3, 4. Why do the great mass of men feel so little interest in conversation, books and sermons which explain the way of salvation? Obviously, the reason is, they have no just view and sense of their deplorable condition. God's Spirit is indeed the Author of all true conviction of sin; but in producing it, he leads the minds of men to understand the nature of the law under which they live; and to see that their lives, words and hearts are wholly destitute of conformity to its requirements. If men saw these things as the truth demands, and as they will one day see them, the preaching of the gospel would be listened to in a manner far different, and with success far greater than we have ever witnessed in the world. Then salvation by grace through a Redeemer would be glad tidings of great joy unto all people. Listlessness would take her flight from worshipping assemblies. Eagerness would mould the features of every hearer; and the swelling solicitude of each bosom would catch every whisper of mercy from the word of God as it was pronounced by the living minister. Let then all men study the law. Let them study it candidly, carefully, solemnly. There is a great Physician, but sinners will never go to him, unless they find out that they are sick. Let regenerate men also study the law. The more they know it, the closer will they cleave to Christ; and the more profound will be their humility; and the better will they understand their indebtedness to Christ, for fulfilling its precepts and enduring its curse in their stead, and for their salvation. If a man loves God he will also love his law; and what one loves he will desire and labour to know. "Christ's promise of ease and refreshment

sounds sweet after the thunderings and lightnings of Mount Sinai." Augustine: "The law gives commands, in order that, endeavouring to perform them, being wearied through our infirmity under the law, we may learn to pray for the assistance of grace. . . The utility of the law is to convince man of his own infirmity, and to compel him to pray for the gracious remedy provided in Christ. God commands

what we cannot perform, that we may know for what blessings we ought to supplicate him. . . The law was given to convict you; that being convicted you might fear, that fearing you might pray for pardon, and not presume on your own strength."

III. The law is of great use to believers in restraining their corruptions, because it forbids sin and denounces the most fearful curses against those who love and practise iniquity. The very form of most of the precepts is suited to put believers on their guard. Goodwin: "Commandments in a negative form suppose the nature of man to run cross with the law." The soul says, why has God thus hedged ne in, but that I may always see my peril and beware? It is true that the great and habitually influential motives of Christians in aiming at a holy life are not drawn from the terrors of the law. God's people are controlled by something more exalted. The love of Christ constrains them; that is, it bears them along. [Gr. avvezet]. Nevertheless, it is true, first, that while our motives must be evangelical, yet, even in Christian obedience there is room for the entrance of the law. We are under law to Christ. We are married to him, but not to despise him. He is our husband, and, therefore, he is to be obeyed. Secondly, in cer

tain states of Christian experience, when the wickedness of the heart threatens to become outrageous, and when nothing kind or tender seems to have the desired influence over us, when Satan comes as a roaring lion, when the fiery darts fly thick and fast, and our spiritual enemies become terrible, it is of eminent service to the child of God to be able to point to something far more terrible, even the wrath of Jehovah and the lake of fire. So our Lord himself taught. Compare Matt. xviii. 7-9; Matt. x. 28; Luke xii. 4, 5. It is well for the poor persecuted, tempted soul to hear the voice of salutary warning: "Fear not them which kill the body; but are not able to kill the soul; but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”

And who can tell the power of the law over the hearts of men in general? Its chief aim and purpose in the world is not for this kind of power over the pious. Paul says, "The law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers, and murderers of mothers, for man-slayers, for whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for men-stealers, for liars and for perjured persons." 1 Tim. i. 9, 10. The restraining power of the law over the wicked is very great. Bad as they are, they would be unspeakably worse, but for its terrors. Luther: "The first use of the law is to bridle the wicked."

IV. The law is eminently useful in teaching us how to regard afflictions and how to be quiet under them. Without just views of the law of God no man can have just views of his own ill-desert. Without a sense

of his criminality, will he not rebel and cry out, as Cain? "My punishment is greater than I can bear." But let him see that he deserves all that has come upon him, and a thousand-fold more, and he will bow his head in profound humility, and, by the grace of God, will assent to the saying of the pious Jews returned from their seventy years' captivity: "After all that has come upon us for our evil deeds, and for our great trespass, seeing that thou our God hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve, and hast given us such deliverance as this; should we again break thy commandments, and join in affinity with the people of these abominations? wouldst not thou be angry with us till thou hadst consumed us, so that there should be no remnant nor escaping? O Lord God of Israel, thou art righteous: for we remain yet escaped, as it is this day: behold, we are before thee in our trespasses: for we cannot stand before thee because of this." Ezra ix. 13-15. Surely that must be a turbulent and unsanctified spirit which is not quiet when it remembers that our pains are lighter than our sins; that our sorrows are fewer than crimes. Will not every pious soul be inclined. carefully to avoid sin, when it sees that God is merciful and visits us not according to our deserts? Surely in such a case the ingenuous soul must hear the voice of the Redeemer, saying, "Go thy way and sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon thee."

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V. The plan of salvation by grace in Christ Jesus is so arranged and ordered that obedience to the moral law sincerely rendered with evangelical motives meets a divine reward. Indeed, we know not that the spotless obedience of angels, who have never

sinned, shall be any more abundantly rewarded than the obedience of the just, who have been great sinners but who have sincerely accepted the gospel and have honestly obeyed the law. O yes: in keeping the commandments there is great reward. It is true in this world. It will be true in the next. Nor will the deeply humbled soul be at all offended that the reward of his obedience is counted not of debt but of grace. He joyfully seeks the acceptance of his services in the same way that he seeks the acceptance of his person-through the mediation of Christ Jesus the Lord. The scriptural method of reasoning on this subject is this: "Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence, and godly fear, for our God is a consuming fire." Heb. xii. 28, 29. Blessed be God! The very lowest acts of obedience rightly rendered, even a pious wish, a holy desire, a devout thought, the giving of a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, shall not lose its reward, though that reward shall be all of grace. Nor is there any contrariety between this and the glorious doctrine of salvation by the active and passive obedience of Christ. The righteousness of the believer in his best deeds is not a justifying righteousness; but it is a righteousness accepted of God and rewarded abundantly, yet graciously. It is a righteousness secured to him and in him by the very scheme of redeeming mercy. Even the Old Testament teaches as much; "I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will 1 give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: