doctrine of justification by works. We have no lamb in all our flocks but what is blemished ; our pureft incenfe has fome smoke ftill afcending with it: The obedience of a fallen creature must be mixed with fome fin; the Apostle takes himself into the account. in many things we offend all; in the ftraiteft line of duty there is fome aberration from the pure and perfect law of God; whereas did we offend but in one point, this would be enough to deface our own righteoufnefs, and demolish the whole building, that is raised upon it. As the fame Apoftle has obferved, that whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all, ch.ii. 20. He violates the facred authority of the law, which is the true reason of that obedience we owe it, and fo becomes guilty in the fight of the law, as if he had tranfgreffed it in every inftance; as it is written, curfed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them, Gal. iii. 10.

And upon this foot it is, that the Apostle Paul, when profeffedly ftating the ground and reafons of our juftification, tells us, that by the deeds of the law, there fhall no flesh be justified in his fight for which he adds this remarkable reason that by the law is the knowledge of fin, Rom. iii. 20. The law is fo far from juftifying

*

* Mr Locke has frequently remarked in his notes upon this epistle, that where we meet with the word vouos law, without the article, it ought always to be understood not of the law of Mofes, but of law in general, by which he understands the eternal rule of fit and right with a penalty annexed; and that fo it must be understood

ing the finner, upon the account of his own works of obedience, that it convicts them of fin in all he does; fhews fin cleaving to all his powers, and mingling with all his performances: This the law fees, and charges home upon us ; and for any to feek to be justified by the works of the law, what is it but feeking to be juftified by that, which is the inftrument and means of our condemnation? Hence, the Apoftle determines upon the ftate of all without exception, who seek to be juftified by their own works, that they are under the curse, Gal. iii. 10.

This made the Pfalmift, in so warm a manner, deprecate God's proceeding in judgment with him upon the foot of his own beft duties, and moft perfect obedience, Pfal. cxliii. 2. And enter not into judgment with thy fervant: for in thy fight fhall no man living be juftified. As elsewhere he cries out with great concern, who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from fecret faults, Pfal. xix. 12. He faw he was finning daily, and daily stood in need of cleanfing

and

understood in this verfe, being without the article. He would therefore have it rendered by deeds of law i, e. (as he explains it)" by actions of conformity to a law "" requiring the performance of the δικαιωμα Θεου, the right rule of God mentioned chap. 1.32.) with a pe Dalty annexed, no flesh can be juftified." But we dont want the fupport of fuch a piece of criticifm to prove that by the law here the apoftle means the moral law. He fpeaks of that law, by which is the knowlege of fin, which, what can it be, but the moral law, the immutable rule of duty, and of which every fin is the tranfgreffion! Rom. vii. 7. 4. not to add, what Mr. Locke has juftly obferved, that the Apoftle's declaration bere is concern ing all men, zapa odp. But we know that the Heathen world were not under the law of Mofes.

and pardoning grace. So Nehemiah, when he had been exerting himself in the most laudable manner to fanctify the fabbath, and the house of God, how does he plead that God would remember him concerning this, fpare him according to the greatness of his mercy? Neh. xiii. 22. He pleads for being fpared and pardoned in thofe duties, in which he had expreffed the moft becoming zeal for the honour of God, fo far was he from expecting to be justified thereby. And our Lord has taught us, when we have done all thofe things which are commanded us, to fay we are unprofitable fervants, Luke xvii. 10.

I might advance one step farther: Could we now, and did we now, obey the law perfectly in thought, in word, and in deed, and fhould we continue to do fo to the laft period of life, yet would not this be fatisfactory to the law, and fufficient for our juftification. And the reafon hereof is very plain, because we are already finners, and our prefent and future obedience, be it never fo complete and perfect, is but a just debt; a debt that is daily growing, and that we ought to be daily paying, what therefore can be no fatisfaction for guilt that is already and long ago contracted. Such abundant evidence have we, that we can never be justified upon the foot of any obedience, which it is poffible for us to perform to the law of God.

And this feems to me to be the true reafon, why the law was promulgated with fo much pomp and terror upon mount Sinai, and the very ftrictness and tenor of it as a covenant of works repeated and inferted in that difpenfation under which the Jews were: Not that they were

Strictly

ftrictly and properly speaking under a covenant of works; but God would give them a home and ftriking conviction of the abfolute impoffibility of their being juftified by their own works, that fo by being beat off of all dependance thereon, they might be gradually trained up for the fuller grace of the gofpel difpenfati on, and brought to fpeak the language of the tet, furely, fball one fay, in the Lord have I righteoufnefs. And thus, according to the Apostle, the law was a school-mafter to bring them unto Chrift, that they might be justified by faith in him, Gal. iii. 24.

And in this light I would confider the answer which our Lord gave the young man, who came with fo much feeming earneftnefs to enquire of him, what good thing he might do, that he might have eternal life, Matt xix. 16. Our Lord faw him tinctured all over with a vain confidence in his own righteoufnefs, when he was at the fame time an utter ftranger to the holiness and perfection of that law, by obedience to which he expected to be faved; and accordingly he frames his answer, if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments, verfe 17. Not that he put him upon a covenant of works, and to work for life; but he calls him to the obedience that the law required with a kind defign of convicting him of the imperfection and vanity of thofe duties, which he valued himself fo much upon, if by this he might awaken him (as he faw him ferious and thoughtful) to a farther enquiry after what other and better way of pardon and life God hath appointed: Tho', as the event fadly

fhewed

fhewed, his strong attachment to the world prevented this, and carried him off at once.

Nor is what has been faid, concerning the impoffibility of being justified by our own duties, at all inconfiftent with what the Apostle fays, 1 John iii. 7. that, he that doeth righteouf nefs, is righteous, even as he is righteous. It is true, he that doeth righteousness, fo far as he doeth it, is righteous; a man, that has a real principle of grace in his heart, and from that principle obeys God and practises righteousness, so far is righteous, that is, is a truly good man. In which fense Zechariah and Elizabeth are faid to be righteous before God, waiking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord, blameless, Luke i. 16. But this is vastly different from having a righteousness that is perfect and pleadable for our juftification. That is the peculiar glory of him, whofe name is, the Lord our righteousness.

It has been farther objected, that not the hearers of the law, are just before God, but the doers of the law fhall be justified, Rom. ii. 13. And fo they fhall, if they come up to the terms of it * ; For Mofes defcribeth the righteousness which is of the law, that the man which doeth thofe things fball live by them, Rom, x. 5. It is indeed ftrange that any should plead this paffage for a perfon's being juftified by works, when the whole drift of the Apostle's difcourfe is to fhew, that the Jews, who were fo fond of the law, muft quit the terms of it, if ever they hoped to be jufti

fied;

* "The doers of the law, they who exactly perform "all that is commanded in it, fhall be justified." Locke's paraphrafe upon the place.