the World, yet it will fatisfie the faith of the
Saints.

Now faith Paul, for mine own part, I muft profefs to the Jews themselves, and to all the world befides, that I am fo far from feeking Righteousness by the Law, that I am wholly dead to the Law, and as a dead man, have no more to do with the Law, as that hath no more to do with me. I through the Law am dead to the Law, that I might live unto God, ver. 19.

I(faith Paul) through the Law, am dead to the Law: that is, The Law it felf, makes me dead to the Law. For the Law with its wrath, and curse, and punishments, hath flain me: it hath through my fin delivered me up to death and hell, without fhewing me any way of escape or deliverance; it hath done against me what ever it could do; it hath fully killd and flain me. And therefore, how can the Law any more give Laws and Commands to a dead man, yea to one whom it felf hath flain? or how can it expect obedience from fuch an one? And this fenfe Chryfoftom gives of these words.

νάτε ἐν

But fecondly, we conceive these words, in another fenfe, after this manner, I through the Law am dead to the Law, that is, I through a new Law am dead to the old Law; 1 am dead to the old Law, (which was the Law of the Letter, written in Tables of ftone) by a new Law, which God hath nanowritten in my heart, and inward parts. And v T this is the Law of Grace, or the Law of the Spirit of yeaμuart Life, that is in Chrift Jefus, which is not a Law confifting of Letters words and fentences, but is the living word of God, written in our hearts by the living fpirit of God; according to that of Paul, touching Believers, 2 Cor. 3. 3. Te are the epiftle of Christ, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; and the living Spirit writes a living Law.

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And

And this Law makes us dead to the Law: and a man is never truly dead to the Law of the letter, till the Law of the Spirit of life be writ in his heart by the finger of God. But when we have the Law of Grace, which is a living and almighty Law in our hearts, we are then fafely dead to the Law of the letter.

The Law commands all flesh that hath not the living Word or Law of life within it felf; but when a Believer hath in him the Law of the Spirit, the Law of the letter hath no more power over him: that is, fo far as he is taken up into that other Law of the Spirit, but no further.

And there is no danger at all in this Doctrine, That the new Law makes us dead to, or delivers us from the old, as ignorant and carnal Chriftians think there is; inafmuch as this new Law, imprints in our fouls the love of righteousness, and hatred of ini quity. And he that is thus freed from the Law, is the only man that keeps it and fulfills it, through the Law of love put into his heart by the Spirit. And this Lam of love, doth fulfill the other Law, but never break and violate it. Wherefore, faith Paul, I through the Law, am dead to the Law. That I might live unto God,

That is, He that through the Law of Grace is freed of the Law of the letter, is not fet free from the Law, that thereby he may have opportunity and liberty to live to fin, and himself, but that he may thereby live unto God: And when a man is born of God, and lives the life of God, from the nature of God, there is no danger at all, in declaring this man to be free from the Law of Mofes, by the Law of Chrift. For how otherwife should he come to know the high priviledge of the Gof pel, and the excellent prerogative of the fons of God, and the glorious liberty, and freedom, into which Jefus Chrift hath exalted him?

Now

Now this One Thing rightly understood, doth administer to us just cause to reprove two forts of People, who swerve from the truth in this parti

cular.

The first fort are they who would be dead to the Law, that they might live unto fin, and not unto God: who would have no Law, that all things might be lawful, though never fo wicked and abominable, and never fo contrary both to the light of Grace and Nature. And these are the true Antinomians and Libertines, who would be free from the Law of Mofes, they not being under the Law of Chrift; who would take away and quite abolish the Law of the letter, they not being under the Law of the Spirit; and fo would be free from all Law, both Old and New, both of Mofes and Chrift, that they might live as they lift, and take their full fwinge in all their lufts. Now fuch Libertines and Licentious perfons as thefe, are to be restrained and punished by the Civil Magistrate, and the Powers that be of God in the world, when they tranfgrefs in any matter wickedly and prefumptuously against their Neighbour, and against civil Society: and in other things, that are more fecret and inward, or that are of their own notions and apprehenfions, though concerning the things of God, they are to be left, with other un-believers and mif-believers, to the righteous judgment of God, who is always prefent in the world, and immediate Moderator and Governour himself, in all fuch affairs as immediatly concern himself and his Kingdom.

2. The other fort to be reproved from this point, are fuch, who are fo Jewish, and fo zealous of the honour of the Law, that they will by no means indure to hear, that the Gofpel of the Son of God, comes to abolish it, or that the new Law is given us, to make us quite dead to the old. X 3

For

For they think, that fuch Doctrine as this, will open a flood gate to all manner of wickedness and licentioufness. For fuch men, being carnal themfelves, and knowing no reftraint from fin, but the Law of Mofes, do verily think, that if that curb be taken out of the jaws of men, they must needs rush headlong into all manner of evil, as the horse into the battel: and this is true enough, where men free themselves, or are freed by others from the old Law, before the new be written in their hearts. But this they understand not, that when the new Law comes, it is a fufficient dif charge from the old; fince the Law of Grace within us, is infinitely more powerful to keep us from fin, than the Law of Mofes without us; and the love of righteoufnefs, and hatred of iniquity, put into our hearts by the Spirit, is infinitely more able to make us do righteoufnefs, and avoid fin, than any outward commands and threatnings whatsoever. And fo where the Gospel prevails in truth and power, men need not fear the taking away the Law from fuch men, feeing they through the new Law are dead unto the old, that they may live unto God. That, as the humanity of Christ knew no Law; but the prefence of the Godhead in it, was unto it instead of all Law, and it lived unto God, by living in God, through union and communion with the divine Nature; fo the Saints, God dwelling in them, and they in God, do by this means live unto God: and God himself, who dwells in them,is the new Law according to which they live; they doing all in God, and for God, and fo live unto God indeed.

And now it follows,

I am crucified with Chrift, &c.

I am crucified with Chrift, who through this nem Lam, was dead to the old. For Chrift our brother, of the fame flesh and blood with us, having

the

the living word, and Law of God within him, he owed nothing to the Law of Mofes by way of debt, neither was he juftified by the works of the Law, but by the righteoufnefs of the eternal Son or Word of God that dwelt and wrought in him, and he again in it. And this living Word and Spirit of God, that dwelt in the flesh of Chrift, was the true crucifying of his flesh; and in this crucifying of Chrifts flesh, all his Saints partake with him, as Paul here faith,

I am crucified with Chrift.

Now this cannot be understod of Chrifts outward crucifying upon the material Crofs; for thus, Paul was not crucified with him, neither are all the Saints. But this is to be understood of Christs inward and spiritual crucifying, through the Word of righteousness and life that dwelt in him: and according to this, all the faithful, through all ages, are crucified with him indeed.

And now here it will be needful to speak fomething more fully, both touching Chrifts own crucifying, and the crucifying of all his Saints with him, on the fame Crofs. And the rather, because as men generally in the outward Church, have a carnal understanding of all the things of Chrift, fo alfo of his Crofs and Death. And not the Papifts only, but many among our felves, who greatly adore the outward crofs, and crucifying of Chrift, are yet ignorant of the true cross and crucifying of Chrift and his Christians with him, whereby they are truly crucifyed and dead to themselves, to fin, to the world, and to whatever is not God himself: And fo under the open profeffion of the outward cross and death of Chrift, do live in all manner of fin and wickedness, equally with the very heathen, amongst whom the Name of Chrift hath not been named. Wherefore to remove this grofs ignoX 4

rance