A Treatise of Christian Religion, Chapter 26 – Chapter 27
CHAP. 26.
Of the ſumme of the Law.
The ſumme of the Law conſiſteth in the louelove of
God, with all the powers of our
Soule in
1.
Vnderſtanding.
Iudgement.
Memorie.
2. Will & affectiō.
Body.
Our neighbour, which is like to the firſt.
LVKE chap. 10. verſ. 27. Thou ſhalt louelove the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy ſoule, and with all thy ſtrength, and with all thy mind, and thy neighbour as thy ſelfe.
Q. HAuing ſpoken of all the ten Commandements: tell me, what is the ſumme of all?
A. Thou ſhalt louelove the Lord thy God with all thy heart, Luk. 10. 27.with all thy mind, and with all thy vnderſtanding, and thy neighbour as thy ſelfe: taken out of Deut. 6. 5. and Leuit. 19. 18.
Q. VVhat is the ſumme of this ſumme?
A. LoueLove: which conſiſteth of two heads; to wit, the louelove of God, and of our neighbour.1. Ioh. 5. 2. 1. Tim. 1. 4. 5.
Q. VVhat vſe is there of this ſhort ſumme?
A. It furthereth vsus in the twofold vſe of the Law, before ſpoken of: for firſt, it will be a meanes the more to humble vsus, and ſo the more effectually to driue vsus to Chriſt: becauſe when all our ſinnes are gathered and muſtered into one troope or heape, they will appeare the greater, and caſt vsus downe the more: as a man owing ſundrie debts vntounto diuers, or vntounto one man, in the particulars, is confident of his ability, to pay all, as long as he heareth they are all but ſmal ſums; but hearing the whole ſumme, deſpaireth of the paiment of it. Secondly, it helpes vsus much in our obedience to the Law: for by this (as by a glaſſe) wee may the eaſier ſee, and being ſhortly contriued, we may the better remember our whole dutie both to God and man; this being (as a Card or Map of a Countrey) eaſily carried about with vsus.
Q. What is it to louelove the Lord with all our heart, and all our mind, and all our ſtrength?
A, When the whole man yeeldeth ſimple obedience vntounto him, in all the powers both of ſoule and body. As when the vnderſtanding doth perfectly comprehend all things, that God would hauehave vsus to know; when in iudgement we thinke aright of them; when the memorie accordingly retaineth them; when in our wils and affections we perfectly louelove al knowne good, and perfectly hate all knowne euill; and when all the members, parts and graces of the body, as beauty, ſtrength, &c. are wholly employed in the ſeruice of God, and in the doing of his will.
Q. What is it to louelove our neighbour as our ſelues?
A. When that which we would that men ſhould Mat. 7. 12.doe to vsus, we doe to them.
Q. Is it not poſsible for a man to doe all this?
A. No; for wee are ignorant of many things, and thoſe which we know, we know but in part; and that which we know, we iudge not aright of, nor remember as wee ought. And as for will and affections, they are a great deale ſhorter then our knowledge. And the wandring of our eyes in the hearing of the Word, and other parts of Gods ſeruice, doth eaſily bewray the ſmall obedience and conformity of the reſt of the members and parts of the body. To conclude, if wee doe but examine our ſoules, how wee ſtand affected to our enemies, to ſtrangers, to common men, to them wee know, yea to our deareſt friends; we ſhall finde, that we herein come ſhort of any ſuch affection to our neighbour; which as it is ſo much leſſe then the former, by how much man is inferiour to God; ſo wee being not able to accompliſh it, are much leſſe able to accompliſh the other. And therefore the righteouſneſſe of the Papiſt, is a rotten righteouſneſſe, and ſuch as will neuer ſtand before the iudgment ſeate of God.
Q. Seeing then that the whole ſumme, and maine end of the Law is LoueLove: what gather you thereof?1. Tim. 1. 4. 5.
A. That which the Apoſtle exhorteth vntounto, viz. to leaue all idle queſtions as vnprofitable, and to deale in thoſe matters onelyonly which further the practice of louelove.
Q. Why is the louelove of God called the firſt and greatest Commandement?
A. Becauſe wee ſhould chiefly and in the firſt place, regard our duties to God, and be moſt carefull 1. Ioh. 4. 20.to vnderſtand his will, and to worſhip him.
Q. Why is the ſecond Table ſaid to be like vntounto the firſt?
A. For that they go ſo hand in hand together, that no man can performe the one, vnleſſe hee accompliſh the other; which the Apoſtle Iohn plainly teacheth, 1. Ioh. 15. 2.
Q. What is to bee ſaid of thoſe that ſeeme to keepe the one, and care not for the other?
A. If they ſeeme to ſerue God, and are not in charity, they are meere hypocrites: and if they will ſeeme to deale vprightly with their neighbour, and hauehave not the louelove of God in them, they are prophane politicks, and very Atheiſts.
