;84 Hsi. z z. The Tlf e o ft& Law. beleeve, and inherit the Promifes. But what ? Doth theLaw make menbeleeve, er beget Faith ? Formally it doth not, but by way of preparation and manuduUion it cloth:As when a man finds one way ,hut up,he is there- by induc'd to enquire after another, To fumme up all that bath beene fpoken touching the ilk of the Law in a plaine fimilitude. Suppofe we a Prince fhould pro - claime a pardon to all Traitors, if they would come in and plead it :and after this fhould fend forth his officers attach, imprifun, examine,convince,arraign; threa ten,& condemne them, Is he now contrary to himfelfe? bath he repented ofhis mercy ? No, but he is unwilling to lofe his mercy, he is defirous to have the honour of his mercy aclnowledged unto him ; and therefore he bringeth them unto thefe extremities, that when their mouth is flopp'd, and their guilt made evident, they may with the more humility and abhorrency of their former lewdneffe, acknowledge the Iuflneffe of the Law,which would condemne them, and the great mer- cy ofthe Prince, who bath given them liberty to plead his pardon. The fame is the cafe betweene God and us. Firil, to Abrahoon he made promife ofinercy and blef- fedneffe to all that would plead interefl in it for the re- million of their finnes. But men were fecure,and heed - leffe of their eflate ; and though finne was in them, and death reigned over them, yet being without a Law to evidence this fin & death unto their confciences,there- fore they imputed them not to themfelves, they would not ownc them, nor charge theinfelves with them, and by confequence found no neceflitw of pleading that pro - mile. Hereupon the Lord publifhed by Mofes a leyere and terrible Law, fo terrible that Wes him/elfe did ex- eeedingly flare and q? a%e ; A Law which fil'd the Aire with Thunder,and the Mount with fire ; A Law full of blackneffe, darkneffe, and Tempe(, ; A Law Which thg who heard it - could not endure, 6ut intreated that it might not
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