tion that is between him and us; for if we do it as he when yet we are weaker than he, what is this but to outvie, outdo, and go beyond Christ? Wherefore we, not he, have our lives exemplary: exemplary, I say, to him; for who doth the greatest work, they that take it in hand in full strength, as Christ; or he that takes it in hand in weakness, as we? Doubtless the last, if he fulfils it as Christ. So, then, by this doctrine, while we call ourselves his scholars, we make ourselves indeed the masters. But I challenge all the angels in heaven, let them but first sin as we have done, to fulfil the law, as Christ, if they

can.

But again; if Christ be our pattern in keeping the law for life from the curse before God, then Christ fulfilled the law for himself; if so, he was imperfect before he fulfilled it. And how far short this is of blasphemy let sober Christians judge; for the righteousness he fulfilled was to justify from sin; but if it was not to justify us from ours, you know what remaineth, Daniel, ix. 26; Isa. liii. 8-10.

But when must we conclude we have kept the law? Not when we begin, because we have sinned first; nor when we are in the middle, for we may afterwards miscarry. But what if a man in this his progress hath one sinful thought? I query, is it possible to come up to the pattern for justification with God? If yea, then Christ had such; if no, then who can fulfil the law as he?

But should I grant that which is indeed impossible-namely, that thou art justified by the law; what then? Art thou now in the favour of God? No, thou art fallen by this thy perfection from the love and mercy of God: "Whosoever of you are justified by the law are fallen from grace," Gal. v. 4, 5. He speaks not this to them that are doing, but to such as think they have done it, and shews that the blessing that these have got thereby is to fall from the favour of God. Being fallen from grace, Christ profits them nothing, and so they still stand debtors to do the whole law.

So, then, they must not be saved by God's mercy, nor Christ's merits, but alone by the works of the law. But what should such men do in that kingdom that comes by gift, where grace and mercy reigns? Yea, what should they do among that company that are saved alone by grace, through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ? Let them go to that kingdom that God hath prepared for them that are fallen from grace. "Cast out the bond-woman, with her son; for he shall not be heir with the son of the promise," Gal. iv. 30.

But to pass this objection. Before I come to the next reason, I shall yet for the further clearing of this urge these scriptures more. The first is that in Gal. iii. 10, "As many as are of the works of the law, are under the curse." Behold, how boldly Paul asserts it! And observe it, he saith not here, so many as sin against the law, (though that be true,) but, " As many as are of the works of the law." But what, then, are the works of the law? Not whoredom, murder, theft, and the like; but works that are holy and good, the works commanded in the ten commandments, as to love God, abhor idols, reverence

the name of God, keeping the sabbath, honouring thy parents, abstaining from adultery, murder, theft, false-witness, and not to covet what is thy neighbour's- these are the works of the law. Now he, saith Paul, that is of these is under the curse of God. But what is it then to be of these? Why, to be found in the practice of them, and there resting; this is the man that is under the curse: not because the works of the law are wicked in themselves, but because the man that is in the practice of them comes short of answering the exactness of them, and therefore dies for his imperfections, Rom. ii. 17.

The second scripture is that of the 11th verse of the same chapter, "But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident : for, the just shall live by faith." These words, "the just shall live by faith," are taken out of the Old Testament, and are thrice used by this apostle in the New.

1. To shew that nothing of the gospel can be apprehended but by faith: "For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith." "As it is written, The just shall live by faith,” Rom. i. 17; Heb. x. 38.

2. To shew that the way to have relief and succour under temptation is then to live by faith: "Now the just shall live by faith."

3. But in this of the Galatians it is urged to shew that how holy and just soever men be in themselves, yet as such they are dead, and condemned to death by the law before God. "But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident: for, the just shall live by faith."

The word "just," therefore, in this place in special, respecteth a man that is just, or that so esteems himself by the law, and is here considered in a double capacity.

