may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. . . . . Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect."-Matt. v. 43-48. Thus the perfection of God is the standard and model set up for our example and imitation in the law.

Whilst, therefore, we have seen the authority of the law of God to rest solely upon the unquestionable and unlimited right of God as Creator, its principle originates in the infinite excellence of the nature of God the Holy, the God of love. As we have already suggested, and is self-evident, it is altogether conceivable, and to God possible, that he should have created beings competent to behold and admire, but not to imitate, the perfections of the Creator. It is, therefore, certain that the duty of imitation does not arise of necessity and per se, out of the beholding them. And it is equally certain from the testimony of the Scriptures, as considered in the last chapter, that the obligation does, in fact, grow out of the sovereign will of the Creator. That will, as contained in the law written in the heart and attested by conscience, is the ultimate ground of all moral obligation, the ultimate test of duty, to the creatures. On the other hand, inasmuch as God's will cannot but be, as he is, holy, as it is nothing but expression given to the perfections of his nature, it follows, that whatever God commands us must be most holy and excellent.

The defenders of the authority of the nature of things are accustomed to insist, that a rejection of it involves the conclusion, that there is no intrinsic difference between holiness and sin, that they are only discriminated by the fact, that the one is commanded and the other forbidden. If there be indeed no other distinction than that which proceeds from the nature of things, then, truly, is there no essential difference. For, as the nature of things is neither a god nor even a creature, it is impossible that any thing should proceed from it. But, if men are willing to attribute a sovereignty over the whole moral system to such a nothing as is this,-why is it not more reasonable to attribute it, where most righteously it belongs, to that infi

nite, self-existent, eternal and all-glorious Essence, from whomif it be any thing at all-even the nature of things, with all things else, must have derived existence? Is it absurd to suppose the moral nature of God, which is nothing else but his very essence, to be self-existent, independent, determinate and unchangeable? Is it absurd or untrue to attribute to it, as such, infinite excellence,-excellence, not relative, but absolute; not ascertained by reference to any other standard, but in and of itself? If this be absurd, it must be equally so, in respect to any imaginable standard of excellence; and the result is, that, there being nothing excellent, in itself, there can be no standard; and hence no excellence at all!

But, if God's nature be, as unquestionably it is, in and of itself absolutely excellent, infinitely good, then have we a distinction, real, essential and infinite, between moral good and evil. The one is the essential glory of the blessed God. The other is the negative of God! Thus have we an abundantly satisfactory solution of those tremendous realities, which eternity is destined to unfold, dependent on the difference between good and evil, between the likeness of God, and that which he hates.

The transcription of the law from the nature of God, is that which constitutes its excellence; on which the Scriptures so 26. It is a largely expatiate. Addressed to a moral sense, with perfect reve- which the created intelligences were endowed, for lation. the express purpose of enabling them to apprehend. the moral glory of God,—it is a perfect revelation of that glory. In thus speaking, we view the law as inclusive of its sanctions, as well as precepts. Both the penalty, and that promise which constitutes it a covenant of life, are parts of the law. Although neither of them is essential to law, as such, they are both-the promise as much as the penalty-incorporated, as essential elements of that law which God has given to his creatures, as a revelation of his holiness, goodness and justice. Whilst the imperative utterance of its precepts announces the rightful sovereignty of the creative I AM,—their provisions proclaim his purity and holiness, and his abhorrence of evil; the penalty attests his infinite justice, which will reward the evil according to their

deeds; and the promise proclaims his boundless goodness and love, lavishing favours, not in proportion to the merits of the creatures, but according to the beneficence of a God. Again, these various attributes are illustrated in the lives of the creatures, as seen in the light of the law. The beauty of God's holiness. shines in the holiness of those who walk in conformity to the law; -his blessedness, in the happiness which they enjoy, springing out of their holiness;—and his goodness, in this and the added blessedness which they realize in his smile, and from the exercise toward them of his loving power. Yet more glorious does that holiness appear, as it is contrasted with the wickedness of those who transgress the law; and the terrible majesty of his justice is seen, in the punishment which, denounced in the law, is inflicted by the hand of the righteous Judge. Especially in Christ do all these things shine in ineffable lustre. Humbling himself to become a servant to the law, its royal authority was thus proclaimed. His life of holy conformity to its precept constituted him an ensample, in whom its perfection, and that of him whom it proclaims, is seen. His agonizing death, under its overwhelming curse, was an astonishing display of God's inexorable justice; and, at the same time, the compassion toward sinners, which the scene of Calvary attests, and the infliction, which, at the demand of the law, was laid upon the Son of God's love, join to witness, that God's justice, pursuing sin, fearful though it be, is infinitely removed from what we might imagine, as the revenging fury of incensed Omnipotence. They proclaim, in unmistakable terms, the penal infliction of God's curse to be the exercise of a holy rectitude of One who, enthroned in calm tranquillity, far above the strife of creature passion, will, in pure and unchanging justice, render the reward due to every creature.

