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have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law."-Here we have an objection of the Jews: God be one, then he doth not speak one thing, and mean another; pronounce the law in some words, and require them to be otherwise understood; and then it will follow, that the law is against the promises; for, in the common construction and sense of the words, it is manifestly contrary. This objection the apostle doth retort upon them; Inasmuch as the law would be against the promise, if it should stand for a rule of justification by itself, and not for a manuduction unto Christ; therefore God being one and the same, constant in his promise for righteousness which he made to Abraham,-they were in a manifest error who sought for righteousness from the law, because that would evidently infer one of these two things, either inconstancy in God's will, or inconstancy in his acts.-The substance and strength of the apostle's answer I take to be this: Contrariety is properly in the nature of things considered by themselves. Now though there be in the law an accidental contrariety to the gospel, by reason of the sin of man which hath brought weakness upon it, so that the law now curseth, and the gospel blesseth-the law now condemneth, and the gospel justifieth, yet of itself it is not contrary. For if any law would have given life and righteousness, this would have done it. That which is 'ex se,' considered in itself, apt to carry to the same end whereunto another thing carries, is not of itself contrary thereunto. But the law is of itself apt to carry unto life and righteousness as now the gospel doth; therefore of itself it is not contrary to the gospel, but that difference which is, is from the sin of man which hath weakened the law. But now the law in the hand of a mediator, is not only not against, but it is for, the promises. Suppose we two ways unto one city, whereof the one is accidentally, either by bogs or enclosures, or some other reasons, become utterly unpassable; the other smooth and easy: these are not contrary ways considered in themselves, (for of themselves they point both unto one place) but only contrary in respect of travellers, because the one will 'de facto' bring to the city, which the other by accident is unable to do. So here, the law is one way to Heaven,-the gospel, another; but sin hath made the law weak and un

passable, which, otherwise, of itself would have sufficed unto righteousness. And yet even thus the law is not against the promises; for the impossibility which we find in the law, enforceth us to bethink ourselves of a better and surer way to bring us unto righteousness and salvation. And this the apostle shews in the next words:

Vers. 22. "But the Scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe." Though sin have made the law contrary to the promise, in that it curseth and condemneth, and concludeth men under sin and wrath; yet such is the mercy of God, that he hath subordinated all this, and made subservient unto the gospel, that the promise thereby may be applied and advanced. For it is all ordered to no other purpose, but that men might believe, and inherit the promises. But what? Doth the law make men believe, or beget faith? Formally it doth not, but by way of preparation and manuduction it doth: as when a man finds one way shut up, he is thereby induced to enquire after another. To sum up all that hath been spoken touching the use of the law, in plain similitude: suppose we a prince should proclaim a pardon to all traitors, if they would come in and plead it; and, after this, should send forth his officers to attach, imprison, examine, convince, arraign, threaten and condemn them is he now contrary to himself? Hath he repented of his mercy? No, but he is unwilling to lose his mercy; he is desirous to have the honour of his mercy acknowledged unto him; and therefore he bringeth them unto these extremities, that when their mouth is stopped, and their guilt made evident, they may, with the more humility and abhorrency of their former lewdness, acknowledge the justness of the law, which would condemn them, and the great mercy of the prince, who hath given them liberty to plead his pardon. The same is the case between God and us. First, to Abraham, he made promise of mercy and blessedness to all that would plead interest in it, for the remission of their sins. But men were secure and heedless of their estate; and though sin was in them, and death reigned over them, yet being without a law to evidence this sin and death unto their consciences, therefore they imputed them not to themselves; they would not own them, nor charge themselves with them;

and, by consequence, found no necessity of pleading that promise. Hereupon the Lord published by Moses a severe and terrible law, so terrible, that Moses himself did exceedingly fear and quake; a law which filled the air with thunder, and the mount with fire; a law full of blackness, darkness, and tempest; a law which they who heard it, could not endure, but entreated that it might not be spoken to them any more yet in all this, God doth but pursue his first purpose of mercy, and take a course to make his gospel accounted worthy of all acceptation; that when, by this law, men shall be roused from their security, shut up under the guilt of infinite transgressions, affrighted with the fire and tempest, the blackness and darkness, the darts and curses of this law against sin,-they may then run from Sinai unto Sion, even to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and by faith plead that pardon and remission, which in him was promised. Thus we see the point in the general cleared, That God, in the publication of the law by Moses on mount Sinai, had none but merciful and evangelical intentions.I shall farther draw down the doctrine of the use of the law into a few conclusions.

First, The law is not given 'ex primaria intentione,' to condemn men. There was condemnation enough in the world between Adam and Moses, before the law was new published. It is true, the law shall prove a condemning and judging law unto impenitent and unbelieving sinners: but to condemn or judge men by it, was no more God's intention in the publishing of it by the ministering of Moses, (I speak of condemnation not pronounced, but executed) than it was his purpose to condemn men by the gospel, which yet 'de factos will be a savour of death unto death, to all that despise it. It is said that Christ should be as well 'for the fall, as for the raising of many in Israel,' and that he should

