A. Rev. xxii. 14; Rom. ii. C-S ; Tit. ii. 11-13; 2 Thess. i. 5.
Ans. 1. In what sense it is possible to keep the commandments, in what not, hath been declared. 2. How it is necessary, or in what sense, or for what end, Mr B. hath not yet spoken, though he sup- poseth he hath ; but we will take it for granted that it is necessary for us so to do, in that sense and for that end and purpose for which it is of us required. 8. To allow, then, the gentleman the advantage of his captious procedure by a multiplication of entangled queries, and to take them in that order wherein they lie : —
To the first, " Whether we may keep the commandments that we may have right to eternal life," I say, — 1. Keeping of the command- ments in the sense acknowledged may be looked on, in respect of eternal life, either as the cause procuring it or as the means con- ducing to it. 2. A right to eternal life may be considered in respect of the rise and constitution of it, or of the present evidence and last enjoyment of it. There is a twofold right to the kingdom of heaven, — a right of desert, according to the tenor of the covenant of works, and a right of j^'^^omise, according to the tenor of the covenant of grace. I say, then, that it is not lawful, — that is, it is not the way, rule, and tenor of the gospel, — that we should do or keep the commandments, so that doing or keeping should be the cause procuring and obtain- ing an original right, as to the rise and constitution of it, or a right of desert, to eternal life. This is the perfect tenor of the covenant of works and righteousness of the law, " Do this, and live ; if a man do the work of the law, he shall live thereby; " and, " If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments;" which, if there be any gospel or new covenant confirm^ed in the blood of Christ, is antiquated as to its efficacy, and was [so,] ever since the entrance of sin into the world, as being ineffectual for the bringing of any soul unto God, Rom. viii, 3; Heb. viii. 11, 12. This, if it were needful, I might confirm with innumerable texts of Scripture, and the transcription of a good j^art of the epistles of Paul in particular. 3. The inheritance which is pur- chased for us by Christ, and is the gift of God, plainly excludes all such confidence in keeping the commandments as is pleaded for. For my part, I willingly ascribe to obedience any thing that hath a consistency (in reference to eternal life) with the full purchase of Christ and the free donation of God ; and therefore I say, — 4. As a means appointed of God, as the way wherein we ought to walk, for the coming to and obtaining of the inheritance so fully purchased
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and freely given, for the evidencing of the right given us thereto by the blood of Christ, and giving actual admission to the enjoyment of the purchase, and to testify our free acceptation with God and adop- tion on that account, so we ought to do and keep the commandments, — that is, walk in holiness, without which none shall see God. This is all that is intended. Rev. xxii. 1 4. Christ speaks not there to un- believers, showing wliat they must do to be justified and saved, but to redeemed, justified, and sanctified ones, showing them their way of admission and the means of it to the remaining privileges of the purchase made by his blood.
His next question is, " May we seek for honour, and glory, and im- mortality, by well-doing?" which words are taken from Rom. ii. 7.
I answer, The words there are used in a law sense, and are decla- rative of the righteousness of God in rewarding the keepers of the law of nature, or the moral law, according to the law of the cove- nant of works. This is evident from the whole design of the apostle in that place, which is to convince all men, Jews and Gentiles, of sin against the law, and of the impossibility of the obtaining the glory of God thereby. So, in particular, from verse 10, where salvation is annexed to woi'ks in the very terms wherein the righteousness of the law is expressed by Mr B. in the chapter of justification, and in direct opposition whereunto the apostle sets up the righteousness of the gospel, chap. i. 1 7, iii., iv. But yet, translate the words into a go-spel sense; consider " well-doing " as the way appointed for us to walk in for the obtaining of the end mentioned, and consider ''glory, and honour, and immortality," as a reward of our obedience, purchased by Christ and freely promised of God on that account, and I say we may, we ought, " by patient continuing in well-doing, to seek for glory, and honour, and immortality; " that is, it is our duty to abide in the way and use of the means prescribed for the obtaining of the inheritance purchased and promised. But yet this with the limita- tions before in part mentioned; as, — 1. That of ourselves we can do no good ; 2. That the ability we have to do good is purchased for us by Christ ; 3. This is not so full in this life as that we can per- fectly, to all degrees of perfection, do good or yield obedience to the law ; 4. That which by grace we do yield and perform is not the cause procuring or meriting of that inheritance; which, 5. As the grace whereby we obey, is fully purchased for us by Christ, and freely bestowed upon us by God.