heart and difpofition of will thereunto, in that I have been free from contemning, despising, and thinking too bafely of others, neither yet have I been free from evil furmifings, groundless fufpicions, and rafh judging of others. And now, neighbour Nomologifta, I pray you tell me whether you do not think that fome of thefe corruptions are in hear are you, which you in me? Nom. Yea, believe me, Sir, I must needs confefs that fome of them are. Evan. Well, though you have but only one of them in you, yet I pray you confider, that you do thereby tranfgrefs one of the ten commandments; and the apostle James faith, that "Whofoever fhall keep the whole law, and yet "offend in one point, he is guilty of all," James ii. 10. And call to mind, I alfo pray you, that a curfe is denounced against all thofe that continue not in "all things which are "written in the book of the law to do them." Mind it I pray you, "that doth not continue "in all things." So that although you could for a time do all that the Lord requireth, and avoid all that he forbiddeth, and that never fo ex actly, yet, if you do not continue fo doing, but tranfgrefs the law once in all your life, and that only in one thought, you are thereby become fubject to the curfe, which as you have heard is eternal damnation in hell. life Nay, let me tell you more, although you neyour ver yet had tranfgreffed the law in all hitherto, not fo much as in the least thought, nor never fhould do whilst you live, yet fhould you thereby become far fhort of the perfect fulfilling • of of the law, and so confequently of your justification, and acceptation in the fight of God. Nom. That is very strange to me, Sir, for what can be required more, or what can be done more, than yielding of perfect and perpetual obedience? Evan. That is true indeed, there is no more required, neither can there be more done, but yet you must understand, that the law doth as well require paffive obedience as active, suffering as well as doing, for our common bond entered into for us all, (a) by God's benefits towards the firft man, is by his difobedience become forfeited, both in refpect of himself and all mankind; and therefore, ever fince the fall of man, the law and justice of God doth not only require the payment of the debt, but alfo of the forfeiture; there is not only required of him perfect doing, but also perfect fuffering. "In the day that "thou eatest thereof, thou fhalt die the death, "faith the Lord," Gen. ii. 17. Nay, let me tell you yet more, in order of juftice, the forfeiture ought to be paid before the debt, perfect fuffering fhould go before perfect doing, because all mankind, by reason of that first and great tranfgreffion, are at odds and enmity with God, they are all of them children of his wrath, and therefore God (as we may speak with holy reverence) cannot be reconciled unto any man, before a full fatisfaction be made to his juftice by a perfect fuffering; (b) perfect fuffering then is required for the reconciling of man (a) Trueness of the Chrift. Rel. P. 534. (b) Col. i. 21. unto unto God, (a) and setting him in the fame con dition he was in before his fall, and perfect do ing is required for the keeping of him in that condition. Nom. And, Sir, is man as unable to pay the forfeiture, as he is to pay the debt? I mean, is he as unable to fuffer perfectly, as to do per fectly? Evan. Yea indeed, every whit as unable; for afmuch as man's fin in eating of the forbidden fruit was committed against God, and God is infinite and eternal, and the offence is always multiplied according to the dignity of the perfon a gainst whom it is committed: man's offence must needs be an infinite offence, and the punishment muft needs be proportionable to the fault, there fore an infinite and eternal punishment is requir ed at man's hands, or elfe fuch a temporal punishment as is equal and answerable to eternal. Now eternal punishment man cannot sustain, because then he should never be delivered, he fhould ever be fatisfying, and never have satisfied; which fatisfaction is fuch as is the punishment of the devils and damned men in hell, which never fhall have end. And for temporal punishment, which should be equivalent to eternal, that cannot be neither, because the power and vigour of no creature is fuch that it may fu ftain a finite and temporal punishment, equiva lent to infinite and eternal; for fooner fhould the creature be wafted, confumed, and brought to nothing, than it could fatisfy the juftice of God by this means: wherefore we may certainly conclude, that no man can fatisfy the law and (a) Eph. ii. 3. justice uftice of God, neither by active nor by paffive obedience, and fo confequently no man fhall be juftified and accepted in the fight of God by his own doings or fufferings. Nom. Sir, I fee it clearly, and am therein fully convinced, and I hope I fhall make that ufe of it. But, Sir; is there no other ufe to be made of the law than this? Evan. Yea, neighbour Nomologifta, you must not only labour thereby to fee your own infufficiency, to procure your own justification, and acceptation in the fight of God, (though that indeed be the chief ufe that any unjustified perfon ought to endeavour to make of it) but you muft alfo endeavour to make it a rule of directi on to you in your life and converfation. Nom. But, Sir, if I cannot by my obedience to the law do any thing towards the procuring of mine own juftification and acceptation in the fight of God, or (which as I do conceive is all one) if I can do nothing towards the procuring of mine own eternal falvation, then methinks all that I do fhould be in vain, for I cannot fee any good I fhall get thereby. Evan. No, neighbour Nomologifta, it fhall not be in vain; for though you cannot by your obedience to the law, do any thing towards the procuring of your own juftification, or eternal falvation; yea, and though you fhould never make fuch a use of it, as to be thereby driven out of yourself unto Jefus Chrift for juftification and eternal falvation, but fhould be everlastingly condemned; yet, this let me tell you, the more obe dience you yield unto the law the more eafy fhall your condemnation be; for although no man, walk THE MARROW OF walk he never fo exactly and ftrictly according to the law, fhall thereby either escape the torments of hell, or obtain the joys of heaven, yet the more exactly and strictly any man walks according to the law, the easier fhall his torments be, Mat. xi. 22. fo although you by your obedience to the law cannot obtain the uneafieft place in heaven, yet máy you thereby obtain the most eafy place in hell; and therefore your obedience fhall not be in vain. Nay, let me tell you more, although you by your obedience to the law, can neither escape that hell, nor enjoy that heaven that is in the world to come; yet may you thereby escape that hell, and enjoy that heaven which is to be had in this prefent world; for the Lord dealeth fo equally and juftly with all men, that every man fhall be fure to receive his due at his hands: fo that, as every man who is truly juftified in the fight of God by faith in Christ's blood, fhall for that blood's fake be fure of the joys of heaven, be his life never so unconformable to the law, yet the more unconformable his life is thereunto, the more crosses and afflictions he fhall be fure to meet withal in this life, Pfal. Ixxxix. 30, 31, 32. even fo though no man, that is not juftified by faith in Chrift's blood fhall either efcape the torments of hell, or attain the joys of heaven, be his life never so conformable to the law, yet the more conformable his life is thereunto, the less of the miseries and the more of the bleffings of this life he fhall have; for is it not to men unjuftified, though I fuppofe not only to them that the Lord fpeaketh, Ifa. i. 19. faying," If ye be willing and obedient, ye "fhall eat the good things of the land." And doth |
