Liberty in C'hrif af f'erted. . 225 .._ debtor to do the wholeLaw , and Chrift is become ofnone efirec , and ye arefallen from grace. j This is that which fo much moved the Apoftle, that they l being once jet free and had taßed ofthe liberty which came by Jefus Chrifl, that they fhould beagaine intangled with theyoalke of bondage ; That they who had received the new teaching, and Chrift to be the Teacher , fhould nowhearken to falfe teachers : and having begun in thefpirit fhould once Ibid.3,3, think to be madeperfeaby thefiefh , as if Chrift were not e- nough, but they muffjoyne with him thecorruption, and ru- diments of men, their rules, and theirformes , and their pre- cepts , thefe and thefe things they muff do if they will be erfeú, and fojoyne man with Chrift, and fo make Chrift and his Croße ofno ere' ; Nay the Apoftle , he did fo magnifie, andfet up, and adore JefusChrift , and efeemedhim fofull, fo rich, fo large; fo all in all, that he not only abhorred the rudiments and the inventions of men but the Ordinances and the very lawof God as kept by men , to come in compe- tition with Jefus Chrift : for never any man obferved the the law, in the leaf/ tittle; It was only Jefus Chrift,and them in whom he is conceived and borne,and in whom he workes : For verily the lawwas not given to tell man what hepould do, to get peace and life, but tocondemne him , to difable him, to flay him, to convince him that he is miferable, and weak , and curled ; And therefore in vaine did tholefalte Apofilesj or any other in anygeneration put menupon do- ing this or that by way ofcondition , to enable man to aîi or do any thing on hispart by his own power,topleafe God: But every true believer is a man loft and defiroed in him- felfe : and he is borne anew ofthis Divine feed, and he is fetled not on himfelfe by his own doings, but on the Roc&of i Sam.2:z Ages; And he harkens to this fpiritual counfell given here by the Apoftle , To f and fafr in this liberty (whatever men fay) And will not faffer himfelfe to be bewitched by the plaufible teachings ofmen, tickling the flefh with a&ing and . doing that by themfelves which (hall bring peace,but which tends to no other endbut to keep men in bondage,and tohold themunder the old,jerufalem, becaufe that's very pleafing to G g man
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