The Gospel New-Creature, Treatise 2 · Part 3
ROM. 3. laſt.
Do we then make void the Law through Faith? God forbid; yea, we eſtabliſh the Law.
THE former Verſes intermitted, might have afforded us much choiſe matter, in the opening the Doctrine of Grace, and the Righteouſneſſe of Jeſus Chriſt; namely, that God is juſt in the remiſſion of a Believer, upon Faith in the bloud of Jeſus, from verſe 26. And that the Doctrine of Grace excludes all boaſting from the Creature, from v. 27. That Jew and Gentile, all that are ſaved, muſt come to God, and be juſtified in this way, and no other, from v. 29, 30. But I muſt contract my ſelf. I come now to the Objection, that the Heart, ſo far as it is carnal, doth naturally make againſt this Doctrine; namely, If a Soul be onelyonly juſtified by grace, through the righteouſneſs of Jeſus Chriſt, doth not this then make void the Law, and all obedience to it? What need then of our Obedience? God forbid, ſaith Paul, we eſtabliſh it; that is, the Doctrine of juſtification by Faith, doth rather eſtabliſh it. The Law doth ſtand eſtabliſht in a three-fold ſenſe.
Firſt, Jeſus Chriſt hath eſtabliſht it by fulfilling it, whereby the righteouſneſs of the Law is fulfilled upon us, Rom. 8.4. Jeſus Chriſt perfectly fulfilled the Law, and kept it, and ſo makes over the righteouſneſs of it to Believers, as hath been ſhewed; and ſo the Law ſtands eſtabliſht.
Secondly, The Law ſtands eſtabliſht as a meanes, through the Spirit, to convince of ſin, and of our ſhortneſs of the righteouſneſs of it; as ver. 20. And ſo Chriſt often made uſe of it for ſuch ends.
Thirdly, The Law ſtands eſtabliſht, as an everlaſting Rule of Righteouſneſs and Holineſs, promiſed in the New Covenant to be written in the Heart, Heb. 8.
So that, though Jeſus Chriſt, in juſtifying by his bloud, hath quit the ſinner from all guilt and condemnation by the Law; yet he hath not given the Believer a diſcharge from all obedience of it: And therefore to evince this, I ſhall lay down this Poſition, That,
Obſerv. Though all a Believer hath done or can do, cannot juſtifie him before God; yet there are other bleſſed ends, why he ſhould obey God, and delight in his Law.
1. Obedience to God is placed as the great end of our redemption, Luk. 1.74, 75. — That we might ſerve him without fear (a fear of bondage) in holineſs and righteouſneſs before him all the dayes of our life. God had not onelyonly in his purpoſe the remiſſion and ſalvation of the ſinner, but that thereby he would have all that are called into this grace to ſerve him in Holineſs. And this end is to be upon the heart of the Believer, when juſtified by Faith: The purpoſe of God in this, is, that I ſhould ſerve him in holineſs, 1 Tim. 1.9. That I ſhould live to God, Rom. 6.11. as hath been ſhewed.
2. From the Soveraign Command of God, who ſaith, Be ye holy, 1 Pet. 1.15, 16. This is enough to a Believer, that God hath commanded it, though there ſhould be no other end in it.
3. Holineſs and Righteouſneſs is the Soul's conformity unto God; it is a Beam of God, an Image of God, which he deſigns to be renewed upon all that ſhall be ſaved; as ſhall be further ſhewed.
4. Juſtified Believers do ſee an equity, goodneſs, and bleſſedneſs in the Law of God, in all his holy and righteous Precepts, though they were not commanded. The Law is holy, juſt, and good, Rom. 7. ſaith Paul, ſpeaking after the regenerate part. So David, Pſal. 119. often, Thy Commandements which I have loved. They give God his due, and the Creature his due; and therefore to be walkt in, though not thereby juſtified.
5. There is a principle of love to God, ſhed abroad in the heart of every juſtified Believer, from the ſenſe of his rich pardoning-grace, the freeneſs of his love, which acts and conſtrains a Soul to take delight, ſo far as it is regenerated, in every Command of God, Rom. 5.5. 2 Cor. 5.14, 15. For the love of Chriſt conſtrains us, becauſe we thus judge, that if one dyed for all, then were all dead; And that he died for all, that they which live ſhould not live to themſelves, but to him that dyed for them.
