more than the Law given or Covenant made at Mount Sinai or Horeb, and that too only Carnally or Literally understood. For as the foremention'd Diftin&tion between the Law of Mofes largely taken, and the faid Law properly taken, is of Great ufe for explaining fe veral Texts of Scripture, otherwise difficult to be un derstood: So in order to the better and full Under, standing of the said Texts, it is to be obferv'd, that the Law of Mofes, even properly taken only for the Law given at Mount Sinai, may be confider'd in a twofold Refpect, viz. Carnally or only according to the Letter or Literal Signification of the Words, or elfe Spiritually or according to the Meaning chiefly intended by the Holy Spirit. In this laft Refpect it is, that the Law is faid to have a Shadow of Good things to Come, Hebr. 10. 1. that is, the Law under the Type of Carnal or Earthly things, which was All that was promis'd according to the Letter of the Law, did alfo promise Spiritual and Heavenly things according to the Intention of the Holy Spirit, namely to Holy Men endued with the Spirit of God, and who did not content themselves with a bare outward Obedience to the Letter of the Law, but were also and chiefly Careful to exercise all Inward and Spiritual Righteoufnefs. So that the Law, confider'd in this Refpect, was no other than the Gospel it felf obfcurely made Known under Types; and fo to the Law, confider'd in this Refpect, did belong all the Promifes of the Gofpel, namely both of affisting and forgiving Grace. Part I. Chap. 6. X. the Law is Car The Law of Mofes is Carnally confider'd, when it In what Senfe is confider'd, not according to the Spiritual Meaning nally confider'd. and Chief Divine Intention thereof, but only according to the Carnal and Secondary End thereof expreffed by the Letter of the Law, that is, as it was an Inftitution of the Jewish Policy or Government, and fo adapted to a Carnal People for their Carnal or Earthly Good; and confequently the Precepts as well as Promises whereof were only Carnal or External, viz. the Precepts did require only a Carnal, i. e. Outward and Bodily Obedience, and the Promifes did contain only Carnal, i. e. Outward Part I. Outward or Bodily and Temporal Happiness. Whence Chap. 6. it is manifeft that the Law of Mofes, confider'd in this Refpect, is altogether different from the Gofpel; and confequently that the Gospel-promifes, relating to Spiritual and Heavenly Bleffings, do no ways belong to the moft perfect Obfervation of the Law of Mofes Carnally confider❜d. XI. from the Various These Particulars being obferv'd and remember'd, it ments against the will be Easy to perceive Clearly the true Scope of Law are drawn St Paul's Difputing against the Law in his Epistles to Defects of the the Romans and Galatians. For whenever St Paul dif Law Carnally con- putes against the Law, he do's fo as it is Carnally confider'd, and fo plainly oppofite to the Gospel. Hence St Paul draws his Arguments from the Various Defects of the Law Carnally confider'd, viz. from its Defect of Grace both Affifting and Forgiving. For fider'd. XII. Firft, of the De 1. The Law Carnally confider'd, as it was oppofite fect of Forgiving to the Gospel, so it was Defective of the Forgiving Grace Grace, or the Re- of the Gofpel, or the Forgiveness of Sins, properly and miffion of Sins. truly fo call'd. On this is founded all St Paul's Difputation from Rom. 1. 18. to Chap. 3. 20. For having there fhewn, that All, Jews as well as Gentiles, were Guilty of Sins properly fo call'd, he at length concludes, Therefore by the Deeds of the Law there fhall no Flefb be juftify'd in his fight; namely for this Reafon which he prefently adds, For by the Law is the Knowledge of Sin, i. e. by the Law as contradiftinguish'd to the Gofpel, or only Carnally confider'd, we come Only to Know what is Sinful, we are not enabled to attain thereby the Forgiveness of Sin, viz. true and perfect Forgiveness. The fame Sort of Argument St Paul makes ufe of Gal. 3. 10. where he pronounces As many as are of the Works of the Law, i. e. Such as feek for Juftification, and confequently for the Remiffion of Sins by the Obfervance of the Law, viz. only Carnally confider'd, to be under the Curfe, which he there adds; from which they could not be Releas'd by the Law, but only by Christ who was made a Curfe for them that were under the Law, and fo redeem'd them from the Curfe of the Law, Gal. 10. 13. It is to be obferv'd, that the Force of the Apoftle's Argument lies in this, that the Law confider'd Carnally, or as diftinct from and oppofite to the Gospel, could not give true or perfect Forgiveness of Sins. "Tis true that the Law even in this refpect did grant fome Sort of Pardon, viz. an External, Civil, and Temporary Pardon, which had respect only to the Civil Government of the Jews, and this Life, as a Pardon granted by Our King to a Malefactor has. For the Sacrifices, appointed to be flain for any Sin, did free the Sinner only from fuffering Bodily Death, the Punishment thereof deferv'd by the Offender or Sinner being transferr'd on the Beaft facrificed. These Sacrifices did not afford Forgiveness of Sin as to the Life to come, there being No mention, much lefs Promife, of fuch Forgivenefs as is join'd to Eternal Life, made any where in the Law, confider'd Carnally or only according to the Letter. Part I. Chap. 6. XIII. The Law did fome Sins, as to Life, and the grant Pardon of this Civil Government. XIV. The fame Sort of Argument the fame Apoftle plain- The Law did ly makes ufe of in Hebr. 9. where fpeaking of the Sa- not grant perfect crifices prefcrib'd by the Law, he afferts that they could Remission of Sins. Not make him that did the Service Perfect, v. 9. that is, could Not free him from the Inward and Eternal Guilt of Sin in the fight of God, or at the laft Judgment; but that they only fanctified to the Purifying of the Flefb, v. 13. that is, they freed him that the Sacrifice was offer'd for, from Outward Punishment or Bodily Death. On the fame Account it is, that the fame Infpir'd Writer afferts in effect, that Perfection was not by the Levitical Priesthood, Hebr. 7. 