examine whether the spirit from which you acted was legal or
evangelical—that is, whether it was the Spirit of adoption that did
draw you out to the thing you took in hand, or a mere moral principle,
together with some shallow and common illuminations into the outward
way of the worship of God, according to Gospel rule.
Quest. But, you will say, it is like, How should this be made manifest
and appear?
Answ. I shall speak briefly in answer hereunto as followeth—First,
then, that man that doth take up any of the ordinances of God—namely,
as prayer, baptism, breaking of bread, reading, hearing, alms-deeds, or
the like; I say, he that doth practise any of these, or such like,
supposing thereby to procure the love of Christ to his own soul, he
doth do what he doth from a legal, and not from an evangelical or
Gospel spirit: as thus—for a man to suppose that God will hear him for
his prayer’s sake, for his alm’s sake, for his humiliation’s sake, or
because he hath promised to make God amends hereafter, whereas there is
no such thing as a satisfaction to be made to God by our prayers or
whatever we can do; I say, there is no such way to have reconciliation
with God in. And so also for men to think, because they are got into
such and such an ordinance, and have crowded themselves into such and
such a society, that therefore they have got pretty good shelter from
the wrath of the Almighty; when, alas, poor souls, there is no such
thing. No, but God will so set His face against such professors, that
His very looks will make them to tear their very flesh; yea, make them
to wish would they had the biggest millstone in the world hanged about
their neck, and they cast into the midst of the sea. For, friends, let
me tell you, though you can now content yourselves without the holy,
harmless, undefiled, perfect righteousness of Christ; yet there is a
day a-coming in which there is not one of you shall be saved but those
that are and shall be found clothed with that righteousness; God will
say to all the rest, “Take them, bind them hand and foot, and cast them
into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth”
(Matt 22:13). For Christ will not say unto men in that day, Come, which
of you made a profession of Me, and walked in church-fellowship with My
saints: no; but then it shall be inquired into, who have the reality of
the truth of grace wrought in their hearts. And, for certain, he that
misseth of that shall surely be cast into the Lake of Fire, there to
burn with the devils and damned men and women; there to undergo the
wrath of an eternal God, and that not for a day, a month, a year, but
for ever, for ever, for ever and ever; there is that which cutteth to
the quick. Therefore, look to it, and consider now what you do, and
whereon you hang your souls; for it is not every pin that will hold in
the judgment, not every foundation that will be able to hold up the
house against those mighty, terrible, soul-drowning floods and
destroying tempests which then will roar against the soul and body of a
sinner (Luke 6:47-49). And, if the principle be rotten, all will fall,
all will come to nothing. Now, the principle is this—Not to do things
because we would be saved, but to do them from this—namely, because we
do really believe that we are and shall be saved. But do not mistake
me; I do not say we should slight any holy duties; God forbid; but I
say, he that doth look for life because he doth do good duties, he is
under the Covenant of Works, the law; let his duties be never so
eminent, so often, so fervent, so zealous. Ay, and I say, as I said
before, that if any man or men, or multitudes of people, do get into
never so high, so eminent; and clear practices and Gospel order, as to
church discipline, if it be done to this end I have been speaking of,
from this principle, they must and shall have these sad things fall to
their share which I have made mention of.
Object. But, you will say, can a man use Gospel ordinances with a legal
spirit?
Answ. Yes, as easily as the Jews could use and practise circumcision,
though not the moral or Ten Commandments. For this I shall be bold to
affirm, that it is not the commands of the New Testament administration
that can keep a man from using of its self [that administration] in a
legal spirit; for know this for certain, that it is the principle, not
the command, that makes the subjector to the same either legal or
evangelical, and so his obedience from that command to be from legal
convictions or evangelical principles.
