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D'ISC':
IV.].
LAW AND
THE GOSPEL.
177
He
willingly
lets them
bear
him away from
God
:
He
is
unwilling to obey
;
and
this
is
called a
moral inability.
Now God
may
require
such duties
by
his law, as
through
the
weakness
of the
flesh,
and the strength
of appetitè
and
passion
in this
frail
state, man
is
morally
or
imme..
diately unable
to
perform, though
he
bath
a
remote or
natural
power. An infinitely holy
God cannot but
com-
mand
that
we
should never
sin,
never
transgress
the
rule
Of
righteousness, never
break
his
pure
and holy
law
;
and
yet,
through the
many infirmities
of
human nature,
it
is
morally impossible
we
should perfectly
keep this
law,
and
live
without
sin.
This Dr. Whitby
himself;
(as much
as he
indulges the
Arminian sentiments)
confesses in his
comment.
God doth
not therefore
lose
his
authority
or
right
of
commanding
perfect
obedience and perfect
holiness,
though man,
by his folly
and
sin
hath rendered
his
will
averse to God, and
his evil
appetites and
passions
strong.
and ungovernable
:
So
that
upon the whole,
it
is
plain,
"
the
law
is holy,"
and
"
just,
and
good,"
and
yet
can-
not pronounce
any
man righteous,
nor judge
him
to
eternal
life.
DISCOURSE
IV
THE
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
THE
LAW
AND THE
eOSPEL.
GAL.
ni.
21,
22.
Is
the
law
then against the
promises
of
God
?
God forbid
:
For
if
there
had
been
a
law
given
which çouid have given life, verily righteous-
ness
should have been by
the
law:
But
the
scripture hath concluded
all
under
sin,
that
the
promise of faith
by
Jesus
Christ might be given
to
them
that
believe.
THE SECOND PART.
OBSERV.
IV.
Scripture
`°
hath concluded
all
mankind
under
sin,
hath
shut
us all up as
prisoners
under
con
-
.demnation.
Here
I
have
nothing
to
do,
but
to
cite
VOL.
III,
N