CHAPTER XIII.

DETACHED REMARKS.

I. IGNORANCE OF THE LAW.

HE evils of ignorance of the law are very great.

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They are such as these: Where the law is not well known, there is but little knowledge of sin. Of course convictions, if any, are slight. The fallow-ground of the human heart is not well broken up. And where the law is not well known, repentance is slight. We are called upon to mourn for our sins; but if we do not know how numerous and vile they are, our sorrow will not bear any just proportion to their enormity. Besides, where there is general ignorance of the law, false confidence will abound. Multitudes will presume upon God's mercy where none is promised; and multitudes will lie in carnal security. When such ignorance becomes general, society assumes its very worst forms. Lawlessness runs riot. The animal nature of man fearfully prevails. Irreligion becomes general, and all sober men cry out, what are we coming to? The gospel itself becomes for a loathing, like the manna to the Israelites; for "without an experimental knowledge and an unfeigned faith of the law and the gospel, a man can neither venerate the authority of the one, nor esteem the grace of the other."

II. HOW THE LAW IS MADE VOID.

a gift; it is

The error of many ancients, and of not a few moderns, consists, not in a formal denial of the obligation of the moral law, but in inventing various devices for evading its force. The Scribes and Pharisees superadded a great mass of the traditions of the elders, which they regarded as equal and even paramount to the law of God. Against this capital error our Saviour directed much of his discourse. He charged them directly with transgressing the commandments of God by their traditions. The fifth commandment said, Honour thy father and mother. The tradition of the elders said, If a parent was suffering with hunger, and his son had an animal whose meat, when dressed, would be suitable food for the hungry, if the son wished not to relieve the distresses of his parents all that was necessary was to say, It is Corban; it is devoted to religious uses. declares, They made the commandments of God of none effect by their tradition. The worship of such is an offence to God. Jesus but expresses the tenor of the Old Testament when he says of such; "In vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." Matt. xv. 2-9. Others render null and void the law by not sufficiently discriminating between it and the gospel. Colquhoun: "To blend or confound the law and the gospel has been a fatal source of error in the Christian church; and nas embarrassed many believers not a little, in their exercise of faith and practice of holiness." The church of Rome follows both these devices fully. An old commentator says:

Thus Christ

"The Scriptures teach that there is no difference to be put between meats, in regard of holiness, but that every creature of God is good. This the Papists make void by teaching that it is matter of religion and conscience to abstain from flesh meats at certain sea

sons.

The Scripture teacheth that we should pray to God alone. This they make void by their manifold prayers to saints departed. The Scripture teacheth Christ alone to be our Mediator, both of redemption and intercession. This they make void by making saints intercessors. The Scripture teacheth Christ to be the only head of the church. This they abrogate by the doctrine of the Pope's supremacy. The Scripture teacheth that every soul should be subject to the higher power. This they abrogate by exempting the Pope and popish clergy from subjection to the civil power of princes and magistrates. Lastly, to instance in the same kind as our Saviour here against the Pharisees, whereas the word of God commands children to honour their parents, the papists teach that if the child have vowed a monastical life, he is exempted from duty to parents."

III. A RIGHT TEMPER..

If in any thing, surely in the study of the law, a right temper is exceedingly important. The law is not to be looked upon as the word of man, but is to be received as it is in truth the word of God, spoken in most solemn circumstances. We are as much bound to look back to the awful scenes of Sinai, as if we ourselves had been present at the giving of the law. Whoever would study the law aright, must have a docile temper. He must be willing to learn whatever

God would teach him. His language should be, "Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth." We should know the law of God better if we would more zealously practise what we have already learned. Perhaps nothing more impedes our spiritual progress than refusing to do as well as we know how. James iv. 17. We ought also to think much on the commandments. One mark of a good man, as laid down in the First Psalm is, that "his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night." Although the word law here includes more than the ten Commands, even all Scripture, yet the law is an excellent part of the sacred writings; so that it is not excluded. If we would study the law profitably, we must be open to conviction. We must not be scared away from beholding sad sights in our own hearts, habits and lives revealed to us by the law. We must be willing to borrow light from all proper sources. Not a book of Scripture is there but that it throws some light on the Commandments. Above all, we must ask for the illumination of the Holy Ghost. Without his teaching we shall labour in vain. Let us, therefore, cry mightily to God, asking him to quicken us in his way, and not to hide his commandments from us, to teach us the way of his statutes, and not to take his Holy Spirit from us.

IV. HOW SHOULD THE LAW BE DIVIDED?

1. All admit that the law as at first given was upon two tables of stone written upon both sides, Ex. xxxii. 15. It is commonly thought that the first table contained all the law to the end of the requirements respecting the Sabbath day; and that the

second table contained all from the words," Honour thy father," &c. to the close of the Decalogue. Tradition has been so uniform in handing down this report that it is entitled to respect. The first table, therefore, enjoins duties directly owing to God; and forbids sins directly committed against him and his worship. The second, prescribes our duties to man; and forbids every species of sin against our neighbour. Calvin: "We have a reason at hand which removes all ambiguity on this subject. For God has thus divided his law into two parts, which comprise the perfection of righteousness, that we might assign the first part to the duties of religion, which peculiarly belong to the worship of his majesty; and the second to those duties of charity which respect men. The first foundation of righteousness is certainly the worship of God; and if this be destroyed, all the other branches of righteousness, like the parts of a disjointed and falling edifice, are torn asunder and scattered. It is vain to boast of righteousness without religion." The precepts of both tables proceeded from the same authority, and yet sins against God are more heinous than sins. directed against man. "If one man sin against another, the judge shall judge him: but if a man sin against the LORD, who shall intreat for him?" 1 Sam. ii. 25.

2. The method of numbering the commandments has not been entirely uniform. They are not in Scripture called the Ten Commandments, but the Ten Words. Hence some writers have felt at liberty to regard what is ordinarily called The Preface to the Commandments as the first WORD. Meier divides the ten words into two pentads, thus. I. (1,) I am Jehovah