THE LAW OF WORKS. (Continued from p. 230.) "The law worketh wrath."...Rom. iv. 15. THE law is not of faith-without faith it is impossible to please God-and faith is the gift and operation of God! Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. (Gal. iii. 12. Heb. xi. 6. Eph. ii. 8.) And as without faith it is impossible to please God, and as the law is not of faith, therefore it is written of them who are of the works of the law, that they are under the curse. (Gal. iii. 10.) And further, that Israel which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but by the works of the law. (Rom. xi. 31, 32.) Know ye, therefore, brethren, that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. And the scripture foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the law was given by Moses) the gospel unto Abraham, saying, in thee shall all nations be blessed. So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham. For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for the just shall live by faith." (Gal. iii. 7-11.) The reader will observe, it is positively said, as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse, that the law is NOT of faith, (1 Gal. iii. 12.) but the just shall live by faith. Again, it is written; the law worketh wrath. (Rom. iv. 15.) But, the faith of God's elect worketh by love. (Gal. v. 15.) It is called the law of faith, as the antithesis of the law of works. (Rom. iii. 27.) It may be called the law of faith because it embraces the eternal and unalterable purpose of God, with all God's covenant wills, and shalls, and shall nots. And as the just live by faith, it may be called the LAW of faith, because it is the RULE of a believer's life! A man is either under the law of works, or under the law of faith. If he be under the law of works, sin hath dominion over him, (Rom. vi. 14.) and, the law worketh in him. It did so in the days of the apostles, and so it doth now. For we may both see and hear of men professing the name of Christ, who rather than take or suffer wrong, or be defrauded, go to law one with another. (1 Cor. vi. 6, 7.) Rather than crucify the flesh, they reject the example which Christ hath left us! (1 Pet. ii. 20-23.) Because the law was made for the lawless and disobedient, and for sinners, they will have an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth, &c! They profess the faith of Christ, but when they are reviled, they revile, and when they suffer they threaten. They are Antipisians, that is, as strongly opposed to the faith-the law of faith, as the Antinomians are to the law of works. For as there are Antinomians in practice who are NOT Antipisians in profession, so there are Antipisians in practice, who are NOT Antinomians in profession. The former are enemies to the faith of Christ, and the latter are enemies to the cross of Christ. But where are they to be found, or rather, among what congregation shall we find, the law of Christ, the rule of life?Where are the followers and imitators of God, as dear children, walking in love, as Christ also loved us, and gave himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God, for a sweet smelling savour? (Eph. v. 1, 2.) It is evident the apostle so lived, for," he lived by the faith of the Son of God, who loved him, and gave himself for him: (Gal. ii. 21.) And he further saith, "I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost, that I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. For I could wish myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh." (Rom. ix. 1-3.) But, where shall we find the professors of the faith of the saints, who love their enemies, who bless them that curse, who pray for their persecutors, &c? Shall we find them among the contenders for the law as a rule of life? Shall we find them amongst the revi lers, who nickname all as Antinomians, who hold the mystery of faith in a pure conscience? Surely not; for the law worketh wrath in all such revilers, and in all such contenders about the law. But, why doth the law work wrath in fallen man? Can the ministration of death engraven in stones do otherwise than work wrath in the ungodly? Surely not, for it doth not allow any mercy to be shewn to its transgressors. But, the law of faith, Christ's law of forgiveness, until seventy times seven, worketh peace. Therefore, "whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." (Gal. vi. 7.) If he soweth the law that worketh wrath with the law of faith, he is himself a transgressor of that law, which he professeth to be his rule of life; for it is written, "Thou shalt not sow thy field with MINGLED seed." (Lev. xix. 19.) Therefore, the sowers of mingled seed shall entirely reap wrath either in this world, or the world to come. A remarkable instance in proof, that the sowers of the mingled seed shall reap wrath, occurred a few years since. A human preexisterian preacher, a contender for the law which worketh wrath, as "a rule of sanctificatian to spiritual men by faith in Christ Jesus," sowed the law with other mingled seed of divers kinds, amongst his people, who received all his inventions for truth: and in the mean time, both he and they reaped a harvest of wrath.There was not even a grain of sanctification to be seen amongst them! And the law of forgiveness is so little known by him, that part of the wrath he then reaped was to be found in his own barn last year. For, when writing what was called a pastoral letter to a friend, he never said to his friend, whom he calls his son, as the apostle said to Timothy, "We know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully; knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man; but for the lawless, &c." for this human pre-existerian considered the law of faith so unreasonable, that he had theretofore formed a syllogism in opposition to the apostle's doctrine. And as this human pre-existerian preferred his reason to those divine mysteries which he calls absurd, he never advised his friend to hold the great mystery of godliness, but he said, "Aim by all means to gain and keep your own conscience on your side; it will do more to uphold you in your sufferings, toils, and difficulties, than any gift of speech you may possess." Did he not know that Saul gained and kept his own conscience on his side, when he persecuted the church of God, when he was mad against the saints, thinking he was doing God's service? Again, he saith, "Conscious of your integrity, &c. you will be able to stand your ground in the midst of all the clamours that evil tongues can raise, &c. This I can speak by experience; for I have been called in years past, to endure such treatment as I hope you may, as a pastor, never undergo." Now, if this human pre-existerian had also advised his friend of the treatment the people had been called upon to endure from him, their pastor, we