HAVING shown that believers are dead to the law, we must now consider the law as dead to them.
All those who are dead to the law, as a covenant, the law, under that consideration, is dead to them. As the relation is mutual, while it subsists at all, so is the death. Considered as the off spring of Adam, we are born under the law, as a covenant: we look to it for life, and continue in that situation while unregenerate. But, when the Spirit of God enlightens the mind to discern our state, and awakens the conscience to apprehend our danger; all expectations of life by our own obedience are blasted. We flee to Jesus Christ as the end of the law; take shelter under another covenant; and are no longer subject to the law as prescribing the condition of life, nor any more liable to its awful curse. It is, in that respect, dead; and our deliverance from it is complete,
This comfortable truth, we are taught, by the pen of inspiration, in the Epistle of Paul to the Romans. Thus we read, Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law) how that the law hath dominion over a man so long as it liveth.*
* That the apostle here designs the law, not the man, has been observed by many. So understood, it seems much better to agree with the following illustration, and with the scope of the place in general.
For the woman who hath a husband, is bound by the law to her husband, so long as he liveth: but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband. So then, if while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adultress; but if her husband be dead, she is free from the law; so that she is no adultress, though she be married to another man. Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law, by the body of Christ, that ye should be married to another, even to Him who is raised from the dead,--but now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held. (Rom. vii. 1, 2, 3, 4, 6.)
On this remarkable passage we may observe, That the divine law, by an usual figure of speech, is described as a person. It is compared to a husband, to whom some are married, and to whom others are dead. To the law, in its covenant-form, men naturally cleave, as a wife to her husband. They look to it for justification, and on their obedience, to it they depend for everlasting life. Their hopes of happiness and fears of misery rise and fall, in exact proportion to that obedience which they suppose themselves to perform, in conformity to its commands, and the consciousness they have of their disobedience to it. Such expectations and fears prove, that they are alive to the law; and this infers, that the law is alive to them: and while alive to them, it has dominion over them.
This dominion of the law is absolute. It extends to all the powers of the mind, and all the members of the body; to all the imaginations of the heart, and all their effects in the life. It requires, on the dreadful peril of incurring its highest displeasure, and of suffering its heaviest curse, that all these, in every instance and perpetually, should perfectly correspond with its righteous demands. This the apostle illustrates in the following manner: – For the woman which hath an husband, is bound by the law to her husband, so long as he liveth. In like manner, all who are alive to the law and married to it, are bound to obey it, in all things, so long as it lives. Nothing but death can dissolve the obligation. Either the law, as a husband, must die to the sinner, or the sinner, as wedded to the law, must die to all expectations of justification by it, before he can be loosed from its commands, as prescribing the condition of life, or be freed from its tremendous threatenings. That this two-fold death takes place as to the law and a regenerate man, the unerring writer proceeds to assert, But if her husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband. As that relation which the law of marriage regards, was entirely dissolved by the husband's death; so the law itself must unavoidably and absolutely cease, together with all its consequences! and as the wife has no further expectations of assistance from him, he being dead; so she has no longer any fear of incurring his displeasure. Being thus freed from her former husband, she is entirely at liberty to marry another man, without being chargeable with adultery.
The apostle now proceeds to apply the comparison, Wherefore, my brethren, just such is your case, The law, as a husband, was once alive, and had dominion over you; but now it is dead. Ye also were once alive to the law, but are now become dead to it, Having seen its infinite purity, and felt its killing power, (2 Cor. lii. 6, 7.) ye were obliged to acknowledge, that you could not be justified by it. Reluctantly ye quitted your self-righteous hopes;--but, having heard the glorious gospel, and being, by the sacred Spirit, enabled to behold the body of Christ; that body which the Son of God assumed, when he was made under the law; and viewing the glory of that obedience which he performed, and the greatness of those sufferings which he underwent, in that immaculate body, to satisfy the law and justify sinners; with the utmost readiness ye renounced your own righteousness. Having found Jesus, the pearl of great prices and in him all that you need, ye freely relinquished your former pleas. Thus ye became dead to the law, that ye should be married to another and a better husband; even to HIM who died on the cross to atone for your sins, and is raised from the dead to present you complete. (Col. i. 22.) Yes, my brethren, that adorable Person is now become the object of your strongest affection. To him ye look for every assistance; on him ye depend for all your salvation. This being our happy case, we are delivered from the law. Its dominion over us is entirely ceased. No longer has it authority to demand obedience from us, more or less, as the condition of life; or to denounce a curse upon us for disobedience. Nor can it be otherwise with us, as believers, or with the law as a covenant. For the inspired author adds, as a reason of his former assertion, That being dead wherein we were held. We were bound, by the law, to sinless obedience. That was the least it required; and, for non-performance, it held us accursed. Thus we were held by it, and under it: but now it is dead. The obligation we were under to perfect, personal obedience, as the condition of life, is therefore cancelled. Nor are we any longer obnoxious to its penal sanction; for we are not under the law, but under grace. Happy deliverance! Wonderful change! Such is the purport of the important paragraph.
Nor has the law, as a covenant, the least room to complain. For this way of deliverance from its high demands and awful sanction, is as equitable in itself, as it is comfortable to the believer. Its precepts were not given, nor its curse denounced, in vain. For though the chosen of God were unable to perform the one, or to suffer the other, in their own persons: yet, in their Head, Representative, and Surety, its precepts were inviolably kept, and on him its curse was fully executed. It was entirely on their behalf, that the Eternal Word became incarnate. It was in their name and in their stead, that he obeyed the commands of the law, and suffered its penalty. Now all this being according to the eternal compact, in the counsels of Heaven, and to manifest the riches of divine grace in the salvation of sinners, it is imputed to them, and they are invested with it. Theirs it was, in the design of God, before they had a being, or time began; which secured them from final condemnation. Theirs it is, in the happy enjoyment, when dead to the law; which frees them from slavish fears, which produces in them a holy liberty arid heavenly joy. Theirs it is, to justify and save; to render complete in the eye of the law, and eternally blessed in the fruition of God.
