you but " everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power." 'b
This, let it be observed, is no inference of mine ; but the deduction of the Apostle Paul : for he says, " As many as are of the works of the law, are under the curse." And on what does he ground this sweeping sentence of condemnation ? He grounds it on the declaration of the law itself: "As many as, &c. &c. For it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the law, to do them." There is no human being that ever has obeyed the law thus perfectly : and therefore all, without exception, are obnoxious to the curse ; and all, who are yet looking to the law for justification, are actually " under the curse ;" and must, if they die in their present state, endure it for evermore.
Such, then, are the terms of the covenant, even of that covenant under which we all are born.
Now let us see how the law, as a monitor, guards us against adhering to this covenant.
It opens to us what that obedience is which the covenant requires. It shews us it, indeed, chiefly in prohibitions, and in prohibitions of gross overt acts : and, if it included no more than these acts, it would rather encourage us to cleave to that covenant, and to hope for salvation by it. But, as I shewed in my last, it comprehends in its requirements perfect love to God in its utmost possible extent, and perfect love to man, even such as a man bears to himself : and it charges us with guilt, not merely on account of open violations of its commands, but on account of the defectiveness of our best actions. — I will suppose, at this moment you are filled with love to God. 'Tis well : but does your love rise to the full extent that is due to him ? I will take you at this, the best
b The reason of this being written in the form of a dialogue is as- signed in the next Discourse, p. 118 (Note). In Rom. x. 5 — 10, St. Paul, ivriting on the same subject, uses somewhat of the same form. The precise mode of abrupt dialogue is also used, at some length, in Rom. iii. 1— S.