But you will say, how shall we more distinctly know what is our claim and tenure ? I answer —
1. It is a shrewd presumption that you are under the old bond. if you cannot discern how your copy and tenure is changed. The heirs of promise are described to be those that ' fly for refuge to
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the hope that is before them,' Hcb. vi. 18. God'.s chihh-en are iisnally frighted out of themselves by some avenger of blood ; and do the more earnestly come under the holy bond of the new oath, and fly to Christ, by considering the misery of their standing in Adam. The apostle supposed that wrath made inquisition for him, and therefore crieth out, 'Oh! that I might be found in him,' Phil. iii. 9. They that presume that they had ever faith and a good heart towards God, grossly mistake. That justiciary said, ' All these I ke[)t from my youth,' Mat. xix. 20.
2. Much may be discerned from the present state and frame of your hearts. If they carry a proportion with the covenant of works, it is to be feared you hold by that title and copy. As (1.) When the spirit is legal. There is a suitable spirit both to law and gospel. A servile spirit is the spirit of the law, a free spirit is the spirit of the gospel. It is the character of men under works: Heb. ii. 15, 'All their lifetime they are subject to bondage.' Eeligion is careful, but a foolish scrupulosity and servile awe argue bondage. See Kom. viii. 15, and 2 Tim. i. 7. (2.) When we seek ' a righteousness of our own,' Eom. X. 3, and settle our life and peace upon a foundation of our own works. The covenant of works is natural to us. Common people liope to be saved by their works and good meaning, and by their good prayers to be accepted with God. ' What shall we do ? ' is the lan- guage of every convinced man. And the Jews said, John vi. 28, ' What are the works of God ? ' We would fain engage the divine grace by our own works. But this disposition reigneth most in such as either — (1st.) Plead their works, as those in the prophet that 'delighted to draw nigh to God ; ' ^ that is, to expostulate and contend with him about their works, for ro it followeth in the next verse : Isa. Iviii. 2, 3, ' Wherefore have we fasted ? ' So the Pharisee, Luke xviii. 11. And hypocrites are brought in by Christ pleading their works, as noting the secret ground of their confidence: Mat. vii. 21, 'We have pro- phesied in thy name, cast out devils.' The saints of God own no such thing: Mat. xxv. 37, 'When saw we thee an hungered, naked ? ' &c. They wonder Christ should remember such sorry things. As they perform duties with more care, so they overlook them with more self-denial ; whereas others build upon their great gifts, employment in the ministry, urge every petty thing as an engagement upon God. (2d.) When they take more liberty to sin, hoping to make amends by their duties. Conviction would not let them prosecute their sins so freely, if they did not make fair promises of reformation. It is usual with men to carry on a sin the more securely out of a presumption of a former or after duty. Sir Edwin Sands observeth that the Italians are emboldened to sin, that they may have somewhat to confess. And Solomon speaketh of ' sacrifice with an evil mind,' Prov. xxi. 27. And Balaam built seven altars, and offered seven rams, &g., Num. xxi., out of a vain hope to ingratiate God, that he might curse the people. And the jirophet speaketh of committing iniquity out of a trust in righteousness, Ezek. xxxiii. 13.
3. You may collect much from the unsuitableness of your hearts to the state of grace. As (1.) If you live under the reign of any sin,
^ Vide Sanctium in locum.
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wlieu it is constant and allowed, that rule lioldeth good : James ii. 10, ' He that is guilty of one, is guilty of all.' Then the devil hath an interest in you, not Christ. Habituated dispositions, good or had, show who is your father. It is notable that of Rom. vi. 14, ' Sin shall not have dominion over you ; for you are not under the law, but under grace.' An interest in grace cannot consist with a known sin. (2.) If you abuse grace ; for then you make grace an enemy, and then justice will take up the quarrel of abused mercy. Usually men please themselves in this, if they be right in doctrine, but do not take notice of that taint that is insensibly conveyed into their manners. Oh ! con- sider, when out of a pretence of gospel you grow neglectful of duty, less circumspect and wary in your ways, more secure, slighting the threatenings of the word, you offend grace so much that it turneth you over to justice. There are Antinomists in life as well as doctrine. Good Christians are angry that others make that an occasion to lust which is to themselves a ground of hope : ' They turn the grace of our God/ &c., Jude 4. Therefore that man that maketh it fuel for sin hath a naked apprehension of it, not a sure interest.