Goodwill Towards Men, Part 2 · Section 4
1 Joh. 3.23.
This is his Commandment, that we should believe.
Sect. 4.
PROP. IV. The Covenant of Grace is sometimes called a Law, and hath the force of a Law.
IT is called the Law of faith, Rom. 3.27. It is the Law of life, and the Law of liberty.
The will of God at any time made known to his Creatures is immediately obliging; whatsoever God revealeth to us, we are immediately bound to believe; whatever God requires of us, we are immediately bound to obey. As in the Covenant of Grace there is something that God requireth, (and not only what God promiseth,) it must needs have the Nature of a Law.
Since the old Original Law of works given to Man at first, is broken, and all Mankind laid under a curse, under the Sentence of Death by that Law, it hath pleased the Lord (of his infinite mercy and compassion towards poor perishing Creatures) to make and set forth a new Law, a remediant Law, a Law of grace, holding forth remission and salvation to rebel-sinners, upon their humble submission, and hearty return to God; yet withall, threatning death without remedy; yea, and much sorer condemnation to sinners that hear of this Law of grace, and come not in upon it. The Gospel hath the ordinary Sanction of a Law, it is backt with a threatning. Yea, it thundreth out the most dreadful Anathema, denounceth the greatest wo to those that have the Gospel published and made known, and yet obey not the Gospel. Ah sirs, this is the condemnation. Gospel-condemnation will be found more intollerable than Law-condemnation. The Gospel doth not only promise, but it commandeth, threatneth, and condemneth. That I cannot but wonder any should question, whether the Gospel have the Nature of a Law. I would fain know what is essential, and proper to a Law, that doth not agree to the Gospel.
I say, the Gospel is a Law, [Believe, and thou shalt be saved] is properly a Law; as well as [Do this, and live.] Do this, and live, was the old Original Law, first given to Man, and the matter or contents of the first Covenant God made with Adam. [Do this, and live] i. e. obey perfectly, and so thou shalt live by thy own righteousness. This was the old Original Law. Now [Believe and thou shalt be saved] this is the new Law of Grace, which God hath given to Man, as a Remedying Law, (since the violation of the former) and this is the matter, and summe of the Covenant of Grace. As when men accept, and consent to the terms of the Gospel, whether in heart, or in profession, it becomes a formal actual Covenant. Though it binds as a Law, at least in order of Nature, before men are bound by it as a Covenant. [Believe, and thou shalt be saved.] i. e. come up to Gospel-terms, and though thou art a sinner, and deservest to dye, yet thy sins shall be pardoned, and thou shalt live, for the righteousness of another; thou shalt be saved by Jesus Christ, who is a believers righteousness.
Here I have given you a brief account of the new Law. And that it hath the proper binding force and power of a Law, to me seems the easiest thing in the world to make out. Thus, all that hear of the terms of the new Covenant, be they heathen, be they strangers to the Covenant, yet are immediately bound to come up to these terms, and immediately punishable upon this very account, if they do not come up to these terms. This is plain as can be, Mar. 16.15, 16. Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every Creature—and he that believeth not shall be damned. In this Text it is evident, the Law of faith hath the sanction of a threatning, as well as of a promise. And wheresoever the Gospel is preached, all are bound to believe and live according to the Gospel upon pain of damnation. So 2 Thess. 1.8. The Lord will take vengeance on them that obey not the Gospel] that implieth a commanding power in the Gospel, sure where there is no command, there can be neither obedience, nor disobedience. If the Gospel ought to be obeyed, then it hath the force of a Law. If it be a sin, not to obey the Gospel, then the Gospel hath the Nature of a Law; for where no Law, there no transgression. Again, [taking vengeance] on them that obey not the Gospel, implies most strongly, that it hath the force of a Law; would the Lord, the righteous Lord take vengeance for no Law broken? would he punish for no crime? Then how should he judge the world in righteousness?
That is therefore a very gross mistake of him, that holds the Gospel a Doctrine teaching, A. E.not a Precept binding. Do we not read the plain contrary, 1 Joh. 3.23. This is his Commandment, that we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ: What? is his Commandment no binding Precept? How strange is it, that this should not grate upon, & offend any Christians ears? certainly, to distinguish here betwixt a Doctrine teaching, and a precept binding, is as groundless as that Popish distinction of Commands and Counsels, on which they build their monstrously absurd Doctrine of works of Super-errogation.
