for the confolation and redemption of I-SER Mrael; and accordingly when the fulness of VIII. time was come, God fent forth his Son, made [of a Woman, made] under the law, that he might redeem thofe that were under the law. The Jewish Law therefore, so far as it was diftinguished from, and opposed to, the grace or gofpel of Chrift, was the fame with the original law of God in its full force and severity; and no flesh could be juftified thereby.

3dly, YET God never dealt with men according to the ftrictnefs and feverity of that Law, but always anticipated the favour of the gospel, and dealt with men according to the gracious terms of the new Covenant. Thus though no flesh could be justified by the law, yet both the Patriarchs who lived before the law (as I have already obferved,) and all Holy men who lived under Law, were juftified; and this their juftification was by Faith, i. e. by the terms of that new Covenant, which in the fulness of time was to be promulged openly and plainly to the whole world. Wherefore, though the Law appointed no

ex

SER M. expiation for great and presumptuous Sins, VIII. yet God always pardoned Sinners upon

their true repentance, (as appears in the cafe of David and others;) and as the times of the gospel grew nearer and nearer, began by degrees to declare by his Prophets, that he would do fo. David, when he had committed those crying Sins of Adultery and Murder, acknowledges that the feverity of the law allowed no Sacrifice of expiation for him; Thou defireft not facrifice, elfe would I give it thee, but thou delighteft not in burnt-offerings, Pf. li. 16: Yet he hoped that upon his hearty repentance, forgiveness would not be impoffible to be obtained at the Hands of God; A broken and contrite heart, O God, faith he, thou wilt not defpife, ver. 17; and the event discovered that he did indeed obtain it. And God afterward by the Prophet Ezekiel declared publickly to the whole people of the Jews, that when a wicked man turneth away from his wickedness, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he should fave his foul alive. Thus though the Law, ftrictly speaking, was in

force

force with its full feverity 'till the appear- SER M ing of our Saviour, yet God never dealt VIII. with men according to that severity, but always anticipated the Favour of the Gofpel, and judged men by the terms of the Covenant of grace. The Law was by Mofes, Grace and Truth by Chrift.

4thly, THis new Covenant of grace, which, before the coming of our Saviour lay hid in the secret difpenfations of God's mercy, and began in part and by degrees to be discovered, firft by the obscure promifes of a Meffiah to come, and afterwards by the more plain declarations of the Prophets; was at our Saviour's Appearance openly established, and the terms of it publickly promulged to the whole World; fo as to deliver men entirely from all fear of that rigour of the Law, which the Apoftle ftiles the strength of Sin. This deliverance of men by the Gospel from the burden and severity of the Law, the Apostle in the Text calls a Victory; and This Victory our Saviour obtained for us, principally by these two things: ft, By giving himself a facrifice

and

ence.

SER M. of Repentance, that men turn from the VIII. evil of their ways, and conform their lives to the laws of that Kingdom, whose fubjects they profefs themselves to be: That they believe on him whom God hath fent; and that they live fuitably to that belief, with fincere endeavours to obey the whole gospel, and hearty forrow and perpetually labouring after amendment, for all their failures in that obediThefe are now the gracious terms of the Gofpel, which in the New Teftament are every where preached as the conditions of Salvation. This was the Sum of John Baptift's preaching, who was fent to prepare the way before Chrift; Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand, St Mat. iii. 2. with this our Saviour himfelf began his miniftry; The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand, Repent ye and believe the Gospel, Mar. i. 15. with 'This he concluded his charge to his Difciples after his refurrection; 'Go into all the world, and preach the gospel to `every creature; He that believeth and is baptized, i. e. he that believeth and enters

ye

VIII.

into an obligation to live fuitably to that SER M. belief, fhall be faved, Mar. xvi. 15 and 16. This his Disciples after his afcenfion published to all the world, preaching repentance and remiffion of fins in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerufalem, Luc. xxiv. 47. Laftly, this is the Sum of all their exhortations, contained in their epiftles to the feveral churches which had be-' fore believed through their preaching. And because this Repentance or turning E from a life of fin unto a life of righteousness, is the fumm of Religion under the gofpel-difpenfation, therefore is it in Scripture expreffed by great variety of phrases, to the different capacities and understandings of men. Sometimes it is called turning to the Lord, that those who by a course of fin had been enemies to God, might by forfaking their fins and following after righteousness, be reconciled to him: Sometimes it is called Converfion, a word of the fame import with that of turning to the Lord: Sometimes it is called the renewing of our minds; Sometimes putting on the new man, VOL. V. elfe

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