210 THE LAW AND THE GOSPEL. nocence ; and, as it is taken into the constitutionof the gospel, it does not diminish its requirements It still requires perfection of obedience inall instancesofthought,wordand deed, and thatwith- out defect or intermission. The gospel doth not abateor, lessen the requirements of the law, but itshews a way to relieve us when we have broken it, or cannot fulfil it, and the reasons are plain. If the law did not now require perfection of obedience, but only sincere imperfect obedience, then the creature, if he were but sincere and honest, would have fulfilled the law, though he were not perfectly holy. And then imperfection of obedience would have been, as it were, established by the law, if it could obtain salvation for fallen man. Then also the imperfections of obedience to the law would not have been sin for if they were, they could not have made up a saving righteousness. Thegospel is a constitution of grace, which accepts of less obedience from man than the law requires, and pardons the im- perfect obeyer for the sake of Christ the Mediator; but still the law requires perfection, which mankind cannot pay. Now that man cannot pay it, is evident, not only from the conscience of everyman in the world, for if it beawakened to see the extentof the law, it must condemnitself ; but the scripture expressly asserts in many places; Rom. iii. 10. There is none-righteous, no, not one; Ec. v. 20. There is not a just manon 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, andoblige him, can never justify a sinner or save him. Let us enter into particulars: The requirements thereof are repentance for sin, sorrow and shame for past follies, and a displeasedness with self for being guilty : trusting or hoping in the forgiving graceof God, praying to him for pardon and grace, and universal watchfulness against every temptation, under a sense offormer failings. This the very light of nature and reason teaches a sinner, as well as the wordof God requires it. Butthis law cannotjustify any creature, and that for, two plain reasons. 1. Because all our repentance, or new endeavours after obe- dience, cannot make atonement for our past sins. A righteous governor doth not suppose, that the tears, and sorrows, and re- pentance of criminals and malefactors,make any satisfaction to the public for his crimes, nor make due reparation to the government for his offences ; nor aresufficient to procure pardon for criminals. A penitent criminal is often executed to fulfil the demandsof 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 lawof God our Maker ? 2. Because even our repentance itself, our hope or trust in
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