The Works of John Bunyan, vol 1 by John Bunyan (books to read to improve english .TXT) 📕

and of promise (Gal 4:30).[23]

But to pass this objection. Before I come to the next reason, I shall yet for the further clearing of this, urge these scriptures more.

[Further scriptures to prove the second reason.]

1. The first is that in Galatians 3:10, ‘As many as are of the works of the law are under the curse.’

Behold how boldly Paul asserts it! And observe it, he saith not here, so many as sin against the law—though that be true—but, ‘As many as are of the works of the law.’ But what, then, are the works of the law? Not whoredom, murder, theft, and the like; but works that are holy and good, the works commanded in the ten commandments, as to love God, abhor idols, reverence the name of God, keeping the Sabbath, honouring thy parents, abstaining from adultery, murder, theft, false-witness, and not to covet what is thy neighbour’s—these are the works of the law. Now he, saith Paul, that is of these is under the curse of God. But what is it then to be of these? Why, to be found in the practice of them, and there resting; this is the man that is under the curse: not because the works of the law are wicked in themselves, but because the man that is in the practice of them comes short of answering the exactness of them, and therefore dies for his imperfections (Rom 2:17).

2. The second scripture is that of the eleventh verse of the same chapter, ‘But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident; for, The just shall live by faith.’

These words, ‘the just shall live by faith,’ are taken out of the Old Testament, and are thrice used by this apostle in the New.

(1.) To show that nothing of the gospel can be apprehended but by faith: ‘For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith.’ ‘As it is written, The just shall live by faith’ (Rom 1:17). (2.) To show that the way to have relief and succour under temptation is then to live by faith: ‘Now the just shall live by faith’ (Heb 10:38) (3.) But in this of the Galatians it is urged to show that how holy and just soever men be in themselves, yet as such they are dead, and condemned to death by the law before God.

But that no man is justified by the law, in the sight of God, is evident; for, ‘the just shall live by faith.’

The word ‘just,’ therefore, in this place in special, respecteth a man that is just, or that so esteems himself by the law, and is here considered in a double capacity; first, what he is before men; secondly, what he is before God. (1.) As he stands before men, he is just by the law; as Paul before his conversion (Phil 3:4). (2.) As he stands in the sight of God; so, without the faith of Christ, he cannot be just, as is evident; for ‘the just shall live,’ not by his justice or righteousness by the law.

This is the true intent of this place. Because they carry with them a supposition that the just here intended may be excluded life, he falling within the rejection asserted within the first part of the verse. No man is just by the law in the sight of God; for ‘the just shall live by faith’: his justice cannot make him live, he must live by the faith of Christ.[24] Again, the words are a reason dissuasive, urged to put a stop to those that are seeking life by the law; as if the apostle had said, Ye Galatians! what are you doing? Would you be saved by keeping the law? Would you stand just before God thereby? Do you not hear the prophets, how they press faith in Jesus, and life by faith in him? Come, I will reason with you, by way of supposition. Were it granted that you all loved the law, yet that for life, will avail you nothing; for, ‘the just shall live by faith.’

Were it granted that you kept the law, and that no man on earth could accuse you; were you therefore just before God? No; neither can you live by works before him; for ‘the just shall live by faith.’

Why not live before him? Because when we have done our best, and are applauded of all the world for just, yet then God sees sin in our hearts: ‘He putteth no trust in his saints; yea, the heavens are not clean in his sight’ (Job 15:15, 4:18). There is then a just man that perisheth in his righteousness, if he want the faith of Christ, for that no man is justified by the law, in the sight of God, is evident; for, ‘the just shall live by faith’; and the law is not of faith.

