"That every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God."

What now is the conclusion, which the Apostle draws from this train of reasoning? It is this,

iii. 20. διοτι εξ εργων νόμε 8 δικαιωθησεται πασα σαρξ

ενωπιον αυτό.

"Therefore by the deeds of the law, there shall no flesh be justified in his sight."

By works of law, whether of Moses or of nature, no man, neither Jew nor Gentile, shall be justified in the sight of God. Wherefore?

iii. 20. δια γαρ νομε επιγνωσις ἁμαρτίας.

"For by the law is the knowledge of sin ;'

The knowledge of its demerit in the sight of God: -but no more; not the dispensation of pardon, or Justification.

THUS then, seeing that all have sinned, and so want pardon; and that the Law has not pardon

ing grace to confer; most certain it is, that the Law fails entirely for Justification.

HAPPY therefore is it, for a trembling and guilty world, that now, under the Gospel, a way of Justification is revealed, which has no dependence whatever upon the works of law, as a condition; but, upon the condition of faith only, is tendered to all, without distinction, whether Jews or Gentiles.

iii. 21, 22. νυνι δε χωρις νομς δικαιοσυνη θες, &c.

"But now the righteousness of God, without the law, is manifested; being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets; even the righteousness of God, which is by faith of Jesus Christ, unto all and upon all them that believe.'

Of such a Justification, by free grace, the Jew had equal need with the Gentile ;

iii. 22, 23. & γαρ εσι διατολη παντες γαρ ήμαρτον,

&c.

"For there is no difference: for all have sinned,

and come short of the glory of God."

AND the Gentile had equal reason with the Jew, to expect it at the hands of the same God and Father of all:

iii. 29. η Ιεδαίων ὁ θεος μονος ; εχι δε και εθνων; ναι, και εθνων.

"Is he the God of the Jews only? Is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also."

THE general conclusion deduced from the whole of the preceding argument concerning Justification, is set down by the Apostle in

iii. 28. λογιζομεθα εν πιζει δικαιεσθαι ανθρωπον,

χωρις εργων νομέ.

"Therefore we conclude, that a man is justified by faith, without the deeds of the Law."

WE Conclude that a man (any one, whether

Jew or Gentile) is justified, under the Gospel, by faith only; without any assistance whatever from works, whether of Revealed or Natural Law.

THUS it appears, that in the three first Chapters the Apostle has done these four things:

1. He has proved the inefficacy of the Law to Justification.

2. He has proved the efficacy of the Gospel to the same.

3. He has destroyed the exclusive claim of the

Jew.

4. He has established the Gentile's title to Justification, through the faith of Jesus Christ.

CHAPTER IV.

In the preceding argument, the Apostle has sufficiently established these two things:

1. That Justification, or the remission of sins,

and admission to the favour of God, is by faith only, and not by works of law:

2. That to this Justification the Gentile has equal claim with the Jew.

BUT in opposition to these, he knew that there existed in the mind of the Jew, two almost insuperable prejudices: the first, founded upon their extravagant notions of the merit of Circumcision, as entitling them to the favour of God; and this would lead them to deny his first conclusion, and to hold that Justification is by works of Law, the chief of which was Circumcision: the second, founded upon their birthright, as the Children of Abraham, and heirs of the promises made to that Patriarch; and this would lead them to deny the second conclusion, and to withhold the benefit of grace from the Gentiles.

THESE two prejudices the Apostle examines in this 4th Chapter; the former in the case of the Justification of Abraham, the boasted Father of Circumcision, and of their nation; the latter in the grounds of the Covenant, made with Abraham and his seed: and the result of the examination