Now, there are sundry things required to our walking with God in obedience, so that it may answer the tenor of the covenant wherein we are agreed.
[1.] That it proceed from faith in God, by Christ the mediator. Faith in God, in general, is, and must be, the principle of all obe- dience, in what covenant soever, Heb. xi. 6 ; but faith in God, through Christ the mediator, is the principle of that obedience which, accord- ing to the tenor of the new covenant, is accepted. Hence it is called
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" The obedience of faith," Rom. i. 5 ; that is, of faith in God by Christ, as the foregoing and following words evince. His blood is the blood of this covenant, Heb. ix. 15, x. 29. The covenant itself is confirmed and ratified thereby; and by the blood of that covenant do we receive what we receive from God, Zech. ix. 1 ] . Hence, whenever God makes mention of the covenant to Abraham, and stirs him up to the obe- dience that is required in it, he still mentions the "seed;" "which is Christ/' saith the apostle, Gal. hi. 16. As it is said, in general, that " he that comes to God must believe that he is ; " so, in particular, as to the new covenant, Christ says of himself, " I am the way : " there is no going to the Father but by him, John xiv. 6. They who have believed in God, must be careful to maintain good works, Tit. iii. 8; that is, they who have believed in God through Christ. If, in our obedience, we walk with God according to the tenor of the new covenant, that obedience ariseth from justifying faith ; that is, faith in God through Christ.
[2.] That it be perfect; that is, that the person be perfect or up- right therein: " Walk before me, and be thou perfect," Gen. xvii. 1. It was said of Noah, that he was " perfect in his generations," Gen. vi. 9 ; as it is also said of many others. David bids us " mark the^ perfect man," Ps. xxxvii. 37; that is, the man that walketh with God according to the tenor of the new covenant. And our Saviour, calling for this obedience, commands us to "be perfect, as our heavenly Father is perfect," Matt. v. 48.
Now there is a twofold perfection : —
1st. There is a reXshxrig,— a consummation in righteousness. So it is said of the law, that it " made nothing perfect," Heb. vii. 1 9, or brought nothing to perfect righteousness. And the sacrifices made not the comers unto God by them perfect, Heb. x. 1. They could not rsXsicJsai, consummate the work of righteousness, which was aimed at. In this sense we are said to be perfect, " complete " in Christ, Col. ii. 10; and, as it is said in another case, Ezek. xvi. 14, our beauty is " perfect" through his comeliness. This is the perfection of justi- fication ; whereof we speak not.
Idly. There is a perfection within us. Now this also is twofold : — A complete perfection of enjoyment; and a perfection of tendency towards enjoyment : —
(1st.) In respect of the first, Paul says he y?sus not made perfect, Phil. iii. 12; and tells us where and by whom it is obtained, Heb. xii. 23, " The spirits of just men made perfect." Just men are not thus made perfect until their spirits be brought into the presence of God. This perfection is the aim of Christ's redemption, Eph. v. 25, 26 ; and of all their obedience, Eph. iv. 14. But this is not the perfec- tion which the covenant requires, but which it tends and brings to,
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whilst by the promise of it we are earned on in the work of " perfect- ing holiness in the fear of God/' 2 Cor. vii. 1. See Job ix. 20.
(2dly.) There is also a perfection of tendency to this end. So Noah is said to be perfect, and Job perfect ; and God commands Abra- ham to be perfect ; and David describes the happy condition of the perfect man. Concerning this, observe, —
[lsi] There is no word in the Scripture whereby this perfection, and being perfect, is expressed, that in its use is restrained to such an absolute perfection as should admit of no mixture of failing or defect. The word used concerning Noah, and in the terms of the covenant to Abraham, is ^^, of QJ?, from QP£; which hath various significations. When spoken in the abstract, as &£ is often used, it signifies " simpli- city of manners," without craft; which, in the New Testament, is ax.ax.la [axaxog, Rom. xvi. 18]. So Jacob is said to be &n B^ Gen. xxv. 27, which we have rendered, "a plain man;" that is, plain- hearted, without guile, — as Christ speaks of Nathanael. Of this sense of the word you have a notable example, 1 Kings xxii. 34, where the man that slew Ahab is said to draw a bow '^^f, " in his simplicity," which we have rendered, " at a venture ;" that is, without any perni- cious design in particular. So, Job ix. 21, B£ is opposed to V^l; that is, to him that is " unquiet, malicious," and " perverse." Such a man in the New Testament is said to be aviyxXrtrog and u/aw'aoc, — that is, " one that cannot be justly blamed," or reproved, " for dealing per- versely." Many other instances might be given. The word ">£C, which we have commonly rendered " upright," is used also to this purpose ; but it is so known that this word in its use in the Scripture goes no farther than " integrity," nor reaches to an absolute perfection, that I shall not need to insist on it.