In the three former chapters, the apostle is pleading for the salvation of sinners by grace without the works of the law, to the end he might confirm the saints, and also that he might win over all those that did oppose the truth of this doctrine, or else leave them the more without excuse; and that he might so do, he taketh in hand-first, to shew the state of all men naturally, or as they come into the world by generation, saying, in the third chapter, "There is none righteous, no, not one; there is none that understandeth; there is none that doeth good," &c. As if he had said, It seems there is a generation of men that think to be saved by the righteousness of the law; but let me tell them that they are much deceived, in that they have already sinned against the law; for by the disobedience of the one, many, yea all, were brought into a state of condemnation, Rom. v. 12-20. Now, in the sixth chapter he doth, as if he had turned him round to the brethren, and said, My brethren, you see now that it is clear and evident that it is freely by the grace of Christ that we do inherit eternal life. And again, for your comfort, my brethren, let me tell you that your condition is wondrous safe, in that you are under grace; for saith he, " Sin shall not have dominion over you;" that is, neither the damning power, neither the filthy power, so as to destroy your souls: For you are not under the law"-that is, you are not under that that will damn you for sin; "but (you are) under grace," or stand thus in relation to God, that though you have sinned, yet you shall be pardoned. "For you are not under the law," &c. If any should ask what is the meaning of the word "under," I answer, it signifieth, you are not held, kept, or shut up by it so as to appear before God under that administration, and none but that; or thus: you are not now bound by the authority of the law to fulfil it and obey it, so as to have no salvation without you so do; or thus: if you transgress against any one tittle of it, you by the power of it must be condemned. No, no, for you are not so under it; that is, not thus under the law. Again, "For you are not under the law." What is meant by this word, "law"? The word " law," in scripture, may be taken more ways than one, as might be largely cleared. There is the law of faith, the law of sin, the law of men, the law of works, otherwise called the covenant of works, or the first or old covenant-Heb. viii. 13, "In that he saith a new covenant," (which is the grace of God, or commonly called the covenant of grace,) he hath made the first old,"--that is, the covenant of works, or the law. I say, therefore, the word “ law” and the word “grace,” in this sixth

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of the Romans, do hold forth the two covenants which all men are under—that is, either the one or the other. "For ye are not under the law"-that is, you to whom I do now write these words, who are and have been effectually brought into the faith of Jesus, you are not under the law, or under the covenant of works. He doth not therefore apply these words to all, but to some, to whom he saith," But ye;" mark, "ye, ye believers, ye converted persons, ye saints, ye that have been born again. (Ye) "for ye are not under the law," implying others are that are in their natural state, that have not been brought into the covenant of grace by faith in Jesus Christ. The words therefore being thus understood, there is discovered these two truths in them

DOCT. 1. That there are some in gospel times that are under the covenant of works.

DOCT. 2. That there is never a believer under the law, (as it is the covenant of works,) but under grace through Christ. For ye" (you believers, you converted persons, ye)" are not under the law, but under grace;" or, for you are delivered and brought into or under the covenant of grace.

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For the first, that there are some that are under the law, or under the covenant of works, see, I pray you, that scripture in the third of the Romans, where the apostle, speaking before of sins against the law, and of the denunciations thereof against those that are in that condition, saith, "What things soever the law saith, it saith to them that are under it;" mark, it saith to them that are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world become guilty before God," (Rom. iii. 19;) that is, all those that are under the law as a covenant of works, that are yet in their sins, and unconverted, as I told you before. Again, Gal. v. 18, he saith, "But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law," implying again that those which are for sinning against the law, or the works of the law, either as it is the old covenant, these are under the law, and not under the covenant of grace. Again, Gal. iii. 10, there he saith, "For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse"-that is, they that are under the law are under the curse; for mark, they that are under the covenant of grace are not under the curse. Now there are but two covenants, therefore it must needs be that they that are under the curse are under the law, seeing those that are under the other covenant are not under the curse, but under the blessing. "So, then, they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham," but the rest are under the law, Gal. iii. 9. Now I shall proceed to what I do intend to speak unto.

First, I shall shew you what the covenant of works, or the law, is, and when it was first given, together with the nature of it.