Now, herein the devil is wondrous subtle and crafty, in suffering
people to practise the ordinances and commands of the Gospel, if they
do but do them in a legal spirit, [I beseech you, do not think because
I say this, therefore I am against the ordinances of the Gospel, for I
do honour them in their places, yet would not that any of them should
be idolized, or done in a wrong spirit,] from a spirit of works; for he
knows then, that if he can but get the soul to go on in such a spirit,
though they do never so many duties, he shall hold them sure enough;
for he knows full well that thereby they do set up something in the
room of, or, at the least, to have some, though but a little, share
with the Lord Jesus Christ in their salvation; and if he can but get
thee here, he knows that he shall cause thee by thy depending a little
upon the one, and so thy whole dependence being not upon the other,
that is, Christ, and taking of him upon his own terms, thou wilt fall
short of life by Christ, though thou do very much busy thyself in a
suitable walking, in an outward conformity to the several commands of
the Lord Jesus Christ. And let me tell you plainly, that I do verily
believe that as Satan by his instruments did draw many of the Galatians
by circumcision (though, I say, it was none of the commands of the
moral law) to be debtors to do upon pain of eternal damnation the whole
of the moral law, so also Satan, in the time of the Gospel, doth use
even the commands laid down in the Gospel, some of them, to bind the
soul over to do the same law; the thing being done and walked in, by
and in the spirit; for, as I said before, it is not the obedience to
the command that makes the subjector thereto evangelical, or of a
Gospel spirit; but, contrariwise, the principle that leads out the soul
to the doing of the command, that makes the persons that do thus
practise any command, together with the command by them practised,
either legal or evangelical. As, for instance, prayer—it is a Gospel
command; yet if he that prays doth it in a legal spirit, he doth make
that which in itself is a Gospel command an occasion of leading him
into a Covenant of Works, inasmuch as he doth it by and in that old
covenant spirit.
Again; giving of alms is a Gospel command; yet if I do give alms from a
legal principle, the command to me is not Gospel, but legal, and it
binds me over, as aforesaid, to do the whole law—“For he is not a Jew,”
nor a Christian, “which is one outwardly”—that is, one only by an
outward subjection to the ordinances of prayer, hearing, reading,
baptism, breaking of bread, etc.—“But he is a Jew,” a Christian, “which
is one inwardly,” who is rightly principled, and practiseth the
ordinances of the Lord from the leadings forth of the Spirit of the
Lord, from a true and saving faith in the Lord (Rom 2:28,29). Those men
spoken of in the 7th of Matthew, for certain, for all their great
declaration, did not do what they did from a right Gospel spirit; for
had they, no question but the Lord would have said, “Well done, good
and faithful servant.” But in that the Lord Jesus doth turn them away
into Hell, notwithstanding their great profession of the Lord, and of
their doing in His name, it is evident that notwithstanding all that
they did do, they were still under the law, and not under that covenant
as true believers are—to wit, the Covenant of Grace; and if so, then
all their duties that they did, of which they boasted before the Lord,
was not in and by a right evangelical principle or spirit.
Again, saith the Apostle, “Whatsoever is not of faith is sin,” (Rom
14:23); but there are some that do even practise baptism, breaking of
bread, together with other ordinances, and yet are unbelievers;
therefore unbelievers doing these things, they are not done in faith
but sin. Now to do these things in sin, or without faith, it is not to
do things in an evangelical or Gospel spirit; also they that do these
things in a legal spirit, the very practising of them renders them not
under the law of Christ, as Head of His Church, but the works they do
are so much contradiction to the Gospel of God, or the Covenant of
Grace, that they that do them thus do even set up against the Covenant
of Grace; and the very performance of them is of such force that it is
sufficient to drown them that are subjects thereunto, even under the
Covenant of Works; but this poor souls are not aware of, and there is
their misery.
Quest. But have you no other way to discover the things of the Gospel,
how they are done with a legal principle, but those you have already
made mention of?
