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the false preachers in the church, who break them; and that they are broken by those who hate, slander, censure, and condemn, the children of God; under which we are exhorted to be patient and submissive, that we may appear to be the children of our Father which is in heaven, who suffers as much dishonour from their neglecting the weighty matters of the law, as we do by their breaking the least commandments in hating and reviling us. But does the Pharisee and hypocrite's breaking the commandments entail the name of an antinomian and a devil upon those who have the righteousness of the law fulfilled in them, and who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit? Does their exposing themselves to the just judgment of God, for condemning the just, bring a yoke of bondage on them that are made free by the Holy Ghost? or, what Christ applies to the Pharisees and hypocrites, can it be fastened on those whom he hath formed for himself, and to whom he will never impute sin? or can it be thought that they are the persons that are in danger of hell fire, whom Christ himself declares, shall never come into condemnation?

Does the Saviour's telling us that the believer passes from death unto life, imply that the believer is under the ministration of death as his rule of life? or, does his telling us to take his yoke upou us, which is easy, imply that the yoke of bondage, which neither we nor our fathers were able to bear, is to be added to it? Does the

Lord's telling me to abide in him, imply that I am to go to Moses? or, does his affirming that those who abide in him bring forth much fruit, imply that nothing but licentiousness is intended?

Can any man separate the precept of the law from the sentence? Is the law divided? Can any man bring my neck under the yoke of the precept, and keep my soul from the curse? No; he that is under the precept, is under the sentence: "As many as are of the works of the law, are under the curse" of the law. And they who go to the law for justification, in any sense, or even to be made perfect, Christ shall profit them nothing. God has made a new covenant with his people: not according to the old; that was written by his finger on tables of stone; this, by the Spirit, on the tables of the heart; that was the law of works, this is the law of faith, truth, and liberty; and surely such a soul is not without law to God. The law of faith is written on the believer's heart, and with the mind he serves the law of God. The law of the Spirit of life is in Christ, and he is under that law to Christ. It is the law of the Spirit of life in Christ that frees him from the law of sin and death: such an one is not under the law, but under grace; not under the law of works in the hand of Christ, for that cannot be proved, but under the law of the Spirit of life in Christ. And such men are the most pure, the most happy, and the most useful men, in the church; and their followers are the most bright and fruitful in the world, and the most evangelical worshippers of God. "Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ, ministered," says Paul, "by us; written, not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshly tables of the heart. God hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the Spirit: for the letter killeth, but the Spirit giveth life. But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses, for the glory of his countenance, which glory was to be done away; how shall not the ministration of the Spirit be rather glorious? For, if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory. For if that which was done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious. Seeing, then, that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech: and not as Moses, who put a veil over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished," 2 Cor. chap. iii.

Let our opponents tell us what that law is which was engraven on tables of stone; and let them prove it to be the ceremonial law, if they can. Then let them shew who those precious souls, called living epistles, are; and then let them prove that Paul's twice asserting that the ministration of death, engraven on stones, being done away and abolished, means that the law is their only rule of life. And, if this be antinomianism, let them father it upon the Holy Ghost: he is the author of the scriptures; for holy men spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

'Why, then,' you will say, 'what is become of the law with respect to the saint of God?" Paul tells you; "Blotting out the hand-writing of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross." But, then, what law is that which is against us? The law that works wrath, and curses us, must be, I think, the most against us. And what law is that, the ceremonial law? Nay, saith Paul, it is the law engraven on tables of stone that ministreth death. And what law is that which is contrary to us? Why,' say you, 'the ceremonial law.' No; for that was so far from being contrary to the Jews, that they liked it. "Offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving with leaven, and proclaim and publish the free-will offerings: for this liketh you, O ye children of Israel, saith the Lord." And who was Paul writing to, when he told the people that the hand-writing was blotted out? Why, he was writing to the Gentile believers at Colosse, who had felt the force of the moral law as their account or debt-book opened against them. Had Paul meant the ceremonial law, they would not have well understood him; for the ceremonial law was never given to the Gentiles: but the moral law was written on all their hearts, and was their debt-book, and a handwriting against them; and so they will find who die under it, whether Jew or Gentile. He that sins in the law, shall be judged by the law; and he that sins against the law in his conscience, shall be a law to himself, and perish by the same. I conclude, the law is the saint's first husband and schoolmaster; and it is the bond servant's only rule: but "they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts; and against such there is no law." I conclude with insisting, that that righteousness which shall silence every accuser at the bar of God, and give a title to heaven, is an imputed one. "No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment, thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord."

I have no doubt but our opponents will be found in that which they describe: but God grant, for Christ's sake, that we may be found in this. Amen.

I add no more.

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