broke that law, and failed of a compleat obedience to it by the guilt of any one tranfgreffion. And thus mankind by the law are put upon the iffues of life or death; as they are righteous or unrighteous, juft or unjuft; i. e. exact performers, or tranfgreffors of the law. But yet" all having finned," Rom. iii. 23. "and come short of "the glory of God," i. e. the kingdom of God in heaven, which is often called his glory, "both Jews and Gentiles," ver. 22. fa that" by the deeds of the law no one could be juftified," ver. 20.; it follows, that no one could then have eternal life and blifs.

Perhaps it will be demanded, why did God give fo hard a law to mankind, that to the Apoftles time no one of Adam's iffue had kept it? as appears by Rom. iii. and Gal. iii. 21, 22.

Anfw. It was fuch a law as the purity of God's nature required, and must be the law of fuch a creature as man, unless God would have made him a rational creature, and not required him to have lived by the law of reafon, but would have countenanced in him irregularity and difobedience to that light which he had, and that rule which was fuitable to his nature; which would have been to have authorized disorder, confufion, and wickedness in his creatures. For that this law was the law of reafon, or, as it is called, of nature, we fhall fee by-and-by: and if rational creatures will not live up to the rule of their reafon, who fhall excufe them? If you will admit them to forfake reafon in one point, why not in another? Where will you ftop? To difobey God in any part of his commands (and it is he that commands what reafon does) is direct rebellion; which if difpenfed with in any point, government and order are at an end, and there can be no bounds fet to the lawless exorbitancy of unconfined men. "The law therefore was," as St. Paul tells us, Rom. vii. 21. "holy, just, and good,” and such as it Cught, and could not otherwife be.

This then being the cafe, that whoever is guilty of any fin fhould certainly die, and ceafe to be, the benefit of life restored by Chrift at the refurrection would have been no great advantage, (forafmuch as here again death must have seized upon all mankind, because all had finned; for the wages of fin is every where death, as well after, as before the refurrection), if God had not found out a way to juftify fome, i. e. fo many as obeyed another law, which God gave, which in the New Teftament is called "the law of faith," Rom. iii. 27. and is oppofed to "the law of works." And therefore the punishment of thofe who would not follow him was to lofe their fouls, i. e. their lives, Mark viii. 35, 38. as is plain, confidering the occafion it was fpoke on.

The better to understand "the law of faith," it will be convevient in the first place to confider the law of works." The law of works then, in fhort, is that law which requires perfect obedience, without any remiffion or abatement; fo that by that law a man cannot be juft, or juftified, without an exact performance of every tittle. Such a perfect obedience in the New Teftament is termed dixcrn, which we tranflate" righteousness."

The

The language of this law is, do this and live, tranfgrefs and die. Lev. xviii. 5. "Ye fhall keep my ftatutes and my judgements, "which if a man do, he fhall live in them." Ezek. xx. II. I

gave them my ftatutes, and fhewed them my judgements, which "if a man do, he fhall even live in them." Mofes, fays St. Paul, Rom. x. 5. deferibeth the righteoufnefs which is of the law, that "the man which doth those things fhall live in them." Gal. iii. 12. "The law is not of faith, but that man that doth them shall live in them." On the other fide, tranfgrefs and die; no difpenfation, no atonement. Ver. 10. "Curfed is every one that "continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them."

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Where this law of works was to be found, the New Teftament tells us, (viz.) in the law delivered by Mofes. John i. 17. "The "law was given by Mofes, but faith and truth came by Jefus "Chrift." Chap. vii. 19. " Did not Mofes give you the law," fays our Saviour, and yet none of you keep the law?" And this is the law which he speaks of, where he afks the lawyer, Luke x. 26. What is written in the law? How readeft thou?" ver. 28. "This do, and thou shalt live." This is that which St. Paul so often ftyles the law, without any other diftinction, Rom. ii. 13. "Not

the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the "law are juftified." It is needlefs to quote any more places; his epiftles are all full of it, efpecially this to the Romans.

But the law given by Mofes being not given to all mankind, how are all men finners, fince without a law there is no tranfgreffion? To this the Apoftle, ver. 14, anfwers, "For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do (i. e. find it reafonable to do) by "nature the things contained in the law; these having not the law, are a law unto themfelves: which fhew the work of the law written in their hearts, their confciences alfo bearing witness, and amongst one another their thoughts accufing or excufing. By which, and other places in the following chapter, it is plain, that under the law of works is comprehended alfo the law of nature, knowable by reason, as well as the law given by Moses. "For," fays St. Paul, Rom. iii. 9, 23. "we have proved both Jews and "Gentiles, that they are all under fin; for all have finned, and come short of the glory of God:" which they could not do without a law.

