SECTION III.

Doctor Hawker's Statement of Justification defective.

DOCTOR HAWKER is truly systematic. The 'divine sovereignty manifesting grace to the church,' appears in almost every page of his writings; but the moral government of God, if not totally, is greatly neglected. In this point it is he fails, not only as it concerns his general system, but also as it affects every particular doctrine. The moral government of God, and the moral agency of man, are scarcely noticed by him, except as subjects of disputation.

Consistently with the scheme of theology which he has adopted, he would make us believe that every real christian is an antinomian; or, as he expresses it, 'that every true antinomian is, and must be, by the very nature of his principles, a regenerated child of God.'

What antinomianism is, the Doctor himself shall tell us.

The word antinomian is well known to be formed from a Greek compound, antinomos; the nearest literal translation of which is, against law. And the meaning, when applied to any person in relation to religion, is, that he who is an antinomian, is looking for justification before God, solely on the footing of Christ's person, blood, and righteousness, without an eye to the deeds of the law; yea, even against them.'*

The latter part of this statement is incorrect, and is subject, to a strong objection. The question on antinomianism respects the law as a rule of conduct, not in point of justification. The ministers to whom the Doctor points the finger of scorn, as preaching a motley gospel, would not give place to Doctor Hawker, no, not for a moment, in exhibiting an entire and exclusive dependence on the righteousness of our Lord Jesus Christ alone, as the ground of

* True Portrait of Antinomianism, p. 26.

a sinner's acceptance and justification before God. But waving this, and taking the Doctor on his own statement, it is exceedingly incorrect, not to say most absurd, for him to represent a person as looking to the blood and righteousness of Christ for his justification before God, and yet being so opposed to his law as to be against it: ' without having an eye to its deeds, yea even against them.' Had the Doctor said that a man might be the slave of satan, live in a state of sin and rebellion against God, after the fashion of this world, or in a state of self-dependence, and be against the law, without having an eye to the deeds of the law, yea, even against them,'-he might have been understood; "because the carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be."* But when he speaks of a person who is renewed by the Holy Spirit, and who is looking to the blood and righteousness of Christ for justification before the righteous

Rom. viii. 7.

and just God, with his heart so set against his holy, just, and good law, as to have no eye to its deeds, any farther than as he is disaffected towards it; he states that which is not only incorrect and unscriptural, but also that which is extravagantly impossible.

The law, (or the deeds of the law, which are synonymous in the Doctor's statement,) consists in its precepts, its promise, and its penalties.

The precepts or requirements of the law are, that God should be loved with all the heart, and with all the soul, and with all the mind; and our neighbours as ourselves.* The promise is, "This do and thou shalt live." And the penalty or threatening is, "Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them." "Sin is the transgression of the law,"|| conformity to the law.

and righteousness is

Now, how is it pos

sible for a person to look for his justification before God, solely on the footing of Christ's

* Matt. xxii. 37-39. † Luke x. 28. Gal. iii, 10.

|| John iii. 4.

And

person, blood, and righteousness, without having an eye to the law and its deeds? By the law he has the knowledge of his sin,* guilt, and inability. He was alive without the law once; but when the commandment came, sin revived and he died. In our Lord's obedience to the death of the cross, he sees the law of God, though broken by him, fulfilled by one in his nature, who on his behalf hath magnified it in all its precepts, and made it honourable in suffering its penalties. in the exaltation and high rewards of our Lord, he sees its promise supremely consummated; so that in looking to the Saviour, either in his life, death, or exaltation, we must necessarily have an 'eye to the law and its deeds.' In him is presented the most complete view of the law of God. In other exhibitions the law is seen in its parts: on mount Sinai, in its precepts; in heaven, in its rewards; in hell, in its awful penalties. But in the Mediator of the new covenant, who for transgressors fulfilled the broken law

Rom. iii. 20. + Rom. vii. 9.

Isa. xlii. 21.