God was the author and maker of it, Moses the giver and minister of it from God. There was a law in being before the time of Moses; or otherwise there would have been no transgression, no imputation of sin, no charge of guilt, nor any punishment afflicted; whereas death, the just demerit of sin, reigned from Adam to Moses. Besides the law given to Adam, there was the law of nature, inscribed on his heart by his Maker, as the rule of obedience to him, (Rom. i. 19, 20; ii. 14.) and which is reinscribed in the hearts of God's people in regeneration, according to the tenor of the covenant of grace. (Jer. xxxi. 33.) Now the law of Moses, for matter and substance, is the same with the law of nature, though differing in the form of administration; and this was renewed in the times of Moses, that it might be confirmed, and that it might not be forgotten, and be wholly lost out of the minds of men.

II. The epithets, or the properties of it.

1. That it is perfect. The law of the Lord is perfect, (Ps. xix. 7.) which is true of the moral law, by which men come to know what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God; (Rom. xii. 2.) what it is his will should be done, and what not be done; it takes in the whole duty of men, both to God and man; for to fear God, and keep his commandments. When the apostle John speaks of a new commandment, he means the old commandment to love one another, as he himself explains it, (1 John ii. 7, 8.) and which he calls new, because enforced by a new instance and example of Christ's love in dying for his people, and by new motives and arguments taken from the same.

2. It is spiritual. "We know that the law is spiritual," says the apostle, (Rom. vii. 14.) which is to

be understood of the moral law; for as for the ceremonial law, that is called the law of a carnal commandment, and is said to stand in carnal ordinances. (Heb. vii. 16; ix. 10.) The law reaches to the thoughts and intents of the heart, and the affections of the mind, and forbids and checks all irregular and inordinate motions in it, and the lusts of it. The assistance of the Spirit of God is necessary to the observance of it; and God in covenant has promised his people, that he will put his Spirit within them, and cause them to walk in his statutes, and keep his judgments, and do them. Ezek. xxxvi. 27.

3. The law is holy, and the commandment holy; it comes from an holy God, from whom nothing unholy can proceed; for holiness is his nature, and the law is a transcript of his holy will; the matter of it, or what it requires, is holy; even sanctification of the heart and life and it directs to live holily, soberly, &c.

4. It is also just. There are no laws so righteous as the laws of God: the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. (Deut. iv. 8; Ps. xix. 9.) It is impartial unto all, and requires the same of one as of another, and renders to every man according to his works; it is just in condemning wicked men, and in justifying those that believe in Jesus.

5. The law is good; the Author of it is good only, essentially originally good; from whom every good and perfect gift comes. The law is materially good, it is morally good, it is pleasantly good, to a regenerate man, who, as the apostle, delights in the law of God after the inner man, and loves it, as David did, and meditates on it, as every good man does. (Rom. vii. 22; Ps. cxix. 97; i. 2.) And it is profitably good : not to God, (Luke xvii. 10.) but to men, their fellow

creatures, and fellow-christians, to whom they are serviceable, by their good works, (Tit. iii. 8.) and also to themselves; for though not for, yet in keeping the commands there is great reward, as peace of conscience. (Ps. xix. 11; cxix. 165.) The law is good, if a man use it lawfully. 1 Tim. 1. 8.

III. The uses of the law both to sinners and saints. 1. To sinners.

1. To convince of sin. Sin is a transgression of the law, by which it is known that it is sin. By the law is the knowledge of sin; not only of gross, actual sins, but of the inward lusts of the mind; I had not known lust, except the law had said, 'Thou shalt not covet. Rom. iii. 20; vii. 7.

2. To restrain from sin. Of this use are the laws of men; hence civil magistrates are terrors to evil doers: so the law, by its menaces, deters men from sin.

3. To condemn and punish for sin. For sinners it is made, and against them it lies, to their condemnation, unless justified in Christ. (1 Tim. i. 9, 10.) It accuses of sin, charges with it, brings evidence of it; stops the sinners mouth from pleading in his own cause, pronounces guilty before God, and curses and condemns ; "it is the ministration of condemnation and death."

2. It is of use to saints and true believers in Christ. 1. To point out the will of God unto them. What is to be done by them, and what to be avoided; to inform them of, and urge them to their duty, both towards God and man.

2. To be a rule of life and conversation to them. Not a rule to obtain life, but to live according to; to direct their steps. "The commandment is a lamp, and the law is light.” (Prov. vi. 23.) Thy word is a lamp unto my feet." Ps. cxix. 105.

3. It is as a glass, in which a believer, by the light of the Spirit of God, may see his own face, what manner of man he is; how far short of perfection he is in "I have seen an end of all perfection," &c.

himself. Hence,

4. They are led to prize the righteousness of Christ, since that is perfectly agreeable to the holy law of God; wherefore, "they desire to be found in Christ, not having on their own righteousness."

IV. The law of God continues under the present dispensation for the said uses.

Christ came not to destroy it, and loosen men's obligations to it, but to fulfil it; nor is the law made null and void by faith.

1. It does not continue as a covenant of works; and, indeed, it was not delivered to the children of Israel as such, strictly and properly speaking, only in a typical sense.

2. Nor does it continue as to the form of administration of it by Moses; it is now no longer in his hands, nor to be considered as such.

3. It continues not as a terrifying law to believers, "who are not come to Mount Sinai, but they are come to Mount Sion." Nor are they awed and urged by its curses to an observance of it; but are constrained by the love of Christ.

4. Nor is it a cursing and condemning law to the saints; for "Christ has redeemed them from the curse of the law."

5. Yet it continues as a rule of walk and conversation to them, and is to be regarded by them as in the hands of Christ, their king and law-giver. Believers, though freed from the law, in the sense before declared, yet are not without a law to God, but under the law to Christ." 1. Cor. ix. 21.

OF THE GOSPEL.

The gospel of the grace of God.-Acts xx. 24.

THERE was gospel in the former dispensation, though called the legal dispensation; it was preached to Adam, to Abraham, and by Isaiah, and other prophets. Yet there is a clearer revelation and ministration of it under the present dispensation; as the law was, by the ministration of Moses, grace and truth; the word of grace and truth, the gospel, came by Jesus Christ, in a clearer and fuller manner than it had been made known before. (John i. 17.) Concerning which, the following things may be noted:

1. The name and signification of it.

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The Greek word used for it signifies a good message, good news, glad tidings; the gospel is a message of good news from heaven, the far country, to sinners here on earth; such was the gospel Christ was anointed to preach; (Luke iv. 18. compared with Isa. Ixi. 1.) and which his ministers bring, “ whose feet are beautiful upon the mountains.” (Isa. lii. 7; Acts xiii. 32, 33.) The Hebrew word used for the gospel, and the preaching of it, signifies good tidings also; and it is observed, by some, to have the signification of flesh in it, which has led them to think of the incarnation of Christ; which is, undoubtedly, good news to the children of men, and a considerable branch of the gospel of Christ: and what has given Isaiah the character of an evangelic prophet, as if then present in his time. "To us a child is born;" (Isa. ix. 6; see chap. vii. 14.) and when the angel proclaimed the birth of Christ to the shepherds, he is said, "to bring good tidings." (Luke ii. 10, 11.) And this is one principal part of