In fine, this holy and eternal law will occupy the throne at the last great day. Its decree will proclaim the holiness, the truth and justice, the goodness and love, of God, assigning to every creature the righteous award; and, when that dread assize shall be over, by the power of Omnipotence will every word of its decrees be fulfilled. Whilst the promise of the covenant heralds the saints to heaven, the sword of the curse will

pursue the wicked to hell. In that world of woe, the law fills the throne. The blackness of darkness is the horror of its frown. A fiery wrath is its only sanction; and the thunders of the curse are its only tones. It testifies, there, in the unwilling ears of the lost, and to the awe-struck gaze of heaven's blessed inhabitants, that God is sovereign and omnipotent; that he is holy; that he is true, and unchangeable, and just. In heaven, too, the law will reign supreme, forever. No longer clothed in the form of extrinsic precepts, its principle will shine forth in the unveiled glories of God; whom we now see through its glass darkly, but then shall see face to face. And they who behold will be like him, because they shall see him as he is. Yet the law which reigns in heaven, though the same, is not the same. There, as God's people, so, his law, is transformed. Its unchangeable holiness remains. Its faithful exhibition of God's perfections remains. Nay, it there consists in the unveiling of those very perfections, the unclouded light of God's own face. But it rules not, there, in the guise of a master. It wields not, there, the scourge of terror; nor deals in the notes of threatening. It speaks not even with the sternness of authority. "We are free from the law, by the body of Christ." It has no curse to utter; no scourge to wield. Its only sanctions are the smiles of God. Its only power is love.

Thus does the law constitute the basis and medium of all we know or can know of God; the reason and cause of all we can suffer in hell, and the spring and pledge of growing knowledge and blessedness in heaven. Truly, "The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; the statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold; sweeter, also, than honey, and the honeycomb. Moreover, by them is thy servant warned; and in keeping of them there is great reward."-Psalm xix. 7-11.

1. Sin is

CHAPTER VII.

THE NATURE OF SIN.

"SIN is any want of conformity unto, or transgression of, the law of God."* Perhaps no more signal illustration could be named of the extent of man's apostasy from God, unlawfulness. than occurs in the superficial and false conceptions which are prevalent on the nature and evil of sin. Nor are these false opinions.confined to the ignorant and the thoughtless. "What is sin?" says Pelagius. "Is it a substance at all? or a name to which there is no substance, and by which is expressed, not a thing, not an existence or bodily substance, but the performance of a bad act? I believe this is the case." "Sin," says a disciple of the same theology, "in every form and instance, is reducible to the act of a moral agent, in which he violates a known rule of duty."‡

There are a number of words used in the Scriptures, to signify sin. Thus, on, a missing the mark; 1, a turning out of the way; p, a passing over the line; 7, rebellion; yn, a turning aside. In the New Testament, åμapria, a missing the mark; dvouía, unlawfulness; napáßao, a passing over the line; παρακοὴ, disobedience; παράπτωμα, a stumbling or falling out of the path. In all cases, the words point to a standard of rectitude, from which departure takes place. In respect to those things to which the name of sin is applied, the following points are clearly taught in the Scriptures.

1. There cannot be sin where there is no moral law, no principle of moral obligation. This is distinctly asserted by Paul :— "Where no law is, there is no transgression."-Rom. iv. 15.

* Shorter Catechism, Qu. 14.

† Wiggers' Augustinism and Pelagianism, Andover, p. 132.

Fitch's Discourses on the Nature of Sin. New Haven, 1826, p. 4.