372 Interpre- tation. Dottrine. An Expofition upon Chap. g; they followed righteoufneffe found it not. The fecond part contains the rea, foes hereof,whiclí be two : the one is, becaufe they fought it not by faith ; the other is, becaufe they fought it by works. T r so. What is meant here by [Ifrael ?] S r L. The Jewes who defcended from 3acob,who was called Ifrael. T r M. What is meant by [The Law of righteoufite_ffe ?] S e L.The righteoufneffeof the Law , or thofe righteous works which the Law prefcribeth to be done perfe &ly, and promifed life to the doers of them. T r M. What fignifieth [ followed ?] S t L. An earneft delire and endea- vour to do thofe works : it is a fpeech borrowed from fuch as run in a race which Drive hard to come to the goale. So were theft Jews very zealous of the Law to keep it, Ali. 22. 3. and as Paul witnelfeth ofhimfelf, Phi1.3.6. T r M.What is meant by [Not attaining ?] S t L. It is a fpeech borrowed from runners, which come not to the goale though they Drive towards it ; fo theft Jewes,thoughtheyintended to follow the rule of the Law, which teacheth a perfe& righteoufskffe, yet they were never able to come at it. T t M. What Dolirine arifeth from thin whole verfe ? S t L.That filch as feek to be ¡unified by their own works, £hall never finde righteoufneffe : for the Jewes here fpo- ken of, fought to he righteous by do- ing the Law, and yet could not attain unto the righteoulbeffe of the Law. T r M. But this is ftrange,that they fhould notftnde which feek, and yet the Scripture promifeth, that filch ar feels (hall finde ? S i L. Indeed it is ['range , even a Pa- radox to naturalreafon, but the caufe will appear to be, that they fought amiffe: as men may pray and not ob- tain, becaufe they pray amiffe; fo men may follow righteoufneffe,and yet not get it, ifthey feek amiffe. T r ra. Yet (hew me why they that endea- vour to do right eouf df e, fhould not have that righteoufnel e which the Law requires? S r L. Becaufe the Law lets forth filch a righteoufneffe as no meer man Is able to performe. It is certain, could r any man perform the Law perfe &ly,it would make hint righteous and give him eternal life, as it is written ; Dr this and live, Gal. 3. 12. Lev. 18. 8. But this abfolute perfe &ion of the Law, can no Heft: attain unto, no not Gods own regenerate Children when they are at the belt ; for if We fay we have no finite, ire are Lyers, 1 yob. r. ho. There is an impoflibility of keeping thole two commandements, To love with all the heart, and not to loft. Hence it is, that men eafily miffeof that righteoufneffe, which yet they may much fweat for,and take exceeding pains to have it again. There is yet another caufe why they may miffe ofit, although they labour much for it ; becaufe none can leek to be faved by their own works, without contempt of Chrif,in whom alone true righteoufneffe is to be found ; for if one do but once think that he may be faved by his own doings, it argues that that man cloth judge h imfelf to Dand in no need of Chrifs doings and fitfferings, and fo hemakes the death ofChrifl void and fruftrate, Gal. 2.21. T t M. What ufe hereof? S r t.Firf,it teacheth how miferable fuperftitious Papifis and blinde Prote- ftantsare;for theylooking to haveGods -favour and everlafting life by their own defervings, they are moD fire to lofe and forgoe it. Tilde are under a double mifery ; firD, that they never get the righteoufneffe that they Drive for; and betides that, they lofe that true and perfe& righteoufihefs ofChrif. Secondly,it confutes the Papifts, who teach the keeping of the Law to be pof- fible, for then were righteoufneffe to be attained by our doing the Law. Third - ly,it humbles the godly to confider that how many or good foever their works be, yet they come far fhort of righte- oufneffe, and therefore they muff be forced to fay; Lord enter net into judgement with thy fervant, for no flejh is righteous in thy fght. Pfal. r 43.2. T r M. if there not fame other thing to be learned from this verfe ? o S t t. vf,
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