184 / 652
'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
good
and
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
law
which
requires repentance at
the hand
of
crimi-
.mals
?
We
see
then
that
no
tnoral.law
can
justify
us..