Section 4: Of What Use Is It to Keep the Law Then?

Before I proceed I would answer another Objection or Query or two, upon this Subject, (namely) Of what Use is the Law of God in a Christian Country? Or what Use is there of keeping the Commandments of the moral Law, if we are not to obtain Eternal Life by them?

Let the first Enquiry be answered first. Of what Use is the Law of God in a Christian Country, where the Gospel of Christ is preached?

Answer. It is to be feared there are several thousand Souls in a Christian Nation, who make a general Profession of the Religion of the blessed Jesus, and yet have no serious Sense of the things of God and Religion in their Hearts: And it is evident to daily Observation, that in a Land professing the Gospel of Christ, there are Multitudes who have abandoned all Piety even in the Form of it, as well as the Practice and Power thereof, and there are some who have lost even Morality itself; Now the Law of God is needful to be maintained, and published in such a Nation as this, to keep the sinful World in awe, and to preserve even wicked Men from running to all excess of Riot and Iniquity, by pressing the Commands of God always upon their Consciences, and by setting before them the Vengeance and Curses of the Law of God, which are due to Sinners, to preserve the World from universal Disorder and Wickedness. If there were no such Representations of the Holiness and Justice of God in the World, what shameful Impieties against God, and most outrageous Iniquities and Villainies would be spread among the Children of Men: So that there would be no such thing as Peace, and Civility and Honesty to be found in several Places. The Apostle Paul tells us, 1 Timothy 1:9, 10. Knowing this, that the Law is not made for a righteous Man, but for the Lawless and Disobedient, for the Ungodly and for Sinners, for Unholy and Profane, for Murderers of Fathers and Murderers of Mothers, for Manslayers, for Whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with Mankind, for Menstealers, for Liars, for perjured Persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound Doctrine.

The holy Apostle acknowledges, where the Law of God is originally written in the Heart, and a Man is made righteous by a thorough Sanctification of all the Powers of Nature as it is in Heaven, there is no such need of the Commands, Threatenings, and Terrors of a penal Law, to keep Men in the practice of Obedience; Their own innocent or renewed Nature, their sincere and universal Love to God, and to his Law, will powerfully incline them to the Practice of Holiness, without the Terrors and Punishments from the Hand of the blessed God, being always kept before their Eyes.

It is true, there are some Cases wherein the Law of God may not be well known, even to good Men, or may be mistaken by them, and there may be need of special Commands to discover what is our Duty, and what is Sin: But where the Law is well known, the inward Power of universal Goodness in the Soul, without these outward Terrors, is made effectual to preserve Holiness and Obedience in the Life.

But perhaps you will then reply, Where there are true Christians found, of what Use is it for them to keep the Law of God? This is the second Enquiry, and to this I would give several particular Answers, besides the first and general one. In general I say then, it must be acknowledged, that there are so many Remains of indwelling Sin in the best of Men, that Fears and Terrors of the Punishments of God, have their Use in this imperfect State, to prevent the Soul from warping aside to sinful Practices, under strong and special Temptations. Such frail and imperfect Creatures are we in this present State.

I proceed now to give some particular Answers to this Question, Of what Use is it to keep the Law? and they are such as these.

Answer First. Though we are not saved from the Punishment of Hell, nor pardoned and accepted to Eternal Life and Happiness in Heaven, by virtue of our poor imperfect Obedience, and keeping the Commands of the moral Law, yet we can never be saved without it: For our Love to the Law of God and a hearty Inclination to keep it, is a great Part of the very Salvation which the Gospel provides for sinful Men. Jesus Christ the Son of God is become our Saviour, not only to save us from God's Wrath, 1 Thessalonians 1:10. but also to save us from our Sins. Matthew 1:21. and Titus 2:14. He gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all Iniquity, and purify to himself a peculiar People zealous of good Works. We must be restored to the Image of God as well as to his Favour; now his Image is all Holiness.

