A Manual of Practical Divinity, Treatise · Chapter 17
CHAP. XVII. The right uſe of the Law.
THE Law we are ſpeaking of is the moral Law, the ten Commandments, with what comment and expoſition is upon it in the Scripture.
This Law is of excellent uſe. (1) It diſcovereth to us the holineſs of God, that he would have his creatures live according to rule, and not in ſin and Confuſion. (2) It ſerveth to diſcover ſin to men, Rom. 7.7. and to this end all are to get knowledge of the Law, Rom. 7.1. and we are often to examine our hearts and lives by the Law, and to know the Law in the ſpirituality of it, that we may ſee ſpiritual and ſecret ſins. (3) The Law ſerves to awaken the conſciences of natural men with the fear of hell and damnation, and to ſet them more ſeriouſly to look after their eternal condition: but thoſe that are in Chriſt they are not to fear hell by the Law, becauſe they are freed by Chriſt from the damning power of it. (4) The Law rightly underſtood, will ſhew a ſoul an utter impoſſibility that ever he ſhould get life by own works and righteonſneſs; for the Law requires perfect obedience, gives no ſtrength to obey, admits of no repentance, neither will be ſatisfied to inflict temporal puniſhments and afflictions, but throws the ſinner into hell, and lays him up there for ever, except the ſoul hath intereſt by Faith in the perfect righteouſneſs of Chriſt which fully anſwereth the Law. (5) To Believers the Law may be a conſtant help to thankfulneſs: they ſee the ſtrength of ſin, 1 Cor. 15.56,57. that is, the power that ſin hath to damn, is from the Law, becauſe it is the breach of Gods holy and righteous Law: now to ſee how Chriſt hath delivered them from all the curſes and damning power of the Law, this may make them cry out, Thanks be to God that hath given us the victory through Jeſus Chriſt our Lord. (6) The Law is taken into the hands of Chriſt, and is made a rule for Believers to walk by; the Believers Salvation or Damnation doth not depend upon his obedience or diſobedience to the Law, for he is freed from the Law as a Covenant of Works; yet he is not freed from duty and filial obedience; but the Law, as it is a rule of obedience ſtands in force, and is to be obeyed by all Believers; Several reaſons to prove it. (1) Chriſt expounds the Law, Mat. 5. and cleareth up the ſtrictneſs and ſpirituality of the Law more. (2) Elſe the breaking of the Law would be no ſin, which would be a monſtrous opinion. (3) The ſame things that the Laws forbids are ſet down in the new Teſtament to bring damnation, 1 Cor. 6.9.10. as Idolatry, Adultery, Theſt, Covetouſneſs. (4.) The new Covenant promiſes the putting of Gods Laws into our mind, and writing them in our hearts. Heb. 8.10. therefore the Goſpelis no enemy to the Law, but writes it in our hearts, as it was writen in ſtone, and gives us principles to obey it. (5) Paul after his converſion looked upon it as a mighty work of Gods Spirit upon him, that he delighted in the Law of God after the inward man, Rom. 7.22. that is, that God had given him a heart to delight to do thoſe things the Law called for, which ſhews that Believers are to make the Law as a rule of obedience. Thus a Believer is not without Law to God, but is under the Law to Chriſt, as Paul ſaith he was, 1 Cor. 9.21. that is, as the Law is taken by Chriſt into his own hands, and held forth by him to his people, as a rule for their obedience to him: ſo a Believer is under the Law: every Command of it, and every breach of it is ſin, even in Believers. The Believer is not freed from the Do this of the Law, but when the Law ſaith, Do this and live, he is freed from that; he doth not expect life by his doing thoſe things in the Law, for he is juſtified freely by Grace, he liveth not by his doing, but by the faith of the Son of God, who loved him, and gave himſelf for him. And for the threatnings of the Law, Not'do this and die, the ſoul that ſinneth it ſhall die; this a Believer is freed from, for there is no condemnation to them that are in Chriſt Jeſus, Rom. 8.1. Chriſt hath redeemed them from the curſe of the Law, by being made a curſe for them, Gal. 3.13.
