A Vindication of the Moral Law and the Covenants, Moral treatise · Lecture 27
LECTVRE XXVII.
ROM. 3. 27.
Where is boaſting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay, but by the Law of faith.
I Proceed to the handling of this Queſtion, Whether the Goſſpel preach repentance or no: ſeeing this made the great commotion at firſt between the Orthodox and Antinomians. I ſhall diſpatch this in few words,
1. The word [Repentance,] is taken ſometimes largely, and ſometimes Repentance ſtrictly taken, is diſtinguiſhed from Faith.ſtrictly: when it is taken largely, it comprehends faith in it, and is the whole turnign unto God Rev. 2. 5. ſometimes it is uſed ſtrictly, for ſorrow about ſin, and ſo diſtinguiſhed from faith. Thus, they repented not, that they might beleeve; and faith and repentance are put together, Now all the while a man hath trouble and ſorrow for ſin, without faith, it is like the body without the ſoul; yea, it carrieth a man with Cain, and Judas, into the very pit of diſpair; when a man ſeeth how much is againſt him, and not how much is for him, it cannot but cruſh, and weigh him down to the ground. The tears of repentance are like thoſe waters, very bitter, till Chriſt ſweeten them.
2. Conſider this, that the Law was never meerly and ſolely adminiſtred, nor yet the Goſpel, but they are twins, that are inſeparably The Law and the Goſpel are inſeperably united in the Word and Miniſtery.united in the Word and Miniſtery. Howſoever ſtrictly taken, there is a vaſt gulf of oppoſition between each other; yet in their uſe they become exceeding ſubſervient, and helpfull mutually. It is not good for the Law to be alone, nor yet the Goſpel. Now the old Antinomians, they taught repentance by the Goſpel only, that ſo the Law might be wholly excluded. thus they did not conſider what uſefull ſubſerviencie they had to one another. The Law directeth, commandeth, and humbleth: The Goſpel, that comforteth, refreſheth, and ſupporteth. And it is a great wiſedom in a Chriſtian, when he hath an eye upon both. Many are caſt down, becauſe they only conſider the perfection of the Law, and their inability thereunto: on the other ſide, ſome grow ſecure and looſe, by attending to free-grace only. I do acknowledge, that free-grace will melt the heart into kindneſs, and the fire will melt, as well as the hammer batter into pieces; but yet, even this cannot be done, without ſome uſe of the Law.
3. Therefore, being there is ſuch a neer linck between both theſe Faith and Repentance are wrought both by the Law and the Goſpel.in their practicall uſe, we need not, with ſome learned men, make two Commandements of the Goſpel only; to wit, the command to beleeve, and the other command to repent: neither need we, with others, make theſe commands Appendices to the Goſpel. but conclude thus, that, ſeeing Faith and Repentance have ſomething initial in them, and ſomething conſummative in them, therefore they are both wrought by Law and Goſpel alſo: ſo that, as they ſay there is a legal repentance and an evangelical; ſo we may ſay, there is a legal faith, which conſiſts in believing of the threatnings, & the terrours of the Lord; and there is an evangelical faith, which is in applying of Chriſt in the Promiſes. So that legal faith, and repentance, may be called ſo initially; and when it is evangelical, it may be ſaid to be conſummate. If therefore you aske, Whether Faith and Repentance be by the Law, or by the Goſpel; I anſwer, It is by both and that theſe muſt not be ſeperated one from the other in the command of theſe duties.
Hence, fourthly, unbeliefe is a ſin againſt the Law, as well as againſt Vnbeliefe a ſin againſt the Law, as well as the Goſpel.the Gospel. Indeed the Goſpel, that doth manifeſt, and declare the object of juſtifying faith, but the Law condemneth him that doth not believe in him: therefore Moſes and the Law is ſaid to bear witneſs of Chriſt, and to accuſe the Jews for refuſing the Meſſias. The Law, that requireth belief in whatſoever God ſhall reveal: The Goſpel that makes known Chriſt; and then the Law, is as it were, enlightened by the Goſpel, doth faſten a command upon us to beleeve in Chriſt. This is true, if you take the Law ſtrictly and ſeperately from Moſes his adminiſtration of it: but if you take it largely, as it was delivered by Moſes, then faith in Chriſt was immediately commanded there, though obſcurely, becauſe (as is proved) it was a Covenant of grace. You ſee then, that as in the transfiguration, there was Chriſt, and Moſes together in glory; ſo likewiſe may the Law, and the Goſpel be together in their glory; and it is through our folly, when we make them practically to hinder one another.
Though all this be true, yet if the Goſpel be taken ſtrictly, it The Goſpel taken ſtrictly, comprehends no more then the glad tidings of a Saviour.is not a doctrine of repentance, or holy works; but a meere gracious promiſe of Chriſt to the broken heart for ſin; and doth comprehend no more then the glad tydings of a Saviour. It is true, learned men do ſometimes ſpeak otherwiſe, calling Faith and repentance the two Evangelicall commands, but then they uſe the word more largely, for the doctrine of Chriſt and the Apoſtles, but in a ſtrict ſenſe its only a promiſe of Chriſt, and his benefits: And in this ſenſe we may ſay, the Goſpel doth not terrifie, or accuſe. Indeed there are wofull threatnings to him that rejecteth Chriſt; yea more ſevere then to him that refuſed Moſes, but this ariſeth from the Law joyned in practicall uſe with the Goſpel. And in this ſenſe alſo it is ſaid to be the ſavour of death unto many. This ariſeth not from the nature of the Goſpel, but from the Law, that is enlightened by the Goſpel: ſo that he being already condemned by the Law, for not beleeving in Chriſt, he needeth to be condemned again by the Goſpel.
If you ſay, May not the ſufferings of Chriſt make us to repent of ſin, and all the love he ſhewed therein? Do not godly Miniſters, to work people into an hatred of ſin, tell them the price of blood is in every ſin committed? Is it not ſaid, that they ſhall look upon him whom they have pierced, and mourn for their ſins?
I anſwer, all this is true, but then theſe things work by way of an object, not as a command; and it is from the Law, that we ſhould ſhew our ſelves kind unto him who loved us unto death; ſo that the object is indeed from the Goſpel, but the command, to be affected with his death, becauſe of his kindneſs therein manifeſted, doth ariſe from Gods Law: Let therefore thoſe who ſay, that the preaching of the Goſpel will humble men, and break their hearts for their ſins, conſider how that it is true, by the Goſpel as an object, by the Law, as that which commands ſuch affections to thoſe objects.
Let the uſe of this doctrine be, to direct Chriſtians in their practicall improvement of Law and Goſpel, without hindring each other. There are many things in Chriſtianity that the people of God make to oppoſe one another, when yet they would promote each other, if wiſely ordered. Thus they make their joy and trembling, their faith, and repentance, their zeal and prudence, the Law and Goſpel to thwart one another; whereas by ſpiritual wiſdom they might unite them: take the Law for a goad, the Goſpel for a cordial: from the one be inſtructed, from the other be ſupported: when thy heart is careleſs and dull, run thither to be excited; when thy ſoul is dejected and fearfull, throw thy ſelf into the armes of the Goſpel. The Law hath a lovelineſs in it as well as the Goſpel: the one is a pure character and Image of the holineſs of God; the other is of the mercy and goodneſs of God; ſo that the conſideration of either may wonderfully inflame thy affections and raiſe them up.