3dly, Let us consider, that God oftentimes designs to make us better by the sharpest trials, which are an ordinance to bring us nearer to himself. Thus David says, Before I was afflicted, I went astray; but now have I kept thy word, Psal. cxix. 67.
4thly, We ought to consider that God’s design in these dispensations is, to try our faith, and that it may found afterwards unto praise, honour, and glory, as it will be, with respect to every true believer, at the appearing of Jesus Christ, 1 Pet. i. 7. And to this we may add,
5thly, That there are many promises of the presence of God, which have not only a tendency to afford relief against uneasiness or dejection of spirit; but to give us the greatest encouragement under the sorest afflictions; particularly, that comprehensive promise, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee, Heb. xiii. 5.
Quest. CXLIX.
Quest. CXLIX. Is any man able perfectly to keep the Commandments of God?
Answ. No man is able, either in himself, or by any grace received in this life, perfectly to keep the Commandments of God, but doth daily break them in thought, word, and deed.
Having considered man’s duty and obligation to keep the Commandments of God; we are now led to speak of him as unable to keep them; and, on the other hand, chargeable with the daily breach thereof, which is an argument of the imperfection of this present state. We have, under a foregoing answer[[10]], endeavoured to prove that the work of sanctification is imperfect in this life; so that all the boasts of the Pelagians, and others, who defend the possibility of attaining perfection therein, are vain and unwarrantable. We have also considered the reasons why God orders that it should be so. And therefore we shall, without enlarging so much on this subject, as otherwise we might have done, principally take notice of what is to be observed in this answer, under two general heads.
I. In what respects, and with what limitations, man is said to be unable to keep the Commandments of God; and, accordingly it is said, that no man is able, perfectly, to keep them. By which we are to understand, as it is observed in the Shorter Catechism[[11]], no mere man, whereby our Saviour is excepted, who yielded perfect obedience in our nature. This is farther explained, with another limitation, namely, that no man is able to do this since the fall; to denote that man, in his state of innocency, was able, perfectly to keep the Commandments of God. For he was made upright, and had the image of God instamped on his soul; which consisted in knowledge, righteousness, and holiness, Eccl. vii. 29. Gen. i. 27. having the law of God written in his heart, and power to fulfil it[[12]]. And, indeed, to suppose the contrary, would be a reflection upon the divine government, and would argue man to have been created under a natural necessity of sinning, and perishing; which is contrary to the goodness, holiness, and justice of God. It is farther observed, that no man is able, in this life, thus to keep God’s Commandments, which contains an intimation that the glorified saints, in heaven, will be enabled to yield perfect obedience; notwithstanding the many imperfections they are now liable to. Moreover, as man is not able, of himself, or without the aids of divine grace, to obey God; so he is not to expect such assistance from him as shall enable him to obey him perfectly. There is no doubt but the grace of God could free us from all the remainders of sin in this world, as well as in our passing from it to heaven; but we have no ground to conclude that it will. For,
1. The whole creation is liable to the curse,[[13]] (which was consequent upon man’s first apostasy from God,) under which it groaneth, unto this day, Rom. viii. 22, 23. and shall not be delivered from it, till the scene of time, and things shall be changed, and the saints shall be fully possessed of what they are now waiting for, to wit, the adoption, or the redemption of their bodies.
2. God is pleased to deny his people that perfection of holiness here, which they shall attain to hereafter, that he may give them daily occasion to exercise the duties of self-denial, mortification of sin, faith, and repentance, which redound to his own glory, and their spiritual advantage. This leads us,