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Neo. But, sir, I am not satisfied concerning the point you touched before; and therefore, I pray you, proceed to show me how far forth I am delivered from the law, as it is the covenant of works.

Evan. Truly, as it is the covenant of works, you are wholly and altogether delivered and set free from it; you are dead to it, and it is dead to you; and if it be dead to you, then it can do you neither good nor hurt; and if you be dead to it, you can expect neither good nor hurt from it. ¹ Consider, man, I pray you, that, as I said before, you are now under another covenant, viz: the covenant of grace; and you cannot be under two covenants at once, neither wholly nor partly; and, therefore, as, before you believed, you were wholly under the covenant of works, as Adam left both you and all his posterity after his fall; so now, since you have believed, you are wholly under the covenant of grace. Assure yourself then, that no minister, or preacher of God's word has any warrant to say unto you hereafter, "Either do this and this duty contained in the law, and avoid this and this sin forbidden in the law, and God will justify thee and save thy soul: or do it not, and he will condemn thee and damn thee." ² No, no, you are now set free both from the commanding and condemning power of the covenant of works. ³ So that I will say unto you, as the apostle says unto the believing Hebrews, (Heb 12:18,22,24), "Ye are not come to Mount Sinai that might be touched, and that burned with fire; nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest; but ye are come unto Mount Zion, the city of the living God: and to Jesus, the Mediator of the new covenant." So that [to speak with holy reverence] God cannot, by virtue of the covenant of works, either require of you any obedience, or punish you for any disobedience; no, he cannot, by virtue of that covenant, so much as threaten you, or give you an angry word, or show you an angry look; for indeed he can see no sin in you, as a transgression of that covenant; for, says the apostle, "Where there is no law, there is no transgression," (Rom 4:15). ⁴ And therefore, though hereafter you do through frailty transgress any of all the ten commandments, ⁵ yet do you not thereby transgress the covenant of works: there is no such covenant now betwixt God and you. ⁶

And therefore, though hereafter you shall hear such a voice as this, "If thou wilt be saved, keep the commandments"; or "Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them"; nay, though you hear the voice of thunder and a fearful noise; nay, though you see blackness and darkness, and feel a great tempest; that is to say, though you hear us that are preachers, according to our commission, (Isa 58:1), "lift up our voice like a trumpet," in threatening hell and damnation to sinners and transgressors of the law; though these be the words of God, yet are you not to think that they are spoken to you. ⁷ No, no; the apostle assures you that there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus, (Rom 8:1). Believe it, God never threatens eternal death, after he has given to a man eternal life. ⁸ Nay, the truth is, God never speaks to a believer out of Christ; and in Christ he speaks not a word in the terms of the covenant of works. ⁹ And if the law, of itself, should presume to come into your conscience, and say, "Herein and herein thou hast transgressed, and broken me, and therefore thou owest so much and so much to divine justice, which must be satisfied, or else I will take hold on thee"; then answer you and say, "O law! be it known unto thee, that I am now married unto Christ, and so I am under covert; and therefore if thou charge me with any debt, thou must enter thine action against my husband, Christ, for the wife is not sueable at the law, but the husband. But the truth is, I through him am dead to thee, O law! and thou art dead to me; and therefore Justice hath nothing to do with me, for it judgeth according to the law." ¹⁰ And if it yet reply, and say, "Aye, but good works must be done and the commandments must be kept, if thou wilt obtain salvation"; ¹¹ then answer you, and say, "I am already saved before thou camest; ¹² and therefore I have no need of thy presence, ¹³ for in Christ I have all things at once: neither need I any thing more that is necessary ¹⁴ to salvation. He is my righteousness, my treasure, and work; ¹⁵ I confess, O law! that I am neither godly nor righteous, ¹⁶ but yet this I am sure of, that he is godly and righteous for me. ¹⁷ And to tell the truth, O law! I am now with him in the bridechamber, where it maketh no matter what I am, ¹⁸ or what I have done; but what Christ, my sweet husband, is, has done, and does for me: ¹⁹ and therefore leave off, law, to dispute with me, for by faith 'I apprehend him who hath apprehended me,' and put me into his bosom. Wherefore I will be bold to bid Moses with his tables, and all lawyers with their books, and all men with their works, hold their peace and give place: ²⁰ so that I say unto thee, O law! be gone." And if it will not be gone, then thrust it out by force, says Luther. ²¹

And if sin offer to take hold of you, as David said his did on him, (Psa 40:12); then say you unto it, "Thy strength, O sin, is the law, (1 Cor 15:66), and the law is dead to me, So that, O sin, thy strength is gone; and therefore be sure thou shalt never be able to prevail against me, nor do me any hurt at all." ²²

