Gods Love to Man and Mans Duty Towards God, Part 1 · Section 3
Sect. 3. PROP. III. God having made Man a reaſonable Creature, endued with his own Image (as was ſhewed before) not only capable of knowing, but of yielding Obedience to the Will and Law of his Maker, Moral Obedience immediately becomes due, from ſuch a Creature to his Maker.
AN Obligation to obey our Creator, is a Natural reſultancy from our Condition, as we are Creatures. He that gave being to us, hath undoubted Authority to give Laws to us. He that ſaid what we ſhould Be, to him it certainly belongeth to ſay what we ſhould Do.
While Man is Gods Creature, 'tis impoſſible that he ſhould not owe all poſſible Subjection and Obedience unto God his Maker. Eſt ordo immutabilis, ut creaturae Deo obtemperent.He muſt firſt ceaſe to be a Creature, or God ceaſe to be his rightfull and ſupream Governour, before this Obligation to obey God can ceaſe. Though Creatures may forfeit their beings, God can never forfeit, or paſs away his Right in his creatures. It's impoſſible that God ſhould leave the rational creature at liberty, to take his own ſwing, to live as without Law. It is impoſſible that God ſhould reſign up his right to any creature to rule (as in his ſtead) without being at all accountable to him; he cannot ceaſe to govern the world: for thus he ſhould deny himſelf, and give away his Glory to others.
Now what ſhould we think of ſuch Divinity as this? Mar. of Mod. Div. p. 154.That Believers are not concerned with, nor obliged by the Law of God, as delivered by God Creator, but only as delivered and confirmed by Chriſt, or God in Chriſt, our Redeemer; That they are no more to look, at the Moral Law as in the hands of God-Creator, or as in the hands of Moſes; but only as in the hands of Chriſt, to receive the ten Commandments only, as they are the Law of Chriſt.
I cannot but look upon ſuch Doctrine as very dangerous, tending to ſubvert the very foundation of true Piety and Religion. I take that to be very ſound (Aſſemb. Confeſ. of Faith, c. 19. Sect. 5.) The Moral Law doth for ever bind all, as well juſtified perſons, as others, to the obedience thereof; and that not only in regard of the matter contained in it, but alſo of the Authority of God the Creator, who gave it.
Yet I grant, we are to receive the Law not only as delivered by the Creator, or as delivered by him immediately without a Redeemer; neither are we to receive it from Chriſt, the Redeemer only, as excluding the Authority of the Creator.
True it is, We are under no Law here, but what is the Law of Chriſt, as being (jure Redemptionis) the Univerſal King. (As Learned Mr. Baxter) The Law of Chriſt is, Firſt, The Law of Nature-redeemed in his hand. Secondly, His peculiar ſuper-added remedying Law. The former is now part of the precepts of Chriſt, and bindeth us to perfection, neceſſitate praecepti; though not medii, in regard of the pardoning promiſe. Yet this does not take away all Authority from God, as if the Law was quite taken out of the Creator's hand, when it was put into the hand of Chriſt. We read Joh. 5.22. The Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son. And yet in 1 Pet. 1.17. The Father judgeth without reſpect of perſons, according to every mans work. Though he judgeth not executively, ſo as Chriſt does, who ſhall pronounce the Sentence in an audible manner; yet he judgeth Authoritatively, in, and with, and by Chriſt. The Father is not ſtripped of his right, and Authority of judging, by committing judgment to the Son. That is not the meaning of [The Father judgeth no man:] but that he judgeth not himſelf alone without the Son, but with, and by the Son; ſo though the Law be in the hand of the Redeemer, yet it is not thereby quite taken out of the Creators hand; It is not the Son only, that rules and governs by his Love; but the Father in, and by him. And let it be conſidered, whether the damned are not ſo under the Law of God-Creator, that all their hatred of God, and blaſphemy againſt him, is ſin? And when Chriſt ſhall have delivered up the Kingdom to the Father, whether the Saints in Heaven ſhall not be under the Law of God Creator? ſo that if they ſhould not continue to obey perfectly, they ſhould ſin. And whether never till men come into the other world, they come under this Law of their Creator, or were they not under it before?
