5. They that are under this covenant or law, their state is deplorable, because this law doth command impossible things of him that is under it; and yet doth but right in it, seeing man at first had in Adam strength to stand, if he would have used it, and the law was given them, as I said before when man was in his full strength; and therefore no inequality if it commands the same still, seeing God that gave thee strength did not take it away. I will provide you with a similitude for clearing it. Set the case that I give to my servant ten pounds, with this charge, Lay it out for my best advantage, that I may have my own again with profit; now if my servant, contrary to my command, goeth and spends my money in a disobedient way, is it any inequality in me to demand of my servant what I gave him at first? Nay, and though he has nothing to pay, I may lawfully cast him into prison and keep him there until I have satisfaction. So here, the law was delivered to the man when he possibly wanted to have fulfilled it; now, though a man has lost his strength, God is just commanding the same work to be done. Ay, and if they do not do the same things, I say, that is impossible for them to do, it is just with God to damn them, seeing it was they that brought themselves into this condition; therefore, saith the Apostle, "What things soever the law (or commands) saith, it saith to them who are under the law; that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God" (Rom 3:19). And this is thy sad condition that art under the law (Gal 3:10).
But if any should object, and say, But the law doth not command impossible things of natural man,—
I should answer in this case as the Apostle did in another very much like unto it, saying, "Understanding neither what they say, nor of which they affirm." For doth not the law command thee to love the Lord thy God with all thy soul, strength, and might, etc., and can the natural man do this? How can those accustomed to doing evil do what is commanded in this particular way? "Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots?" (Jer 12:23).
Doth the law command thee to do good, and nothing but good, and that with all thy soul, heart, and delight? Which the law as a Covenant of Works calleth for; and canst thou, being carnal, do that? But no man hath understanding, if he should hear thee say so, but would say that thou was either bewitched or stark mad.
6. They that are under the law are in a sad condition because though they follow the law or Covenant of Works, I say, though they follow it, it will not lead them to Heaven; no, but contrariwise, it will lead them under the curse. It is not possible, saith Paul, that any should be justified by the law, or by our following of it; for by that "is the knowledge of sin," and by it we are condemned for the same, which is far from leading us to life, being the ministration of death (2 Cor 3). And again, "Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but by the law, and by the works thereof" (Rom 9:30-32).
7. They that are under the law are in a sad condition because they do not know whether ever they shall have any wages for their work or not; they have no assurance of the pardon of their sins, nor any hopes of eternal life; but poor hearts as they are, they work for they do not know what, even like a poor horse that works hard all day, and at night hath a dirty stable for his pains; so thou mayest work hard all the days of thy life, and at the day of death, instead of having a glorious rest in the Kingdom of Heaven, thou mayest, nay, thou shalt, have for thy sins the damnation of thy soul and body in Hell to all eternity; forasmuch, as I said before, that the law if thou sinned it doth not take notice of any good work done by thee, but takes its advantage to destroy and cut off thy soul for the sin thou hast committed.
8. They that are under the law are in a sad condition because they are under that administration; upon whose souls God doth not smile, they dying there; for the administration that God doth smile upon His children through, is the Covenant of Grace, they being in Jesus Christ, the Lord of life and consolation; but contrariwise to those that are under the law; for they have His frowns, His rebukes, His threatenings, and with much severity they must be dealt withal—"For they continued not in My covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord" (Heb 8:9).
9. They are in a sad condition because they are out of the faith of Christ; they that are under the law have not the faith of Christ in them, for that dispensation which they are under is not the administration of faith. The law is not of faith, saith the Apostle (Gal 3:12).
10. Because they have not received the Spirit; for that is received by the hearing of faith, and not by the law, nor the works thereof (Gal 3:2).
11. In a word, if thou live and die under that covenant, Jesus Christ will neither pray for thee, neither let thee have one drop of His blood to wash away thy sins, neither shalt thou be so much as one of the least in the Kingdom of Heaven; for all these privileges come to souls under another covenant, as the Apostle saith—"For such are not under the law, but under grace"—that is, such as have a share in the benefits of Jesus Christ, or such as are brought from under the first covenant into the second; or from under the law into the grace of Christ's Gospel, without which Covenant of Grace, and being found in that, there is no soul can have the slightest hope of eternal life, no joy in the Holy Ghost, no share in the privileges of saints because they are tied up from them by the limits and bonds of the Covenant of Works. You must understand that these two covenants have several bounds and limitations for ruling and keeping in subjection, or giving of freedom, to the parties under the said covenants. Now they that are under the law are within the compass and the jurisdiction of that, and are bound to be in subjection to that; and living and dying under that, they must stand and fall to that, as Paul saith, "To his own master he stands or falleth." The Covenant of Grace doth admit to those under it also liberty and freedom, together with commanding of subjection to the things contained in it, which I shall speak to further hereafter. [For what purpose was the Law added and given?]
But now, that the former things may be further made to appear—that is, what the sad condition of all them that are under the law is, as I have shown you something of the nature of the law, so also shall I show that the law was added and given for this purpose, that it might be so with those that are out of the Covenant of Grace.
No comments:
Post a Comment