maul, to break the rocks, and a hot burning fire in the midst of heaven to overthrow the mountains; that is to say, to destroy this furious and obstinate beast, (this presumption, I say ;) that when a man, by this bruising and breaking, is brought to nothing, he should despair of his own strength, righteousness, and holiness; and being thus thoroughly terrified, should thirst after mercy and remission of sins.

VEREE 23. But before faith came, we were under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed,

This is to say, before the time of the gospel and grace came, the office of the law was, that we should be shut up, and kept under the same, as it were in prison. This is a goodly and a fit similitude, shewing the effect of the law, and how righteous it maketh men; therefore it is diligently to be weighed. No thief, no murderer, no adulterer, or other malefactor, loveth the chains and fetters, the dark and loathsome prison wherein he lieth fast bound; but rather, if he could, he would beat and break into powder the prison, with his irons and fetters. Indeed, while he is in prison, he refraineth from doing of evil; but not of a good will, or for righteousness' sake, but because the prison restraineth him, that he cannot do it: and now, being fust fettered, he hateth not his theft and his murder, (yea, he is sorry, with all his heart, that he cannot rob and steal, cut and slay,) but he hateth the prison, and, if he could escape, he would rob and kill, as he did before.

The Law shutteth men under sin two ways, civilly and

spiritually.

Such is the force of the law, and the righteousness that cometh of the law, compelling us to be outwardly good, when it threateneth death, or any other punishment, to the transgressors thereof. Here we obey the law, indeed, but for fear of punishment; that is, unwillingly, and with great indignation. But what righteousness is this, when we abstain from evil, for fear of punishment? Wherefore, this righteousness of works is indeed nothing else but to love sin and to hate righteousness, to detest God with his law, and to love and reverence that which is most horrible and abominable. For look, how heartily the thief loveth the prison and hateth his theft; so gladly do we obey the law, in accomplishing that which it commandeth, and avoiding that which it forbiddeth.

Notwithstanding, this fruit and this profit the law bringeth, although men's hearts remain never so wicked: that, first, outwardly and civilly, after a sort, it restraineth thieves, murderers, and other malefactors; for, if they did not see and understand that sin is punished in this life, by imprisonment, by the gal lows, by the sword, and such-like, and after this life with eternal damnation and hell-fire, no magistrate should be able to bridle

the fury and rage of men by any laws, bonds, or chains.-But the threatenings of the law strike a terror into the hearts of the wicked, whereby they are bridled after a sort, that they run not headlong, as otherwise they would do, into all kinds of wickedness. Notwithstanding, they would rather that there were no law, no punishment, no hell, and, finally, no God. If God had no hell, or did not punish the wicked, he should be loved and praised of men. But, because he punisheth the wicked, and all are wicked; therefore, inasmuch as they are shut under the law they can do no otherwise but mortally hate and blaspheme Gou.

Furthermore, the law shutteth men under sin, not only civilly, but also spiritually; that is to say, the law is also a spiritual prison, and a very hell. For when it revealeth sin, threateneth death, and the eternal wrath of God, a man cannot avoid it, nor find any comfort. For it is not in the power of man to shake off these horrible terrors which the law stirreth up in the conscience, or any other anguish or bitterness of spirit. Hereof come those lamentable complaints of the saints, which are every where in the Psalms: "In hell, who shall confess thee," &c.? Ps. vi. 5. For then is a man shut up in prison; out of the which he cannot escape, nor seeth how he may be delivered out of these bonds, that is to say, these horrible terrors.

Thus the law is a prison, both civilly and spiritually. For, first, it restraineth and shutteth up the wicked, that they run not headlong, according to their own lust, into all kinds of mischief. Again, it sheweth unto us spiritually our sin, terrifieth and hunbleth us, that, when we are so terrified and humbled, we may learn to know our own misery and condemnation. And this is the true and proper use of the law, so that it be not perpetual. For this shutting up and holding under the law, must endure no longer, but until faith come; and when faith cometh, then must this spiritual prison have his end.

