Section 3
Yet that I may make a clearer way for this Discourse, to the Assent of my Readers, I would give a Hint or two how the chief Objections that I can think of, may be removed.
Objection 1. Some may oppose me by Scripture, and say, Among all the Texts that call the Gospel a Law, there is one that makes our Blessedness evidently to depend on our doing the Work commanded therein. James 1. 25. Whoso looks into the perfect Law of Liberty, and continues therein, he being not a forgetful Hearer, but a Doer of the Work, this Man shall be blessed in his Deed. Now this looks like Justification by Obedience to the Commands of the Gospel, which is the proper Nature of a Law.
Answer 1. That the Gospel which has Advices, Commands and Threatenings belonging to it should be sometimes called a Law in Scripture is no Wonder, for the Word Law among the Jews, was in so frequent Use upon all Occasions, that not only Doctrines, Rules and Constitutions were called Laws, but even the natural and supernatural Principles of human Actions. So the Law of Kindness, Proverbs 31. 26. for good Humour, or a Principle of Love and Civility. So the Law of Sin, Romans 7. 25. for the Principles of corrupt Nature and evil Inclinations. So the Law of the Spirit of Life, for a Principle of Holiness, Romans 8. 2. And yet if all the Places where some suppose the Gospel to be called a Law, were well examined, we should find them reduced to a very few in reality: Whence it will appear that this is not the common Language of Scripture. The Text cited in the Objection seems rather to refer to the moral Law, which is called a Law of Liberty, because it is freed from its cursing and condemning Power by the Gospel, and made easy to Believers by their new Nature: Now, surely, no Christian will say that we are to be justified by doing the Works of the moral Law.
Answer 2. In those Places of the New Testament where the Gospel is, or is supposed to be called a Law, there is generally some qualifying Word added, as, the Law of Faith, the Law of Liberty, et cetera that it may seem to stand in Opposition to a Law of Works, and appear distinct from a strict and proper Law.
Answer 3. There may be (as I have before hinted) many Blessings promised, and Blessednesses pronounced upon Obedience to any of the Commands of God, whether in the moral Law or Gospel; so Psalm 1. 1. and 119. 1, 2. so Matthew 5. 3 — 11. But every such Blessing does not signify the Justification of a Sinner in the Sight of God, his Release from the Guilt or Obligation to Hell, and his first Right to Heaven. He that obeys the Duties of the Law or Gospel in any Measure or Degree, has some Sort of Blessedness pronounced on him by the Favour and Condescension of God, for in keeping any of his Commands there is great Reward, Psalm 19. 11. especially to a Soul in a State of Grace, and already justified by Faith.
Objection 2. Another may draw an Argument from Reason, and say, Whatsoever Duties of Righteousness are required in any Constitution or Covenant, the fulfilling those Duties must in the very Nature and Reason of Things be esteemed that Righteousness upon which that Constitution pronounces a Man just or right in Court; so Faith justifies us against the Charge of Unbelief, so Repentance and sincere Obedience justify us against the Charge of Impenitency and Hypocrisy, and so Perseverance justifies us against the Charge of Apostacy, because it is a Conformity to that Rule of Constitution which requires Faith, Repentance, Perseverance, et cetera
Answer. It must be granted indeed, that in the very Nature of Things our Faith justifies us against the Charge of Unbelief, so far as our Faith goes; and our Repentance and our Love to God justify us against the Charge of Impenitence, and hating God so far as we do repent and love him; and our Meekness and Humility and Sincerity, justify us against the Charge of Pride and Passion, and Hypocrisy, so far as we are meek, humble and sincere: And in this Sense the Apostle John might say, John 3. 7. He that does Righteousness is righteous, as God is righteous, (where Righteousness is evidently used for Holiness, and not in a forensic Sense, to signify Justification.) But all our Virtues and Graces of Faith, Love, Repentance, et cetera are so very far from Perfection, and so much below what the Holiness of God and his Commands require, that the Spirit of God in his Word, has not thought fit to honour these our Works with the Name of Righteousness, when he is describing the Way how a Sinner is justified; nor has he applied the Term of Justification to these Performances in those Places of Scripture where with a plain Design and Exactness of Expression he has treated of the Righteousness that justifies a Sinner before God. And the holy Apostle seems cautious of using the Word Justification, when he is speaking of his own sincere Obedience, 1 Corinthians 4. 4. I know nothing by myself, yet am I not hereby justified; though this Justification refers only to the Charge of any Negligence in the Discharge of his Apostolical Office.
