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THE SPIRITUALITY OF THE LAW
WHEN we behold the extreme supineness of those around us in relation to their eternal concerns, we are naturally led to inquire, What the reason of it is? Is it that they imagine there is no God; or no future state; or no connexion between their present life and their eternal destiny? No: they acknowledge their accountableness to God; but they are ignorant of the rule by which they shall be judged: and hence they conclude that they are in no danger, when, if they were apprised of their real state, they would he filled with alarm and terror. Thus it was with the Apostle Paul previous to his conversion: whilst ignorant of the spiritual nature of God’s law, he thought himself secure of acceptance with God: but when he had juster views of the law, he had juster views of his own spiritual condition also. Here then, as in a glass, we see,
I. The apprehensions which ignorant men have of their state before God—
[None are so blind as to think they have never sinned: but the generality suppose that they have never sinned in any great degree, so as to endanger their eternal happiness, or to justify God in consigning them over to eternal misery. If in some respects their actions have been incorrect, they have had no bad intentions: their conduct may have been bad; but their hearts were good. If they have refrained from gross immoralities, and been observant of some outward duties, they will, like the Pharisee, “thank God that they are not as other men;” and will boast before him of the good deeds which they have done [Note: Luk_18:11-12.]. As for being in any danger of perishing, they cannot for a moment admit the idea: they think, that if God were to cast them into hell, he would be unjust; that they have never merited such a doom: and it would be quite irreconcileable with the goodness of God to suppose him capable of proceeding with such severity against persons of their description. Such were Paul’s views of himself; “he was alive without the law once:” having extremely contracted views of his duty, he thought he had done nothing to deserve punishment, and was secure of eternal life and salvation. And such is the delusion by which the whole host of unconverted men are blinded at this day.]
Hence we perceive,
II. The means by which alone they can be brought to a juster knowledge of their state—
[When God was pleased to arrest Paul in his way to Damascus, and to reveal himself to him, he discovered to him the spirituality and extent of the law. Paul had before thought that the commandments related only to outward acts; whereas he was now made to see that an inordinate desire was as much forbidden as the most criminal action; and that an impure or angry thought were in God’s sight as adultery or murder [Note: ver. 7. with Mat_5:22-23.]: he saw too that the curse of the law was denounced against every violation of its commands; and that it as truly condemned men for a dissatisfied or envious wish, as for the most flagrant transgression [Note: Gal_3:10.]. From this time all his delusions vanished: he no longer cherished the fond idea of meriting salvation by his past or future obedience: he saw that he had not in any one action of his life come up to the full demands of the law; and that consequently he must renounce all dependence on the law for his justification before God.
Thus were his views rectified: and it is in this way alone that any one can attain a just knowledge of his state. “The commandment must come” with power to his conscience: he must see the spirituality of the law as extending to every thought and motion of the heart, and the holiness of the law as unalterably consigning over to the curse every one who shall transgress it in the smallest particular. Then his hopes from it will for ever vanish; and he will seek for mercy solely through the atoning blood and righteousness of the Lord Jesus.]
But let us more distinctly consider,
III. The view they will have of themselves, when rightly informed—
[Whilst men are ignorant what the law requires, sin appears to be, as it were, dead, and destitute of power either to enslave or condemn them: but when they have a discovery of the law, they will perceive that sin has all along exercised a tyrannic sway over them, and brought them under the heaviest condemnation. Their whole life will appear to have been one uninterrupted course of sin; and to have been spent, unwittingly indeed, but truly, in “treasuring up wrath against the day of wrath.” Their best actions now will be viewed as defiled with sin, and as deserving punishment: and they will see their need of one to “bear the iniquity of their holy things,” as well as of their more evident transgressions. They will now confess, that “if God should enter into judgment with them, they could not answer him” for one act, or word, or thought, in their whole lives. Hence they lie before him as sinners under sentence of “death,” and cast themselves wholly on the mercy of God in Christ Jesus. Instead of rising against the denunciations of his wrath, as they once did, they are dumb [Note: Mat_22:12.]; well knowing that “he will be justified in his sayings, and be clear when he judgeth [Note: Psa_51:4.].” Thus from thinking themselves “alive” and pure, “sin revives in them, and they die.”]
Improvement—
1. How mistaken then are they who imagine that they have no cause to fear the wrath of God!
[We will grant, that, according to the world’s estimate, they are very worthy characters: but are they more exemplary than the Apostle Paul was before his conversion? Let them hear his own account of himself, and judge [Note: Php_3:4-6.]. If then he, when his eyes were opened, saw that he was a “dead” condemned sinner, let not any of us delude ourselves with the idea that we are in any better state — — —]
2. How suited is the Gospel to those who feel their guilt and misery!
[Are we lost? it was such persons that Christ came to seek and to save. Have we nothing to present to God in order to obtain salvation? He requires nothing at our hands, but to receive it freely from him “without money, and without price” — — — Let “the law then be to us as a schoolmaster, to bring us unto Christ;” and let us look to “Christ as the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.”]