And if Satan take you by the throat, and by violence draw you before God's judgment-seat, then call to your husband, Christ, and say, "Lord, I suffer violence, make answer for me, and help me." And by his help you shall be enabled to plead for yourself, after this manner: O God the Father! I am thy Son Christ's; thou gavest me unto him, and thou hast given unto him "all power, both in heaven and in earth, and hast committed all judgment to him"; and therefore I will stand to his judgment, who says, "he came not to judge the world, but to save it"; and therefore he will save me, according to his office. And if the jury ²³ should ²⁴ bring in their verdict that they have found you guilty, then speak to the Judge, and say, In case any must be condemned for my transgressions, it must needs be Christ, and not I; for albeit I have committed them, yet he hath undertaken and bound himself to answer for them, and that by the consent and good-will of God his Father: and indeed he hath fully satisfied for them.

And if death creep upon you, and attempt to devour you; then say, "Thy sting, O death! is sin; and Christ my husband has fully vanquished sin, and so deprived thee of thy sting; and therefore do I not fear any hurt that thou, O death! canst do unto me." And thus you may triumph with the apostle, saying, "Thanks be unto God, who hath given me the victory, through our Lord Jesus Christ," (1 Cor 15:56,57).

And thus have I also declared unto you how Christ, in the fullness of time, performed that which God before all time purposed, and in time promised, touching the helping and delivering of fallen mankind.

And so have I also done with the "Law of Faith."

[Back] [1] Concerning the deliverance from the law, which, according to the Scripture, is the privilege of believers purchased unto them by Jesus Christ, there are two opinions equally contrary to the word of God, and to one another. The one of the Legalist, That believers are under the law, even as it is the covenant of works; the other of the Antinomian, That believers are not at all under the law, no, not as it is a rule of life. Betwixt these extremes, both of them destructive of true holiness and gospel-obedience, our author, with other orthodox divines, holds the middle path; asserting [and in the proper place proving] that believers are under the law, as a rule of life, but free from it as it is the covenant of works. To be delivered from the law as it is the covenant of works, is no more but to be delivered from the covenant of works. And the asserting, that believers are delivered from the law as it is the covenant of works, doth necessarily import, that they are under the law, in some other respects thereto contra- distinguished. And forasmuch as the author teaches, that believers are under the law, as it is the law of Christ, and a rule of life to them, it is reasonable to conclude that to be it. He must needs, under the term, "the covenant of works," understand and comprehend the law of the ten commandments; because no man, understanding what the covenant of works is, can speak of it, but he must, under that term, understand and comprehend the ten commandments, even as none can speak of a man, with knowledge of a sense of that word, but under that term must understand and comprehend an organic body, as well as a soul. But it is manifest, that the law of the ten commandments, without the form of the covenant of works upon it, is not the thing he understands by that term, "the covenant of works." Neither is the form of the covenant of works [which is no more the covenant itself, than the soul without the body is the man] essential to the ten commandments, so that they cannot be without it. If it be said, that the author, by the covenant of works, understands the moral law, as it is defined, [Larg. Cat. q. 92,] it is granted; but then it amounts to no more, but that, by the covenant of works, he understands the covenant of works; for by the moral law there, is understood the covenant of works, as has been already evinced.

The doctrine of believers' freedom from the covenant of works, or from the law as that covenant, is of the greatest importance, and is expressly taught. [Larg. Cat. q. 97.] "they that are regenerate, and believe in Christ, be delivered from the moral law, as a covenant of works," (Rom 6:14, 7:4,6, Gal 4:4,5) West. confess. chap. 19, art. 6.—"True believers be not under the law as a covenant of works." To these I subjoin one testimony, from the Prac. Use of Saving Knowledge, tit. "For Strengthening the Man's Faith," &c. Romans 7, fig. 3, "Albeit the apostle himself [brought in here for example's cause] and all other true believers in Christ, be by nature under the law of sin and death, or under the covenant of works; [called the law of sin and death, because it bindeth sin and death upon us, till Christ set us free;] yet the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus, or the covenant of grace, [so called because it doth enable and quicken a man to a spiritual life through Christ,] doth set the apostle, and all true believers, free from the covenant of works, or the law of sin and death." See more, ibid. fig. 4. As also tit. "For convincing a man of Judgment by the Law," par. 2, and last. And tit. "Evidences of true Faith." And tit. "For the First," &c. fig. 4.