Answ. That thou mightest be indeed satisfied herein, I shall show you
the very manner and way that a legal, or old-covenant-converted
professor, bear with the terms, doth take both in the beginning,
middle, and the end of his doing of any duty or command, or whatsoever
it be that he doth do. 1. He thinking this or that to be his duty, and
considering of the same, he is also presently persuaded in his own
conscience that God will not accept of him if he leave it undone; he
seeing that he is short of his duty, as he supposeth, while this is
undone by him, and also judging that God is angry with him until the
thing be done, he, in the second place, sets to the doing of the duty,
to the end he may be able to pacify his conscience by doing of the
same, persuading of himself that now the Lord is pleased with him for
doing of it. 2. Having done it, he contents himself, sits down at his
ease, until some further convictions of his duty to be done, which when
he seeth and knoweth, he doth do it as aforesaid, from the same
principle as he did the former, and so goeth on in his progress of
profession. This is to do things from a legal principle, and from an
old-covenant spirit; for thus runs that covenant, “The man that doth
these things shall live in them,” of “by them” (Lev 18:5; Gal 3:12; Rom
10:5). But more of this in the use of this doctrine.
Object. But, you will say, by these words of yours you do seem to deny
that there are conditional promises in the Gospel, as is clear, in that
you strike at such practices as are conditional, and commanded to be
done upon the same.
Answ. The thing that I strike at is this, that a man in or with a legal
spirit should not, nay, cannot, do any conditional command of the
Gospel acceptably, as to his eternal state, because he doth it in an
old-covenant spirit. “No man putteth new wine into old bottles”; but
new wine must have new bottles, a Gospel command must have a Gospel
spirit, or else the wine will break the bottles, or the principle will
break the command.
Object. Then you do grant that there are conditional promises in the
New Testament, as in the moral law, or Ten Commands.
Answ. Though this be true, yet the conditional promises in the New
Testament do not call to the same people in the same state of
unregeneracy to fulfill them upon the same conditions.
The Law and the Gospel being two distinct covenants, they are made in
divers ways, and the nature of the conditions also being not the same,
as saith the Apostle, the righteousness of the law saith one thing, and
the righteousness of faith saith another (Rom 10:4-6). That is, the
great condition in the law is, If you do these things, you shall live
by them; but the condition, even the greatest condition laid down for a
poor soul to do, as to salvation—for it is that we speak of—is to
believe that my sins be forgiven me for Jesus Christ’s sake, without
the works or righteousness of the law, on my part, to help forward. “To
him that worketh not,” saith the Apostle [that is] for salvation, “but
believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith”—mark, “his
faith is counted for righteousness” (Rom 4:5). So that we, saith, he,
“conclude that a man is justified by faith without”—mark again,
“without the deeds of the law” (Rom 3:28).
But again; there is never a condition in the Gospel that can be
fulfilled by an unbeliever; and therefore, whether there be conditions
or whether there be none, it makes no matter to thee who art without
the faith of Christ; for it is impossible for thee in that state to do
them, so as to be ever the better as to thy eternal estate; therefore,
lest thou shouldst split thy soul upon the conditions laid down in the
Gospel, as thou wilt do if thou go about to do them only with a legal
spirit; but, I say, to prevent this, see if thou canst fulfill the
first condition; that is, to believe that all thy sins are forgiven
thee, not for any condition that hath been or can be done by thee, but
merely for the Man’s sake that did hang on Mount Calvary, between two
thieves, some sixteen hundred years ago and odd. And, I say, see if
thou canst believe that at that time He did, when He hanged on the
Cross, give full satisfaction, for all thy sins, before thou in thy
person hadst committed ever a one. I say, see if thou canst believe
this; and take heed thou deceive not thyself with an historical,
notional, or traditional acknowledgment of the same. And, secondly, see
if thou canst so well fulfill this condition, that the very virtue and
efficacy that it hath on thy soul will engage thee to fulfill those
other conditions, really in love to that Man whom thou shouldst believe
hath frankly and freely forgiven thee all, without any condition acted
by thee to move Him thereto, according to that saying in 2 Corinthians
5:14, 15; and then thy doing will arise from a contrary principle than
otherwise it will do—that is, then thou wilt not act and do because
thou wouldst be accepted of God, but because thou hast some good hope
in thy heart that thou art accepted of Him already, and not on thine,
but wholly and alone upon another man’s account; for here runs the
Gospel spirit of faith: “We believe,”—mark, “We believe, and therefore
speak.” So we believe, and therefore do (2 Cor 4:13). Take heed,
therefore, that you do not DO, that you may believe, but rather believe
so effectually that you may DO, even all that Jesus doth require of you
from a right principle, even out of love to your dear Lord Jesus
Christ, which thing I shall speak to more fully by and by.
