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Mankind Redeemed by Christ

FROM THE CURSE OF THE LAW.

SERMON. VIII.

GALATIANS. CHAP. III. VERSE 13.

Christ hath redeemed us from the Curse of the Law, being made a Curse for us.

"WHAT must I do to be saved?" is a

question, which after the statement given in two preceding discourses respecting the sinfulness of mankind, seems particularly appropriate. While the voice of inspiration solemnly declares, "Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things written in the Book of the Law to do them* ;"-and the voice of conscience convinces us, of not having continued in all things; nay, of having really transgressed ALL the precepts of the divine Law; we must necessarily see ourselves to be condemned criminals in God's sight, and feel disposed to ask with the most anxious solicitude, "Men and

* Galatians, ch. iii. ver. 10.

brethren what must we do?" Incapable not only of decreasing by our future strictness, the number of our past transgressions, but also of avoiding to increase them, we cannot experience even a glimpse of hope of being saved by our own obedience.Gloomy and distressing forebodings must therefore haunt our guilty minds. Are any of you, my brethren, the subjects of this painful experience? Do desponding thoughts prey upon your spirits, in consequence of your inability to rescue yourselves from that curse, which God's Law denounces against all who break it?-Behold, then, we bring you glad tidings! The curse which you deserve, the Son of God endured in your stead; and thus a way for your deliverance from it has been opened. For "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law, being made a curse for us." The subjects of discussion, which these words authorise, are,

I. The curse of the law from which Christ hath redeemed us, and

II. The method he adopted for accomplishing our Redemption.

In discussing the first particular, the following question naturally occurs ;-What is the Curse of the Law? To this it is replied, As it is the Almighty who is the Law-maker, and the Being, whose majesty

is dishonoured by transgression, the curse of the Law must be the curse of the Almighty. This is a most weighty consideration, inasmuch as it proves that it is a curse which extends to the soul as well as the body; for it is the soul which more immediately sins against God, by breaking his holy Law. If the body sin, it is the soul which stimulates it. The outward members can never indulge in sin, without the concurrence of the soul: but the soul may commit sin, and alas! too frequently does so, without the exercise of the body. Now, since God sees into all the inward motions of the soul, consequently the curse which he has denounced must extend to it. Yes, my dear brethren, the curse which his holy Law denounces, is denounced against your immortal souls, as well as against those bodies which are actuated by them. This curse of soul and body implies a punishment inflicted on the sinner, from the time of his death to the day of judgment-and from the day of judgment throughout eternity.

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From Death to the judgment day, this curse will consist in an alarming separation between the body and the soul. At death God's whole displeasure will begin to arise; and from thence the most destructive consequences will ensue. Men and brethren, are you trusting for salvation to your own imperfect obedience to God's Law? Alas!

if death should find you in that state, the curse of this Law, will deliver up those bodies and souls into the hands of a sinavenging God. Then, awful to relate! the strength of sin, which is the Law, will consign those mortal frames to devouring worms and corruption, and those immortal spirits to unfathomable depths of misery. See the poor soul, through the power of this curse, separated from its tenement of clay, and dragged by ministering spirits into the presence of Jehovah! No throne of mercy being erected there, to which the poor convicted spirit can look-no compassionate Redeemer being seated there, to whom it can turn with hope; eternal despair will seize it; and having sinned by the law, it must perish by the Law, and be excluded from the mansions of holiness, with all the workers of iniquity. Thus being consigned to the darksome prison of hell, it will be reserved in that accursed state till the judgment of the Great Day.

This subject, my brethren, is most important. I feel a wish to apply it to your consciences as I proceed. With this view I remind you of the Apostle's assertion,"As many as are of the works of the law, are under the curse*." Now, how many are there of you, my dear hearers, who are of

* Galatians, ch. iii. ver. 10.

the works of the Law? Or, in other words how many of you are trusting to your moral and religious duties?-such as attending Church, saying your prayers, never doing any harm to others, &c.-how many, I say, are trusting to these things, in order to obtain the favor of God, and gain admittance into Heaven? Whose conscience tells him that he is one of these characters? Are not several of you compelled to say, mine does? Alas! then, you are" of the works of the Law!" But we have seen from the express words of the bible, that "As many as are of the works of the Law are under the curse." And this curse, according to the observations just made, consigns the soul immediately after death to the misery of hell; where it will be reserved until the day of judgment. What an impressive consideration is this, for every individual who is under the curse? One would suppose that each person before me of this description, would instantly adopt some such language as this:-'Ah, then, if I should die in my present condition, this curse will fall upon my poor soul! As soon as it leaves this frail body, it will be summoned before the heart-searching God, and his righteous displeasure will be immediately inflicted upon it. He will pour the dregs of the cup of his indignation into it, and the vials of his wrath without mixture. The prison of hell will then receive me-accursed spirits will become my companions

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