First, What he is before men.
Secondly, What he is before God.

1. As he stands before men, he is just by the law; as Paul before his conversion, Phil. iii, 4.

2. As he stands in the sight of God; so, without the faith of Christ, he cannot be just, as is evident; for the just shall live, not by his justice or righteousness by the law.

This is the true intent of this place,

1. Because they carry with them a supposition that the just here intended may be excluded life, he falling within the rejection asserted within the first part of the verse. No man is just by the law in the sight of God; for "the just shall live by faith" his justice cannot make him live, he must live by the faith of Christ. Again,

2. The words are a reason dissuasive, urged to put a stop to those that are seeking life by the law; as if the apostle had said, Ye Galatians! what are you doing? Would you be saved by keeping the law? Would you stand just before God thereby? Do you not hear the prophets, how they press faith in Jesus, and life by faith in him? Come, I will reason with you,

1. By way of supposition. Were it granted that you all loved the law, yet that for life will avail you nothing; for, the just shall live by faith.'

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2. Were it granted that you kept the law, and that no man on earth could accuse you; were you

therefore just before God? No; neither can you live by works before him; for "the just shall live by faith." Why not live before him? Because when we have done our best, and are applauded of all the world for just, yet then God sees sin in our hearts: "He putteth no trust in his saints; yea, the heavens are not clean in his sight," Job, iv. 18. There is then a just man that perisheth in his righteousness, if he want the faith of Christ, Job, xv. 15; for that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God it is evident; for, the just shall live by faith;" and the law is not of faith.

The third scripture is this-"We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified," Gal. ii. 15, 16.

These words are the result of the experienced Christians in the primitive times; yea, of those among them that had given up themselves before to the law, to get life and heaven thereby; the result, I say, of believing Jews-We who are Jews by nature. But how are they distinguished from the Gentiles? Why, they are such that rest in the law, and make their boast of God; that know his will, and approve the things that are excellent; that are guides to the blind, and a light to them that are in darkness; that are instructors of the foolish, teachers of babes, and which have the form of knowledge, and of the truth of the law," Rom. ii. 17-19.

How far these attained we find by that of the Pharisee-I pray, I fast, I give tithes of all; and by the young man in the gospel-" All these have I kept from my youth up," Luke, xviii. 11, 12; and by that of Paul-"Touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless," Phil. iii. This was the Jew by nature, to do and trust in this. Now these attaining afterwards the sound knowledge of sin, the depravedness of nature, and the exactions of the law, fled from the command of the law to the Lord Jesus for life. We know it; we that are taught of God, and that have found it by sad experience, we, even we, have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law.

Surely, if righteousness had come by the law, Paul and the Jews had found it, they being by many privileges far better than the sinners of the Gentiles; but these, when they received the word of the gospel, even these now fly to Christ from the law, that they might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law.

To conclude this. If righteous men, through the knowledge of the gospel, are made to leave the law of God, as despairing of life thereby, surely righteousness is not to be found in the law; I mean that which can justify thee before God from the curse who livest and walkest in the law.

I shall therefore end this second reason with what I have said before-" Men must be justified from the curse in the sight of God while sinful in themselves."

The third reason.

Thirdly, Another reason why not one under heaven can be justified by the law, or by his own personal performances to it, is, because since sin was in the world God hath rejected the law and the works thereof for life, Rom. vii. 10. It is true, before man had sinned, it was ordained to be unto life; but since, and because of sin, the God of love gave the word of grace. Take the law, then, as God hath established it-to wit, to condemn all flesh, Gal. iii. 21; and then there is room for the promise and the law, the one to kill, the other to heal; and so the law is not against the promises, Rom. iv. 14; but make the law a justifier, and faith is made void, and the promise is made of none effect; and the everlasting gospel, by so doing, thou endeavourest to root out of the world.

