02.03.05. Chapter 5
CHAPTER 5 Contains Answers to such Arguments as are advanced to prove the Gospel is a Law. THE Gospel is represented and spoken of, as a Joyful Sound, and glad Tydings of great Joy. And it may well be so esteem’d: For it is a Discovery of full, free, certain and everlasting Salvation to miserable, helpless and unworthy Sinners thro Jesus Christ. ‘Tis hence we learn the Resolutions of matchless and stupendous Favour! To secure Happiness to us, who by our Sins were involved in the greatest Misery. ‘Tis this acquaints us with the admirable and astonishing Methods, which divine Wisdom and Love fix’d on, to effect so wonderful and gracious a Design: Methods no less surprising, than the kind Design itself, and which are wisely suited to effectually bring about the End in View. The Gospel declares, That Peace, Pardon, and Acceptance with God, and eternal Felicity in the Fruition of him, are inviolably secured to us, by the Sufferings and Obedience of Christ. And that, as to what is necessary to prepare us for, and preserve us to the heavenly State, God will not fail to work it in us, and bestow it upon us, as the Effect of his gracious and sovereign Pleasure. In a Word, the Gospel is a Revelation of pure Grace, in its glorious Contrivances about us, Actings for us, and effectual Influences upon us: And therefore it is called The Gospel of the Grace of God. This agreeable Account of the Gospel, which is so well suited to our helpless Condition, and to raise and comfort our distressed Minds, under a Sense of Guilt, the Law’s Curse, and divine Displeasure is vehemently oppos’d by some, who contend it Is a Law with Sanction, and that it denounces dreadful Menaces against us, that the States of Men are not determin’d, by God’s Decrees about them, or by what Christ hath done and suffer’d for them: Nor by the Influences of the holy Spirit upon them. That free Grace hath not secured Salvation, but only grants to Men Conditions of Life, and puts them upon a fresh Tryal for it: That the Gospel is a new Law, according to the Observation of which, or Disobedience to it, our eternal State will be happy or miserable. Various Arguments are made Use of to prove that the Gospel is such a Law, which I shall new consider and endeavour to answer.
Arg. I. The Gospel is called a Law in Scripture, and therefore it is to be concluded that it is such. The Gospel is intended by the Law of Faith.
Answ. The Term Law does not always intend a Law with Sanction, neither in human, nor inspired Writings; but a settled Rule or fixed Order of Things. This is a frequent Use of the Word, with Poets and Philosophers, this is the manifest Import of it with Juvenal, where he speaks of the Law of Speechf49. And Philosophers use the Term in the same Sense, when their mention the Laws of Nature, the Laws of Bodies, and the Laws of Motion. It is the Order which obtains in Nature, in Bodies and in Motion that is disign’d. In this Sense the Gospel may be called a Law, for it is a Discovery of the most beautiful Order, which obtains in Man’s Salvation. It is not justly to be collected from the bare Use of the Term Law in Scripture, with Relation to the Gospel, that it is a Law with Sanction, for many Times, it signifies no more than Doctrine or Instruction, according to the Import of the Hebrew Word jrwt a Law, which comes from jryto cast, because Doctrine is as it were cast out of the Lips. It was customary with the Jews to call all Doctrine a Law, agreeable to their usual Mode of speaking, the Apostle so calls the Gospel; but it by no Means, follows, that it is a proper Law, which enjoyns Conditions and promises Blessings, in Case those Conditions are fulfilled, and threatens Death and Damnation, on Account of their being neglected.
Arg. II. Faith, Repentance and all good Works are required by the Gospel, as Conditions of Life, the Want whereof subjects Men to Threatnings of dreadful and sore Punishment: And therefore it is a Law which commands Obedience, as necessary to intitle us to Happiness, and condemns us for the Omission of it.
Answ. Faith is a free Gift of divine Favour, as was before observed, for which Reason, it cannot be a proper Condition of the new Covenant: It is absurd to think, that Faith or any other Grace, is a Gift of divine Favour, and a Condition, on which our Right to new Covenant-Blessings depends. Again, if Faith and Repentance are Conditions of Life, that is unattainable, for these are not in the Power of Men: And therefore those Scriptures which inform us, that Faith and Holiness are pre-requisite to everlasting Life, do not intend that they are Conditions of it, but are only descriptive Characters of such Persons, who will enjoy it. Thus in these Words: He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved: But he that believeth not shall be damned. That God formed a glorious Design of saving some of the Race of Mankind is indisputable, from the clear and express Declaration of the Gospel; but who those are, cannot be collected, except from such Scriptures, as acquaint us with their proper Characters, by which they stand distinguished from the rest of their Fellow-Creatures. And that is all that is intended in those Words, and in Texts of the like Nature.
