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Christ the End of the Law for Righteousness

164621 min read

ROM. 10. 4.

AS the Physitian, (saith Peter Martyr) who intends to give strong physick which may expell noxious humours in the diseased body, doth prepare the body first by some potions to make it fluid and fit for operation: so Paul, being sharply to accuse the Jews, and to drive them out of their selfe righteousness, doth manifest his love to them, sugaring the bitter pill that they might swallow it with more delight, And this his love is manifested, partly by his expression [brethren,] partly by his affections and prayers [my hearts desire and prayer.] The occasion of this his affection is the zeale that they have for God, but in a wrong way: As the skillfull husbandman, that seeth a piece of ground full of weeds, and brambles, wisheth he had that ground, which by culture and tillage would be made very fruitfull. Amo unde amputem, said the Orator, I love the wit that needs some pruning. The luxuriancie is a signe of fertility.

This zeale was not a good zeale, partly because it wanted knowledge, and therefore was like Sampson without his eyes:1 partly because it made them proud, which the Apostle fully expresseth in two particulars: 1, They sought to establish their owne righteousness. They sought, this did imply their willfull pride and arrogancy, and to establish, which supposeth their righteousness was weak and infirme, ready to fall to the ground: but they would set it up for all that, as the Philistims would their Dagon, though he was tumbled downe before the Ark. 2. The Apostle expresseth it signally, when he saith, They submitted not themselves to the righteousness of God; In the originall, They were not submitted, in the passive signification, which still supposeth the great arrogancy that is in a man naturally, being unwilling to deny his owne righteousness, and to take Christ for all. This being so, take notice by the way of a foule errour of the Antinomian, who denying assurance and comfort by signes of grace, laboureth to prove, that an unregenerate man may have universall obedience, and sincere obedience, bringing this instance of the Jews for sincere obedience.

But sincerity may be taken two waies: First, as it opposeth2 gross hypocrisie, and so indeed the Jews zeale was not hypocriticall, because they did not goe against their conscience: or, Secondly, it may be taken as it opposeth the truth of grace, and so the Jews zeale was not a true gracious zeale for the reasons above named. Now my Text, that is given as a reason, why the Jews did look to their owne righteousness, & not that of Gods, because they neglected Christ, who is here said to be the end of the Law for righteousness. The word […] doth sometime signifie,3 the extreme and last end of a thing: Thus Mark. 13. 7. The end is not yet; so those who are against the calling of the nation of the Jews, bring that place, 1 Thes. 2. ver. 16. Wrath is come upon them […], as if there were no mercy to be expected. But this may admit of another exposition. Sometimes the word is used for perfection and fullfilling of a thing, acording to the word […], Rom. 2. 27. Shall not uncircumcision, […] if it fullfill the Law? So James 2. 8. If you fullfill the royall Law. In this sense Aristotle called the soul […] as that which did perfect: And the sacrifices before marriage, which was the consummation of that neer bond, or because of the cost then bestowed, were called […]. Erasmus takes it in this sense here, and doth translate it perfection: for which Beza doth reprove him, saying, he doth not remember that the word is so used any where. But that place, 1 Tim. 7. 5. The end of the commandment is charity, may seem to confirme this sense; for, certainly, that phrase is no more then that in another place, Love is […], the fulfilling of the Law. Therefore I think, this is a great part of the meaning here, Christ is the end, that is, the perfection, the fulness of the Law. Yet, I shall take in also the end of intention, or a scope, unto which the Law-giver aimed when he gave the Law: and this will be shewed in the particulars; The doctrine is, That Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness to every beleever.

For the opening of this consider, 1. That an end may be taken either for that of consumption and abolition; or for that of perfection and confirming: Finis interficiens, and finis perficiens, as Austine called it. Now, in the former sense, Christ was the end of the Ceremoniall Law: the end abolishing; although that was also an end of perfection to them: and so some understand it of the Ceremoniall Law, & the Prophesies: They all shadowed out Christ, and ended in him. And this indeed is a truth, but it is not pertinent to the scope of the Apostle, who speaketh of such a Law, that the Jews expected righteousness by in the performing of it; which must be the Morall Law only.

Now, when we speak of the Morall Law, having Christ for the end of it, then in the second place that may be considered two wayes.

  1. Either rigidly, and in an abstracted consideration from the administration4 of it, as it doth require perfect obedience, and condemning those that have it not: now in this sense Christ cannot be the scope, or end of the Law, but it is meerly by accident, & occasionall, that a soul abased and condemned by the Law doth seek out for a Christ: only you must know, that the Law even so taken doth not exclude a Christ. It requireth indeed a perfect righteousness of our own; yet if we bring the righteousness of a surety, though this be not commanded by the Law, yet it is not against the Law, or excluded by it; otherwise it would have been unjustice in God to have accepted of Christ our surety for us.

