i86 THE. DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE [DISC. IV. posed, to speak ofit as justifying us, under the notion of a law. He never calls the gospel a law, but in such a rhetorical or figurative sense, by way of ,catachresis, or a very strong metaphor, the law offaith ; as in Rom. iii. 27. It is as ifhe should say, if we must call it a law, it is amere law of faith, or trusting in the mercy of God. Quest. 1. What is the gospel then ? and how doth it justify us and give life ? Answ. Not as fulfillers of a law, and thereby obtain- ingea claim to life, but as depending upon mere mercy. The gospel is a constitution of the blessed God, whereby he accepts less obedience at our hands than the law re- quires; and that, not to make up a righteousness for our acceptance, but that God may receive us through grace, for the sake of his Son Jesus Christ, who wrought a per- fect obedience, or complete righteousness, to answer that law ; and died to make atonement for our sins, and re- deemed us from the curse of the law, which we had deserved. This is the express language of the gospel taught us by St. -Paul ; Rom. iii. 23, 24. All have sinned, and come short of theglory of God; i. e. of that glory which we should have,obtained by a perfect obedi- ence : Bút when we are justified, it is done freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ. The law condemns us as sinners, and we must be sensible of this condemnation. The gospel shews us, that we must trust or depend merely on forgiving grace, and not pretend to any righteousness of our own, and to claim life by obeying the law ourselves. It is by our faith or dependance ; not by our works; and any claim of merit. The whole strain of the apostle's writing to the Roañans, hath this view in the five or six first chapters. Quest. 2. Is it not therefore, matter of blame. for us, to call the gospel a law ? or the new law ? Answ. The word law, when taken in astrict sense, for the will of a sovereign prince, revealed to and requiring perfect obedience of his subjects, and pronouncing a subject righteous only upon this obedience, is the true notion and idea of a law : In this sense the gospel is not a law; for it doth not pronounce any persons righteous, and accepted to the favour of God, onaccount of a per- fect obedience, performed by them to any command, which was given to them.
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