6. Called and juſtified Believers have bleſſed ſight of Jeſus Chriſt, that wonderfully take their hearts: they have glimpſes of the beauty of his Holineſs, and would therefore be made like unto him, 1 Joh. 3.2, 3. They would obey the Will of the Father, as Jeſus Chriſt did: They would be holy, and righteous, and wiſe, and patient, and Heavenly, as Jeſus Chriſt was.
7. Believers, in the way of their Duty and Obedience, have bleſſed fellowſhip and communion with God: Saith God of his Ordinances, Exod. 25.22. There will I meet thee and commune with thee: And Exod. 20.24. — In all places where I record my Name, there will I come unto thee, and bleſs thee. They are everlaſting Promiſes to all the ways of obedience, wherein the people of God do walk before him in. They pray, they read, hear, they partake of the Supper in Chriſts way, and there they have life and bleſſing to their Soules, and many a ſweet intimation of love and mercy they have whiſpered into them: they ſet themſelves to walk with God in his fear and counſel, and God walks with them; and their lives, if they keep cloſe to God, are ſweet and comfortable to them. And this is even as much to them, as if they were thereby juſtifyed: They would not miſs the ſweetneſs they meet with, in ſuch ways of Duty, for all the World.
8. By their Sanctification and Obedience, their juſtification is comfortably evidenced to them, Rom. 6.16. Know ye not, that to whom ye yield your ſelves ſervants to obey, his ſervants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of ſinne unto Death, or of obedience unto Righteouſneſs: And —Ye know that every one that doth righteouſneſs is born of him, 1 Ioh. 2.29. We know, that we have paſſed from Death to Life, becauſe we love the Brethren. So that, no doubt, Believers may come to a ſweet and bleſſed Evidence of their good eſtate, and of their juſtification, by the work of Sanctification in them, and their willing obedience to God, though a Believer doth not always, and at all times, fetch in his Evidence of Believing, and of comfort this way; but ſometimes from the Promiſe, and from the more immediate Teſtimony of the Spirit. But though a Believer doth not, and it may be cannot, always fetch in his conſolation and peace from Sanctification and Obedience: yet that Soul that wholly neglects it, and ſleights Evidences from Humiliation, Sanctification, and Obedience, had beſt timely look to it, that the Witneſs in himſelf he pretends to, be not from imagination of his own heart, from the wicked ones deluſion, and from ſome overly notions of grace that may affect his heart, but leave him on this ſide Regeneration.
9. Believers do perform their Duties, as returnes to God: Every called Believer ſaith in his heart, as David, Pſal. 116.12. Oh! What ſhall I render to thee? How gracious hath God been? and now how holy ſhould I be? Who ſhall love the Lord, and fear before him, and praiſe him, if I ſhall not? To whom ſhall his Name, Laws, Ordinances, be precious, if not unto me? Who is more bound to love the bleſſed God then I? and how ſhall I love him but by obeying him? Thus doth a Believer perform his obedience, as a teſtimony of a thankful return to God; though I do not ſay, that this is all his motive.
10. By the Obedience and Holineſs of Believers, God is much glorifyed in the World; 'tis the greateſt glory that God deſigns to himſelf in the World, even by the holineſs, and willing-gracious obedience of his people to him. When the World lyes in wickedneſs, and makes War againſt the great and holy God, this is that which Honours God, that he hath a people, called by his grace, that ſet forth the glory of holineſs in the world, that are witneſſes to the holineſs of God, the holineſs of his Worſhip, and all his Ways, and profeſs and endeavour to walk in them; and by this, others are brought on to glorifie God on their behalf, 1 Pet. 2.12.
Ʋſe 1. It may ſerve for inſtruction and information of your judgments and Conſciences, that there are other bleſſed, and neceſſary and holy Ends, in the Sanctification and Obedience of a Believer, though they do not pacifie God, nor juſtifie the Believer, nor procure mercy, by way of worthineſs, to a poor Soul called thereunto; which may therefore ſerve to diſcover the damnableneſs of ſuch kind of Doctrines, that teach, and cry in this day, Grace is free, Chriſt hath done all; what need you pray, and have Ordinances, and be holy? This is of the wicked one, and comes from his Inſtruments and Factors, who are ſent abroad to damn Soules: You may ſee, that not one of thoſe Ends mentioned, but is of weight enough to convince a ſoul of the neceſſity of Holineſs, Duties, and Obedience; and ſuch mens pretences, are not a Scripture-way of Free-grace.