Nay, whatever God requires any where to be done without making any allowance for faith, that is a part of the law of works. So the forbidding Adam to eat of the tree of knowledge, was part of the law of works. Only we must take notice here, that fome of God's pofitive commands being for peculiar ends, and fuited to particular circumftances of times, places, and perfons, having a limited and only temporary obligation by virtue of God's pofitive injunction; fuch as was that part of Mofes's law which concerned the outward worship or political conftitution of the Jews, and is called the Ceremonial and Judaical Law, in contradistinction to the moral

B 4

part

part of it; which being conformable to the eternal law of right, is of eternal obligation, and therefore remains in force ftill under the gofpel; nor is abrogated by the law of faith, as St. Paul found fome ready to infer, Rom. iii. 31. "Do we then make void the "law through faith? God forbid; yea, we establish the law."

Nor can it be otherwife: for were there no "law of works," there could be no law of faith." For there could be no need of faith, which fhould be counted to men for righteousness, if there were no law to be the rule and measure of righteoufnefs, which men failed in their obedience to. Where there is no law, there is no fin; all are righteous equally with or without faith.

The rule therefore of right is the fame that ever it was, the obligation to obferve it is alfo the fame: the difference between the

law of works" and the "law of faith" is only this; that the "law "of works" makes no allowance for failing on any occafion. Thofe that obey, are righteous; thofe that in any part difobey, are unrighteous, and must not expect life, the reward of righteousness. But by the law of faith," faith is allowed to fupply the defect of full obedience; and fo the believers are admitted to life and immortality, as if they were righteous. Only here we must takę notice, that when St. Paul fays, that the gospel establishes the law, he means the moral part of the law of Mofes : for that he could not inean the ceremonial or political part of it, is evident by what I quoted out of him juft now, where he fays, "The Gentiles that do by nature, the things contained in the law, their confciences bear"ing witnefs." For the Gentiles neither did nor thought of the judaical or ceremonial inftitutions of Mofes; it was only the moral part their confciences were concerned in. As for the reft, St. Paul tells the Galatians, chap. iv. they are not under that part of the faw, which ver. 3. he calls "elements of the world ;" and ver. 9.

weak and beggarly elements." And our Saviour himself, in his gofpel-fermon on the mount, tells them, Matt. v. ver. 17. that whatever they might think, he was not come "to diffolve the law," but to make it more full and ftrict; for that that is meant by λngwood, is evident from the following part of that chapter, where he gives the precepts in a stricter fenfe than they were received in before. But they are all precepts of the moral law which he reinforces: what thould become of the ritual law he tells the woman of Samaria in thefe words, John iv. 21, 23. "The hour cometh when ye fhall "neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerufalem, worship the Fa"ther. But the true worthippers fhall worship the Father in fpirit "and in truth, for the Father feeketh such to worship him."

Thus then as to the law in fhort; the civil and ritual part of the law delivered by Mofes obliges not Chriftians, though to the Jews it were a part of the law of works; it being a part of the law of nature, that man ought to obey every pofitive law of God, whenever he shall pleafe to make any fuch addition to the law of his nature. But the moral part of Mofes's law, or the moral law, (which is every where the fame, the eternal rule of right) obliges Chriftians

and

and all men every where, and is to all men the standing law of works. But Chriftian believers have the privilege to be under the

3.

law of faith" too; which is that law whereby God juftifies a man for believing, though by his works he be not juft or righteous, i. e. though he came fhort of perfect obedience to the law of works. God alone does, or can justify or make juit those who by their works are not fo; which he doth by counting their faith for righteoufnefs, i. e. for a compleat performance of the law. Rom. iv. "Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteoufnefs." Ver. 5. "To him that believeth on him that juftifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." Ver. 6. Even as David alfo defcribeth the bleffednels of the man unto whom God imputeth righteoufnefs without works;" i. e. without a full meafure of works, which is exact obedience. Ver. 7. Saying, "Blefied are they whofe iniquities are forgiven, and "whofe fins are covered." Ver. 8. Bleffed is the man to whom

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"the Lord will not impute fin."