Mankind by the Fall have not only lost their Original State of Innocency and Happiness, but their natural Powers are corrupted, the Mind, Will and Passions are perverted, and defiled, and turned away from God, and from their Duty to his Law. Now it is one great Design of the Gospel to rectify these Disorders in the Nature of Man: It is one of the Promises of the Gospel that the Law of God shall be written in our Hearts, Hebrews 10:16. and one of the great Offices and Businesses of Christ, as a Saviour, is by all the Methods of his Grace and Power, to reduce our Hearts to the Love of God and his Law: He is made Sanctification to us as well as Redemption, 1 Corinthians 1:30. So that for Men to talk of being saved without Love and Obedience to the moral Law of God, is to talk plain Inconsistencies, or to affirm what natural Reason can never allow, and what Scripture and the Gospel never designed; in short, it is to talk of being saved without Salvation.

The moral Law of God is of Eternal Obligation upon Creatures: And it would be our constant Duty to obey it, even if we could suppose there were no such future State, no such Eternal Life provided for Men as the Gospel reveals. It arises from the Relation between God and his Creatures. We can never be disengaged or released from this Duty by the Gospel, which brings in Pardon and Mercy to save us from the Punishment due to our Defects or Transgressions of the Law; but not to release us from Obedience to it.

A holy God will not save Sinners from Hell, and forgive them their Sins, without making them holy. Christ in all his abounding Love to Sinners, will not become a Minister of Sin, Galatians 2:17, 19, 20. The Design of God in his Grace to Sinners, by Jesus Christ, is that they might be holy and without Blame before him in Love, Ephesians 1:4. And hereby we show that the Grace of God, in the Forgiveness of Sin, is not lost upon us, but obtains the End for which it was designed, (namely) to bring us back to God and Holiness.

Answer 2. Good Works are necessary to manifest our Gratitude to God for his pardoning Mercy: These are our Returns of Love to the blessed Jesus for his dying Love manifested to us, 2 Corinthians 5:15. He died for all Ranks and Characters of Men, Jews and Gentiles, that they who live should not henceforth live to themselves, but to him who died for them, and rose again. 1 John 4:19. We are bound to love him, and we do love him because he first loved us. 1 Corinthians 6:20. Ye are bought with a Price, therefore glorify God with your Body and Spirit, which are God's.

Answer 3. Good Works are also necessary to render us useful to Men our fellow Creatures, and to make our Profession honourable in their Sight. Good Works are recommended by St. Paul for this Purpose, Titus 3:8. This is a faithful Saying, and I will that thou constantly affirm, that they who have believed in God might be careful to maintain good Works. These things are good and profitable to Men. It is necessary to convince the World that our Gospel is all holy, and that it indulges and allows of no known Sin: That this Gospel is a divine Blessing to Mankind, that it carries Blessings with it wheresoever it comes, that it cures the Vices of the Mind, and the sinful Passions of the Heart, that it suppresses all Injustice and Cruelty, Fraud and Malice, Envy and Oppression, and every evil Work which Sin and Satan have introduced into this World. A Christian must preach and prove the Purity and Power of his Gospel in his whole Conversation, that it changes a Lion into a Lamb, an Earth-Worm into an Angel, and a Son of Adam into a Child of God. This is the Way to adorn the Doctrine of God our Saviour, as St. Paul expresses it, Titus 2:10. This must force a Conviction upon the Eyes and Ears, and Consciences of Men, that there is something Divine and Heavenly in our Religion.

Answer 4. Without Holiness and Good Works we are not, nor can be conformable to our Lord Jesus Christ: And yet all the Members must be conformed to their Head, when they are presented by him before the Father. Romans 8:29. God has predestinated all his Children to be conformable to the Image of his Son, that he may appear to be the First-born, and in all things may have the Pre-eminence. He must present them without Spot and Blemish, like himself, in the other World, that they may dwell with him for ever. And in this World the Disciples must resemble their Lord; Christians should be public Blessings to the World, as their Master was, who went about doing good, Acts 10:38. and they should be known to be his Followers by this blessed Character.

