The Rule of the Law Under the Gospel, Chapter 2
CHAP. 2.
Explaining the Apostle, and shewing how farre the beleever is from under the Law.
HAving shewed that it is the priviledge of justified persons not to be under the Law; we are now in the next place to limit this proposition of the Apostle within his own bounds; which ancient bounds while our Libertines remove or break downe, they open a sluce or floodgate unto all loosnes and licentiousnes, both of opinion, and practise.
For the right understanding of our Apostles meaning, we must consider the Law two wayes. First, in the substance of it: or, secondly, in the circumstances or appendices belonging unto it.
The substance of the Law standeth in five things.The substance of the Law in 5 things.
1. The Law in the substance of it,Psal. 119. 89. is an eternall doctrine, shewing what is good, what is evill, never changed, never abolished, never abrogated, (no not by Christ) but is as a beame from an eternall Sunne; and the Sunne being eternall, how can the beame but be so also? and thus beleevers are still under the teaching of it; without which no man can know what God is, nor what is his worship, nor what is the manner of his worshipp, nor what duties wee are to performe, nor how to performe them, either to himselfe, or to our brethren.
2. The law in the substance of it, is a revealer of sinne. Rom. 3. 19. By the Law commeth the knowledge of sinne; and every sinner, yea even beleevers are still under the rebuke of it, so long as in many things they offend all, and stand in need of the Law, both to worke them to humility and repentance after new sinnes committed, to worke them to a feare and reverent awe of God, and to drive them out of themselves unto Christ, for recovery out of their daily infirmities; for were there no law, there were no transgression, nor discovery of it, Rom. 4. 15.
3. The Law in the substance of it is a rule of good life, and as the Gospell teacheth how to beleeve, so the Law teacheth how to live: the Law is as the touchstone to try what is gold in us, and what is drosse; it is as the line and plummet to shew what is straight, and what is crooked: and thus is under the direction of it both for matter and manner of all actions which please or displease God. For as the Law civill is the rule of civill life, so Gods Law is the rule of godly life: and as a good workman that is Master of his trade, will have his rule ever at his back, or in his hand, to measure every peece of his worke, that it may stand levell and square; so even the beleever hath as continuall need of the rule of the Law, which (the Apostle saith) is profitable for doctrine, correction, reproofe and institution even of the man of God. 2 Tim. 3. 17.
4. The Law in the substance is the expresse idea or representation of the Law of nature written in our hearts in the time and state of innocency, and the naturall principles of it cannot be quite extinct, or shaken out of the heart of the worst man; for the very Heathens had it written in their hearts, Rom. 2. 15. and much lesse can it be shaken out of the beleever, in whom it is renewed and rewritten in their spirits by the finger of Gods spirit, Ier. 31. 33. Nay the beleever cannot chuse but be framed to a cheerefull and spirituall obedience of it, so long as the spirit performeth that office in them.
5. The Law in the substance of it, promiseth a righteousnesse, and eternall life to all the performers of it: and no beleever expecteth another righteousnes, nor another life, nor on any other condition, than the same in the Law; onelyonly in another manner and meanes the same life must be attained, by our ful performāce of the law, though not in our selves, but in our surety; and by the same righteousnes, not inherent in us,The beleever is under the whole substance of the Law. but imputed unto us. So as by this former consideration we see that the beleever is still under the whole substance of the Law.
And now in the second place seeing the justified person is so many wayes under the Law, how saith the Apostle that the beleevers are not under it? To resolve which point, we must now consider the circumstances and appendices of the Law, which make it an heavie yoak,Seven appendices of the Law, in none of which the beleever is under the Law. an intollerable, and insupportable burden, in regard whereof the beleever is not under it. These appendices of the Law are seaven.
First, one consequent of the Law is, that it yoaketh every man to a personall performance of it; for himselfe must doe all things that are written in the Law, to live in them.
And this is now an impossible obedience, Rom. 8. 3.because of our flesh. But Christ having perfectly fulfilled the Law for the beleever, and becomming the end of the Law for righteousnesse to every one that beleeveth: in this regard they are not under this rigour of the Law, which knoweth no surety, no Mediatour, no imputed obedience, but in every mans owne person; and yet the Gospell remitteth no part of the substance of the Law, which requireth perfect obedience: only it tendreth it in the person of the surety, and gets acceptance when perfect obedience is done for the person, though not by him.
2. Another appendix of the Law is, that this rigorous exaction of personall, and perfect obedience is urged upon paine of eternall death:foreign for, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the booke of the Law, Deut. 27. 26. and Gal. 3. 10. Now the beleever is not under this co… sequent of the Law: for Christ was made a curse for us, and redeemed us from the curse of the Law, Gal. 3. 13. and by him being justified by faith, we escape this damnatory sentence, Rom. 8. 1. But it is one thing to be free from the curse of the Law, another from the Law it selfe: and it is no good sequell, We are free from this sanction of the Law; therefore from the substance.
