must see the spirituality of the law as extending to every thought and motion of the heart, and the holiness of the law as unalterably consigning over to the curse every one who shall transgress it in the smallest particular. Then his hopes from it will for ever vanish ; and he will seek for mercy solely through the atoning blood and righteousness of the Lord Jesus.]
But let us more distinctly consider,
III. The view they will have of themselves, when rightly informed —
[Whilst men are ignorant what the law requires, sin appears to be, as it were, dead, and destitute of power either to enslave or condemn them : but when they have a discovery of the law, they will perceive that sin has all along exercised a tyrannic sway over them, and brought them under the heaviest condemnation. Their whole life will appear to have been one uninterrupted course of sin; and to have been spent, unwit- tingly indeed, but truly, in " treasuring up wrath against the day of wrath." Their best actions now will be viewed as denied with sin, and as deserving punishment: and they will see their need of one to " bear the iniquity of their holy things," as well as of their more evident transgressions. They will now confess, that " if God should enter into judgment with them, they could not answer him" for one act, or word, or thought, in their whole lives. Hence they lie before him as sinners under sentence of " death," and cast themselves wholly on the mercy of God in Christ Jesus. Instead of rising against the denunciations of his wrath, as they once did, they are dumbd; well knowing that " he will be justified in his sayings, and be clear when he judgethe." Thus from thinking themselves " alive" and pure, " sin revives in them, and they die."]
Improvement —
1. How mistaken then are they who imagine that they have no cause to fear the wrath of God !
[We will grant, that, according to the world's estimate, they are very worthy characters: but are they more exemplary than the Apostle Paul was before his conversion ? Let them hear his own account of himself, and judgef. If then he, when his eyes were opened, saw that he was a " dead" condemned sinner, let not any of us delude ourselves with the idea that we are in any better state ]
2. How suited is the Gospel to those who feel their guilt and misery !
d Matt. xxii. 12. e Ps. li. 4. f Phil. iii. 4—8.