dare to take the sword out of God's hand to kill Cain, Gen. iv. 15.

Secondly, a great part of the old laws belongs to civil justice; and the Lord foretels us that rulers and magistrates would be the saints' greatest adversaries; therefore the persecuting sinner and the encouraging ruler are both to agree, and we are to be brought before them for a witness against them. And, as we are the Lord's, so our injuries are his also; and the persecutor and the base ruler are his enemies, and ours for his sake. No wonder then that he says, "Ye have heard it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. But I say unto you, that ye resist not evil," Matt. v. 38, 39. As the Lord in us is the person hated, and the devil in the persecutor and false magistrate the being that offends, Christ would have us, after using the means, leave both him and the law in his own hand, who is the Judge of both quick and dead; and he will have an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth, with a witness. Thus the patient submission of the oppressed, and the partiality of the magistrate, binds the sinner over to a sevenfold judgment. And thus the law is not made void, but rather established. Nor is sin encouraged by what I have said, but contrariwise; for grace is exalted, which alone can subdue sin. And until it can be proved that the grace of God leads men into wickedness my brethren had better leave off shooting arrows at it; lest, while they are contracting all into a little rule, they

break through all the lines of a larger. We have some who are zealous for Moses: these are like the believing rulers, who were so zealous for the law that they thought it no crime to murder Paul. So we have some that preach up the law as the only rule, and then shoot at me for keeping it. They lay Christ for a foundation, and call in Moses to carry up the superstructure: Christ is to bear the weight, and Moses the glory. Such begin in the spirit, and end in the flesh; they first lead the sinner to cast his burden on Christ, and then load him with burdens that none can bear. They exalt the servant, dethrone the Master, and make the law the polisher of the gospel, instead of being subservient to it. I have formerly sat under some who so enforced the law upon all ranks, that I was led to think Christ had begun the work in my soul, but that I must finish it myself by keeping the law: and, as the preacher made no distinctions, he led me fairly back to the law; when I found as much enmity against God as ever, and thought I was in a more miserable state than before he meddled with me at all. And what fruits to the glory of God can spring from souls thus inflamed with rage and malice against him? If we are brought to love God, it is because we discover a love in him to us. "We love him because he first loved us." If we bring forth fruit to the glory of God, it is by virtue of a heart-felt union with the living Vine. "The branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no

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But he that leads my cui a Moses is sure to destroy al futiness: from the Lord tet im me law. s ry frut bund. Es mi the us that the law produces e sou graces, intimely fruits, vild fgs, md re-service; md re produced from the fear of a wina, and therefore misdr med lend vorks, which must al be purged away by the blood of Christ before the

soul can be saved.

It is a strat path that lies between a loose profession and 1 leg working: but the soul that is blessed with a vine unction from above has 1 sufficient leader to guide him into a truth. This I found in my own experience, when my judgment was much confused, and my under, standing very much becicuded: yet I felt an inward teacher: dr. If the legalist get hold of me, and I irank inns his spitit, then I fell to work at mortifying my corruptions in my own strength; temptations then begin to operate. sin prevailed, and I got into bondage, and found enmity to God himself spring up in my heart. And it, on the other hand, I Estened to some loose professors, who cried out against my preaching up convictions by the law, and the feeling sense of pardon, peace, and love, by faith in Christ, then I lost all my weace and confict. Thus the blessed inward

ime when I could not see my way; and

surely this fulfils the promise; "The wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein."

Now, that my reader may be encouraged to stick close in union with Christ Jesus, take the following considerations: the sword of justice, that was drawn at Eden's gate when God declared war with the world, was sheathed in Christ when peace was proclaimed. "Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the Lord of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered [from the stroke]: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones," Zech. xiii. 7. Thus the sword of justice was sheathed in the body and soul of Jesus Christ; and the flame of wrath, that blazed on the edge of the sword, melted the very heart of the Saviour, when he said, "I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax, it is melted in the midst of my bowels," Psalm xxii. 14. Thus the flame of wrath melted the heart of Christ, until his precious blood quenched the flame. Hence this sword is said to be bathed, that is with the blood of Christ, in heaven, and shall never come down any more upon the real believer; but only upon legal workmongers, who are under the curse of the law; and therefore the sword must come down upon them, as the people of his curse, to judgment, Isa. xxxiv. 5.

Thou seest, reader, that the sword of justice was sheathed in the Saviour; the flame of wrath was quenched in his heart; and the curse of the

law, which was the sentence due to us all for sin, was executed on Christ, he being made a curse for us, Gal. iii. 13. Thus, justice being satisfied and judgment fully executed, both justice and judgment dwell in the body and soul of Christ, as in an habitation; and they are both agreed in him, that mercy and truth should go hand in hand to us, "Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne [of grace]: mercy and truth shall go before thy face." "Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound," Psalm lxxxix. 15.

The law that told us to do and live, transgress and die, is now disarmed of its commanding and condemning power, as a covenant of works, and is in the heart of Christ. 66 Thy law is within my heart," shut up in that ark; while his righteousness is answerable to the command of the law, and his death answerable to the sentence of it. So by faith in him, as our justification and redemption, we are delivered from the commanding and condemning power of the law, as a covenant of works; and the voice is now changed from 'Do and live,' to 'Believe and live:' from 'Transgress and die,' to" He that believeth shall never die." Thus, Christian, justice, judgment, and the disarmed law, are in Christ Jesus: all judgment is committed to him; all power given him; every promise is yea and amen in him; all the treasures of grace, wisdom, and knowledge; all the fulness of the Spirit, and all the fulness of the Godhead, dwell in him bodily. And all this that God may