  2. Or else the Law may be taken in a more large way for the administration of it by Moses, in all the particulars of it; and thus5 Christ was intended directly, and not by accident; that is, God when he gave the Law to the people of Israel, did intend that the sense of their impossibility to keep it, and infinite danger accrewing thereby to them, should make them desire and seek out for Christ: which the Jews generally not understanding, or neglecting, did thereby, like Adam, go to make fig-leaves for their covering of their nakedness, their empty, externall obedience.

According to this purpose Aquinas hath a good distinction about an end; That an end is two-fold: Either such, to which a thing doth naturally incline of it self: Or secondly, that which becometh an end, by the meere appointment and ordination of some Agent. Now the end of the Law, to which naturally it inclineth, is eternall life to be obtained by a perfect righteousness in us; but the instituted and appointed end, which God the Lawgiver made in the promulgation of it, was the Lord Christ: So that, whatsoever the Law commanded, promised, or threatned, it was to stir up the Israelites unto Christ. They were not to rest in those precepts or duties, but to go on to Christ; so that a beleever was not to take joy with any thing in the Law till he came to Christ, and when he had found him, he was to seek no further, but to abide there. Now this indeed was a very difficult duty, because every man naturally would be his own Christ, and Saviour. And what is the reason, that under the Gospel belevers are still so hardly perswaded to rest only on Christ for righteousness, but because of that secret selfe dependance, within them.

Having premised these things, I come to shew how Christ is6 the end of the Law taken largely in the ministry of Moses. And in the first place, Christ was the scope and end of intention: God by giving so holy a Law requiring such perfect obedience, would thereby humble and debase the Israelites; so that thereby they should the more earnestly fly unto Christ, even as the Israelite, stung by a serpent, would presently cast his eyes upon the brasen Serpent. It is true, Christ was more obscurely and darkly held forth there; yet not so, but that it was a duty to search out for Christ in all those administrations. And this you have fully set forth in that allegory which Paul maketh 2 Corinth. 3. 7. I shall explain that place, because it may be wrested7 by the Antinomian; as if, because that kinde of ministery which was by Moses, was to be done away and evacuated, therefore8 the preaching of the Law was also to be abrogated: but that is far from the Apostles scope; for the Apostle his intent there is to shew the excellency of the ministery of the Gospel above that of the Law, and that in three respects.

  1. In regard one is the ministery of death and condemnation, the9 other of life and righteousness Therefore the one is called Letter, and the other Spirit. Now this you must understand warily, taking the Law nakedly, and in it self, without the Spirit of God, and the Gospel with the Spirit; for, as Beza well observeth, if you take the Gospel without Gods Spirit, that also is the ministration of death, because it is as impossible for us to beleeve, as it is to obey the Law by our own power: only life and spirit is attributed to the Gospel, and not to the Law; because Christ, who is the author of the Gospel is the fountain of life; and when any good is wrought by the Law, it cometh from the spirit of Christ.

The second excellency is in regard of continuance and duration. The ministery of Moses was to be made void and abolished; which10 is to be understood of that Jewish pedagogy, not of every part of it; for the Morall, as given by Moses, doth still oblige us Christians, as hath been already proved: but the ministery of the Gospel is to abide alwaies; that is, there is no new ministery to succeed that of the Gospel; although in heaven all shall cease.

