the church was to walk with God; or, “ the seed” was not yet come, as the apostle here speaks, to whom the promise was made. In the meantime some order must be taken about sin and transgression, that all the order of things appointed of God might not be over- flowed by them And this was done two ways by the law:—
[1.] By reviving the commands of the covenant of works, with the sanction of death, it put an awe on the minds of men, and set bounds unto their lusts, that they should not dare to run forth into that excess which they were naturally inclined unto. It was there- fore “ added because of transgressions;” that, in the declaration of God’s severity against them, some bounds might be fixed unto them; for “by the law is the knowledge of sin.”
[2.] To shut wp unbelievers, and such as would not seek for righteousness, life, and salvation by the promise, under the power of the covenant of works, and curse attending it. “It concluded” or “shut up all under sin,” saith the apostle, Gal. iii. 22. This was the end of the law, for this end was it added, as it gave a revival unto the covenant of works. ; ‘
Unto the second inquiry, which ariseth out of this supposition, namely, that the law did convince of sin, and condemn for sin, which is, “whether it be not then contrary to the grace of God,” the apostle in like manner returns a double answer, taken from the second use of the law, before insisted on, with respect unto the pro- mise. And,—
{1.] He says, ‘That although the law doth thus rebuke sin, con- vince of sin, and condemn for sin, so setting bounds unto transgres- sions and transgressors, yet did God never intend it as a means to give life and righteousness, nor was it able so to do. The end of the promise was to give righteousness, justification, and salvation, all by Christ, to whom and concerning whom it was made. But this was not the end for which the law was revived in the covenant of Sinai. For although in itself it requires a perfect righteousness, and gives a promise of life thereon, (“ He that doeth these things, he shall live in them,”) yet it could give neither righteousness nor life unto any in the state of sin. See Rom. viii. 3, x. 4. Wherefore the pro- mise and the law, having diverse ends, they are not contrary to one another.
[2.] Saith he, ‘The law hath a great respect wnto the promise; and was given of God for this very end, that it might lead and direct men unto Christ ;—which is sufficient to answer the ques- tion proposed at the beginning of this discourse, about the end of this covenant, and the advantage which the church received thereby.
What hath been spoken may suffice to declare the nature of, this covenant in general; and two things do here evidently follow,
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82 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [CHAP. VIII.
wherein the substance of the whole truth contended for by the apostle doth consist :—
(1.) That whilst the covenant of grace was contained and proposed only in the promise, before it was solemnly confirmed in the blood and sacrifice of Christ, and so legalized or established as the only rule.of the worship of the church, the introduction of this other covenant on Sinai did not constitute a new way or means of righte- ousness, life, and salvation; but believers sought for them alone by the covenant of grace as declared in the promise. This follows evidently upon what we have discoursed; and it secures absolutely that great fundamental truth, which the apostle in this and all his other epistles so earnestly contendeth for, namely, that there neither is, nor ever was, either righteousness, justification, life, or salvation, to be attained by any law, or the works of it, (for this covenant at mount Sinai comprehended every law that God ever gave unto the cbhurch,) but by Christ alone, and faith in him.
(2.) That whereas this covenant being introduced in the plea- sure of God, there was prescribed with it a form of outward worship suited unto that dispensation of times and present state of the church; upon the introduction of the new covenant in the fulness of times, to be the rule of all intercourse between God and the church, both that covenant and all its worship must be disannulled. This is that which the apostle proves with all sorts of arguments, manifest- ing the great advantage of the church thereby.
These things, I say, do evidently follow on the preceding discourses, and are the main truths contended for by the apostle.
4, There remaineth one thing more only to be considered, before we enter on the comparison between the two covenants here directed unto by the apostle. And this is, how this first covenant came to be an especial covenant unto that people: wherein we shall mani- fest the reason of its introduction at that season. And unto this end sundry things are to be considered concerning that people and the church of God in them, with whom this covenant was made; which will further evidence both the nature, use, and necessity of it:—
(1.) This people were the posterity of Abraham, unto whom the promise was made that in his seed all the nations of the earth should be blessed. Wherefore from among them was the promised Seed to be raised up in the fulness of time, or its proper season,— from among them was the Son of God to take on him the seed of Abraham. To this end sundry things were necessary :—