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[0:00] If the Lord will enable me, I would draw your attention to the chapter that we read, the 8th chapter in the Epistle to the Romans, and the 3rd and 4th verses, verses 3 and 4.

[0:21] For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

[0:51] Verses 3 and 4 in the 8th of Romans.

[1:26] 

[2:56] Because they are unable to fulfill it, he's entirely just, perfect, and holy. Oh yes, he will make them feel like the hymn writer puts it.

[3:11] And it won't be just a quotation of a hymn, it will be felt in their heart. If thou should send my soul to hell, thy righteous law approves it well.

[3:25] When sin entered into the world, death spiritually passed upon all men, for that all have sinned. Well now, this is the law which the apostle by the Holy Ghost refers to here.

[3:42] For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh. But he does not mean that there's any weakness in the law. No, no, no, don't run away with that idea.

[3:56] No, the law is as strong as ever. Moses, the promulgator of the law to Israel as a nation, was a figure or a type of this law.

[4:14] You know he died at the age of 120. His eyesight was not dimmed, neither was his natural force abated.

[4:24] Ah, what a type of the law of God. Its eyesight is not dimmed and never will be. It will search out.

[4:36] Oh, it will search out all your sins sometimes. And if you belong to the Lord, it will. Ah, even the very thoughts of your heart, the very thought of foolishness, it will show you his sin.

[4:51] In the sight of a holy, holy God. Ah, what the law could not do, it could never bring salvation. It could only condemn altogether this solemn law of God.

[5:10] Ah, it says thou shalt, and we can't, we have no ability to, through the fall. Ah, but all man's inability does not excuse him.

[5:25] What a cloak. Ah, so in some respects it is used in this day. And, ah, I believe amongst, ah, even in our own denomination, in our own causes of truth, I believe many of our younger people, ah, seem to rest and hide under a cloak of man's inability.

[5:49] His utter helplessness. And, ah, in an antinomian kind of way, they fold their arms and they say, if not outwardly, they do inwardly.

[6:03] Well, what is to be will be. And, ah, we are helpless to do anything. If I'm to be born again, I shall be.

[6:14] And, ah, if I'm one of the lords, my name is in heaven and I shall be saved. And they have no more concern about it than that. But they don't realize that their very helplessness is their sin.

[6:29] It's their sin. The very helplessness springs from the ruin that we're in through the fall and is not excusable in that way.

[6:41] No, no, no. That is the devil's work, to hush up the conscience against sin. But what a mercy it is if the Holy Ghost quickens the soul.

[6:54] He will give you to see, in some measure, I'm not going to preach a great law work. Not many have that today.

[7:05] But, here we find what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh. It is the flesh that is weak, not the law.

[7:16] There is no difference in the law from when it was first promulgated, no difference in it, in its demands and commands upon humanity, no difference in it, and never will be.

[7:36] But, here in this verse, we see the wonderful mercy, the wonderful grace of God for what the law could not do, it could never bring in salvation.

[7:50] And, though Israel as a nation were placed under a covenant of works, that is, a covenant under the law, and the Lord blessed them as they kept his law outwardly, yet, yet, oh, how we see and realize more and more if we understand the word of God, what a fallacy it was to rest upon the law for salvation.

[8:20] There is no hope in it, poor sinner. There is no help in it for you. It can only condemn you. But, oh, it is weak through the flesh, through our fallen state.

[8:37] We cannot keep it. But, oh, what a mercy. The Holy Trinity, the Father, the Son, the Holy Ghost, in eternity past, before ever sin entered into this world, even before the world was created, in a covenant engagement between the three glorious persons, God the Father, God the Eternal Son, and God the Holy Ghost.

[9:12] Oh, they entered into a covenant of grace toward a people they had chosen, out of lost humanity.

[9:23] for it is as though they said, and decreed, we will not permit all, all of Adam's race to be damned at last, though they would have been perfectly, perfectly just had they done so.

[9:40] But no, in this covenant of wonderful love, and grace, as we read here, for what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son, in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh.

[10:05] Oh, what a wonderful thing it is, that in this eternal covenant of grace, everything was ordered, and, and, that covenant was made, even before sin, had a being.