11. that is, that Perfection was not to be hop'd for from the Sacrifices offer'd by the Levitical Priefts. And v. 19. of the fame Chapter he exprefly afferts, that the Law made nothing Perfect; and again Hebr. 10. 1. that the Law could never with its Sacrifices make the Comers thereunto Perfect. In which places by Perfection the Apostle chiefly understands Perfect, i. e. Full Absolution, and that for Ever, from All Sins, the Greatest as well as Leaft. Which Sort of Abfolution he all along denies to be Attainable by the Law Carnally confider'd. From Part I. .XV. the Law no One From thefe and the like Premifes the Apoftle infers Chap. 6. that Conclufion aforemention'd, viz. that by the Works of the Law fhall no Flesh (neither Jew nor Gentile) be wherefore by justify'd in his fight. Which Words, I bis, viz. God's can be jußify'd fight, are added Emphatically; forafmuch as to the Law confider'd Carnally did belong a Certain Juftification, viz. in the Civil or Human Judicatures of the Jews, and which was Available to Temporal Happiness. But the strictest Obfervation of the Law confider'd Carnally could not avail to Juftification in the Divine Judicature, or fo as to attain the Kingdom of Heaven. Hence the Apostle infers further, that it was Neceffary both for Jews and Gentiles to betake themselves to another and more Gracious Covenant, viz. that founded in the Blood of Chrift, and wherein not only Temporal but even Eternal Redemption and Salvation, (as Hebr. 9. 12. and 5. 9.) that is, the moft Full and Perfect Remiffion of All, even the Greateft Sins, together with the Gift of Eternal Life, is promis'd to All, who thro' Faith in Chrift truly repent of their Sins, and lead Holy Lives. Namely in the foremention'd Conclufion, Rom. 3. 20. Therefore by the Deeds of the Law fhall no Flefh be justify'd c. St Paul preffes on the Gentiles as well as Jews what he elsewhere Earneftly admonishes the Jews of, viz. Acts 13. 38, 39. Be it Known therefore unto you, Men and Brethren, that thro' this Man (viz. Chrift) is preach'd unto you the FORGIVENESS of Sins, even Spiritual and Eternal, or Perfect Forgiveness, which the Law could not give you; and by Him All that believe are justify'd from All things, even Idolatry, Murder, Adultery, and other most heinous Sins, from which ye could not be juftify'd by the Law of Mofes, not so much as Carnally or as to this Life, there being no Sacrifices allow'd by the Law for the Expiation of the foremention'd Sins even as to this Life, but the Idolater, Murderer, Adulterer, &c. being to be put to Death without any Reprieve. And this may fuffice as to the Defect of the Law, in refpect of Forgiving Grace, or the Forgiveness of Sins. Part I. Chap. 6. XVI. ly confider'd was 2. The Law, confider'd Carnally or in ContradiftinЯtion to the Gospel, was defective of Affifting as well as Forgiving Grace. For as the Legal Covenant granted no full and perfect Forgiveness to Sins past, fo neither The Law Carnaldid it give fufficient Help to avoid Sin for the Future deficient of affistSt Paul often and largely makes ufe of this Argument ing Grace. against the Law. Thus Rom. 8. 3. What it was impoffible for the Law to do, in that it was WEAK, i. e. did not give fufficient Strength, thro' the Flesh, i.e. to fubdue the strong Corrupt Affections of the Flesh, that has God done by the Gospel, viz. God fending his own Son in the likeness of finful Flefb, i.e. who took on him our Flesh or Nature, but without Sin, and for to be a Sacrifice for Sin, condemn'd Sin in the Flesh, i. e. put Sin as it were to Death, and fo deftroy'd the Power of it, in the Flesh or Body of our Bleffed Saviour, in which he bare our Sins on the Crofs. By which Crucifixion and Death Chrift has not only procur'd Full and Perfect Pardon for All Sins past, if truly Repented of, but also Grace fufficient to enable us to withstand and overcome the Sinful Lufts of the Flesh for the Future; fo as that the Righteousness, viz. Spiritual and Inward as well as Carnal and Outward Righteousness of the Law might be fulfill'd in us, v. 4. The fame Argument is used again Hebr. 7. 18. For there is verily a Difannulling of the Commandment (or Law) going before, i. e. relating to the Levitical Priesthood, and given before the Words fpoken by David, viz. Thou art a Priest for Ever after the Order of Melchifedec, V. 17. The Difannulling of the faid Mofaick Law being for the Weakness, i. e. Incapacity thereof to give us Strength to live Righteously, and the Unprofitableness thereof, viz. to obtain Perfect Remiffion of Sins, the other Defect of the Law afore spoken of. The fame Argument the fame Apostle makes ufe of more plainly and fully Hebr. 8. 7, &c. in relation to the Whole Mofaick Covenant. For in v. 7. St Paul in effect afferts, that the First (as it is there call'd) i.e. the Mosaick Covenant was Not blameless; and therefore that there was Need of a Second Covenant or the Gofpel. What was G the |