SERMON 4. THE GOSPEL SUSTAINS THE LAW. MATTHEW V. 17. "Think not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets : I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil." It is then only that the gospel appears in all its glory; when it infringes not upon the sacred rights of the law. One of God's institutions must not eclipse the glory of another. God did not make provision for the salvation of men, because he had become convinced, that he had issued a bad law, and would thwart its design. The law stood in his eye as glorious, after men had drawn its curse upon them, as when it dropt fresh from his lips amid the smoke of Sinai. When he instituted the law, he knew that men would break it; and he affixed its sanctions, sure that all our race would incur them, and many endure them. It was not an experiment, made without a knowledge of the result, but with the result provided for. Hence the legal and the gospel dispensations, are but different parts of the same benevolent system; by which a good Jehovah, would bind to himself, and when the bond should be broken, would recover and restore to his love and favour, beings he had eternally designed should be happy. And hence our Lord thus early announced it as his design, not to abrogate but establish the law. Fixed and stable as were the ordinances of the heavenly bodies, and firm the earth he had come to plant his feet upon, these should all pass away, while not a jot or tittle of the law should fail. Accordingly as the Lord Jesus gathered disciples, and freed them of course from the curse of the law, he still subjected them to it, as a rule of duty. He transferred, from the Jewish church to his own family, the very commandments which Moses wrote on the tables of stone. Not an item did he repeal, not a precept alter, not a sanction soften. And the whole gospel is a broad and lucid exposition of the law. Hence it is now as much the fact as ever, that, "Cursed is every one, that continueth not in the things written in the book of the law, to do them." I shall state, in a few words, the error I would oppose, and which, as it seems to me, is in direct opposition to sound reason, and the whole bible; and then proceed to illustrate the doctrine of the text, that The gospel was not intended to supplant, but does sustain the law. I. State the error. The scheme is, that men by the fall, if not disabled, have become so averse to the law, that a perfect obedience is impossible; and that God will now except of an obedience that is sincere. If men will obey the law, as well as they are able with their carnal mind, the temper which, without their fault, they inherited from their first parents, God will accept them; and wherein their obedience fails, the merits of Christ will be substituted. By this scheme, the death of Christ removes the curse of the law, from all men, soon as it lights upon them for all do render to the law, the best obedience they are disposed to, and of course are safe, if they should live and die without repentance. It must be seen in a moment, that, if to whatever extent men are unwilling to obey, they are unable, then all obedience, but that which is rendered, is dispensed with. And none is rendered; for a kind of sincerity, consistent with the most confirmed hatred of God, and his law, and which, for ought I see, devils may have as well as men, becomes a substitute for right affections, and has all the merit of a perfect obedience. The whole amounts to this; God relinquishes his right, to any farther obedience, than men, totally depraved, are disposed to pay him. In this scheme an atonement is made necessary, in order to finish out, and render accepted the obedience of the sinner. This scheme, as altered to accommodate it to modern taste, relinquishes the atonement, and substitutes repentance. At whatever time in this life, (and why not in the life to come?) the sinner shall be sorry that he has broken the law, and shall tice some reform, God will promptly forgive him, without any reference at all to the scenes of Calvary. prac He has in his heart so much compassion, and cares so little,-it amounts to this,-whether the law is respected or reprobated, that the very first tear of the offender, washes away all his sins. These schemes are substantially the same, and are alike subversive of the law of God. They agree in casting off this poor world from all allegiance to its Maker, and virtually render him a God, not worthy either of the fear of devils, or the esteem and confidence of angels. I have thus stated the error, and have meant to do it candidly, which seems to me to pour its contaminating influence, through all the false systems. of theology, which are at present employed, to injure the church of Christ, and destroy the souls of men. I proceed II. To illustrate the doctrine of the text. I shall arrange my thoughts under six general remarks; The first great commandment of the law, from its very nature, cannot be repealed; Nor can the second; The spirit of the law and the gospel is the same; The gospel is a useless devise, but on the supposition, that the law is good, and must be supported; The gospel, that shall set aside the law, will defeat its own design; The gospel is most glorious when the law is fully sustained. 1. The first great commandment of the law cannot be repealed. "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart." The very nature of this law decides, that a gospel which would nutralize it, would be a curse and not a blessing. The Creator must require his creatures, to consider him the object of their supreme regard; he can ask no less of devils. This precept is founded on the divine excellence, and must abide in force, while God shall continue to be good. And as God is unchangeably good, this precept must abide for ever. He would sanction injustice, if he should repeal a law, which requires, that men render unto God the things that are God's. An act like this would create alarm in heaven, and send a premonition of ruin into every world that has continued loyal. Moreover an act that should release intelligent creatures from loving supremely their Creator, would ruin the very beings thus released. Hence sang the christian poet; "From thee departing, they are lost, and rove At random, without honour, hope, or peace." This has ever been, and must continue to be, the law of hell, of earth, of heaven, and of all other worlds. Nothing that God has made has sufficient greatness and grandeur, to become our supreme object of regard. "Give what thou canst, without thee we are poor; The capacity that God has give us, must be gratified, or we are miserable; and if it be gratified, God is loved according to the commandment. |