The reasons for this are as follows: first, because God is God, and second, because man is man.
First, Because God is perfectly just and eternally just, perfectly holy and eternally holy, perfectly faithful and eternally faithful; that is, without any variableness or shadow of turning, but perfectly continueth the same, and cannot as well cease to be God as to alter or change the nature of His Godhead. As He is thus the perfection of all perfections, He gave out His Law to be obeyed. Still, if any offend it, they fall into the hands of His eternal justice and so must drink of His irrevocable wrath, which is the execution of the same justice. I say, this being thus, the law is broken, justice takes place, and so faithfulness followed to see that execution be done, and also to testify that He is accurate, and doth denounce His unspeakable, insupportable, and unchangeable vengeance on the party offending.
Secondly, Because thou art not as infinite as God, but a poorly created weed that is here today and gone tomorrow, and not able to answer God in His essence, being, and attributes, thou art bound to fall under Him, for thy soul or body can do nothing infinite in such a way as to satisfy this God, which is a limitless God in all His attributes.
[Misery of man by this law.]
But to declare unto you the misery of man by this law to purpose, I do beseech you to take notice of these following particulars, besides what has been already spoken:—First, I shall show the danger of them because of the law, as they come from Adam; Second, as they are in their own persons, particularly under it.
[First, The danger of them because of the law, as they come from
Adam.]
1. As they come from Adam, they are sad because he left them a broken covenant. Or take it thus: because they did with him while they were in him break that covenant. O! This was the treasure Adam left to his posterity; it was a broken covenant, insomuch that death reigned over all his children, and doth still to this day, as they come from him, both natural and eternal death (Rom 5). It may be, drunkard, swearer, liar, thief, thou dost not think of this.
2. He did not only leave them a broken covenant but also made them sinners against it. He [Adam] made them sinners—" By one man's disobedience many were made sinners" (Rom 5:19). And this is worse than the first.
3. Not only so, but he did deprive them of their strength, by which at first they were enabled to stand, and left them no more than dead men. O helpless state! O, how beggarly and miserable are the sons of Adam!
4. Not only so, but also before he left them, he was the conduit pipe through which the devil conveyed his poisoned spawn and venom nature into the hearts of Adam's sons and daughters, by which they are at this day so strongly and so violently carried away, that they fly as fast to Hell, and the devil, because of sin, as chaff before a mighty wind.
5. In a word, Adam led them out of their paradise, that is one more; put out their eyes, that is another and left them to the leading of the devil. O sad! Canst thou hear this and not have thy ears to tingle and burn on thy head? Canst thou read this and not feel thy conscience begin to throb and dag? If so, it is because thou art either possessed with the devil or besides thyself.
[Second.] But I pass this and come to the second thing, which is the cause of their being in a sad condition, which is because of their being in their particular persons under it.
1. Therefore, they that are under the law are in a sad condition because they are under that which is more ready, through our infirmity, to curse than to bless; they are under that called the ministration of condemnation, that is, they are under that dispensation, or administration, whose proper work is to curse and condemn, and nothing else (2 Cor 3).
2. Their condition is sad who are under the law because they are not only under that ministration that doth condemn, but also that which doth wait an opportunity to condemn; the law doth not wait that it might be gracious, but it doth wait to curse and condemn; it came on purpose to discover sin, "The law entered," saith the Apostle, "that the offense might abound" (Rom 5:20) or appear indeed to be that which God doth hate, and also to curse for that which hath been committed; as he saith, "Cursed is every one that continued not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them" (Gal 3:10).
3. They are in a sad condition because the administration they are under that is under the law doth always find fault with the sinner's obedience as well as his disobedience, if it is not done in a right spirit, which they that are under that covenant cannot do, because of their being destitute of faith; therefore, I say, it doth control them, saying, "This was not well done, this was done by the halves, this was not done freely, and that was not done perfectly, and out of love to God." Hence, some men, notwithstanding, labor to live as holy as ever they can according to the law. Yet, they do not live a peaceable life but are full of condemnings, full of guilt and torment of conscience, finding themselves to fail here and to fall short there, omitting this good which the law commands, and doing that evil which the law forbids, but never giveth them one good word for all their pains.
4. They who are under the law are in a sad condition because they are under an administration that will never be contented with what the sinner does. If thou be under this covenant, work as hard as thou canst, the law will never say, "Well done"; never say, "My good servant"; no; but always it will be driving thee faster, hastening of thee harder, giving thee fresh commands, which thou must do, and upon pain of damnation not to be left undone. Nay, it is such a master that will curse thee, not only for thy sins but also because thy good works were not so well done as they ought to be.
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