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viii. 2.

Rom. vii, 14, &c. tions, carries with it the approbation of the human mind; because the fitness, the reasonableness, and propriety of this Law, and of the conduct required by it, is fully acknowledged by human reafon: but our reason, that is the inward, the intellectual man; in oppofition to the animal, the carnal, the outward man, as confifting of fleth and blood, and the appetites connected with them; the inward man, I fay, not only confenteth to the (Moral) Law, that it is holy; and the commandment iffued in confequence of it, holy, just, and good, i. e. beneficial, productive of happiness.But this reafon with which God hath endued the human foul, (and which conftitutes man lord of the earthly creation,) delighteth in this (Moral) Law of God. It perceives indeed another Law, not of (not intended, or defigned originally by its Creator,) but in its members: the carnal principle of pursuing present gratification, which not only opposes, but overcomes the Law of the mind, and brings men into captivity to the law of fin, (which is in our members) to the carnal defire of indulging our fleshly appetites.-Did the (Mofaic) Law then contribute to the finfulness of the Jewish people? Surely not. From this Law in our members, the Law of fin and death, we are made free by the Law of the Spirit of Life, that is, by the difpenfation of the gofpel, the glorious difpenfation of the LORD of LIFE. This difpenfation, the peculiar difpenfation of the LORD of GLORY, is called by St. Paul, Phil. ii, 16. the word of Life, (John vi. 33, 63. xvii. 2 Acts iii. 15.) in oppofition to all former difpenfations, which are ftyled the miniftration of death, and the miniftration of condemnation, viz. fúch difpenfations as provided no general, or effectual atonement for guilt, and which therefore afforded no well grounded hope of pardon. For what the (Mofaic) Law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, through the frailty of those who were appointed to make atonement, Heb. vii, 27. and therefore could provide no effectual expiation for guilt, no facrifice with whofe fufficiency God had declared himself fatistied, John iii. 16, and therefore upon whofe efficacy men could fecurely rely-the gospel had effectually done: God having fent his own Son in the likeness of finful flesh, and by a facrifice for fin, condemning fin in the fleth; thus fhewing his abhorrence of fin, yet confirming the validity of this facrifice, by declaring, that whofoever believeth in Jefus, i. e. in his atonement, fhall not only be forgiven, but have everlasting life. i. e. be received into his favour.

viii.

That in confequence of fuch faith, the righteousness of the covenant of works, i. e. the EFFECTS of an unbroken obedience to the moral law of God, however this

Nn 2

Law

ROM. viii. 4.

ix. 4.

ix. 31, 32.

X. 4. 5.

xiii. 8, 10.

.

1 Cor. vi. 3, 6, 7.

vii. 39.

Law might be made known, fhould be ATTAINED by all who defire, and endeavour to comply with the gofpel terms of acceptance, Eph. i. 6. with God, but that fuch are carnally minded, i. e. fuch as neither defire, nor endeavour at this compliance, will not be accepted by Him.

The giving of the (Mofaic) Law from Mount Sinai. But Ifrael, which followed after the Law of Righteoufnefs, i. e. thofe Jews who expected acceptance by the obfervance of the (Mofaic) Law, Luke xviii. 9. have not attained to this acceptance with, i. e. Juftification before God; nor could they poflibly attain it by an imperfect obfervance of this Law; for they fought it not by faith in the Metliah, but by their own defective compliance with the Mofaic ordinances, taking offence at the low condition of the Redeemer, Matt. xiii. 55.--Mark vi. 5.-Luke iv. 22.-John vi. 42. vii. 27. Chrift is the (ultimate) end of the (Mosaic) Law for righteoufnefs, i. e. for falvation, Matt. v. 17. that is, the gofpel difpenfation was to compleat the difpenfation of Mofes, which was only a ihadow (had only the form, but wanted the colours and relief, by which perfect refemblances are made,) of good things

viii. 20, 21.

to come.

He that loveth another hath fulfilled the (Chriftian) Law, of which the Apoftle is plainly fpeaking in this places in oppofition to the Jewith traditions, Matt. v. 43 that is, hath acknowledged the Saviour, John xiii. 35.

The word Law in thefe verfes, plainly means concontending for matters of civil right, exhibiting claims. for juftice in gentile courts of Law.

The (Jewith) wife is bound by the (Mosaic) Law to her husband. All other wives are bound by that Law which gives validity to the marriage contract, whether it be human or divine.

