each PER S ON dJincály. 269 their lead faying, Lo I conic, and by him we are juf%ified, from all, from which we could not be jullifeed by the Law, Mt. xiii. 34. God, I fay, in Chrift, hath condemned all facrifices, as wholly infafficient in the leaf} to make an attonement for fin. And how great a thing it was, to inftrucc.fhe fons of men in this wifdom, the event hath manifefled. 2.3 He hath alfo written vanity on all other endeavours whateverthat have been undertaken for that purpofe (Rom. iii. 24, 25, 26.) by fitting forth his only fon to be a propitiation, he leaves no doubt upon the fpirit of men, that in themfelves they could snake no attonement. For if righte- oufnefs were by the law, thenwere Chrilf dead in vain. To what purpofe fhould he be made a propitiation, were not we our felves weak and without strength to any fuch purpofe. So the apoftle argues, Rom. vi. 6. when we had no power, then did he by death make an attonement, as v. $. y. This wifdom then is alfo hid in Chrift, men may fee by other helps per- haps far enough to fill them with dread and aftonifhment, as thofe in Ifa. xxxiii. 04. But fuch a fight and view of it, as may lead a foul to any com- fortable fettlement about it; that only is difcovered in this treafury of heaven, the Lord Jefus, (2. Our difability toapfwer the mind and will of God, in all or any of the obedience that he requireth, is in him only to be difcovered. This in- deed is a thing that many will not be acquainted with to this day. To teach a man that he cannot do, what he ought to do and for which he condemns himfelf, if he do it not, is no eafy task. }an rifes up with all his power, to plead againfl a eonviftion of impotency. Not to mention the proud (a) conceits and exprefíìons of the philofophers, how many that wouldbe called chriftians, do yet creep by feveral degrees, in the perfua- fion of a power of fulfilling the law, and from whence indeed lhould men have this knowledge that we have not? nature will not teach it, that is (b) proud and conceited, and it is one part of its pride, weaknefs, and corrup- tion, not to know it at all. The law will not teach it; for tiro' that will Phew us, what we have done =ifs, yet it will not difcover to us, that we could not do better ; yea by requiring exaa obedience of us, it takes for granted, that fuch power is in us for that purpofe ; it takes no notice, that we have loft it, nor dodo it concern it fo to do; this then alfo lies hid in the Lora efus, Rom. viii. 2, 3, 4. The law of the fpirit of life in Cbrifl efus, bath made ene free from the lawof fin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak thro the fells, God fending his own fon, in the likenefs offinful flefh, and for fin condemned fin in the fled that the rigbteoufiaefs of the law might be fulfilled in us. The law can bring forth no- righteoufnefs, no obedience, it is weak to any fuch purpofe, by trefoil of the fielh, and that corruption that is cone onús: thefe two things are done in Chrift, and by him. Firf , fin is condemned as to its guilt, and we fer-free from that, the-righteoufnefs of the law by his obedience, isful- filled in us, who could never do it our felves. And fecondly, that obedience which is required of us, his fpirit works it in us; fo that that perfection of obedience which we have in him, is imputed to us, and the fincerity that we have in obedience, is from his fpirit beftowed onus. And this is tite molt excellent glafswherein we fee our impotency, for what need, we his perfer obedience to be made ours, but that we have not, cannot attain any? what need we his fpirit of life to quicken us, hut that we are dead in tree paffes and in fins ? (a) Quia unufqutfq; IRA v-leinen aequirr, temo empicotan de at gracias Pep egir, Cirer. (b) Ma tura he apparti vitiate, ut hoc majors eitii fir, non eidero. Aug. Y y y 3.) The
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