3. The Law
3. The Law
“The law,” says John, “was given by Moses, but grace and verity by Jesus Christ” (John 1:17). The law (whose minister is Moses) was given to bring us unto the knowledge of ourselves, that we might thereby feel and perceive what we are [by] nature. The law condemns us and all our deeds and is called of Paul in 2 Corinthians 3:7 “the ministration of death.” For it kills our consciences and drives us to desperation, inasmuch as it requires of us that which is impossible for our nature to do. It requires of us the deeds of a whole man. It requires perfect love from the low bottom and ground of the heart, as well in all things which we suffer, as in the things which we do. But, says John, in the same place, “Grace and verity are given us by Christ” (Joh 1:17): so that, when the law has passed upon us, and condemned us to death (which is its nature to do), then in Christ we have grace. [This grace is] favor, promises of life, of mercy, of pardon, freely by the merits of Christ. And in Christ we have verity and truth, in that God for His sake fulfills all His promises to them that believe. Therefore is the gospel the ministration of life. Paul calls it, in the fore-rehearsed17 place of 2 Corinthians 3, the ministration of the Spirit and of righteousness (vv. 8-9). In the gospel, when we believe the promises, we receive the Spirit of life and are justified in the blood of Christ from all things whereof the law condemns us. And we receive love unto the law, and power to fulfill it and grow therein daily. Of Christ it is written, in the fore-rehearsed first chapter of John, this is He of Whose “abundance” or “fulness all we have received grace for grace,” or “favor for favor” (Joh 1:16). That is to say, for the favor that God has to His Son Christ, He gives unto us His favor and goodwill, and all gifts of His grace, as a father to his sons. As affirms Paul, saying, “Which loved us in His beloved before the creation of the world” (see Eph 1:4, 6). So that Christ, and not our own holy works, brings the love of God unto us. Christ is made Lord over all and is called in Scripture God’s mercy-stool.18 Whosoever therefore flies to Christ can neither hear nor receive of God any other thing save19 mercy.
In the Old Testament are many promises, which are nothing else but this evangelion or gospel, to save those that believed them from the vengeance of the law. And in the New Testament is oft made mention of the law to condemn those who believe not the promises. Moreover, the law and the gospel may never be separate: for the gospel and promises serve but for troubled consciences which are brought to desperation, and feel the pains of hell and death under the law, and are in captivity and bondage under the law. In all my deeds I must have the law before me to condemn mine imperfection. For all that I do (be I never so perfect) is yet damnable sin, when it is compared to the law, which requires the ground and bottom of my heart. Therefore I must always have the law in my sight, that I may be meek in the Spirit, and give God all the laud and praise, ascribing to Him all righteousness, and to myself all unrighteousness and sin. I must also have the promises before mine eyes that I despair not: in which promises I see the mercy, favor, and goodwill of God upon me in the blood of His Son Christ, Who has made satisfaction for mine imperfection and fulfilled for me that which I could not do.
Here you may perceive that two manner of people are sore deceived. First, they who justify themselves with outward deeds, in that they abstain outwardly from that which the law forbids, and do outwardly that which the law commands. They compare themselves to open sinners, and in respect of them justify themselves, condemning the open sinners. They set a veil on Moses’ face, and see not how the law requires love from the bottom of the heart, and that love only is the fulfilling of the law. If they did, they would not condemn their neighbors. “Love hides the multitude of sins,” says St. Peter in his first epistle (1Pe 4:8). For whom I love from the deep bottom and ground of my heart, him condemn I not, neither reckon his sins, but suffer his weakness and infirmity, as a mother the weakness of her son until he grows up into a perfect man.
Those also are deceived who, without all fear of God, give themselves unto all manner vices with full consent, and full delectation,20 having no respect to the law of God (under Whose vengeance they are locked up in captivity), but say, “God is merciful,” and, “Christ died for us,” supposing that such dreaming and imagination is that faith which is so greatly commended in holy Scripture. Nay, that is not faith, but rather a foolish blind opinion, springing of their own corrupt nature, and is not given them of the Spirit of God, but rather of the spirit of the devil, whose faith nowadays the popish21 compare and make equal unto the best trust, confidence, and belief that a repenting soul can have in the blood of our Savior Jesus, unto their own confusion, shame, and uttering what they are within. But true faith is (as says the apostle Paul) “the gift of God” (Eph 2:9), and is given to sinners after the law has passed upon them, and has brought their consciences unto the brim of desperation and sorrows of hell.
They that have this right faith consent to the law that it is righteous and good, and justify God Who made the law, and have delectation22 in the law (notwithstanding that they cannot fulfill it as they would, for their weakness); and they abhor whatsoever the law forbids, though they cannot always avoid it. And their great sorrow is because they cannot fulfill the will of God in the law, and the Spirit that is in them cries to God night and day for strength and help, with tears (as says Paul) that cannot be expressed with tongue (Rom 8:26). Of [these] things the belief of our popish, or of their father, whom they so magnify for his strong faith, have no experience at all.
The first, that is to say, he who justifies himself with his outward deeds, consents not to the law inwardly, neither has delectation therein. Yea, he would rather that no such law were. So he justifies not God, but hates Him as a tyrant; neither cares he for the promises, but will with his own strength be savior of himself. He no wise glorifies God, though he seem outwardly to do.
The second, that is to say, the sensual person, as a voluptuous23 swine, neither fears God in His law, neither is thankful to Him for His promises and mercy, which are set forth in Christ to all them that believe.
The right Christian man consents to the law that it is righteous and justifies God in the law, for he affirms that God is righteous and just, Who is author of the law. He believes the promises of God and justifies God, judging Him true and believing that He will fulfill His promises. With the law he condemns himself and all his deeds and gives all the praise to God. He believes the promises and ascribes all truth to God. Thus, everywhere he justifies God and praises God.