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aside: no journeys, no visits, no settling accounts, writing letters, nor paying and receiving wages. The whole day, from morning tonight, should be spent in acts of religious worship, public and private, except so much as must be employed in works of necessity and mercy.

O! how awfully is this holy day profaned by idleness, by needless journeys and visits, by wilfully staying away from public worship, or by persons going to church merely to meet with neighbours for worldly business; or to shew their new clothes; by going to public houses, by reading newspapers, or by mere worldly vain discourse and amusement!

Now, the breach of this commandment, and of the three former, evidently proceeds from want of love to God. If we loved him as the best of beings, we should love his day, revere his name, and prize his worship. And have we not broken all these commandments? Have we not reason to cry, in the words of the Liturgy, "Lord, have mercy upon us, (for having broken these laws) and incline our hearts to keep them in time to come."

Proceed we now to the second table of the law. The six last commandments respect our love to our neighbour. The sum of all is, "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself."

The fifth commandment respects our nearest neighbour our relations, our parents. These have the care and expense of education; we can never repay their kindness. We should honour them by obedience to their directions, and treating them with the greatest respect; and that not only in childhood, but in youth and riper years; we should study to preserve their reputation: to alleviate their infirmities; and, if necessary, to support them in old age.

This command also includes all relative duties, whether to superiors, inferiors, or equals ; it includes the duty that servants owe to their masters, and subjects to their governors; it forbids mere eye-service; wasting the property of superiors; or being unfaithful in what they commit to our trust.

The sixth commandment directs us how to shew our love to our neighbour, by a regard to his life and health; and it forbids not only actual murder, but anger, hatred,

malice, and other murderous tempers; for "whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer," 1 John iii. 15. Whoever saith to his brother, Raca, (thou vile fellow,) or thou fool, shall be in danger of hell-fire," so our Lord declares, Matt. v. 22. All unjust wars, fighting, quarrelling, ill usage, or provocations, which may hurt the health and life of another, are forbidden. Many aged parents are murdered by the base conduct of their children; many wives are murdered by the drunkenness, idleness, and abuse of their husbands; and many poor children are murdered by the neglect and wickedness of their parents. Self-murder is also hereby forbidden, no man having a right over his own life, any more than over that of his neighbour. But the worst of all is soul-murder. ` Parents, who neglect to instruct their children, and who are examples of vice to them; drunkards, whoremongers, and adulterers, who allure others to sin with them; all these are soul-murderers.

The seventh commandment respects the love of our neighbour, with regard to purity of heart, word, and deed: it forbids not only the actual adultery of married persons, but all fornication, lasciviousness, and wantonness. Every lustful thought, word, or look, makes a person an adulterer in God's sight; for so Christ himself explains this commandment, Matt. v. 28. "Whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her, hath committed adultery with her already in his heart." All private uncleanness, known only to God and conscience, and practised perhaps by those who pass for chaste and virtuous people, is forbidden. Immodest dress tends to the breaking of this law; as also do lewd books, novels, plays, songs, and pictures. In a word, this commandment requires the most perfect purity in heart, speech, and behaviour, and an endeavour to promote the same in others.

The eighth commandment directs us how to shew our love to our neighbour, by a regard to his property. It forbids taking to our own use what belongs to another. Covetousness has led men to invent a thousand ways to cheat and defraud. Those who deceive in selling by false weights, and measures; those who run in debt, without the prospect of paying again; those who oppress the poor; servants who neglect their business, or waste their master's

property; are all thieves in God's esteem. This command extends much further than human laws can reach; and requires that we should treat our neighbour, with respect to his property, as we could wish to be treated by him. The ninth commandment respects our love to our neighbour, in his reputation or good name. Not only taking a false oath before a magistrate, but all lying, slandering, and evil speaking, is forbidden. And, O! how is the world filled with this! And what is the greater part of common conversation but a wanton breach of this law? We ought to be as tender of a another man's character and reputation as of our own, and to avoid all such remarks, reports, censures, and ridicule, as we should be unwilling to receive from others.