The third difference is in regard of glory: God caused some materiall glory to shine upon Moses, while he gave the Law, hereby to procure11 the greater authority and majesty to the Law; but that glory which cometh by the Gospel is spirituall, and far more transcendent, bringing us at last into eternall glory. So that the former glory seemeth to be nothing in comparison of this: Even as the light of a candle or torch seemeth to be nothing (saith Theophylact) when the light of the Sun ariseth. Now the Apostle, handling these things doth occasionally open an allegory, which had not Paul by the Spirit of God found out, we neither could, or ought to haue done it. And the consideration of that, will serve much for my present matter. I know divers men have divers thoughts about exposition of this place; so that there seemeth to be a vail upon the Text, as well as upon Moses his face: But I shall plainly understand it thus; Moses his face12 shining when he was with God, and coming from him, doth signifie the glory and excellency of the Law, as in respect of Gods counsells and intentions; for although the Law did seem to hold out nothing but temporall mercies, devoid of Christ and heaven, yet, as in respect of Gods intention, it was far otherwise. Now saith the Apostle, The Jews were not able to fix their eyes upon this glory; that is, the carnall Israelites did not behold Christ in the ministery of Moses, because a vail is upon their hearts. The Apostle makes the vail upon Moses to be a type of the blindness and hardness of heart in the Israelite: so that, as the vail upon Moses covered the glory of his face, so the vail of blindness and stupidity, upon the heart of the Jews doth hinder them from the glory of the Law, which was Christ. And that this is so, doth appeare viz. where the Israelite is denied to look stedfastly, […] (the word in my Text) to the end of that ministery, which was to be abolished, and that end was Christ: so that this Text doth fully prove my intent, which is, that Christ was in some measure a glorious object in the administration of the Law, but the vail upon the Israelites heart hindered the sight of it. Now (saith Paul) when it shall turn (as we translate, or rather when they shall turn, for the word […] is observed to be used alwayes of persons, and though the word be in the singular number in the originall, yet, according to the custome of Scripture, it may be understood plurally, because he speaks of a collective body:) When, saith the Text, this turning shall be, the vail shall be taken away: or rather, as Camero well observeth in the present tense, It is taken away: for you cannot conceive that the Jews shall be first turned unto God, and the vail afterwards to be taken away; but they both are together. I will give another instance, that Christ was the end of intention or aime in the dispensation of the Law, from Galat. 3. 23, 24. We were kept under the Law, till Faith came: Wherefore the Law was our School-master, to bring us unto Christ. In which words, not the Morall Law simply taken, but the whole dispensation of the Jews, is compared to the instruction of a School master. Now, as a School-master doth not only beat or correct, but teach also and direct: Thus the Law did not only severely curb and keep from sin, but did also teach Christ. Hence we are said to be kept under the Law; which although some make an expression from the strict keeping and watching which souldiers in a garrison use to make, yet a learned man makes it to denote the duty of a School master, as one who is to give an account of such committed to his charge: In which sense Cain said, Am I my brothers keeper? The Law then as a School-master did not only threaten and curse, or, like the Egyptian taskmasters, beat and strike, because the work was not done, but did shew where power and help was to be had, viz. from Christ only.

In the second place Christ is the end of perfection to the Law: for,13 the end of the Law being to justifie, and to bring to eternall life, this could not be attained by our own power and industry; not by any defect of the Law, but by reason of our infirmity. Therefore Christ he hath brought about this intent of the Law, that we should be justified, and have life. If the end of humane laws be to make good and honest men, much rather is the end of the Morall Law appointed by God himself: But the Law is so far from making us good, as that it worketh in us all evill, which effect of the Law in himself the Apostle acknowledgeth: so that as good food and nourishment received by a diseased stomack, doth increase the disease more, according to that rule, Corpora impura, quantò magis nutrias, deteriora reddis; thus it is in every man by nature: The Law, which is for holiness and life, becometh to cause sin and death. Christ therefore, that the Law may have its end, he taketh our nature upon him, that the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us,

  1. Christ is the end of perfection of the Law, in that the meere14 knowledge of the Law, with the externall obedience only to it; was not availeable to any benefit. Therefore Christ vouchsafeth his holy spirit unto us, regenerating of us, whereby we come in part to obey the Law of God: So that the people of God have a righteousness or holiness of works but it is imperfect, and so not enabling us to justification; and in this sense it is, that the people of God are said to keep Gods commandements. So then, whereas our condition was so by sin, that we were neither able non willing to obey the Law of God in the least degree, Christ doth give us grace, and cureth us so far, that we are said to walk in his Law. Now herein was the great mistake of the Jews, they gloried and boasted of the Law, but how? Of the knowledge of it, and externall observation, without looking to Christ; and this was to glory in the shadow without the substance.

Object. 4. Christ is the end of perfection of the Law, in that his righteousness15 and obedience unto the Law, is made ours, and so in him, as our surety we fulfill the Law. I know this assertion hath many learned and godly adversaries, but as far as I can see yet, the Scripture seemeth to hold it forth, Rom. 5. There is a parallel made of the first Adam and his off spring, with Christ the second Adam and his seed; and the Apostle proveth, that we are made righteous by Christ, as sinners in him, which was partly by imputation, so, 2 Corinth. 5. ult. as Christ is made our sin by imputation, so we his righteousness. So Rom. 8. 3, 4. That which was impossible to the Law—God sent his Son that the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. I know there are answers made to these places, but the proper discussion of them will be in the handling of justification: only here is an obvious Objection, If the righteousness of Christ be made ours, so that we may be said to fulfill the Law, then we are still justified by a covenant of works, and so there is no new covenant of grace. I answer, Learned men, as Beza16 and Perkins, have affirmed, that we obtaine eternall life according to that rule, Doe this and live, because of Christs fulfilling the Law as our surety; for the imputation of it doth not make it cease to be our real righteousness, though it be not our inherent righteousness. But I see not why we need grant the consequence, [viz. Because Christs fulfilling of the Law is made ours therefore we have eternall life by the Law:] and the reason is, because this righteousness of Christs is not ours by working, but, by beleeving. Now the Law in that command, Do this and live, did require our personall working and righteousness; so that we cannot be said to have salvation by that rule, because it is not the righteousness which we in person have wrought: and this will fully appear, if you consider in the next place the subject to whom Christ is made righteousness, and that is to him that17 beleeveth: he doth not say, to him that worketh, so that we have not eternall life by our Do this, but by beleeving, or resting upon Christ his Do this. And this phrase doth plainly exclude Stapletons, and other Papists observations on this place, as if the righteousness by faith, or of Christ, were the same in kinde with the righteousness of works, differing only gradually, as an infant, and a grown man; for, if so, the Apostle would have said working, and not beleeving. It is a great skill in Divinity to amplifie this righteousness of faith without works, so as neither the Papist, or the Antinomian may incourage themselves thereby: but of that in some other place. As you take notice of the subject [Beleever] so the universality, every one, which doth take in both Jew and Gentile: Therefore the Jew could not, or ought not to think that those externall Rites and observations could bring them to a true righteousness.