Queſt. How may a man know whether he hath a Goſpel-work upon his heart, or that he is yet under Law as a Covenant of works, and hath only legal workings upon him?
Anſw. 1. Such as do not think it is a hard thing to come off from the Law, as a Covenant of works, to truſt alone in the righteouſneſs of Chriſt, ſuch may well ſuſpect that there hath been only a legal work upon them; for its the hardeſt thing in the world to reſt only upon Chriſt, though it is eaſily ſaid. (2) Such as do not know the Law from the Goſpel, and the Goſpel from the Law in their main Principles and terms: there are too many that know not in the leaſt meaſure, no not with a notional knowledge what the difference between the Law and the Goſpel is; ſuch may well think that they are not yet come off from the Law as a Covenant of works. (3) Such as have their hearts riſe againſt Goſpel-preachers and Profeſſors, as Gal 4.29. As then he that was born after the fleſh perſecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even ſo it is now. A man that is upon the Law for life, hath a ſtrange enmity in his heart againſt thoſe that look to be juſtified freely by Grace. (4) Such are under the Law as a Covenant of works, as cannot bear the vilifying of mans righteouſneſs as to Juſtification, though he heareth the ſame perſons urge it never ſo vehemently as to Sanctification, and walking before God to all well pleaſing: O if thou canſt not freely ſay that all thy own Righteouſneſs is as menſtruous rags, and that when thou haſt done all, thou art but an unprofitable ſervant, then thou maiſt juſtly fear thy eſtate. (5) Such as think they have kept the Law themſelves, like the young man in the Goſpel, All theſe things have I kept from my youth. (6) Such are under the Law yet as have had legal breakings for ſin, but never had the leaſt Goſpel ſorrow for ſin, who have never in the leaſt mourned for ſin, becauſe it peirced Chriſt, but only becauſe it pierceth themſelves.
Let all labor for a right underſtanding of the Law, in which take their directions. (1) Look upon the Law as requiring perfect obedience; ſo ſtrict as that it will not abate one farthing to a ſinner: there is no compounding with the Law. (2) Count your ſelves utterly unable to keep the Law. (3) Count the forfeiture for breaking of the Law to be no leſs then eternal damnation. (4) Always look upon Chriſt as having a righteouſneſs anſwering the Law fully, Rom. 10.3.4. Rom. 8.3,4. (5) Count your ſelves under all the wrath and curſes of the Law, except you be in Chriſt, Gal. 3.10. whatſoever are the intentions of God, and the merits of Chriſt for an elect perſon yet uncalled, he being conſidered as a child of old Adam, he is under the curſe; he doth not in his own perſon enjoy the ſtate of freedom which God hath graciouſly purpoſed to beſtow upon him, and the Lord Jeſus hath purchaſed for him, though yet it is impoſſible for the Law to throw the Elect perſon into hell, becauſe God will certainly beſtow upon them in his own fit ſeaſon the Grace that Chriſt hath purchaſed for them. (6) If you be in Chriſt, reckon not your ſelves to have to do with the curſes and threatnings of the Law, but ſee them all taken away by Chriſt from you. (7) Often ſeriouſly remember that many periſh everlaſtingly by their miſtaking of the Law, and reſting in the Law; that you may ſee by the Epiſtle to the Romans and Galathians, where the Apoſtle ſhews the danger of reſting in the Law, and ſhews how forward men are to do ſo. (8) Never go out in your own ſtrength to obey the Law, but fetch ſtrength from the promiſes of the Goſpel to obey the commands of the Law. (9) In the reading of Scripture obſerve what places are moſt properly Law, and what places are eſpecially Goſpel, and make thoſe which are Law and Duty to come in after free Juſtification, to come in as filial obedience to the Lord. (10) When a ſoul hath been enabled to yield a good meaſure of obedience to the Law and Commands of God, yet he muſt rely upon the Lord Jeſus by faith as freely and alone juſtifying him: he cannot ſpare the leaſt part of Chriſts Righteouſneſs after all the holineſs he hath attained to, but is ſtill to deſire to be found in Chriſt, not having on him his own righteouſneſs, but that which is by the faith of Chriſt, the righteouſneſs which is of God by Faith.