[2.] Such as requireth the whole man, so as the soul must be exactly perfect in all the actings of it, or else it could not be accepted with God : De.ut. vi. 5, ' Thou shalt love the Lord with all thy heart, and all thy soul, and all thy might.' A little failing in the intenseness of the spirit might make you to miscarry. The law knoweth not how to wink at failings ; the least deadness and coldness of affection, the least restraint of spirit, would have been fatal to you. It doth not only reach the spirit, but the whole spirit, and bindeth over every faculty to obedience.
[3.] It must be constant and universal, carried on without the least interruption to all the things of the commandments : Gal. iii. 10, 'Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the law to do them.' The least deviation maketh us liable to the curse. So James ii. 10, ' Whosoever shall offend in one point, is guilty of all.' Though he keep the whole law, yet the breach of any one point maketh him guilty of the breach of all. And so all your endeavours would come to nothing, and be in vain ; one sin would undo your hopes. Well, then, you that have observed the wanderings of your spirits, and are acquainted with your failings, oh, what cause have you to bless God that justification is not dispensed upon such rigorous terms ! Otherwise you might cry out with the men of Beth- shemesh, 1 Sam. vi. 20, ' Who is able to stand before this holy God ?' when fifty thousand were smitten for the breach of a ceremony, for looking into the ark. Or you will be ready to say as David : Ps. cxxx. 3, ' If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquity, 0 Lord, who should be able to stand?' There were no subsistence for the creature before the power of his wrath ; and if God should deal with us upon these terms, we could not stand in our beings, much less be recti in curia, stand in our righteousness and innocency.
2. Consider the manner how this must be done, viz., in our own persons : Mat. xix. 17, ' If thou wilt enter into life, keep the com- mandments.' That is all we can get, the law taketh no notice of a mediator and common person. Adam, that had the knowledge of the whole law, had no knowledge of Christ. Though the law should a thousand times be fulfilled by another, that is nothuig to us. The law requu'eth obedience in our own persons ; cursed is every one. And the law is said to be our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ. But that is the law ceremonial, which was but a dark gospel, and did hint Christ out of the elements of the ceremonies ; a man might spell Christ out of them : Gal. iii. 12, ' But the man that doeth them shall
420 A PRACTICAL EXPOSITION UPON [ISA. LIII. 11.
live in them.' Well, then, out of all this you may conclude that the creature can fetch nothing from the law but aggravations of his misery ; it is not to make us righteous before Go(l, but to make us guilty : Rom. iii. 19, ' That every mouth may be stopped, and all the world become guilty before God;' Rom. v. 20, 'Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound.' You see then what cause you have to bless God. All that the rigour of the law could do, is but to make the offence more abounding in our apprehensions.
Secondly, But you shall see more cause of rejoicing, 0 Gentiles ! when you look upon the second thing, which is the privilege of the gospel. You have abundant cause to bless God that there is a way found out that sinners may draw nigh to God ; that there is commerce between heaven and earth revived again : Luke v. 8, Peter said unto Christ, ' Depart from me, for I am a sinful man.' Alas ! what should sinners do with a holy God, or stubble with everlasting burnings ? When the law was pronounced, there were bounds about the mount, Exod, xix. 23. And when the people saw it, they removed and stood afar off, at the j^romulgation of the law, Exod. xx. 18. And our first parents hid themselves: Rev. vi. 16, 'They said to the rocks and mountains, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth upon the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb.' Therefore it is much that we may now come nigh to God.
Secondly, We may come with confidence and joy. That which was their terror is our comfort, viz. , nearness of converse with God : Eph. iii. 12, ' In whom we have boldness, and access with confidence.' We do not come like malefactors to a tribunal of justice, but like favourites to a throne of grace. Our greatest confidence is with God : Heb. X. 22, ' Let us draw near with a true heart, in full assurance of faith.' That we may be thankful, consider what is done that we may enjoy it.