2. If there are bleſſed and holy Ends of a Believers Duties and Obedience, though he is not thereby juſtifyed, It may ſerve to take off that prejudice of heart, through miſunderſtanding and ignorance, that is apt to be upon the hearts of ſuch as are Carnal, when they hear that all their Duties, Sobriety, and Righteouſneſs, is to be accounted as loſs for Chriſt. You ſee there are good and neceſſary Ends of all Duties of Obedience; onelyonly ſtill take this with you, and to your Conſciences, that till you come as poor and naked to Ieſus Chriſt, for your juſtifying Righteouſneſs, and ſo get life in, and from him, and ſo are carryed on in a way of Duty; Your Duties ſerve you for no end and purpoſe, unleſs for a leſſer degree of Torment in Hell: onelyonly be encouraged, to wait upon the means for the receiving of the Spirit, for the Knowledge of Jeſus Chriſt: And theſe things, I have ſpoken, may be your Experience.
3. It may further direct Believers, what ends they are to propoſe to themſelves, in the way of their Duties and Obedience, to be carryed on in them through the grace of GOD, and the daily ſupply of the Spirit, as one great end of your Redemption, that you ſhould ſerve the Lord in Holineſs, to eye the Soveraign and Abſolute Command of God over you; that thereby you are made conformable to God, and ſhew forth his Image, and to the Death and Reſurrection of Jeſus Chriſt; that there is an equity and goodneſs in all the Holy and Righteous Ways of God.
And ſee that the love of God be ſhed abroad in your hearts, to draw out your love to him, and ſo be acted in your obedience. Get your hearts taken with the beauty and glory of the Lord Jeſus, and ſo, long after likeneſs to him: See that you look after Communion with God in your Duties, and that you do not neglect your Evidence for the Pardon of your ſinnes, by the ſight of your Sanctification, and your Univerſal Obedience: And perform them not, as to procure mercy, by any proportion thereunto in your Duties, but as Returns to God; and conſider how much God is glorifyed in the World, by the Obedience of his people.
And thus may you carry on your progreſs in Holineſs, and a ſweet and conſciencious performance of Duties, and walking with God; and yet live by your Faith for your juſtification, by the rich and Free-grace of God, through the Righteouſneſs of Jeſus Chriſt, as if you had never obeyed at all.
In a word, If thou haſt felt the power and vertue of the bloud of Jeſus Chriſt upon thy Soul, coming as a poor, naked, polluted, guilty Soul unto it (as thou haſt been ſhewed) and haſt received life from Jeſus Chriſt, by a believing, cloſing with him; and art waiting for a ſight and ſenſe of thy juſtification, but doeſt yet want it; Remember ſtill, that in the performance of thy Duties, thy heart (which it is very apt to do) lay no ſtreſs upon them, as in them to appear before God, and to procure the favour of God, but ſtill go forth to the grace, bloud righteouſneſs, promiſes of Chriſt, and there fix for thy acceptance with God, and be much in renewing of Acts of Faith; that is, caſting thy Soul upon them, and Evidence will come in; yet go on in humbling praying, waiting reforming, ſanctifying, obeying, as to the ends mentioned: And the peace of God fill thy heart.
2. Believers that have ſome ſenſe of their Juſtification, do you remember, that you obey God, not that thereby you were, are, or ever may be juſtified; but becauſe you are juſtified: therefore you obey the Lord, and delight in his wayes; keep this in your eye, and 'twill keep the heart from going to bottome upon your ſelves, as gracious, and partly righteous, which mixtures, render Duties uncomfortable, and keep ſouls from aſſurance: No Believer performs his Duties ſo ſpiritually, ſweetly, and comfortably, as that ſoul that labours to keep the ſight of his juſtification ſtill, upon the account of Free-grace and out of himſelf; that ſoul enjoys ſweeteſt Communion with God in the way of his Duties, and gets to Heaven with moſt comfort and aſſurance, AMEN.
The End of the Second Treatiſe, of the Goſpel New-Creature.