Secondly, I shall shew you what it is to be under the law, or covenant of works, and the miserable state of all those that are under it. Thirdly, I shall shew you who they are that are under this covenant, or law.

Fourthly, I shall shew you how far a man may go and yet be under this covenant, or law. For the first, What this covenant of works is, and when it was given.

The covenant of works, or the law, here spoken of, is the law delivered upon Mount Sinai to Moses, in two tables of stone, in ten particular branches or heads; for this see Gal. iv. The apostle, speaking there of the law, and of some also that through delusions of false doctrine were brought again, as it were, under it, or at least were leaning that way, (verse 21,) saith, As for you that desire to be under the law, I will shew you the mystery of Abraham's two sons, which he had by Hagar and Sarah; these two do signify the two covenants; the one named Hagar signifies Mount Sinai, where the law was delivered to Moses on two tables of stone, (Exod. xxiv. 12; xxxiv. 1; Deut. x. 1 ;) which is that that whosoever is under, he is destitute of, and altogether without, the grace of Christ in his heart at the present-Gal. v. 3, 4, "For I testify again to every man (saith he, speaking to the same people) that Christ has become of none effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law,"namely, that given on Mount Sinai-" ye are fallen from grace." That is, not that any can be justified by the law; but his meaning is, all those that seek justification by the works of the law, they are not such as seek to be under the second covenant, the covenant of grace. Also, in 2 Cor. iii. 7, 8, the apostle, speaking again of these two covenants, saith," For if the ministration of death (or the law, for it is all one) written and engraven in stones (mark that) was glorious, how shall not the ministration of the Spirit (or the covenant of grace) be rather glorious?" As if he had said, It is true, there was a glory in the covenant of works, and a very great excellency did appear in it-namely, in that given in the stones on Sinai,-yet there is another covenant, the covenant of grace, that doth exceed it for comfort and glory.

But, secondly, though this law was delivered to Moses from the hands of angels on two tables of stone, on Mount Sinai, yet this was not the first appearing of this law to man; but even this in substance, though possibly not so openly, was given to the first man, Adam, in the garden of Eden, in these words: " And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree in the garden thou mayest freely eat: but of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it; for in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die," (Gen. ii. 16, 17;) which commandment then given to Adam did contain in it a forbidding to do any one of those things that was and is accounted evil, although at that time it did not appear so plainly, in so many particular heads, as it did when it was delivered on Mount Sinai ; but yet the very same. And that I shall prove thus :

God commanded Adam in paradise to abstain from all evil against the first covenant, and not from some sins only; but if God had not commanded Adam to abstain from the sins spoken against the ten commandments, he had not commanded to abstain from all, but from some; therefore it must needs be that he then commanded to abstain from all sins forbidden in the law given on Mount Sinai. Now that God commanded to abstain from all evil or sin against any of the ten commandments when he gave Adam the command in the garden, it is evident, in that he did punish the sins that were committed against those commands that were then delivered on Mount Sinai before they were delivered on Mount Sinai, which will appear as followeth ::

The first, second, and third commandments were broken by Pharaoh and his men; for they had false gods which the Lord executed judgment against, (as in Exod. xii. 12;) and blasphemed their true God, (Exod. vii. 17, to the end;) for their gods could neither deliver themselves nor their people from the hand of God; but in the things wherein they dealt proudly he was above them, Exod. xviii. Î1.

Again; some judge that the Lord punished the sin against the second commandment, which Jacob was in some measure guilty of in not purging his house from false gods, with the defiling of his daughter Dinah, Gen. xxxiv. 2.

Again; we find that Abimelech thought the sin against the third commandment so great, that he required no other security of Abraham against the fear of mischief that might be done to him by Abraham, his son, and his son's son, but only Abraham's oath, (Gen. xxi. 23 ;) the like we see between Abimelech and Isaac, (Gen. xxxi. 53;) the like we find in Moses and the Israelites, who durst not leave the bones of Joseph in Egypt, because of the oath of the Lord, whose name, by so doing, would have been abused, Exod. xiii. 19. And we find the Lord rebuking his people for the breach of the fourth commandment, Exod. xvi. 27-29.

