t the promise by faith in Christ might
come, or be given to believers. And ver. 24, "The law" was a
"schoolmaster" and teacher, to lead us unto Christ. The very doctrine of a
command impossible for man to keep, was, as it were, a proclamation of
Christ Jesus to him, a complete teaching of the necessity of some other
way of salvation. The law exacted obedience rigorously, even such as we
could not perform, and cursed every degree of disobedience. This, if there
were no more, speaks that a man cannot stand to such terms, and therefore
he must flee to Jesus Christ, who mends the broken covenant.

Again, the apostle, 2 Cor. iii. 13, 14, while he speaks of the excellency
of the ministry of the gospel beyond the ministry of Moses,
notwithstanding all the material glory that accompanied that ministration,
as the shining of Moses' face, &c., now opens up a great mystery
here,--Moses' face shining while he was with God upon the mount. This holds
forth the glory of the law as in respect of God. By counsels and
inventions they saw no more but temporal mercies in it, and were not able
to fix their eyes on that glory; the carnal Israelites did not break
through the ministry of the law and death, to see Jesus there, because a
vail was upon their hearts. They thought God had been dealing with them in
the terms of a covenant of works, and they would stand to all God had
said, and undertook indeed very fairly, "All which God hath commanded, we
will do, and be obedient." But though(462) they perverted God's meaning of
the law, and did not see Jesus intended; for they did not look steadfastly
to the end of that mystery. Now what was it the vail hid them from? For
the same vail is yet on them to this day, while they read Moses and the
prophets, and when they shall be converted it shall be done away in
Christ, they shall then see him in Moses' law. So then, the end of this
ministry of the law was Jesus Christ, and this they could not behold.

Now from all this it is very clear, that Jesus Christ, or faith in him,
was the great purpose and end of the law, and covenant of works. The world
was lying in sin, and none sought God, no not one; neither knew they well
what sin was. Therefore God sends his gospel from mount Sinai, and
publishes his law in a terrible manner, that they might know the way and
manner of the God they served, and see that their obligation was
infinitely beyond their ability or performance. But, poor souls! they
clearly mis