That the Law of God as Creator ſhould not oblige all men, as they are his Creatures, is a wonderful ſtrange Paradox to me. If Gods Commands, as they are his Commands, do not conſtitute and determine Man's duty, and lay a neceſſary tye upon man to Obedience, then God hath loſt his Authority over man (this is plain) or man is advanced above the condition of a creature. But do not the holy Angels obey the Commands of God, as the Commands of their Creator (Pſal. 103.20.) and ſhall we think man is exempted from Obedience in that reſpect? Has man a priviledge here above the Angels in Heaven? And what will be their duty to Eternity, to love, praiſe, ſerve, and worſhip God, and obſerve his pleaſure, as being their Creator; can this be a ſin, and weakneſs in believers; we read John 5.23. That all men ſhould honour the Son even as they honour the Father: But they that hold the Law of God binded them, not as it is Gods Law, but only as it is the Law of Chriſt, would ſeem to honour him, not as the Father, but above the Father. And of whom doth the Apoſtle James ſpeak, Jam. 4.12. There is one Law-giver, who is able to ſave, and to deſtroy: Is it not the ſame with …im, that ſaid, Do not commit Adultery, that ſaid, Do not kill, Jam. 2.11. The ſame with him that …ave the Law in Mount Sinai, where if you underſtand Chriſt, as God, you neceſſarily include the …ather. If you underſtand Chriſt, as Mediator, then you ſuppoſe the Law given in Mount Sinai, to be given from the hand of Chriſt, as Mediator.
Now grant this, that the Laws and Commands of God are immediately conſtitutive of mans duty, or Obligatory, even becauſe, or as they are the Laws and Commands of God, (and grant this you muſt, or you quite overthrow the courſe of Nature, utterly confound the order of beings, make the creature independant, and ſui juris, Lord of it ſelf, you deny Gods Dominion and Authority, and thereby race the foundation of all Religion, and cannot glorifie him, as God, but rather deny him to be God.) But, I ſay, granting the commands of God, his Laws certainly binding to his creatures, even becauſe they are his, and then (methinks) the diſpute [whether the Law of God oblige, as given by Moſes] may be waved, we ſhould agree in this (ſure) that the Law of God, howſoever, or by whomſoever, promulged, and declared, is binding to his creatures. And therefore if the Decalogue, or ten Commandments given to Moſes, and by him immediately to the Jews, be declarative of the Commanding will of God, as a Copy and tranſcript of the Law o… Nature, that ſtanding Law of perpetual right, comprehending the duty which God requireth of man… as man; it is for us, and all the men in the world, t… look into it, to obſerve it, as well as it was for the Jews. It is the Duty of all men, who are Gods creatures, and his ſubjects, to uſe all poſſible means o… coming acquainted with the will of God their Soveraign Lord. And ſo far as the Writings of Moſe… and the Prophets, do reveal and declare the wi… of God concerning us, what he requires of us and all men, as well as of the Iews; ſo far w… are concerned with what they wrote, as well as the Iews.
And whatever the writer whom I have had here laſt to deal with, ſaith of the Law-binding believers, only in the hand of Chriſt; yet he clearly confutes and contradicts himſelf in ſeveral paſſages, cited with approbation out of many ſound Divines. I ſhall take notice of two or three. Marrow p. 11.Perfect and perpetual Obedience was due from man unto God, though God hath made no promiſe to man (concurring with Dr. Reynolds) That Man being Gods Creature (N. B.) by the Law of Creation he owed all obedience and ſubjection to God his Creator, which is all that I plead for. Again, he citeth Dr. Bolton, That the Moral Law was given of God to be a true and eternal Rule of righteouſneſs for all men of all Nations, and at all times. p. 153.Again he citeth the ſame Author, p. 155.together with Mr. Perkins, ſaying, The ten Commandments being the ſubſtance of the Law of Nature Engraven in the heart of man in innocency; and the expreſs Idaea or repreſentation of Gods own Image, even a beam of his own holineſs, they were to have been a Rule of life (N. B.) both to Adam and his poſterity, though they had never been the Covenant of works.
Now if by the Law of Creation man oweth all Obedience to God, and God hath given the Moral Law to be an Eternal rule of Righteouſneſs, which ſhould have been a rule to Adam and his poſterity (as they were Gods Creatures) though there had never been a Covenant of works; what follows, but that the Moral Law is binding to believers, as they are Creatures, and this is the ſtanding Law of their Creator, though it is alſo further binding to us, as confirmed by Chriſt, and in the hand of Chriſt.