Object. But what do you mean by those expressions? Do not do that you
may believe, but believe so effectually that you may do.
Answ. When I say, Do not do that you may believe, I mean, do not think
that any of the things that thou canst do will procure or purchase
faith from God unto thy soul; for that is still the old-covenant
spirit, the spirit of the law, to think to have it for thy doing. They
that are saved, they are saved by grace, through faith, and that not of
themselves, not for anything that they can do, for they are both the
free gift of God, “Not of” doing, or of “works, lest any man should,”
be proud, and “boast” (Eph 2:8,9). Now, some people be so ignorant as
to think that God will give them Christ, and so all the merits of His,
if they will be but valiant, and do something to please God, that they
may obtain Him at His hands; but let me tell them, they may lose a
thousand souls quickly, if they had so many, by going this way to work,
and yet be never the better; for the Lord doth not give His Christ to
any upon such conditions, but He doth give Him freely; that is, without
having respect to anything that is in thee (Rev 22:17; Isa 55:1,2). To
him that is athirst will I give; He doth not say, I will sell; but, I
will give him the water of life freely (Rev 21:6).
Now, if Christ doth give it, and that freely, then He doth not sell if
for anything that is in the creature; but Christ doth give Himself, as
also doth His Father, and that freely, not because there is anything in
us, or done by us, that moves Him thereunto. If it were by doing, then,
saith Paul, “Grace is not grace,” seeing it is obtained by works; but
grace is grace, and that is the reason it is given to men without their
works. And if it be by grace, that is, if it be a free gift from God,
without anything foreseen as done, or to be done, by the creature, then
it is not of works, which is clear; therefore it is grace, without the
works of the law. But if you say, Nay, it is of something in the man
done by him that moves God thereunto; then you must conclude that
either grace is no grace, or else that works are grace and not works.
Do but read with understanding (Rom 11:6).
Now before I go any further, it may be necessary to speak a word or two
to some poor souls that are willing to close in with Jesus Christ, and
would willingly take Him upon His own terms, only they being muddy in
their minds, and have not yet attained the understanding of the terms
and conditions of the two covenants, they are kept off from closing
with Christ; and all is, because they see they can do nothing [to merit
His favour]. As, for example, come to some souls, and ask them how they
do, they will tell you presently that they are so bad that it is not to
be expressed. If you bid them believe in Jesus Christ, they will answer
that they cannot believe; if you ask them why they cannot believe, they
will answer, because their hearts are so hard, so dead, so dull, so
backward to good duties; and if their hearts were but better, if they
were more earnest, if they could pray better, and keep their hearts
more from running after sin, then they could believe; but should they
believe with such vile hearts, and presume to believe in Christ, and be
so filthy? Now all this is because the spirit of the law still ruleth
in such souls, and blinds them so that they cannot see the terms of the
Gospel. To clear this, take the substance or the drift of these poor
souls, which is this—“If I were better, then I think I could believe;
but being so bad as I am, that is the reason that I cannot.” This is
just to do something that I may believe, to work that I may have
Christ, to do the law that I may have the Gospel; or thus, to be
righteous that I may come to Christ. O man! thou must go quite back
again, thou art out of the way, thou must believe, because thou canst
not pray, because thou canst not do; thou must believe, because there
is nothing in thee naturally that is good, or desireth after good, or
else thou wilt never come to Christ as a sinner; and if so, then Christ
will not receive thee; and if so, then thou mayest see that to keep off
from Christ because thou canst not do, is to be kept from Christ by the
law, and to stand off from Him because thou canst not buy Him. Thus
having spoken something by the way for the direction of those souls
that would come to Christ, I shall return to the former discourse,
wherein ariseth this objection—
Object. But you did but even now put souls upon fulfilling the first
condition of the Gospel, even to believe in Christ, and so be saved;
but now you say it is alone by grace, without condition; and therefore
by these words, there is first a contradiction to your former sayings,
and also that men may be saved without the condition of faith, which to
me seems a very strange thing. I desire, therefore, that you would
clear out what you have said, to my satisfaction.
