SERMON III.

On the CHANGES PRODUCED by the COMING of CHRIST, on the SITUATION of MEN, as to the DIVINE LAW.

MATTHEW, V. 17, 18.

Think not that I am come to defroy the Law or the Prophets: I am not come to deftroy, but to fulfil. For verily I fay unto you, till Heaven and Earth pafs, one fot or one Tittle shall in no wife pafs from the Law, till all be fulfilled.

IN examining the word of God, that we

may learn those things which are effential to falvation, there are two rules which it behoves us punctually to obferve. The first rule is, to compare things fpiritual with fpiritual; that is to fay, not to be fatisfied with confidering some one paffage relating to the particular subject upon which we are defirous of information; but to confult the various parts of Scripture, which treat of that fubject; to bring together in one view the inftruction which the different infpired writers

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furnish concerning it; to interpret that pofi-. tion which may be concife or fomewhat obfcure in one, by the larger and clearer explanations of another; and thus to avail ourselves of the light which God has been pleafed to throw, in the Old Teftament and in the New, on the object of our inquiries. The fecond rule. is; to apply the declarations of Scripture to. those points only, to which Scripture authorifes us to apply them; and confequently to beware of rafhly transferring that decifion, which the word of God pronounces concerning one branch of a fubject, to fome other. branch of the fame fubject. It may proba-. bly have been for the purpose, among other reafons, of exciting us to a continual and diligent fearch of the facred writings, and of thus making us thoroughly acquainted with them, that the wisdom of God has thought fit to disperse throughout many parts of the. Bible paffages, relating to the fame doctrine,. or to the fame duty, inftead of collecting them into one chapter or one book. The two rules, however, which have been recommended are evidently founded on folid reafon; and are in fact of univerfal application and neceffity. Take the writings of any uninfpired author, ancient or modern, for an example. Whatever may be the fubject on which

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which he treats, is it likely that you will gain, accurate knowledge of his fentiments, if you content yourself with paying regard to fome one paffage only in which he mentions the fubject? May it not easily happen that this paffage, taken by itself, may lead you into error refpecting his opinions and his meaning? If you would thoroughly understand him, if you would qualify yourself to turn to practical advantage the information which his book contains, concerning any topic on which it profeffes to convey knowledge; must not you ftudy and compare the obfervations upon that topic, which he delivers in different parts of his work? And must not you also be very careful not to misapply the directions which he gives, by transferring them to fome other branch of the fubject to which he did not mean to apply them, and to which they do not belong? Take an additional example from converfation. Suppose a perfon to have held a long difcourfe with you on fome interefting concern; and to have made known to you his opinion respecting it, by remarks difperfed through various parts of that difcourfe. Suppofe that, by way of communicating his opinion to fome of your friends, you were to tell them one or two detached fentences or propofitions which he

had

had uttered; and were then to leave your hearers to form their conjectures as to his meaning, without knowing any thing which he had stated before, or any thing which he added afterwards? Is it not probable that you would lead them into grofs mistakes, as to his real fentiments? Or if you were unwarily to reprefent fomething, which he affirmed or denied on one part of the question, as having been intended by him to relate to another part; fhould not you cause them to form very wrong conclufions? Of what confequence then muft it be, in seeking informa tion from the word of God, fcrupulously to follow thefe two rules which have been explained: firft, to collect and compare the whole which the Scriptures contain refpecing the fubject of your enquiry; and fecondly, not to transfer any judgement which the Scriptures pronounce concerning one branch of the fubject, to other branches to which it does not pertain.

The neceffity of bearing these rules in mind, and of faithfully applying them, is the more urgent, in proportion to the importance. of the fubject concerning which you are defirous of obtaining knowledge; and to the difcordance or incongruity which may appear to fubfift between expreffions relating to that

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fubject in different parts of the Bible. Perhaps then there is fcarcely any topic, with regard to which the neceffity of obferving thefe rules is more manifeft than that, to which it is now propofed to direct our thoughts; namely, the nature of the obligations under which Chriftians are placed, with refpect to the entire law of God, as delivered in the Old and the New Teftaments. The fubject, it will be confefled, is of main importance. For to act conformably to the obligation in question, whatever that obligation may be, must be of effential influence as to our falvation. And it must also be admitted, that it is very poffible to felect, from different parts of the Scriptures, expreffions concerning the law, which when separated from the context, and brought together and placed fide by fide without explanation, may eafily feem to be difcordant, if not 'irreconcilable. Thus in fome paffages we read, that Chrift has abolished, in his flesh the law of commandments contained in ordinances-that he has redeemed us from the curfe of the law-that we are to be justified by faith, without the deeds of the low-that the law is not made for a righteous man-that now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held-that we are also become dead to the law by the body