Answer 5. Another Use of Good Works is to evidence the Truth of our Faith, and our Interest in this Salvation, James 2:20, 24. For Faith which does not produce good Works is dead, and cannot save us. Our Faith in Christ is made known to ourselves, as well as to the World, by our Works, Romans 8:1. They who are in Christ Jesus, and are free from the Condemnation of the Law, must walk not after the Flesh, but after the Spirit, 1 John 2:2, 3, 5. Christ is the Propitiation for our Sins, and hereby we know that we know him, if we keep his Commandments: And it is by keeping or obeying his Word, that we know we are in him.

Answer 6. Works of Holiness, a new Heart and new Obedience, are needful to fit and prepare us for the actual Possession and Blessedness of Heaven, for without Holiness no Man shall see God. And in this View a sincere Return to God with Obedience to his Commands, is a necessary Requisite, in order to our final Salvation, Hebrews 12:14. This blissful Vision of God is reserved only for the pure in Heart, Matthew 5:8. Sanctification is the beginning of our Salvation, and it is eternally necessary to continue it. We can never be happy in the Presence of God till we are like him in Holiness. Nor can we be fit Company for the holy Angels, or the Spirits of the Just made perfect, unless we are conformable to their Temper.

And it should be observed also, that this Preparation or Fitness for Heaven, may be sometimes represented as a Right to the Blessedness of it, because the Promises of Heaven are sometimes made to those who are thus qualified and prepared, and these Promises give them a Right to it. Matthew 5:3, 5, 6, 8, etc. Blessed are the pure in Heart, for they shall see God, etc. Revelation 22:14. Blessed are they that do his Commandments, that they may have Right to the Tree of Life, and may enter through the Gates into the City. Yet it may be remembered what I said before, that these Commandments do not signify directly the ten Commandments of the Law, but rather the Commands of Jesus Christ, or of God in the Gospel, which indeed include a sincere Obedience to the moral Law, and something more (namely) Repentance and Faith in Christ.

Answer 7. I might add, in the last place, that Holiness of Life or Obedience to the Commands of God, is necessary in order to make the Process of the last Judgment appear equitable and righteous in the Eyes of all Mankind; for Christ the Judge shall render to every one according to their Works, Revelation 22:12, Romans 2:5, 6, 1 Corinthians 15:58. And indeed this is one chief Design of God's appointing such a solemn and public transaction as the last Judgment, that all the Creation may see the Equity or Righteousness of the Dealings of God with Men, that he awards the eternal Recompense to Saints and Sinners, according to their different Characters of Vice and Virtue, Sin and Holiness. The Vessels of Wrath are by their own Rebellion and Impenitence fitted to Destruction, and the Vessels of Mercy are by sanctifying Grace and Holiness before prepared unto Glory, Romans 9:22, 23.

Though our own Works are by no means sufficient to atone for Sin, or to procure the Favor of God or Eternal Life, for such guilty Creatures as we are, yet there is (as Doctor Owen, I think in his Book of Justification, calls it) a rewardable Condecency in the Works of Holiness, and there is many a Promise of heavenly Rewards made to them in the New Testament. Now when Christ shall adjudge the Wicked to Hell, and the Saints to Heaven, the whole Creation must approve the Equity of his Dealings with Men. In the meantime the Saints shall admire the Grace of God, and the Mediation of Christ, while they see how unworthy they and their Works are of such a glorious Reward.

Thus we find there is abundant Reason for our Obedience to the Commands of the moral Law though it is not made the proper Condition, or prescribed Term of our Acceptance with God, and of obtaining Happiness by the Gospel; for it is only perfect Obedience to these Commands in Thought, Word and Deed, can give us a Right to Eternal Life, according to the Law. And yet a sincere Endeavor after universal Obedience to them, is one necessary Requisite of our being approved by Christ at last, and our actual Entrance into Heaven, according to the Gospel. Hereupon I am bold to affirm, that those Persons whom all these Reasons cannot draw to the sincere Practice of Holiness, may be sure they never believed in Christ, and are not Partakers of the Salvation of the Gospel; for the great and necessary Duty of Christianity is Faith which works by Love, Galatians 5:6. The Heart is purified by true Faith, Acts 15:9. And Faith without Works is dead, and is unable to save us, James 2:20, 26.