[10:25] Here, it shines many a time, I hope in my heart, that even before, there was any disobedience of a holy law, by humanity, it was already, for the, in the foreknowledge, of the Almighty, they knew, that Adam would fall, but God is not the author of sin, no, no, no, no, no, but they foreknew in their eternal foreknowledge, couldn't be otherwise, that Adam would fall, and that he would land all his future progeny, in a wretched state of, wretched unbelief, and sin, degradation, depravity, that every one of them would be born into this world, shaped in sin, born in iniquity, that they had a heart, every one of us, a heart that is deceitful above all things, desperately wicked, who can know it, only God knows the depth of it, but oh, the wonderful grace of God, that air sin entered into the world, his covenant was entered into, that a number, that eventually, no man will be able to number, gathered out of every generation, in time, would be saved, saved, redeemed, from sin, and, everlastingly, bless and praise, this God, for their redemption, in a glorious heaven, oh, what a mercy it was, that,

[12:20] God, sent, his own son, in the likeness of sinful flesh, mark the words, in the likeness of it, but not in sinful flesh, no, no, when he, the eternal son, came into this world, he partook, of a pure, holy, holy humanity, by a miraculous conception, the overshadowing, of the virgin, by the holy ghost, and that thing, that was brought forth, was called, the son of the highest, no sin in him, and though, though, to look upon him, in that holy humanity, I don't suppose, he differed greatly, from the people, round about him, and, it could be said of him, as it says here, in the likeness, of sinful flesh, but not in sin, there could have been, no redemption, had he been born, in the way we were, no, no, no, there was handed down, to us, a sinful nature, and, but not so, in his case, no, no, no, and,

[13:50] God, the father, sent, gave him, into this sinful world, to redeem, that number, whom they had chosen, before time began, whose names, are in the Lamb's, book of life, oh, but what wonderful, grace, and mercy, shines here, why should, why should, the son of God, the eternal, son of God, equal with the father, and the holy ghost, in every attribute, of the trinity, why should he leave, the glory of heaven, come into this sinful world, in that humanity, which he united forever, to his divine person, tread this world, as a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief, why should he, oh, what love, what love, was manifested, to this people, by the father, in giving, sending, his own son, the son of his love, sending him, into this sinful world, to redeem, this people, from their sins, oh, how necessary, it was, that he should take, this flesh, in the likeness, of sinful flesh, and for sin, oh, what wonderful grace, shines in it all, and the holy ghost, oh, the third glorious person, in the trinity, had a hand, in this matter, oh, it is wonderful, sometimes, to see, how the whole trinity, in unity, and harmony, in a glorious, wonderful love, all have a part, in the salvation, of God's elect, his chosen people, the holy ghost, brought about, this union, of flesh, this, this humanity, uniting it, to the divinity, of Christ, oh, what a mystery, is the incarnation, of the son of God, but without it, there could never, have been a sinner saved, no, oh, how necessary, it was,

[16:33] God, could not suffer, he could not, be made, a sacrifice, for sin, he could not, come into the place, of his people, and bear, all that, justice, in this law, had against them, no, no, but he took, this body, for this purpose, in the 40th Psalm, you read, her body, as thou prepared, for me, I delight, to do thy will, oh my God, her body, as thou prepared, for me, and, here, we have this, here, God, the Father, sending, his only begotten son, into this, sinful world, and he partook, of this, humanity, pure, holy, humanity, and, as we read, was made, of a woman, made, under the law, for the purpose, of redeeming, them, that were, under the law, oh, what wonderful, mercy, and grace, shines, in this, why, should he, leave, heaven, and come, into this, sinful world, and, if you look, at his life, in that humanity, what it cost him, to redeem, his people, his sufferings, did not begin, just at,

[18:09] Gethsemane, they were, more or less, all his life, what opposition, what hatred, there was, to him, men, did not know, who he was, except, as it was revealed, to them, but, Satan, who had been, cast out of heaven, for sin, and roves, about this earth, seeking, who he may devour, he knew him, and trembled, before him, but, oh, oh, the wonderful love, and mercy, of the Trinity, in this, wonderful work, of redemption, for Christ, came into the world, in this, humanity, for the purpose, of suffering, suffering, bleeding, dying, oh, daily, though he were a son, yet learned, the obedience, that is to his father's will, by the things, he, suffered, not by the blessed things, he enjoyed, no, and we read, don't we, who, for the love, oh, for the joy, that was set, before him, endured, the cross, oh, what a cross, his life was, the awful opposition, the hatred, of men, and devils, toward him, almost everything, he did, and said, was contradicted, opposed, hatred, through the malice, and enmity, of fallen nature, as the devil, worked upon it, but oh, oh, what a, what a mercy, he came, and in that spotless, humanity, he was all the time, fulfilling, every precept, in this holy law, in his humanity, daily, but what for, to bring in righteousness, for his people, they had none, oh, and if we get, to imagine, that we can make, some kind, of a righteousness,

