When the Apostle saith, By the Works of the Law no Flesh shall be Justified, he doth not mean only the Law, as in the Hands of Moses; but also as it is a-new given forth by Jesus Christ; for we are still under Obedience to the Moral Law, the substance of which is to Love God and our Neighbour as our selves: By the Law is meant that Rule of Life God hath given, whether as written in the Heart, or given by Moses, or as given a-new by Christ as Rule of Life to us; Lusts is a breach of Christ's Law, or as the Law given by Christ, as well as it was given by Moses, no Man, because a Sinner, can be Justified by his own Works, Righteousness, or Obedience; but all Men are Sinners, whether Professors ⟨p. 25⟩or Profane, Rom. 3. 23. (As I said before) he that is justified, must be just or without Sin, or have such a Righteousness imputed to him, God will in no wise clear the guilty, Exod. 34. 7. God is just as well as gracious, Rom. 3. 26. he cannot suffer any wrong to be done to his Holy Law. Consider the Purity of his Nature and Rectitude of his Will: His Justice must be satisfied, his Law fulfilled by us, or by our Surety for us, and will not abate a tittle of that Righteousness it doth require; yet such is also his Goodness, that what we could not do in keeping perfectly the Law, he sent his Son in our Nature, as our Surety and Representative, to do it for us, Rom. 8. 3. That the Righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us, that is in our Head, who by Faith is ours; and thus by Faith we do not make void the Law, but establish it. Is the Law rendered useless, or of none effect by Faith? Are we justified without regard had to the just Commands thereby required, or without a Compensation made for the breach thereof? Is it made void? No, God forbid, (saith the Apostle) we establish the Law, in as much as by Faith we get or attain to a perfect Righteousness; even such a Righteousness as the Law requires, by being Interested in the complete and perfect Righteousness, and Obedience of Christ to the Moral Law, in whom every Type and Shadow of the Ceremonial Law, and in whom each Promise, and Prophecy is fulfilled also: To close this, take this Argument, If we are justified by a complete and perfect Righteousness; then an imperfect though a sincere Righteousness, doth not justify us, but we are justified by a complete and perfect Righteousness. Ergo,
When the Apostle saith, By the Works of the Law no Flesh shall be Justified, he doth not mean only the Law, as in the Hands of Moses; but also as it is a-new given forth by Jesus Christ; for we are still under Obedience to the Moral Law, the substance of which is to Love God and our Neighbour as our selves: By the Law is meant that Rule of Life God hath given, whether as written in the Heart, or given by Moses, or as given a-new by Christ as Rule of Life to us; Lusts is a breach of Christ's Law, or as the Law given by Christ, as well as it was given by Moses, no Man, because a Sinner, can be Justified by his own Works, Righteousness, or Obedience; but all Men are Sinners, whether Professors ⟨p. 25⟩or Prophane, Rom. 3. 23. (As I said before) he that is justified, must be just or without Sin, or have such a Righteousness imputed to him, God will in no wise clear the guilty, Exod. 34. 7. God is just as well as gracious, Rom. 3. 26. he cannot suffer any wrong to be done to his Holy Law. Consider the Purity of his Nature and Rectitude of his Will: His Justice must be satisfied, his Law fulfilled by us, or by our Surety for us, and will not abate a tittle of that Righteousness it doth require; yet such is also his Goodness, that what we could not do in keeping perfectly the Law, he sent his Son in our Nature, as our Surety and Representative, to do it for us, Rom. 8. 3. That the Righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us, that is in our Head, who by Faith is ours; and thus by Faith we do not make void the Law, but establish it. Is the Law rendred useless, or of none effect by Faith? Are we justified without regard had to the just Commands thereby required, or without a Compensation made for the breach thereof? Is it made void? No, God forbid, (saith the Apostle) we establish the Law, in as much as by Faith we get or attain to a perfect Righteousness; even such a Righteousness as the Law requires, by being Interested in the compleat and perfect Righteousness, and Obedience of Christ to the Moral Law, in whom every Type and Shadow of the Ceremonial Law, and in whom each Promise, and Prophecy is fulfilled also: To close this, take this Argument, If we are justified by a compleat and perfect Righteousness; then an imperfect though a sincere Righteousness, doth not justifie us, but we are justified by a compleat and perfect Righteousness. Ergo,
