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 destroy the Law or the Prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, till Heaven and Earth pass, one fot or one Tittle shall in no wise pass from the Law, till all be fulfilled.

IN examining the word of God, that we

may learn those things which are essential. to salvation, there are two rules which it behoves us punctually to observe. The first rule is, to compare things spiritual with spiritual; that is to say, not to be satisfied with considering some one passage relating to the particular subject upon which we are desirous of information; but to consult the various parts of Scripture, which treat of that subject; to bring together in one view the instruction which the different inspired writers furnish

furnish concerning it; to interpret that posi tion which may be concise or somewhat obscure in one, by the larger and clearer explanations of another; and thus to avail ourselves of the light which God has been pleased to throw, in the Old Testament and in the New, on the object of our inquiries. The second rule is; to apply the declarations of Scripture to those points only, to which Scripture autho→ rises us to apply them; and consequently to beware of rashly transferring that decision, which the word of God pronounces concerning one branch of a subject, to some other branch of the same subject. It may probably have been for the purpose, among other reasons, of exciting us to a continual and diligent search of the sacred 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 passages relating to the same doctrine, or to the same duty, instead of collecting them into one chapter or one book. The two rules, however, which have been recommended are evidently founded on solid reason; and are in fact of universal application and necessity. Take the writings of any uninspired author, ancient or modern, for an example. Whatever may be the subject on D4 which

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which he treats, is it likely that you accurate knowledge of his sentiments, if you content yourself with paying regard to some one passage only in which he mentions the subject? May it not easily happen that this passage, taken by itself, may lead you into error respecting 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 professes to convey knowledge; must not you study and compare the observations. 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 some other branch of the subject to which he did not mean to apply them, and to which they do not belong? Take an additional example from conversation. Suppose a person to have held a long discourse with you on some interesting concern; and to have made known to you his opinion respecting it, by remarks dispersed through various parts of that discourse. Suppose that by way of communicating his opinion to some of your friends, you were to tell them one or two detached sentences or propositions which he

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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 gross mistakes, as to his real sentiments? Or if you were unwarily to represent something, which he affirmed or denied on one part of the question, as having been intended by him to relate to another part; should not you cause them to form very wrong conclusions? Of what consequence then must it be, in seeking information from the word of God, scrupulously to follow these two rules which have been explained: first, to collect and compare the whole which the Scriptures contain respecting the subject of your enquiry; and secondly, not to transfer any judgment which the Scriptures pronounce concerning one branch of the subject, to other branches to which it does not pertain.

The necessity of bearing these rules in mind, and of faithfully applying them, is the more urgent, in proportion to the importance of the subject concerning which you are desirous of obtaining knowledge; and to the discordance or incongruity which may appear to subsist between expressions relating to that subject

subject in different parts of the Bible. Perhaps then there is scarcely any topic, with regard to which the necessity of observing these rules is more manifest than that, to which it is now proposed to direct our thoughts; namely, the nature of the obligations under which Christians are placed, with respect to the entire law of God, as delivered in the Old and the New Testaments. The subject, it will be confessed, is of main importance. For to act conformably to the obligation in question, whatever that obligation may be, must be of essential influence as to our salvation. And it must also be admitted, that it is very possible to select, from different parts of the Scriptures, expressions concerning the law, which, when separated from the context, and brought together and placed side by side without explanation, may easily seem to be discordant, if not irreconcilable. Thus in some passages we read, that Christ has abolished in his flesh the law of commandments contained in ordinances-that be has redeemed us from the curse of the law-that we are to be justified by faith, without the deeds of the law-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

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