Methinks, since it hath pleased God to reject the law and the righteousness thereof for life, such dust and ashes as we are should strive to consent to his holy will, especially when in the room of this of works there is established a better covenant, and that upon better promises.

The Lord hath rejected the law, for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof; for finding fault with them of the law, "The days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel," &c., Heb. viii. 7, 8. Give God leave to find fault with us, and to condemn our personal performances to death, as to our justification before him thereby; let him do it, I say; and the rather, because he doth by the gospel present us with a better. And certainly, if ever he be pleased with us, it will be when he findeth us in that righteousness that is of his own appointing.

To conclude. Notwithstanding all that hath or can be said, there are six things that have great power with the heart to bend it to seek life before God by the law; of all which I would caution that soul to beware that would have happiness in another world.

First, Take heed thou be not made to seek to the law for life, because of that name and majesty of God which thou findest upon the doctrine of the law, Exodus, xx. 1. God indeed spake all the words of the law, and delivered them in that dread and majesty to men that shook the hearts of all that heard it. Now this is of great authority with some, even to seek for life and bliss by the law: "We know," said some, " that God spake to Moses," John, ix. 28, 29. And Saul rejected Christ even of zeal towards God, Acts, xxii. 3. What zeal? Zeal towards God according to the law, which afterwards he left and rejected, because he had found out a better way, Gal. ii. 20. The life that he once lived, it was by the law, but afterwards, saith he, the life that I now live it is by faith, by the faith of Jesus Christ. So that, though the law was the appointment of God, and had also his name and majesty upon it, yet now he will not live by the law. Indeed, God is in the law, but yet only as just and holy, not as gracious and merciful; so he is only in Jesus Christ.

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The law," the word of justice, "was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ," John, i. 17. Wherefore, whatever of God thou findest in the law, yet seeing grace and mercy is not there, let neither the name of God

could fly, Isa. xiv. 29; wherefore, in my judgment, they stung the people about their faces, and so swelled up their eyes, which made it the more difficult for them to look up to the brazen serpent, which was the type of Christ, John, iii. 14. Just so doth sin by the law do now; it stings the soul, the very face of the soul, which is the cause that looking up to Jesus, or believing in him, is so difficult a task in time of terror of conscience.

3. This is not only so at present, but so long as guilt is on the conscience, so long remains the blindness; for guilt standing before the soul, the grace of God is intercepted, even as the sun is hid from the sight of mine eyes by the cloud that cometh between: "My sin," said David, "is ever before me," (Psalm li. 3,) and so kept other things out of his sight: sin, I say, when applied by the law. When the law came to Paul, he remained without sight (Acts, ix.) until the good man came unto him with the word of forgiveness of sins.

4. Again; where the law comes with power, there it begetteth many doubts against the grace of God; for it is only a revealer of sin, and the ministration of death; that is, a doctrine that sheweth sin, and condemneth for the same; hence, therefore, as was hinted before, the law being the revealer of sin, where that is embraced, there sin must needs be discovered and condemned, and the soul for the sake of that; further, it is not only a revealer of sin, but that which makes it abound; so that the closer any man sticks to the law for life, the faster sin doth cleave to him. "That law," saith Paul, "which was ordained to be unto life, I found to be unto death," (Rom. vii. 10-14;) for by the law I became a notorious sinner; I thought to have obtained life by obeying the law, but sin taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and thereby slew me." A strange way of deceivableness, and it is hid from the most of men; but, as I have already told you, you see how it comes to pass.

1. Man by nature is carnal, and the law itself is spiritual: now betwixt these two ariseth great difference; the law is exceeding good, the heart exceeding bad; these two opposites therefore (the heart so abiding) can by no means agree.

