CHAPTER 9, ON THE NATURE OF THE EXTERNAL LET- St. John, 1. 17. "For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ." Heb. 7. 19. "For the law made nothing perfect," By a close examination of the whole Law given to Israel, in its nature, it appears, it was designed as an outward rule of life to that people, that they might be judged by this external rule according to their visible works and actions. That outward law in itself considered, could take no cognizance of the thoughts and intentions of the heart, no farther than as a shadow witnesseth to us, there is a substance. And here I must observe a distinction between the actions of men and the secret motives by which they are disposed to act. Now if the motive is good in the sight of God, the action from such design, although a transgression of the outward law, yet can be no inward sin against God. Hence the law of Moses could make nothing perfect. For it could neither reward nor punish the people for the secret internal exercises of the mind whether they were good or bad thoughts, therefore we learn that all the rewards and punishments held out under that law, were outwardly administered on the flesh. And although as a type of future things in the rnvisible world, it might prefigure punishment to be experienced in that state as well as rewards, yet like every other outward national law rightly instituted, the law of Moses had no dominion over a man any longer than this life, either to reward or to punish. And although according to that external law, the whole house of Israel might receive in the flesh, both rewards and punishments according to all their worldly outward actions, yet all their secret good mofives and holy exercises, might go still unrewarded internally, for all any spiritual virtue in an outward law; and likewise the evil motives, and secret ungodly exercises of their hearts, might go unpunished eternally, if no other law or rule existed but that of Moses, by which men are to be judged. However, there is another law, which is inward, holy, pure and divine; by this rule, every man's thoughts and disposition shall be tried; of this the outward law was but a shadow, and the rewards and punishments by that in this world, were but the mere shadows of the spiritual rewards and punishments in the invisible world, when men are judged by the law of the spirit of God. Now astward is a shadow of the inward spiritual law of God, and as that which is the type, carties none of its rewards and punishments beyond this present world, even so, the antitype will inflict no punishment, nor bestow any rewards after the end of the world to come, for all will then partake of one universal free gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ out Lord. But this spiritual divine law in its holy nature, I design to be the subject of a future chapter, and also that of the future world and a boundless eternity like wise, which will open in the end of time on all creation. I shall therefore, now proceed to a further illustration of the law of Moses, and shall endeavor to show that its rewards and punishments may be properly con sidered, as only the shadows of real rewards for obedi ence, and punishments for real sin; for as has already been seen, a bad action is more properly the effect of a sinful design, than sin itself, being therefore the token of a sinful heart, or in other words the shadow of sin in the mind. God looks at the heart, but the law of Moses at the outward action. For instance that Law says "thou shalt not commit adultery," and if any one was guilty of the very act, he must be stoned to death, according to Moses; but this death only punished the action and not the evil secret motive; that is still left with God to correct, as being out of the province of Moses. Our Lord seems to have a mind to convey the same idea, St. Matt. 5. 28: "But I say unto you, that whosoever looketh upon a woman to lust after her, hath committed adultery with her already in his own heart." The law of Moses could not punish this inward sin with temporal death; but let the shadow appear in the very at, and then the shadowy law could take hold of that. Jesus first refers to the commandment in the letter law on this sin, and then repeats the words cited in the text, as though he would show the Jews that their law was not perfect criterion by which to determine sin. However, as sin is the transgression of the law, I am willing to admit that the very act before explained is sin against the law of Moses. But still, as the law was but an outward figure and not the vital substance of the divine law, it will follow that the transgression of it, was only sin in the figure of the real sin lurking in the wicked heart. For as that law made nothing perfect, we must allow, it could not make a perfect estimate of the whole nature of sin so as to inflict a perfect punishment to the full extent of its desert. We will suppose a man is stoned to death for an evil act; well, this punishes the outward action according to the law of Moses. But how is the sinful, secret, ungodly design punished, seeing that that law says nothing about it? To say we do not know, that matter must be left with God, will not answer, for we are too much interested in this important inquiry to leave the subject here in the dark; we must therefore go farther in our investigation. I shall here remark, that the law of Moses was introduced as a restraint on the people; Its utility was two fold in this respect; and yet in that it was weak, it could never change the heart. That law could frighten the people into obedience outwardly by examplary punishments; and when any were put to death by that law, they could trouble their brethren no more with their evil conduct. But could death change their disposition and make them holy minded in another world. No, for if it could, then that law by which death was inflicted made something perfect, contrary to St. Paul, who says "The law made nothing perfect." 'Then in death it can make no man perfect, but leaves every victim of its wrath a subject of the perfect holy law of God. My arguments in this chapter are principally founded on the fact, that the extent of crime is measured by the secret evil motive of the heart, by which the sinner is actuated, for God looks not at the outward action, in apportioning correction, but at the sinful mind. This is a sentiment universally acknowledged among the pious of every Christian denomination, and finds unanswerable support in the holy scriptures; therefore is a proper foundation of my arguments on the nature of the law of Moses. In that law it was not only said "Thou shalt not commit adultery," but also, “Thou shalt not kill," and "He who sheddeth man's blood by man shall his blood be shed." Meaning the act of murder and outward punishment for it. But I say unto the reader as Christ said unto the people concerning the inward nature of adultery. He that looketh on a fellow creature with a malicious design, at some future time to way-lay and deprive him of life, hath committed murder on the victim of his spite, already, in his own heart, i. e. in the sight of God's holy inward law. Now it was not in the nature of that outward law of Moses, to take cognizance of such secret sin, so as to punish the mind with death; and yet "Although hand join in hand, the wicked shall not go unpunished." So that notwithstanding no outward national law can by its visible punishments touch the seat of sin, yet the perfect law of God holds dominion over the secrets of the heart, and the evil intents thereof shall not go unpunished. So that I think we may conclude with great propriety, that the imperfect law of Moses could only reward and punish the effects of secret vice and virtue; but could neither remove nor punish the cause of wick ed conduct; that demon would still triumph in the secret recesses of the human mind in spite of that weak law, for it made nothing perfect. And this perhaps is one reason why future punishments are not named in the law of Moses, nor even future rewards, although both are prefigured by it. And I must also frankly acknowledge that in the writings of Moses much silence is kept about any such thing as a future state of immortality reserved for man; only what is found in figurative allusions. But as Life and immortality were reserved to be brought to light through the gospel, even So, future rewards and chastisements were reserved to be brought to light through a revelation of the true nature of the perfect law of God, written not on tables of stone but engraven on the hearts and consciences of men. However, the imperfection of the law of Moses will further appear, by supposing a case in which two bloody minded men were united in a secret plan for murdering an innocent person-the time was agreed on between them, when to carry into effect their cruel design: but one of them is taken sick, and dies before the time appointed to commit the murder, but on his death bed still thirstng for blood and slaughter, to the very last moment, secretly exhorts his wicked companion to not fail, and says "After I am dead go and perform what was agreed on between us," and then expires. The survivor commits the act, is detected, found guilty, and by the law of Moses put to death. Now in a case like this, which of the two is the grea test criminal in the sight of God? I am persuaded it would be difficult for us to exactly determine, as they appear so much alike in heart, and yet the outward law could touch but one of them, and in this only, to punish the effect of a secret sanguinary plan of two wicked souls. So that we can see no power in that law to prevent him at least who died a natural death from going unpunished for his last wicked advice to could not touch theNIVERSAL wicked Cassociates in sin and iniquityCRANE THEOLOGICAL SCHOOL TUFTS UNIVERSITY MEDFORD 55, MASSACHUSETTS |