The Apostle clearly expreffes in the next verfe what law he means. When St. Paul fays, that to the Jews he became as a Jew, and unto them that were under the (Mofaic) Law, that he might gain fuch as were under that Law; he means that he reasoned with them, Acts xvii. 2.-xviii. 4. 19, upon principles taken from the Jewith Scriptures, in order to gain their affent to his Gofpel, Rom. ii. 16-xvi. 25. But to Gentiles, who were not under the Mofaic Law, and who did not acknowledge the authority of the Jewith Scriptures, he reafoned upon the general principles of religion; upon the obligations all men are under, to pay all due attention and regard to their Creator and Benefactor, Acts xiv. 17.-xvii. 23, &c. Thus fhewing by the manner of his preaching, that he was not without (a due fenfe of) law to God, and by the fubject of it,

1 COR. viii. 20, 21. that he was under the conviction of faith in obedience due to Chrift.

xiv. 21.

xiv. 34.

XV. 56.

GAL. ii. 16.

ii. 19.

ii. 21.

iii. 2, 5.

The Apostle ufes the word Law in this verfe, as if it were applicable to the whole of the Jewith ScripturesAnd in this verfe, as if it were applicable to any part of the Pentateuch. See Galat. iv. 21, 22, 30.

Any Law which thews the guilt of, or denounces punishment to thofe who violate fuch law.

Works of the (Mofaic) Law-Works-that is, perfect, unbroken obedience to any law of God, Rom,

ix. 82.

Alluding to the proofs of the truth of the Gospel taken from the Jewith Scriptures, John v. 19.-Acts

xvii. 11.

If righteoufnefs i. e. falvation (fee Taylor's Key, p. 315) come by the (Mofaic) Law, the facrifice and atonement of Chrift are futile, infignificant, and fuperfluous.

Received ye the Spirit (the power of working miracles) by the works of the (Mofaic) Law-by your obedience to its precepts?

10, 11, 12, 13. In all these verses the Apoftle plainly means the (Mofaic) Law.

iv. 5, 21.

v. 3, 4.

V. IV.

v. 33.

vi. 2. vi. 13. EPн. ii. 15.

PHIL. iii. 5, 6. 9.

1 TIM. 1, 7, 8, 9.

HEB. vii. 5.

vii. 11.

vii. 12.

vii. 16.

Ye that defire to be under the (Mothic) Law, do ye not hear the Law? The Apostle here applies the word Law to the Pentateuch.

Here again the Apostle means the (Mofaic) Law. All the Law-both the Mofaic, Levit. xix. 18. and the Chriftian, John xiii. 35.

No Law-No penal Law under any dispensation of

God.

The Law of Chrift-the Gospel.

They do not keep the (Mofaic) Law.

The Law of Commandments, i. e. the verbal-the (Mofaic) Law by the observance, or none obfervance of which all mankind were divided into Jews and Gen'tiles.

In these three verfes by the word Law is evidently meant the (Mofaic) Law.

The word Law can here only mean the Mosaic Law; and by the right use of it-St. Paul means the use himfelf made of it, that of proving Jefus to be the Chrift, i. e. the Meffias.

The fons of Levi have a commandment to take tithes according to the (Mofaic) Law.

Under the Levitical priefthood the (Jewish) people received the (Mofaic) Law.

The priesthood (the nature of the priesthood) being changed, there muft neceffarily be a change (voμsnot re vous) of Law, i. e. of the general difpenfation.

After the Law of a carnal commandment-after a

temporary

vii. 19.

vii. 28.

viii. 4.

ix. 19. ix. 22. X. 1.

" X. 28.

temporary difpenfation: which had its completion (its full effect) in the present world.

For the (Mofaic) Law made nothing perfect-nothing which was to last; which was to be of perpetual duration, Heb. v. 6.-vii. 17.

For the (Mofaic) Law maketh men (which have infirmity) high priests.

In all thefe paffages the word Law plainly means the
Mofaic Law.

Those who confider the effects of thus analyfing the meaning of words whofe fignifications become doubtful, by their being used in a variety of fenfes, cannot avoid feeing the advantages of this practice; nor of remarking, how much in all probability, the numerous controverfies which have fo much prevailed in the Chriftian Church, to its unspeakable detriment, would have been dimished by it.

OBSERVATIONS UPON THE HISTORY OF CORNELIUS.

THE

ACTS X.

