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craments of the passover and circumcifion represented to the faith of the Old-Teftament faints, touching what was then to come; but all meet in one grand central point-CHRIST, the end of the law for righteoufnefs to every one that believeth, Rom. x. 4. Therefore the facraments of the LORD's Supper and baptifm, are not new ordinances, in any other fenfe, than as appointed of God to attend on the difpenfation of the gospel of His grace, under the New Teftament, when those facraments were abolished which were to attend a different difpenfation of the fame gospel under the Old Teftament. All argue one uniform, confiftent design in the bleffed GOD, carried on in different manifeftations of it, under the Patriarchal-Mofaical-Prophetical, and Evangelical ages, but fubject to no controul, oppofition, or variation as to the matter of any fingle part or atom of it. The further we follow the notion of CHRIST's being the giver of a new law, in oppofition to the law of the Old Testament, the more muft we fee it pregnant with confequences of the most alarming and dreadful kind-becaufe, this being the cafe, we are without a Redeemer, and of courfe without any

* See the outward vifible fign and the inward and Spiritual grace, in the facrament of baptifm, beautifully fet forth, If, xliv. 3. Ezek. xxxvi. 25, 26, 27. with John iii. 5.

VOL. I.

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redemption

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redemption; for we are told, that CHRIST died for the redemption of the tranfgreffions that were under the FIRST TESTAMENT, Heb. ix. 15. by which FIRST TESTAMENT we muft understand the law of God delivered by Mofes; but I can find no trace of any fatisfaction for fins committed against any new law of CHRIST: we must look to ourselves for any tranfgreffions against this: and if fo-no flesh can be faved. Therefore fome of the old heretics,

who were maintainers of this new-law: fcheme, were perfectly confiftent, in declaring, that "no fin after baptifm could be forgiven" against which horrible error, the 16th Article of the Church of England is very fcripturally and properly levelled. But again- this notion of CHRIST's abrogating the old rule of life, and enacting a new one in its place, as it turns us over to seek our falvation by a new plan of obedience, or perfonal righte oufnefs of our own, makes void both Teftaments. It annihilates the law which was given by Mofes, it of course destroys the grace and truth which came by JESUS CHRIST. John i. 17. If we are not bound by the old moral law, we have no occafion to feek redemption from its curfe, and abfolution from its condemnation.The divinity of CHRIST-the atonement of his precious blood-the imputation of His righteousness-His fatisfaction merit

variations

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-vicarious fufferings and obedience, together with his interceffion at the right hand of GOD, and all other appendages belong ing and effentially neceffary to his priestly office, by which alone we can have redemption, even the forgiveness of our fins, may bear as fmall a price in our eyes as in the of Socinus, Mahomet, or Cerinthus. « If the old law be abrogated as a rule of life, then have we nothing to do with Curfed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. Gal. iii. 10. The law is no longer a miniftration of death; 2 Cor. iii. 7. and condemnation. And, if this be the cafe, the whole foundation of the redemption that is in CHRIST JESUS is fapped and deftroyed, and the whole fabric of man's falvation, which is built upon it, must fall into one dreadful and horrible ruin we must reverfe CHRIST's declarationI came not to deftroy the law, but to fulfil it and fay, that he came not to fulfil but to deftroy it. Here we must join in the madnefs of the Antinomians, and deny the obligation of the law-or in the horrid errors of the Socinians, and renounce the hope of the gospel. To mention all the appendages to this new-law scheme would be endlefs; fuffice it to fay, that they are, in one shape or other, connected with every herefy that ever was, or can be invented; for all berefy, however coloured

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coloured or disguised by the art and fabtlety of men, or, as the Apostle fays, Eph. iv. 14. by the fleight of men, and cunning craftiness whereby they lie in wait to deceive, must originate in the confounding those two diftinct propofitions, which are laid down in the beginning of St. John's gofpel as above-mentioned-The law was given by Mofes-Grace and truth came by JESUS CHRIST.

CHRIST came, neither to fet up a new law nor a new gospel, but (as the Scripture had foretold) to bear teftimony to the truth of both, as revealed by Mofes and the Prophets. Thus he told Pilate, John xviii:37. -To this end was I born, and for this caufe came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto THE TRUTH: every one that is of THE TRUTH heareth my voice. voice. And in that most affectionate prayer for His disciples-John xvii.-He faith, ver. 17. Sanctify them through THY TRUTH — THY

WORD IS TRUTH.

To conclude this point:-If we com-, pare fcripture with fcripture in every inftance, we shall not find a fingle law, or rule of life, in the New Teftament, which has not its foundation in the Old Testament, and that CHRIST came not as a law-giver and a judge, when He appeared in the likeness of finful flefb-Rom. viii. 3. but as a law-fulfiller and a Saviour I came not (faid He, John xii. 47) to judge the

world

world, but to fave the world. Not to introduce any new rule of right and wrong, which was to change the nature of moral good and evil; but for the redemption of the tranfgreffions under the firft teftament, that they which are called might receive the promife of eternal inheritance. Heb. ix. 15.

As a prophet-He opened and explained the law, and preached the gospel. As a prief-He made atonement for the guilty. As king-He eftablished the moral law as a rule of life to his fubjects; leaving it as He found it-a fpiritual, holy, righteous, perfect inftitution (Pf. xix. 7.) to which nothing could be added, from which nothing could be diminished; reaching not only to the outward actions of the life, but to the inward thoughts, tempers, defires, and intents of the heart. Were it otherwise, and the New Testament can be fuppofed to contain fome rule of life which is not in the Old Testament, Abraham's counfel, which he advifed the rich man's five brethren to follow, was very imperfect-They have Moses and the PROPHETS, let them hear them-If they hear not MOSES and the PROPHETS, neither will they be perfuaded though one rofe from the dead. What good would Mofes have done them, if the rule of life laid down by him had been incomplete and deficient?-what benefit could have accrued to them from liftening,

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