Here again we see, that although the law and the gospel be separate far asunder, yet, as touching the inward affections, they are very nearly joined the one to the other. This Paul sheweth when he saith, "we were kept under the law, and shut up unto the faith which should be revealed unto us." Wherefore it is not enough that we are shut under the law: for if nothing else should follow, we should be driven to desperation, and die in our sins. But Paul addeth, moreover, that we are shut up, and kept under a schoolmaster (which is the law) not for ever, but to bring us unto Christ, who is the end of the law. Therefore, this terrifying, this humbling, and this shutting up must not always continue, but only until faith be revealed; that is, it shall so long continue, as shall be for our profit and our salvation: so that when we are cast down and humbled by the law, then grace, remission of sins, deliverance from the law, sin, and death, may become sweet unto us: which are not obtained by works, but are received by faith alone.

He which, in time of temptation, can join these two things together, so repugnant and contrary; that is to say, which, when he is thoroughly terrified and cast down by the law, doth know that the end of the law, and the beginning of grace, or of faith to be revealed, is now come, useth the law rightly. All the wicked are utterly ignorant of this knowledge and this cunning. Cain knew it not, when he was shut up in the prison of the law; that is, he felt no terror, although he had now killed his brother; but dissembled the matter craftily, and thought that God was ignorant thereof. "Am I my brother's keeper?" saith he: but when he heard this word: "What hast thou done? Behold, the voice of the blood of thy brother crieth unto me from the earth," (Gen. iv. 10.) he began to feel this prison indeed. What did he then? He remained still shut up in prison. He joined not the gospel with the law, but said: "My punishment is greater than I can bear." Gen. iv. 13. He only respected the prison, not considering that his sin was revealed unto him to this end, that he should fly unto God for mercy and pardon. Therefore he despaired and denied God. He believed not that he was shut up to this end, that grace and faith might be revealed unto him: but only that he should still remain in the prison of the law.

These words, "to be kept under, and to be shut up," are not vain and unprofitable, but most true, and of great importance. This keeping under, and this prison signifieth the true and spiritual terrors, whereby the conscience is so shut up, that in the wide world it can find no place where it may be in safety. Yea, as long as these terrors endure, the conscience feeleth such anguish and sorrow, that it thinketh heaven and earth, yea, if they were ten times more wide and large than they are, to be straiter and narrower than a mouse-hole. Here is a man utterly destitute of all wisdom, strength, righteousness, counsel, and succour. For the conscience is a marvellous tender thing, and therefore when it is so shut up under the prison of the law, it seeth no way how to get out; and this straitness seemeth daily so to increase, as though it would never have an end. For then doth it feel the wrath of God, which is infinite and inestimable, whose hand it cannot escape, as the 139th Psalm witnesseth: "Whither shall I fly from thy presence," &c.

Like as therefore this worldly prison or shutting up is a bodily affliction, and he that is so shut up can have no use of his body; even so the trouble and anguish of mind is a spiritual prison, and he that is shut up in this prison cannot enjoy quietness of heart and peace of conscience. And yet it is not so for ever, (as reason judgeth, when it feeleth this prison) but until faith be revealed. The silly conscience, therefore, must be raised up, and comforted after this sort: Brother, thou art indeed shut up; but persuade thyself that this is not done to the end that thou shouldst remain in this prison for ever. For it is written, "that we are shut up unto the faith which shall be revealed." Thou

art then afflicted in this prison, not to thy destruction, but that thou mayest be refreshed by the blessed seed. Thou art killed by the law, that through Christ thou mayest be quickened again, and restored to life. Despair not, therefore, as Cain, Saul, and Judas did, who being thus shut up, looked no farther but to their dark prison, and there still remained: therefore they despaired. But thou must take another way in these terrors of conscience than they did; that is, thou must know that it is well done, and good for thee to be so shut up, confounded, and brought to nothing. Use, therefore, this shutting up rightly, and as thou shouldst do: that is, to the end that, when the law hath done his office, faith may be revealed. For God doth not therefore afflict thee, that thou shouldst still remain in this affliction. He will not kill thee, that thou shouldst abide in death. "I will not the death of a sinner," &c. (saith he, by the prophet Ezekiel, chap. xxxiii. 11.) But he will afflict thee, that so thou mayest be humbled, and know that thou hast need of mercy, and the benefit of Christ.

