Chrift; men will Snaggle and Wrangle on still, to Gainfay and Evade it; Till God Reveals it in 'em; and the Spirit of God comes to Convince 'em. Before fuch Revelation and Conviction, even the Acutest men Grope in the Dark, as to these things of the Spirit; and Reject and Disdain 'em; yea Ridicule and Blafpheme 'em: And are Ignorant both of the Law of God, and the Righteousness of God.

I. They are Ignorant of God's Law; The Defign, and Purity of it; and their Evil cafe and Mifery under it.

I. They know not the Defign of this Law 'nor wherefore it was given: But Mistake it to be, in order to their working a Righteousness out of it; fo as to be Saved by it: and that through their own Performance, without the Interpofition of a Mediator. Whereas the Law was never deliver'd to give Life unto any. As we may learn from Gal. 3.21. For if there had been a Law given, that could have given Life; Verily Righteousness should have been by the Law. But by the deeds of the Law fhall no Fleft be Fuftified in the fight of God. For by the Law is the Knowledge of Sin. Rom. 3. 20. It is the Glafs, to fhew a man his Defects and Deformities; How far he comes Short of Observing it; and how much he is Obnoxious, in Tranfgreffing it: And that here he is gone and Loft; If he have not a further Help. Therefore 'twas only according to the Youngster's own Princi

ple;

ple; that our Lord anfwer'd him, Mat. 19. 17. If thou wilt Enter into Life, Keep the Commands. True, He fhould; upon Performance of that Condition. But it's as True, That this Condition is now Impossible to any Child of Adam. The man ask'd, What he fhould Do? Shewing that he fought Life in Works: And then if he did fo; Our Saviour let him know, that it must be by observing the Law of God: Because that is the perfect Rule of Obedience. And no other Works could ferve the turn: And even thofe alone, he should find fuch a Task, as would give him enough of it; And (if ever he came to Understand himself,) make him fain to feek out further...

Such another commonly Mistaken Text is that, Rom. 2. 13. Not the Hearers of the Law are Just before God; But the Doers of the Law fhall be Juftified. i. e. They fhall be fo; If they do it, as it ought to be done. But what then? Is the Doctrine to be raised from hence, That Justification cannot be had, without our own Fulfilling the Law of God? And that no man can be Juftified, but by the Deeds of the Law? So the Sound may seem to carry it: But 'tis plain, That the Apostle's Defign there is quite another thing: Even to Humble the Jews Hearts, and to Stop their Mouths In fhewing, that as none of 'em Did; fo none of 'em Could, Keep the Law, to their Juftification. And then he infers from the premises, Chap. 2. 20. Therefore by the Deeds of the Law there C 3

Shall

fhall no Flefb be fuftified in the fight of God. No, You must be glad to take another courfe: For this will never do: How Often, and how Far foever it has been Attempted; It is not to be Performed. And though many are ftill Hammering at it; they can make nothing of it: Nor thall the Exactest Liver ever be able to work out his Salvation, only by this means.

Indeed the God of all Grace did not Intend the Delivery of his Law, to Evacuate and thruft out the Covenant of his Grace ; which he was pleas'd to make fo long Before it. As the Apostle affures us Gal. 3. 17, 18. This t Jay, That the Covenant which was before Confirmed of God in Chrift, The Law which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot Difannul; That it should make the Promife of none Effect. For if the Inheritance be of the Law, it is no more of Promife: But God gave it to Abraham by Promife. Wherefore then ferveth the Law? The Apostle there puts the queftion; ver. 19. And he Anfwers it himfelf: It was added. (fays he) because of Tranfgreffions; Till the Seed fhould come, to whom the Promife was made. It was not given, as fuch a Covenant of Wirks By coming up to which, men fhould make their own Paffage into Heaven; So to gain Righteoufefs and Life Eternal. No, but it was given, as a perfect Rule of Life; to InStruct Sinners in their Duty, and • 'em to do it: And then by fhewing them their Infufficiency, and Convincing 'em, that all their

Own

Own Obedience could never do; To direct 'em into Better Hands: As Hagar, the Handmaid, to lead them unto Sarah, the rightful Mother: Or, (as the Apostle expreffes it, Gal. 3. 24. As our Schoolmaster, to bring us unto Chrift. That we might be Justified by Faith in him: where we could never be Juftified by any Works of our Own. For Christ is the End of the Law, for Righteousneß, to ever ry one that Believeth. Rom. 10. 4. He Effects that for them, which the Law could not. it only Shew'd them what was to be done; and gave them no Power to do it. But he Fulfils it For them, and In them: And fo Provides, That all the utmoft Demands of it fhall be Satisfied to the full. Such therefore as do not take the Law for their Tutor and Monitor, to fend them unto Christ Jefus, do Miftake it; and are yet to Learn the Meaning

of it.

For

O Sinner! The Law of God is as the Avenger of Blood at thy heels; To drive thee away unto the City of Refuge; and even to Constrain thee, to Fly for the Life of thy Soul, into the Arms of thy Saviour. Take the Warning then; And let the Necessity of thy Cafe caft thee upon him: And do not Neglect the Only Remedy. If thou wilt not be Allured, yet at leaft, be Terrified into it: And let the Rigor of the Law do thee this Kindness, to throw thee into the Bofom of that Bleffed Surety; Who, where thou art

C4

Infol

Infolvent, and unable to Discharge what thou Oweft to the Law, has Undertaken for thee and paid all, even to the utmost Farthing.

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II. They that stick in the Law, and make account to be Juftified by its Righteousness, are Ignorant of its Latitude and Purity; And do not know how Broad and Spiritual, how Holy, and Heart-fearching it is. They think it enough, to be Honeft and Sober; to Hear and Pray, and do fome External acts: As if then they had performed Obedience to the Law Sufficient and fo Brisk up, and conclude, All's well. As S. Paul fays of himself, Rom. 7.9. I was Alive, without the Law once. Without it! When was he fo, who all along had been Bred up under it? Indeed he was not at all Without it, in the Letter. But it did not before come home, in its Spirit and Power to Ranfack his Confcience; and to Search all the privy Corners of his Heart. And then he was Alive; and thought himself in good cafe enough. But when it came, and pierc'd into his Soul, with its Purifying Energy; to catch hold of all his fecreteft Motions, Defires, Purpofes, Inclinations, and Thoughts; Then he faw he was a Loft Man, by the Sentence of the Law: If he were not found in Christ, and help'd by his Merit and Grace, to answer for all that he had Mifdone; and to do all for the future, in an Acceptable manner.