2. Therefore, at every approach of the law to the heart with intent to impose duty, or to condemn for the neglect thereof; at every such approach the heart starteth back, especially when the law comes home indeed, and is heard in his own language. This being thus, the conscience perceiving this is a fault, begins to tremble at the sense of judgment; the law still continueth to command to duty, and to condemn for the neglect thereof. From this struggling of these two opposites ariseth, I say, those doubts and fears that drive the heart into unbelief, and that make it blind to the word of the gospel, that it can neither see nor understand anything but that it is a sinner, and that the law must be fulfilled by it if ever it be saved.

But again; another thing that hath great influence upon the heart to make it lean to the law for life is, the false names that Satan and his instruments have put upon it; such as these-to call the law the gospel; conscience, the spirit of Christ; works, faith; and the like: with these, weak consciences have been mightily pestered;

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yea, thousands deluded and destroyed. This was the way whereby the enemy attempted to overthrow the church of Christ of old; as, namely, those in Galatia and at Corinth, &c., 2 Cor. xi. 3, 4, 13, 14. I say, by the feigned notion that the law was the gospel, the Galatians were removed from the gospel of Christ; and Satan, by appropriating to himself and his ministers the names and titles of the ministers of the Lord Jesus, prevailed with many at Corinth to forsake Paul and his doctrine. Where the Lord Jesus hath been preached in truth, and something of his doctrine known, it is not there so easy to turn people aside from the sound of the promise of grace, unless it be by the noise and sound of a gospel. Therefore, I say, the false apostles came thus among the churches: "another gospel, another gospel;" which, in truth, saith Paul, is not another; but some would pervert the gospel of Christ,” (Gal. i. 6-8,) and thrust that out of doors, by gilding the law with that glorious name. So again, for the ministers of Satan, they must be called the apostles of Christ and ministers of righteousness! which thing, I say, is of great force, especially being accompanied with so holy and just a doctrine as the word of the law is; for what better to the eye of reason than to love God above all, and our neighbour as ourselves, which doctrine, being the scope of the ten words given on Sinai, no man can contradict; for, in truth, they are holy and good. But here is the poison; to set this law in the room of a mediator, as those do that seek to stand just before God thereby; and then nothing is so dishonourable to Christ, nor of so soul-destroying a nature as the law; for that thus placed hath not only power when souls are deluded, but power to delude, by its real holiness, the understanding, conscience, and reason of a man; and by giving the soul a semblance of heaven, to cause it to throw away Christ, grace, and faith. Wherefore it behoveth all men to take heed of names, and of appearances of holiness and goodness.

Lastly, Satan will yet go further; he will make use of something that may be at a distance from a moral precept, and therewith bring souls under the law. Thus he did with some of old; he did not make the Galatians fall from Christ by virtue of one of the ten words, but by something that was aloof off, by circumcision, days and months, that were Levitical ceremonies; for he knows it is no matter, nor in what Testament he found it, if he can therewith hide Christ from the soul -"Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if you be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing; for I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to the whole law," Gal. v. 2, 3. Why so, seeing circumcision is not one of the ten words? Why, because they did it in conscience to God, to stand just before him thereby. Now here we may behold much cunning of the devil; he begins with some at a distance from that law which curseth, and so by little and little bringeth them under it; even as by circumcision the Galatians were at length brought under the law that condemneth all men to the wrath and judgment of God. I have often wondered when I have read how God crieth out against the Jews for observing his own commandment, (Isaiah, i.;)

but I perceive by Paul that by these things a man may reject and condemn the Lord Jesus; which those do that for life set up aught, whether moral or other institution, besides the faith of Jesus.

Let men therefore warily distinguish betwixt names and things, betwixt statute and commandment, lest they by doing the one transgress against the other, 2 Cor. i. 19, 20. Study, therefore, the nature and end of the law with the nature and end of the gospel; and if thou canst keep them distinct in thy understanding and conscience, neither names nor things, neither statutes nor commandments, can draw thee from the faith of the gospel. And that thou mayest yet be helped in this matter, I shall now come to speak to the second conclusion.

The second position.

That men can be justified from the curse before God while sinners in themselves by no other righteousness than that long ago performed by, and remaining with, the person of Christ.

