perverseness of many hearts, that, either in opinion or
practice, they so carry themselves, as if there were an inconsistency
between Christ and the law, between free justification and
sanctification,--as if Christ had come to redeem us, not from sin, but to
sin. Now, to prevent this, "think not," saith he, "that I am come to
destroy the law." Do not fancy to yourselves a liberty to live in sin, and
an immunity from the obligation of a commandment, because I have purchased
an immunity and freedom from the curse. No, "I am come to fulfil it,"
rather, not only in mine own person, but in yours also. And to this
purpose Paul, Rom. iii. 31, "Do we then make void the law by faith?" It is
so natural to our rebellious hearts to desire to be free from the yoke of
obedience, and therefore we fancy such a notion of faith, as may not give
itself to working in love, as is active in nothing but imagination. The
apostle abominates this,--"God forbid," he detests it, as impious and
sacrilegious; "yea, we establish it." So then, all returns to this, one of
the great ends of Christ's coming in the flesh, and one main intendment of
the gospel published in his name, is not merely to deliver us from wrath,
and redeem us from the curse, (Gal. iii. 13; 1 Thess. i. 10,) but also,
and that especially, to redeem us from all iniquity, that we might be a
people zealous of good works, (Tit. ii. 14); and to take away sin, and
"destroy the works of the devil," 1 John iii. 5, 8. We spoke something
before noon, how Christ hath fulfilled the law, and established it in his
own person, by obedience and suffering,--neither of which ways it could be
so well contented by any other. But there is yet a third way that he
fulfils and establisheth it, and that is in our persons, "that the
righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the
flesh, but after the Spirit." He hath obliged himself to fulfil it, not
only for believers, but in believers. Therefore the promises run thus, I
will write my law in their hearts, and cause them to walk in my statutes,
Ezek. xxxvi. 27; Jer. xxxi. 33. Not only I delight to do thy will, but I
will make them delight to do it also. And truly, in this respect, the law
is more fulfilled and established by Christ, than ever it could have been,
if man had been left to satisfy it alone. If we had reckoned alone with
the law, we had been taken up eternally with satisfying for the breaches
of it, so that there could be