hen the Gentiles, who have no law, do by
nature the things of the law, these, having no law, are a law unto
themselves; who show the works of the law written in their hearts,
their conscience also bearing witness, and their reasonings mutually
accusing or even excusing them."--Rom. 2:14. Whether Jew or Gentile,
God had one purpose in giving the law, "Now we know that what things
soever the law saith, it saith to those who are under the law, that
_every_ mouth may be stopped and _all the world_ be under judgement to
God." God's plan with the law includes "every mouth," "all the world,"
whether the law was written in their hearts or in sacred writings; and
His purpose is, not that they should be saved by keeping the law, for
then no one would be saved, for "all have sinned and come short of the
glory of God,"--Rom. 3:23; but that they might be brought under
judgment to God, every mouth stopped, guilty, and thus be brought to
realize their need of a Redeemer. On this point God's word makes His
purpose very plain: "The Scripture hath shut up all under sin, that
the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to them that
believe. But before faith, we were confined under law, shut up unto
the faith about to be revealed. Wherefore the law was our tutor [or
schoolmaster] unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But
after that faith is come we are no longer under a tutor [or
schoolmaster]."--Gal. 3:23-25.

God's word is plain, that God put men under the law, not that they
should be saved by keeping it, but that they might be led to see their
need of a Saviour, one to redeem them from the curse of the law:
"Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse
for us,"--Gal 3:13; and then, having redeemed them from the curse of
the law, and from all iniquity (Titus 2:14), to adopt them as His own
children, "heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ."--Rom. 8:17. So
wonderful is the plan that it is hard for a human being to grasp it.
_God's plan with men_ is not simply to save them, but to put them
above all other created beings. "Unto which of the angels said he at
any time, Thou art my Son?"--Heb. 1:5. Yet, "having in love
predestinated us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to
himself,"--Eph. 1:5 (1911 Bible), "heirs of God and joint heirs with
Christ,"--Rom. 8:17, He puts us far above angels; "for ye are all sons
of God through faith in Christ Jesus."--Gal. 3:26. But men can only
come into t