Answ. Although they that are regenerate, and believe in Christ, be delivered from the moral law as a covenant of works, so as thereby they are neither justified, nor condemned; yet beside the general uses thereof common to them with all men, it is of special use to shew them how much they are bound to Christ for his fulfilling it, and enduring the curse thereof in their stead, and for their good; and thereby to provoke them to more thankfulness, and to express the same in their greater care, to conform themselves thereunto, as the rule of their obedience.
In these answers we have,
I. A description of the moral law, in which we may observe,
1. That it is a declaration of the will of God to mankind, that so we may not be destitute of a rule to guide and regulate our behaviour, both towards God and man. This is the first idea contained in a law; and there is another, which respects the obligation which we are laid under hereby, arising from our being creatures, and consequently subject to God, who, as the supreme governor, has an undoubted right to demand obedience from us to every thing that he prescribes and reveals to us, as a rule for our direction therein. Moreover, that which God requires of us in this law, is, personal, perfect, and perpetual conformity and obedience thereunto.
(1.) It must be personal, as denoting that it is not to be performed by proxy; so that whatever services we may expect from men, we must not conclude that they can perform obedience for us to God, and thereby fulfil the obligation we are personally laid under. Yea, we may proceed farther, and assert, that what Christ has performed for us, does not exempt us from an obligation to yield perfect obedience; though it is not to be performed by us with the same view with which he performed it, as will be farther considered under a following head, where we shall shew, that though it is not to be obeyed by us as a covenant of works; nevertheless we are obliged to obey it as a rule of life.
(2.) Our obedience to the law of God must be perfect. The same obligation that man was under at first, to yield perfect obedience, remains still in force, though we are not able to perform it. The insolvency of man by the fall, did not cancel or disannul this debt[[198]]. And how much soever God may own and approve of the sincerity of his people, which is all the perfection which fallen man can arrive to in this world; yet we must not suppose, that hereby we fulfil the obligation which God, as a law-giver, has laid us under. This I the rather take notice of, that there may not be the least ground to suppose that we make void the law, but rather establish it, and thereby assert the right which God has to that perfection of obedience, which is due from us, though unable to perform it.
(3.) It must be perpetual, without backsliding from God, or the least remissness in our duty to him; and therefore there is no abatement or dispensation allowed of, that may give countenance to the least defect of this obedience. Thus the Psalmist says, I will never forget thy precepts, Psal. cxix. 93. and, Every day will I bless thee, and I will praise thy name for ever and ever, Psal. cxlv. 2. Moreover, we may observe, that this obedience is to be performed with the whole man, and in particular, by the soul, with the utmost intenseness, in all the powers and faculties thereof. Accordingly our understandings are to be rightly instructed, as to what respects the matter and manner of performing it; our wills to be entirely subjected to the will of God, and our affections engaged therein, as being sanctified and excited by the Spirit, to the end, that duty may be performed with delight, arising from the love which we bear to him, whose servants we are.
It is also to be performed with our bodies. The former, includes in it that obedience more especially which is internal; this, that which is external. This is what is styled a lower sort of obedience; and if we rest here, it is so far from being acceptable, as the apostle says, that Bodily exercise profiteth little, 1 Tim. iv. 8. Nevertheless, as the body is an instrument of the soul in acting, that service which is performed therein, is absolutely necessary; and therefore all religious worship is to be engaged in with a becoming reverence that is external, as well as that which is internal; without which the soul cannot be said to engage in any religious duties, in a becoming manner.
It is farther observed, that this obedience includes in it holiness and righteousness. The former of these respects more especially our duty to God, which, being a branch of religious worship, ought to be performed with a reverential fear of his divine Majesty, and that due regard to his infinite purity, and entire dedication and consecration of ourselves to him, as becomes those who are sanctified by his Spirit, and enabled to exercise all those graces whereby we may approve ourselves his faithful servants and subjects. The latter more especially respects those duties which we owe to men, in the various relations we stand in to them, which is incumbent on us as what is enjoined by God.
2. The moral law is farther considered as having a promise of life annexed to it, and a threatning of death upon the breach thereof. This is what is generally called the sanction annexed to the law. A law without a sanction would not be much regarded, especially by those who have not a due sense of their obligation to obedience. Persons are very much disposed to enquire, when a command is given, what the consequences of their obeying or disregarding it will be? and this being made known before hand, is a strong motive to obedience. If God is pleased, out of his abundant grace, to encourage his people, by giving them to expect some blessings that he will bestow on those that obey him, it is, in some respect, necessary that this should be known. But especially since punishment, in proportion to the nature of the crime, will be the consequence of disobedience, it is becoming the divine perfections to let it be known, that the wages of sin is death. And this was not only annexed to the moral law, but equally impressed on the nature of man, who could not but know, that rebellion against God would be punished with a separation from him, and that all those miseries would attend it, in proportion to the respective aggravation thereof, that it deserves.