Section 7.

SECTION 7.

The doctrine of the preceding section is weighed in the Scripture Scales — According to Christ’s Gospel, keeping the moral law in faith is a SUBORDINATE way to eternal life, and some Protestants are grossly mistaken when they make believers afraid sincerely to observe the commandments, in order to obtain through Christ a more abundant life of grace here, and an eternal life of glory hereafter.

IF I have spent so much time in attempting to remove the difficulties with which the doctrine of the law is clogged, it has not been without reason; for the success of my Checks in a great degree depends upon clearing up this part of my subject. If I fail here, Pharisaism will not be checked, and gross Antinomianism will still pass for the pure Gospel; fundamental errors about the law being the muddy springs whence the broken cisterns, both of the Pharisees and of the Antinomians, have their constant supplies.

Honestus will have an anti-evangelical, Christless law, or at least a law without spirituality and strictness; the law he frames to himself being an insignificant twig, and not the Spirit’s two-edged piercing sword. And Zelotes contrives a Gospel without law; or, if he admits of a law for Christ’s subjects, it is such a one as has only the shadow of a law — “a rule of life,” as he calls it, and NOT a rule of judgment. That at first sight Honestus may perceive the spirituality of the law, and the need of Christ’s Gospel; and that Zelotes may discover the need of Christ’s law, and see its awful impartiality, I beg leave to recapitulate the contents of the last section; presenting them to the reader, in my Scales, as the just weights of the sanctuary exactly balancing each other.

Weights Of Faith And Free Grace.

I.

When the Philippian jailer cried out, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? Paul and Silas said, [according to the first Gospel axiom,] BELIEVE in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, Acts 16:31.

Weights Of Works And Free Will.

II.

When the young ruler, and the pious lawyer, asked our Lord What shall I do to inherit eternal life? He answered them, [according to the second axiom,] If thou wilt enter into life, KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS. This do, and thou shalt live, Matthew 19:17; Luke 18:19; 10:28.

Here Zelotes, as if he were determined to set aside the left Gospel scale, cries out, “There is no entering into life by doing and keeping the commandments. The young ruler and the lawyer were both as great legalists as yourself, and Christ answered them according to their error; the wise man having observed, that we must sometimes ‘answer a fool according to his folly.’“ I understand you, Zelotes; you suppose that one Pharisaic fiend had driven the poisoned nail of legality into their breasts, and that Christ was so officious as to clinch it for him. “Not so,” replies Zelotes, “but I think Christ’s answer was ironical, like that of the Prophet Micaiah, who said one thing to King Ahab, and meant another.” What!

Zelotes, two men, at different times and in the most solemn manner, propose to our Lord the most important question in the world. He shows a particular regard for them; and returns them similar answers. When one of them had described the way of obedience, an evangelist observes, that “Jesus saw he had answered discreetly, Mark 12:34. St. Luke informs us that Christ commended him and said, “Thou hast answered right,” Luke 10:28; and yet you intimate, that not only our Lord’s answers, but his commendations were ironical. In what an unfavourable light do you put our Saviour’s kindness to poor sinners, who prostrate themselves at his feet, and there ask the way to heaven! If “cursed is he that maketh the blind to wander out of their earthly way;” how can you, upon your principles, exculpate our Lord for doing this with respect to the blind seekers, who inquire the way that leads to eternal life and heaven?

But this is not all. It is evident, that although from the taunting tone of Micaiah’s voice, Ahab directly understood that the answer given him was ironical; yet, lest there should be deception in the case, the prophet dropped the mask of irony, and told the king the naked truth before they parted. Not so Jesus Christ, if Solifidianism is the Gospel: for although neither the ruler nor the lawyer suspected that his direction and approbation were ironical, he let them both depart without giving them, or his disciples who were present, the least hint that he was sending them upon a fool’s errand. Therefore, if setting sinners upon keeping the commandments in faith to go to heaven be only showing them the clearer way to hell, as Zelotes sometimes intimates, nobody ever pointed sinners more clearly to hell than our blessed Lord. This mistake of Zelotes is so much the more glaring, as the passages which he supposes to be ironical agree perfectly with the sermon on the mount, and with Matthew 25; two awful portions of the Gospel, which I am glad the Solifidians have not yet set aside as evangelical ironies.

Once more: if our Lord’s direction was not true with regard to the covenant of grace, it was absolutely false with respect to the covenant of works; for as the ruler and the lawyer had undoubtedly broken the Adamic law of perfect innocence, they never could obtain life by keeping that law, should they have done it to the highest perfection for the time to come. Therefore, which way soever Zelotes turns himself, upon his scheme our Lord spoke either a deceitful irony, or a flat untruth: — I resume the Scales.

