66 Spirit of life in Christ Jesus ;" and derives the "spiritual mind, which is life and peace," from the same source. They, in whom "the Spirit of "God dwells," are "not in the flesh but in the Spirit;" but" if any man have not the Spirit of "Christ he is none of his." They who " through "the Spirit mortify the deeds of the body shall "live;" they" that are led," or willingly guided and influenced, "by the Spirit are the children of "God." He dwells in them, not as a "Spirit of "bondage" to induce them to obey God from servile motives; but "as a Spirit of adoption, by "whom they cry, Abba, Father:" and, thus producing all filial dispositions and affections in their hearts," he witnesses with their spirits, that they "are the children and heirs of God." They have, therefore, "the first fruits of the Spirit ;" called also the "seal of the Spirit;" being the renewal of the divine image on their souls; and the " earnest "of the Spirit," or the beginning and sure pledge of heavenly felicity.2 But who can deny that these things are essential to genuine Christianity, at all times, and in all places? Finally, we are directed "to pray in" or by "the Holy Ghost," who " also helpeth our infir"mities ;" and whatever words we use, his influences alone can render our worship spiritual. Our holy tempers, affections, and actions are called "the fruits of the Spirit," to distinguish them from mere moral conduct, proceeding from 22 Cor. i. 22. Eph. i. 13, 14. iv. 30. 1 Rom. viii. 2-8. worldly or selfish principles. We are said to "live "in the Spirit," and to "walk in the Spirit," and "to be filled with the Spirit :" and all our heavenly wisdom, knowledge, strength, holiness, joy; all things relative to our repentance, faith, hope, love, worship, obedience, meetness for heaven, and foretastes of it; are constantly ascribed to its influences; nor can we escape fatal delusions, resist temptations, overcome the world, or glorify God, except as we are taught, sanctified, strengthened, and comforted by the Holy Spirit, who dwells in all believers" as a well of water springing up into "everlasting life." We need not then wonder at the low state into which vital Christianity is fallen, when we consider how many nominal Christians utterly disclaim all dependence on the Spirit, as enthusiasm: and how greatly this part of the gospel is overlooked by numbers, who are zealous for other doctrines of it. The subject, therefore, suggests to us the vast importance of owning the divine Person and whole work of the Spirit, in all our services; of praying for, that we may pray by, the Spirit;1 of applying to him, and depending on him in all things; of cautiously distinguishing his genuine influences from every counterfeit, by scriptural rules; of avoiding those worldly cares, and that indolence and procrastination which " quench," and all those evil tempers which "grieve the Spirit of God;" and of giving the glory of all the good wrought in us, or by us, to him as its original source and author. 1 Luke, xi. 13. Thus, depending on the mercy of the Father, the atonement of the Son, and the grace of the Spirit; we shall be prepared to give glory to the Triune God our Saviour, both now and for ever more. ESSAY XV. ON THE USES OF THE MORAL LAW IN SUBSERVIENCY TO THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST. WHEN We have duly considered our situation as fallen creatures, and those things which relate to our recovery by the mercy of the Father, the redemption and mediation of the Son, and the sanctification of the Holy Spirit; we must be convinced that "we are saved by grace, through "faith; (and that not of ourselves, it is the gift "of God:) not of works, lest any man should. "boast:"1 and under this conviction it is natural for us to inquire, "Wherefore then serveth the "law?"2 what end does it answer? The apostle indeed introduces this question as the objection of Judaizing teachers to the doctrines of grace; but, in the present endeavour to state the uses of the law as subservient to the gospel, it is necessary to premise that neither the ritual law, nor the legal dispensation, is meant: the former typified, and the latter introduced, the clear revelation of the gospel; and they were both superseded and rendered obsolete by the coming of Christ. The moral law alone is intended, which was originally written in the heart of man as created" in the image of God;" was afterwards delivered with awful solemnity from mount Sinai, in ten com 66 1 Eph. ii. 8-10. 2 Gal. iii. 19. mandments; is elsewhere summed up in the two great commandments of loving God with all our hearts, and our neighbour as ourselves; and is explained and enlarged upon in a great variety of particular precepts, throughout the whole scripture. This law, besides what it more directly enjoins, implicitly requires us to love, admire, and adore every discovery which God shall ever please to make to us of his glorious perfections; cordially to believe every truth which he shall reveal and authenticate; and willingly to obey every positive institution which he shall at any time be pleased to appoint. This law is immutable in its own nature for it could not be abrogated, or altered, without an apparent intimation that God was not so glorious, lovely, and excellent; or so worthy of all possible honour, admiration, gratitude, credit, adoration, 'submission, and obedience, as the law had represented him to be; or without seeming to allow that man had at length ceased to be under those obligations to God, or to stand in those relations to him and to his neighbour, from which the requirements of the law at first resulted. The moral law, I say, could not be changed in any essential point, unless we could cease to be under infinite obligations to our great Creator; unless he could allow us in some degree to be alienated from him, and despisers of him; or to love worldly objects and our own present advantage or pleasure more than his infinite excellency; and to prefer them to his glory and the enjoyment of his favour: unless he could allow us to be ungrateful for his benefits, to discredit his veracity, to dispute his authority, |