Now, delivering from a covenant being the dissolution of a relation which admits not of degrees, believers being delivered from the covenant of works, must be wholly and altogether set free from it.

This appears also from the believers' being dead to it, and it dead to him, of which before at large.

There is a twofold death competent to a believer with respect to the law, as it is the covenant of works; and so to the law as such, with respect to the believer. (1.) The believer is dead to it really, and in point of duty, while he carries himself as one who is dead to it. And this I take to be comprehended in that saying of the apostle, (Gal 2:19), "I through the law am dead to the law." In the best of the children of God here, there are such remains of the legal disposition and inclination of heart to the way of the covenant of works, that as they are never quite free of it in their best duties, so at sometimes their services smell so rank of it, as if they were alive to the law, and still dead to Christ. And sometimes the Lord for their correction, trial, and exercise of faith, suffers the ghost of the dead husband, the law, as a covenant of works, to come in upon their souls and make demands on them, command, threaten, and affright them, as if they were alive to it, and it to them. And it is one of the hardest pieces of practical religion, to be dead to the law in such cases. This death to it admits of degrees, is not alike in all believers, and is perfect in none till the death of the body. But of this kind of death to the law, the question proceeds not here. (2.) The believer is dead to it relatively, and in point of privilege; the relation betwixt him and it is dissolved, even as the relation between a husband and wife is dissolved by death; (Rom 7:4), "Wherefore, my brethren ye also are become dead to the law, by the body of Christ, that ye should be married to another." This can admit of no degrees, but it is perfect in all believers; so that they are wholly and altogether set free from it, in point of privilege, upon which the question here proceeds, and in this respect they can expect neither good nor hurt from it.

[Back] [2] "Believers be not under the law, as a covenant of works, to be thereby justified or condemned." Westm. Confess. chap. 19. art. 6.

[Back] [3] From the general conclusion already laid down and proved, namely, That believers are wholly and altogether set free from the covenant of works, or from the law as it is that covenant, this necessarily follows. But to consider particulars, for further clearing of this weighty point, (1.) That the covenant of works hath no power to justify a sinner, in regard to his utter inability to pay the penalty, and to fulfil the condition of it, is clear from the apostle's testimony, (Rom 8:3), "What the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son," &c. (2.) That the believer is not under the condemning power of it, appears from Galatians 3:13, "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us."—(Rom 8:1), "There is, therefore, now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus."—(verse 33,34), "It is God that justifieth; who is he that condemneth?" (3.) As to its commanding power, believers are not under it neither; for,

1. Its commanding and condemning power, in case of transgression, are inseparable; for by the sentence of that covenant, every breaker of its commands is bound over to death; (Gal 3:10), "Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them."—"And whatsoever it saith, it saith to them that are under it," (Rom 3:19), Therefore, if believers are under its commanding power, they must needs be under its condemning power, yea, and actually bound over to death; forasmuch as they are, without question, breakers of its commands, if they be indeed under its commanding power.

2. If, as to any set of men, the justifying and condemning power be removed from that law which God gave to Adam as a covenant of works, and to all mankind in him, then the covenant form of that law is done away as to them; so that there is not a covenant of works in being unto them, to have a commanding power over them; but such is the case of believers, that law can neither justify them, nor condemn them; therefore, there is no covenant of works in being betwixt God and them, to have a commanding power over them; our Lord Jesus "blotted out the hand-writing, took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross," (Col 2:14).

3. Believers are dead to the law, as it is the covenant of works, and "married to another," (Rom 7:4). Therefore they are set free from the commanding power of the first husband, the covenant of works.

4. They are not under it; (Rom 6:14), "Ye are not under the law, but under grace": how then can it have a commanding power over them?

5. The consideration of the nature of the commands of the covenant of works may sufficiently clear this point. Its commands bind to perfect obedience, under the pain of the curse, which, on every slip, is bound upon the transgressor; (Gal 3:10), "Cursed is every one who continueth not in all things," &c. But Christ hath redeemed believers from the curse, (verse 13), and the law they are under speaks in softer terms, (Psa 89:31,32), "If they break my statutes, then will I visit their transgression with the rod," &c. Moreover, it commands obedience upon the ground of the strength to perform, given to mankind in Adam, which is now gone, and affords no new strength; for there is no promise of strength for duty belonging to the covenant of works: and to state believers under the covenant of works, to receive commands for their duty, and under the covenant of grace, for the promise of strength to perform, looks very unlike to the beautiful order of the dispensation of grace, held forth to us in the word; (Rom 6:14), "Ye are not under the law, but under grace."