Answer, 1. Though there be a condition commanded in the Gospel, yet He
that commands the condition doth not leave His children to their own
natural abilities, that in their own strength they should fulfill them,
as the law doth; but the same God that doth command that the condition
be fulfilled, even He doth help His children by His Holy Spirit to
fulfill the same condition; “For it is God which worketh in you,”—mark
“in you,” believers, “both to will and to do of His own good pleasure”
(Phil 2:13). “Thou also hast wrought all our works in us, and for us”
(Isa 26:12). So that, if the condition be fulfilled, it is not done by
the ability of the creature. But,
2. Faith, as it is a gift of God, or an act of ours, take it which way
you will, if we speak properly of salvation, it is not the first nor
the second cause of our salvation, but the third, and that but
instrumentally neither—that is, it only layeth hold of and applieth to
us that which saveth us, which is the love of God, through the merits
of Christ, which are the two main causes of our salvation, without
which all other things are nothing, whether it be faith, hope, love, or
whatever can be done by us. And to this the great Apostle of the
Gentiles speaks fully, for, saith he, “God, who is rich in mercy, loved
us, even when we were dead in sins” (Eph 2:4,5). That is, when we were
without faith, and that was the cause why we believed for He thereby
hath quickened us together, through the meritorious cause, which is
Christ, and so hath saved us by grace—that is, of His own voluntary
love and good will; the effect of which was this, He gave us faith to
believe in Christ. Read soberly Ephesians 2:4-8. Faith, as the gift of
God, is not the Saviour, as our act doth merit nothing; faith was not
the cause that God gave Christ as the first, neither is it the cause
why God converts men to Christ; but faith is a gift bestowed upon us by
the gracious God, the nature of which is to lay hold on Christ, that
God afore did give for a ransom to redeem sinners; this faith hath its
nourishment and supplies from the same God that at the first did give
it, and is the only instrument, through the Spirit, that doth keep the
soul in a comfortable frame, both to do and suffer for Christ; helps
the soul to receive comfort from Christ when it can get none from
itself, beareth up the soul in its progress heavenwards. But that it is
the first cause of salvation, that I deny, or that it is the second, I
deny; but it is only the instrument, or hand, that receiveth the
benefits, that God hath prepared for thee before thou hadst any faith;
so that we do nothing for salvation as we are men. But if we speak
properly, it was God’s grace that moved Him to give Christ a ransom for
sinners; and the same God, with the same grace, that doth give to the
soul faith to believe, and so, by believing, to close in with Him whom
God out of His love and pity did send into the world to save sinners,
so that all the works of the creature are shut out as to justification
and life, and men are saved freely by grace. I shall speak no more
here; but in my discourse upon the second covenant, I shall answer a
Hell-bred objection or two, to forewarn sinners how they turn the grace
of God into wantonness.
And thus, you see, I have briefly spoken to you something touching the
law. First, what it is, and when given; secondly, how sad those men’s
conditions are that are under it; thirdly, who they are that be under
it; fourthly, how far they may go, and what they may do and receive,
and yet be under it; which hath been done by way of answers to several
questions, for the better satisfaction of those that may stand in doubt
of the truth of what hath been delivered.
Now, in the next place, I shall come to some application of the truth
of that which hath been spoken; but I shall in the first place speak
something to the second doctrine, and then afterwards I shall speak
something by way of use and application to this first doctrine.
[DOCTRINE SECOND.]
The second doctrine now to be spoken to is, TO SHOW THAT THE PEOPLE OF
GOD ARE NOT UNDER THE LAW BUT UNDER GRACE—“For ye are not under the
law, but under grace” (Rom 6:14).
You may well remember that from these words I did observe these two
great truths of the Lord—FIRST, That there are some in Gospel times
that are under the law, or Covenant of Works. SECOND, That there is
never a believer under the law, or Covenant of Works, but under grace.
I have spoken something to the former of these truths—to wit, that
there are some under the law, together with who they are, and what
their condition is, that are under it. Now I am to speak to the second,
and to show you who they are, and what their condition is, that are
under that [Covenant of Grace].