[20:33] I know in my, ignorance, for three years, oh, how I worked, when I was condemned, in the world, how I worked, to bring in, some kind, of an appeasement, some kind, of a righteousness, to appease, that wrath, I knew, was against me, but it all, failed, all our righteousnesses, are as filthy rags, in the sight, of a holy, holy God, sinner, there's no hope, in your own righteousness, no, it can only, damn you forever, but oh, what a mercy, this blessed Christ, the son of God, came, was sent, was given, by the father, into this world, out of love, to the sinner, her to work out, for them, a righteousness, which alone, can justify them, from all things, from which, the law of Moses, can never justify them, no, no, and all the time, amidst all his sufferings, all his painful, opposition, all his wilderness temptations, when he was with the wild beasts, and Satan tempted him, and he was tempted in all points, like as we are, yet without sin, in all this, a travail of his soul, in Gethsemane, the judgment hall, and Calvary's tree, amidst it all, he was loving his father, with all his heart, he was fulfilling, every precept, of that law, which condemns, you and me, out of hand, we have no hope in, and he becomes, the end of the law, for righteousness sake, to everyone, that believeth, ah, and this is the work, of the third person, in the Trinity,

[22:41] God, the Holy Ghost, to bring a person, to believe in him, oh, how few there are, comparatively speaking, today, who believe in him, how few believe, this book, I didn't, at one time, I hated it, but oh, if faith, comes into the heart, the work, of the Holy Ghost, for it is his, blessed work, and his love, for this people, is exactly, the same, as the fathers, and the eternal sons, and what a part, he has, in their salvation, he alone, can't quicken, the dead soul, he alone, can bring to pass, that which Christ, spoke of, to Nicodemus, except, a man be born again, he cannot, even, see, the kingdom, of heaven, let alone, enter into it, oh, then this, blessed Holy Ghost, he is God, equal with the Father, and the eternal Son, and his part, in the salvation, is to deal, with this people, every one of them, in this time state, and he will do, he will do, he knows, whose names, are in the Lamb's, book of life, he knows, for whom, the dear Son of God, suffered, bled, and died, ah, he knows, whose sins, he put away, by the sacrifice, of himself, for when he had fulfilled, in his life, every precept, of the law, bringing in, that everlasting, righteousness, which justifies, his people, then, he came, under the solemn, justice, of a holy God, that justice, is not like, human justice, that can be, waved aside, or bribed, corrupted, no, all this, holy, holy justice, of God, oh, how strict, how perfect, it is, there is, no waving, of that, no, no, and he came, at last, under that justice, in Gethsemane, and, oh, how necessary, it was, oh, that justice, must be satisfied, against, the sins, of,

[25:24] God's people, there is, no remission, of sin, without, the shedding, of blood, the ancients, were taught, this, from the very beginning, and all, down, the mosaic, dispensation, by the, Levitical, priesthood, they were, all, taught, the need, of, sacrifice, every flame, that burnt, on Jewish altars, consuming, the carcasses, to dust, every flame, of fire, set forth, the, dreadful, wrath, of the holy, God, against, sin, sin, and, I believe, some of those, worthies, who witnessed, these fires, would feel it, and, they would say, within all, that my sins, will be, will come under, the justice, of Messiah, and, his sacrifice, and, be put away, oh, as he entered,

[26:34] Gethsemane, it pleased, the father, to begin, to pour out, upon him, that awful, justice, against sin, that was, due, to this, countless, multitude, of his elect, that the father, had given him, to be his spouse, on earth, and his bride, in heaven, to all eternity, ah, and he, so loved them, that he, came into this world, he worked out, for them, a perfect righteousness, a wedding garment, to hide, all, her wretchedness, and sins, from view, she will shine, in that glorious robe, throughout eternity, in heaven, but, what did it cost him, as justice, began to pour out, all the indignant, wrath of the holy God, upon him, and we see him, in the scriptures, reeling upon the ground, once I believe,