Objection 3. Yet it is evident that there are several Texts which speak of our Justification by Works, as James 2. our Justification by our Words, Matthew 12. 37. and our Right to Heaven by doing the Commandments. Revelation 22. 14. Blessed are they that do his Commandments, that they may have a Right to the Tree of Life, et cetera
Answer. In those Places of Scripture where the Word Justification is used and attributed to our Duties or Graces, we must consider in what Sense Justification is taken.
1. There is a Justification before Men, and a Justification in our own Consciences; and in both these Respects our Repentance, our Love to God, our Good Works, all justify us against the Charges of wicked Men, and against the Charges of Satan's Temptations, or our own doubting Consciences, that is our Repentance shows we are not impenitent, and our Good Works show that we are not full of wicked Works; and Good Works may be said to justify us also against the Charge of a false and hypocritical dead Faith, for they prove that our Faith is lively and true; and this is that Justification Saint James intends, Chapter 2. for verse 18. he says, I will show thee my Faith by my Works; and it is in this Sense that he speaks of Justification by Works. So Abraham was justified from the Charge of a dead Faith, by his Zeal for God in offering up his Son, James 2. 21, 23. Thus was the Scripture fulfilled, that is thus was the Truth and Honour of the Scripture maintained and cleared, which declares Abraham to be justified by Faith. Now though this Act of Abraham's Faith here mentioned, and Genesis 15. 6. exercised on the express Promise of the Messiah, be not the first Act of Faith that ever he put forth, and though he might be in a justified State long before, yet every repeated Act of true Faith confirms the justifying Sentence, and shows the Way of his first Justification: And so every good Work he performed may be said in another Sense to confirm his Justification too, as it proves the Truth of his Faith, and evidences him to be justified.
2. There is a Justification at the Day of Judgment, which is only declarative, and designed to publish and declare to all the World the Equitableness of God's final Sentence, adjudging some to Heaven and some to Hell: And there our own Holiness, imperfect as it is, may justify us against the Charge of being utterly wicked; what good Words we have spoken may justify us against the Charge of being always guilty of evil or idle Words: They serve to distinguish the Character of Saints and Sinners, and to make it appear there is a Difference in their Practice, as well as in their Recompenses, as the Process of that awful Day is represented, Matthew 25. And it is in this Sense that our Saviour says concerning the Day of Judgment, Matthew 12. 37. By your Words you shall be justified, and by your Words you shall be condemned; that is, your Words as well as your Actions shall have a Share in determining your Character before Men and Angels in that Day. And that Text also in the Revelation 22. 12, 14. refers evidently to the last Judgment, where it is said, Behold I come quickly and my Reward is with me, to give to every Man according as his Work shall be; blessed are they that do his Commandments, that they may have Right to the Tree of Life, and may enter in through the Gates into the City. The Sense of it is, that those who persevere to the End, in a sincere Obedience to the Commands of Christ, in all the Duties of Holiness, shall have a public, adjudged and declared Right to the immediate Possession of Heaven; which is a very different Thing from the Justification of a Sinner in the Sight of God, by his believing or trusting in Christ, which gives him the first Right; and which is the precise Subject of Saint Paul's Discourse, Romans Chapter 2. 3. 4. and 5. and Galatians Chapter 2. and 3.
It is on this Matter that our Divines are wont to make a Distinction between the Jus haereditarium, or the Right of Heirship which a Son has to his Father's Estate as soon as he is born, (supposing his Father to be dead) and the Jus aptitudinarium, which is a Right of Fitness, and a Right to the immediate Possession, and this he has not till the Age of Manhood. Nor is this Distinction ill-framed, nor unaptly applied to the present Case; for Scripture gives a plain Foundation for it, namely that we have the Right of Heirship at our first believing, and the Right of actual Fitness, when we have fulfilled all the Services God has appointed us in this Life. The Scriptures that naturally lead to this Distinction are these: The Right of Heirship by Faith is very plain, Romans 4. 11, 13, 16. Galatians 3. 26, 29. For you are all the Children of God by Faith in Christ Jesus. And if you be Christ's, then are you Abraham's Seed, and Heirs according to the Promise. (Nor does the Apostle make much Distinction between our Right to Heaven by Justification, and that by Adoption or Inheritance, for both Justification and Adoption come by Faith; and he intermingles both, as they most fitly answer his present Design; which is evident by comparing the Process of his Discourse from Romans 4. 1 — 16. and Romans 5. 17, 18, 21.) And then there is the Right of Fitness for immediate Possession, Hebrews 10. 36. For you have Need of Patience, that after you have done the Will of God, you might receive the Promise; and this is the Right intended, Revelation 22. 14. Now we may suppose both the Right of Heirship and of Fitness to be joined in that Text, Hebrews 6. 12. Who through Faith and Patience inherit the Promises. Through Faith they are made Heirs at first, and through Continuance in Faith and Patience they are become actual Inheritors. Nor is that Text in Romans 10. 10. much unlike, With the Heart Man believes unto Righteousness, and with the Mouth Confession is made unto Salvation. Here Justification is attributed to Faith, and Salvation to the outward Profession of Christianity, including all the proper Effects and Evidences of Faith in a holy Life. And though Salvation in many Places of Scripture is put for Justification, because Justification is Salvation begun, yet when they are more accurately distinguished, the one is attributed to Faith, the other to Works, or to Faith and Works together.
