5. How clearly does this agree with the experience of every true believer! While he cries out, _O what love have I unto thy law! All the day long is my study in it_; he sees daily in that divine mirror, more and more of his own sinfulness. He sees more and more clearly, that he is still a sinner in all things; that neither his heart nor his ways are right before God. And that every moment sends him to Christ. This shews him the meaning of what is written, _Thou shalt make a plate of pure gold, and grave upon it, Holiness to the Lord. And it shall be upon Aaron’s forehead_ (the type of our great highpriest) _that Aaron may bear the iniquities of the holy things, which the children of Israel shall hollow, in all their holy gifts_: (so far are our prayers or holy things from atoning for the rest of our sin!) _And it shall be always upon his forehead, that they may be accepted before the Lord._ Exod. xxviii. 36, 38.
6. To explain this by a single instance. The law says, _Thou shalt not kill_, and hereby (as our Lord teaches) forbids not only outward acts, but every unkind word or thought. Now the more I look into this perfect law, the more I feel how far I come short of it: and the more I feel this, the more I feel my need of his blood to atone for all my sin: and of his Spirit to purify my heart, and make me _perfect and entire, lacking nothing_.
7. *Therefore I cannot spare the law one moment, no more than I can spare Christ: Seeing I now want it as much, to keep me to Christ, as I ever wanted it to bring me to him. Otherwise, this _evil heart of unbelief_ would immediately _depart from the living_ God. Indeed each is continually sending me to the other, the law to Christ, and Christ to the law. On the one hand, the height and depth of the law constrain me to fly to the love of God in Christ. On the other, the love of God in Christ, endears the law to me _above gold or precious stones_: seeing I know every part of it, is a gracious promise, which my Lord will fulfil in its season.
8. *Who art thou then, O man, that _judgest the law, and speakest evil of the law_? That rankest it with sin, Satan and death, and sendest them all to hell together! The apostle _James_ esteemed _judging_ or _speaking evil of the law_, so enormous a piece of wickedness, that he knew not how to aggravate the guilt of judging our brethren, more than by shewing it included this. _So now_, says he, _thou art not a doer of the law but a judge!_ A judge of that which God hath ordained to judge thee. So thou hast set up thyself in the judgment-seat of Christ, and cast down the rule whereby he will judge the world! O take knowledge what advantage Satan hath gained over thee; and for the time to come never think or speak lightly of, much less dress up as a scare-crow this blessed instrument of the grace of God. Yea, love and value it for the sake of him from whom it came, and of him to whom it leads. Let it be thy glory and joy, next to the cross of Christ. Declare its praise, and make it honourable before all men.
♦9. And if thou art throughly convinced, That it is the offspring of God, that it is the copy of all his imitable perfections, and that it is _holy and just and good_, but especially to them that believe: then instead of casting it away as a polluted thing, see that thou cleave to it more and more. Never let the law of mercy and truth, of love to God and man, of lowliness, meekness and purity forsake thee. _Bind it about thy neck: write it on the table of thy heart._ Keep close to the law, if thou wilt keep close to Christ: hold it fast: let it not go. Let this continually lead thee to the atoning blood, continually confirm thy hope, till all _the righteousness of the law is fulfilled in_ thee, and thou art _filled with all the fulness of_ God.