[27:44] I saw him by faith, reeling upon the ground, sweating, as it were, great drops of blood, falling to the ground, in an agony, that we shall never, never understand, no, no, as the father, began to pour upon him, wave, upon wave, billow, upon billow, of his dreadful, wrath against sin, oh, if the holy ghost, ever leads you, a little into this, it will make you, know what a dreadful thing, sin is, yet our nature, loves it, would live in it, if left to it, but oh, what a mercy, if the holy ghost, has quickened your soul, and made you, know a little, of what sin is, and what it cost, the redeemer, to put it away, it was by the sacrifice, of himself, his holy human soul, was made an offering, for the sin, of his people, it pleased the father, to bruise him, to put him, to grief, and he laid, upon him, not only, the transgressions, of his people's, sins, but, their, iniquity, that is, that that dwells, in the heart, though they may be, kept clean, outwardly, oh, it pleased the father, to lay upon him, the iniquity, of his people, and to pour out, his wrath, upon him, against that, and he was led, as a lamb, to the slaughter, and as a sheep, is dumb, before her, shearers, so he opened, not his mouth, oh, what love, was here, that he should, bear it, in that humanity, humanity, and you know, that humanity, was different, to yours, and mine, that humanity, would be capable, of, and, would have, more, exquisite, feelings, than ever, you and I, can have, sin, has to a certain, extent, made us, unconscious, really, of the power, of sin, what it really, is, but this, sensitive nature, this holy, pure, humanity, of Christ, what must he, have felt, he had felt, enough, as he was, among men, and heard, and saw, their opposition, and hatred, to him, and all the devil's, machinations, against him, but now, as he, is in Gethsemane, it caused him, to cry out,

[30:44] Father, if it be possible, let this cup, pass from me, nevertheless, not my will, but thine, be done, he knew, there was, no other way, in which, justice, holy justice, could be satisfied, except, as he was, made a victim, of that justice, justice, and, he was led, into the judgment, hall, spitted upon, blasphemed, mocked, scourged, crowned, with horrible, oriental thorns, and they were, beat into his brow, with a rod, a reed, which is a rod, and they, mocked him, spit upon him, that is the worst, ignominy, that, a Jew, can ever experience, is to be, spitted upon, in the law, and that is, what he underwent, he bore it, for his people, he opened, not his mouth, against it,

[31:54] Pilate, wondered, at him, not speaking, but he held, his peace, he knew, that he must suffer, he knew, that he would, never win, his bride, to embrace her, in a glorious heaven, if he didn't suffer, bleed, and die, in her room, place, instead, moving away, all the wrath, that was against her, in his person, oh, God, as they brought him, to Calvary's tree, there he hung, a spectacle, between, earth, and heaven, bearing, the sins, the justice, of God, in his, terrible, wrath, against sin, oh, my dear friend, salvation, is no cheap thing, some people, would make you think so, but it's not, oh, it cost the redeemer, untold agony, it cost him wounds, it cost him blood, it cost him death, death, for at last, he cried out, on Calvary's tree, it is finished, ah, but then, we read, he, bowed his head, and gave up the ghost, he entered into the, throes of human death, it was necessary, oh, sinner, have you ever been led, to contemplate, these things, as the holy ghost, ever led you, into these things, has he ever given you, to love this man, this glorious,

[33:45] God, man, mediator, has he ever given you, a hope, that your sins, were there, has he ever given you, a hope, in your soul, that they were, forever put away, oh, you know, there is no wrath, now in heaven, against God's elect, no, no, no, oh, I know many people, who have had, what we term, a law work, or perhaps, in their chastening, in their life, have come to the conclusion, that it was in wrath, in wrath, poor Job felt so, didn't he, in his troubles, and so have others, so did poor Jacob, so do we sometimes, we're so blind, and ignorant, but it is not, in every case, of his own people, it is in love, to correct them, just as a parent, who loves their children, will correct their children, out of love, to them, but the poor child, doesn't feel, it's in love, does it, especially, if the father, uses the rod, it hurts, and the Lord, intends, many a time, to hurt his people, and make them know, what is right, but, he won't leave them there, no, no, no, no chastening, for the present, seemeth to be joyous, but grievous, nevertheless, afterward, it yieldeth the peace, of righteousness, to them, that are exercised, thereby, and sometimes, he gives us, to see, the necessity, for it, oh, how we needed it, where should we get to, without it, if he didn't deal, with us, in this life, where should we get to, well, it's a wonderful mercy, my dear friends, if we know, anything, by divine teaching, of the necessity, of all this solemn, glorious, work of Christ, if he's ever revealed, to you, by the Holy Ghost, oh, how you love him, that new creation, within, that he gives, at the new birth, will love him, will go out, after him, in affection, and, what a mercy, it is, to have him, revealed, to your heart, and the hope, raised up, that your sins, were there, and that one day, you will realize, to the full, the fullness, and blessedness, of this divine, salvation, oh, what a mercy, here,

[36:34] I must leave it, the time is gone, if the Lord, will enable me, I'll carry on, with the subject, this evening, may the Lord, bless his word, to us, Amen, Amen.