And for the breach of the fifth, the curse came upon Ham, Gen. ix. 25-27. And Ishmael dishonouring his father in mocking Isaac was cast out, as we read, Gen. xxi. 9, 10. The sons-inlaw of Lot for slighting their father perished in the overthrow of Sodom, Gen. xix. 14, &c.

The sixth commandment was broken by Cain, and so dreadful a curse and punishment came upon him, that it made him cry out, "My punishment is greater than I can bear," Genesis, iv. 13.

Again; when Esau threatened to slay his brother, Rebecca sent him away, saying, "Why should I be deprived of both of you in one day?" hinting unto us, that she knew murder was to be punished with death, (Gen. xxvii. 54,) which the Lord himself declared likewise to Noah, Gen. ix. 6.

Again; a notable example of the Lord's justice in punishing murder we see in the Egyptians and Pharaoh, who drowned the Israelites' children in the river, (Exodus, i. 22;) and they themselves were drowned in the sea, Exodus, xiv. 27.

The sin against the seventh commandment was punished in the Sodomites, &c., with the utter destruction of their city and themselves, Gen. xix. 24, 25. Yea, they suffer the vengeance of eternal fire, Jude, 7. Also the male Shechemites, for the sin committed by Hamor's son, were all put to the sword, Gen. xxxiv. 25, 26.

Our first parents sinned against the eighth commandment in taking the forbidden fruit, and so brought the curse on themselves and their posterity, Gen. iii. 16.

Again; the punishment due to the breach of this commandment was by Jacob accounted death, (Gen. xxxi. 30, 32,) and also by Jacob's sons, Gen. xliv. 9, 10.

Cain sinning against the ninth commandment (as in Gen. iv. 9) was therefore cursed as to the earth, ver. 11.

And Abraham, though the friend of God, was blamed for false-witness by Pharaoh, and sent out of Egypt, (Gen. xii. 18-20,) and both he and Sarah reproved by Abimelech, Gen. xx. 9, 10, 16.

Pharaoh sinned against the tenth commandment, (Gen. xii. 15,) and was therefore plagued with great plagues, ver. 17. Abimelech coveted Abraham's wife, and the Lord threatened death to him and his except he restored her again, (Gen. xx. 3;) yea, though he had not come near her, yet for coveting and taking her the Lord fast closed up the wombs of his house, ver. 18.

I could have spoken more fully to this, but that I would not be too tedious but speak what I have to say with as much brevity as I can. But before I pass it, I will besides this give you an argument or two more for the further clearing of this, that the substance of the law delivered on Mount Sinai was before that delivered by the Lord to man in the garden. As, first, death reigned over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression- that is, though they did not take the forbidden fruit, as Adam did; but had the transgression been no other, or had their sin been laid to the charge of none but those that did eat of that fruit, then those that were born to Adam after he was shut ont of the garden had not had sin, in that they did not actually eat of that fruit, and so had not been slaves to death; but in that death did reign from Adam to Moses, or from the time of his transgression against the first giving of the law till the time the law was given on Mount Sinai, it is evident that the substance of the ten commandments was given to Adam and his posterity under that command, "Eat not of the tree that is in the midst of the garden." But yet, if any shall say that it was because of the sin of their father that death reigned over them; to that I shall answer, that although original sin be laid to the charge of his posterity, yet it is also for their sins that they actually committed that they were plagued. And again saith the apostle, "For where there is no law, there is no transgression," Rom. iv. 15. "For sin is not imputed where there is no law; nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses," saith he, Rom. v. 13, 14. But if there had been no law, then there had been no transgression, and so no death to follow after as the wages thereof; for death is the wages of sin,

(Rom. vi. 23,) and sin is the breach of the law; an actual breach in our particular persons, as well as an actual breach in our public person, 1 John, iii. 4.

Again; they are no other sins than those against that law given on Sinai, for the which those sins before mentioned were punished; therefore the law given before by the Lord to Adam and his posterity is the same with that afterwards given on Mount Sinai.

