3. Man, being bound to obey the will of God, needeth a law from God to constitute his duty, and direct, him in it ; for without his laws, the subject cannot know what is due to his sovereign, nor can man un- derstand what his duty is to his creator. In innocency he gave him a law written upon his heart, for God made him ' holy and righteous,' Eccles. vii. 29, and he was to perform such actions as became an holy and righteous creature ; his nature bound him and fitted him to love God, and his neighbour and himself in a regular and due subordination to God. This law was sufficient to guide him while he stood in his in- tegrity, and to enable him to please God in all things ; for this law written upon his heart was both his rule and his principle. But con- sider men in their fallen estate ; surely they needed a law, and that God
VeR. 2.] SERMONS UPON ROMANS VIII. 399
should show them what was good and evil. The Gentiles had some relics of the law of nature : Rom. ii. 14, 15, and so much sense of their duty left, as leaveth them not only culpable for their neglect of it, Rom. i. 20, ' But they are all become guilty before God/ Rom. iii. 19, With his people he dealt more favourably and graciously : Ps. cxlvii. 19, 20, ' He showed his word unto Jacob, and his statutes unto Israel : he hath not dealt so with any nation : as for his judgments they have not known them.' Alas ! in the weakness to which we were reduced after the fall, how miserable should we be, and grope in the dark, if God had not given us a law, and showed us what is good ! Were it not for the relics of nature in the Gentiles, the world would be but a den of thieves, and a stage of wickedness ; and every one would do what is right in his own eyes ; and though the interests of men causeth them to make laws for their own safety, but yet there is no sure and sufficient direction to guide them in their obedience to God, without his word. The laws of men have no other end than the good of human society, and reacheth no further than the government of the outward conversation ; there is little or nothing in them to guide us in our obeying or enjoying God. This God hath done in his word, to the Jews of old, and to us christians more fully ; for ' We are built upon the foundation of the prophets and apostles ;' Eph. ii. 20 ; namely, as they have showed us to live in obedience to God, as our proper and rightful Lord, and to enjoy him as our proper happiness. But to leave tills general view of these things,
4. The gospel, which is both our rule and charter, is the law which in Christ's name is given to the world. That appeareth, —
[1.] By the titles or terms wherein it is expressed ; as. Is. ii. 3, ' Out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of God from Jerusalem.' So Isa. Ixii. 4, ' The isles shall wait for his law ;' and Is. Ii. 4, 'A law shall proceed from me, and I will make my judgment to rest for a light to the people.' And in the New Testament it is called ' The law of faith,' Rom. iii. 27, and the ' Law of Christ,' Gal. v. 2, so that the doctrine of salvation by Christ is that law which we should abide by.
[2.] The reason of the thing showeth it. For here is, —
(1.) A governor or ruler, the Lord Christ, who hath acquired a new dominion and empire over the world, to save and to rule men upon his own terms : Rom. xiv. 9, ' For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be lord both of dead and living ; ' and, Acts ii. 36, ' Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made the same Jesus whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ;' and Ps. ii. 7-11, so that he is lord of the new crea- tion ; and man doth owe obedience not only to God as creator, but to Christ as redeemer and ruler.
(2.) Christ being possessed of this lordship and dominion, hath made a new law of grace, which is propounded as a remedy for the relieving and restoring the lapsed world of mankind to the grace and favour of God ; granting pardon and life to all that sincerely repent and believe in him, and live in new obedience; and peremptorily con- cluding and damning those to everlasting death that shall refuse these terms.
(3.) This new constitution and gospel covenant hath all the formal-
400 SERMONS UPON ROMANS VIII. [SeR. II.
ities of a law. And here I shall show you, first, wherein it agreeth ; and, secondly, wherein it differeth from the laws of men.
First, Wherein it agreeth. First in the promulgation of it with full authority ; it is not only enacted pleno jure, by an absolute and uncontrollable right ; but proclaimed by authorised messengers sent by the Lord Christ, who in his name were to require the obedience of the world to his new law : Mat. xxviii. 19, 20, 'All power is given to me in heaven and earth : go ye forth therefore and teach all nations, bap- tizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Grhost ; teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you.' He sendeth abroad his heralds, summoning the world to obedience : Acts V. 31, ' Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a prince and a saviour, to give repentance and remission of sins : ' and Acts xvii, 80, ' The times of this ignorance God winked at, but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent ; ' he commandeth all men to repent, because he ' will judge the world in righteousness by the man whom he hath ordained,' Acts xvii. 31 ; and Acts x. 36, ' We preach peace by Jesus Christ, who is lord of all.' In these places Christ's right and authority is asserted ; and the gospel is preached in his name, and the world in- vited and commanded to obey.