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XXXVIII.

MATT. V. 17.

THINK NOT I AM COME TO DESTROY THE LAW OR THE PROPHETS; I AM NOT COME TO DESTROY, BUT TO FULFIL.

THIS

HIS expreffion of our bleffed Saviour con. tains the whole connection of the Old and New Teftament.

The subject may be difcuffed, by confidering, first, in what the Law differed from the Gospel— and, fecondly, how the former was fulfilled by the latter.

The Law may be explained as an institution requiring perfect obedience, and threatening judg ment on every tranfgreffion; at the fame time, accepting, in mercy, certain facrificial atone

ments.

The

The Gofpel, on the other hand, with the mildnefs of a kind indulgent father, speaks in a gentler language; and fhews us, that the Law was only a preparatory institution to a full and complete revelation of God's will.

We may examine, fecondly, in what way it is thus preparatory; or how the Law was fulfilled by the Gospel. In the firft place, our Saviour refined the morality of the Jewish law. Many roughneffes, if I may fo express myself, deformed it. The Jews were a stiff necked race; and our Saviour mentions feveral things, particularly the latitude between the fexes, which was fuffered by Mofes only for the hardness of their hearts. And St. Paul tell us, God winked at them in those early days. All these things the Gospel morality refined, and seated religion where it ought to be feated, in a purified heart.

The next point, in which our blessed Lord fulfilled the Jewish inftitution, was in the completion of those prophecies which related to the Meffiah. These prophecies are among the most remarkable parts of the Bible, and, having been authenticated by the completion of many occafional and temporary prophecies, relating merely to the captivities, and other events among the Jews themselves, they preserved

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preserved the hopes of the Meffiah, till he himself appeared. Afterwards the completion of thofe prophecies which related to Christ, confirmed the faith of all fuch as were seriously and honeftly disposed.

Jefus, laftly, fulfilled the law and the prophets by fulfilling the ceremonies of the Jewish ritual. The mysterious meaning of the various facrifices, and other parts of it, were probably hidden from many of the Jews themselves. They were a fort of dead carcafe, till the coming of Chrift put life, as it were, into them; and fhewed plainly, they were all intended to figure out the great facrifice and atonement, which he made for the fins of mankind.

XXXIX.

I JOHN, iv. 1.

TRY THE SPIRITS, WHETHER THEY BE OF GOD.

OME of the best clergymen of our church, I

SOME

fear, are called methodists, merely because they are in a peculiar manner ferious and attentive to their duty. Some opinions, however, are held by people under this denomination, which feem to be unscriptural and misleading: and these opinions alone are what I should wish to combat.

Of these, the first is predeftination, which, though receiving a colour from a few infulated texts of Scripture, is totally difcredited by a candid review of the whole. Nothing can be more abfurd than the revelation of the Gospel, if the fates of all people are already determined. Another

Another misleading tenet held by fome of this perfuafion, is that of assurance, as they call it. They suppose they may arrive at such a finless state, as may affure them of falvation. This doctrine is difcredited by the very nature of a state of trial; and by the whole tenour of Scripture, which exhorts us every where to care and watchfulness, and to work out our own falvation with fear and trembling *.

Pretences to fudden illuminations, and illapfes of the fpirit, feem alfo to be very unfcriptural and mifchievous. They are unfcriptural, because the few texts they depend on may be much more naturally interpreted in another fenfe. Nor have they the least countenance from the general tenour of Scripture. They are mischievous alfo, because they have often led people to do very unwarrantable things, under the pretence, or perhaps under the perfuafion, of being guided by the spirit.

The doctrine of faith seems often to be carried too far. It is too much perhaps separated from works, when works are left to follow, merely as tefts of faith. If faith be well established, works will follow without queftion; yet by throwing an ap

See Hint xxi.

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