Discourses on various important subjects, nearly concerning the great affair of the soul's eternal…

4. 'Tis evident that when the Apostle says, we can't be justified by the Works of the Law, he means the Moral as well as ceremonial Law, by his giving this Reason for it, that by the Law is the Knowledge of Sin, as Rom 3. 20. By the Deeds of the Law shall no Flesh be justified in his Sight, for by the Law is the knowledge of Sin. Now that Law by which we come to the knowledge of Sin, is the moral Law chiefly and primarily.—If this Argument of the Apostle be good, that we can't be justified by the Deeds of the Law, because it is by the Law that we come to the knowledge of Sin, then it proves that we can't be justified by the Deeds of the Moral Law, nor by the Precepts of Christianity; for by them is the Knowledge of Sin. If the Reason be good, then where the Reason holds, the Truth holds.—'Tis a miserable Shift, and a violent Force put upon the Words, to say that the meaning is, that by the Law of Circumcision is the Knowledge of Sin, because Circumcision signifying the taking away of Sin, puts Men in mind of Sin. The plain meaning of the Apostle is, that as the Law most strictly forbids Sin, it tends to convince us of Sin, and bring our own Consciences to condemn us, instead of justifying of us; that the Use of it is to declare to us our own Guilt and Unworthiness, which is the reverse of justifying and approving of us as virtuous or worthy. This is the Apostle's meaning, if we will allow him to be his own expositor; for he himself in this very Epistle explains to us how it is that by the Law we have the Knowledge of Sin, and that 'tis by the Law's forbidding Sin Chap. 7. 7. I had […] known Sin, but by the Law, for I had not known Lust, except the Law had said, thou shalt not covet. There the Apostle determines two Things, First, That, •he Way in which, by the Law is the Knowledge of Sin, […] by the Law's forbidding Sin: And Secondly, which […] more directly still to the Purpose; he determines ••at 'tis the Moral Law by which we come to the knowledge of Sin; for says he, I had not known Lust except the Law had said, thou shalt not covet: Now 'tis the moral, and not the ceremonial Law, that says thou ⟨p. 37⟩shalt not covet:

4. 'Tis evident that when the Apostle says, we can't be justified by the Works of the Law, he means the Moral as well as ceremonial Law, by his giving this Reason for it, that by the Law is the Knowledge of Sin, as Rom 3. 20. By the Deeds of the Law shall no Flesh be justified in his Sight, for by the Law is the knowledge of Sin. Now that Law by which we come to the knowledge of Sin, is the moral Law chiefly and primarily.—If this Argument of the Apostle be good, that we can't be justified by the Deeds of the Law, because it is by the Law that we come to the knowledge of Sin, then it proves that we can't be justified by the Deeds of the Moral Law, nor by the Precepts of Christianity; for by them is the Knowledge of Sin. If the Reason be good, then where the Reason holds, the Truth holds.—'Tis a miserable Shift, and a violent Force put upon the Words, to say that the meaning is, that by the Law of Circumcision is the Knowledge of Sin, because Circumcision signifying the taking away of Sin, puts Men in mind of Sin. The plain meaning of the Apostle is, that as the Law most strictly forbids Sin, it tends to convince us of Sin, and bring our own Consciences to condemn us, instead of justifying of us; that the Use of it is to declare to us our own Guilt and Unworthiness, which is the reverse of justifying and approving of us as virtuous or worthy. This is the Apostle's meaning, if we will allow him to be his own expositor; for he himself in this very Epistle explains to us how it is that by the Law we have the Knowledge of Sin, and that 'tis by the Law's forbidding Sin Chap. 7. 7. I had known Sin, but by the Law, for I had not known Lust, except the Law had said, thou shalt not covet. There the Apostle determines two Things, First, That, he Way in which, by the Law is the Knowledge of Sin, by the Law's forbidding Sin: And Secondly, which more directly still to the Purpose; he determines at 'tis the Moral Law by which we come to the knowledge of Sin; for says he, I had not known Lust except the Law had said, thou shalt not covet: Now 'tis the moral, and not the ceremonial Law, that says thou