Q. Hitherto of the Couenant of workes: what is the maine vſe of all the doctrine hereof?
A. To ſhew that wee cannot thereby attaine vntounto Reconciliation with God, and life euerlaſting, by reaſon of our corruption, and the infirmity of our fleſh, Rom. 8. 3. For we hauing on our part broke this Couenant, God cannot (without iniuſtice) iuſtifie vsus by this Couenant; and conſequently wee cannot bee ſaued thereby.
Q. But why then is it called a Couenant, ſeeing it is in the nature of a Couenant, to reconcile thoſe that are at variance; as is to be ſeene in the example of Abraham, and Abimelech: Laban, and Iacob, Gen. 21. 27. and 31. 44.
A. Although it bee not able to reconcile vsus, yet it maketh way to reconciliation by another Couenant. Neither is it meet ſtrictly to bind Gods couenant with men, to the ſame lawes that the couenants of one man with another are bound vntounto: for amongſt men, the weaker ſeeketh reconciliation at the hands of the Luk. 14. 31. 32. 2. Cor. 5. 20.mightier. But God (who neither can be hurt or benefited by vsus) ſeeketh vntounto vsus for peace.
CHAP. 27.
Of the Couenant of Grace.
In the Couenant of Grace is to be conſidered,
Firſt,
The parts
Gods act with vsus.
Ours with God.
The ſorts, the
Old Teſtament.
New.
Secondly, the foundation thereof, Chriſt Ieſus. Chap. 28.
IER. chap. 31. verſ. 31. 32. 33. 34.
31 Behold, the daies come, ſaith the Lord, that I will make a new couenant with the houſe of Iſrael, and with the houſe of Iudah.
32. Not according to the couenant that I made with their fathers, in the day that I tooke them by the hand, to bring them out of the land of Egypt, which my couenant they brake, although I was an husband vntounto them ſaith the Lord.
33. But this ſhall bee the couenant, that I will make with the houſe of Iſrael; After thoſe daies, ſaith the Lord, I will put my Law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts, and will be their God, and they ſhall be my people.
34. And they ſhall teach no more eueryevery man his neighbour, and eueryevery man his brother, ſaying, Know the Lord: for they ſhall all know me, from the leaſt of them, vntounto the greateſt of them, ſaith the Lord, for I will forgiue their iniquitie, and I will remember their ſinne no more.
Q. THus much of the Couenant of Workes, called the Law: the Couenant of Grace followeth: What doth this Scripture call it?
A. A new Couenant.
Q. Why is it called a new Couenant?
A. Becauſe it ſucceedeth the former Couenant, Heb. 8. 13.and was made vponupon the breach thereof.
Q. Doth then the making of this Couenant diſable the former?
A. Yea: for the latter Couenant had not been Heb. 8 7. Rom. 3. 23. Galath. 3. 21.made, if the former had not bin broken, & ſo become inſufficient. And therefore they are conuinced of impiety by the very making of this couenant, who ſeeke Iuſtification by the old Couenant.
Q. What is this new Couenant?
A. A free contract or Couenant betweene God, Act. 16. 30. 31. Iohn 3. 16. 17. 18.and a ſinner, concerning the pardon of ſinne, and life euerlaſting, through faith in Chriſt Ieſus.
Q. When did this Couenant begin?
A. Immediately after the Fall. Gen. 3. 15.
Q. What is ſpecially to be conſidered in this Couenant?
A. Firſt, the parts and ſorts thereof: ſecondly, the ground and foundation.
Q. What are the parts thereof?
A. The mutuall acts betweene God, and a ſinner.
Q. What is the act on Gods part?
A. A free offer of ſaluation vntounto a ſinner, vponupon this Iohn 3. 14. Act. 10. 43.condition, that he will beleeue in Chriſt.
Q. What is the act on the ſinners part?
A. An acceptance of this offer, by ſubmitting to the condition.
Q. What followeth hereupon?
A. That hee will be their God who are vnderunder this Exod. 3. 15.Couenant, and will be ſurnamed by them; and therefore in the third of Exodus, aHeb. 11. 16.and elſe where, he is called the God of our Fathers; which noteth the ſingular priuiledge and glory of Gods people, in that hee is content to be ſurnamed by them: otherwiſe the proper name of God would bee fearfull vntounto vsus, without the addition of ſome ſuch Sur-name.
Q. Of how many ſorts is this Couenant?
A. In ſubſtance it is but one; but in regard of circumſtance it is two: the Old Teſtament, and the New.
Q. What is the Old Teſtament?
A. It is the couenant of God, aHeb. 8. 4. 5.which (vnderunder types, figures, and ſhadowes) did ſet forth Chriſt before his comming in the fleſh; and by vertue whereof life euerlaſting was giuen by faith in Chriſt that was to come.
Q. What is the new Teſtament?
A. It is the couenant of God, which (ſince the comming of Chriſt in the fleſh) hath aboliſhed thoſe ſhadowes, & giueth life euerlaſting by faith in Chriſt, that is come; by meanes whereof it is in a ſpeciall reſpect called the Goſpell. Coloſſ. 2. 16. 17. 20. Hebr. 9. 1. 2. 3. &c.