SERMON IV.

GALATIANS iii. 13.

Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us.

WHOEVER Will but for a moment consider the black catalogue of human crimes, and their attendant miseries, will have little reason to doubt the truth of the Scripture account, that man is in a state of degradation and corruption :-of degradation, from a perpetual tendency to evil; of corruption, from its actual commission. The voice of nature speaking through the mouth of the great heathen moralist,-the history of mankind in every age,-and the voice of conscience speaking in his own breast, will too fully assure him of the awful truth. It is almost beyond the infatuation of sin itself to deny its own existence. Now the same reason that declares the unsullied purity of the divine nature, will also declare that there are eternal and immutable measures of good and evil, right and wrong, as cer

tain as the existence, and as unchangeable as the nature of their almighty Governor. The same reason will deduce from hence, that no creature tainted by the pollution of sin, can hope for an admission into that kingdom, whose essential and fundamental laws are such as emanate from a Being of holiness as infinite as his power; and will join with Scripture in the assertion," that corruption cannot inherit incorruption." Thus then we are assured by our reason, that perfect obedience is due to a perfect law, but we are equally assured, that in such a law no provision for its violation can exist. Such a provision must be an after act of favour and mercy; and that such a provision ever should exist, may be vaguely presumed, but cannot be certainly determined:―with respect to the conditions of such a provision, we must remain in ignorance still more profound.

Upon repentance, perhaps, as the most probable condition our imagination can devise of our restoration to the divine favour, we fix our hopes. And yet, it is clearly contrary to our notions of moral government, to suppose, that future amendment should in all cases prevent the judicial bad consequences of evil actions, or remit the punishment annexed to disobedience; much less have we any ground to determine in what degree, and in what cases, such an effect would

be produced. This will appear the more evident if we consider, the universal prevalence of propitiatory sacrifices over the heathen world, plainly shewing, that the notion of repentance alone being sufficient to expiate guilt, was contrary to the general sense of mankind. Besides, the imperfection of our natures must render any repentance equally imperfect. Now the perfect law of God, must necessarily require perfect obedience; and all that falls short of perfect obedience, arise from what cause it may, is rebellion and guilt. Shall then a rebellious creature, lift up its eyes to the glories of its great Creator? Can the imperfect obedience of degraded nature challenge reward? The utmost to which her fondest hopes can aspire, is to the remission of punishment, and even in this expectation she will rather be fortified by presumption, than jus-, tified by reason.

Such then is the curse of the natural law; of that law, which reason informs us, must require obedience as perfect as itself;-an obedience to which as no mortal can aspire, all are concluded under its curse, even the curse of sin.

If from the dreary prospect which the natural law discloses to our view, we turn our eyes to the Mosaic covenant, we shall discover the same law, in its full force and severity. The same moral code is enforced, the same perfect obedience de

manded, "Cursed shall be every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the law to do them." In the law there was no expiation for sin, no atonement for imperfection. By proclaiming the nature of perfect obedience, it increased the sense of guilt and armed all the powers of conscience against the transgressor, it became "the strength of sin."

The same law which before the degradation of human nature was instituted as a preservative from evil, now acted only as an aggravation of guilt. "The commandment," says the apostle, "which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death." Thus then was the Jew, as well as the Gentile, under the curse of the law. But as the Almighty in every revelation of his will to man, has declared himself not only a God of infinite justice, but a Father of the tenderest mercy; even the severity of the legal curse was alleviated by the anticipation of the gracious terms of the Christian covenant. "The law had still a shadow of good things to come." Sacrifices of expiation were daily performed, not as effectual in themselves to wash away the slightest stain of human infirmity, but as promissory and prefigurative of that great sacrifice, which was once to be offered for the sins of the whole world. Thus were the patriarchs, the fathers, and the holy men who lived under the law not justified by its works,

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but by faith; not by the performance of its ceremonial ritual, but by trust in the promises of God. The law was their schoolmaster to bring them to Christ, and though they knew, that from the law could be derived no remission of sins, yet they continued with patience walking in the commandments of God, waiting for the consolation of Israel, for that fulness of time when God should send forth his Son, that he might redeem those that were under the law, and consequently under its curse.

Since, then, the whole human race, both Jew and Gentile, were concluded under the curse of the law, it will be expedient now to consider, by what means they were delivered from the bondage of sin, and the penalty of death.

He who imagines the threatenings of God to be empty menaces, without not only the certainty, but the intention of execution, proves himself as little acquainted with the dispensations of the moral government of the Almighty, displayed in the history of the sacred writings, as of the abstract nature of his divine attributes. Has he either authority, or reason to suppose, that the Governor of the universe will suffer his laws to be violated, his word rejected, his authority trampled under foot by his rebellious creatures, without some vindication of his power, and some satisfaction to his offended Majesty? Shall the