360 Of COMMUNION with And this liberty refpe&s, a.) In the firft place, the family from whence the adopted perfon is tranflated ; it is his fetting free from all the obligations of that family. Now in this fenfe, the liberty which the faints have by adoption, is ei- ther from that which is real, or that which is pretended. r.] That which is real refpe&s a twofold iffue, of law, and fin. The moral unchangeable law of God, and fin, being in conjun&ion, meeting with reference to any perlons, bath, and bath had a twofold iffue. (r. An oeconomical inflitution of a new law of ordinances, keeping in bondage thofe to whom it was given, Col. ii. 14. (a. A natural, if I may fo call it, preffing of thofe perfons with its power and efficacy againft fin, whereof there are thefe parts. [r. Its rigour, and terrour in commanding. [z. Its impoffibility for accomplifhment, and fo infufficiency for its primitively appointed end. [3. The ilfues of its tranfgrefiìon, which are referred unto two heads, Firfl, Curfe. Secondly, Death. I fhall fpeak very briefly of thefe, be- caufe they are commonly handled, and granted by all. a.] That which is pretended, is the power of any whatever over the confcience, when once made free by Chrift. O. Believers are freed from the inflituted law of ordinances, which upon the teftimony of the apoftles, was a yoke which neither we nor our fathers, in the faith, could bear, Ads xv. so. Wherefore Chrift blot- ted out his hand writing of ordinances that was againft them, which was contrary to them, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his crofs, Col. ii. 14. and thereupon the apoftle after a long difpute con- cerning the liberty that we have from that law, concludes with this. infirudion, Gal. v. r. Stand fafi in the liberty wherewith Chrift bath made or free. (a. In reference to the moral law. And, [t. The first thing we have liberty from, is its rigour and terrour in commanding, Heb. xii. r8, rg, zo, as, zz. We are not come to the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, to the whirl wind darknefs, and tempefl, to the found of the trumpet, and the voice of words, which they that heard befought that they might hear it no snore. but we are come to mount Sion, &c. As to that adminiftration of the law wherein it was given out with dread, and terrour, and fo ex- acted its obedience with rigour, we are freed from it, we are not cal- led to that eflate. [z. Its impoffibility of accomplilhment, and fo infufficiency for its primitive end by reafon of fin., Or we are freed from the law as the infirument of righteoufnefs, finte by the impoffibility of its fulfilling as to us, it is become infufficient for any fuch purpofe, Rom. viii. 2, 3. Gal., iii. as, zz, 23. There being an impoffibility of obtaining life by the law, we are exempted from it as to any fuch end, and that by the righteoufnefs of Chrift, Rom. viii. 3. [3. From the iffue of its tranfgreffion.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=