There was therefore a remedy in this case provided long before __
SECT. 20.] PROMISED OF OLD. 167
the giving of the law on Mount Sinai; and therefore the law was not given unto that purpose, but for other ends, at large declared by our apostle. Lither, then, they must grant that all the patriarchs, and he in especial of whom they boast, perished eternally, or else that there was a means of deliverance provided before the giving of the law; and, consequently, that the law was not given for that end. The first they will not do, nor can, without an absolute renunciation of their own sacred writings, wherein none have obtained a larger testimony that they pleased God than they. The latter, therefore, followeth undeniably. If they shall say they had a way of deliver- ance, but God provided another afterwards, as this would be spoken without warrant or authority from the Scripture, so I desire to know both what that way was, and why it was rejected. Of God’s appoint- ment it was, and effectual it was unto them that embraced it, and why it should be laid aside who can declare?
20. Again, as was before observed, there are two parts of the law,— the moral precepts of it, and the instituted worship appointed in it. Unto this latter part do the sacrifices of it belong. But neither of these are sufficient unto the end proposed, nor jointly can they attain it. Two things are evidently necessary, from what hath been dis- coursed, unto the deliverance inquired after,—first, That man be reconciled unto God, by the removal of the curse and the wrath due unto him for his apostasy; secondly, That his nature be freed from that principle of sin and enmity against God (the evil figment) that it is tainted, yea, possessed witha]. And neither of these can be effected by the law, or either part of it; for,—
First, The moral.precepts of it are the same with those that were written in the heart of man by nature, or the law of his creation, which he transgressed in his first rebellion. And he must be de- livered from that guilt before any new obedience can be accepted of him. His old debt must be satisfied for before he can treat for a new reward, which inseparably follows all acceptable obedience. But this the precepts of the law take no notice of, nor direct unto any way for its removal; only, supposing the doing of it by some other means, it requires exact obedience in them that come to God thereby. Hence our apostle concludes that it could not give life, but was weak and insufficient in itself unto any such purpose. Besides, —
Secondly, It could not absolutely preserve men in its own obser- vation; for it required that obedience which never any sinner did or could in all things perform, as the scriptures of the Old Testa- ment abundantly manifest. For they tell us, “there is no man that sinneth not,” 1 Kings viii. 46, 2 Chron. vi. 36; that “if the Lorp should mark iniquity, no man could stand,” Ps. exxx. 3 ; and that “if he enter into judgment” (according to the law), “no man living can be justified in his sight,” Ps. cxlii, 2. To this purpose see the ex-
168 MESSIAH, THE DELIVERER FROM EVIL, [EXERC. VIII.
cellent discourse and invincible reasonings of our apostle, Rom. iii. iv. This the holy men of old confessed; this the Scripture bears testimony unto; and this experience confirms, seeing every sin and transgres- sion of that law was put under a curse, Deut. xxvu. 26. Where, then, “there is no man that sinneth not,” and every sin is put under the curse, the law, in the preceptive part of it, can be no means of de- livery from the one or other, but is rather a certain means of increas- ing and aggravating of them both. Neither is there any testimony given, concerning any one under the old testament, that he was any other way justified before God but by faith and the pardon of sins, which are not of the works of the law. See Gen. xv. 6; Ps. xxxii. 1, 2. Of Noah, indeed, it is said that he was “upright” and “ perfect in his generations;” that is, sincere in his obedience, and free from the open wickedness of the age wherein he lived: but as this was before the giving of the law by Moses, so the ground of his freedom and deliver- ance is added to be the gracious love and favour of God. This the Jews themselves confess in the Bereshith Rabba, sect. 29: m3 DN opps in yaw xox ota on xd mp vnww;—“Even Noah himself, who was left of them, was not every way as he should be, but that he found grace or favour in the eyes of the Lord.” And to the same purpose they speak concerning Abraham himself elsewhere : AMONT MI Nox Nan py vm obs way OMAN wy Now NBD TINS "2 PONT ‘NIW;—* Thou findest that Abraham our father inherited not this world and the world to come any otherwise than by faith: as it is said, ‘He believed God.’” This part, therefore, of the law is plainly convinced to be insufficient to deliver sinners from an ante- cedent guilt, and curse due thereunto.