While sinners are alive to the law, and the law has dominion over them, its requisitions are high and its language is terrible! for whatsoever things the law, as a covenant, saith, it saith to them that are under the law. But when dead to it, and when they commence believers, it addresses them in a milder tone, and with sweeter accents. Viewing them in Jesus Christ, their exalted head, its pacific language is, 'I own myself entirely fulfilled; I acknowledge myself completely satisfied. True it is, my nature is not in the least altered; my requirements are not at all abated. My end, as commanding, is still a perfect righteousness; (Rom. x. 4.) my end, as violated, is still extreme punishment. (Gal. iii. 10.) I cannot but require perfect love to God, perfect love to man, and perfect holiness both in heart and life. Never abating a tittle of these demands, I denounce the curse on every offender, and on the least departure from absolute perfection. But here, believers, is your safety, and this is your comfort: my precepts have been fully obeyed by Jesus your Substitute. This obedience I consider as far superior to the spotless innocence of your first father, while in the bowers of paradise, and to the sanctity of angels in the glory of heaven; It is possessed of infinite worth, and by it I am highly magnified. (Isa. xlii. 21.)This is your comfort, believers, that the curse due to your sins, has been executed on your most holy Surety; and his most bitter sufferings were more than equal to your eternal misery. As he performed that matchless obedience, and underwent those unparalleled sufferings in your nature, and professedly in your stead; I am thoroughly satisfied, and you are completely justified. Now, though I cannot dispense with the least fault, or connive at your infirmity, yet I behold all your faults laid on Immanuel; I behold all his righteousness imputed to you. On His account I acquit you from guilt; I accept you as righteous, and pronounce you worthy of eternal life. Hail, ye highly favoured of the Lord! Ye are wise,--ye are safe, ye are happy! My Author and your God has pronounced you blessed; and shall I seek to reverse it? Your Redeemer has died, your Redeemer is risen; and shall I dispute whether satisfaction was made? How shall I curse whom the Lord hath not cursed? Such is the language of divine law, to him that believes in the Lord Redeemer; and in this justice itself acquiesces: while both agree to expedite and ascertain his eternal salvation. (Mr. Hervey's Eleven Letters to Mr. J. Wesley, p. 134, 135.)
What reason, then, has the believer to rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory! To rejoice, not in himself, but in the Lord his righteousness. Joy in the Lord is his exalted privilege, (Philip. iv. 4.) and thankfulness to God should be his constant business. For, in the Redeemer's obedience, he is not only pardoned and freed from punishment, but is also the object of divine complacency, Though, in himself, loathsome with impurity, and foul as the dunghill; laden with guilt, and obnoxious to ruin; yet, being interested in this most excellent righteousness, and vested with this most beautiful robe; he is pronounced righteous by infinite justice, and declared absolutely fair, in the eye of Omniscience. (Numb. xxiii. 22. Jer. i. 20. Cant. iv. 7. Eph. v. 27.Col. i. 22.) While alive to the law, the righteousness in which he trusted was extremely imperfect. It could neither procure pardon for his offences, nor peace for his conscience: neither adorn him for the glory of heaven, nor screen him from the vengeance of hell; but this,--being wrought, finished, and infinitely ennobled, by our incarnate God, –this, O believer! is all in all. By this you have pardon of sin, and peace with your Maker; are delivered from death, and entitled to glory. In this you shall be admitted to the marriage supper of the Lamb, and in it you shall shine to all eternity.
But, lest any awakened sinner should complain: Though the righteousness be supremely glorious, it is quite out of my reach, be it observed, That the righteousness itself, and all the blessings connected with it, are the gifts of the freest grace; for they were all designed, not to distinguish merit, but to enrich the indigent and relieve the miserable. Come, then, trembling sinner! and regard the testimony of God concerning Christ, as affording you an indisputable right to rely on the righteousness, and to expect the blessings. The divine declaration excludes none, no not the vilest that are willing to come to Jesus. (John vi. 37. Matt. xi. 28.) The most enormous crimes and the greatest unworthiness are no objection at all, on the part of our Saviour. Why, then, should they be a discouragement to you? Remember, awakened sinner, that it is GRACE to which you must apply for relief; and grace, in the very nature of things, has no concern but with the UNWORTHY. Is it salvation, a great salvation you want? Who then are the proper objects of such a favour? The holy? the righteous? those who can help themselves? No; but the guilty; the miserable; those who deserve damnation. These, –let the desponding hear and rejoice! and let the mouth of proud infidelity be for ever stopped,--these are the proper objects of a great, a free, a divine salvation. On such, grace will be magnified. From such Immanuel will have the glory which is due to his beneficent and charming name, JESUS. May the Lord the Spirit, whose office it is to lead into all truth, and to glorify Christ, direct my reader's inquiries, and satisfy his doubts! May he die to the law, and to all self-righteous hopes! Then shall the law be dead to him. Being married to the heavenly Bridegroom; interested in his person, and endowed with his riches, he shall bring forth fruit to God. (Rom. vii. 4.) His mind shall be peaceful, and his life useful. He shall be attended here, with inviolable safety; hereafter, he shall enjoy unutterable bliss.