ward in the Flesh, but he is a Jew, who SERM.
is one inwardly, and Circumcifion is that VII.
of the Heart, in the Spirit, and not in
the Letter, whofe Praise is not of Men,
but of God. And if the few should
reply, as St. Paul puts the Question,
What Advantage then hath the Jew, or
what Profit is there of Circumcifion?
Why, as the Apostle obferves, much every
Way; chiefly, because they were entrusted
with the Oracles of God; but as to their
Acceptance with God, they had no Ad-
vantage at all; for both Jew and Gentile
are concluded under Sin. And then he
proceeds to fhew, that the Jews had no
reafon to boast upon Account of the Law,
fince after all they were not to be justify'd
by it; for that God will justify Jew and
Gentile the fame Way, viz. by Faith.
And in the Words of the Text he obviates
an Objection, which he knew was natural
enough for the Jews to urge from the
foregoing Doctrine; as if Juftification by
Faith would make void the Law, which
he denies with the greatest Abhorrence;
fhewing that it is fo far from making void

134

SERM. the Law, that it is on the contrary an VII. Establishment of it. Do we then made void the Law thro' Faith? God forbid; yea, we establish the Law.

From the Words of the Text I shall beg Leave to prove two Things.

Firft, That the Gospel does not make void the Law.

Secondly, That it confirms and establishes it.

First, then, I am to prove that the Gofpel does not make void the Law. By the Law I understand not the Mofaic Law in General, but that particular Part of it, that is made up of a Body of Precepts for the Regulation of the Life and Manners, which is call'd the Moral Law. The ceremonial Part being adapted to the particular Circumstances of the Jews, it could not be fuppofed to be obligatory upon Chriftians, or to extend further than the Reason for which it was firft inftituted, but to cease when the Gofpel-Difpenfation took Place, and become entirely null and void, because there was no longer any Reafon

Reafon for its Continuance. When God SERM was pleased to establish his Religion among VII. the Jews, he gave them Laws fuitable to the Weakness of their Capacities.

Sacrifices and outward Ceremonies were accepted, till they knew how to worship God in Spirit and in Truth; and all the legal Obfervances were only Shadows of what was to come, When God was known only in Judah, and his Tabernacle at Salem, Religion evaporated in Smoak, and spent it felf in ritual Performances; but when the Fulnefs of Time came, that we should not fay, Lo here, or Lo there, for that the Kingdom of God was within us, then the legal Ceremonies were abolish'd, the Hand-writing of Ordinances was blotted out, and gave Way to the Righteousness which is of God by Faith.

And in this Senfe indeed the Law is made void thro' Faith; But the Moral Law, the Law here mention'd, which is a Tranfcript and Abridgment of the Law of Nature, did not ceafe with the Jews, but is binding upon all Chriftians.

For

SERM.

VII.

For as it is a Law of Nature, no Cir cumftances can alter it; but it must continue in full Force upon the whole human Nature, as long as there are fuch Things in the World as Right and Wrong; and no Privileges of Christianity can poffibly exempt us from our Obligations to it.

But for the better handling this Point, it will be neceffary to confider well the true Nature and Design of the Gofpel, and alfo the full and just Extent and Design of the Law, that we might not exalt the Gofpel beyond its due Bounds, and fo abuse that Liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, nor advance the Law beyond the true Intent and Defign of it, and fo make void the Gofpel. When we have thus confider'd the Nature and Extent of each, how far they differ, and how far they agree, we shall find, that tho' the Law is not fufficient for our Juftification, yet that there is no room to think, that therefore the Law is made void thro' Faith.

The Law confider'd as a Body of Mo

Fality,

rality, and fo a Rule of Life, differs not SERM.
from the Gospel, any further than as the VII.
Gospel is an Improvement upon it: For it
claims the fame God for its Author, and is
founded upon the fame eternal Truth and
Reason. And this Law the Gentiles had
as well as the Jews. Indeed the Jews were
the first to 'whom it was made a Statute-
Law, but that the Gentiles had it likewise
is plain from St. Paul, who fays of them,
Thefe, having not the Law, are a Law
unto themselves. As to the whole Law
taken together, which is call'd the Mofaic
Law in oppofition to the Gofpel, as the
Jews held it, or in Contradiftinction to it,
as the Jewish Converts, it was very de-
fective, and could not justify us, as being
only a Covenant of Works; and therefore.
confifting only of Duties, which it could
not enable us to perform, nor give us any
Promise of eternal Life upon our Per-
formance. (For, as the Apostle fays, if there
had been a Law given, which could have
given Life, verily Righteousness should have
been by the Law.) It being thus a Covenant
of Works enjoining ftrict Obedience, and
there