says he, '' that I am come to destroy the law and tlie prophets : I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil."
By " the law and the prophets," I understand, that system of religion which the moral law inculcated, and all the prophets enforced. To establish and confirm these was the great end of our Saviour's advent. He has confirmed them as to the great scope of all that they have spoken in reference to, I. The way of salvation —
The way of salvation, as revealed in the Old Testa- ment, is by faith in the promised Messiah —
[The moral law proclaimed this. The moral law, it is true, said, " Do this and live'*." But it was never the intent of the moral law to put men upon working out tlieir salvation bj their obedience to its commands. The law could never give life to man since the fall. It could only shew him his duty, and thunder out its curses against him for his manifold transgressions. It required perfect and perpetual obedience ; in default of which, it doomed him to everlasting destruction''. Tlius by its unbending severity it compelled every one that was under it to seek salvation in some other way. It shewed to men the necessity of a Saviour, and thus prepared them for the manifestation of Christ by the Gospel. This is the very account given of it by St. Paul, who sums up his testimony in these significant expressions, " Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faiths"
The ceremonial law held forth the remedy, of which the moral law declared our need. All its sacrifices directed men to that great Sacrifice which should in due time be offered on the cross: wiiilst the brazen serpent, the scape-goat, and all the various lustrations, displayed the efficacy of that remedy, and encouraged penitents to accept it. That the ceremonial law was intended to answer this end, we are sure ; because pur Saviour himself and his Apostles constantly appealed to it, as prefiguring Christ, who is expressly said to be " the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth"^."
Precisely to the same effect is the testimony of all the pro- phets. Who can read the 53d chapter of Isaiah, and not see that salvation is to be obtained through the atoning blood of Christ ? We see him " wounded for our transgressions," and all " our iniquities laid on him," in order that we may be "healed by his stripes." Similar to this is the dfeclaratiou
"^ Rom. X. 5. b Deut. xxvii. 26. with Gal. iii. 10.
' Gal. iii. 21—24. f Rom. x. 4.