For as many as have sinned without the law, shall also perish without the law: and as many as have sinned under the law, shall be condemned by the law,

for not the bare hearers of the law, but they who observe the law, are such as shall be justified, before God.

when the Gentiles who have not the law, do by nature what the law prescribes, tho' these have not the law, they are a law to themselves:

for they shew that the duties prescrib'd by the law, are written in their hearts, their consciences bearing witness to it, by their own reasonings alternately accusing and excusing them.

'Tis true, you bear the name of a Jew, you depend upon the law, and boast of your worship:

you know the divine will, and what is contrary thereto, having been educated in the law:

an instructer of the ignorant, a teacher to the weak, because you have a clear view of the true meaning of the law.

and you, who glory in the law, do you dishonour God by the violation of the law?

Circumcision indeed is an advantage, if you keep the law: but if you violate the law, your being a Jew makes you no better than a heathen.

if therefore an uncircumcised Gentile keep the moral precepts contained in the law, shall not he be reckon'd, as if he were circumcised?

and shall not a Gentile, tho' he is not actually circumcised, if he fulfil the law, condemn thee, who, tho' literally circumcised, dost yet transgress the law?

Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law: that every one may be silenc'd, and all the world plead guilty before God.

for by the observation of the law no one shall be justified in his sight, since it is the law that takes cognizance of sin.

but the divine justification certified by the law and the prophets, is now clearly proposed independently of the law:

what reason then is there for boasting? it is excluded. what, by the ceremonial law? no: but by the law of faith.

do we then make the law useless by our doctrine of faith? by no means; on the contrary, it is we that observe the law.

Besides, the promise that he should possess the world, was not made to Abraham, or to his posterity in consideration of the law, but with regard to the righteousness by faith.

for if they only who are of the law have right of possession, faith is made useless, and the promise becomes of no effect.

because the effect of the law is punishment: for if there had been no law, there could have been no transgression.

therefore the inheritance is of faith, that it might be meerly of favour, to the end the promise might be assured to all his posterity, not to that part only who have the law, but to that also who have the faith of Abraham, the father of us all, as it is written,

sin indeed was in the world all the time before the law: but then sin is not punished when there is no law.

nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned by violating a positive law, as did Adam, who is

the law was introduc'd, that the greatness of the fall might fully appear; but the more sin display'd its enormity, the divine favour was so much the more transcendent.

What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under the gospel?

Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to Jews acquainted with the law) that the law hath authority over a man, till it be abrogated?

now a married woman is bound by the law to her living husband: but if her husband dieth, she is released from the marriage-contract.

wherefore she will be reputed an adulteress if she become another man's during her husband's life: but if her husband dies, she is clear from that law, from the imputation of being an adulteress, though she become another man's.

thus, my brethren, the law is become dead with respect to you by the body of Christ; that you might be subject to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.

for when we were in the carnal state of the law, the sinful passions of that state set our animal faculties to work in the service of death.

but now we are delivered by the death of the law, which held us in bondage: that we might serve according to the living spirit, and not in the dead letter of the law.

Do we then conclude, that the law is the cause of sin? by no means; but I should not have had such a notion of sin, had it not been for the law: for I should not have known concupiscence was a sin, unless the law had said, "thou shalt not covet."

but sin receiving strength by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. for before the law sin appear'd dead.

wherefore the law is holy; and the commandment holy, and just, and good.

for we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold a slave to sin.

if then I do what I in my mind am against, the consent of my mind is, that the law is right.

for my mind takes delight in the law of God,

but I perceive in the animal part of me another law warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin, which is in my animal part.

the divine grace thro' Jesus Christ our Lord. so then, with the mind I my self am devoted to the law of God; tho' my carnal inclinations are enslaved to the law of sin.

God having sent his own son invested with a body like that of sinful men, as a sacrifice for sin, thereby destroyed its power; which the law could not effect, human nature being in such a corrupted state.

so that the moral obligations of the law might be fulfilled by us, in living according to the spiritual, and not the carnal tenor thereof:

because a sensual disposition of mind is averse to God: for it is not subject to the divine law, nor indeed can it be.

neither the high, nor the low, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God by Christ Jesus our Lord.

who are Israelites; who had the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the law, the form of divine worship, and the promises;

but Israel, who followed the law of justice, hath not attained to the law of justice.

why? because they sought it not by faith, but indeed by the works of the law: for they stumbled at that stumbling-stone;

as it is written, "behold, I lay in Sion a stumbling-stone, and a rock of offence: and whosoever believeth in him, shall not be ashamed."

for the end of the law was to bring men to Christ, that every one who believeth, might be justified.

For Moses describes the justice that was to be had by the law, thus : "the man who performeth the things here required, shall have life thereby."

loves others hath fulfilled the law. for this, "thou shalt not commit adultery, thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not bear false witness, thou shalt not covet;" and whatever social precept there be, it is reduced to this single head,

thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self." the benevolent never does wrong to his neighbour: therefore benevolence is the fulfilling of the law.