This holding in prison, then, under the law, must not always endure, but must only continue to the coming or revealing of faith; which this sweet verse of the Psalm doth teach us: "the Lord delighteth in those that fear him:" (Psalm cxlvii. 11.) that is to say, which are in prison under the law. But by-andby after he addeth, "and in those that attend upon his mercy." Therefore, we must join these two things together, which, indeed, are as contrary the one to the other as may be. For what can be more contrary than to hate and abhor the wrath of God; and, again, to trust in his goodness and mercy? The one is hell, the other is heaven, and yet they must be nearly joined together in the heart. By speculation and naked knowledge a man may easily join them together; but by experience and inward practice so to do, of all things it is the hardest; which I myself have often proved by my own experience. Of this matter the Papists and sectaries know nothing at all. Therefore, these words of Paul are to them obscure and altogether unknown: and when the law revealeth unto them their sin, accuseth and terrifieth them, they can find no counsel, no rest, no help, or succour; but fall to desperation, as Cain and Saul did.

Seeing the law therefore (as is said) is our tormentor and our prison, certain it is that we cannot love it, but hate it. He, therefore, that saith he loveth the law, is a liar, and knoweth not what he saith. A thief and a robber should shew himself to be stark mad, that would love the prison, the fetters and chains. Seeing, then, the law shutteth us up, and holdeth us in prison, it cannot be but we must needs be extreme enemies to the law. To conclude, so well we love the law and the righteousness thereof, as a murderer loveth the dark prison, the strait bonds and irons. How then should the law justify us?

VERSE 23. And shut up under the faith which should after be revealed,

This Paul speaketh in respect of the fulness of the time wherein Christ came. But we must apply it, not only to that time, but also to the inward man; for that which is done is a history, and according to the time wherein Christ came, abolishing the law, and bringing liberty and eternal life to light, is always done spiritually in every Christian, in whom is found continually, some while the time of the law, and some while the time of grace. For the Christian man hath a body, in whose members (as Paul saith in another place) sin dwelleth and warreth. Now, I understand sin to be, not only the deed or the work, but also the root and the tree, together with the fruits, as the scripture useth to speak of sin; which is yet not only rooted in the baptized flesh of every Christian, but also is at deadly war within it, and holdeth it captive: if not to give consent, unto it, or to accomplish the work, yet doth it force him mightily thereunto. For albeit a Christian man do not fall into outward and gross sins, as murder, adultery, theft, and such-like, yet is he not free from impatiency, murmuring, hating, and blaspheming of God; which sins, to reason and the carnal man, are altogether unknown. These things constrain him, yea, sore against his will, to detest the law; they compel him to fly from the presence of God; they compel him to hate and blaspheme God. For as carnal lust is strong in a young man, in a man of full age the desire and love of glory, and in an old man covetousness; even so in a holy and a faithful man impatience, murmuring, hatred, and blasphemy against God, do mightily prevail. Examples hereof there are many in the Psalms, in Job, in Jeremiah, and throughout the whole scripture. Paul, therefore, describing and setting forth this spiritual warfare, useth very vehement words, and fit for the purpose, as of fighting, rebelling, holding and leading captive, &c.

Both these times, then, (of the law and the gospel, I mean,) are in a Christian, as touching the affections and inward man. The time of the law is when the law exerciseth me, tormenteth me with heaviness of heart, oppresseth me, bringeth me to the knowledge of sin, and increaseth the same. Here the law is in his true use and perfect work: which a Christian oftentimes feeleth as long as he liveth. So there was given unto Paul a prick in the flesh, that is, "the angel of Satan, to buffet him," (2 Cor. xii. 7.) He would gladly have felt every moment the joy of conscience, the laughter of the heart, and the sweet taste of eternal life. Again, he would gladly have been delivered from all trouble and anguish of spirit, and therefore he desired that this temptation might be taken from him. Notwithstanding this was not done, but the Lord said unto him: "My grace is sufficient for thee: for my power is made perfect through weak, ness." (2 Cor. xii. 9.) This battle doth every Christian feel. To speak of myself, there are many hours in the which I chide