Lastly. Our Lord Jesus put himself under the commanding power of the covenant of works, and gave it perfect obedience, to deliver his people from under it; (Gal 4:4,5), "God sent forth his son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law." That they then should put their necks under that yoke again, cannot but be highly dishonouring "to this crucified Christ, who disarmed the law of its thunders, defaced the obligation of it as a covenant, and, as it were, grinded the stones upon which it was wrought to powder." Charnock, vol. 2. q. 531.

[Back] [4] And therefore since there is no covenant of works [or law of works, as it is called, (Rom 3:27),] betwixt God and the believer, it is manifest there can be no transgressing of it, in their case. God requires obedience of believers, and not only threatens them, gives them angry words and looks, but brings heavy judgments on them for their disobedience; but the promise of strength, and penalty of fatherly wrath only, annexed to the commands requiring obedience of them, and the anger of God against them, purged of the curse, do evidently discover, that none of these come to them, in the channel of the covenant of works.

[Back] [5] And though all the sins of believers are not sins of daily infirmity, yet they are all sins of frailty; (Gal 5:17), "For the flesh lusteth against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh, so that ye cannot do the things that ye would";—(Rom 7:19), "The evil which I would not, that I do." See chapter 5:15, 17, and 6:12.

[Back] [6] Thus far of the believer's complete deliverance from the covenant of works, or from the law, namely, as it is the covenant of works. Follows the practical use to be made of it by the believer. And, 1. In hearing of the word.

[Back] [7] Though they are God's own sayings, found in his written word, and spoken by his servants, as having commission from him for that effect; yet, forasmuch as they are the language of the law, as it is the covenant of works, they are directed only to those who are under that covenant, (Rom 3:19), and not to believers, who are not under it.

[Back] [8] And to believers he hath given eternal life already, according to the Scripture.

[Back] [9] Follows, II. The use of it, in conflicts of conscience with the law in its demands, sin in its guilt, Satan in his accusations, death in its terrors.

[Back] [10] He begins with the conflict with the law; for, as the apostle teaches, "the sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law," (1 Cor 15:56). While the law retains its power over a man, death has its sting, and sin its strength against him; but if once he is dead to the law, wholly and altogether set free from it, as it is the covenant of works; then sin hath lost its strength, death its sting, and Satan his plea against him. That the author still speaks of the law as it is the covenant of works, from the commanding and condemning power of which believers are delivered, and no otherwise, cannot reasonably be questioned, since he is still pursuing the practical use of the doctrine anent it as such; and having before spoken of it as acting by commission from God he treats of it here, as acting, as it were, of its own proper motion, and not by any such commission. To those who are under the law, the law speaks its demands and terrors, as sent from God: but to believers, who are not under it, it cannot so speak, but of itself. (Rom 8:15), "For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear."

Now, in the conflict the believer has with the law or covenant of works, the author puts two cases; in which the conscience needs to be soundly directed, as in cases of the utmost weight.

The first case is this, The law attempting to exercise its condemning power over him, accusing him of transgression, demands of him satisfaction to the justice of God for his sin, and threatens to hale him to execution. In this case, the author dare not advise the afflicted to say, with the servant in the parable, (Matt 18:26), "Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all"; but he teaches him to devolve his burden wholly upon his surety: he bids him plead, that since "he is married to Christ," whatever action the law may pretend to be competent to it, for the satisfaction of justice, upon the account of his sin, it must lie betwixt the law and Christ, the husband; but that, in very deed, there remains no place for such action, forasmuch as, through Jesus Christ's suffering and satisfying to the full, he is set free from the law, and owes nothing to justice nor to the law upon that score. If any man will venture to deal in other terms with the law in this case, his experience will at length sufficiently discover his mistake. Now it is manifest that this relates to the case of justification.

