Ver. 2. the 8th Chapter of the ROMANS. It apt to be wrought upon by hopes and fears, which are the great inílruments of Govern- ment; by hopes of reward, and fears of punifhment ; and therefore he not only out of his own Intere(l,but Duty to hisCreator,is bound to give up himfelftodo theWill ofGód;this is called for, 2 Chron. 3o. 8. Tield your [elves to the Lord; and 2 Cor. 8.5. they firfi gave themfelves to the Lord;and Rom.6.13.yieldyourfelves to the Lord;and in mauy other places. 3. Man being bound to obey the Will of God, needeth a Law. from God to con(ti- tutehis Duty, and direr him in it for without his Laws, the Subje cannot know what is due to his Sovereign, nor can man underfland what his duty is to his Creator. In inno- cency he gave him a Law written upon his heart, for God made him holy and righteous, Ecclef. 7. 29. and he was to perform fuch aûions as became, an holy and righteous Crea- tare ; his nature bound him and fitted him to love God ; and his Neighbour, and Him - felf, in a regular and due fubordination to God. This Law was fufficient to guide him while he flood in his Integrity, and to unable him to pleafe God in all things ; for this Law written upon his heart was both his Rule and his Principle : But confider men in their fallen eftate, furely they needed a Law, and that God ( hould thew them what was good and evil. The Gentiles had Come relicks of the Law of Nature, Rant. 2. 14, 15. and fo much fenfe of their Duty left, as leaveth them not only culpable for their neglec`,t of ir, Rom. i. 2o. But they are all become guilty before God. Rom. 3. 19. W ith his peo- ple he dealt more favourably and gracioufly. Pfalm 147. 19, zo. He fbewed his word unto Jacob, and his flatutes unto Ifrael: he bath not dealt fo with any nation as for his judgments they have not known them. Alas, in the weaknefs to which we were reduced after the fall, how mi1eráble {hould we be, and grope in the daik, if God had not given us a Law, and (hewed us what is good l Were it not for the relicks of Nature in the Gentiles, the World would be but a Den of Thieves, and a ftage of wickednefs ; and every one would do what is right in his own eyes; but the Interefts of men caufeth them to make Laws for their own fafety ; but yet there is no lure and fufficient dire&ion, to guide them in their Obedience to God, without his Word. The Laws of men have no other end than the good óf Humane Society, and reacheth no further than the Govern- ment of the outward Converfation ; there is little or nothing in them to guide us in our obeying or injoying God. This God bath done in his word to the Jews of old, and to us Chritlians more fully; for we are built upon thefoundation of the Prophets and Apofiles, Eph. 2.20. namely, as they have {hewed us to live in obedience to God, as our proper and rightful Lord, and to injoy him as our proper happinefs. But to leave this general view of there things. 4. The Gofpel, which is both our Rule andCharter,is the Law which in Chrills name is ven to the World. That appeareth, 1. By the titles or terme wherein iris expreffed, as Ifa. 2. 3. Out of Sion 'hall go forth the Law, and the word of God from Jerufalem; fo Ifa. 42.4. The loss fhall wait for his Law: fo Ifa. 51.4. A Law (hall proceed from rue, and I will make my judgment to refl for a light to the people. And in the New Te.fiament Otis called the law of Faith, Rom. 3. 27. and the lati of Chrifl Gal. 5.2. fo that the Doctrine of Salvation by Chrift, is that Law which we (hould abide by. a. The reafon of the thing Iheweth it. For here is 1. A Governor or Ruler, theLordChrifl, who hathacquired a new Dominion and Em- pireover the World, tofave and ro rule men upon his own Terms, Rom.14.9, For to this end, Chrifi both dyed, and and rote, and revived, that he might be Lord both of dead and li- ring. And Alls 2. 36. Therefore let all the Houle of Iliad know afaredly,that God bath made the fame Jefus whom ye have crucified, both Lord and'Chrifi; and Pfal. 2. 7, 8, 9, to, i 1. So that. he, is Lord of the new Creation; and man doth owe Obedience not only to God as Creator, bit to Chrift as Redeemer and Ruler: 2. Chrift (being poffeffed of this Lordfhip and Dominion) path made a new law of Grace, which is propounded as a remedy for the relieving and reftoring the lapfed World of' mankind to the grace and favour of God; granting pardon and life to all that fin= cerely repent and believe in him, and live in new Obedience; and peremptorily concluding and damning thofe to everlalting Death that {hall refufe there terms. 3. This new conflotirtionand GofpelCovenant bath all the formalities of a Law; and here I (hall Thew you, fir(( wherein it agreeth ; and fecondly, wherein it difiêreth frarn the laws of Wren. i. Wherein it agreeth. Firfi in the promulgation Of it with full Authority t 'cis not only enaled plenojure, by an abfolute and uncontrollable right; but proclaimed by au thorized Meffengers, Cent by the Lord Chrift wht) in his name were to require the Obe- 8l3 2 dience
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