But sayes the same writer, No Man is bound to believe absolutely, but conditionally, viz. if he will have any benefit by Christ. As a man is bound within the time limitted in the pardon, to sue it out under the Broad Seal; which if he neglect to do, he breaketh no Law of the Kings, but only deprives himself of the benefit of the pardon, and of the Kings favour therein.
Answer. I will not say, that all are absolutely bound to believe in Christ; that is, whether they ever heard of Christ, or no; for the negative unbelief of those that never heard of Christ, is not their sin, but their misery. But upon supposition that men have once heard of Christ, and the Gospel, then it immediately becomes their duty to believe. And they are most severely threatned, if they disobey the Gospel-commands, and continue in unbelief.
But to say we are bound to believe only conditionally, that is, (as he explains it) if we would have any benefit by Christ; is to say, we are not bound to believe in obedience to Gods Command: but only out of self-love, with respect to our selves, and the benefit that comes by it. As if he should say, we ought to believe in point of prudence, as that which is good for us; otherwise there is no tye upon Conscience.
He that believeth not—the wrath of God abideth on him, Joh. 3.36. That is, as he sayes, mincing it, It doth not come upon him, but he remaineth under wrath, which faith would have freed him from. Yet v. 18. we read, he that believeth is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the Name of the only begotten Son of God.] That unbelief is a sin; and properly a cause of condemnation; yea, more certainly a cause of condemnation than other sins; other sins are damnable, this is damning. Though wrath came upon men at first by the breach of the first Covenant; yet a further degree of wrath comes upon men by the breach of the new Covenant, or by sinning against this new Law of Grace.
Well Sirs, be clear in this; that the Gospel, or new Covenant hath the Nature of a Law, is a Divine Law, immediately, and indispensibly obliging all to whom it is made known. By the very Law of Nature, of our Creation, we all stand eternally obliged both to believe and obey God, & in revelatis, & in revelandis, whensoever God reveals his mind and will to any of his Creatures, that this he requires of them, and on these terms he will be gracious to them, this revelation of the will of God doth necessarily inferr the creatures obligation to observe it. And before a Man can be bound by any act of his own, he is under a previous obligation, naturally and necessarily resulting from his very being and relation to God, as a creature, to attend to the will and pleasure of God, to act and order himself accordingly. And how much more that man is bound to accept of, and submit to such a Law as this, intended and provided for the remedy and recovery of a poor lost creature: a Law of Grace, wherein Gods free grace and infinite mercy shineth forth so illustriously, as it is apter to be taken notice of, than his Soveraignty and authority. Yet you must know God doth not stand here to Man's courtesie, or need his concurrence or consent, to make his word of force, and obligatory.
Nothing can be more certain, than that God in covenanting with men, doth not forgoe or pass away his authority or right of commanding.
They that under pretence of advancing God's free grace, dethrone his Soveraignty; they that level or lessen his authority to set up his clemency and mercy, deal not fairly with him; they have very low thoughts; short, inadequate, and unworthy apprehensions of him.
For my part I know no stronger Argument against Antinomianism, than this; that it denies that subjection to God, which is naturally, necessarily Man's duty, as he is a creature, from which he can never possibly be discharged, while he is a creature; or that it would deprive God of his authority over his creatures. They that would have a believer free from the obligation to obey God in all things, let them ask for him the Kingdom also.
But attend to this I beseech you; what the Gospel requires, God requires; and what God requires, his creatures are bound to observe and perform. And though Ministers use to pray and beseech you to be reconciled, entreat you to come in to the Lord Jesus Christ; yet we have authority also in the name of God, to charge and command you. Now God commandeth every one of you to repent, and this is his Commandment, that ye believe, that ye receive Christ Jesus the Lord, that ye kiss the Son. And, slight and despise him at your peril, reject him at your peril. [Believe, and be saved] bindeth every one to whom it is published, as a Law; even such as are not under the bond of the Covenant. And you more especially, who have given your consent, at least by an outward profession. You are bound to believe, not only by vertue of a divine Command, but also as being under the bond of the covenant. O what a crying sin is your unbelief! As it is a breach of a divine Law, it must needs be damnable in its own Nature; and further as it is a breach of such a Law of Grace, a breach of the new Covenant, that holds forth the only way wherein you can be saved, so it is the damning sin indeed; not only damnable in its own Nature, but certainly damning in the event. Sinners that are condemned by the Law of Works; yet may be discharged from that condemnation by hearkning to, and obeying the Gospel, Rom. 8.1. But if condemned by the Gospel, how should such escape?