34 SERMONS upon Serm. `T I. Legally : No man that was once a firmer, and is {till a finner, can poffibly fulfil the Law; for he cannot be a firmer, and no firmer, at the fame time ; nor fulfil the Law to a tittle: He that bath broken with God, cannot continue to be innocent ; and he that bath fle(h and fpirit in him, cannot be ablolutely perfeft : That was determined be- fore, ver. 3. what the law could not db, in that it was weak through the flefh : and this is direftly oppofed to that. 2. Evangelically: And fo the Law can, and may be kept, or fulfilled fincerely, tho not per`fedly. The prevalency of the better part con{lituteth our fncerity. Juftified Souls have flefh and ffirit, but they walk after the fpirit. The mixture of infirmities Iheweth it is not done perfectly ; for the corrupt Principle hath fame influence, yet not a prevailing influence g and God counteth that as done, which is fincerely done, Rom. 13. 8. He that loveth another, hath fulfilled the law : And Gal. 6. 2. and fo fulfilling the law cf Chrifi : And Gal. 5.4. For all the law k fulfilled in one word, Thou flsalt love thy neighbour as thy felf. So the Apoftle fuppofeth the Gentiles might in a Gaffelmanner fulfil the Law, Rom. a.27. And fball not uncircumcifon, which is by nature, if it full the law, judg thee, who by the letter, and circumcifon, doefi tranfgref the law? So that in our meafure, we do fulfil the Law, by the Grace of Chrift: not perfectly ; for he fuppofeththem to have fiefh, or fin in them; but fincerely, as they obey the inclinations of the better part : Wall, not after the flefh, but after the ffirit. Doe:. That Chrifl wad made a Sin Of ring for us, that the righteoufne fs of the Law might be fulfilled in us. I íhall prove it by thefe Contderations : I. That Chrift came, not only to redeem as from wrath, but alfo to renew and heal our Natures. 2. That our Natures being renewed and healed, we are to walk in newneft of life, accord- ing to the dire &ions of the Law of God. I. That Chrif came not only to redeem tes from wrath, but to renew and fanétify us. I prove it, I. From the confront drift and tenor of the Scriptures. From his Nature and Office, Mat. i. 21. He fholl be called Jefus, for he fhall fave bic people from their (ins. Denomi- natio eft a potioribas. From his chief work, which is to Cave his people from the guilt and power of fin. Guilt inferreth damnation, which is the evil after fin : but he hath his Name from Caving us from the evil of fin its Pelf; For the great promife made to Abraham, was in that, Gen. 12. 3. In thy fed 'hall all the nations of the earth, be blefd That is, in Chrift : But how bleffed ? That is expounded, Ads 3. 25, 26. Te arcs chil- dren of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, Paying to Abraham, And in thy feed 'hall all the kindreds of the earth be bled. Unto you firfi, God having raifcd up his Son Jefas Chrifî, hath f nt him to blefs you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities. Obferve there, what is the Mediator's Bleffing, To turn away his people from . Man fern, was both unholy, and guilty, liable to the wrath of God, and dead in trepiles and fins ; and Chrift came to free us from both. We cannot be fufficiently thankful for our freedom from wrath, but we muff fir(t mind our freedom from fin. So when Chrift is promifed to the Jews, Rom. it. 26. There (hall come out of Sion the deliverer, and ¡hall turn away nngodlineff from Jacob : There is his principal work. So from the end, why he actually came, and was exhi- bited tothe World, Afls 5.3 t. Him bath God exalted to give repentance and reneiffion of fins. Repentance is nothing but a ferions purpofe of returning to God, and to that obedience we owe to God, t John 3. g. And we know he was- manifefled to takeaway our fns, and in him is no fin. To conform us to the Law of God, by his own bleffed pat- tern and example. Again, Titus 2. 14. who hash redeemed us from all iniquity : And thiswas the intent of his Death, Eph. 5. 26. It were endlefs to bring all that might be fa id upon this Argument. 2. I prove it by Reafons taken from the Scripture. It mull needs be fo, r. Bpcaufe the Plaifer elfe would not be as broad as the Sores nor our reparation by Chrift, be correfponoent to our lofs by Adam: We loft not only the Favour of God, but the Image of God: and therefore till the Image of God be reftored in us, we do not return to our firft citate, nor are we fully recovered. The evil Nature propagated from him, is the caufe of the mifery and diforder of Mankind. Guilt is but the Con- fèquent of fin. Now is he a good Phyfitian that only taketh away the Pain, and lea - veth the great Difeafe uncured? Certainly we cannot recover God's favour, till we re. cover
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