Hence the

Their reply is our impenetrable shield, "God for bid" the imputation should be just; yea, the very reverse is true, for " we establish the law." Again, the gospel is established by the law. Psalmist observes, that "justice and judgment are the habitation of Jehovah's throne;" or rather, are the establishment of his throne. 66 By justice, I understand God's justice proceeding on a righteousness; by judgment, the execution of justice against sin; which done, justice gives what is due. These are the bases, supporters, or stays, or foundations, the throne of grace stands on; and they relate to Christ the Mediator, who became justice's prey, and on whom judgment was executed for the satisfaction of justice. The throne of grace could not be set up but on these bases; and were it possible they could fail, that moment they failed the throne would tumble down."

(6.) The law of works and the gospel of Christ have a united influence upon the true holiness of believers. I do not mean that they perfect holiness in the fear of God, upon mercenary, slavish principles of legal hopes and fears; as if the favour of God was either to be acquired, or kept, by their obedience; or as if they were to avoid sinning, lest they fall into condemnation. Whoever are governed by these principles in their endeavours to cease to do evil, and to learn to do well, are neither under the influence of the gospel, nor even of the law as it is proposed to mankind in the Holy Scriptures, operating, with a powerful energy, in connection with the grace of God, unto holiness of heart and conversation. True holiness is the blessed effect of the word

to come.

of Christ dwelling in the soul, by an unfeigned belief of the truth, as it is in Jesus. Hence Christ prayed to his Father concerning his sheep, in these words: "Sanctify them through thy truth; thy word is truth" and Peter says to the believing strangers, "Ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit." Believers are not without law to God, but under law to Christ: they are under the direction and authority of the same moral law that Christ magnified, while he obeyed it unto death, in order to establish their complete and never-failing title to everlasting life, to redeem them from the curse, and to deliver them from the wrath When they see that this was the purpose for which he obeyed and suffered, and that this purpose is fully obtained for them by his obedience unto death, they will not impiously attempt to dishonour their Surety, by resting any part of their hopes of divine favour and everlasting life upon their own performances. No; but while they discern their title to eternal life unquestionably secured, and their safety from condemnation infallibly provided for in Christ, who is the end of the law for righteousness to them; and while they perceive the obligation that lies upon them to be holy them to be holy as he is holy, and to do righteousness as he is righteous; they will be constrained thus to judge, thus to act: How shall we that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? How shall we that are become dead to the hopes and fears of the law of works, by the everlasting righteousness of the Surety of the better covenant, live any longer under false hopes, and tormenting, killing fears? How shall we dishonour our high and

holy calling, by walking in the vanity of our minds? What manner of persons ought we to be in all holy conversation and godliness, seeing we are clothed with the robe of Christ's righteousness, whereby the righteousness of the law of works is fulfilled in us? While the grace of God that bringeth salvation, teacheth the saints to cleanse themselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, and to perfect holiness in the fear of God; a view of what the law of works demands and threatens, teaches them to prize their inestimable privilege of full and free redemption through the blood of Jesus, and shuts them up to live in a daily improvement of the grace of God, and the gift of righteousness.

(7.) Both the law of works and the gospel of Christ will be gloriously vindicated in the day of the Lord Jesus, when he shall judge the world in righteousness. The quick and the dead shall be all gathered unto the judgment-seat of Christ, where every individual shall stand in his lot; the righteous on the Judge's right hand, and the wicked on his left. On that awful occasion, joy and terror will be in their extremes. Mercy, on the right hand, will display the olive branch of grace, and hold forth the crown of righteousness: Justice, on his left, will poize the impartial scale, and unsheathe the sword of vengeance. The sheep will stand the confessed objects of everlasting, sovereign grace; and as clothed with the garments of salvation, as covered with the robe of righteousness, will be adjudged to inherit with Christ the kingdom prepared for them before the foundation of the world. Their belief and obedience of the truth will be mentioned, not as the

foundation of the just and gracious sentence, but as the evidence of their having passed from death to life. The goats, on the other hand, will be pronounced the objects of divine displeasure; and being under the curse of God, shall hear that dreadful sentence, "Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels." Their sentence shall proceed according to the law of works; but such of them as have enjoyed the benefit of a gospel dispensation, will find, in sad experience, that their ignorance of God, revealing the riches of his grace unto them by that dispensation, and their disaffection to the gospel of Christ, given to them in the Scriptures, will aggravate their misery beyond that of Sodom and Gomorrah, of Tyre and Sidon. Then it will appear, that the Lord marked iniquity, even while he deferred the punishment of it. Then will grace triumph through righteousness in the everlasting felicity of the redeemed of the Lord; and then judgment without mercy will have its full effect in the never-ending misery of all the wicked. the prospect of that awful and decisive day, the ministers of the Lord must not cease to say to the wicked, "It shall be ill with him :" nor must they neglect to tell the righteous," It shall be well with him."

In

Then cometh the end of the dispensation of the grace of God to men on earth, when Christ shall deliver up the present form of administering his spiritual kingdom to the Father: and from thenceforth there shall be no room for faith; because the goats will go away into everlasting punishment, and the sheep into life eternal. Time shall be no longer,

because the mystery of God, proposing the doctrines of his law and gospel to mankind, shall then have obtained the full effect of bringing in all Christ's sheep, while the rest are left without excuse in a state of sin and misery. Here the scenes will be totally changed; for the glory of God will immediately lighten the New Jerusalem for ever, while the wicked shall be cast out of the light of a gospel vision, into utter darkness and eternal perdition.

REFLECTIONS.

What has been suggested in the three foregoing sections, lays a foundation for many important and useful observations, that have an immediate reference to the salvation of sinners, and the joyful walk of believers. Unless the scheme of divine truth be understood, and the manner of proposing its terrors and comforts be apprehended, the most alarming declarations in the law will not awaken conviction and fear, the most joyful declarations in the gospel will not produce hope, and love of the truth. But whenever the genuine meaning of the Scriptures is perceived, and the revealed interest of every individual, in their killing and quickening truths, is felt in the conscience; the sinner is pricked to the heart by the terrors of the Lord, he receives the word gladly, and obeys from the heart that form of doctrine which is delivered unto him as a lost sinner. The manner of proposing divine truth in the Scriptures, is adapted to the nature of the truth which is therein proposed; and the perception of the authority and will of God in the record he hath given unto men, is the happy