[Back] [11] Here is the second case, namely, the law attempting to exercise its commanding power over the believer, requires him to do good works, and to keep the commandments, if he will obtain salvation. This comes in natively in the second place. The author could not, reasonably, rest satisfied with the believer's being delivered from the curse of the covenant of works, from the debt owing to divine justice, according to its penal sanction; if he had, he would have left the afflicted still in the lurch, in the point of justification, and of inheriting eternal life: he would have proposed Christ to him only as a half saviour, and left as much of the law's plea behind without an answer as would have concluded him incapable of being justified before God, and made an heir of eternal life; for the law, as it is the covenant of works, being broken, has a twofold demand on the sinner, each of which must be answered, before he can be justified. The one is a demand of satisfaction for sin, arising from, and according to its penal sanction: this demand was made in the preceding case, and solidly answered. But there remains yet another, namely, the demand of perfect obedience, arising from, and according to the settled condition of that covenant; and the afflicted must have wherewith to answer it also; otherwise he shall still sink in the deep mire, where there is no standing. For as no judge can absolve a man, merely on his having paid the penalty of a broken contract, to which he was obliged, by and attour the fulfilling of the condition, so no man can be justified before God, nor have a right to life, till this demand of the law be also satisfied in his case. Then, and not till then, is the law's mouth stopped in point of his justification. Thus Adam, before his fall, was free from the curse; yet neither was, nor could be justified and entitled to life, until he had run the course of his obedience, prescribed him by the law as a covenant of works. Accordingly, we are taught that "God justifies sinners, not only by imputing the satisfaction, but also the obedience of Christ unto them" Westm. Confess. chap. 11. art. 1. And that "justification is an act of God's free grace, wherein he not only pardoneth all our sins, but accepteth us as righteous in his sight." Short. Cat.

Here then is the second demand of the law, namely, the demand of perfect obedience, respecting the case of justification, no less than the demand of satisfaction for sin. And it is proposed in such terms as the Scripture uses to express the self-same thing. (Luke 10:28), "This do, and thou shalt live."—(Matt 19:17), "If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments." In both which passages our Lord proposeth this demand of the covenant of works, for the conviction of the proud legalists with whom he there had to do. And the truth is, that the terms in which this demand stands here conceived, are so very agreeable to the style and language of the covenant of works expressed in these texts, and elsewhere, that the law, without receding in the least from the propriety of expression, might have addressed innocent Adam, in the very same terms; changing only the word salvation into life, because he was not yet miserable; and so saying to him, Good works must be done, and the commandments must be kept, if thou wilt obtain life. What impropriety there could have been in this saying, while as yet there was no covenant known in the world, but the covenant of works, I see not. Even innocent Adam was not, by his works, to obtain life, in the way of proper merit; but in virtue of compact only.

Now, this being the case, one may plainly perceive, that in the true answer to it, there can be no place for bringing in any holiness, righteousness, good works, and keeping of the commandments, but Christ's only; for nothing else can satisfy this demand of the law. And if a believer should acknowledge the necessity of his own holiness and good works, in this point, and so set about them, in order to answer this demand; then he should grossly and abominably pervert the end for which the Lord requires them of him; putting his own holiness and obedience in the room of Christ's imputed obedience; and so should fix himself in the mire out of which he could never escape, until he gave over that way and betook himself again to what Christ alone has done for satisfying this demand of the law. But that the excluding of our holiness, good-works, and keeping of the commandments, from any part in this matter, militates nothing against the absolute necessity of holiness in its proper place, [without which, in men's own persons, no man shall see the Lord,] is a point too clear among sound Protestant divines, to be here insisted upon.

And hence our author could not instruct Neophytus to say, in this conflict with the law or covenant of works, "It is my sincere resolution, in the strength of grace, to follow peace with all men, and holiness." Neither would any sound Protestant divine have put such an answer into the mouth of the afflicted in this case; knowing that our evangelical holiness and good works [suppose we could attain unto them before justification] would be rejected by the law, as filthy rags; forasmuch as the law acknowledges no holiness, no good works, no keeping of the commandments, but what is every way perfect, and will never be satisfied with sincere resolutions, to do, in the strength of grace to be given; but requires doing in perfection, in the strength of grace given already, (Gal 3:10). Therefore our author sends the afflicted unto Jesus Christ, the surety for all that is demanded of him by the law or covenant of works: and teaches him in this case, to plead Christ's works, and keeping of the commands; and this is the only safe way, which all true Christians will find themselves obliged to take at the long run, in this conflict.

The difficulty raised on this head is owing to that anti-scriptural principle, "That believers are under the commanding power of the covenant of works"; which is overthrown before.

The case itself, and the answer to it at large, is taken from Luther's Sermon of the Lost Sheep, pp. 77, 78, and Sermon upon the Hymn of Zacharias, p. 50.