Arg. III. The Gospel commands Men to believe and repent, and therefore it is a Law.
Answ. A Command from one who is a rightful Sovereign and Governor, and which is just in itself, is a Law and binding upon the Subject. But it doth not appear that the Gospel consists of Commands and Comminations; they really are incompatible with the Nature of it, which as has been already mentioned, is a Doctrine of pure Grace, or a Revelation of God’s most gracious Purposes, concerning the Objects of his Favour. Witsius very rightly observes thus: The Covenant of Grace, or the Gospel strictly taken, which is the Deed of that Covenant, whereas it consists in MERE PROMISES, properly prescribes NOTHING, as Duty requires NOTHING, commands NOTHING; not this indeed, believe, trust, hope in the Lord, and Things of the like Nature. But shews, declares, signifies to us, what God promises in Christ, what he intends to do, and will do. All Prescription of Duty belongs to the Law, as after others venerable Voetius has well observed, Disput. Tom. 4. p. 24. and following Pages. And this truly, we must hold, if with all the Reformed, we would constantly defend the Perfection of the Law, containing in its Compass all Virtues, all Duties of Holiness. f50
Arg. IV. Subjection and Obedience are required by the Gospel, which are proper to a Law, and therefore the Gospel is a Law.
Answ. That some are represented, as disobedient to the Gospel is granted, thus in these Words, and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Thessalonians 1:8.). The Word is upaousi which is expressive of a Slight and Disregard to the Gospel, as a Revelation of Salvation, and not of a Breach of Precepts contained in it, as tho’ it was a Law. Again, the Gospel establishes the Law, inasmuch as it informs us, that God will write his Laws in the Hearts of his People, or implant Holiness in them, agreeable to the Nature of his Law. It also furnishes us with powerful Motives to the Practice of our Duty; such as, the free Remission of our Sins: The gracious Acceptance of our Persons in the Righteousness of Christ; and of a firm Title to eternal Life, which are Incitements to Holiness, of a most persuasive Nature. Moreover it clearly directs us to the proper End, we ought to propose to ourselves in all our Acts of Obedience, viz. the Glory of God. That Obedience, which hath these Attendants, may justly be called evangelical: Not because the Gospel is the Rule of our Duty; but by Reason, it serves for our Instruction in the right Practice of it: Nor is it to be inferred from there Things, that the Gospel is a Law consisting of Precepts, Prohibitions and Comminations.
Arg. V. Men may be and are guilty of Transgressions against the Gospel; but where no Law is, there is no Transgression, of Consequence the Gospel must be a Law.
Answ. As was before observ’d from Witsius, the Law is perfect, or it includes the Whole of our Duty, to God and Men. There is no Act of Obedience, which we are oblig’d to; but the holy Law of God commands it, if not, the Law is defective, which it cannot be, because the divine Legislator is infinitely perfect, and cannot be the Author of any imperfect Law. Now the Law obliges Men to honour, fear, adore and obey God: And therefore they must be under an indispensable Obligation, to assent to the Truth of what he shall, at any Time, please to reveal. An humble Adoration of God, as a Being of infinite Wisdom, Power, Truth and Justice, without Doubt, includes a Belief of the Verity of all the Doctrines he discovers: And if so, it is a Duty incumbent upon all Men, to credit the Mysteries of the Gospel, as revealed by him, and the Want thereof, subjects them to the righteous Condemnation of the Law of Works. The real Truth of scriptural Doctrines, how far soever they may exceed the narrow Compass of our limited and impair’d Faculties of Reasoning, is not to be called into Question. Surely the divine Authority, by which they are recommended to us, is sufficient of itself, to gain our Assent to those Doctrines, how mysterious and inexplicable soever, they may appear to us, with Relation to the Modus of the Things, therein treated of. Since the Truths of the Gospel have ALL THE DEMONSTRATION THEIR NATURE WILL, ADMIT OF: And it is certain they are not demonstrable, by the Principles of deprav’d Reason, and their Nature is of such Sublimity and Height, that no finite Mind, can by the utmost Stretch of Thought rise up to it, any more than that which is finite can comprehend Infinity, or infinitely