DISCOURSE .T1 . 207 Answ. 1. Perhaps St. Paul might mean only to shew his former opinion, that he thoughtit was ordained togive lfe; Rom. vii. 10, 11, 13. But supposing this to be the real design of the words, it signifies no more than that the law was design- ed or ordained to give life and happiness to every one that perfectly fulfilled it ; Rom. ii. 7. and x. 5. But in Gal. iii. 10. cursed is every one that continueth not in all things whichare written in the book ofthe law to do them. The law could have given life indeed to Adam, ifhe hadcontinued to obey it ; and the law could give life still, ifmen were perfectly innocent, and per- fectly obedient ; for the law isnot weak in itself, or unable to give life, but only through the infirmity of our flesh, to fulfil the law ever since the fall of Adam, by whom sin entered into our na- tures and death entered into the world by sin: Rom. viii. 3, 4. What the law could not do, in that it was weak (not in itself, but) through theflesh, God sending his, own Son in the likeness ofsinful flesh, and (as a sacrifice) for sin, condemnedsin in theflesh, that the righteousness ofthe law might befufilled in us, who walk not after theflesh, but after the spirit. Answ. 2. The Jewish law was brought in to shew how transgressions abounded ; Rom. v. 20. Gal. iii. 19. The law en- tered that sin might abound, or might appear to abound, for by the lawis the knowledge ofsin; Rom. iii. 20. Object. 2. Were none of the Jews saved, to whom the law of Sinai was given, and who were under this law ? Were not all of them condemnedby it ? Answ. Yes, they were all condemned by this law in the sight of God, consideredas the Lordof souls or consciences ; for they had all broke it in several instances : Nor could the services there required purify their consciences ; Heb. ix. 9. But several of them were saved by the promise to Abraham, i. e. by the gos- pel, which was contained in the five books of Moses, and was often intermingled with the declarations of the law : the promise to Abraham, or the gospel, was not annulled but continued, established and ratified by the revelation of Moses ; Gal. iii. 17. " The law which was four hundred and thirtyyears after, can- not disannul it, that it should make the promise ofnone effect" And Rom. iii. 21. " The righteousness of faith," or justification ofthe gospel, " as witnessed by the law and the prophets." So Abraham was saved ; so David by the grace of God in the covenant of promise ; Rom. iv. 3,-6. But " not by the worksof the law; for by the works of the law shall no flesh (no man living was or could) be justified ;" Rom. iii. 20. Gal. iii. 10. Letus now recollect theexplication of the words, law giving life, and righteousness, is short, that we may more easily apply the words in readingwhat and so proceed to the next ob- servation.
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