For the better prosecuting of this position, I shall observe two things-

1. That the righteousness by which we stand just before God from the curse was performed by the person of Christ.

2. That this righteousness is inherent only in him.

As to the first of these, I shall be but brief. Now, that the righteousness that justifieth us was performed long ago by the person of Christ, besides what hath already been said, is further manifest thus

1. He is said to have purged our sins by himself "When he had by himself purged our sins, he sat down on the right hand of God," Heb. i. 2,3. I have shewed that in Christ, for the accomplishing of righteousness, there was both doing and suffering; doing, to fulfil all the commands of the law; suffering, to answer its penalty for sin. This second is that which in this to the Hebrews is in special intended by the apostle, where he saith, he hath "purged our sins," Heb. ix. 14; that is, by his precious blood; for it is that alone can purge our sins, either out of the sight of God or out of the sight of the soul. Now this was done by himself, saith the apostle; that is, in or by his personal doings and sufferings. And hence it is that when God had rejected the offerings of the law, he said, "Lo, I come. A body hast thou prepared me, to do thy will, O God," Heb. x. 5-8. Now by this will of God, saith the Scripture, we are sanctified. By what will? Why, by the offering up of the body of Jesus Christ; for that was God's will, that thereby we might be a habitation for him; as he saith again"Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate," Heb. xiii. 12.

2. As it is said, he hath purged our sins by himself, so it was by himself at once-"For by one offering hath he perfected for ever them that are sanctified." Now by this word "at once," or by "one offering," is cut off all those imaginary sufferings of Christ which foolish men conceive of; as, that he in all ages hath suffered, or suffereth for sin in us. No; he did this work but once : "Not that he should offer himself often,

as the high priest entered into the holy place every year with the blood of others; for then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world," in the time of Pilate, "hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself," Heb. ix. 25, 26. Mark how to the purpose the Holy Ghost expresseth it: he hath suffered but once; and that once, now; now once; now he is God and man in one person; now he hath taken the body that was prepared of God; now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself; by the offering up of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

3. It further appears, in that by his resurrection from the dead, the mercies of God are made sure to the soul, God declaring by that, as was said before, how well pleased he is by the undertaking of his Son for the salvation of the world: "And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he said on this wise, I will give thee the sure mercies of David," Acts, xiii. 34. For Christ being clothed with man's flesh, and undertaking for man's sins, did then confirm all sure to us by his resurrection from the dead. So that by the rising of that man again, mercy and grace are made sure to him that hath believed on Jesus. Wherefore, from these things, together with what hath been discovered about his addressing himself to the work, I conclude "That men can be justified from the curse before God while sinners in themselves by no other righteousness than that long ago performed by the person of Christ." Now the conclusion is true, from all show of contradiction; for the Holy Ghost saith, he hath done it; hath done it by himself, and that by the will of God, at once, even then when he took the prepared body upon him-" By the will of God we are sanctified, through the offering up of the body of Jesus Christ once for all."

This being so, the second position is also manifest-namely, that the righteousness by which we stand just from the curse before God is only inherent in Jesus Christ. For if he hath undertaken to bring in a justifying righteousness, and that by works and merits of his own, then that righteousness must of necessity be inherent in him alone, and ours only by imputation; and hence it is called, in that fifth to the Romans, the gift, the " gift of righteousness;" because neither wrought nor obtained by works of ours, but bestowed upon us, as a garment already prepared, by the mercy of God in Christ, Romans, v. 17; Isa. lxi. 10.

There are four things that confirm this for a truth

First, This righteousness is said to be the righteousness of one, not of many; I mean of one properly and personally, as his own particular personal righteousness. The gift of grace, which is the gift of righteousness, it is "by one man, Jesus Christ. Much more they that receive abundance of grace, and of the gift of righteousness, shall reign in life by one Jesus Christ. Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all