rist and believe in him.
The end wherefore the covenant of works hath been preached since Adam's
fall, is only this, to make way for a better covenant of grace, that men
may hearken to the offer of it. Now faith in Jesus Christ hath two special
actings, either upon Christ for justification of the person, and eternal
life and salvation, or for sanctification of the person and actions, in
the fruits of new obedience. And in the text, unfeigned faith is described
from both these, and gives the answer of a good conscience, that is, of
absolution from the curse, by the blood of Jesus, and makes him as quiet
as he had never sinned. And then it purifies the heart, and worketh by
love.

Now the law is a mean appointed of God, and instituted to lead to both
these, and Christ in these. The law is appointed to lead a man to faith in
Christ, for salvation and righteousness, and the suitableness of it to
that end, we comprehend thus: 1. It convinces of sin; "The law entered
that the offence might abound," and "was added because of transgressions,"
Rom. v. 20, Gal. iii. 19. This is the end of God's sounding the trumpet,
and declaring our duty, "that every mouth may be stopped" before God, and
that none may plead innocence before his tribunal. While men are without
the law, they are alive, and think well of themselves, but the entering of
the commandment in a man's conscience, in the length, breadth, and
spirituality of it, makes sin to appear exceeding sinful. Sin was in the
house before, but was not seen before, and now when the bright beam of a
clear, spiritual, holy law, carrying God's authority upon it, is darted
into the dark soul, O what ugly sights appear! The house is full of motes.
Ye cannot turn the command where it will not discover innumerable
iniquities, an universal leprosy. For all the actions that were called
honest, civil and religious before, get a new name, and they being seen in
God's light, are called rottenness, and living without the law, Rom. vii.
9 &c. Think ye, but the woman of Samaria knew her adultery, before Christ
spake to her? Nay, but Christ speaks according to the law and makes it a
mean of faith. He tells her all that ever she did. He tells her indeed
what she knew before, but in another manner. Men know their actions, but
the Lord discovers the sinfulness of them, as offensive to God's holy
majesty, and pure eyes. It will force a man to give his sin the right
name, it will take away all excuses and s