Lastly, consider in the Text, for what end Christ is thus the18 perfection of the Law; and that is for righteousness. The proper seat of handling this is in the doctrine of Justification, only let me briefly answer a Question made by some, Whether the righteousness of faith, or that we have by Christ, be the same in nature with the righteousness of works and of the Law? Stapleton saith, They must needs be one, because the Law will direct to no other righteousness then that of its own. It it true, the Law strictly taken, will not properly and per se direct to any righteousness, but that which the Law requireth; yet by accident, and indirectly it may: yea, as it was given by Moses, it did directly and properly intend Christ, though not primarily, as some think; but finding us unable to attain to its own righteousness, did then lead us unto Christ: Yet these two righteousnesses are divers, rather then contrary, (unless in respect of justification, and so indeed its impossible to be justified by both those waies) otherwise they are both together in the same subject, yea a righteousness of faith doth necessarily draw along with it in the same subject a righteousness of works, though it be imperfect and so insufficient to justifie.

Use. Is Christ the end of the Law for righteousness? Then19 let the beleever bless and praise God for providing a righteousness, and such a righteousness for him. How destitute and naked was thy condition? Had justice taken thee by the throat, and bid thee pay what thou owest, thou couldst not have returned that answer, Let me alone, and I will pay thee all. Neither Angels nor men could provide this righteousness for thee. Dost thou thank God for providing clothes for thy body, food for thy belly, an house for habitation? Oh, above all thanke him that he hath provided a righteousness for thy soul. Thou troubled soul because of sin, thou thinkest with thy selfe, Oh if I had no sin, if I were guilty of no corruption, how well were it! O ye glorious Angels and Saints, ye are happy, because ye have a righteousness! Why doest thou not consider, that God hath found out for thee, even for thee, in this world, a righteousness, whereby thou art accepted of him?

Again consider it is such a righteousness that satisfieth and pleaseth God. Thy holiness cannot content him for justification, but that of Christ can. As the light of the Stars and Moon cannot dispell totally the darkness of the night, only the light of the Sun can do that.

Footnotes

  1. Zeal that either wants knowledge, or puffs up, no good zeale. ↩

  2. Sincerity taken two waies. ↩

  3. The word […] what it signifieth. ↩

  4. The Law, as it is considered rigidly, and in the abstract, so Christ is not the end thereof, unless it be by accident. ↩

  5. As the Law is taken largely for the administration of it by Moses, so Christ was intended directly. ↩

  6. Christ is the end of intention in the dispensation of the Law. ↩

  7. 2 Cot. 3. 7. opened. ↩

  8. The ministery of the Gospel more excellent then that of the Law in three respects. ↩

    1. Because it is the ministery of life and righteousness, the Law of death and condemnation,
    ↩
    1. Because of its duration, it being to abide alwayes, but the ministery of Moses to be abolished.
    ↩
    1. Because the glory that cometh by the Gospel is spirituall, that which shone upon Moses but materiall.
    ↩

  12. What signified by the shining of Moses his face. ↩

    1. Christ is the end of perfection to the Law.
    ↩
    1. Christ is the end of perfection of the Law, in vouchsafing us his Spirit, that we may obey it.
    ↩
    1. Christ is the end of perfection of the Law, in that his obedience to it is made curs.
    ↩

  16. Answ. ↩

  17. The believer is the subject to whom Christ is made righteousness. ↩

  18. Righteousness is the end for which Christ is thus the perfection of the Law. ↩

  19. The beleever hath great cause to bless God, for providing such a righteousness for him. ↩

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