Reynolds - Houston-Packer Collection BX5133.R485 T47 1642

414 Rom13.9 Gai .6. 1 o aorn.tt9 The Life of Chrift. . by the Law of workes. To this I anfwer;the Law is not nullified, nor curtall'd by the mercy of Chrift : we are as fully bound to the obedience of it as Adam was, though not upon:fach bad termes, and evill confequen- ces as he; under danger of contracting finne, though not under danger of incurring death. So much as any juftified perfon comes fhort ofcornpleat and univerfall obedience to the Law,fo much he finneth,as Adam did, though God be pleafed to pardon that f;-ne by the me- rit of Chrift. Chrift cache to deliver from finne,but not to priviledge any man to commit it : though hee came to be a curfe for finne, yet he came not to be a cloake for finme. Secondly, Chrift is needfull in two refpefts : I;ir&, becaufe we cannot come to full and perfect obe- dience, and fo his grace is requifite to pardon and cover our failings : Secondly, becaufe that which we doe at- taine unto, is not ofor from our felves, and fo his Spirit is requifite to ftrengthen us unto his fèrvice. Thirdly, when the Scripture requires us to be holy & perfect, as Chrift and God, by as we underfiand not equality in the compaffe, but quality in the truth of our holineffe : As when the Apof}le faith, That we mre.t love our ncigh- .bour as our [elves, the meaning is not that our love to our neighbour Ihould be mathematically equall to the Love of our felves; for the Law doth allow of degrees in love,according to the degrees ofrelation and neereneffe in the thing loved : ¶Doe good unto all men, ffecially to i heft of the houJhold of Faith. Love to a friend may safely be greater than to a jffranger ; and to a wife or childe, than to a friend : yet in all, our love to others mutt be of the felfe -farne nature, as true, reali, cordiali, fincere, folid as that to our felves. Wçe mutt love our neighbour as we doe our felves, that is,unfainedly, and without diffimulation. Let us further confider the Grounds of this point tou- ching the C nformitj which is betweene the nature anei fpiri-

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