This faith for which God juftified Abraham, what was it? It was the believing God when he engaged his promife in the covenant be made with him. This will be plain to any one who confiders thefe places together, Gen. xv. 6. "He believed in the Lord, or "believed the Lord :" for that the Hebrew phrase "believing in,” fignifies no more but "believing," is plain from St. Paul's citation of this place, Rom. iv. 3. where he repeats it thus: "Abraham believed God;" which he thus explains, ver. 18, 22. "Who against hope, believed in hope, that he might become the father of many "nations: according to that which was spoken, fo fhall thy feed. be. And being not weak in faith, he confidered not his own "body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, nor yet the deadnefs of Sarah's womb. He ftaggered not at the pro"mife of God through unbelief; but was ftrong in faith, giving "glory to God: and being fully perfuaded, that what he had promifed he was alfo able to perform. And therefore it was imputed to him for righteoufnefs." By which it is clear, that the faith which God counted to Abraham for righteousness, was nothing but a firm belief of what God declared to him, and a stedfast relying on him for the accomplishment of what he had promised. Now this," fays St. Paul, ver. 23, 24. 66 was not writ for his [Abraham's] fake alone, but for us alfo ;" teaching us, that as Abraham was juftified for his faith, fo alfo ours fhall be accounted to us for rightcoufnefs, if we believe God as Abraham believed him. Whereby it is plain is meant the firmness of our faith without ftaggering, and not the believing the fame propofitions that Abraham believed, viz. that though he and Sarah were old, and paft the time and hopes of children, yet he fhould have a fon by her, and by him become the father of a great people, which should poffefs the land of Canaan. This was what Abraham believed, and was counted to him for righteoufnefs: but nobody I think will fay, that any one's believing this now, fhall be imputed to him

for

for righteoufiefs. The law of faith then, in fhort, is for every one to believe what God requires him to believe, as a condition of the covenant he makes with him, and not to doubt of the performance of his promifes. This the Apoftle intimates in the clofe here, ver. 24. "But for us alfo, to whom it fhall be imputed, if "we believe on him that raised up Jefus our Lord from the dead." We must therefore examine and fee what God requires us to believe now under the revelation of the gofpel; for the belief of one invisible, eternal, omnipotent God, maker of heaven and earth, &c. was required before, as well as now.

What we are now required to believe to obtain eternal life, is plainly fet down in the gofpel. St. John tells us, John iii. 36. "He that believeth on the fon, hath eternal life; and he that be"lieveth not the fon, fhall not fee life." What this "believing on him" is, we are also told in the next chapter. "The woman faith unto him, I know that the Meffiah cometh: when he is "come, he will tell us all things. Jefus faid unto her, I that speak "unto thee am he. The woman then went into the city, and faith

to the men, come fee a man that hath told me all things that "ever I did. Is not this the Meffiah? And many of the Samaritans "believed on him; for the faying of the woman, who teftified, he "told me all that ever I did. So when the Samaritans were come "unto him, many more believed becaufe of his words, and faid to "the woman, We believe not any longer because of thy faying, "for we have heard ourselves, and we know that this man is truly the Saviour of the world, the Meffiah." John iv. 25, 25. 29. 39. 29.39

40, 41, 42.

By which place it is plain, "that believing on the fon," is the believing that Jefus was the Meffiah;" giving credit to the miracles he did, and the profeffion he made of himfelf. For thofe who were faid to BELIEVE ON HIM for the faying of the woman, ver. 39. tell the woman, that they now believed not any longer because of her faying; but that having heard him themselves, they knew, i. e. BELIEVED paft doubt, THAT HE WAS THE MESSIAH.

"he

This was the great propofition that was then controverted con cerning Jefus of Nazareth, whether he was the Meffiah or no; and the affent to that, was that which diftinguished believers from unbelievers. When many of his difciples had forfaken him, upon his declaring that he was the bread of life which came down from heaven," he faid to the apoftles, Will ye alfo go away? Then Simon "Peter anfwered him; Lord, to whom fhall we go? Thou haft the "words of eternal life: and we believe, and are fure thou art the "Meffiah, the fon of the living God." John vi. 69. This was the faith which diftinguished them from apoftates and unbelievers, and was fufficient to continue them in the rank of apoftles: and it was upon the fame propofition, "That Jefus was the Meffiah, the fon of the living God," owned by St. Peter, that our Saviour faid he would build his church, Matt. xvi. 16. 18.