I.

I am the Lord f5 thy God, who brought thee out of the house of bondage.

The righteousness of faith speaketh on this wise: — Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven?

&c, or, Who shall descend into the deep? &c. But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, Romans 10:5, &c. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us, Galatians 3:13.

If they that are of the [anti-evangelical] law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise of none effect, Romans 4:14.

I do not frustrate the grace of God:

for if righteousness came by the [anti-evangelical] law; [or if it came originally by any] law; then CHRIST is dead in vain, Galatians 2:21.

I, through the law, am dead to the law. Ye are not under the law. Now we are delivered from the law, [both as a cumbrous burden of carnal commandments; as a heavy load of typical ceremonies; and as an anti-evangelical, Christless covenant of works,] Galatians 2:19; II.

Thou shalt have no other god before me, &c, [to the end of the decalogue.]

This commandment, which I command thee this day, is not, &c, far off. It is not in heaven, that thou shouldst say, Who shall go up for us to heaven? &c. Neither is it beyond the sea, that thou shouldst say, Who shall go over the sea for us? &c. But the word is very nigh unto thee, Deuteronomy 30:11, &c. So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty, James 2:12.

If ye fulfil the royal law, &c, “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself,” ye do well:

for he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath showed no mercy, James 2:8, 13.

God sending his own Son, &c, for sin, condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in [or by] us who walk not after the flesh, &c, Romans 8:3, 4.

Do we make void the law through faith?

God forbid: yea, we establish the law.

Whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all, James 2:10. Think not that I am come to destroy the law, &c. Verily I say unto you, &c, one jot or tittle shall in no wise pass from the [moral] law till all be Romans 6:14; 7:6.

CHRIST is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth, Romans 10:4.

O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes CHRIST has been evidently set forth, crucified among you, &c? Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

Galatians 3:1, 2.

Stand fast in the liberty wherewith CHRIST hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage; [i.e. with the curse of a Christless law, or with the galling yoke of Mosaic rites,] Galatians 5:1.

If there had been a law given, which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law, Galatians 3:21. [Note.

No law of works can justify a sinner:

he must be justified by grace, or not at all. If he is not crushed into an atom for his native sinfulness, or sent instantly to hell for his first sin; or if he has an opportunity to repent and turn, all is of grace, and springs from “the free gift,” which “is come upon all men unto justification of life,” Romans 5:11.]

By the works of the law [when it is opposed to Christ, or abstracted from the promise] shall no flesh living be justified [at any time,] Galatians 2:16.

When you have done all that is commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants, Luke 17:10.

fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, &c, shall be called the f6 least in the kingdom of heaven, Matthew 5:17.

Ye are his servants whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness, Romans 6:16.

We are not without law to God, but under the law to Christ, 1 Corinthians 9:21.

Let brotherly love continue. He that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. Love is the fulfilling of the law. Fulfil the law of Christ, Hebrews 13:1; Romans 13:10; Galatians 6:2.

Why call ye me Lord, Lord, and do not do the things which I say? Those mine enemies, who would not that I should reign over them, [or who would not receive and keep my law,] bring hither and slay them before me, Luke 6:46; 19:27.

Awake to righteousness, and sin not, 1 Corinthians 15:34. Except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes, &c, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven, Matthew 5:20. As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor.

His righteousness remaineth for ever. Now he that ministereth seed to the sower, multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness, 2 Corinthians 9:9, 10. And it shall be f7 our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments, Deuteronomy 6:25.

In the day of judgment — by thy words thou shalt be justified. The doers of the law [of liberty — the law connected with the Gospel promises] shall be justified, Matthew 12:37; Romans 2:10.

Cast the unprofitable servant into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, Matthew 25:30.

If I am not mistaken, the balance of these scriptures shows, that, although we are not under the moral law without Christ, yet we are under it to Christ, both as a rule of life and a rule of judgment: or, to speak more plainly, although we shall not be judged by the law of innocence, i.e. the moral law abstracted from Gospel promises, yet we shall be judged by the “law of liberty,” i.e. the moral law connected with the promise of the Gospel: an evangelical law this, under which the merciful God for Christ’s sake put mankind in our first parents, when he graciously promised them “the seed of the woman,” the atoning Mediator, the royal “Priest, after the order of Melchisedec.”