amongst us has ever, for one single moment, come up to it ? The light of a glow-worm actually approaches nearer to the splendour of the sun in the firmament, than our obedience has done to that which is required of us. To say that " we are found wanting," is to say nothing. Verily, if weighed in this balance, the best man upon the face of the whole earth will be found " lighter than vanity itself." To us it may appear, that in this respect there is at least a great difference between the states of different men : but, if viewed aright, the goodness of any natural man would really be found to weigh as little before God as the dust upon the balance ; so grievously wanting are we all, insomuch that " every mouth must be alike stopped, and all the world become guilty before Goda."]
2. The balance of his blessed Gospel —
[Persons greatly mistake respecting the nature of the
Gospel : they suppose it to be a kind of remedial law, lowered
to the standard of human infirmity. But this is a fatal error.
The Gospel does not dispense with any one duty that was
enjoined by the Law, or lower it in any respect. To suppose
that it did, would be to imagine that God at first required
more of us than was necessary, or that now he requires less
than is necessary ; or that some change has taken place in the
relation that subsists between him and his creatures ; so that
that which was necessary in the first instance, is now no longer
necessary. The Gospel makes no change whatever in the law :
but it prescribes duties, of which the law gave no intimation,
and could take no cognizance. It prescribes repentance. For
this the law made no provision : but the Gospel commands
" all men everywhere to repent:" its language is, " Be afflicted,
and mourn, and weep : let your laughter be turned into
mourning, and your joy into heaviness : humble yourselves in
the sight of the Lord, and he will lift you upb." In addition
to this, it enjoins faith; even faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, as
the appointed Saviour of the world. Of this the law spake
nothing : it knew not of a Saviour for fallen man : it simply
said, " Do this, and live." But the Gospel reveals a Saviour,
who is " able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God
by him ;" and preaches through him the forgiveness of sins,
assuring us, that " all who believe shall be justified from all
things0." Once more, the Gospel calls us to obedience; even
to such an obedience as a poor fallen sinner, when aided by
the Holy Spirit, is able to render. Such obedience as this the
law could not accept: but the Gospel declares, that it shall
be accepted of God through Jesus Christ d. If only we serve
a Rom. iii. 19. b Jam. iv. 9, 10.
c Acts xiii. 39. ll 1 Pet. ii. 5.