upon the face of the meridian sun. Whilst this reflected a very high degree of glory upon the law itself, it was especially intended to intimate to all Israel, that they were unable to apprehend the full scope and meaning of the law?! They thought it a covenant whereby they were to obtain acceptance with God ; whereas it had an infinitely higher office, even that of " a schoolmaster to bring them to Christ, that they might be justified by faith "J." But this, which was its chief glory, they were not able to discern : and, in consequence of their ignorance of its true meaning, they supposed it to be of ever- lasting obligation ; whereas it was, together with all its atten- dant rites and ceremonies, to continue only till Christ should come, and then to give way to a more perfect dispensation. Still, however, when all the circumstances attending its promul- gation are considered, it was certainly exceeding glorious.]
But the Gospel was far more glorious —
[As imparting life, it must of necessity be far more glorious than that which only occasioned death : for the law did really occasion death ; inasmuch as, if there had been no law, there would have been no transgression, and consequently neither sin nor deaths In revealing such a way of salvation too, it is inconceivably glorious. How mysterious is that record, " that God hath given unto us eternal life ; and this life is in his Son: that whoso hath the Son, hath life ; and he that hath not the Son of God, hath not life ^ :" and finally, that " he was made sin for us, who knew no sin, that we, who had no righteousness, might be made the righteousness of God in himM" Well is this called, " The glorious Gospel of the blessed God ! " for in it are " riches" of love that are altogether " unsearchable," and heights and depths that can never be explored.
That the Gospel too transforms the soul into the Divine image is another ground of excellence, which exalts it in- finitely above the law. The law rather irritates and inflames the corrupt principle within us, than tends at all to the subjuga- tion of it"; but the Gospel both frees us from the dominion of sin, and liberates us from all its penal consequences : " the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus makes us free from the law of sin and death ^."
The Gospel too, as being God's last dispensation, will endure for ever ; whilst the law, which was only introductory to it, is altogether abolished. So that in this respect also its superiority to the law is great and indisputable.
Compare the two then, and see the difference between them :
P ver. 13. 1 Gal, iii. 24.
r Rom. iv. 15. and v. 13. and 1 John iii. 4. » i John v. 11,12. t 2 Cor. V. 21. u Rom. vii. 5, 8. ^ Rom. viii. 2.