word with power and efficacy to change the hearts of hearers.