gated not, nor could he, without a deftruction of the relation that fubfifts between God and man.

9. This law, the law of finlefs, perfect obedience, with its fentence of death on every tranfgreffion, doth, and must, abide in force for ever: for nothing more is required hereto, but that God be God, and man be man. Yet this fhall be further proved.

(1.) There is not one word in Scripture intimating any alteration in, or abrogation of this law; fo that any thing should not be duty, which it makes to be duty; or any thing not be fin, which it makes to be fin; or that what it makes to be fin fhould not deferve the punishment it threatens-" The wages of fin is death.”

(2.) Take away this law, and you leave no standard of righteousness to mankind; no certain boundaries of good and evil; but those pillars, on which God has fixed the earth, are left to float about like the ifle of Delos in the fea. Some fay, that the light of nature, or the dictates of reason, and not this law, is the rule. If they mean that light, which was concreated with our nature, and those dictates of right and wrong, which reafon originally approved, they only fay, in other words, that this law is ftill the rule of obedience: but if they intend the remaining light of reafon, in its prefent depraved ftate, under the additional depravations of traditions, customs, lufts, and prejudices, then there is nothing more irrational; for thus no certain boundaries of good and evil are preferved. That which is good to one, will be evil to another; and on this pretence all the idolatries in the world may be excufed.

There is no

(3.) Confcience bears witnefs hereto. good nor evil required or forbidden by this law, that, upon the discovery of it, any man can bribe his confcience not to comply with it in judgment. It will accufe and excufe, according to the fentence of the law, let him do what he can to the contrary.

10. From thefe premifes it follows, (1.) That as all mankind have by fin incurred the penalty of this law; the fuffering of which, being inconfiftent with acceptance before God and eternal life; it is impoffible that any one individual of Adam's race should be justified, unless this penalty be fuffered by them, or for them. (2.) That to the fame end, of acceptance with God, the righteousness of this eternal law muft be fulfilled in us; so that in the judgment of God, which is according to truth, we may be efteemed to have fulfilled it, and be dealt with accordingly. For, upon a fuppofition of a failure herein, the fanction of the law is not arbitrary, fo that the penalty may or may not be inflicted, but neceffary, from the righteousness of God, as the fupreme Governor of all.

11. About the first of thefe, our controverfy is with the Socinians only, who deny the satisfaction of Christ : concerning this, I have elsewhere treated at large; and expect not to fee an answer to what I have written on that fubject. As to the latter, we must inquire how we may comply with the rule, and anfwer the righteousness of this unalterable law, whofe authority we cannot be exempted from. And we affirm, that the obedience and righteousness of Chrift imputed to us, is that whereon we are judged and esteemed to have answered the righteoufnefs of the law, Rom. v. 19. viii. 4. And hence we argue,

law

If there be no other way, whereby the righteousness of the may be fulfilled in us, (without which we cannot be juftified, but must inevitably fall under its penalty) but only the righteoufnefs of Chrift imputed unto us; then that is the fole righteoufnefs whereby we are justified in the fight of God: But the former is true, and fo therefore is the

latter.

12. On the fuppofition of this law, and its original obligation to obedience, with its fanction and threatenings, there can be but one of these three ways, whereby

a fin

a finner can be juftified; each of which must be by a fovereign act of God with respect to this law. The first is, The Abrogation of it. This we have proved impossible; and they will wofully deceive their own fouls, who fhail trut to it. The fecond, is by transferring its obligation on a Surety; which we plead for, as the fubftance of the Gospel. The third way, is by changing the nature of the righteousness which the law requires: and this we fhall examine, as the only referve against our present argument.

13. It is faid, therefore, that " by our own perfonal "obedience we anfwer the righteousness of the law, fo "far as it is required of us. But as no fober perfon can imagine, that any fallen man ever yielded finless obedience to the law; two things are fuppofed, in order that our imperfect obedience may be accepted as perfect: of thefe, one refpects the law, the other our obedience.

14. That which refpects the law, is not the abrogation of it; for though this would seem the most expeditious way to remove the difficulty, yet this is pretended but by few but what they intend, is a derogation from its obliging power as to obedience: for whereas it ori-ginally required perfect finless obedience, it fhall be allowed ftill to oblige us unto obedience, but not that which is abfolutely finlefs; but if it be performed in a lower degree, provided it be fincere, and univerfal, as to all the parts of it, it is all that the law now requires of us. Whether these things be fo or not, we fhall fee in a few words.

15. Hence it follows, that the act of God, with respect to our obedience, is not an act of judgment according to any law of his own, but an esteeming and accepting that as perfect, which really and in truth is not jo.

16. It is added, "that both thefe depend on, and are "procured by the obedience and merits of Chrift: for L 2

"on their account it is that our imperfect obedience

is accepted, as if it were perfect; and the power of "the law, to require obedience abfolutely perfect, is "taken away and these being effects of the righteoufnefs of Chrift, that righteoufnefs may, fo far, be "faid to be imputed to us."

17. But, notwithstanding the pains that have been taken to give a colour of truth to these things, they are mere fictions and imaginations of men, having no ground in the Scripture, nor agreeing with the experience of believers. As to experience, there is nothing in a believer's walk and converfation, wherein he fails of compliance with the holy law of God, requiring finless obedience, but his confcience convinces him it is a fin and, as fuch, deserving the curfe of that law: Nor does he feek relief in this cafe, but by the mediation of Jefus Chrift, who of God is made righteousness unto him.

Nor is there any ground for this opinion in Scripture. It is unwritten. There is no intimation of any such difpenfation of God with reference to the original law of obedience. Much is faid of our deliverance from the curfe of the law by Chrift, but not a word of the abatement of its preceptive power. It is contrary to Scripture for it is plainly affirmed, that the law is not to be abolished, but fulfilled: not to be made void, but to be eftablished: that the righteousness of it must be fulfilled in Further,

us.

It is a fuppofition unreasonable and impoffible. For, (1.) The law was a reprefentation to us of the holiness of God, and his righteoufnefs in the government of his I creatures therefore there can be no alteration made in it; for "with God there is no variableness, nor shadow of changing." (2.) It would leave (as before obferved) no ftandard of righteousness, but only a Lesbian rule, which applies itself to the abilities of all men, and leaves as many various meafures of righteoufnefs, as there are believers in the world. (3.) It includes a variation in

the

the centre of all religion, which is the natural and moral relation of men to God. (4.) It is difhonourable to the mediation of Chrift; for it makes the principal end of it to be, that God fhould accept of a righteoufnefs, inexpreffibly inferior to that which he required in the law of our creation : and, in a sense, makes him the minifter of fin. (5.) It reflects on the goodness of God for on this fuppofition, that he hath reduced the law, fo as to be fatisfied with a weak and imperfect obedience, what reason can be given, confiftent with his goodness, why he should give at firft a law of perfect obedience, one fin against which involved all mankind in ruin?

But

18. All these, and various other confequences, follow alfo on the fecond fuppofition; namely, An imaginary eftimation of that as perfect, which is imperfect-of that as finlefs, which is attended with fins innumerable. "the judgment of God is according to truth;" neither will he reckon that unto us for a perfect righteousness, which is so imperfect as to be like tattered rags; efpecially, having promifed to us Robes of righteoufness,” and “ Garments of Salvation.”

That which neceffarily follows on thefe difcourfes is, That there is no other way whereby the original immutable lave of God may be established and fulfilled, with respect to us, but by the imputation of the perfect obedience and righteoufnefs of Chrift; who is " the end of the law for righte aufnefs unto all who believe.