Sermons upon Psalm CXXX, ver. 4 but there is forgiveness with thee, that thou…

2. God's Readiness to forgive appears in the gracious and easy Terms prescribed in the Gospel for the obtaining Pardon. There are two ways of Justification before God, and they are like two Ways to a City: One is direct and short, but deep and unpassable; the other lies in a Circuit, but will bring a ⟨p. 19⟩Person safe to the Place. Thus there is a Justification of an innocent Person by Works, that secures him from the Charge of the Law; and a Justification of a Sinner by Faith in our all-sufficient Saviour. The first was a short way to Man in the State of Integrity: the second, such is the Distance of the Terms, takes a Compass. There is a shorter Passage from Life to Action, than from Death to Life. There is no Hope or Possibility of our legal Justification. The Apostle saith,¹ That which the Law could not do in that it was weak through the Flesh, God sending his own Son in the Likeness of sinful Flesh, and for Sin condemned Sin in the Flesh. The Expiation of Sin, and renewing us into the Image of God, are obtained by the Gospel. The Law is called, the Law of Sin and Death: which must be understood not as considered in it self, but relatively to our depraved Nature. The Law supposes Men in a State of uncorrupted Nature, and was given to be a Preservative of our Holiness and Felicity, not a Remedy to recover us from Sin and Misery. It was directive of our Duty, but since our Rebellion the Rod is turned into a Serpent. The Law is hard and ⟨p. 20⟩imperious, severe and inexorable, the Tenor of it is, Do, or die for ever. It requires a Righteousness entire and unblemished, which one born in Sin cannot produce in the Court of Judgment. Man is utterly unable by his lapsed Powers to recover the Favour of God, and to fulfil his Obligation by the Law to Obedience. But the Gospel discovers an open easy way to Life, to all that will accept of Salvation by the Redeemer. The Apostle expresses the Difference between the Condition of the Law and the Gospel in a very significant manner.² Moses describes the Righteousness which is of the Law, that the Man that does those things shall live in them: but the Righteousness which is of Faith speaks on this wise, Say not in thine Heart, Who shall ascend into Heaven, that is to bring down Christ from above; Who shall descend into the Deep, that is to bring Jesus Christ again from the dead? but what saith it?