But we know that the law is good
The apostle says this to prevent an objection that might be made
to him, that seeing he bore so hard on such who were fond of
being teachers of the law, he was himself against the law, and
the preaching and proper use of it; but this he would not have
concluded, for he and his fellow labourers in the ministry, and
all true believers know, from the Scriptures of truth, from the
agreement of the law with the Gospel, and from their own
experience, that the law is good, provided it be used in a lawful
way, and to lawful purposes: and this is to be understood not of
the ceremonial law, which was now disannulled, because of the
weakness and unprofitableness of it, so that there was no lawful
use of that; but of the moral law, which must needs be good,
since the author of it is God, who is only good; and nothing but
good can come from him: the law, strictly moral, is a copy of his
nature, transcribed out of himself, as well as with his own
hands; and is a declaration of his will, and is stamped with his
authority, and therefore must be good: the matter of it is good,
it contains good, yea, great and excellent things; the matter of
it is honestly and morally good, as to love mercy, do justice,
and walk humbly with God: and it is pleasantly good to a
regenerate man, who loves it, and delights in it after the inner
man, and serves it with his spirit; though the carnal mind cannot
be subject to it, but rejects it, and rebels against it: and it
is also profitably good; for though obedience to it is not
profitable to God, yet it is to men; and though eternal life is
not obtained hereby, nor any reward given for keeping it, yet in
keeping it there is a reward; and that peace is enjoyed, which
the transgressors of it are strangers to: it is good in the uses
of it, both to sinners and to saints. To sinners it is useful for
the knowledge of sin, to convince of it, and bring them to a
sense of it, and concern for it, which is effectually done, when
the Spirit of God sets in with it, or brings this commandment
home to the heart; and if it has not this use, it is sometimes a
means of restraining men from sin, which is the use of civil laws
among men; and if it has not this, it is of use however to accuse
men rightly of sin, and to pronounce justly guilty before God for
it, to curse them as they deserve it, and to sentence to
condemnation and death: and to believers it is of use, though
they are not under it as in the hands of Moses, and as a covenant
of works, and are freed from its curse and condemnation, and
under no obligation to seek for life and righteousness by it; to
them it is of use, to point out to them what is the will of God,
and what should be done, and not done; and it is a rule of walk
and conversation to them, as in the hands of Christ; and is as a
glass to them to behold their own deformity, the impurity of
their nature, the plague of their own hearts, and the
imperfection of their obedience; by which they see the
insufficiency of their own righteousness, how far they are from
perfection, and what carnal creatures they are, when compared
with this law: and as this serves to put them out of conceit with
themselves, so it tends to make Christ and his righteousness more
lovely and valuable in their esteem; who has wrought out a
righteousness as broad and as long as the law is, and by which it
is magnified and made honourable, and has delivered them from its
curse and condemnation. And this law is good as it is holy, in
its author, nature, and use; and as it is just, requiring just
things, and doing that which is just, by acquitting those who are
interested in Christ's righteousness, and in condemning those
that have no righteousness; and as it is a spiritual and perfect
law, which reaches the spirit and soul of man, and is concerned
with inward thoughts and motions, as well as outward actions; and
especially the end of it, the fulfilling end of it is good, which
is Jesus Christ, who was made under it, came to fulfil it, and
has answered all the demands of it: so that it must be good, and
which cannot be denied,
if a man use it lawfully;
for if it is used in order to obtain life, righteousness, and
salvation by the works of it, or by obedience to it, it is used
unlawfully: for the law does not give life, nor can righteousness
come by it; nor are, or can men be saved by the works of it; to
use the law for such purposes, is to abuse it, as the false
teachers did, and make that which is good in itself, and in its
proper use, to do what is evil; namely, to obscure and frustrate
the grace of God, and make null and void the sufferings and death
of Christ. A lawful use of the law is to obey it, as in the hands
of Christ, the King of saints, and lawgiver in his church, from a
principle of love to him, in the exercise of faith on him,
without any mercenary selfish views, without trusting to, or
depending on, what is done in obedience to it, but with a view to
the glory of God, to testify our subjection to Christ, and our
gratitude to him for favours received from him.