[Back] [12] Saved, namely, really, though not perfectly; even as a drowning man is saved when his head is got above the water, and he, leaning on his deliverer, is making towards the shore; in this case, the believer has no more need of the law, or covenant of works, than such a man has of one, who, to save him, would lay a weight upon him, that would make him sink again beneath the stream. Observe the manner of speaking and reasoning used on this head. (Titus 3:5), "Not by works of righteousness, which we have DONE, but according to his mercy, he SAVED us, by the washing of REGENERATION, and RENEWING of the Holy Ghost."—(Eph 2:8-10), "For by grace ARE YE SAVED, through faith, not of WORKS, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus, UNTO good works." Here (1.) It is undeniable, especially according to the original words, that the apostle asserts believers to be saved already. (2.) Denying that we are saved by works which we have done, he plainly enough intimates, that we are saved by the works which Christ has done. (3.) He argues against salvation by our works, upon this very ground, that our good works are the fruit following our being saved, and the end for which we are saved. Thus he at once overthrows the doctrine of salvation by our good works, and establishes the necessity of them, as of breathings and other actions of life to a man saved from death. (4.) He shows, that inherent holiness is an essential part of salvation, without which it can no more consist, than a man without a reasonable soul; for, according to the apostle, "We are saved by our being regenerated, renewed, created in Christ Jesus, unto good works." And so is our justification also, with all the privileges depending thereupon. In one word, the salvation bestowed on believers, comprehends both holiness and happiness. Thus the apostle Peter disproves that principle, (Acts 15:1), "Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be SAVED," from his own observation of the contrary, namely, that God purified the hearts of the Gentiles by faith, (verse 9), adding for the part of the Jews, who were circumcised, (verse 11), "We believe, that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they"; that is, even as they were saved, namely, by faith without the works of the law. And the apostle Paul, encountering the same error, carries on the dispute in these terms, that a man is not justified by works, (Gal 2 and 3). From whence one may conclude, that justification does no further differ from salvation, in the Scripture sense, than an essential part from the whole.

This is the doctrine of holy Luther, and of our author after him, upon this head, here and elsewhere. And the disuse of this manner of speaking, and the setting of salvation so far from justification, as heaven is from earth, are not without danger, as leaving room for works, to obtain salvation by.

"They that believe, have already everlasting life, and therefore undoubtedly are justified and holy, without all their own labour." Luther's Chos. Sermons, Serm. 10, page [mihi] 113. "How has God, then, remedied thy misery? He has forgiven all my sins, and freed me from the reward thereof, and made me righteous, holy, and happy, to live for ever, and that of his free grace alone, by the merits of Jesus Christ, and working of the Holy Ghost." Mr. James Melvil's Cat. Propine of a Pastor, p. 44.—"Now, being made truly and really partakers of Christ, and his righteousness, by faith only, and so justified, saved, and counted truly righteous, we are to see what God craveth of us in our own part, to witness our thankfulness." Mr. John Davidson's Cat. p. 27. See Palat. Cat. q. 86.—"God delivereth his elect out of it [viz: the estate of sin and misery] and bringeth them into an estate of salvation by the second covenant." Larg. Cat. q. 30. And surely one cannot be in a state of salvation who is not really saved; more than one can be in a state of health and liberty, who is not really saved from sickness and slavery. "Those whom God hath predestinated unto life, and those only he is pleased, in his appointed and accepted time, effectually to call, by his word and Spirit, out of that state of sin and death in which they are by nature, to grace and salvation—effectually drawing them to Jesus Christ." Westm. Confess. chap. 10, art. 1. Whence one may easily perceive, that a sinner drawn to Jesus Christ, is saved; though not yet carried to heaven.

[Back] [13] A good reason why a soul united to Jesus Christ, and already saved by him really, though not perfectly, hath no need of the presence of her first husband, the law, or covenant of works: namely, because she hath in Christ, her head and present husband, all things necessary to save her perfectly, that is, to make her completely holy and happy. If it were not so, believers might yet despair of attaining to it: since Christ shareth his office of Saviour with none; neither is their salvation in any other, whether in whole or in part, (Acts 4:12). But surely believers have all that is necessary to complete their salvation, in Jesus Christ: forasmuch as he "of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption"; in the compass of which, there is sufficient provision for all the wants of all his people. It is the great ground of their comfort, that "it pleased the Father, that in him should all fullness dwell," (Col 1:19). And it becomes them, with their whole hearts, to approve of the design and end of that glorious and happy constitution, namely, that "he that glorieth, glory in the Lord," (1 Cor 1:31). It is true, that fullness is so far from being actually conveyed, in the measure of every part, into the persons of believers at once, that the stream of conveyance will run through all the ages of eternity, in heaven, as well as on earth. Nevertheless, whole Christ, with all his fullness, is given to them at once, and therefore they have all necessary for them at once, in him as their Head. (1 Cor 3:21), "All things are yours."—(Phil 4:28), "I have all, and abound."—(2 Cor 6:10), "As having nothing, yet possessing all things."—(Col 2:10), "and ye are complete in him, which is the Head."