should have known what he meant by gaining and keeping conscience on his side! But, as the law was still working wrath in him, (although years had passed since his and their lawful proceedings), he shows his teeth to them, whom he ought neither to bite, nor to devour. There are many who consider the commandment to be ordained unto life, and who condemn all men as Antinomians, who have found by experience, the commandment to be unto death! But the commandment was not ordained unto life. Indeed, the word ordained is in italics in Rom. vii. 10, for if the commandment had been ordained unto life, it would have been found unto life. These persons would do well to examine what the apostle said of himself when under the law of works; for in him they will have a faithful witness, and a solemn testimony, that the law worketh wrath."He saith, he was of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews, as touching the law a Pharisee, concerning zeal persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless." (Phil. iii. 5, 6.) The reader will observe, that when Saul of Tarsus was blameless as touching the righteousness in the law, he was a persecutor, that "many of the saints he shut up in prison; when they were put to death, he gave his voice against them; he punished them oft in every synagogue, Vol. IV. No. VI. 2 I and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceeding mad against them, he persecuted them even unto strange cities." (Acts xxvi. 10, 11.) If it should be asked, was then the law which is good, made wrath unto him? God forbid! But his self-righteousness working wrath in him against the saints of the Most High God, by his (carnal) knowledge of the law, he declares he then" verily thought that he ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth." (Acts xxvi. 9, 11.) For, when the apostle was under the law, he thought the com. mandment had been ordained unto life, but afterwards, when born of the Spirit, he found the commandment to be unto death.") Rom. vii. 10.) But afterwards, he saith," when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died. For sin taking occasion by the commandment, deceived him, and by it slew him. (Rom. vii. 9-11.) And if such be the experience of the children born of the Spirit, before they are brought into the liberty of the children of God; how happy are they when they know by experience," sin shall not have dominion over them; for they are not under the law, but under grace." (Rom. vi. 15.) When the apostle Paul was no longer under the law of works, he saith," I through the law, am dead to the law, that I might live unto God."-" And the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." In him we have a faithful witness, and a precious testimony of that faith which worketh by love. He declares himself to be the chief of sinners, (1 Tim. i. 15.) "being reviled, he blessed; being persecuted, he suffered; being defamed, he intreated." (1 Cor. iv. 13.) And he prayed for the salvation of the Jews who hated him; of whom five times he received forty stripes save one. Thrice was he stoned; in prisons he was frequent, and in deaths oft. (2 Cor. xi. 23, 25.) Unto the Jews he became as a Jew, that he might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that he might gain them that are under the law; to them that are without law, as without law, being not without law to God, but (ennomos) loyal to Christ, that he might gain them that are without law. To the weak he became as weak, that he might gain the weak: he was made all things to all men, that he might by all means save some. And this he did for the gospel's sake. (1 Cor. ix. 20-23.) At this time, be it remembered, he saith, "I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. I am crucified with Christ nevertheless, I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God!" (Gal. ii. 19, 20.) So that we have the testimony upon record, concerning the apostle when under the law of works, how sin took occasion by the commandment to work wrath. And then we have another testimony concerning the apostle, when under the law of faith wrought by love in him, when he through the law was dead to the law which worketh wrath! Whilst the apostle was living by the faith of the Son of God, how did the professing Jews then live? Were they not zealous of the law as a rule of life? And did not the law work wrath in them? For were they not the apostle's most bitter enemies? Did they not charge him with being an Antinomian, or that his doctrine was Antinomianism? when they said, he taught all men every where against the law. (Acts xxi. 28) They called him a pestilent fellow, a mover of sedition among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of Nazarenes: whom they would have judged according to the law-THEIR rule of life. (Acts xxiv. 5, 6.) It is very evident, whilst the apostle was an Antipisian, he was an enemy to Christ and the church. And it is equally evident, that whilst the apostle was called an Antinomian, he adorned the doctrine of God his Saviour. And as by their fruits the disciples of Christ are to be known, allow me to say, if there be any Antinomians who do not adorn the doctrine of God their Saviour, such Antinomians are also Antipisians in heart. And if there be any Antipisians who are not Antinomians, either in doctrine, or in life, such will be highly esteemed among men, but, nevertheless," such are of the works of the law, and are under the curse.”—(Galatians iii. 10. (To be Continued.) -000 THE BELIEVER'S LIFE HIS CONSOLATION IN DEATH. "He is thy life, and the length of thy days."...Deut xxx. 20. "And because I live, ye shall live also."...John xiv. 19. "When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory."...Coloss. iii. 4. AMONG the many awful charges brought against backsliding Israel by the prophet Isaiah, this was reckoned not the smallest. "The righteous perisheth, (sleepeth) and no man layeth it to heart; and merciful men are taken away none considering that the righteous are taken away from the evil to come." The day of life of the world-and the professing church-is far spent-the sun is going down over the prophets-the birds are hastening home-the labourer returning the substance of religion declining, and the shadows are stretching out. With these solemn reflections, well may we intreat the company and presence of the dear Redeemer, as the disciples did. Abide with us, for it is towards evening, and the day is far spent; the removal of the Lord's people from us, although it is their salvation, and affords peculiar joy to the surviving spiritual friends and relatives that have been witnesses of their peaceful end; yet demands attention, reflection, self-examination, and solemnity of mind. When God strikes, he demands an hearing-when he knocks by his messengers, affliction and death-it is, that we may open the |