them : but the Gospel conveys to the soul of the Believer such a measure of strength, as enables it to mortify sin, and to abound in all the fruits of righteousness to the praise and glory of God. This is what St. Paul expressly tells us : " The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesiis, that is, the Go- spel, (which St. James in nearly similar terms calls ' the law of liberty,') hath made me free from the law of sin and death : for what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God, sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, (hath done ; that is, he hath) condemned sin in the flesh ; that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit'."
I may add, that the Gospel gives us a more liberal spirit, in that it does not force us to do what is hateful to us, but dis- poses us M'illingly to take upon us the yoke of Christ, and ren- ders " his yoke easy, and his burthen liglit." The current of a Believer's affections is changed by it™; so that, though he still feels the workings of corruption strong within him, he " delights in the law of God after his inward man"," and ** has his conversation in heaven," as the Unbeliever has on earth".
Thus does " the law of faith p" make men free**;" and "the liberty which they receive from Christ renders them free in- deed ^"]
The Apostle, in calling men's attention to the law of liberty, marks, II. Our duty in relation to it —
If we have been made free by the Gospel, we are bound to regard it,
1. As our rule of conduct here —
[The substance of all its commands is comprehended in one word. Love. As he that loveth fulfils the law, so he that loves fulfils the Gospel also ; as St. Paul has said ; " Bear ye one another's burthens, and so fulfil the law of Christ \" But here we must particularly observe, that our obedience to this law is not restricted to overt acts : our whole spirit must ac- cord with it, and be moulded by it. If we notice the particu- lar conduct which the Apostle reproves, we shall find, that it was not such as would have brought down censure from the world at large : it would rather have been commended as a respect due to the higher orders of society. But, when strictly examined, it was contrary to the principle of love : and that was
quite
' Rom, viii. 2, 3. "" Col. ii'i. 2. " Rom. vii. 22.
" Phil. iii. 19, 20. p Rom. iii. 27. 1 John viii. 32.
' ib. ver, 36. ' Gal. vi. 2.