And whereas it is said Christ kept the law as our example, that we by keeping it might get to heaven, as he; it is false, as before was showed—’ He is the end of the law,’ or, hath perfectly finished it, ‘for righteousness to every one that believeth’ (Rom 10:4). But a little to travel with this objection; no man can keep the moral law as Christ, unless he be first without sin, as Christ; unless he be God and man, as Christ. And again; Christ cannot be our pattern in keeping the law for life, because of the disproportion that is between him and us; for if we do it as he, when yet we are weaker than he; what is this but to out-vie, outdo, and go beyond Christ? Wherefore we, not he, have our lives exemplary: exemplary, I say, to him; for who doth the greatest work, they that take it in hand in full strength, as Christ; or he that takes it in hand in weakness, as we? Doubtless the last, if he fulfills it as Christ. So, then, by this doctrine, while we call ourselves his scholars, we make ourselves indeed the masters. But I challenge all the angels in heaven, let them but first sin as we have done, to fulfill the law, as Christ, if they can!
But again; if Christ be our pattern in keeping the law for life from the curse before God, then Christ fulfilled the law for himself; if so, he was imperfect before he fulfilled it. And how far short this is of blasphemy let sober Christians judge; for the righteousness he fulfilled was to justify from sin; but if it was not to justify us from ours, you know what remained (Dan 9:26; Isa 53:8-10). But when must we conclude we have kept the law? Not when we begin, because we have sinned first; nor when we are in the middle, for we may afterward miscarry. But what if a man in this his progress hath one sinful thought? Is it possible to come up with a pattern for justification with God? If yes, then Christ had such; if no, then who can fulfill the law as he? But should I grant that which is indeed impossible—namely, that thou art justified by the law; what then? Art thou now in the Favour of God? No, thou art fallen by this thy perfection, from the love and mercy of God: ‘Whosoever of you are justified by the law are fallen from grace’ (Gal 5:4). He speaks not this to them that are doing, but to such as think they have done it, and shows that the blessing that these have got thereby is to fall from the favor of God.
Being fallen from grace, Christ profits them nothing, and so they still stand debtors to do the whole law. So, they must not be saved by God’s mercy, nor Christ’s merits, but alone by the works of the law! But what should such men do in that kingdom that comes by gift, where grace and mercy reign? Yea, what should they do among that company that is saved alone by grace, through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ? Let them go to that kingdom that God hath prepared for them that are fallen from grace. ‘Cast out the bond-woman and her son; for he shall not be heir with the son of the free-woman’ and of promise (Gal 4:30).
But to pass this objection. Before I come to the next reason, I shall yet urge these scriptures more for the further clearing of this.
Further scriptures to prove the second reason.
1. The first is that in Galatians 3:10, ‘As many as are of the works of the law are under the curse.’
Behold how boldly Paul asserts it! And observe it, he saith not here, so many as sin against the law—though that be true—but, ‘As many as are of the works of the law.’ But what, then, are the works of the law? Not whoredom, murder, theft, and the like; but works that are holy and good, the works commanded in the ten commandments, as to love God, abhor idols, reverence the name of God, keeping the Sabbath, honoring thy parents, abstaining from adultery, murder, theft, false witness, and not to covet what is thy neighbor’s—these are the works of the law. Now he, saith Paul, that is of these is under the curse of God. But what is it then to be of these? Why, to be found in the practice of them, and there resting; this is the man that is under the curse: not because the works of the law are wicked in themselves, but because the man that is in the practice of them comes short of answering the exactness of them, and therefore dies for his imperfections (Rom 2:17).
No comments:
Post a Comment