272 Of COMMUNION with that if God mark what is done amifs, there is no Handing before him. That they have this iffue the apoftle witneffeth; (a) Rom. ix. 31, 32. Ifrael who followed after the law of righteoufnefs, attained not to the law of righ- teoufizefr, wherefore ? becaufe they fought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law, it was not folely for want of endeavour in them- felves that they were difappointed, for they earneftly followed after the law of righteoufnefs, but from the nature of the thing it felf, it would not bear it; righteoufnefs was not to he obtained that way, for faith the apo- file, If theywhich are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the pro- mile madeof none effefl, becaufe the law worketh wrath, Rom. iv. 04, t S The law it felf is now fuch as that it cannot give life, Gal. iii. 21. If there had been a lawgiven which would bave given life, verily righteoufnefs fbould have been by the law; and he gives the reafon in the next verfe why it could not give life, becaufe the fcripture concludes all underfin, that is, it is very true, and the fcripture affirms it, that all men are inners, and the law fpeaks not one word to (inners but death and deftru&ion, therefore the apoftle tells us plainly, that God himfelf found fault with this way of at- taining righteoufnefs, Heb. viii. i, 8. (b) He complains of it, that is, he de- clares it infufficient for that end and purpofe. Now thereare two confiderations that difcover unto men the vanity and hopelefnefs of feeking righteoufnefs in this path. (1. That they have already finned, Per all have finned and come ¡hart o the glory of God, Rom. iii. 23. (e) this they are fufficiently fenfible of that altho' they could not for the time to come, fulfil the wl 'le law, yet there is a fcore, a reckoning, upon them already, that they know not how to anfwer for. Do they confult their guide, the (d) law it felt, how they may be eafed of theaccount that is paff? it hath not one word of dire&ion, or confolation, but bids them prepare to dye; the fentence is gone forth, and there is no efcaping. (2. That if all former debts Ihouldbe blotted out, yet they are no way able for the future, to fulfil the law ; they can as well move the earthwith a finger, as anfwer the perfeftion thereof; and therefore as I laid, on this twofold account, they conclude that this labour is loft, By the works ofthe law no Ilefis ¡hall beju¡tified, Gal. iii. 11, t2. (2. Wherefore fecondly, being thusdifappointed by the feverity and in- exorablenefs of the law, men generally betake themfelves to fome other way, that may fatisfy them as to thofe con(iderations, which took them off from their former hopes; and this for the molt part, is, by fixing them- felves upon forne ways of attonementto fatisfy God, and helpingout the teit with hopes of mercy. Not to infifl on the ways of attonement and expiation which the gentiles had pitched on, nor on the many ways and in- ventions by works fatisfaftory of their own, fupererogations of others, in- dulgences, and purgatory in the dole, that thepapifts have found out for this end and purpofe, it is I fay, proper to all convinced perfons, as above, to leek for a righteoufnefs, partlyby an endeavour to fatisfy for what is paf, and-partlyby hoping after general mercy. This the apolle calls a feeking for it, as it were by the works of the law, Rom. ix. 32. (e) not di- re&ly, but as it were by the works ofthe law; making up one thing with another. And he -tells uswhat ifliae they have in this bufinefs, chap. 10. 3. Being ignorant of the righteoufnefs of God, andfeeking to eflablifli their own righteoufnefs, they werenot fubjef to the righteoufnefs of God. They were (a)ArrOxmv 'bFoi 5IXa,na,,. d'i,gro?úes, hfl,lee vñr. (b) n,, tU-e,i (e) n414', heir, Itom.siì. 13. t2t7e., nkarro-, Rom. v. 12. (d) 0e,,. xxvii. 26. 021. iii. ro. (e) ®sít iLY+r víµ.. by
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