q Heb. xii. • Καὶ ἡμεῖς τοῦ νόμου μετελάβομεν εὐαγγελικῶς. Greg. Naz. Orat. 17. • Καὶ τὰς ὑὰς τὸ μύρον λέγεται πνίγειν, καὶ τὸ φῶς τοὺς dolevels σKOTĺgew. Chrysost. in 2 Cor. Hom. 5.-Unguentum est unguentum, etiamsi id vultures defugiant. Theodor. - Τοῦτο τῆς δικαιοσύνης τὸ κήρυγμα ὑπακούουσιν εὐαγγέλιον, παρακούσασιν κριτήριον. Clem. Αlex. in Protreptic.-Μία καὶ ἡ αὐτὴ στάθμη· ἀλλὰ φείδεται μὲν τοῦ ὀρθοῦ, περικόπτει δὲ τὸ περιτιὸν, εἰς ἥλιος, ἀλλὰ φωτίζει μὲν τὴν ὑγιαίνουσαν ὄψιν, ἀμαυροῖ δὲ τὴν ἀσθενοῦσαν εἷς Χριστὸς, ἀλλ ̓ εἰς πτῶσιν κεῖται καὶ ἀνάστασιν. πτῶσιν μὲν τοῖς ἀπίστοις, ἀνάστ τασιν δὲ τοῖς πιστεύουσιν. Greg. Νaz. Orat. 17.

be a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence;' yet he saith of himself, "I came not to condemn the world, but that the world by me might be saved."-The meaning is, The condemnation of the world was no motive nor impulsive cause of my coming, though it were an accidental event, consequent, and emergency thereupon. Even so the condemnation which, by the law, will be aggravated upon impenitent sinners, the pouring forth of more wrath and vengeance than reigned in the world between Adam and Moses, -was no motive in God's intention to publish the law by his ministry, but only the furtherance and advancement of the covenant of grace.

t

Secondly, The law was not published by Moses on mount Sinai, (as it was given to Adam in paradise) to justify or to save men. God never appoints any thing to an end, to which it is utterly unsuitable and improper: now the law by sin is become weak and unprofitable" to the purpose of righteousness or salvation; nay, it was in that regard "against us," as St. Paul saith ; and therefore we are delivered from it as a rule of justification, though not as a rule of service and obedience.

Thirdly, The uses of the law are several, according to divers considerations of it. For we may consider it either 'per se,' in itself, according to the primary intention thereof in its being and new publication; or 'per accidens,' according to those secondary and inferior effects thereof. By accident, or secondarily, the law doth, first, irritate, enrage, exasperate lust, by reason of the venomous and malicious quality which is in sin. And this the law doth not by ingenerating or implanting lust in the heart, but by exciting, calling out, and occasioning that which was there before: as a chain doth not beget any fury in a wolf, nor a bridge infuse any strength into the water, nor the presence of an enemy instil or create 'de novo' any malice in a man, but only occasionally reduce unto act, and call forth that rage which, though less discerned, was yet habitually there before.

* Col. ii. 14.

Secondly, The law by accident doth punish and curse sin. Rom. viii. 3. u Heb. vii. 18. y Si lex jubens adsit, et spiritus juvans desit, per ipsam prohibitionem desiderio peccati crescente atque vincente, etiam reatus prævaricationis accedit. Aug. de Civ. Dei, 1. 21. cap, 16. et 83. Quest. cap. 66.

I say by accident,' because punishment is, in no law, the main intention of the lawgiver; but something added thereunto, to back, strengthen, and enforce the obedience which is principally intended. Neither could the law have cursed man at all, if his disobedience had not thereunto made way; which shews that the curse was not the primary intention of the law, but only a secondary and subsequent act upon the failing of the principal. For I doubt not but the Lord accounteth himself more glorified by the active and voluntary services, than by the passive and enforced sufferings of the creature. 66 Herein," saith our Saviour, "is my father glorified, that ye bring forth much fruit."

Secondly, Consider the law by itself, and in its primary intention, and so there are two principal uses for which it serves. First, it hath rationem speculi;' it is as a glass to manifest and discover sin and death, and thereupon to compel men to fly for sanctuary unto Christ, and, when they see their misery, to sue out their pardon. And this the law doth, first, by convincing the conscience of its own wideness (as the prophet David speaks, "I have seen an end of all perfection, but the law is exceeding broad "); by revealing the compass of sin in proportion to the wideness; and the filthiness of sin in proportion to the purity of that holy law; by discovering the depth and foulness, the deceitfulness and desperate mischief, of the heart by nature; and giving some evidences to the soul of that horrid, endless, and insupportable vengeance which is due to sin. "We know," saith the apostle, “that whatsoever things the law saith, it saith to those that are under the law; that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God."

Secondly, By judging, sentencing, applying wrath to the soul in particular. For when it hath stopped a man's mouth, evidenced his guiltiness, concluded him under sin, it then pronounceth him to be a cursed and condemned creature, exposed, without any strength or possibility to evade or overcome, unto all the wrath which his sins have deserved. Therefore it is called the 'ministry of death and condem

z John xv.

a Ὁ νόμος οὐκ ἐποίησεν, ἀλλ' ἔδειξεν τὴν ἁμαρτίαν· προστάξας γὰρ ἀποιητέον, ἤλεγξε τὰ μη ποιητέα. ̓Αγαθοῦ δὲ, τὸ μὲν σωτήριον ἐκδιδάξαι, Tò dè dnλnthplov ¿wideîţai. Clem. Alex. Strom. lib. 7.

c Gal. iii. 10.

b Rom. iii. 19.