The Substance of Christian Religion, Lecture 2
The second Lords day
Rom. 7. vers. 7.
What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? God forbid. Yea, I had not known sin but by the Law. For I had not, … that concupiscence or lust was a sin, unless the Law had said, Thou shalt not covet.
THe Apostle, that he might stir up the faithfull to a new obedience, had proposed to them the difference of their condition that are under the Law, and of them that are under Grace; to wit, that such as are under the law of the flesh and sin, bring forth fruits unto death; but such as are under the grace of the Spirit, bring forth fruits in a new obedience unto life eternall. But because of this opposition between the Law and Grace, some might gather, that there was then a very great agreement between the Law and sin; therefore in this seventh verse, this objection is preoccupated by the Apostle. 1. Then the Objection is proposed; What shall we say? Is the Law sin? 2. It is rejected with a certain kinde of detestation; God forbid. 3. The case is plainly set down and resolved in these words; I had not known sin, &c. Where the singular effect and use of the Law is declared; to wit, that by forbidding and reproving, is begotten in man a sense and acknowledgement of sin, as of that which is contrary to its self; and therefore it cannot be the cause of sin.
The Explication. By the Law is understood in common▪ a way and rule of walking. Now this way and rule is imposed upon reasonable creatures by divine authority, and the greatest obligations that can be. And this is the Law, to wit, of God, which the Apostle heer understands; especially the moral Law. By sin here is not onelyonly understood the transgression of Gods will, but also all those things that follow upon such a transgression, which in this Chapter is defined by the name of Death, and is called sometimes misery: Sin is either known confusedly and speculatively onelyonly, or more exactly and practically. Now the accurate and practicall knowledge of sin is here understood, whereby it is efficaciously concluded in our consciences, that sin is a detestable thing, and by all means to be avoided.
Doct. 1. Men of their own nature are so blinded, that although they be altogether drowned in sin and death, yet of themselves they cannot know it.
This is gathered from these words;
I had not known sin.
Reas. 1. Because the very mind and conscience of man, which is his eye and light, is corrupted after a twofold manner. 1. Privitively, In that it is deprived of that light, whereby it might rightly judge of it self, and of such things as belong unto its spiritual life. a. Positively, In as much as it is possessed with a certain perverse disposition, whence it often calls evill good, and good evill: For as the eye being put quite out feeleth nothing, and as the eye infected with humours, and depraved by the indispositions of the organe, sees all things otherwise than they are presented; so is it with the eye of the soul.
Reas. 2. Because the whole man is possessed with a certain spiritual distemper, and as it were with a drunkennesse, and lethargick stupidity, whereby he is sensible of nothing rightly and spiritually.
Reas▪ 3 Because we are so borne in sin, that in a manner it becomes natural to us, nor ever have had we experience of any other condition. As those that are borne with deformed and crooked limbs, and never saw aright and well proportioned disposition of all the members, do not know that their own limbs are deformed and ill proportioned, but esteem their distortion and disproportion to be the right proportion it self; even so is it in this case of sin, and corruption of nature.
Use 1. Of Admonition, that for this cause we might more and more humble our selves before God, seeing that we are so miserable, that of our selves we can never know our own misery.
Use 2. Is of Direction, to deny all our natural wisdome; that so we may flie to God, and seek wisdome from him, that we may know our selves and him aright.
Doctr. 2. The onelyonly way to know sin aright, and the cause of our mysery is by the law of God.
It is gathered from these words,
For unlesse the law had said, &c.
Reas. 1. Because the law of God doth in some way enlinghten the eyes of our minde, Psal. 19.
Reas. 2. Because the law of God is the rule of our life, and is therefore the touchstone, not onelyonly of the straightness, but also of all the obliquity and crookedness of it.
Reas. 3. Because the law of God is set before us, as a glasse, wherein we may clearly see our faces, duplicate page duplicate page and quality. Iames 1. 23. Now it performs this use of a glass to us, by a comparison made between the perfection which the Law requires of us, and the manifold defects and deformities that are found in our life.
Questions hence arising.
Quest. 1. Whether did not some wise men, at least among the Heathen, know sin without this Law of God?
I answer; 1. That they were not altogether without this law of God, because in part they had it written and ingraven in their hearts. But yet, 2. They knew not many sins, which by the Law might easily have been known. 3. They knew not sin under the first and most proper reason of it; to wit, as it was an offence against God; but onelyonly as it was repugnant to reason in man himself. 4. They knew not those spiritual miseries which accompanie sin. 5. They did not know sin practically and efficaciously, so as to be by that knowledge driven to a spiritual humbling of themselves before God.
Quest. 2. In what manner doth this Law of God shew us our sin?
I answer; 1. It sheweth us our duty, or the will of God, that we should do. 2. It shews us our fault in transgressing of this will. 3. It shewes us our guilt, whereby for this guiltiness we are bound over unto punishment. 4. It shewes also the punishment it self: for the threatenings of the Law, wherein the punishments are contained and denounced, are parts of the Law, and belong unto its sanctification or ratification.
Use 1. Of Direction; that in passing judgement upon our lives, we follow not either our own fancies, nor the tenets and opinions of the vulgar, but the law of God alone.
Use 2. Of Admonition, that we often make trial of our life according to that law; and that as well for time past, for our greater humiliation; as for the time to come, for our caution and better direction in every part of our conversation.