Now, whatever other Sorts of Justification may be mentioned in Scripture, yet this Justification of a Sinner through Faith requires such a Righteousness as must secure us from all the Charges and Penalties of all the Guilt of every Sin both original and actual, from all the Charges of God's most holy and broken Law, from all the Charges of the Imperfection of our Faith, Repentance, and our best Works, and must set a Sinner right and make him righteous, and give him a Right to Life in the Court of that God who justified Abraham and David without Works, by imputing Righteousness to them, and continues under the Gospel the same Way to justify the Ungodly, Romans 4. 5, 6. that is all that we do in a way of Duty or Godliness, is not respected in this Court, but we are looked upon as ungodly, and without all Righteousness in ourselves, and as such have a Righteousness, or a Right to Life bestowed on us, or are justified of mere Grace.
And though here and there, for wise Purposes, an Expression may be dropped occasionally in Scripture, that may favour another Way of speaking, yet in the Descriptions of the Gospel, the Way of a Sinner's Justification in the Sight of God at his Conversion, is never put upon fulfilling of the Gospel duties, as the Matter of his Justifying Righteousness; and therefore the Gospel is not a proper Law. And whatsoever Forms of Speech some Persons may fancy agreeable to the Nature and Reason of Things, yet this which I have described is the most common Way wherein the Penmen of Scripture represent those Things, when they seem to aim at an accurate and distinct Description of the Law and Gospel. Now Scripture is our surest Rule of speaking in Matters of pure Revelation.
To sum up all in short: The Word Law is taken in various Senses in the Bible. In some Places it means inward Principles of Action, as the Law of Kindness, the Law of Sin; sometimes it signifies only Directions and Rules of Life, as Proverbs 13:14 the Law of the Wise, that is, Rule of Wisdom. In other Places it includes all the Orders and Injunctions that relate to one Subject; as the Law of the Nazarite, Numbers 6:13 the Law of the Burnt-Offering, Leviticus 6:9. Sometimes it is taken in so large a Latitude as to take in all Doctrines, Counsels and Advice, Commands, Promises, Threatenings, including Prophecies, Histories and Examples also; so the Law frequently signifies all the five Books of Moses. And in these Senses the Gospel in its largest Signification has several Laws belonging to it, and itself may be called a Law. The Scripture indulges a sparing Use of it in such a Sense. But the Word Law in its most proper and strict Sense signifies a Constitution where Duties are required, which if neglected, subject the Offender to a Penalty, and if performed, they are his Justifying Righteousness; and in this Sense Scripture does not at all favour the Application of this Name to the Gospel. For it is abundantly evident, that the Words Law and Gospel taken in their most proper and limited Senses, are constantly distinguished from each other, and set in direct Opposition in the New Testament.
Thus have I thrown into some Order those few, plain, reconciling Thoughts between the contending Parties of Christians, and am already almost in Pain to think that I shall a little displease all Parties, because all these Thoughts will hardly square and adjust themselves exactly to any of the popular and settled Schemes of Orthodoxy; or at least, they will never agree with the Extremes on either hand. Yet if they appear to be drawn merely from the Scripture, and to speak the Language of the Holy Writers, then this Discourse will approve itself to those who maintain the most sacred Regard to the Bible; and those Schemes should be a little moulded and bent, to adjust them to the Language of Scripture, even when it uses different Forms of Speech. But I shall not enter further into this Controversy, because my Design is to soften the angry Tempers of Men, that they may not rage against each other when they use different Forms of speaking, as the Scripture itself does, and make an Apology for both Sides, while they agree in the Things that are most substantial and necessary.