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The last commandment enjoins the love of our neighbour, by requiring us to be content with our condition; forbidding us to envy or grieve at the good of our neighbour, or wish to deprive him of it, that we may enjoy it. Yea, it goes much further, and forbids the most secret wish of the heart to obtain any thing that God forbids; and this is particularly the commandment that St. Paul speaks of in the text-" I had not known lust, (saith he, ver. 7,) except the law had said thou shalt not covet.' When this commandment came with power to his mind, he saw that the secret working, and first motions of inordinate affection, were sins. Before he saw this, he thought all was well, for he was free from gross and outward offences; he was what the world calls a good liver: but this commandment shewed him the sins of his heart. He found the law was spiritual-reaching to the thoughts and desires of the heart; and thus, "sin, by the commandment, became exceeding sinful." Having taken this brief view of the law, we may proceed,

law

Secondly, To'consider the proper effect of a work of the upon the heart. "Sin revived, and I died." The law is "the ministration of condemnation, and of death," 2 Cor. iii. 7-9. If a person could keep it perfectly, it would entitle him to life; for it was originally ordained to life," but "I found it," saith St. Paul, "to be unto death." The reason is, because we cannot, through the weakness of our fallen nature, keep it perfect

eternity. If you can hear the curses of this law, and not be alarmed for your safety, your heart is hard indeed. May God have mercy upon you, and take away the heart of stone!

Perhaps you are saying, must I despair then? No; God forbid! You must despair of obtaining salvation by your works, your sorrow for sin, or your future amendment. And this will make the gospel welcome to you. The law has done its office, if it drives you to Christ. It is preached for this very purpose, and "Christ is the end of the law for righteousness." The gospel reveals a free, full, and everlasting salvation. It publishes to the convinced sinner, pardon and life, as the free gift of God; for Christ has obeyed the precepts of the law in our stead. He has also borne the punishment in our room. "He hath redeemd us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us." What a blessing have you already received, if God, by his good Spirit, has convinced you of sin! This is the dawn of a glorious day. He will also convince you of righteousness, and shew you that it may be yours. Cast yourselves down at the footstool of mercy. Confess your sins. Acknowledge your guilt. Own your helplessness. Cry for pardon. Fly to Jesus, who waits to be gracious, and all shall yet be well. He hath wounded, that he may heal; he hath killed, that he may make alive. You now will be glad of the physician, for you feel your sickness; and he waits to be gracious. You are weary and heavy laden, and he will give you rest.

"Go, you that rest upon the law,
And madly seek salvation there,
Look to the flame that Moses saw,
And shrink, and tremble, and despair.

"But I'll retire beneath the cross;
Saviour, at thy dear feet I lie!
And the keen sword that Justice draws,
Flaming and red, shall pass me by."

SERMON IV.

CHRIST, THE END OF THE LAW FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS.

Rem. x. 4. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that

THE

believeth.

HE two principal parts of Scripture, which it concerns us most to know, are the Law and the Gospel. "He who can rightly distinguish between these," says Luther, "is a good divine;" and we may add, that he who knows how to use both aright, in an experimental and practical manner, is a good christian.

The nature and use of the law has been already considered. The proper effect of it is the same in every believer as it was in St. Paul. "I was alive without the law once; but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died." The person brought into this state will be put on the enquiry-How then can I come before God and hope for pardon? If the law be so holy and strict—if it can do nothing for me, but convince me of sin, and condemn me for it-by what means can I be accepted?

Now there are but two ways that ever were proposed of God, or devised by man: the one, according to the old covenant, Do, and live; the other, according to the new -"Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." Whatever ways and means have been thought of, by people of all religions, they may be reduced to these two-Works, or Grace. And these cannot be mixed; for if any merit be allowed to works, there is an end to grace; and if salvation be of grace, then there is no place for the merit of works. So St. Paul speaks, Rom. xi. 6. "If by grace, then it is no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it is no more grace; otherwise work is no more work." So that you see salvation cannot be by grace and works mixed, it must be by one or the other alone, and we are repeatedly assured in the Scripture, that "by grace are we saved, through faith," and "not by works, lest any man should boast," Eph. ii. 8, 9.

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