Gospel-the sense of sin and misery connected with the hope of mercy. Still less must we insist upon these preparatory exercises as meritorious, or as entrenching in any degree upon the unconditional freeness of the Gospel. They are needful, not as qualifications to recommend us, but as predispositions to draw us, to Christ. We must come to him, if at all, upon the terms of his own gracious invitation, "without money and without price." 1 But the sense of misery is the preparative for the remedy. "The whole need not a physician, but they that are sick." As Calvin remarks-Christ is promised only to those, who are humbled and confounded with the sense of their own sins.' The invitation is specially addressed to those that labour and are heavy laden;" and none but such will incline their ear and come." Mr. Newton observes, in the case of Mr. Grimshaw, that a Minister walking with God in a conscientious improvement of the light received, deeply convinced under the law, and but imperfectly acquainted with the Gospel, is peculiarly qualified to preach with effect to ignorant and wicked people, whose habits of sin have been strengthened by a long disregard of the Holy Law of God, and who have had no opportunity of hearing the Gospel. They cannot at first receive, or even understand, that accurate and orderly statement and discussion of Evangelical truths, which renders Ministers, who are more advanced in knowledge, acceptable to judicious and enlightened hearers. But they may feel a close and faithful application to their consciences, and be "persuaded," by "the terror of the Lord" to "consider their ways," before they are capable of being much influenced by the consideration of his 1 Isaiah lv. 1. 2 Calvin on Isaiah lxv. 1. tender mercies. The Minister is sufficiently before them to point out the first steps in the way; and as he goes gradually forward, "growing in grace and in the knowledge of the Saviour," they gradually follow him. Thus many of our most eminent Evangelical modern preachers were led.' 1 IV. The establishment of the law by the Gospel belongs also to the Scriptural Preaching of the law. The Apostle thus anticipates a feasible objection against his statement of justification-" Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid ! Yea, we establish the law." 2 The faith or doctrine of the Gospel "establishes the law" in its covenant form— as exhibiting a Divine Suretiship of obedience to the law, as the satisfactory price for justification-and in its directive form-by inculcating the obligations to obedience upon a stronger foundation, and fulfilling them in sincerity, from the principles of a divine life, and upon the constraining impulse of evangelical motives. The offices of Christ thus combine as the delightful object of our hope. As our Surety, he delivers us from the curse of the law-As our King, he brings us under its rule. And indeed it is only 1 Newton's Life of Grimshawe, pp. 44—46. The truth of these valuable remarks may be illustrated by the early history of Mr. Scott's change of sentiment.-See his Force of Truth. 2 Rom. iii. 31. The expositions of many of the Christian Fathers on this text prove their defective views on subjects connected with the law. Origen expounds the establishment of the law by faith-' Quia Christus inquit: "Moses de me scripsit."' Ambrosius- Quia ceremonalia scripturaliter implentur, et quod minus in moralibus lex continebat, in Evangelio additur: et quod tunc promittebatur futurum, fides advenisse testatur.' Hieronimus -Quia fide probamus verum esse, quod lex dicit, testamentum testamento, legem legi... successuram.' As Parè remarks 'Aliquid dicunt, non totum.' Augustine entered far more clearly into the Apostle's meaning-Lex non evacuatur, sed statuitur per fidem, quia fides impetrat gratiam, quâ lex impleatur.' De Spir. et Lit. c. 29. Again—' Literâ jubetur, spiritu donatur.' Epist. 200. P this faith, that can save us from its condemnation, and enable us for its requirements. Take away this principle, and we are under the full penalty of the broken law; nor is there any root, on which to engraft a corrupt tree, that it might bring forth good fruit. And thus the grace of the Gospel has a direct tendency to "establish the law" in its twofold character. What the doctrine of faith reveals, the grace of faith applies and receives; both for acceptance, in a consciousness of exposure to the penalty of the covenant; and for ability to exercise that "love, which is the fulfilling of the law." And thus believing and doing, though opposed in the matter of justification, as light and darkness-yet agree in the life and conduct of the justified sinner-the one being the spring of the other. Admitting that "the law was made void” by the Gospel-the Gospel could scarcely be the revelation of God. If the law be the transcript of the Divine image, and a perfect rule of righteousness; and if conformity to its precepts be the essence of holiness; how can we conceive of a subsequent revelation from heaven, to annul its authority and obligation? Christian! What part of the law do you desire to "make void?" whether that, which inculcates love to God-or the corresponding obligation of love to your neighbour? Or do you not rather wish both parts to be confirmed by additional obligations? And do you not feel, that the power of evangelical doctrines and motives establishes the love and strength of obedience with most delightful constraint ? The whole discussion cannot but remind us of the importance of accurately distinguishing in our Ministry between the law and the Gospel; that we, through the misunderstanding of the Scriptures, do not take the law for the Gospel, nor the Gospel for the law; but skilfully discern and distinguish the voice of the one from the voice of the other.' 1 An indistinct exhibition of this subject rather drives sinners from Christ, than draws them to him. It blocks up their way of free and immediate access to the Gospel, by interposing legal qualifications, as indispensable for the reception of the Gospel. Even sincere Christians, also, are much kept back by a clouded apprehension of this subject. They are led to look for their comfort more from their obedience to the law than from the righteousness of the Gospel; and being continually disappointed from this delusive source, they are brought under the spirit of bondage unto fear," instead of rejoicing and "standing fast in the liberty, wherewith Christ hath made us free?" 2 Thus every way, confusion of statement exposes us to the danger of preaching" another Gospel"-greatly to the encouragement of a self-righteous temper, to the perplexity and distress of awakened consciences, and to the hinderance of all serious Christians. But the connexion of the two is of the greatest moment. Let their distinctions be carefully preserved, but let their mutual dependence and connexion be also maintained. 6 Worldly epicures and secure mammonists, to whom the doctrine of the law doth properly appertain, do receive and apply to themselves most principally the sweet promises of the Gospel.' 4 And therefore to preach the Gospel without the law, would encourage self-delusion. On the other hand (as Luther beautifully observes) As thunder without rain did more harm than good; so Ministers, that preach the terrors of the law, but do not, at the 1 Patrick's Places, ut supra. 2 Gal. v. 1. same time, drop in the dew of gospel instruction and consolation, are not " wise master-builders;" for they pull down, but build nothing up again.' In fine This shows the ignorance and absurdity of those men, who cry down preaching of the law, as a course leading to despair and discontentment, though we find by St. Paul, that it leadeth to Christ. To preach the law alone by itself, we confess, is to pervert the use of it; neither have we any power or commission so to do (for we have "our power for edification, and not for destruction.") It was published as an appendant to the Gospel, and so must it be preached. It was published " in the hand of a Mediator," and must be preached in the hand of a Mediator. It was published evangelically, and it must be so preached. But yet we must preach the law, and that in its own fearful shapes; for, though it was published in mercy, it was published in thunder, fire, tempests, and darkness, even in the hand of a Mediator; for this is the method of the Holy Ghost, to convince first of sin, and then to reveal righteousness and refuge in Christ. The law is the forerunner, that makes room and prepares welcome in the soul for Christ.' ' 1 CHAPTER IV. THE SCRIPTURAL PREACHING OF THE GOSPEL. THIS subject opens to us the master-spring of the effectiveness of the Ministry. The Writer trusts, that he is in some measure aware of the great consideration required to conduct the discussion in a useful and 1 Bishop Reynold's Works, p. 149. |