216 TAÉ LAW AND THE GOSPEL. favoùrable dealings with Adam after his fall, and which promise was accepted andreceived by Adam's trusting or hoping in this grace. If Abraham is saved, it is in a way of grace and forgive- ness, which was promised under the title of that seed of his, in whom allnations should be blessed ; and in that language of mercy; that God would behis God, and would.give him an inheritance, of whichCanaan was a type and figure. And Abraham believed, or trusted in this, and it was imputed to him for righteousness; Rom. iv. 3. i. e. unto his justification andacceptance. If David was saved, it is in a way of grace and forgiveness ; Psalm xxxii. 1, 2. Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whosesin is covered. Blessed is the manunto whom the Lord im- puteth not iniquity ; Rom. iv. 6, 7. If christians are saved, it is in a way of grace and forgive- nessstill, whichwaspromised to Abraham, which isrevealedmore particularlyby Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who came to con- firm and to fulfil the formerpromises, and to obtain this pardonby the sacrifice of himself. And by Isis own perfect obedience and sufferings, he laid a foundation for the justification of sinful crea- tures. If they are saved, it is not by their performing the law in any sense, but by trusting in forgiving grace, revealed and manifested through Jesus Christ. It is by trusting in another, and not in themselves; as Rom. iv. explains, from ver. 17, to the22d. It is not in a way of claim of righteousness and eternal life, but in a way of humble dependance on grace. Tise Pharisees boasted that they were righteous, and despised others. Luke xviii. 9. The young ruler, in the gospel, speaking of the law of God, said, all this have I kept from my youth; Mat. xix. 20. The Jews sought for justification by the works of the law, and reject- edChrist. 'Rom. ix. 31. But St. Paul; by the sight of the law, is dead to the law: i. e. to all hopes of righteousness and life by it; Gal. ii. 16, 19. and seeks to be pardoned, accepted, and justi- fied, by trusting in what Christ bath done and suffered on his ac- count. And so all christians. Rom. iii. 22. And in this sense the gospel justifieth the ungodly; Rom. iv. 5. i. e. those who have no righteousness of their own to plead, whose best obedience is all defective. Quest. But doth this gospel save andjustifya man that bath no regard to the law of God ? Ilow is his obedience to the law or holiness secured, if a man be justified, or pronounced right- eous, and acquitted of sin, and accepted to eternal life, by believ- ing or trusting in the promises of grace? Surely many wicked men will say, " I trust in the promise of pardon through Jesus Christ ;" and is this enough ? is there no security that these be- lievers shall be obedient to the law, as far as' they can, though
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