God in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter*." Here he refers to the same image as before, the dissolution of marriage by the death of our husband ; and the consequent termination of those restraints, in which, during his life, we were held. But what is to be the effect of this liberty ? an abandonment of ourselves to sin ? No : but an obeying of our new husband, not in the servile way to which we have been accustomed, but with real pleasure and delight, panting after the highest possi- ble perfection both of heart and life. This service we are to account perfect freedom : and we are to live altogether for him, " running the way of his com- mandments with enlarged hearts." Now, " where- ever the Spirit is, there is this liberty1." But, alas ! how little of this liberty is seen in the Christian world ! Instead of panting to attain " the full mea- sure of the stature of Christ," we are satisfied with our own stinted growth ; so that, in the course of several years, scarcely any improvement is visible in us. The little we do for the Lord, is rather " from constraint, than willingly." Our defects create in us no real humiliation : our weakness stimulates us not to earnest cries for help : our inability to fulfil our duty leads us not to exult and glory in the work of Christ, or to clothe ourselves from day to day with his perfect righteousness. No : of these feelings, respecting which I spoke largely in my first dis- course, the generality are wholly destitute ; and therefore destitute, because they understand not the law either in its condemning or its commanding power. Ignorant of the law, they are of necessity ignorant of the Gospel also ; and, consequently, are strangers to all those high and holy feelings which the Gospel inspires. Be it however remembered, that if, " through the knowledge of the law, we be, as we must be, dead to the law," we shall account it our first duty, and our truest happiness, to " live unto our God."
i Rom. vii. 6. ' 2 Cor. iii. 17.