Again; the conditions of that on Sinai and of that in the garden are all one; the one saying, Do this, and live, the other saying the same. Also judgment denounced against men in both kinds alike; therefore this law, it appeareth to be the very same that was given on Mount Sinai.

Again; the apostle speaketh but of two covenants, (to wit, grace and works,) under which two covenants all are; some under the one, and some under the other. Now this to Adam is one, therefore that on Sinai is one, and all one with this; and that this is a truth, I say, I know that the sins against that on Sinai were punished by God for the breach thereof before it was given there; so it doth plainly appear to be a truth; for it would be unrighteous with God to punish for that law that was not broken; therefore it was all one with that on Sinai.

Now the law given on Sinai was for the more clear discovery of those sins that were before committed against it; for though the very substance of the ten commandments were given in the garden before they were received from Sinai, yet they lay so darkly in the heart of man, that his sins were not so clearly discovered as afterwards they were; therefore, saith the apostle, the law was added, Gal. iii. 19, (or more plainly, given on Sinai, on tables of stone,) "that the offence might abound,”—that is, that it might the more clearly be made manifest and appear, Rom. v. 20.

Again; we have a notable resemblance of this at Sinai, even in giving the law; for, first, the law was given twice on Sinai, to signify that indeed the substance of it was given before. And, secondly, the first tables that were given on Sinai were broken at the foot of the mount, and the others were preserved whole, to signify that though it was the true law that was given before with that given on Sinai, yet it was not so easy to be read and to be taken notice of, in that the stones were not whole, but broken, and so the law written thereon somewhat defaced and disfigured.

But if any object and say, though the sins against the one be the sins against the other, and so in that they do agree; yet it doth not appear that the same is therefore the same covenant of works with the other.

ANSW. That which was given to Adam in paradise you will grant was the covenant of works; for it runs thus: Do thus, and live; do it not, and die; nay, "Thou shalt surely die.” Now there is but one covenant of works. If therefore I prove that that which was delivered on Mount Sinai is the covenant of works, then all will be put out of doubt. Now that this is so it is evident,

First, Consider the two covenants are thus called in Scripture, the one the administration of death, and the other the administration of life; the one the covenant of works, the other of grace; but that delivered on Sinai is called the ministration of death; that, therefore, is the covenant of works, 2 Cor. iii. "For if," saith he, "the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious," &c.

Secondly, The apostle, writing to the Galatians, doth labour to beat them off from trusting in the covenant of works; but when he comes to give a discovery of that law or covenant, (he labouring to take them off from trusting in it,) he doth plainly tell them it is that which was given on Sinai, Gal. iv. 24, 25. Therefore that which was delivered in two tables of stone on Mount Sinai is the very same that was given before to Adam in paradise, they running both alike; that in the garden saying, Do this and live; but in the day thou eatest thereof (or dost not do this) thou shalt surely die.

And so is this on Sinai, as is evident when he saith, "the man that doth these things shall live by them," (Rom. x. 5;) and in case they break them, even any of them, it saith, "Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the (whole) book of the law to do them," Gal. iii. 10. Now this being thus cleared, I shall proceed.

A second thing to be spoken to is this: to shew what it is to be under the law as it is a covenant of works; to which I shall speak, and that thus:To be under the law as it is a covenant of works, it is to be bound, upon pain of eternal damnation, to fulfil, and that completely and continually, every particular point of the ten commandments, by doing them-Do this, and then thou shalt live; otherwise, "cursed is every one that continueth not in all (in every particular thing or) things that are written in the book of the law to do them," Gal. iii. 10. That man that is under the first covenant stands thus, and only thus, as he is under that covenant, or law. Poor souls, through ignorance of the nature of that covenant of works, the law that they are under, they do not think their state to be half so bad as it is; when, alas! there is none in the world in such a sad condition again besides themselves; for, indeed, they do not understand these things. He that is under the law, as it is a covenant of works, is like the man that is bound by the law of his king, upon pain of banishment, or of being hanged, drawn, and quartered, not to transgress any of the commandments of the king so here, they that are under the covenant of works, they are bound, upon pain of eternal banishment and condemnation, to keep within the compass of the law of the God of heaven. The covenant of works may, in this case, be compared to the laws of the Medes and Persians, which being once made, cannot be altered, Dan. vi. 8. You find that when there was a law made and given forth, that none should ask a petition of any, God or man, but of the king only; this law being established by the king, (verse 9,) Daniel breaking of it, let all do whatever they can, Daniel must into the lion's den, verse 16. So here, I say, there being a law given, and sealed with the truth and the word of God, (how that

