I.

"rily righteousness should have been by CHAP. "the Law. But the Scripture hath con"cluded all under fin," for this reason, "that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.Wherefore the Law was our fchoolmaster "to bring us unto Chrift," on this account, "that we might be justified by faith"."

In another paffage, St. Paul fpeaks of his own knowledge of the power of the Law, in convincing him of fin, and thereby fhewing him his need of a Redeemer ; thus exemplifying theory by practice. " I "had not known fin, but by the Law: " for I had not known luft, except the "Law had faid, Thou shalt not covet. "But fin, taking occafion by the com"mandment, wrought in me all manner

• Gal. iii. 19.

The fame idea prevails throughout the Epistle to the Romans; "Moreover, the Law entered, that the offence might "abound. But where fin abounded, grace did much more " abound." Rom. v. 20. In a fimilar manner Bp. Latimer; "We must not truft in our doings; for though we do the "uttermoft, yet it is all imperfect, when we examine them "by the rigour of the Law, which Law ferveth to bryng us "to the knowledge of our finnes, and fo to Chrift, and by Christ "we shall come to the quietneffe of our confcience." Bp. LATIMER'S Sermons, fol. 208.

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SECT.

IV.

of concupifcence. For without the Law fin was dead. For I was alive without "the Law once;" as long as I felt not the power of the Law, I perceived not the finfulness of my nature; " but when the com"mandment came, fin revived, and I died. "And the commandment, which was or"dained unto life, I found to be unto "death. For fin, taking occafion by the "commandment, deceived me, and by it "flew me. Wherefore the Law is holy, “and the commandment holy, and just, " and good. Was then that which is good "made death unto me? God forbid. But

fin, that it might appear fin, working "death in me by that which is good; that "fin by the commandment might become "exceeding finful"." This conviction of fin brought about by the Law immediately raised a struggle in the breast of the Apostle, between the will and the power to obey. Nevertheless he conftantly found, as every man must find, that he was utterly unable to fatisfy the rigorous demands of the Law. And even fuppofing, that he could have done fo in future, that would not have wiped out his paft tranfgreffions. The Law once violated can never cease to

P Rom. vii. 7.

"Curfed is

have been violated; and the penalty of a CHAP. fingle tranfgreffion is a curfe. "every one that continueth not in all

66

things which are written in the book of "the Law to do them." The Apostle was but too confcious, that neither he, nor any other perfon, could pretend to an unfinning obedience; the curfe of the broken Law thundered in his ears, and he cries out in a momentary agony of defpair; "O "wretched man that I am! who fhall "deliver me from the body of this death?" But comfort in a moment darts into his foul, when he recollects the mediatorial office of the Redeemer. "I thank God, "through Jefus Chrift our Lord." The Law had fhewn him his need of a Saviour; and the Holy Spirit enabled him, through faith, to reft entirely and contentedly upon the merits of the Son of God.

મંદ

f

Any perfon, who has read Bp. Reynolds's excellent treatife on The Ufe of the Law, will immediately perceive that the doctrine contained in the prefent difquifition is precifely the fame as his. The following extracts will amply fhew his fentiments.

"The Lord published by Mofes a fevere and terrible Law, fo terrible, that Mofes himself did exceedingly fear and quake; yet in all this, God doth but purfue his firft purpofe of mercy, and take a courfe to make his Gospel ac"counted worthy of all acceptation; that, when by this

1.

SECT.

The conclufion from the whole amounts to this; if any perfon refts his juftification upon the works of the Law, whether ritual, as in the cafe of the Galatians, or moral, as in that of the self-righteous ; "he is a debtor to do the whole Law"," and by that Law he must be condemned.

"Law men fhall be roufed from their fecurity, shut
up un-
"der the guilt of infinite tranfgreffions, affrighted with the
"fire and tempeft, the blackness and darkness, the darts and
"curses of this Law against fin, they may thẹn run from
"Sina unto Sion, even to Jesus the mediator of the new
"covenant, and by faith plead that pardon and remiffion,
"which in him was promifed." Ufe of the Law,
p. 201.
The Law" is as a glass to manifeft and discover fin and
"death, and thereupon to compel men to fly for fanctuary
"unto Chrift, and when they see their misery, to fue out
"their pardon." Ibid. P. 202. "And this it doth, by mak-
"ing us fee that great fpiritualnefs and perfection, that
"precife, univerfal, and constant conformity, which the Law
" requires in all we do. Curfed is every one that abideth
"not in all things that are written in the book of the Law,
"to do them. Perfection and perpetuity of obedience are
"the two things which the Law requires. Suppose we it
poffible for a man to fulfil every tittle of the Law in the
"whole compaís of it, and that for his whole life together,
one onely particular, and that the smallest and most im-
perceptible deviation from it being for one onely time ex-
cepted, yet fo rigorous and inexorable is the Law, that it
"feals that man under the wrath and curfe of God." Sin-

"

་

"

fulness of Sin, p. 117. See alfo the second part of the Homily concerning the Death and Paffion of Chrift.

Gal. v. 3.

But

I.

But he, who accepts the falvation offered CHAP. him through Jefus Chrift, and, renouncing the merit of his own good works, receives to himself through faith the imputed righteoufness of the Redeemer, that man has remiffion of his fins, and is freely justified in the presence of God. "Now we know, "that what things foever the Law faith, it "faith to them who are under the Law;" (which is the cafe with all, who are not under grace) "that mouth may ftopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore, by the "deeds of the Law there fhall no flesh be 'justified in his fight. "the knowledge of fin.

66

66

every

be

For by the Law is

But now the right

"eousness of God without the Law is ma"nifested, being witneffed by the Law and "the Prophets; even the righteousness of

God, which is by faith of Jefus Chrift "unto all, and upon all that believe for "there is no difference. For all have

66

finned, and come fhort of the glory of God;

being juftified freely by his grace, through "the redemption that is in Chrift Jesus.

The Apostle, as if to preclude the herefy of mixing works with faith, as an efficient