they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promife made of none effect, because the law worketh wrath, Rom. iv. 14, 15. The law itself is now fuch as that it cannot give life, Gal. iii. 21. If there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law; and he gives the reafon in the next verfe, why it could not give life, because the fcripture conclues all under fin, that is, it is very true, and the fcripture affirms it, that all men are finners, and the law fpeaks not one word to finners but death and destruction; therefore the apoftle tells us plainly, that God himfelf found fault with this way of attaining righteousness, Heb. viii. 7, 8. He complains of it, that is, he declares it infufficient for that end and purpose.

Now there are two confiderations that discover unto men the vanity and hopelessness of seeking righteousness in this path.

1. That they have already finned, for all have finned and come short of the glory of God, Rom iii, 23. this they are fufficiently fenfible of; that although they could for the time to come, fulfil the whole law, yet there is a fcore, a reckoning upon them already, that they know not how to anfwer for. Do they confult their guide, the law itself, how they may be eafy of the account that is past; it hath not one word of direction, or confolation, but bids them prepare to die; the sentence is forth, and there is no efcaping,

gone

2. That if all former debts fhould be blotted out, yet they are no way able for the future, to fulfil the law; they can as well move the earth with a finger, as answer the perfection thereof; and therefore as I faid, on this twofold account.

they conclude that this labour is loft, by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified, Gal. iii.

11, 12.

Wherefore fecondly, Being thus difappointed by the severity and inexorableness of the law, men generally betake themfelves to fome other way, that may fatisfy them as to those confiderations, which took them off from their former hopes; and this for the most part, is, by fixing themselves upon fome ways of atonement to fatisfy God, and helping out the reft with hopes of mercy. Not to infift on the ways of atonement and expiation which the Gentiles had pitched on, nor on the many ways and inventions by works fatisfactory of their own, fupererogations of others, indulgences, and purgatory in the clofe, that the Papifts have found out for this end and purpofe, it is, I fay, proper to all convinced perfons, as above, to feek for a righte oufnefs, partly by an endeavour to fatisfy for what is paft, and partly by hoping after general mercy. This the apoftle calls a feeking for it, as it were by the works of the law, Rom. ix. 32. not directly, but as it were by the works of the law; making. up one thing with another. And he tells us what iffue they have in this bufinefs, chap. x. 2. Being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and feeking to eftablish their own righteoufiefs, they were not fubject to the righteousness of God. They were by it enemies to the righteoufnefs of God. The ground of this going about to establish their own righteoufnefs, was, that they were ignorant of the righteousness of God; had they known the righteoufnefs of God, and what exact conformity to his will he requireth, they had never undertaken fuch a fruit

a fruitless business, as to have compaffed it, as it were by the works of the law; yet this many wilk ftick on a long time. Something they do, fomething they hope for, fome old fault they will buy off with new obedience. And this pacifies their confciences for a feafon; but when the Spirit comes to convince them of righteousness, neither will this hold wherefore,

3. The matter comes at length to this iffue, they look upon themselves under this twofold qualifica tion; as,

1. Sinners, obnoxious to the law of God, and the curfe thereof; fo that unless that be fatisfied, that nothing from thence shall ever be laid to their charge, it is altogether in vain, once to feek after an appearance in the presence of God.

2. As creatures, made for a fupernatural and eternal end, and therefore bound to answer the whole mind and will of God in the obedience required at their hands. Now it being before dif covered to them, that both thefe are beyond the compafs of their own endeavours, and the affiftance which they have formerly refted on, if their eter nal condition be of any concernment to them; their wifdom is, to find out a righteoufnefs that may an fwer both these to the utmost.

Now both thefe are to be had only in the Lord .Chrift, who is our righteoufnefs; this wisdom, and 'all the treafures of it, are hid in him.

1. He expiates former iniquities, he fatisfies for fin, and procures remiffion of it, Rom. iii. 24, 25.. Being juftified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Jefus Chrig, whom God bath fet forth to be a propitiation, through faith in his 03

bread,

blood, to declare his righteoufaefs for the remiffion of fins that are past, through the forbearance of God. All we like sheep, &c. Ifa. liii. 5, 6. In his blood we have redemption, the forgiveness of fins, Eph. i. 7. God fpared not him, but gave him, &c. Rom. viii, 32. This, even this alone is our righteousness, as to that first part of it which confifts in the removal of the whole guilt of fin, whereby we are come fhort of the glory of God. On this account it is, that we are affured, that none fhall ever lay any thing to our charge, or condemn us, Rom. viii. 31, 34. there being no condemnation to them that are in Chrift Jefus, ver. 1. we are purged by the facrifice of Chrift, fo as to have no more confcience of fin, Heb. x. 2. that is, troubles in confcience about it. This wisdom is hid only in the Lord Jefus; in him alone is there an atonement difcovered: and give me the wisdom which fhall cut all fcores concerning fin, and let the world take what remains. But,

2. There is yet fomething more required; it is not enough that we are not guilty. We muft alfo be actually righteous: not only all fin is to be anfwered for, but all righteousness is to be fulfilled; by taking away the guilt of fin, we are as perfons innocent, but fomething more is required to make us to be confidered as perfons obedient. I know nothing to teach me that an innocent perfon fhall go to heaven, be rewarded, if he be no more but fo. Adam was innocent at his firft creation, but he was to do this, to keep the commandments before he entred into life, he had no title to life by innocency. This then moreover is required, that the whole law be fulfilled, and all the obedience performed that God requires at our hands. This is the fouls fecond inquiry, and it finds a resolution on

ly

ly in the Lord Chrift; For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son; much more being reconciled, we shall be faved by his life, Rom. v. 10. his death reconciled us, then are we faved by his life. The actual obedience which he yielded to the whole law of God, is that righteoufness whereby we are faved; If so be we are found in him, not having on our own righteousness which is of the law, but the righteousness which is of God by faith, Phil. iii. 9. This i fhall have occafion to handle more at large hereafter.

To return then. It is not I'fuppofe any difficult task, to perfwade men convinced of immortality and judgement to come, that the main of their wildom lyes in this, even to find out fuch a righteousness as will accompany them for ever, and abide the fevere trial of God himfelf. Now all the wisdom of the world is but folly, as to the difcovery of this thng. The utmost that man's wifdom can do, is but to find out moft wretched, burthenfome, and vexatious ways of perishing eternally. All the treafures of this wisdom are hid in Chrift, He of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, 1 Cor. i.

30.

3. Come we to the laft thing which I fhall but touch upon, and that is judgment. The true wif dom of this alfo is hid in the Lord Chrift; I mean in particular that judgment that is for to come; fo at present I take the word in that place. Of what concernment this is to us to know, 1 fhall not fpeak; it is that, whofe influence upon the fons of men, is the principle of their difcriminating themfelves from the beafts that perifh; neither fhall I infift on the obfcure intimations of it, which are given by the prefent proceedings of providence in governing the world, nor that greater light of it, which fhines in

the