by Rev. John Colquhoun D.D., Leith
The peculiar and distinguishing qualities of the moral law, are these:
1. It is universal, or of vast extent.
It extends to all men, in every age, place, and condition and to all their inclinations, thoughts, words, and actions. “Now we know,” says the apostle Paul, “that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law; that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore, by the deeds of the law, there shall no flesh be justified in his sight.” Whilst it binds all the human race, at all times, and in all places and conditions, it reaches to all the dispositions, thoughts, and purposes of the heart, as well as to all the words, and actions of the life. It extends to every motion and affection of the soul, and to every part and circumstance of human conduct. The Divine law is a rule for the heart, as well as for the life, of every descendant of Adam. “Thy commandment,” says David, “is exceeding broad.” No finite understanding can reach the boundary of it, or find out how comprehensive it is. It extends to countless multitudes of things, in every moment, and in every possible circumstance. The moral law, indeed, is summed up in the ten commandments; but it extends itself, notwithstanding, through the whole word of God. So extensive are those commandments, that every thing which he requires, may be reduced to one or other of them.
2. It is perfect.
“The law of the Lord,” says David, “is perfect, converting the soul.” So perfect is it, “that it binds every one to full conformity in the whole man, unto the righteousness of it, and to entire obedience for ever; so as to require the utmost perfection of every duty, and to forbid the least degree of every sin.” It requires all the duty which a man owes to God, to himself, and to his neighbour; and it demands perfection of obedience. No partial or defective obedience, can be sustained. The smallest degree of imperfection, renders a person obnoxious to the curse: so that, salvation by the law, is absolutely unattainable; because no man, since the fall, can perform the perfect obedience which it demands. The perfection of every grace, and of every act of obedience, is required in it. Nothing must be taken from it, or corrected in it, and nothing is to be added to it. The Lord Jesus explained the law, but he did not, in the smallest degree, either correct, or enlarge it. He and his Apostles taught nothing, but what Moses and the Prophets had previously inculcated. He said, indeed, to his disciples, “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another.” This command, however, is not new as to the substance of it, for it is a summary of the second table of the law; and therefore it is called “an old commandment which we had from the beginning:” but it is styled new, because it is enforced by the new motive and example, of the immense love of Christ in dying for us. This is evident from these words of his, which immediately follow; “As, I have loved you, that ye also love one another.” Christ also commands us to deny ourselves, and to take up our cross and follow him; but these duties are comprised in that of loving God supremely. The prayer likewise, which our Lord taught his disciples, contains no petitions, but what the saints under the Old Testament, were taught to present to Jehovah. Indeed, such is the perfection of the Divine law that it cannot require, or sustain, any thing short of obedience absolutely perfect. It requires not only that, there be no direct violation of any of its precepts, but that, there be no appearance of transgressing any of them; no consent of the heart; no inclination, nor affection, to the smallest violation of any, no secret delight in evil, nor desire that it were lawful; but on the contrary, that there be a supreme delight in the purity and perfection, of every one of its commands. This law is despised and dishonoured, if it be not acknowledged to be so perfect, that nothing can be accepted by it, but that which is in all respects perfect. It demands perfection, in the principles, in the parts, in the degrees, and in the perpetuity of obedience. In a word, such is the perfection of it, that it was sufficient to be the rule, even of the consummate righteousness of Jesus Christ himself.
3. This law is also spiritual.
The Lawgiver is a spirit, the God of the spirits of all flesh; and He beholds all the inclinations and affections of the soul, as well as all the deeds of the body. His law therefore is spiritual, requiring internal, as well as external obedience. It reaches the understanding, will, and affections, with all the other faculties of the soul, as well as all the gestures, words, and actions of the body. It extends, not only to external appearances, words, and works, but to the dispositions, thoughts, principles, motives, and designs of the heart, and requires the spiritual performance, both of internal and external obedience. It requires that, every duty proceed from spiritual principles, such as, union with Christ, faith, love, and every right habit of the soul; that, it be performed in a spiritual manner, that is, according to a spiritual rule, and in the exercise of the graces of the Spirit; and that, it be directed to spiritual ends, the glory of God in Christ, and the eternal enjoyment of Him. Every man is commanded by it, thus “to mind the things of the Spirit,” and so to “live and walk in the Spirit.”
4. It is a holy law.
“The law,” says the apostle Paul, “is holy, and the commandment holy.” The moral law is a fair transcript of the infinite holiness of God’s nature, and an authoritative declaration of his will; and it binds all the children of Adam, to perfect holiness of heart and of life. It enjoins every thing that is holy, every thing, which is conformable to those moral attributes and actions of God, which are patterns for our imitation. Since it is intrinsically pure and holy, it gives no just occasion to the least motion of sin in the heart; but, on the contrary, it discovers, forbids, and condemns every inordinate affection, every unholy desire. It is the immutable, and eternal, standard of all true holiness, whether of the heart, or of the life; and whilst it is both the rule, and the reason of holiness, its direct tendency is, to encourage and advance it, in every regenerate soul. All the precepts of it are perfectly holy, every way becoming an infinitely holy God to publish, and rational creatures to obey. The Divine law is so holy, that it calls for spotless obedience, not only in the words and actions of the life, but in all the inclinations, thoughts, and motions of the heart. It reaches, not only to the streams of actual transgression, but to the fountain of original sin, and calls for perfect holiness of nature, as well as of life. Hence the apostle Paul, as soon as he discerned the holiness of it, considered the first motions of irregular desire, even before the will actually consented to them, as sinful, and bitterly bewailed them, as well as firmly resisted them.