3. The third Scripture is this—‘We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified’ (Gal 2:15,16).

These words are the result of the experienced Christians in the primitive times; yea, of those among them that had given up themselves before to the law, to get life and heaven thereby; the result, I say, of believing Jews—We who are Jews by nature. But how are they distinguished from the Gentiles? Why, they are such that rest in the law, and make their boast of God; that know his will, and approve the things that are excellent; that are guides to the blind, and a light to them that are in darkness; that are instructors of the foolish, teachers of babes, and which have the form of knowledge, and of the truth of the law (Rom 2:17-19). How far these attained we find by that of the Pharisee—I pray, I fast, I give tithes of all (Luke 18:11,12); and by the young man in the gospel—‘All these have I kept from my youth up’; and by that of Paul—‘Touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless’

(Phil 3:6). This was the Jew by nature, to do and trust in this.[25]

Now these attaining afterwards the sound knowledge of sin, the depravedness of nature, and the exactions of the law, fled from the command of the law to the Lord Jesus for life. ‘We knowing’ is—We that are taught of God, and that have found it by sad experience, we, even we, have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law.

Surely, if righteousness had come by the law, Paul and the Jews had found it, they being by many privileges far better than the sinners of the Gentiles; but these, when they received the word of the gospel, even these now fly to Christ from the law, that they might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law.

To conclude this. If righteous men, through the knowledge of the gospel, are made to leave the law of God, as despairing of life thereby, surely righteousness is not to be found in the law; I mean that which can justify thee before God from the curse who livest and walkest in the law. I shall, therefore, end this second reason with what I have said before—‘Men must be justified from the curse in the sight of God while sinful in themselves.’

The Third Reason.—Another reason why not one under heaven can be justified by the law, or by his own personal performances to it, is, because since sin was in the world, God hath rejected the law and the works thereof for life (Rom 7:10).

It is true, before man had sinned, it was ordained to be unto life; but since, and because of sin, the God of love gave the word of grace. Take the law, then, as God hath established it; to wit, to condemn all flesh (Gal 3:21); and then there is room for the promise and the law, the one to kill, the other to heal; and so the law is not against the promises; but make the law a justifier, and faith is made void, and the promise is made of none effect (Rom 4:14); and the everlasting gospel, by so doing, thou endeavourest to root out of the world. Methinks, since it hath pleased God to reject the law and the righteousness thereof for life, such dust and ashes as we are should strive to consent to his holy will, especially when in the room of this [covenant] of works there is established a better covenant, and that upon better promises. The Lord hath rejected the law, for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof; for, finding fault with them of the law, ‘The days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel,’ &c. (Heb 8:8).

Give God leave to find fault with us, and to condemn our personal performances to death, as to our justification before him thereby; let him do it, I say; and the rather, because he doth by the gospel present us with a better. And certainly, if ever he be pleased with us, it will be when he findeth us in that righteousness that is of his own appointing.

[Six things that incline the heart to seek to the law for life.]

To conclude. Notwithstanding all that hath or can be said, there are six things that have great power with the heart to bend it to seek life before God by the law; of all which I would caution that soul to beware, that would have happiness in another world.

First. Take heed thou be not made to seek to the law for life, because of that name and majesty of God which thou findest upon the doctrine of the law (Exo 20:1). God indeed spake all the words of the law, and delivered them in that dread and majesty to men that shook the hearts of all that heard it. Now this is of great authority with some, even to seek for life and bliss by the law. ‘We know,’

said some, ‘that God spake to Moses’ (John 9:29). And Saul rejected Christ even of zeal towards God (Acts 22:3). What zeal? Zeal towards God according to the law, which afterwards he left and rejected, because he had found out a better way. The life that he once lived, it was by the law; but afterwards, saith he, ‘The life which I now live,’ it is by faith, ‘by the faith of Jesus Christ’ (Gal 2:20).

So that though the law was the appointment of God, and had also his name and majesty upon it, yet now he will not live by the law.

Indeed, God is in the law, but yet only as just and holy, not as gracious and merciful; so he is only in Jesus Christ. ‘The law,’

the word of justice, ‘was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ’ (John 1:17). Wherefore, whatever of God thou findest in the law, yet seeing grace and mercy is not there, let neither the name of God, nor that majesty that thou findest of him in