And thus that diſtinction of a Threefold Law, viz. [The Law of Works, the Law of Faith, and the Law of Chriſt,] as he explains, and applyes it, may appear to be very weak and unprofitable; yea, unſafe; though he layes ſo great ſtreſs upon it, as to tell us, That ſo far forth as any man comes ſhort of the true knowledge of this threefold Law, ſo far he comes ſhort both of the true knowledge of God, and of himſelf.
But, 1. One would think, that the Law of Faith (to ſpeak properly) ſhould be the Law of Chriſt; yet he diſtinguiſhes between the Law of Faith, and the Law of Chriſt.
2. The Apoſtle diſtinguiſheth betwixt the Law of Works and of Faith, Rom. 3.27. but never betwixt the Law of Faith, and the Law of Chriſt.
3. I think the common diſtinction of a Covenant of works, and of Grace; or as others expreſs it, The old original Law, and the new Remedying Law, much clearer, and to better purpoſe.
4. His oppoſing the Moral Law, as in the hand of God-Creator to the ſame Law as in the hand of Christ, and holding that believers are only bound by the Law, as delivered by Chriſt, is intollerable. It is granted, that we are not under the Law, only as delivered by the Creator, not under the Law of Nature, as meerly created, or as given at firſt to man in innocency, but he oppoſeth thoſe as contraries, which ought to be conjoyned. As if we could not be bound by the Law, both as it is the Law of our Creator, and as it is the Law of our Redeemer; but are free from it in the former reſpect, if bound in the latter: This ſeems intollerable. For ſo it follows,
1. That Believers are not redeemed unto God by his blood (as Rev. 5.9.) but rather redeemed from him, not to owe that ſubjection to him, which they did before.
2. That through the redemption of Chriſt, they are advanced above the Condition of Creatures. For by the Law of Creation, as Creatures, they are bound to obey the Law of their Creator. But certainly Chriſtians in being redeemed by Chriſt, do not ceaſe to be creatures. I ſay you do not ceaſe to be creatures, when you become Chriſtians, nor does God loſe the Right he had in you before, to require Obedience from you; but he hath now a further right in you. The old Obligation by your creation is not taken off, but ſtill in force, when this new Obligation, by your Redemption is further added, and lay'd on you.
3. According to what this writer layes down, it is the priviledge of believers, not to have any after Sins pardoned, and remitted as to the guilt of everlaſting puniſhment; but only as to the prevention, or removal of ſome temporal chaſtiſements. They are under no Law, but the Law of Chriſt; and Chriſt's Law threatens no other penalty than Fatherly chaſtiſement. Pag. 154.1…9, 200.That [if need be] you ſhall be as ſure of Temporal correction, as an Unbeliever of Eternal damnation. And to be corrected if need be, is not ſo much a penalty, as a mercy. I am ſure, the contrary is ſometimes threatned, as a ſore Judgment, [Why ſhould ye be ſmitten any more? I wi l not puniſh your daughters when they commit Whoredome. Ephraim is joyned to Idols, let him alone.] But however a believer muſt not conceit, p. 202.that till his Sin be pardoned, he is liable to be condemned for it. So the matter is brought to this Iſſue, that for the Sins which a man commits after he believes, he hath no need of pardon, nor can be (with underſtanding) pray for the pardon of his ſins, not only in that more famous ſence, that we uſe the word [pardon] in: But even in the loweſt ſence, wherein the word is ever uſed. He hath no need of pardon to free him from Condemnation, becauſe no ſin can make him liable to Condemnation. Again, he hath no need of pardon, to free him from Temporal chaſtiſements; becauſe it is not threatned, but when there is need for it; and when there is need for it, a ſanctified croſs hath more of mercy in it, than an unſanctified Comfort, where a perſon is not by any Law liable to any puniſhment, ſuch a perſon (ſure) has no need of pardon.
But I ſhould think that believers as they are creatures, are bound to obey God in all things, and that Chriſt came not to take off the obligation to duty and obedience, but to take off the obligation to wrath and puniſhment. That their ſins are properly ſins, as againſt Gods Law, and deſerve puniſhment, deſerve hell in their own Nature, as well as the Sins of others. Only they have this relief by the new Covenaant, they ſhall not be condemned for them.
Thus much of the third Propopoſition, viz. Man being a reaſonable Creature, he oweth Moral Obedience to his Maker. Now it follows.