Chap. 8. and the Covenant of Grace. 57 Chriftians, Chrift having put his fanc`tion upon it. Others fay, that it b ndes the unregenerate part of mean, brat not the regenerate part, that N free, Paul delighted in the Lazy of God, after the inwardman, Rom. 7.22, That ts, as Interpreters under - fiand, fo far as regenerate' ; bow could he delight in it ,u a Law , and notfubjev`l to it ? It feemes thofe think only wicked ones to be bound, or rather wickednefíe to be obliged ; It will fhortly be a marke of unregeneration (as it feems it is with fotne already) to be fubjèc`l to it ; they that urge it upon men, and preffe it as their duty here ; the name of legal Preachers , and ftrangers from Gofpelmyf cries. It is a wearifome thing to rake furtherin this puddle; I hope it is plain God holds up this part of his Sove- reignty in keeping up his commandment the authority of his moral Precepts. As he keeps his Law in power to uphold his So- vereignty; So in like manner he exercifes Difcipline over thofe with whom he enters Covenant , and whofe hearts are moll ilea- dy and upright in it. 1 know that thofe that deny the power of command in the Law, ufually alfo queftion this of his exercife of Difcipline; Denying that Beleevers are corretled or chaflened of God for fin; making Chrifts fatisfadion their foie plea for this opinion , complaining that men can beleeve the greater ; That Chrifl bath delivered his from condemnation; but Will not beleeve the le fi"er, that they are delivered from prefent ft ferings. To which I anfwer, that men may well beleeve the greater, when God bath fpoken it yet cannot beleeve the leffer when he bath denied it: The Apoftle faith, there is no condemnation to thole that are in Chrifl Jefus. This a Chriftian is bound to beleeve; and finding his intereft in Ch rift, is alto from thence to conclude his difcharge. Now in cafe they can produce any Text,.chat fayes there is no corre&ion or chaftifement to them that are in Chrift Jefus, then that is to be believed likewife; but we have the full contrary from Chrift in heaven Rev. 3. 19. s many as I love, I rebuke andchaflen; a rebuke is ever for a fault : When thou with, rebukes daft correvi man for iniquity, Pfal, 3 9.11. That fpeech of the Lord Chrift is borrowed from an Old Teftament- Scripture, Prov. 3.12. Chrift thereby confirming all Old Teftament-au- thorities ( which are wont to be excepted against) in this que- ftion; which were it neceffary, it were eafie to multiply to make it appear, that though we are delivered from condemnation, yet I we The, Law bind es the whole of man. The Sove - reigntyofGori is upheld la his exercife of Difcipline.
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