covenant, better promises;' better hope, that maketh perfect; entering the veil; entering into rest; no condemnation;5 law of liberty; law of the spirit of life; power of an endless life; love shed abroad by the Holy Ghost;9 Spirit shed abundantly; 10 washed, sanctified, justified; preserved in Christ Jesus;12 Partakers of Christ;13 Partakers of the Holy Ghost;14 Partakers of the divine nature;15 unction from the Holy One, and knowing all things;16 children; heirs of the promise;18 heirs of God, joint heirs with Christ;19 abundant life;2o eternal life;21 peace;22 strength;23 victory;24 things that cannot be shaken;25 a kingdom that cannot be moved;26 all things become new.

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"All preachers therefore, whose doctrines and experience go no farther than this legal spirit of darkness, bondage, sin, the want of comfort, &c. are legal preachers: Those who teach and experience the glorious privileges of the gospel, light, liberty, holiness, and joy in the Lord, are gospel preachers."

P. Without entering into the merits of this dispute; after all you have said on the point of holiness, some are of opinion that the preach

1 Heb. viii, 6. 2 Heb. vii, 19. 3 Heb. vi, 19. 4 Heb. iv, 1. 5 Rom. viii, 1. viii, 2. 8 Heb. vii, 16. 11 1 Cor. vi, 11. 12 Jude 1. vi, 4. 15 2 Pet. i, 4. 26.

6 Jamesi, 25. 7 Rom. 9 Rom. v, 5. 10 Tit. iii, 6.

18 Gal. iii, 29. 19 21 John iii, 36. xvii, 3. 23 Phil. iv, 13. Col. i, 11. xii, 27. 26 Heb. xii, 28.

13 Heb. iii,

16 1 John ii, 20. Rom. viii, 17.

1

Joh. v, 11.

14. 14 Heb. 17 Gal. iii,

20 John x, 10.

22

24 1 John v. 4.

27 2 Cor. v. 17.

Rom. v, 1.

25 Heb.

ing of the law, and good works so strenuously, is a great hindrance to the gospel.

2

D. " They are so; and thereby prove that though the light shineth, yet the darkness comprehendeth it not. All who experience the blessings of the gospel keep the commandments: ye are my friends (saith Jesus) if you do whatsoever I cammand you. And this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments;3 hear the voice of that wisdom, which is acknowledged to be the eternal mind and word of Godthat was with God, and was God. Unto you, O men, I call, and my voice is to the sons of men. O ye simple, understand wisdom, and be ye of an understanding heart. Hear, for I will speak of excellent things. My mouth shall speak truth. All the words of my mouth are in righteousness; they are all plain to him that understandeth, and right to them that find knowledge. Cry out therefore, after the way of wisdom, the voice of him that loved and redeemed you; say to him, with deepest prostration, I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right. O give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law."

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"The law is holy, just, and good. As far as we understand the gospel we magnify the law, and make it honourable. The law written in the heart is the fulfilment of the prophecies; that for which all the righteous waited;

the promises of God;' and the very covenant of grace itself. The gospel was ordained to this end, that we might be again made one with the law of God as at first: and the law shall endure for ever; when faith, hope, pardon, and a mediatorial kingdom are no more."

P. What is it you would have us to understand by the law?

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D. The ceremonial institution of Moses was not the first and pure law of God. What he commanded was partly a repetition of the original law given to Adam in paradise, partly a ritual law, both shadowing out good things to come; and added for punishment of transgressions, consisting in divers washings and carnal ordinances; and become a yoke that could not be borne. The divine moral law, whose nature and duration is eternal, whose greatness and purity is like unto God, was afresh repeated and reinforced by Moses, intermixed with those temporary ceremonies, concerning both of which it is said, what nation is there that hath statutes and judments so righteous?" And of these David cried, they rejoice the heart, enlighten the eyes, and are more to be desired than gold, and in keeping of them is great reward."s

"The arguments used in scripture, and the conclusion the inspired writers always draw from our being delivered from the law is, that we should rise to superior holiness. But the

1 Jer. xxxi, 33. 2 Heb. viii. 10. 3 Heb. x, 1. 4 Gal. iii, 19. 5 Heb. ix. 10. 6 Acts xv. 10. 7 Deut.. iv, 7, 8. Ps. xix, 7. 11. 9 Rom. vii, 1. 6.

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2

perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and reprobate concerning the faith, take what is said concerning the ceremonial bondage, our being dead to the ritual law by the body of Christ, and delivered from the curse due to former disobedience, and apply it to those righteous judgments that endure forever. But to oppose this law, is to oppose grace, and whatever is done against it equally affects faith, and its author and finisher. For the law of God is no other than his own adorable image of holiness, revealed to angels and men, and set before them for their glorious example. Whoever partakes of the divine nature, bath this law written in his heart. In God it is a nature; to us a perfect law of liberty; a command;s high privilege; the delight and desire of all that are of God; a glory that contains all our blessedness in time and in eternity."10

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P. Then I perceive that you differ from others as well as from me. And amidst this diversity of sentiments, who shall decide?

D. “To the law and to the testimony; if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.11 It is melancholy to see some making void the law through faith;12 speaking so as to make Christ the minister of sin;13 of the life of Christ so as to ex

2 2 Tim. iii, 8. 5 Psalm cxix, 160.

8 1 Pet. i, 16.

3 Rom. viii. 4. 6 Heb. xii, 12. 9 Deut. x, 12, 13. 17. 22. viii, 2, 4.

1 1 Tim. vi, 5. 4 Gal. iii, 19. 7 James i, 25. Psal. xix, 7, 11. cxix, 165. Rom. vi, Tit. ii, 14. 1 Pet. ii, 9. 10 Rev. ii, 10. xiv, 13. xxii, 14. 11 Isa. viii, 20. 12 Rom. iii, 31. 13 Gal. xx, 17.

cuse themselves from obedience of the law, so as to make it hateful. Others are so set against the tares of Antinomianism, that with these, they root up the good seed also, slighting the obedience of Christ to the law; saying that by his sufferings only we are saved; which manner of speaking secretly wounds our regard for Christ before we are aware."

"Leave it to Atheists and Arians to make light of any thing belonging to Christ. Every act of his pleased God in our behalf. God only can fathom the unsearchable riches of Christ in all he did or suffered. Whatever Christ became, it was not for himself, but for us men, and for our salvation: And the infinite mind of God can only tell what profit we receive from his whole life and death. He executed an office, performed a glorious part, that extended its efficacy to all persons, diffused a saving virtue over every one's station, and profited every relative duty, and circumstance of life. He was always precious in his Father's sight, at all times equally in his favour, being holy, and undefiled, while he bore the sins of many,1 and was always procuring something glorious for his people. There is no need therefore of destroying the truth out of fear of Antinomian error, seeing the scriptures of both the old and new Testament set themselves against the face of every Antinomian, and leave him without excuse. Upon the ungodly he shall rain snares, fire, and brimstone, an horrible tempest. And 2 Psal. xi, 6.

1 Isaiah liii, 12.