3. Another appendix of the Law is,In which regard it I… called foreign that it urgeth and forceth it selfe upon the conscience with feare and terrour; for as was the manner of the Lawes delivery at the first, so it still thrusts it selfe upon the sou… by coaction and constraint. A… thus the beleever is not und… the Law; for the grace of … empteth him from the rigorous exaction of it, and frameth his heart to a willing, and cheerefull endeavour in obedience; for what the Law prescribes to be done, it helpeth in the doing of it: and as Christ himself became under the Law not forced or coacted, but freely; so is now the Christian.
But this being but an adjunct, shall we argue from removing an accident, to the remotion of the subject? or because we are not under the Law as a rigorous exactour, and terrible revenger, therefore we are not under it as a righteous commander, and holy conductour?
The 4 consequent of the Law is, that it acknowledgeth no justification or life, but by com…eat obedience;… foreign no life or sal…ation must be expected by the …w, but by keeping it wholly … exactly. And thus it is an impossible yoake; for by the workes of the Law no flesh can be justified, Rom: 3. 20. so as now the beleever is not under the Law for justification, unto whom Christ is made righteousnesse, and whose perfect obedience is imputed, Rom: 4. 5. But it is no good argument, that because the Law is fulfilled by Christ, it is therefore abolished by Christ: surely every simple man can distinguish betweene accomplishing and abolishing the Law: nor it will not follow, that because the Law cannot justifie, therefore it cannot instruct, guide, or edifie.
The 5 consequent is, that the Law is the vigour and strength of sinne; that it arraignes, and condemneth the sinner, and is the minister of death, 2 Cor: 3. 7. But there is no condemnation to those that are in Iesus, Christ, Rom: 8. 1. for that heavie sentence of the Law is transferred upon Christ himselfe, and carried off the beleever. But it will never hold weight or water in argument, that because a beleever is freed from the damnatory power of the Law, he is free therefore from the mandatory and directory power of it.
The 6 consequent or appendix of the Law is, that thereby sinne is excited and provoked by our owne corruption rebelling against the Law, Rom: 7. 11. which is not by the fault of the Law, which remaineth holy, just, and good, v. 12. but by our wicked nature,Quod non lic…t acrius urit. which is more violently carried to that which is forbidden;Gens humana ruit in vet…tum …e…as. even as an untamed colt, the more it is hampered, the more mad and stirring it is. But the beleever is not thus under the incitation of the Law, who by grace is in great part freed from this reluctation and resistance, and by the same grace made tractable and willingly subject to the Law, which they discerne to be so concordant, and a very counterpaine of the holinesse and justice of God himselfe; and thinke themselves so farre from being loosed from the Law by the doctrine of grace, that they are faster tyed to the obedience of it.
The 7 and last appendix of the Law, is to consider it as the Law of Moses, and in Moses hand given to the Church of the Iewes; in which respect it had many circumstantiall references to that people, and many accessories in the administration towards them; besides some strictnesse, rigour, and terrour to that people under rudiments: In regard of which, beleevers in the new Testament are not under the Law as it was in Moses hand; but sundry references and circumstances, as suppose, time, place, persons, tables, testament, manner, measure, terrour, rigour are altered, and changed in the Church since Christs death. But it will prove no good reason, that because an heire in minority is under tutours and rods, therefore he may being come to yeares live as he list, and become a lawlesse man: or that because the Law as given by Moses to the Church of the Iewes is in some circumstances altered, therefore it must be in the whole substance of it abolished and that wholly: or that because the Church of the olde Testament was under a strait Law, therefore the Church in the new Testament must be under none.
The summe of all is comprised in these three following conclusions:
1. That the regenerate are never sine Lege, Regenerat are not without a Law.that is, without Law: of wicked men is said, that they are lawlesse, and described to be disobedient, 1 Tim. 1. 8 foreign.ungodly, sinners, unholy, prophane, the genuine epithites, and right characters of our late Anomists and Antinomists; but the regenerate are no such.
2. That the regenerate are not (as our Text saith) sub Lege, Nor under the Law in 5 respects.not under the Law: namely in respect, 1. of Iustification by the Law: 2. of Condemnation by it: 3. of Personall and perfect obedience, which Ch…ist in their stead hath undertaken, and performed: 4. of Coaction and constraint, from which the spirit of liberty hath freed thē in great part: 5. of the sundry accessories of Moses his administration to that people to whom it was delivered: in these regards, and some other they are not under the Law.
3. That the regenerate may be truly said to be in Lege, But under, that is, within the compasse of the Lawthat is, in, or under the Law, or within the compasse of the Law; in respect, 1. of the doctrine, rule and instruction of it: 2. of their subjection unto it, who frame their lives secundum Legem, according to the Law: 3. of the spirits inscription, who writing it in their hearts keepes them within the compasse of it, and holdeth them in the respect and cheerfull obedience unto it. And thus we have cleared the meaning of the Apostle in this, and other phrases of the like sound, Ye are not under the Law.