$$ THE FOTi3I OF THE GOSPEL., Therefore treating accurately of these matters ever distinguishes the gospel from the law, whether it be the law of nature, the law of innocency, the Jewish law, and indeed, from every thing that hath the full nature and form of a law, by this particular mark, viz. that our obedience to the law would be our justifying righteousnessif we performed it; but obedience to the gospel-is not our justifying righteousness. So Rom. ii.,and iii. chapters.* The Jewish law, considered as a special covenant, or as it includes or represents the general law of nature, says, Peace to every man that reorketh good, to theJew andthe Gentile ; and the doers of the law shall be justified ; Rom. ii. 10, 13. But the righteousness of God, that is, that righteousnesswhereby we are justified according to the gospel, is a righteousness without the lar©, a different thing from a law -righteousness, and is now mani- fested by the gospel, and comes upon every believer; Rom. iii. 21, 27. So Rom. x. 5, 6. The righteousness of the law said), Theman that doeth those things shall live by them ; butthe rights. ousness of faith saith, ver. 9. " 1f thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe with. thy heart, thou shalt be saved ;" So Gal. iii. 11, 14. The law is not thefaith, for this very reason, beçause the law says, " Do this and live, or obey and bejustified." But the gospel saith, " The just shall liveby faith. Believe and thou shalt be saved." And in the following Verses, the gospel is represented under the termand title of a pro- mise to distinguish it more evidently from a law : " For if there had been a law which could have given life, verily, righteous- ness should have been by the law ;" Gal. iii. 21: " But the scrip- ture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of , Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe." This is tite common language of scripture. And therefore insteadof representing the several duties en- joined in the gospel as the matter of our righteousness before God, the New Testament .Sends us expressly to Jesus Christ. for righteousness. So St. Paul tells us ; Rom. iii. 25. Christ is set forth. as a propitiation, that God might justify them that believe, and yet be a just and righteous God ; Rom. v. 17, 19. " They that receive the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one- Jesus Christ." So " by the righteousness of one,' the free gift came upon all men to justification of life." By the obedience of ogre, that is, Christ, shall many be made righteous. God will have a righteousness in his gospel whereby grace shall, reign to.eternal life ; Rom, v. 21. though it is not a righteousness of our own works, as tite objection in the very next verse ; Rom. vi. 1. evi- dently proves, and 'so Rom. X. 3. " Christ is the end of the law * See this more enlarged and explained in the" flarmvy of all Religions," Chapters v'. and vi.
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