(1.) The covenant of grace is called the ' law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus.' A law it is, for it hath all the requisites of a law, a precept, and a sanction. They err certainly, that tell us the gospel is no law ; for if there were no law, there would be no governor, and no government, no duty, no sin, no judgment, no punishment, nor reward. But of that more by and by.
(2.) A law of the spirit it is. Not only because of its spiritual nature, as it coineth nearer and closer to the soul than the law of outward and beggarly rudiments ; and therefore Christ called the ordinances of the gospel, ' spirit ' and • truth : ' John iv. 24, — spirit, in opposition to the duties, or the legal administrations, which are called 'carnal ordinances:' Heb. ix. 10 ; and truth, in opposition to them again, as they are called ' shadows of good things to come,' Heb. x. 1. In this sense the gospel or new covenant, might well be called the law of the spirit ; but not for this reason only, but because of the power of the spirit that accompan- ieth it; as 'tis said: 2 Cor. iii. G, 'Who hath made us a])le ministers of the New Testament, not of the letter but of the spirit : for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.' Lex juhei, gratia juvat ; and the grace of the gospel is the gift of the spirit.
396 SERMONS UPON ROMANS VIII. [SeR. II.
(3.) 'Tis called the spirit of life, because through the preaching of the gospel we are renewed by the Holy Ghost, and have the new life begun in us, which is perfected in heaven ; and we are said : Gal. ii. 19, To be ' dead to the law, that we may live unto God ;' that is, that by virtue of the Spirit of Christ dwelling in us, we may live righteously and holily to the glory of God,
(4.) It is the spirit of life in Christ Jesus, partly because he is the author and foundation of this new covenant ; and partly, also because from him we receive the spirit, as from our head. We have the ' unction from the holy one : ' 1 John ii. 10 ; and the renewing of the Holy Ghost is shed upon us abundantly through Christ Jesus our Lord : Titus iii. 6. Thus I have plainly opened the first law mentioned. Let us address ourselves to the second.
[2.] The law of sin and death. Thereby is meant the covenant of works, which inferreth condemnation to the fallen creature, because of sin ; and in part the legal covenant, not as intended by God, but used by them ; it proved to them a law of sin and death, for the apostle calleth it ' the ministration of death : ' 2 Cor. iii. 7, and verse 9, ' a ministratioQ of condemnation.' Now, because it seemeth hard to call a law given by God himself, a law of sin and death, I must tell you it is only called so, because it convinceth of sin, and bindeth over to death ; and that I may not involve you in a tedious debate, I shall expedite myself by informing you, that the law of works hath a twofold operation, the one is about sin, the other about wrath, or the death threatened by the law.
(1.) About sin, its operation is double.
(1st.) It convinceth of sin, as it is said : Eom. iii. 20, ' By the deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified in his sight : for by the law is the knowledge of sin,' That is, the use of it is to bring us to an acknow- ledgment of sin and guilt ; for when the law sets before a man what God commandeth and forbiddeth, and a man's conscience convinceth him that he hath offended against it by thoughts, lusts, words, deeds, he findeth himself a sinner, and his heart reproacheth him as one that is become culpable and guilty before God ; so that all are concluded under sin by the services of that covenant. Neither will the legal covenant help him, for that is rather an acknowledgment of the debt than a token of our discharge — a bond rather than an acquittance ; ' an hand- writing of ordinances against us : ' Col. ii. 14 ; which did every year revive again the conscience and remembrance of sins : Heb. x. 3.
(2nd.) The other operation of the law about sin is, that it irritateth sin, and doth provoke and stir up our carnal desires and affections, rather than mortify them. For the rqore carnal men are urged to obe- dience by the rigid exactions of the law, the more doth carnal nature rebel ; as a bullock is the more unruly for the yoking, and a river, stopped by a dam, swells the higher. The law requireth duty at our hands, but confers not on corrupt man power to perform it, and de- nounceth a curse against those that obey not, but giveth no strength to obey. That it is so is plain by that of the apostle : Eom. vii. 5, ' When Ave were in the flesh, the motions of sins which were by the law did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.' While we were under the dominion of corrupt nature, sins that were discovered by the law were also irritated by the law, as ill vapours are discovered and