[It was " to those only who knew the law," that the Apostle addressed himself in our text?: others could not have understood his meaning, but would have accounted all his representations " foolishness q." Thus shall we also be incapa- ble of entering into the sublime import of this passage, if we do not understand the nature of the law, the extent of its require- ments, the awfulness of its penalties, and the hopeless condition of all who are yet under it as a covenant of life and death. But if we have just views of the law, then shall we be prepared for the Gospel, and be determined, through grace, that we will not give sleep to our eyes, or slumber to our eye-lids, till we have obtained an interest in Christ, and been received into a covenant of grace with him, as our Husband, our Saviour, and our all.]
2. How interested we are in embracing the Gospel —
[By this we are brought into a new state : we have new relations, both to God and man : our spirit is altogether new, as our attainments also are : our hopes and prospects also are new : " A beggar taken from a dunghill, and united to the greatest of earthly princes1," would experience a very small change in comparison of that which we experience, when we enter into the marriage covenant with Christ. O let us con- sent to his gracious proposals, and give up ourselves wholly unto him ; then shall we " know the blessedness of his chosen," and comprehend, as far as such imperfect beings can, the incomprehensible wonders of his love ; and after bringing forth fruit to his glory here, we shall be partakers of his kingdom in the world above.]
p ver. 1. il Cor. ii. 14. r 1 Sam. ii. 8.