HE notion that men may, and actually do merit of God (as frequently fuppofed by many perfons) is very pernicious. To imagine that the fervice of men, or even of angels, is beneficial to God, and in juftice merits wages, or that every inftance of obedience, conveys a right to a pofitive reward, is unwarrantable, and contrary to Scripture. But to fuppofe further, that finners, by a partial obedience, merit forgiveness of their numerous breaches of God's law, nay, acquire a right to the positive reward of eternal life, is an aftonishing prefumption in the eye of reafon, and a blafphemous pofition in that of revelation: it is indeed to fet afide the redemption of man by Chrift Jefus, to count the blood of the covenant, an unholy, or at least an infignificant thing, and to do despite to the Spirit of Grace.

But do not fome, to avoid one extreme, run into another? denying that a difference of moral character, either is, or has been, in any inftance, the ground of the favour of God in His difpenfations of either temporal, or fpiritual bleffings, at leaft of His bleflings in this world. But furely the Scripture Hiftory affords us many examples of eminent persons, concerning whom God has been pleafed to declare, that their piety, their obedience, or faith in Chrift, has made them objects of diftinguished favours -favours granted indeed in this prefent life, but for the most part favours of a fpiritual nature, and which, in their confequences, extended to the highest of all bleflings-life eternal. Not that the perfons fo diftinguished were perfect characters, or had a right to demand fuch bleffings; or that all whose moral character (for aught we know) might be equal, have had equal bleffings beftowed upon them; much lefs can we infer, that because God has felected fome pious perfons, and has made them objects of His favour, while he employed them as fit inftruments of His gracious purposes to mankind, that therefore we may (in right of that fanctity of morals, we are pleased to affume to ourselves) demand the kingdom of hea

yen:

ven vainly arrogating that as a right due to our merit, which at beft was a mercy or a favour bestowed upon the most excellent of the faints of old. This was plainly the cafe with Abraham. God was pleased to call him out of the idolatrous family, in which he was born and educated, to promife that he should become a great nation, and that he should be a bleffing, Gen. xii, 2. And God has been pleased to acquaint us with one reason, why he was felected for this favour, viz. his religious character. "For I know him that he will command his children and his household after him, and they fhall keep the way of the Lord to do juftice and judgment," Gen. xviii, 19. And when God was afterwards pleafed to make a further trial of his faith, and obedience, by requiring him to give up his fon; God exprefsly fays to him, "For because thou haft done this thing, and haft not withheld thy fon-thine only fon, that in bleffing I will blefs thee; and in thy feed fhall ALL the nations of the earth be bleffed, BECAUSE thou haft obeyed my voice." And there is no reason to doubt, but that God, as an especial favour, did at that time fully reveal to Abraham the day of Christ.

Nor muft we forget how often Chrift fays to thofe whom He healed, Thy faith hath made thee whole; nay, what is more, thy faith hath faved thee." To fay with Hervey, Dial. x. p. 347. Edit. Edin. "That it was not faith, but Chrift who wrought the cure," is mere quibbling. Nothing can be more plain than that, the faith of the difeafed perfons the faith and extraordinary love of Magdalen, made them proper objects of divine mercy. Nor need we doubt, that a genuine faith in Chrift does now make us objects of God's favour, or that good works, the fruits of faith, are pleafing and acceptable to God! Not that any works of ours can endure the feverity of God's judgment, procure for us remiflion of fins, or intitle us to eternal life.

The Hiftory of Cornelius is a cafe fo full to the point, that we shall confider it particularly and furely no fact can be related more clearly, and fcarcely more circumftantially. Nor is the moral of the History obscure. Yet it has been ftrangely perverted to favour opinions, the very reverse of its plain import.

It is ufed by fome as an inftance, that morality, without faith in Christ, is fufficient for falvation. By others, that morality is of no account with God, under the Chriftian difpenfation: and while fome would have us forget, that Cornelius ever became a Chriftian, others would perfuade us that he was always a Jew, compleat in every thing but circumcifion*. Thus defeating the main end of the narration, which was to thew that the heathen, (perfons ignorant of the Jewith laws and customs) might nevertheless be admitted into the Chriftian covenant.

The Angel fays to Cornelius, "Thy prayers, and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God." A memorial of what? Why plainly of the piety of Cornelius towards God, and of his charity towards men. His piety and charity are here plainly reprefented, as the ground of an extraordinary favour at that time vouchiafed to him. And what was that favour? Why a miraculous call to the Chriftian faith in this world, and in confequence of that faith, to Chriftian falvation in the life to come.

It is by no means here faid, that Cornelius obtained prefent forgiveness of fins, or future happiness for his moral character, or for his merit, how

Theological Mifcellany for March, 1786.

much

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