5. Moreover, it is perfectly just and equal.
This righteous law, is exactly suited to our frame as reasonable creatures, and to our condition in this world. It requires nothing from us, but what we owe to God, to ourselves, and to our neighbour, and what we, in the first Adam, had sufficient ability to perform. Accordingly the holy Psalmist says, “The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart.” “I will praise thee with uprightness of heart, when I shall have learned thy righteous judgements.” The law of God is just and right. Its demands are infinitely equitable. And therefore, to fret against any command of it, or to wish, that it were in the smallest degree relaxed, is unjust, and is a breach of the whole law. Seeing it requires nothing, but what we already owe to God, and nothing, but what we are under infinite, and immutable, obligations to pay to him; our obedience to it, supposing that obedience were perfect, could never merit the smallest blessing from him. Were we, indeed, to perform but a single act of obedience, more than we owed to God, we should thereby, merit some recompense from him. But this it is impossible for us ever to do. It is not the obedience even of a true believer, that merits the blessings of salvation for him; but only, the meritorious righteousness of Christ imputed to him.
6. The law is good, as well as holy and just.
The commandments of it are so good, that they require nothing, but what is good in itself, and good for the observers of them. “In keeping of them there is great reward.” They enjoin nothing, but what is conducive to the happiness, both of the souls and the bodies of men. “Great peace,” says the Psalmist, “have they who love thy law; and nothing shall offend them.” The apostle Paul also says, “Glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good; to the Jew first, and also to the Gentiles.” And again, “We know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully.” The chief ingredient, in the happiness of Adam, in innocence, was, his having this law inscribed on his heart. And no man, since the fall, begins to be either good or happy, till this promise begin to be fulfilled to him; “I will put my laws into their minds, and write them in their hearts.” It is this, that makes a man, a good man, and capable of performing good works. As the law then is good, desirable, and excellent; it is most unreasonable, as well as sinful, not to love it, and not to delight in performing universal obedience to it.
7. Lastly, This law is of perpetual obligation.
The precepts of it are indispensable and perpetual. They continue, to direct and oblige all men to perfect obedience, not only through all time, but through all eternity. “It is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one title of the law to fail.” “Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.” The law as a covenant of works, will continue not only through time, but through eternity, to bind all who live and die under that covenant; and the law as a rule of life, will continue binding on the spiritual seed of the second Adam, through time and eternity. It is an immutable and an eternal law. “Every one of thy righteous judgements,” says David, “endureth for ever.”
Is the law of the Lord perfect, and does it require that our obedience be perfect in its principles, parts, degrees, and continuance? It is impossible, then, that sincere obedience, can entitle a sinner to eternal life. A man’s faith may be sincere, but if it is not perfect, it cannot be a proper condition of life; it cannot procure for him, a right to eternal life. His repentance also may be deep and sincere; but if it is not absolutely perfect, it cannot afford him the smallest title, either to the progress, or the consummation of life eternal.* His obedience, in general, may be sincere; yet if it is not absolutely perfect, it cannot give him the smallest degree of title to eternal salvation. These cannot entitle him, in the smallest degree, to life, either according to the law as a covenant of works, or as a rule of life. They are necessary as parts of salvation, and as means of attaining complete salvation; but they cannot be the grounds of a man’s title to salvation. Nothing can be the ground of a believer’s title to salvation, but the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ, received by faith, and imputed to him for justification.
Is the moral law of perpetual obligation? Then it follows that, as a covenant of works, it retains, and will continue throughout eternity, to retain, its whole authority and obligation, over every sinner of mankind who lives and dies under it. In its covenant-form, it stands in full force, and can never be repealed. It will continue, and that through all eternity, to hold the finally impenitent, under both its commanding and its condemning power. They shall remain for ever, under an infinite obligation, both to yield perfect obedience to its righteous precepts, and to give infinite satisfaction for their disobedience of them. There is no possible way, in which, a sinner can be freed from the perpetual obligation of the law as a covenant; but by presenting, in the hand of faith, to it, the infinitely perfect, and meritorious, righteousness of the second Adam, as a full answer to all its high demands. When this glorious righteousness, is received by faith, and graciously imputed to a man, the law in its covenant form, is fully satisfied with respect to him, and, in that form, it has nothing more to demand from him. He now passes from the obligation of the covenant of works, and comes under the perpetual obligation of the law as a rule of duty, in the covenant of grace; and he will remain under its infinite obligation, through all eternity. Even the angels in heaven, are under a law, as their eternal rule of duty. And if the holy angels are not without law to God, surely glorified saints, will be under the law to Christ, as the eternal rule of their obedience. And so ardent, will their love of this holy and righteous law be, that they will account it their highest honour, and their greatest happiness, to continue eternally, under the obligation of yielding perfect obedience to it. No man sincerely loves it, even in an imperfect degree, but the man, who hopes to be under the eternal obligation of it.