the soul that sinneth shall die, Ezek. xviii. 4.) whosoever doth abide under this covenant, and dieth under the same, they must and shall in to the lion's den; nay, worse than that, for they shall be thrown into hell, to the very devils.

But to speak in a few particulars for thy better understanding herein, know, first, that the law of God, or covenant of works, doth not contain itself in one particular branch of the law, but doth extend itself into many, even into all the ten commandments, and those ten into very many more, as might be shewed; so that the danger doth not lie in the breaking of one or two of these ten only, but it doth lie even in the transgression of any one of them. As you know, if a king should give forth ten particular commands to be obeyed by his subjects upon pain of death; now if any man doth transgress against any one of these ten, he doth commit treason, as if he had broke them all, and lieth liable to have the sentence of the law as certainly passed on him as if he had broken every particular of them.

2. Again; you know that the laws being given forth by the king, which if a man keep and obey a long time, yet if at the last he slip and break those laws, he is presently apprehended, and condemned by that law. These things are clear as touching the law of God, as it is a covenant of works: If a man do fulfil nine of the commandments, and yet breaketh but one, that being broken will as surely destroy him and shut him out from the joys of heaven as if he had actually transgressed against them all; for indeed, in effect, so he hath. There is a notable scripture for this in the epistle of James, 2nd chap., at the 10th ver. "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all”—that is, he hath in effect broken them all, and shall have the voice of them all cry out against him. And it must needs be so, saith James, because "he that said, (or that law which said,) Do not commit adultery, said also, Thou shalt not kill. Now, if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou killest, thou art become a transgressor of the law." As thus: it may be thou didst never make to thyself a god of stone or wood, or at least not to worship it really and so openly as the heathen, yet if thou hast stolen, borne false witness, or lusted after a woman in thy heart, (Matt. v. 28,) thou hast transgressed the law, and must for certain, living and dying under that covenant, perish for ever by the law; for the law hath resolved on this beforehand, saying, "Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things;" mark, I pray you," in all things;" that is the word, and that seals the doctrine.

3. Again; though a man do not covet, steal, murder, worship gods of wood and stone, &c., yet if he do take the Lord's name in vain, he is for ever gone, living and dying under that covenant. "Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain" there is the command. But how if we do? Then he saith, "The Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.” No; though thou live as holy as ever thou canst, and walk as circumspectly as ever any did, yet if thou dost take the Lord's name in vain thou art gone by that covenant: "For I will not;" mark, "I will not," (let him be in never so much

danger,) "I will not hold him guiltless that taketh my name in vain,” (Exod. xx. 7;) and so likewise for any other of the ten, do but break them and thy state is irrecoverable, if thou live and die under that covenant.