extend it self: It is most unreasonable, to refuse an Assent to them, because they have not Demonstration of such a Kind, as is inconsistent with their Nature, and which, if they had, they would not be what they are, viz. The deep Things of God: And therefore Mens Opposition to the Gospel of Christ, is a manifest Breach of the Covenant of Works, under which they are, and they justly expose themselves to the Menaces of that Law, by their Opposition to it, as the most daring of them, will quickly find, to their Shame and Confusion, tho’ they now sneer at, and burlesque the Mysteries of the Christian Revelation; for, as for solid Thought, and just Reasoning, I am fully convinced, it is not to be expected of some Gentlemen, who vaunt, as if they were the only Men of Sense and Reason. No Transgressions strictly speaking, can be committed, against the Gospel, which is a Revelation of pure Grace: Those Duties which are sometimes called Gospel-Duties, are not properly so, or they are not enjoyn’d by it as a Law; but they are called such, because the Gospel is the Object of them, as it is of that Assent, which all Men to whom it is preach’d, are under an indispensable Obligation to yield to its Truths, tho’ they do not spiritually understand them. Or they are so called, because they are proper to the Gospel- Dispensation, as Baptism and the Lord’s Supper; but the Gospel doth not enjoyn, even these Institutions as a Law; for by Vertue of the Covenant of Works, tho’ not as so considered, but merely as a Rule of Conduct, Believers are oblig’d to practise those Duties because God commands them in that Manner to worship him. And without Doubt, he hath a Right to institute what Mode of Worship he pleases, and upon the immediate Notice, that it is his Will to be worship’d, in this, or in the other Manner, we become bound to worship him in that Manner, by this Command, in the Law, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. Hence it appears, that a Refusal of Assent to the Gospel, and a Neglect of New-Testament Duties, are Transgressions of the holy Law of God; but are not properly Offences committed against the Gospel, and therefore it is not a Law, as it is urged to be.
Arg. VI. Christ: as Mediator hath a Law, according to which, he dispenses Blessings and inflicts Punishments: The Law of Works is not: that Law, and therefore the Gospel is.
Answ. It is evident from what has been before observ’d, that we do not receive spiritual Benefits, on Account of our Obedience to any Law, for they are freely given to us. Christ: as Mediator hath the Covenant of Works in his Hand, and his People are under it, as a Rule of Duty, and are under no other defective and imperfect Law, such as the Gospel is very absurdly imagin’d to be. Nor is our Obedience the Cause or Ground, of our receiving any Favours from God; and therefore the Gospel is not a Law, which is to be observ’d in Order to a Participation of heavenly Blessings, that is intirely foreign to its Nature.
Arg. VII. Men will be judg’d at the last Day, according to the Tenor of the Gospel, for Proof of this, these Words are urg’d: In the Day when God shall judge the Secrets of Men, by Jesus Christ, according to my Gospel (Romans 2:14.). And therefore the Gospel is a Law.
Answ. This Text fails of proving the Point: Two Things are to be observ’d which comprise the full Sense of the Words.
1. That Christ is raised to this high Dignity and Honour, as Man and Mediator, to examine, try and pass Sentence on all Offenders, and openly to acquit and pronounce blessed all such, as believe in him, which the Gospel reveals to us, otherwise we had been ignorant of it.
2. That as Life and Salvation is declared by the Gospel to be design’d and prepar’d for Believers in Christ, and only such: So God will at the Day of Judgment, make it apparent, that the evangelical Account hereof is strictly true, by receiving to Happiness the Saints, and by condemning impenitent Sinners. But neither of these Things afford the least Evidence and Proof, that the Gospel is a Law, by the Observation of which, Life is to be obtain’d, or that eternal Death will be inflicted on Men for Offences committed against it, this Argument therefore has nothing of Weight and Force in it, to prove that the Gospel is a new Law. Nor have any of the Arguments advanced in Favour of this Opinion, Strength sufficient to support it. The Gospel is, we must conclude a Revelation of pure Grace, and of full, free and everlasting Salvation by Jesus Christ, and no Law at all.