VeR. 4.] SEEMONS UPON EOMANS VIII. 435
unto the world ? Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words, and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our ahode with him.' As we increase in holiness and obedience, we increase in the favour of God.
Use 1 is Information. It informeth us of several important truths : —
1. That the law is a law of perfect purity and holiness, for he speaketh here of the righteousness of the law, SiKaico/xa vofiov. So David : Ps. cxix. 140, * Thy laAv is very pure, therefore thy servant loveth it ; ' and Ps. xix. 8, ' The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.' It must needs be so, if we consider the author of it, God himself ; and every thing that hath passed his hand hath his character and impress upon it ; it is a law not only fit for us to receive but for God to give ; it is the copy of his holiness. It is all one with the image of God which man had in innocency. Now the image of God consisted in righteousness and true holiness. Adam's principle of obedience was also his law and rule ; he had that written upon his heart which was afterwards written upon tables of stone ; and therefore if a man would cleanse his heart and way, he must study the word of God : Ps. cxix. 9, ' By what means may a young nran cleanse his way ? by taking heed thereunto according to thy word.' It is not guide his way, but cleanse his way; for even the youngest are defiled. Man's heart naturally is a sink of sin, and there is no way to make his heart clean, and his way clean, but by taking God's counsel in his word. A young man that is in the heat and strength of his lusts, may learn there how to be purified and cleansed.
2. That this law standeth in force. We are freed from the con- demning, but not from the directing power thereof ; but it always remaineth as a rule of our new obedience. Surely it is in force now ; for there is no liberty given to men to live in sin ;" God will not spare his people when they transgress it by scandalous or heinous sin : Prov. i. 31 , ' Therefore they shall eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.' Though they be the dearly beloved of his soul, the eternal punishment shall not be inflicted upon them, yet they shall smart for the breaches of his law. On the other side they find much encouragement, comfort, and peace when they set themselves exactly to keep it, they can from experience speak much of the gracious reward of obedience : Ps. cxix. .56, ' This I had because I kept thy precepts.' Yea, in the state of heavenly glory, the law as purely moral is still in force ; for we are everlastingly bound to love God and one another.
3. That the righteousness of the law may be fulfilled in us. I prove it by this argument. One of these three things we must say, either (1.) that no obedience is now necessary to salvation, or (2.) that the perfect obedience is still necessary, or (3.) some measure of obedience to the law by the ordinary aids of grace, vouchsafed to us in the new covenant, is j)ossible and sufficient. The first we cannot say ; for then there would be no necessity of new obedience or holiness. But the scripture condemneth that everywhere, showing ns that we are 'God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to good works, ' Eph. ii. 10 ; and '-purified to be a peculiar people, zealous of good works,' Tit. ii. 14. The second we cannot say that a whole perpetual, [)erfect, personal
436 SERMONS UPON ROMANS VTIT. [SeR. V.
obedience to the law is still necessary ; for then there would be no hope for them that cannot perfectly fulfil the law, which no man living can do : Ps. cxliii. 2, ' Enter not into judgment with thy servant, for in thy sight shall no man living be justified.' Therefore the third thing we must say, that there is such a measure of obedience necessary, as is sufficient to salvation, and possible by grace, and they that attain to it, the scripture pronounceth them blessed : Luke xi. 28, ' Blessed are they that hear the word of Grod and keep it ; ' and John xiii. 17, ' If ye know these things, happy are you if you do them.'
4. That the righteousness of the law not only can, but must be ful- filled in us, or else we are yet in our sins, and have no portion and interest in Christ : 2 Cor. v. 17, ' Whosoever is in Christ is a new creature.' And a new creature must have a new conversation, for ' all old things are passed away, and all things are become new.' They are enabled in some measure to fulfil the law of God. Christ being the lawgiver of the Church, or renewed state of mankind, hath set down the terms of life and death ; to his terms we must stand or fall : now, ' He is the author of eternal salvation to them that obey him, ' Heb. V. 9. Therefore every one that would be delivered from wrath to come, must look after holiness, and obey God according to his will declared in his law. Certainly Christ died not to purchase an indulgence for us to live in sin ; the law hath not its right, it looketh like a law given in vain, if it be not obeyed.