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and outward holiness, this conformity both of heart and life to his will, should be perfect in degree. No abatement, no allowance could possibly be made, for falling short in any degree, as to any jot or tittle, either in the outward or the inward law. If every commandment relating to outward things was obeyed, yet that was not sufficient, unless every one was obeyed with all the strength, in the highest measure, and most perfect manner. Nor did it answer the demand of this covenant, to love God with every power and faculty, unless he were loved with the full capacity of each, with the whole possibility of the soul.

One thing more was indispensably required by the righteousness of the law, namely, that this universal obedience, this perfect holiness both of heart and life, should be perfectly uninterrupted also, should continue without any intermission, from the moment wherein God created man, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, until the days of his trial be ended, and he should be confirmed in life everlasting.

Sermon on Romans iv. 5.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF THE LAW, AND THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF FAITH.

What is the difference then between the righteousness which is of the law, and the righteousness which is of faith? Between the first covenant, or the covenant of works, and the second, the covenant of grace? The essential, unchangeable difference is this: the one supposes him to whom it is given, to be already holy and happy, created in the image, and enjoying the fovour of God; and prescribes the condition whereon he may continue therein, in love and joy, life and immortality.-The other supposes him to whom it is given, to be now unholy and unhappy; fallen short of the glorious image of God, having the wrath of God abiding on him, and hastening through sin, whereby his soul is dead, to bodily death, and death everlasting. And to man in this state, it prescribes the condition, whereon he may regain the pearl he has lost: may recover the favour, and image of God, may retrieve the life of God in his soul, and be restored to the knowledge and the love of God, which is the beginning of life eternal.

Again, the covenant of works, in order to man's continuance in the favour of God, in his knowledge and love, in holiness and happiness, required of perfect man, a perfect and uninter

rupted obedience, to every point of the law of God. Whereas the covenant of grace, in order to man's recovery, of the favour and life of God, requires only faith, living faith in him, who through God justifies him that obeyed not.

Yet again, The covenant of works required of Adam and all his children, to pay the price themselves, in consideration of which, they were to receive all the future blessings of God. But in the covenant of grace, seeing we have nothing to pay, God frankly forgives us all: provided only, that we believe in him, who hath paid the price for us; who hath given himself a propitiation for our sins, for the sins of the whole

world.

Thus the first covenant required what is now afar off from all the children of men; namely, unsinning obedience, which is far from those who are conceived and born in sin. Whereas the second requires what is nigh at hand; as though it should say, Thou art sin: God is love. Thou by sin art fallen short of the glory of God; yet there is mercy with him. Bring then all thy sins to the pardoning God, and they shall vanish away as a cloud. If thou wert not ungodly, there would be no room for him to justify thee as ungo ly. But now draw near, in full assurance of faith. He speaketh, and it is done. Fear not, only believe; for even the just God justifieth all that believe in Jesus.

MORAL LAW FROM ITS NATURE CANNOT BE

DISANNULI.ED.

This is a law which never can be broken, which stands fast as the faithful witness in heaven.-The moral stands on an entirely different foundation, from the ceremonial or ritual law; which was only designed for a temporary re straint upon a disobedient and stiff-necked people: whereas this was from the beginning of the world being written, not on tables of stone, but on the hearts of all the children of men, when they came out of the hands of the Creator. And however the letters once wrote by the finger of God, are now in a great measure defaced by sin, yet can they not wholly be blotted out, while we have any consciousness of good and evil. Every part of this law must remain in force, upon all mankind, and in all ages; as not depending either on time or place, or any other circumstances liable to change; but on the nature of God, and the nature of man, and their unchangeable relation to each other.

I am not come to destroy but to fulfil. Some have conceived our Lord to mean, I am come to fulfil this, by my entire and perfect obedience to it. And it cannot be doubted but he did, in this sense, fulfil every part of it. But this does not appear to be what he intends here, being foreign to the scope of his present discourse.

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Without question his meaning in this place is, (consistently with all that goes before and follows after) I am come to establish in its fulness, in spite of all the glosses of men. I am come to place in a full and clear view, whatsoever was dark or obscure therein. I am come to declare the true and full import of every part of it; to shew the length and breadth, the entire extent of every commandment contained therein; and the height and depth, the inconceivable purity and spirituality of all its branches.

say,

And this our Lord has abundantly performed in the preceding and subsequent parts of the discourse before us: in which he has not introduced a new religion into the world, but the same which was from the beginning: a religion, the substance of which is without question, "as old as the creation:" being coeval with man, and having proceeded from God, at the very time when man became a living soul: the substance, I for some circumstances of it, now relate to man as a fallen creature. A religion witnessed to, both by the law and by the prophets in all succeeding generations. Yet was it never so fully explained, nor so thoroughly understood, till the great Author of it himself, condescended to give mankind this authentic comment on all the essential branches of it; at the same time declaring it should never be changed, but remain in force to the end of the world. Sermon on Matt. v. 17, 18, 19, 20.

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