1. SAINT _Paul_ having in the beginning of this epistle, laid down his general proposition, namely, That _the gospel of Christ is the power of God unto salvation, to every one that believeth_: the powerful means, whereby God makes every believer a partaker of present and eternal salvation, goes on to shew, that there is no other way under heaven, whereby men can be saved. He speaks particularly of salvation from the guilt of sin, which he commonly terms justification. And that all men stood in need of this, that none could plead their own innocence, he proves at large by various arguments, addrest to the Jews as well as the Heathens. Hence he infers (in the 19th verse of this chapter) _That every mouth_, whether of Jew or Heathen, must _be stopt_ from excusing or justifying himself, _and all the world become guilty before God. Therefore_, saith he, by his own obedience, _by the works of the law, shall no flesh be justified in his sight_, ver. 20. _But now the righteousness of God without the law_, without our previous obedience thereto, _is manifested_, ver. 21. _Even the righteousness of God, which is by faith of Jesus Christ, unto all and upon all that believe_, ver. 22. _For there is no difference_, as to their need of justification, or the manner wherein they attain it. _For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God_, (ver. 23.) the glorious image of God wherein they were created: and all (who attain) _are justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ_: ver. 24. _Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation, thro’ faith in his blood_――ver. 25. _That he might be just, and yet the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus_; ver. 36. that without any impeachment to his justice, he might shew him mercy, for the sake of that propitiation. _Therefore we conclude_, (which was the grand position he had undertaken to establish) _That a man is justified by faith, without the works of the law_, ver. 28. 2. It was easy to foresee an objection which might be made, and which has in fact been made in all ages: namely, That to say _we are justified without the works of the law_, is to abolish the law. The apostle, without entering into a formal dispute, simply denies the charge. _Do we then_, says he, _make void the law through faith? God forbid! Yea, we establish the law._ 3. The strange imagination of some, that St. _Paul_, when he says, _A man is justified without the works of the law_, means only the _ceremonial_ law, is abundantly confuted by these very words. For did St. _Paul establish_ the _ceremonial_ law? It is evident, he did not. He did _make void_ that law through faith, and openly avowed his doing so. It was the _moral_ law only of which he might truly say, We do not make void but _establish_ this _through faith_.