he, the ministration of a letter, a dispensation which consisted much in outward forms, and figures, and types; this is the ministration of the Spirit, i. e. either of the substance and the things signified in these types, or wherein the Spirit of grace is more eminently poured out. That was written only on tables of stone, this on fleshly tables of the heart. That was a ministration of condemnation and death; this is the ministration of righteousness and life, inasmuch as all the springs of pardon and life, hope and happiness, are set open in the gospel of Christ. VII. The encouragements.

1. Do examples invite us to our duty, and by a soft and secret influence encourage and lead us on to the performance of it? Such indeed were the names of Abraham and David: but do not all the praises which are due to Abraham and David fall far short of the labours and sufferings, the zeal and patience, the holiness and the love of that divine man, St. Paul; and none of these are to be compared with the more excellent and perfect pattern of men, Jesus the Son of God, who was holy and harmless.

2. Are the motives of love and gratitude powerful principles to encourage and persuade ? Such indeed were the blessings and gifts which God bestowed on men under former dispensations. But what were all those gifts and blessings in comparison of the unspeakable gift of his own Son, to die as a sacrifice in our stead, which is one of the chief themes and glories of the Christian revelation? The love of God to us made visible.

3. Are the promises and threatenings of God another set of motives to duty? Do not the awful glories and terrors of a future and eternal world work upon all the springs of our activity in a high degree? But the former dispensations had but a few of these. A few bright sen

tences collected from David, Isaiah, and Daniel, were some of the chief discoveries that we know of in those ancient ages; but in the New Testament the gates of the other world are thrown open; a heaven of happiness, and a hell of misery, are discovered.

But this leads me to the second part of the text; and that is, the excellency of the promises of the new covenant. St. Paul tells us, this new covenant is established or constituted upon better promises.

1. The promises of the New Testament will appear to be much superior to those of the Old, if we consider what was hinted before, that they contain in them such blessings as were scarce known under the former dispensations.

2. The apostle has taught us to look upon all the promises, as sealed to believers by the blood of the Son of God, and secured to Christians by his resurrection and exaltation. "Because I live, ye shall live also."

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3. The New Testament confirms all the best promises of the Old, and claims them for itself. New hearts and new spirits. They were all written for our learning." (Rom. xv. 4.) What an invaluable and everlasting treasure are these exceeding great and precious promises! It is by these the slothful are quickened, the sinking_supported.-"Be thou faithful to the death." Rev. ii. 10. Inferences.

1. Though every part of our Bible be sacred and divine, yet the latter part of it is most valuable. The New Testament far exceeds the Old, because it reveals to us this better covenant.

2. What abundant thanks and praises are due to the blessed God, who brought us forth into the world under this last and best dispensation! We are not called to that troublesome and expensive kind of worship, which consists in the killing and burning of bulls and goats, and the choicest lambs of the flock. We are not obliged to travel three times a year to distant parts of the nation where we dwell, in order to adore our Maker, at one single tabernacle or temple; for in every place, that God, who is a spirit, is worshipped now. (John iv. 23.). We are nor forced to spell out the mercies of God by types and dark figures; but we see his overflowing goodness, in the person and offices of his beloved Son.

3. Do we enjoy the privilege of knowing this better covenant, and shall any of us content ourselves without a certain interest in the blessings of it? Do we hear of these better promises, and shall we be satisfied without a title to them? Shall we belong to that wretched tribe of despisers? (Acts xiii. 41.) What double anguish will seize our consciences when the Judge shall pronounce at the last day, "Go ye cursed."

4. If we Christians live under a better covenant, and

enjoy better promises, we must needs reproach ourselves, if we find our faith and obedience shall fall below that of the Jews. Let the name, pattern, and spirit of the blessed Jesus inspire us with new vigour to follow him, till he shall have brought us to the accomplishment of all these better promises.

OF THE LAW OF GOD.

Wherefore the law is holy, &c.-Rom. vii. 12.

THE word law is variously used, sometimes for a part of the scriptures only, the Pentateuch, or five books of Moses; as when it is mentioned in the division of the scriptures by Christ, (Luke xxiv. 44,) and along with the prophets, and as distinct from them; (John i. 45; see also chap. viii. 5,) sometimes for all the books of the Old Tes tament, which in general go by the name of law, as does the book of Psalms on that account, as the places quoted out of it, or referred to in it, show; (John x. 34; xii. 34; xv. 25;) sometimes it signifies the doctrine of the scriptures in general, (Ps. xix. 7,) and the doctrine of the gospel in particular, (Is. ii. 3; xlii. 4,) called in the New Testament the law or doctrine of faith; (Rom. iii. 27,) and sometimes it signifies the whole body of laws given from God by Moses to the children of Israel, as distinct from the gospel of the grace of God, (John i. 17,) and which may be distinguished into,

1. The ceremonial law, of which this law was a shadow of good things to come by Christ, of evangelical things, and indeed was no other than the gospel veiled in types and figures.

2. Judicial, which respects the political state, or civil government of the Jews, and consists of statutes and judgments; according to which the judges of Israel determined all causes brought before them. (Deut. xvii. 8-11.) The government of the Jews was a very particular form of government; it was a theocracy, a government immediately under God; though he be king of the whole world, and

governor among and over the nations of it, yet he was, in a special and peculiar manner, king over Israel.

3. Moral, which lies chiefly in the Decalogue, or Ten Commandments, (Ex. xx. 3-17,) and which our Lord has reduced, even both tables of the law, to two capital ones, love to God, and love to our neighbour; (Matt. xxii. 36-40,) as the apostle has reduced the commands of the second table to one, that is, love, which he calls, the fulfilling of the law. (Rom. xiii. 9, 10.) And this law, to love God and our neighbour, is binding on every man, and is eternal, and remains invariable and unalterable; and concerning which I shall treat more largely. And consider, I. The author and giver of this law.

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 inflicted; 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 ob servance 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 a 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. i. 8.

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