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law only upon his enemies, he might be called partial; but if he execute the law upon those he cannot be faid to have any hatred to, that shows him to be acted by the purest justice and righteousness.

III. The work of redemption magnifies the law by the reward of obedience: for the law is honoured, not only when obedience is performed, but 22. when obedience is rewarded. The scripture speaks - of the law as a person, Rom. vii. Every person thinks himself honoured when he is obeyed; but doubly honoured when obedience to him is rewarded.

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The honour that was done to Christ is done to the law; and not only all the honour that was done to Jesus Christ, but all the gifts that his people get by being united to him, for the fake of his merits, that is, for the fake of his obedience to the law. This indeed may make us admire the wisdom of God, that the honour that is done to the criminal is done to the law; for the finner that believes in Chrift is made righteous through his righteousness; and the law is always honoured by the blessedness of the righteous. Therefore we should thus form our conception of it, that by this means still that rule is kept up, That obedience to the law is the condition of happiness. There is a difference between the old covenant and the new. The difference is not that a title to happiness is not founded upon obedience to the law; the difference is, the old covenant was founded upon fulfilling the law by ourselves; here it is founded upon fulfilling it by another.

IV. The work of redemption magnifies the law, as it is a work of infinite love. We may confider briefly these principles. Every thing that hath the nature of a motive to strengthen obedience, to excite to obedience, magnifies the law. Favours, as well as threatenings, are motives to excite to obey God's

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God's law; and this is the greatest favour, and is one of the chief motives to ftir up to obedience, and reftrain from evil. Threatenings are not the only motive to ftir up to obedience. Gifts from the lawgiver are also motives to obey the law. It would be too long to thew the favour and kindness we receive, and the due impreffion they should

make.

Favours from any lawgiver are excellent motives to excite us to obey his law; but in other cafes the chief design of the law is, to make us love the lawgiver. The chief design of the laws among men is, to make us love any particular perfon; but the defign of the law of God is, to love God. Now, what can be more fit to magnify a law of love, than a work of infinite love? If we confidered this, we would fee nothing a greater motive to establish the law. The law of God commands us to love God; and the work of redemption is the greatest motive to love him. The law of God commands us to glorify him; the work of redemption thews us the brightest manifeftation of his glory. The law commands us to be thankful to him; the work of redemption is the greatest mean to ftir us up to thankfulness. The law commands to place our happines in him; the work of redemption shows in whom we may expect happiness.

V. The application of the work of redemption through the spirit working faith, magnifies the law. The law is magnified by every thing that puts difgrace upon fin. That which puts difgrace upon en, puts honour upon obedience. We are juftified by faith in Chrift's righteousness; and by the Spirit we are enabled to obedience. God puts dishonour upon fin and difobedience, that no criminal may expect favour for his own feke; and, on the other hand, a finner puts contempt upon fin when he ho nours the commands of the law, and hates and

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L. loaths himself for all his tranfgreffions. This faith * neceffarily supposes; because faith in Chrift cannot be without a sense of the need of him; and we cannot have a sense of the need of him, without a fenfe of fin. By this means likewise the finner honours the threatenings; he justifies that sentence, and condemns himself. Now, it is less surprising to fee holy creatures condemning fin, and honouring the law; but to fee fuch as were used to dishonour the law, honour it; to fee them that were disobedient to the law, abhor themselves, and condemn themselves; to fee the greatest rebels made proselytes to their prince, this is a particular honour done to the law, and the ruler; especially finners do honour to the law in the exercise of faith, by trusting that perfect obedience, that perfect fatisfaction, given to the law, placing all our happiness only in Christ, who is the wisdom and power of God.

We may infer, therefore, briefly from this doctrine, that every one who despises the law, despises Chrift. Chrift magnified the law; he that despises the law, shews a temper quite contrary to Chrift, difhonours that which Chrift honoured, and undervalues what he magnified. On the other hand, he that neglects faith in Christ, despises Christ; he neglects him who did the greatest honour to the law, and feeks falvation otherwise, to wit, by his own works and obedience, trusting in them, and being proud of them. Though fome think this a magnifying the law, it is really a dishonouring of it; because to allow any honour in oppofition to Christ, is a dishonour of the law. We may infer likewife, that God hath magnified the law so wonderfully, that he will have us always stand in awe of it. The practical ufe of this is, to magnify Christ's example, and to endeavour to follow it. It was a direction given of old by philofophers, that when a man inclines to behave himself aright in any difficult occafion, he fhould

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should consider with himself, what such and such eminently wife and virtuous men would have done in such and such circumstances; what, for instance, a Plato, or a Socrates, would have done. What an unspeakable advantage is it to us, how powerful and influential should it be upon us, to confider what would the Son of God have done in fuch and fuch circumstances. What did the Son of God, when under strong temptations from the devil? He gave no place to them. What did he in face of the greatest afflictions? He fang an hymn of praise to God. What did he do when reviled and perfecuted by cruel and ungrateful men ? He prayed to God to forgive them. And so in the like instances.

We should at the fame time take encouragement to ourselves, if we truly repent of our fins, if we truly fee our need of Chrift, to hope for mercy, because justice is so glorioufly satisfied. Christ hath magnified the law; and if our hearts be truly united to him by faith, justice is satisfied. Some may be apt to fay, that their fins are so great, that though God be merciful, his justice must be declared in punishing fin. This is an appearance of great humiliation; but it may be called a kind of pride; for a man is very proud when he thinks that God's justice, even after all that Christ hath done, must have his punishment added to Christ's, in order to glorify the law.

We should be adoring the wonderful immenfe wisdom of God in the work of redemption, the manifold wisdom of God, the many attributes manifefted in it. It is the chief manifestation of his mercy, and alfo of his justice. To whom be glory and praise for ever and ever. Amen.

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The neceffity of divine grace to make the word effectual *.

Acts xi. 20. 21.

And fome of them were men of Cyprus, and Cyrene, which, when they were come to Antioch, Spake unto the Grecians, preaching the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them; and a great number believed, and turned. unto the Lord.

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HE word of God assures us, that the end of the salvation of finners is, that the may be to the praise of the glory of his grace, Eph. i. 6. All the causes and means of falvation work together for this good and glorious end. The Son of God, who is the chief gift of his grace, and the foundation of all grace, is he that quickens us; and we are faid to be quickened with him, "that in the

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ages to come God might shew the exceeding " riches of his grace, in his kindness towards us, through Chrift Jesus," Eph. ii. 7. i. e. the kindness of the Father in giving his Son for us. The Spirit of God is called the spirit of grace; and it is given to make us know God's grace, and to make us partakers of it. The law of God entered, that fin might abound, that we might

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* Preached in the North West Church of Glasgow, January 6. 1723, the Sabbath after Mr Maclaurin was admitted as minister of that church.

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