from seeing the excellency of the Gospel salvation. It is pride that makes any so averse to be saved entirely by faith without the works of the law : and, till the proud hearts of men be humbled, the Gospel will always be to them a stumbling-block, and rock of offence. But be it known to you, that, how desirous soever you may be " to establish a righteousness of your own," you can never do it, but " must submit to the righteousness of Gods."]
2. Why are we so earnest in enforcing them ?
[If the present life only were concerned, we might be content to let you go on your own way. But on your accept- ance or rejection of the Gospel salvation depends your happi- ness both in this world and the world to come. This accounts for St. Paul insisting so much on this doctrine in his Epistles to the Romans and the Galatians ; and for his declaring so repeatedly, that, if they did any work whatever with a view to recommend them to Christ for justification, " Christ himself should profit them nothing." See what he says on this subject respecting his Jewish brethren. He tells us, " that the Gentiles, who had not followed after righteousness, had attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith: but that Israel, who had followed after the law of righteousness, had not attained to the law of righteousness. Wherefore ? (says he :) Because they sought it not by faith, but, as it were, by the works of the law : for they stumbled at that stumbling-stone*." So it will be with all who will not submit to the righteousness of faith. If they would " believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, they should never be ashamed :" but if, through an ignorant zeal for the law, they will not embrace the Lord Jesus Christ as their only hope, they must inevitably and eternally perish. This is the reason that, in going through this epistle, we bring the matter before you in such various points of view, and with such an earnest desire to fasten a conviction of it on your minds : and we entreat all to bear in remembrance the importance of the subject, and not to give sleep to their eyes or slumber to their eye-lids, till they have embraced the Lord Jesus Christ with their whole hearts, and made him " all their salvation and all their desire."]
3. Are the promises any more against the law, than the law is against the promises?
[The law, as has been shewn you, is subservient to the promises, and was given on purpose to make us more earnest in apprehending them, and more simple in relying on them.
s Rom. x. 3. l Rom. ix. 30—32.