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here, the soul, bowed down with sin and humbled even to the dust with guilt, may yet receive health and life.

The Law is a schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ.

When the proud sinner is stript of all his pleas and divested of all his pretensions to holiness; when he is tried and found guilty by the Law; and when conscience affixes her seal to the justice of the verdict then, and then only, will he tremble at the wrath to come. Offer to him a Saviour, while in this state of mind; and view the rapture, with which he will be received. The Gospel is now, indeed, a message of good news,' a message full of hope, joy, and salvation. Thoroughly humbled by the conviction of his sinfulness, and totally unable to perform the requisitions of the Law, he at length is willing to be saved in the way that God has appointed. He claims an interest in the comfortable promises of Scripture; rejects with horror the thought of his own meritoriousness; and throws himself entirely upon the divine mercy, vouchsafed to the world through Christ. He is now no longer under the Law, but under grace; for, under one or other of these dispensations, all men must be included. He, that accepts the offers of grace which are freely made, will be as freely pardoned: but he, that rejects them and chooses rather to stand or fall by his own righteousness, will be tried by the Law of works; a Law, yet unrepealed, and

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still subsisting with full force against those who have not taken refuge in the merits of Christ. Justice will be done him to the uttermost; yet it will be a fatal justice, a justice which can only terminate in his condemnation.

VI. But in what manner will the Christian conduct himself in return for all that God hath done for his soul?

Let him view the enormity of his guilt, in the greatness of the sacrifice which was required to expiate it. Eternal Justice had pronounced a curse upon every transgressor of the Law, and his word cannot fail. All have sinned and fallen short of the Law and the tremendous curse must take place upon all, unless some one can be found, who will become accursed in their stead; some one, who will bear the sins of a guilty world, transferred to himself by imputation. And who shall dare to support the infinite vengeance of the Almighty who shall endure to meet, with stedfast eye, the horrors of his curse? Angels tremble at the thought, and the highest dominations of heaven shrink appalled from the office. The co-eternal, co-equal, Word of God is alone found both willing and capable. He, who thought it not robbery to be equal with God, took upon him the form of a servant, and bore in his own body our transgressions. As many as arc of the works of the Law are under a curse. For it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in ALL things which are written in the book of the Law to do them. But, that no man is justified by the Law in the

sight of God, it is evident: for, The Just shall live by faith. And the Law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree that the blessing of faithful Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ.' Hence it is evident, that the Law, so far from being repealed, remains in full force; and that nothing can exempt us from the penalties, which it pronounces against transgressors, but the Son of God becoming a curse in our stead.

Once more then let me ask, in what manner will the Christian strive to act, in return for all these benefits?

Surely, unless he be dead to all sense of shame and gratitude, he will strain every nerve to evince his love to Christ by a constant endeavour to keep his commandments. He will work from love, and not from fear he will blush at the idea of making no return to that Saviour, who hath done so much for him and he will daily, yea hourly, lament his backwardness and imbecility, his deadness of affection and his coldness of heart; which prevent him from repaying, in the manner he could wish, the immense debt of gratitude due to a crucified Redeemer. Yet will he constantly strive; and, though sensible of his manifold imperfections, he will perpetually press forward towards the high

1 Gal. iii. 10-14.

prize of his calling and election in Christ Jesus. The undeserved mercy vouchsafed to him, and the costliness of the sacrifice which purchased it, will act as a never-ceasing stimulus. He will live by faith, and not by sight: he will make the good pleasure of God the standard of his actions and he will surrender himself wholly and unreservedly to the disposal of that Saviour, who bought him with his own blood, in order that he might lead a life of holiness and be zealous in all good works. In short, the foundation which supports the morality of a believer, the sure foundation which can never be subverted, is THE

THROUGH CHRIST.

LOVE OF GOD

What a rich fund of practice does St. Paul deduce from this living principle !

The Law entered, that the offence might abound. But, where sin abounded, grace did much more abound; that, as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life, by Jesus Christ our Lord. What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that, like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life—Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should

not serve sin.-Now, if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: knowing that Christ, being raised from the dead, dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you." The reason, which the Apostle gives for this life of holiness, is; For ye are not under the Law, but under grace.

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In a similar manner, he exhorts us to walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us and given himself an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour. But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints."

The beloved Apostle St. John uses precisely the same mode of arguing.

Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.' Herein is love,

Rom. v, 20, 21. vi. 1-14.

3 1 John iii. 16.

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Ephes. v. 2, 3.

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