370 R $4 13>14' The Y% of the Lam. afperfion and difhonour upon God than the former,that he fhould give a Law meerly to kill men,and make that which in its nature is good, to be mortali in its uII and operation. WVine,flrong waters, hard meats are in them felves very good to thofe purpofes unto which they are proper yet under pretence of their goodneffe to cram the ilomake of a fucking infant with them, would not be kind neffe but cruelty, becaufe they would not in that cafe comfort or nourit, but kill.Gold is good ofit felfe, but to fetter a man with a chaïne of gold would be no bounty but a mockery. So to conceive God to publifh a Law,good indeed io it felfe,but deadly to the fubje&s, & to order that which is holy in its nature,to be harm - full and damnable to the Creature in its ufe,is fo odious an afperfion upon fo j ufi & gracious a God, as may fafe- ly bring into fufpition and difgrace any doftrine which admits offo jufl an exception. Now to this likewife the Apofile anfwers, godforbid. The Law is not given to condemne or clogge men, not to bring fin or death in- to the world : It was not promulgated with any inten- tion to kill or def}roy the Creatare.lt is not fin in it felfe; It is not death unto rar,in that fenfe as we preach it(name- ly,as filbordinated to Chrifi and his Gofnel.)Though as the rule of righteoufnes we preach deliverance from it,becaufe unto that urpofe it is made impotent and in- valid by the finne ofman,which now it cannot prevent or remove,but onely difcover and condemne. Both thefe conclufions, that the Law is neither finne nor dcath,I find the Apoftle before in this Epiflleexcel- lently proving.Yntill the Law, linne was in the world; but finne is not imputed Where there is no Law; neverthelefje, death reigned from Adam to c M'fofe.t, even over them that had not finned after the (itnilrttsde of Adams tranf- greffion. That is, as I conceive,over thofe who did not finne againfi fo notable and evident Characters of the Law ofnature,written in their hearts,as Adam in para- dife
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