(2.) God hath given unto the Lord Christ all power in his name, to require this obedience from all that receive the Gospel. Others are left under the original authority of the Lav^, either as implanted in our natures at their first creation, as are the Gentiles; or as delivered by Moses, and written in tables of stone, as it was with the Jews, Rom. ii. 12-15. But as unto them that are called unto the faith of the Gospel, the authority of Christ doth immediately affect their minds and consciences. " He feeds " or rules his people " in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God,'' Micah v. 4. All the authority and majesty of God is in him
138 THE PERSON OF CHRIST.
and with him ; — so of old, as the great Angel of God's presence, he was in the church in the wilderness with a delegated power, Exod. xxiii. 20-22 : " Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared : beware of him, and obey his voice, provoke him not; for he will not pardon your transgressions: for my name is in him. But if thou shalt indeed obey his voice, and do all that I speak," &c. The name of God the Father is so in him — that is, he is so partaker of the same nature with him — that his voice is the voice of the Father: " If thou obey his voice, and do all that I speak." Nevertheless, he acts herein as the Angel of God, with power and authority delegated from him. So is he still immediately present with the church, requiring obedience in the name and majesty of God.
(3.) All judgment upon and concerning this obedience is com- mitted unto him by the Father: "For the Father judgeth no man," (that is, immediately as the Father,) "but hath committed all judgment unto the Son," John v. 22 ; He " hath given him autho- rity to execute judgment, because he is the Son of man," verse 27. And his judgment is the judgment of God ; for the Father, who judgeth none immediately in his own person, judgeth all in him, 1 Peter i. 17 : "If ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work." He doth so in and by the Son, unto whom all judgment is committed. And unto him are we to have regard in all our obedience, unto whom we must give our account concerning it, and by whom we are and must be finally judged upon it. To this purpose speaks the apostle, Rom. xiv. 10-12, " We shall all stand before the judgment-seat of Christ. For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then eveiy one of us shall give account of himself to God." He proveth that we shall all stand before the judgment-seat of Christ, or be judged by him, by a testimony of Scripture that we shall be also judged by God himself, and give an account of ourselves unto him. And as this doth undeniably prove and confirm the divine nature of Christ, without the faith whereof there is neither cogency in the apostle's testimony nor force m his arg-uing ; so he declares that God judgeth us only in and by him. In this regard of our moral obedience unto Christ lies the way whereby God will be glorified.
Secondly, All things are yet more plain with respect unto institu- tions of divine worship. The appointment of all divine ordinances under the New Testament was his especial province and work, as the Son and Lord over his own house; and obedience unto him in the observance of them is that which he gives in especial charge unto all his disciples, Matt, xxviii. 18-20. And it is nothing but a loss of
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LOVE THE PRINCIPLE OF OBEDIENCE TO CHRIST. 139
that subjection of soul and conscience unto him which is indispens- ably required of aU behevers, that hath set the minds of so many at liberty to do and observe in divine worship what they please, without any regard unto his institutions. It is otherwise with respect unto moral duties ; for the things of the moral law have an obligation on our consciences antecedent unto the enforcement of them by the authority of Christ, and there hold us fast. But as unto things of the latter sort, our consciences can no way be affected with a sense of them, or a necessity of obedience in them, but by the sole and immediate authority of Christ himself If a sense hereof be lost in our minds, we shaU not abide in the observance of his commands.
CHAPTER XII.
The especial Principle of Obedience unto the Person of Christ ; which is Love — Its Truth and Reality Vindicated.
That which doth enliven and animate the obedience whereof we have discoursed, is love. This himself makes the foundation of all that is acceptable unto him. " If," saith he, " ye love me, keep my commandments," John xiv. 15. As he distinguisheth between love and obedience, so he asserts the former as the foundation of the latter. He accepts of no obedience unto his commands that doth not proceed from love unto his person. That is no love which is not fruitful in obedience; and that is no obedience which proceeds not from love. So he expresseth on both sides : " If a man love me, he will keep my words ; " and, " He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings," verses 23, 24.