4. Though thou shouldst fulfil this covenant, or law, even all of it, for a long time, ten, twenty, forty, fifty, or three-score years, yet if thou do chance to slip and break one of them but once before thou die, thou art also gone and lost by that covenant; for mark," Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things" (that is, continueth not in all things, mark that) which are written in the book of the law to do them." But if a man do keep all the law of God his whole lifetime, only sin one time before he dies, that one sin is a breach of the law, and he hath not continued in doing the things contained therein; for to continue, according to the sense of the scripture, is to hold on without any failing, either in thought, word, or deed; therefore, I say, though a man do walk according to the law all his lifetime, but only at the very last sin one time before he die, he is sure to perish for ever, dying under that covenant. For, my friends, you must understand that the law of God is yea as well as the gospel; and as they that are under the covenant of grace shall surely live by it, so, even so, they that are under the covenant of works and the law shall surely be damned by it, if continuing there. This is the covenant of works and the nature of it—namely, not to pardon (to fall in) any thing, no, not a mite, to him that lives and dies under it: "I tell thee," saith Christ, "thou shalt not depart thence (that is, from under the curse) till thou hast paid the utmost mite," Luke, xii. 59. Herein you must consider that this doth not only condemn words and deeds, as I said before, but it hath authority to condemn the most secret thoughts of the heart, being evil; so that though you do not speak any word that is swearing, lying, jesting, dissembling, or any other word that tendeth to or savoureth of sin, yet if there should but come to pass but one vain thought through your heart but once in all thy lifetime, the law taketh hold of it, accuseth, and also doth condemn thee for it. You may see an instance for all in the 5th of Matt., at the 27th and 28th verses, where Christ saith, that though a man do not lie with a woman carnally, yet if he do but look on her, and in his heart lust after her, he is counted by the law, being rightly expounded, such an one that hath committed the sin, and thereby hath laid himself under the condemnation of the law. And so likewise of all the rest of the commands; if there be any thought that is evil do but pass through thy heart, whether it be against God or against man in the least measure, though possibly not discerned of thee, or by thee, yet the law takes hold of thee therefor, and doth by its authority both cast, condemn, and execute thee for thy so doing. "The thought of foolishness is sin," Prov. xxiv. 9.

6. Again; the law is of that nature and severity that it doth not only inquire into the generality of thy life, as touching several things, whether thou art upright there or no, but the law doth also follow thee into all thy holy duties, and watcheth over thee there, to see whether thou

dost do all things aright there-that is to say, whether, when thou dost pray thy heart hath no wandering thoughts in it; whether thou do every holy duty thou doest perfectly, without the least mixture of sin; and if it do find thee to slip, or in the least measure to fail in any holy duty that thou dost perform, the law taketh hold on that, and findeth fault with that, so as to render all the holy duties that ever thou didst unavailable because of that; I say, if when thou art a hearing, there is but one vain thought, or in praying, but one vain thought, or any other thing whatsoever, let it be civil or spiritual, one vain thought once in all thy lifetime will cause the law to take such hold on it that for that one thing it doth even set open all the floodgates of God's wrath against thee, and irrecoverably by that covenant it doth bring eternal vengeance upon thee; so that, I say, look which ways thou wilt, fail wherein thou wilt, and do it as seldom as ever thou canst, either in civil or spiritual things, as aforesaid that is, either in the service of God, or in thy employments of the world, as thy trade or calling, either in buying or selling any way, in anything whatsoever; I say, if in any particular it findeth thee tardy, or in the least measure guilty, it calleth thee an offender, it accuseth thee to God, it puts a stop to all the promises thereof that are joined to the law, and leaves thee there as a cursed transgressor against God, and a destroyer of thy own soul.

And if

Here I would have thee, by the way, to take notice, that it is not my intent at this time to enlarge on the several commands in particular,—for that would be very tedious both for me to write and thee to read,-only thus much I would have thee to do at the reading hereof-make a pause, and sit still one quarter of an hour, and muse a little in thy mind thus with thyself, and say, Did I ever break the law; yea or no? Had I ever in all my lifetime one sinful thought passed through my heart since I was born; yea or no? thou findest thyself guilty, as I am sure thou canst not otherwise chuse but do, unless thou shut thy eyes against thy every day's practice, then, I say, conclude thyself guilty of the breach of the first covenant. And when that this is done, be sure, in the next place, thou do not straightway forget it, and put it out of thy mind, that thou art condemned by the same covenant; and then do not content thyself until thou do find that God hath sent thee a pardon from heaven through the merits of our Lord Jesus Christ, the mediator of the second covenant. And if God shall but give thee a heart to take this my counsel, I do make no question but these words spoken by me will prove an instrument for the directing of thy heart to the right remedy for the salvation of thy soul.

Thus much now touching the law, and the severity of it upon the person that is found under it, having offended or broken any one particular of it, either in thought, word, or action; and now, before I do proceed to the next thing, I shall answer four objections that do lie in my way; and also, such as do stumble most part of the world.

OBJECT. 1. But you will say, Methinks you speak very harsh; it is enough to daunt a body. Set the case therefore, that a man, after he hath