The safety of appearing at the day of judgement, in the righteousness of Christ

Answer.

The Law does derive all its authority from God: but he is not so above the Law as to disannul it, and ⟨p. 198⟩act contrary to it: God may not contradict the law: to say that God is above the Law, so as to dispense with it, is to say that God is above himself: the Law is Gods Law and he will own it: to set God against the Law, is to set God against himself: the Law is nothing else but an everlasting rule of Justice, that God has made between himself and man: and the Lord will never suffer any violence to be done to his Law: every jot and tittle of the Law must be fulfilled, Mat. 5 18. there is no such Gospel as overthrows the Law, Rom. 3.31. do we make void the Law by Faith, God forbid, yea we establish the Law: if the Law might have been dispensed withal, there had been no necessity of Christs death: it was upon that account that Christ died to answer the demands of the Law: and why should God be prodigal of the blood of his Son? if man might have been saved by Gods sovereign dispensing with the Law? would God have put Christ to such sufferings? Christ must suffer that so the Law may be satisfied; and Indeed the consciences of men will never have peace till they see the Law answered; conscience echoes to the Law, and if enlightened will condemn where the law condemns: as long as the Law curses, conscience will curse too: there is no quieting of conscience as long as he sees the Law against him: the reason is, because the Law is the voice of God, 1 Cor. 15.56 The sting of Death is Sin, and the strength of Sin is the Law: the Law makes sin to have such power to sting and torment the conscience.

The Law does derive all its authority from God: but he is not so above the Law as to disanul it, and ⟨p. 198⟩