Man is naturally apt to think he must do something towards his own justification, and act accordingly
Man is naturally apt to think he must do something
towards his own justification, and act accordingly
Evan. Surely, neighbour Nomologista, these have been not only your thoughts, but also the thoughts of many other men. For it is natural for every man to think that he must and can procure God’s favour and eternal happiness by his obedience to the law, or at least to think he can do something towards it. For naturally men think that the law requires no more than the external act; and therefore it is in man’s power to keep it perfectly. Is it not an ordinary and common thing for men, when they hear or read that there is more required and forbidden in the law than they were aware of, to think to themselves, ‘Surely, I am not right. I have transgressed the law more than I thought I had, and therefore God is more angry with me than I thought he had been. Therefore, to pacify his anger and procure his favour towards me, I must repent, amend, and do better. I must reform my life according to the law, and so by my future obedience, make amends for my former disobedience.’ And if thereupon they attain to any good measure of outward conformity, they think they come near the perfect fulfilling of the law. If it were not that the doctrine of the Church of England is that no man can fulfil the law perfectly, and that none but Papists say the contrary, they would both think and say they did — or hoped they would — keep all the commandments perfectly. And on occasion of their outward reformation according to the law, they think (yes, and sometimes say) they are regenerate men and true converts, and that the beginning of their reformation was the time of their new birth and conversion to God. And if these men confess they are sinners, it is because they hear all others confess they themselves are sinners, rather than out of any true sight and knowledge, sense, or feeling they have of any inward heart-corruption. And if they acknowledge that a man is not to be justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Christ, it is because they have heard it preached, or because they read it in the Bible or some other book, rather than because of any imperfection which they see in their own works; or any need they see for the righteousness of Jesus Christ. And if they do see any imperfection in their own works, and any need for the righteousness of Jesus Christ, then they imagine that, as long as their hearts are upright and sincere, and they desire and endeavour to do their best to fulfil the law, God will accept what they do, and make up their imperfect obedience with Christ’s perfect obedience; and so he will justify and save them. But all this while, their own works must have a hand in their justification and salvation; and so they are still of the works of the law, and therefore under the curse. The Lord be merciful both to you and them, and bring you under the blessing of Abraham!
Nom. Sir, I thank you for your good wishes towards me, and for your great pains which you have now taken with me; and so I will at this time take my leave of you; only I wish, if it might not be too much trouble, that you would be pleased at your leisure, to give me in writing a copy of what you have said this day concerning the law.
Evan. Well, neighbour Nomologista, though I can hardly spare so much time, yet because you desire it, and in hope that you may receive good by it, I will before long, find time to accomplish your desire.
Neo. I ask you, neighbour Nomologista, tarry a little longer and I will go with you.
Nom. No, I must be gone; I can stay no longer.
Evan. Then farewell, neighbour Nomologista, and the Lord make you see your sins!
Nom. The Lord be with you, sir.
Neo. Well sir, now I hope you have fully convinced him that he comes far short of keeping all the commandments perfectly. I hope he will no longer be so well conceited of his own righteousness as he has formerly been. But now, sir, I ask you to tell me before I depart, whether you would have me endeavour to make the same use of the law which you advised him to make.
Evan. No, neighbour Neophytus, I do not look at you as an unbeliever, as I did him. Rather, I look at you as one who has already been driven out of yourself to Jesus Christ by the law. I look at you as a true believer, and as a person already justified in the sight of God, by faith in Christ. And so I look at you as one who is neither to question your inheritance in heaven, nor to fear your portion in hell. And therefore I will not persuade you to labour to yield obedience to the law, by telling you as I told him, that the more obedient you are to it, the easier torments you will have in hell. Nor would I have you apply the curse of the law to yourself, as I advised him to do. For if you truly and thoroughly believe, as God requires you to, that Jesus Christ — the Son of God and your Surety (1John 3.23) — by his active and passive obedience, has fully discharged and paid both the debt and the forfeiture which the law and justice of God obliged you to pay, then you will not yield obedience to the law, to pay what you truly believe is fully paid and discharged already. And if you do not yield obedience to the law to discharge that, then do not yield obedience to the law in hopes of being made just thereby, or justified in the sight of God. And if you do not yield obedience to the law in hopes of being made just thereby, or justified in the sight of God, then you are not of the works of the law.
And if you are not of the works of the law, then are you not under the curse of the law; and if you are not under the curse of the law, then you must not apply the curse to yourself And therefore, whenever you either hear or read these words, “Cursed is every one who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them,” and your conscience tells you that you have not, and do not continue in all things, and that therefore you are accursed — then make use of the curse, by taking the opportunity to cling more closely to Christ by faith, and say, O law, your curse is not to come into my conscience! My conscience is freed from it! For though it is true that I have not continued “in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them,” yet my Surety, Jesus Christ, has continued in all things for me. So that although I am unable to pay either the debt or the forfeiture, yet he has paid them both for me, and so he has discharged me from the curse; and therefore I do not fear it.
Neo. But, sir, though I am a believer, and so I am set free from the curse of the law, yet I suppose I should endeavour to do some of what is required, and to avoid whatever is forbidden in the law.
Evan. Yes, neighbour Neophytus, that you should indeed. For mind, I beg you, that this is how the case stands: as soon as any man truly believes, and so is justified in the sight of God, the holy Ghost, from the testimony of holy writ, warrants us to conceive that Jesus Christ, that is, God in Christ, delivers to him whatever is required and forbidden in the Ten Commandments. Jesus says, Col. 2.14; Eph. 2.15, “This hand-writing, this law of commandments, was held against you and contrary to you while it was in the hands of my Father as he stood in relation to you as a Judge; it was not cancelled, but it had the curse or penalty annexed to it, Isa. 38.14. And so it had power to convince, accuse, condemn, and bind you over to punishment. I who undertook it for you and became your Surety (Heb. 7.22), have paid the principal debt; and I have also answered the forfeiture which lay against you for the breach of that bond; and my Father has delivered it into my hands. I have blotted out the curse or penalty, so that not one letter or tittle remains for you to see. Yes, I have taken it out of your way, and fastened it to my cross. Yes, I have torn it in pieces with the nails of my cross, so that it is altogether frustrated, and has no force at all against you.
Yet notwithstanding the matter contained in this law, even those precepts and prohibitions which I have now delivered to you, are the mind and will of my Father, and the eternal and unchangeable rule of righteousness, and that which is in my heart, Psalm 40.8; yes, and that which I have promised to write in the hearts of all those who are mine, Jer. 31.33; yes, and that which I have promised to make them yield willing obedience to, Psalm 110.3. I and my Father therefore commend it to you, as that rule of obedience by which you are to express your love and thankfulness to us, for what we have done for you. And therefore I will say no more to you except this, ‘If you love me, keep my commandments,’ John 14.15. And you are my friend, ‘If you do whatever I command you,’” John 15.14.
Neo. But sir, does God in Christ require perfect obedience to all Ten Commandments, as you have expounded them this day?