The Sermons, and Other Practical Works (Volume 5) (English, Ga, Paperback)

Book may have numerous typos, missing text, images, or index. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1821. Excerpt: ... Antinomian principle indeed; but know, of a troth, that, " Without holiness no man shall see God: " without holiness, and conformity to the law* as a rule, no man hath evidence of'justitication, or of freedom from the law as a covenant; without holiness there is no glorifying of God, nor edifying of man: without holiness no adorning of the gospel; without holiness no evidence of love to God or Christ, who hath said, " If ye love me, keep my commandments." Use 2. The second use shall be by .way of Information. There is a number of necessary lessons may be deduced from this doctrine, * That the strength of sin is the law f such as, 1. Hence we may learn, that there can be no justification before God, by the deeds of the law; for, if the law be the strength of sin, then it can never take away the guilt of sin; Rom. Ki . 20. " By the deeds of the law there shall no flesh living be justified in his sight; for, by the law, is the knowledge of sin." The force of this reason is very great; for, if it be the office of thelaw, under the influence of the Spirit of conviction, to give the knowledge of conviction of sin, and so to condemn the sinner, then surely it cannot justify him. And that it is the moral law the apostle here speaks of, is plain; for, as it is that law by which men have tl>e knowledge of sin, and of which the same apostle saith, Horn. vii. 7. " I had not known sin but by the law; for, I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet;" which is the moral law; so it is plain, chap. iii. from ver. 9th to 20th, speaks of that law by which every mouth may be stopt, and all the world, Gentiles as well as Jews, may become guilty before God; or, as it is in the margin, " subject to the judgment of God: " so that it is a vain thing for any to allege, that i...