refuge in him who bore its curse for us ? Do we see the need of him to "bear the iniquity of our holy things?" Let us then bless God for such a Saviour, and " cleave to him with full purpose of heart."]
3. What regard are we yet daily shewing to the law?
[We are indeed delivered from its penal sanctions ; nor ought we to regard it any longer as a covenant. But we are still subject to its commands, and ought to receive it as a rule of life. If we are sincere, we shall not account even the strictest of its commandments grievous11. Let us then remem- ber that it still says to us, " Thou shalt not covet." Let us, in obedience to it, mortify all discontent and envy, all improper and inordinate desire : and let it be the labour of our lives to glorify God by our professed subjection to it.]
h 1 John v. 3.
Rom. vii. 9. I was alive without the law once : but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.
WHEN we behold the extreme supineness of those around us in relation to their eternal concerns, we are naturally led to inquire, What the reason of it is? Is it that they imagine there is no God ; or no future state ; or no connexion between their present life and their eternal destiny ? No : they acknowledge their accountableness to God ; but they are ignorant of the rule by which they shall be judged : and hence they conclude that they are in no danger, when, if they were apprised of their real state, they would he rilled with alarm and terror. Thus it was with the Apostle Paul previous to his conversion : whilst ignorant of the spiritual nature of God's law, he thought himself secure of acceptance with God : but when he had juster views of the law, he had juster views of his own spiritual condition also. Here then, as in a glass, we see,
I. The apprehensions which ignorant men have of their state before God —