[Back] [14] But are not personal holiness, and godliness, good works, and perseverance in holy obedience, jostled out at this rate as unnecessary? No, by no means. For Christ is the only fountain of holiness, and the cause of good works, in those who are united to him; so that, where union with Christ is, there is personal holiness infallibly; there they do good works, if capable of them, and persevere therein; and where it is not, all pretences to these things are utterly vain. Therefore are ministers directed to prosecute such doctrines, and make choice of such uses, especially, "as may most draw souls to Christ, the fountain of light, holiness, and comfort." Directory, tit. "Of the Preaching of the Word."—"As we willingly spoil ourselves of all honour and glory of our own creation and redemption, so do we also of our regeneration and sanctification; for of ourselves we are not sufficient to think one good thought; but he who has begun the work in us, is only he that continues us in the same, to the praise and the glory of his undeserved grace. So that the cause of good works, we confess to be, not our free will, but the Spirit of the Lord Jesus, who, dwelling in our hearts by true faith, bringeth forth such works, as God has prepared for us to walk in. For this we most boldly affirm, that blasphemy it is to say, that Christ abideth in the hearts of such, as in whom there is no spirit of sanctification." Old Confess. art. 12, 13.—"M. What is the effect of thy faith? C. That Jesus Christ his Son came down into this world, and accomplished all things, which were necessary for our salvation." The Manner to Examine Children, &c., quest. 3.—"Whether we look to our justification or sanctification, they are wholly wrought and perfected by Christ, in whom we are complete, howbeit after a diverse sort." Mr. John Davidson's Cat. p. 34. The truth is, personal holiness, godliness, and perseverance, are parts of the salvation already bestowed on the believer, and good works begun, the necessary fruit thereof. See the preceding note. And he hath, in Christ his head, what infallibly secures the conservation of his personal holiness and godliness: his bringing forth of good works still, and perseverance in holy obedience, and the bringing of the whole to perfection in another life, and so completing the begun salvation. If men will, without warrant from the word, restrain the term salvation to happiness in heaven, then all these, according to the doctrine here taught, are necessary to salvation, as what of necessity must go before it, in subjects capable; since, in a salvation carried on by degrees, what is by the unalterable order of the covenant first conferred on a man, must necessarily go before that which, by the same unalterable order, is conferred on him in the last place. But in the sense of Luther and our author, all these are comprehended in the salvation itself. For justifying of which, one may observe, that when the salvation is completed, they are perfected; and the saints in glory work perfectly good works, without interruption, throughout all eternity; for they were the great end God designed to bring about by the means of salvation. To the Scripture texts adduced in the preceding note, add (2 Tim 2:10), "I endure all things, for the elect's sake, that they also may obtain the salvation, which is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory." Here is a spiritual salvation, plainly distinguished from eternal glory. Compare (1 Peter 1:8,9), "Believing, ye rejoice. Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls." This receiving of salvation, in the present time, is but the accomplishment of that promise, in part; (Acts 16:31), "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved"; which, I make no question, bears a great deal of salvation, communicated on this side death, as well as beyond it; (Matt 1:21), "He shall save his people from their sins." Thus, salvation comprehends personal holiness and godliness. And the Scripture holds out good works, as things that accompany salvation, (Heb 6:9), and as the fruit of it, (Luke 1:71-75), "That we should be saved from our enemies—being delivered out of the hands of our enemies, we might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life." For it is an everlasting salvation, (Isa 45:17), importing a perseverance in holy obedience to the end.

[Back] [15] My righteousness, upon which I am justified, my treasure, out of which all my debt to the law, or covenant of works, is paid, and my work, whence my righteousness arises, and which I can, with safety and comfort, oppose to the law-demand of work. "The law of God we confess and acknowledge most just, most equal, most holy, most perfect, commanding these things, which being wrought in perfection, were able to give life, and able to bring man to eternal felicity. But our nature is so corrupt, so weak, and so imperfect, that we are never able to fulfil the works of the law in perfection—and therefore it behoves us to apprehend Christ Jesus, with his justice, i.e., his righteousness and satisfaction, who is the end and accomplishment of the law." Old Confess. art. 15.

