"distinguished by books and leaves, but by the diversity of God's Spirit speaking unto us. For "sometimes in the Old Testament God doth com"fort, as he comforted Adam, with the voice of the "Gospel. Sometimes also in the New, he doth "threaten and terrify; as when Christ threatened the "Pharisees. In some places, again, Moses and the Prophets play the Evangelists: Insomuch that "Jerom doubted whether he should call Isaiah a Prophet or an Evangelist. In some places, like"wise, Christ and the Apostles supply the part of "Moses: And as Christ himself, until his death,

was under the law, (which law he came not to "break, but to fulfill,) so his sermons made to the "Jews, run all for the most part upon the perfect "doctrine and works of the law, showing and teach"ing what we ought to do by the right law of Jus"tice, and what danger ensueth in not performing "the same. All which places, though they be con"tained in the book of the New Testament, yet they "are to be referred to the doctrine of the law, ever having in them included a privy exception of repentance and faith in Christ Jesus. As for example; where Christ thus preacheth, Blessed are the pure in heart; for they shall see God*. Except << ye be converted, and become as little children, ye "shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven†. But "he, that doeth the will of my Father, shall enter in

to the kingdom of heavent. Likewise the parable "of the unkind servant, justly cast into prison for "not forgiving his fellow-servant, &c. The cast"ing the rich glutton into hell, &c.|| He, that de"nieth me before men, shall be denied before the angels of God¶. With other such like places of

Matth. v. 8.

† Ibid. xviii. 3.

§ Ibid. xviii. 23, &c.

Ibid. vii. 21.

Luke xvi. 19. &c. Ibid. xii. 9.

Scripture. All these, I say, pertaining to the doc"trine of the law, do ever include in them a secret exception of earnest repentance and faith in "Christ's precious blood. For else, Peter denied, " and yet repented. Many publicans and sinners were unkind, unmerciful, and hard-hearted to "their fellow-servants; and yet many of them re

pented, and by faith were saved, &c. The grace "of Christ Jesus works in us repentance towards "God, and faith in himself unfeigned.

"Briefly, to know when the law speaketh, and "when the Gospel speaketh, and to discern the "voice of the one from the voice of the other, we

may learn from the following remark. That when "there is any moral work commanded to be done, "either to avoid punishment, or upon promise of any "reward temporal or eternal, or else when any pro"mise is made with condition of any work command"ed in the law; there is to be understood the voice "of the law. On the other hand, where the promise "of life and salvation is offered unto us freely, with"out any merits or doings of ours, and simply with"out any condition annexed, of any law, either na"tural, ceremonial, or moral: All such places, "whether they be read in the Old Testamemt or in "the New, are to be referred to the voice and doc"trine of the Gospel. And this promise of God, freely made to us by the merits of Jesus Christ, so long before prophesied to us in the Old Testament, "and afterward exhibited in the New Testament, "and now requiring nothing but our Faith in the "Son of God, is called properly the voice of the Gospel, and differeth from the voice of the law in this, that it hath no condition adjoined of our meriting, but only respecteth the merits of Christ the "Son of God; by faith in whom alone we are pro"mised of God to be saved and justified, according

46

"as we read, The righteousness of God, which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all, and upon all them "that believe, &c. Rom. iii. 22.

"The second caution or danger to be avoided is, "that we now knowing how to discern rightly be

tween the law and the Gospel, and having intelli66 gence not to mistake one for the other, must take "heed again that we break not the order between "those two, taking and applying the law where the

Gospel is to be applied, either to ourselves or to"ward others. For notwithstanding the law and the "Gospel many times are to be joined together in "order of doctrine; yet it may sometimes fall out, "that the law must be utterly sequestered from the "Gospel. As when any person or persons do feel "themselves, with the majesty of the law and judg"ment of God, so terrified and oppressed, and with "the burden of their sins overweighed and thrown "down into utter discomfort, and almost even to the

pit of hell, as happeneth many times to soft and "timorous consciences of God's good servants: "When such mortified hearts do hear, either in "preaching or reading, any such example or place "of the Scripture which pertaineth to the law; let "them think, that they do not in the least belong to "them, no more than a mourning-weed belongeth "to a marriage-feast; and therefore removing out "of their minds all thoughts of the law, of fear, of "judgment, and condemnation, let them only set "before their eyes the Gospel, the sweet comfort of "God's promise, free forgiveness of sins in Christ,

grace, redemption, liberty, rejoicing, psalms, "thanks, singing, and a paradise of spiritual jocun"dity, and nothing else; thinking thus with them"selves, that the law hath done his office in them "already, and now must needs give place to his "better; that is, must needs give room to Christ

"the Son of God, who is the Lord and Master, the "Fulfiller and Finisher of the law; for Christ is the "end of the law for righteousness to every one that "believeth. Rom. x. 4.

"The third danger to be avoided is, that we do "not, on the other hand, use or apply the Gospel, "instead of the law. For, as applying the law in"stead of the Gospel, is like going to a marriage"feast in a mourning-gown; so to apply the Gospel " instead of the law, is to cast pearls before swine: "In which there is great abuse among many. For commonly it is seen, that these worldly epicures " and secure mammonists, to whom the doctrine of "the law doth properly appertain, do receive and apply to themselves most principally the sweet promises of the Gospel: So likewise it is too often "the case, for those broken and contrite in heart, to "whom only belong the joyful tidings of the Gos

pel and not the law, to receive and retain to them"selves the terrible voice and sentences of the law. "Whereby it cometh to pass, that many do rejoice, "that should mourn; and many fear and mourn, "that should rejoice. Wherefore, to conclude; in private use of life, let every person wisely discern "between the law and the Gospel, and aptly apply "to himself, that which he seeth convenient.

"And again, in public order of doctrine, let every discreet preacher put a difference between "the broken heart of the mourning sinner, and the "impenitent worldling, and so join both the law with "the Gospel, and the Gospel with the law; that in "throwing down the wicked he ever spare the weak"hearted; and again, so spare the weak, that he do "not encourage the ungodly."

The Christian Reader will excuse the length of these extracts, which we will conclude with remarking; that this excellent man, Hamilton, and his bless

ed commentator, Frith, lived before the establishment of the Reformation in their respective countries of Scotland and England; and that it is comfortable to reflect, that the same Spirit teaches the same truth in all places and times; as appearsi n the instance before us, which contains the Gospel with as much clearness, (and would to GOD, it might not be said, with more clearness,) as among the professors of a later day.

FOR THE CHRISTIAN's MAGAZINE.

THE DOCTRINE OF THE ATONEMENT.

Our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the Atonement.-Rom. v. 11.

No. III.

THE system of grace is an astonishing instance of

the wisdom of God. It indeed displays, to all the intelligent creatures in the universe, that attribute, in a more remarkable manner than the whole creation. The angels who dwell in heaven, consider the salvation of fallen men, through the atonement made by the Redeemer for our sins, as eminently calculated to manifest the divine wisdom. Eph. 3. 10. "To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places, might be known by the church, the manifold wisdom of God."