OF THE Law and Grace UNFOLDED: OR, A Difcourfe touching the Law and Grace. The Nature of the One, and the Nature of the Other: Shewing. What they are, as they are the Two Crvenants; And likewise, Who they be, and what their Conditions are, that be under either of thele Two Covenants. WHEREIN, For the better Understanding of the Reader, there are several Queftions answered,touching the Law and Grace, very eafie to be Read, and as eafie to be Understood, by thofe that are the Sons of Wisdom, the Children of the Second Covenant. ALSO, Several TITLES fet over the feveral Truths contained in this BOOK. for thy fooner finding. of them; which are those at the latter End. By 'F. Bunyan, Author of the Pilgrims Progrefs. The Third Edition, Corected and Amended. The Law made nothing Perfect, but the bringing in of a better Hope did; by the which, we draw nigh to God, Heb. 7. 19. Therefore we conclude, That a Man is justified by Faith, without the Deeds of the Law, Rom. 3. 28. To him therefore that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the Ungodly, his Faith is counted for Righteousness, Rom. 4. S. LO DON, Printed for N. Boddington, at the Golden Ball, in Duck-Lane. 1708. 141. M. 232 THE Epiftle to the READER. Reader, I "F at any time there be held forth by the Preacher, the freeness and fulness of the Gospel, together with the readiness of the Lord of Peace to receive thofe that have any defire thereto; prefently it is the fpirit of the World to cry out, Sure this man difdains the Law, flights the Law, and counts that of none effect; and all because there is not, together with the Gospel, mingled the Doctrine of the Law, (which is not a right difpenfing of the Word according to truth and knowledge.) Again, if there be the terror, horror, and feverity of the Law, difcovered to a People by the Servants of Jefus Chrift, (though they do not speak of it, to the end People Should trust to it, by relying on it as it is a Covenant of Works; but rather that they should be driven further from that Covenant, even to embrace the Tenders and Privileges of the Second) yet, poor Souts, because they are unacquainted with the nature of thefe Two Covenants, or either of them; therefore, Jay they, here is nothing but preaching of the Law, thundring of the Law; when alas, if these two be not held forth (to wit) the Covenant of Works, and the Covenant of Grace, together with the nature of the one, and the nature of the other; Souls will never be able neither to know what they are by Nature, nor what they lie under. Alfo, neither can they underftand what Grace is, nor how to come from under the Law, to meet God, in, and through that other most A 2 glorion glorious Covenant; thro' which, and only thro' which, God can communicate of himself, Grace, Glory, yea, -even all the good things of another World. I having confidered these things, together with others, have made bold to prefent yet once more to thy view (my Friend) Something of the Mind of God, to the end, if it fhall be but bleffed to thee, thou mayeft be benefited thereby. For verily these things are not fuch as are ordinary, and of fmall concernment, but do abfolutely concern thee to know, and that experimentally too, if ever thou do partake of the Glory of God thro' Jefus Chrift, and fo efcape the terror and unfupportable vengeance, that will otherwife come upon thee thro' his Justice, because of thy living and dying in thy Tranfgreffions against the Law of God. And therefore while thou liveft here below, it is thy duty (if thou wish thy felf happy for the time to come) to give up thy felf to the ftudying of these two Covenants, treated of in the enfuing Difcourfe; and fo to Study them, until thou, thro' Grace, do not only get the notion of the one and the other in thy Head; but until thou do feel the very power, life, and glory of the one and of the other. For take this for granted, be that is dark as touching the fcope, intent, andnature of the Law, is alfo dark as to the fcope, nature, and glory of the Gospel: And also be that hath but a notion of the one, will hardly have any more than a notion of the other. And the reafon is this, becaufe folong as People are ignorant of the nature of the Law, and of their being under it, that is, under the curfe and condemning power of it, by reafon of their fin against it; fo long they will be careless, and negligent as to the enquiring after the true knowledge of the Gospel. Before the Commandment came (that is in the fpirituality of it) Paul was alive (that is) thought himself safe, which clear, Rom. 7..9, 10. compared with the 3d of Phil. the 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11. ver. &c. But when that came, and was indeed difcovered unto him by the Spirit of the Lord, then Paul dies (Rom. 7.) to all his former Life (Phil. 3.) and that Man which before could content himself to live, tho' ignorant of the Gospel, crys out now, I count all things but lofs, for the excellency of the knowledge of Jefus Chrift my Lord, ver. 8. Therefore, I fay, so long they will be ignorant of the nature of the Gospel, and how glorious a thing is it to be found within the bounds of it; for we ufe to say, That Man that knoweth not bimfelf to be fick, that Man will not look out for bimfelf a Phyfician; and this Christ knew full well, where he faith, The whole have no need of a phyfician, but them that are fick ; that is, none will in truth defire the Physician, unless they know they be fick. That Man alfo, that hath got but a notion of the Law (a notion, that is the Knowledge of it in the Head, fo as to difcourfe and talk of it) if he bath not felt the power of it, and that effectually too, it is to be feared, will at the best be but a Nationist in the Gefpel; he will not have the experimental Knowledge of the fame in his Heart: Nay, he will not feek, nor beartily defire after it, and all, becaufe, as I faid before, be hath not Experience of the wounding, cuting, killing nature of the other. I fay, therefore, if thou wouldest know the Authority and Power of the Gospel, labour first to know the Power and Authority of the Law; for I am verily perfuaded, that the want of this one thing, namely, the Knowledge of the Law, is one caufe why fo many are ignorant of the other. That Man that doth not know the Law, doth not know in deed and in truth, that he is a Sinner; and that Man that doth not know he is a Sinner, doth not know favingly that there is a Saviour. Again A 3. |