Customer Reviews

A Treatise on the Law and the Gospel

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If you enjoy Martin Luther, Thomas Boston, Edward Fisher, and the like, you'll certainly enjoy John Colquhoun's "Treatise on the Law And the Gospel." Alternatively, if you'd like instruction on the difference between the covenant of works and covenant of grace, or the distinction between the law and the gospel, or the different uses of the law, or the errors of antinomianism and legalism, you'll certainly enjoy this book. I found it quite helpful in all of these areas of historic Reformed theology.

Joel Beeke wrote the helpful introduction which includes a short bio of Colquhoun (d. 1827) as well as a summary of the book. The chapter divisions are as follows (I've summarized them to save space): 1) The Moral Law in General, 2) The Law of God Promulgated from Mt Sinai, 3) The Properties of the Moral Law, 4) The Rules for Understanding the Ten Commandments, 5) The Gospel, 6) The Uses of the Gospel and How the Law Serves It, 7) The Difference Between the Law and the Gospel, 8) The Agreement Between Them, 9) How the Gospel Establishes the Law, 10) How the Christian is Dead to the Law as a Covenant of Works, 11) The Believers Obligations to the Law, 12) The Nature and Necessity of Good Works.

I enjoyed the emphases on sola fide and justification by the imputation of Christ's righteousness. I also learned many great biblical nuances of what it means that Christians are no longer under the law, as Paul wrote. I highly recommend this book for those who subscribe to or appreciate the Westminster Standards and/or the Three Forms of Unity. The book is just over 300 pages, and since the language is a little dated (early 1800s) and the subject matter is rather detailed, it isn't for causal readers. However, if you've read the Puritans or other theological writings to some extent, you'd be able to read this book just fine. I do wish there was a Scripture index and a topical index, but this doesn't deter me from my hearty endorsement.