'174 THE DITFERENCE BETWEEN THE CDISC. ut. ;evident, not only from the conscience of every Iran in the world, for if it be awakened to see the extent of the Jaw, it must condemn itself; but the scripture expressly ;asserts in many places ; Rom. iii. 10. There is none .righteous, no, not one ; Ec. vii. 20. There is not á just :man on earth, that doeth goodand sinneth not ; 2'Chron. -vi. 36. There is no man who sinneth not. 2. Moral laws, such as belong only to sinful man, and oblige him, can never justify a sinner nor save him. Let us enter into particulars : The requirements thereof are repentance for sin, sor- row and shame for past follies, and a displeasedness with self for being guilty : trusting or hoping in the forgiving .grace ofGod, praying to him for pardon and grace, and :universal watchfulness against every temptation, under ,a sense of former .failings. This the very light of nature -and reason teaches a sinner, as well as the word of God requires it. But this law cannot justify any creature, and that for two plain reasons. 1. Because all our repentance, or new endeavours- after obedience, cannot make atonement for our past sins.,. A righteous governor cloth not suppose, that the tears, and sorrows, and repentance of criminals and analefactors, make any satisfaction to the public for his - .crimes, nor make due reparation to the government for his offences ; nor are sufficient to procure pardon for criminals. A penitent criminal is often executed to ful- fil the demands of the law, and to secure the authority of the government. And what trifling things are our sorrows, to answer.for the dishonour done to the law of God our Maker ? 2. Because even our repentance itself, our hope or trust in grace, our prayer for mercy, our endeavours after -new obedience, are. all imperfect . whereas the law re- quires a perfection even of this sort of duties, a perfect hatred of sin, a perfect displeasure with self on account of it, perfect sincerity in -every thought, word and action, and perfect watchfulness in guarding against temptation; and striving after new holiness. But how shamefully do we fail in these, and destroy our claims to justification and life, even if we were to be tried only by this part of the lawwhich requires repentance at the hand of crimi- .mals ? We see then that no tnoral.law can justify us..
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=