The law of nature, under which man was, in his primitive state, was inscribed on his heart. "That such a law was connate with, and as it were, implanted in the man, appears from the relicks, which, like the remains of some noble building, are still extant in every man; namely, from these common notions, by which the heathens themselves distinguished right from wrong, and by which they were a law to themselves; which shews the work of the law written in their bearts, their consciences bearing witness." By this law, man was required to love the Lord his God with all his heart, with all his soul, and with all his mind; and as his love was to be supreme, so his obedience was to be perfect. That man in his state of innocence was under the most sacred obligations to love supremely, and to obey perfectly, none will offer to deny. But alas, he sinned and fell! The effects of this act of disobedience, at least some of them, became immediately apparent. Guilt, fear, and alienation from God, appeared in the behaviour of the apostate pair; of which their posterity, by virtue of that federal relation they stood in to them, became partakers; and as fast as the world was peopled, native corruption was propagated: and from this source actual sins proceeded.

After a number of years had elapsed, and the law of nature was almost obliterated by that flood of iniquity that had taken place, the Lord Jehovah issued an edition of the law from mount Sinai, with the most dreadful circumstances; the design of which was, to let mankind know, that though they had forgotten their obedience, Jehovah had not forgotten his law; and to inform them, that

* Dr. Witsius, in his Economy of the Covenants.

though they had lost their ability perfectly to obey, the divine Lawgiver had not lost his authority to command. These commands were written on tables of stone, to denote their perpetuity; and deposited in the ark. And though the ark and the tables of stone are lost, the law remains, and will remain, so far as it is moral, a rule of righteousness. God forbid that we should once suppose that it has either been abrogated or relaxed! This would be to reflect upon its adorable Author. Its precepts are transcribed in the New Testament. When a Pharisee asked our divine Lord, Which is the great commandment in the law? instead of hinting that it was either relaxed or abolished, he readily replied, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, &c. and thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. Compared with the following words of St. Paul; Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet: And if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. In these places, together with those referred to in the margin, there are parts of the moral law insisted on; which are a plain proof of its perpetuity. To which I add that memorable passage in Matt. v. 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 jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever, therefore, shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven.

D

Here our blessed Lord not only clears himself of a design to supersede the law, by the promulgation of his gospel; but also threatens the persons who shall dare to teach such a sentiment.

As to the nature of this law, which we have proved continues, I would observe,

1. That it is holy. This it must be, as it is the law of an infinitely holy God.

2. It is just. If it is the law of God, it must be so; because he, who ever acts agreeably to the strictest rules of righteousness, would never lay down as the rule of moral action, a law that is unjust in its demands.

3. It is exceedingly broad, reaching even to the thoughts and intents of the heart. Thus Christ explains it; Ye have heard that it was said of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery. But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her, hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. A lustful look is heart adultery. If a man indulges in heart one secret lust, even suppose it is never actually gratified, such is the nature of this law, that he is deemed and treated by it as a transgressor. In this the divine differs from human laws. The latter having nothing to do with thoughts, only condemn for actions: the former condemns for the sins of the heart. And thus it is necessary it should be, because thoughts are as open to the view of Jehovah as actions, and when sinful, are no less abominable. A thorough conviction of the extent of the law, would make a man tremble. Suppose your breasts were transparent, and your thoughts visible; so that he who sits next to you, could observe all that passes within; who of you would not shudder?

And would you fear that man should know your secret imaginations? Tremble then, O sinner! for to God, whose eyes are like a flame of fire, all things are naked, and even hell is said to be without a covering! This then is one of the requirements of the law, even truth in the inward parts ; a conformity of soul to it in every instance without exception. A want of such conformity is a want of righteousness; on account of which the man is condemned by the law.

The law requires perfect obedience as the condition of life; that is, obedience that is universal and uninterrupted. Universal: for whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in ONE point, he is guilty of ALL. Uninterrupted: for it is written, Cursed is every one that CONTINUETH NOT in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. By this rule our obedience is to be tried, in order to determine, whether we shall stand or fall in consequence of doing some good thing. The inquiry rests entirely on these two particulars Are we in heart and in life what the law requires we should be? Are we satisfied before God, that we have a perfect conformity of soul to the nature and demands of his law? Have we never violated the law in heart, by indulging unruly passions; such as covetousness, revenge, pride, &c.? If we have swerved in heart from this perfect law, in a single instance, it neither admits repentance, nor accepts sincerity, but condemns us. If so, we are all condemned; for we are all conscious that naturally we are destitute of this conformity.

Again-Let the sinner examine the obedience of his life. Has it been constant, since he became

capable of distinguishing good from evil? Has he always delighted in the divine law, and never turned aside from the path of duty? Has his obedience been universal to every precept without exception? Has he not failed in one instance? If he has, the living oracles declare he is guilty of all. But it is unnecessary to enlarge, seeing every mouth is stopped, and all the world become guilty before God. Every man knows, that he falls short of the requirements of the law, both in heart and life; consequently, his righteousness is essentially deficient.

How unreasonable is it then, for men to introduce works of righteousness done by them, in order to recommend them to God, when his law requires and will dispense with nothing less than perfect obedience as the condition of his favour, and they themselves acknowledge that their obedience is imperfect? Should they not rather fear and tremble, seeing they fall so far short of what the law requires ?

Objection. Perhaps it will be said, in opposition to the preceding sentiments, that it would be unjust in God to require more of us, than in our present circumstances we are able to perform; that the gospel is a "remedial law," designed to soften the rigour of the former constitution, and to render the terms of acceptance more easy, by substituting sincere in the room of perfect obedience; that Jesus Christ died to atone for the imperfections of our obedience, insomuch that we need not doubt of salvation, if we sincerely do as well as we can.

Reply. The law was given to man, while in his state of innocence, at which time his abilities