[Back] [16] Namely, in the eye of the law, which acknolwedgeth no godliness nor righteousness, but what is every way perfect; (Rom 4:5), "Believeth on him that justifieth the UNGODLY." And to plead any other sort of godliness or righteousness, in the conflict of conscience with the law, is vain. (Gal 3:10)

[Back] [17] That is, Christ hath perfect purity of nature and life, which is all that the law can demand in point of conformity and obedience to its commandments; he was born holy, and he lived holy in perfection. Now, both these are imputed to believers, not in point of sanctification, but of justification; for without the imputation of them both, no flesh could be justified before God, because the law demands of every man purity of nature, as well as purity of life, and both of them in perfection; and since we have neither the one nor the other in ourselves, we must have both by imputation, else we must remain under the condemnation of the law. So, the Palatine Catechism. "Q. How art thou righteous before God? A. The perfect satisfaction, righteousness, and holiness of Christ is imputed and given unto me, as if I had neither committed any sin, neither were there any blot or corruption cleaving unto me. Q. 60. The use—If Satan yet lay to my charge, Although in Christ Jesus thou hast satisfied the punishment which thy sins deserved, and hast put on his righteousness by faith, yet thou canst not deny, but that thy nature is corrupt, so that thou art prone to all ill, and thou hast in thee, the seed of all vices. Against this temptation this answer is sufficient, That by the goodness of God, not only perfect righteousness, but even the holiness of Christ also, is imputed and given unto me," &c. Ibid.—"the satisfaction, righteousness, and holiness of Christ alone is my righteousness, in the sight of God." Ibid. quest. 61.

[Back] [18] Namely, to the law or covenant of works, which has no power over me, who am now married to another.

[Back] [19] Luther expresses it thus, "What I am, or what I ought to do, and what not to do; but what Christ himself is, ought to do, and doth."

[Back] [20] Moses with his tables, here, is no more, in the sense of Luther and our author, but the law, as it is the covenant of works; the which, whoso in the conflict of conscience with it, can treat at this rate, he is strong in faith, and happy is he. Consider the Scripture phrase, (John 5:45), "There is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye TRUST." Compare (Rom 2:17), "Behold, thou art called a Jew, and RESTEST in the LAW." By Moses here, is not meant the person of Moses, but Moses' law, which the carnal Jews trusted to be saved and justified by; that is plainly, by the law, as it is the covenant of works. And in our author's judgment, the law was given on Mount Sinai as the covenant of works. And he shows, that although Luther, and Calvin too, do thus exempt a believer from the law, in the case of justification, and as it is the covenant of works, yet do they not so out of the case of justification, and as it is the law of Christ. P. 184-186. And so, at once, clears them and himself from that odious charge which some might find in their hearts to fix upon them from such expressions.

[Back] [21] Luther's words are, "Then it is time to send it [the law] away, and if it will not give place," &c. See the preceding note.

[Back] [22] Here is the use to be made of the same former doctrine, in the conflict of conscience with sin. Guilt, even the guilt of revenging wrath is the handle by which, in this conflict, sin offers to take hold of the believer, as it did of David, (Psa 40:12). Who, in that Psalm, speaks as a type of Christ, on whom the guilt of the elect's sin was laid. "Now, in respect of that guilt, the strength of sin is the law, or covenant of works, with its cursing and condemning power, from which, since believers are delivered, that strength of sin is gone as to them; they are free from the guilt of sin, the condemning wrath of God." Westm. Confess. chap. 20. art. 1.—"The revenging wrath of God, and that perfectly in this life." Larg. Cat. quest. 77. Whence it necessarily follows, that sin, in this attack, can never prevail nor really hurt them in this point, since there neither is, nor can be, any such guilt remaining upon them. How sin may otherwise prevail against a believer, and what hurt it may do him in other respects, the author expressly teaches here and elsewhere. In the manner of expression, he follows famous divines, whose names are in honour in the church of Christ. "God saith unto me, I will forgive thee thy sin, neither shall thy sins hurt thee." Luther, Chos. Serm. p. 40.—"Forasmuch as Jesus Christ hath, by one infinite obedience, made satisfaction to the infinite majesty of God, it followeth, that my iniquities can no more fray nor trouble me, my accounts being assuredly razed by the precious blood of Christ." Beza, Confess. point 4. art. 10.—"Even as the viper that was upon Paul's hand, though the nature of it was to kill presently, yet when God had charmed it, you see it hurt him not; so it is with sin, though it be in us, and though it hang upon us, yet the venom of it is taken away, it hurts us not, it condemns us not." Dr. Preston on Faith, p. 51. Hear the language of the Spirit of God, (Luke 10:19); "And nothing shall by any means hurt you."—"Nothing shall hurt their souls, as to the favour of God, and their eternal happiness," says the author of the Supplement to Poole's Annot. on the Text.

[Back] [23] The ten commandments.

[Back] [24] By your own conscience.