but unhappily they were mistaken in their views of the Mosaic law, which was never intended to afford them a justifying righteousness, but was designed rather to lead them to that very Jesus whom they so hated and despised, and who was indeed " the end of the law for righteousness to every one that be- lieveth."
The information here given to them is of vital im- portance to every child of man. To place it in a just point of view, we propose to shew,
I. What is that righteousness which God has provided for fallen man —
In the verse preceding our text, mention is twice made of " the righteousness of God ;" by which ex- pression we are not to understand that attribute of the Deity xvhich zee call righteous?iess, but that ivay of ob- taining righteousness and salvation ivhich God has pro- vided for sinful men. In this sense the expression is used in other parts of this epistle, especially in the third chapter ; where it is said, " The righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets,, even the righteousness of God which is unto all, and upon all, them that believe3." But,
What kind of righteousness is this ?
[However much God may graciously desire the salvation of men, we cannot for a moment imagine, that for the attain- ment of it he will disregard the claims, and violate the rights, of justice, or holiness, or truth. We may be sure, that, if he has provided a righteousness for man, that righteousness will be found consistent with all his perfections, and with the honour of his moral government. How such a righteousness could be devised, was far beyond the reach of finite wisdom to conceive: but God's wisdom is infinite ; and he has, by the substitution of his own Son in the place of sinners, provided precisely such a righteousness as was worthy of God, and suited to the neces- sities of man. The law required obedience, and denounced death as the penalty of one single transgression. Man trans- gressed its commands, and became obnoxious to its curse. Before he could be restored to the favour of his God, the penalty must be inflicted, and the obedience paid. But this
a Rom. iii. 21, 22.