362. The Key of Understanding Paul's Discourses of Justification is, to know, 1. That the grand question which he first manageth is, Whether the Gentiles may not be saved without keeping the Jewish Law, as well as the Jews with it? 2. To prove the Affirmative, he proveth that the Jews themselves cannot be saved or justified merely or primarily by the Law, notwithstanding the divinity and great excellency of it; but must be justified by a Saviour, and free-given Pardon and Right to Life, and to which the sincere keeping of Mose's Law was intended to be but subservient. 3. That therefore it appeareth, that the Jews did so fondly ⟨p. 121⟩admire the Law, and their national privileges under it, that they thought that the exact keeping of it was necessary and sufficient to Justification and Salvation: And they thought the Messiah was not to be their Righteousness, as a Sacrifice for Sin, and Meriter of free Pardon, and the Gift of Life, but only a great King and Deliverer, to redeem them by Power from all their Enemies and Bondage. 4. That it was not Adam's Covenant of Innocency or Perfection which the Jews thus trusted to, or Paul doth speak against as to Justification (though a minore ad majus, that also is excluded.) For the Jews knew that they were Sinners, and that God pardoned Sin as a merciful God, and that their 1Law had Sacrifices for Pardon and Expiation, with Confessions, &c. But they thought that so far as God had made that Law sufficient to political ends, and to temporal Rewards and Punishments, it had been sufficient to eternal Rewards and Punishments; and that of it self, and not in mere subordination to the typified Messiah. Therefore they thought that he that kept the Law so far as to commit no sin which the Law punished with death or abscission, and that for all his other pardonable sins, performed the required Penances and Sacrifices, was by this, which is called The Works of the Law; that is, the keeping of the Law, a righteous justifiable person. 5. That the thing therefore which Paul disproveth them by is, 1. That the Law was never made for such an end. 2. That even then it stood in subordination to Redemption and free-given life. 3. That the free Gift or Covenant of Grace containing the Promise of the Messiah, and Pardon and Life by him, was before the Law, and justified Abraham and others even without it. 4.
362. The Key of Understanding Paul's Discourses of Justification is, to know, 1. That the grand question which he first manageth is, Whether the Gentiles may not be saved without keeping the Jewish Law, as well as the Jews with it? 2. To prove the Affirmative, he proveth that the Jews themselves cannot be saved or justified meerly or primarily by the Law, notwithstanding the divinity and great excellency of it; but must be justified by a Saviour, and free-given Pardon and Right to Life, and to which the sincere keeping of Mose's Law was intended to be but subservient. 3. That therefore it appeareth, that the Jews did so fondly ⟨p. 121⟩admire the Law, and their national priviledges under it, that they thought that the exact keeping of it was necessary and sufficient to Justification and Salvation: And they thought the Messiah was not to be their Righteousness, as a Sacrifice for Sin, and Meriter of free Pardon, and the Gift of Life, but only a great King and Deliverer, to redeem them by Power from all their Enemies and Bondage. 4. That it was not Adam's Covenant of Innocency or Perfection which the Jews thus trusted to, or Paul doth speak against as to Justification (though a minore ad majus, that also is excluded.) For the Jews knew that they were Sinners, and that God pardoned Sin as a merciful God, and that their 1Law had Sacrifices for Pardon and Expiation, with Confessions, &c. But they thought that so far as God had made that Law sufficient to political ends, and to temporal Rewards and Punishments, it had been sufficient to eternal Rewards and Punishments; and that of it self, and not in meer subordination to the typified Messiah. Therefore they thought that he that kept the Law so far as to comit no sin which the Law punished with death or abscission, and that for all his other pardonable sins, performed the required Penances and Sacrifices, was by this, which is called The Works of the Law; that is, the keeping of the Law, a righteous justifiable person. 5. That the thing therefore which Paul disproveth them by is, 1. That the Law was never made for such an end. 2. That even then it stood in subordination to Redemption and free-given life. 3. That the free Gift or Covenant of Grace containing the Promise of the Messiah, and Pardon and Life by him, was before the Law, and justified Abraham and others even without it. 4.
- 1Petavius de Leg, & Grat. li. 1. c. 7. Well openeth the various senses, in which the Law doth or doth not promise life eternal: And through his two Books is much worth the reading of the difference of the Law and Gospel: See Mr. Allen's Treat. of the Two Covenants, with my Preface; And Mr. Truman's Great. Propitiat. with the Append.
