SERMON X.

Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that ye should bring forth fruit unto God.-ROMANS VII. 4.

We are about to take another step in the path which we marked out last Lord's day. We then considered man, while ignorant of the moral law in its spirituality and penal curse, as a self-righteous creature, in his own apprehension "alive." Now, previous to his actual union with Christ, he must become dead to the covenant of works. This is our present subject.

The apostle wrote to those who were well acquainted with the Jewish appointment or law concerning marriage, and therefore, by the connexion subsisting between the parties so united, and the consequence of that union being dissolved, he illustrates the connexion between the natural man and the legal covenant, together with the consequence of being dissolved from that relation, in order to his entering into one with the Lord Jesus Christ.

Read the 3rd verse, and view the text as the application.

I. Wherein this death to the law consists.

II. How it is effected.

III. What it is preparatory to, in Christian experience.

I. Wherein consists a "being dead to the law." The law is here considered as a covenant; and it is in this light only that we contend for the necessity of becoming dead to it. As it is a fair transcript of the Divine mind, as it is in the hands of the Mediator a rule of a holy life and beneficial conduct, we ought to delight in it, and cannot be too observant of it. But as a covenant of works, or the condition of our justification before God, we must die unto it.

By the marriage contract, a relation subsists, an obligation results, and a hope is excited. The death which is its opposite consists,

First, In having the relation dissolved. Death is a separation either natural or civil, i. e. in a law sense; in a natural sense, it is the dissolution between the body and soul; in a law sense, it is the separation which arises from dissolving some relation in which the person previously stood, as in the case before us between a man and his wife. While they thus exist, it is not merely as man and woman, but as husband and wife; but if a divorce take place, although their natural lives be prolonged, yet the relation being dissolved which previously existed, they are now considered in point of

law as dead to each other.

The man has nothing to do with the woman as his wife, nor the woman any interest in the man as a husband. No more in this relation, than though one of the parties was naturally dead. This legal death therefore includes,

Second. A freedom from its power. The relation once dissolved, the man has no more power over the woman, 1 Cor. vii. 39; thus it is when we are separated from the law, it has no power over us as a covenant, either to command, to condemn, or to excite our fears: hence the Holy Scriptures speak of this death as a freedom, verse 3; " she is free from that law:" chap. viii. 2, "the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death." Does it, as a covenant, command perfect obedience? Christ's righteousness answers for me, and so becomes the end of the law for a believer; he is free.

Has it, as a violated covenant, power to condemn? it had; but "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us." I am therefore freed from its penalty.

Is its tendency to produce fear and bondage? a believer is not of Mount Sinai which genders fear, but of Mount Zion, the mother of the free born, therefore, such have not any cause to fear from the covenant of works.

Third. We have no hope of good from it; what encouragement can a fallen creature have from this source? none; we cannot derive any strength,

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nothing of present consolation, nor delight by an ticipation for the future.

Fourth. This may be termed a death also, as it is generally preceded with much uneasiness and pain such feelings may be expected to attend death in both the views we have taken of it; if we think of natural death, the pains and pangs of the dying rise at once to our sight; or if of dissolving such a relation, the wife must be much tried and feel not a little, ere she can consent to its taking place; and what are the workings of the human mind in reference to dying to the law? How unwilling are we to give up all idea of personal merit-to have boasting entirely excluded! What painful efforts have some made to maintain a good opinion of their own righteousness! How backward to admit that they are totally ruined and undone in themselves, that they must be wholly indebted to free mercy and sovereign grace, imparted through a better covenant, made with the second Adam, the Lord from heaven!

We proceed to consider.

II. How this is effected: the text says, "by the body of Christ;" in the epistle to the Galatians ii. 19, it is stated to be "by the law;" and in John xvi. to be rightly convinced of sin is said to be by the influence of the Holy Spirit. Let us touch upon each as distinct branches, and then show how they unite in producing this great effect.

First. "By the body of Christ;" by the actions he performed, and the sufferings he submitted to, in

the flesh: these things tend to make us die to the law, in what they exhibit, and to what they answer. When in the light of faith, we look upon the obedience and death of Christ as our surety, acting, and dying for us, we have an awful and grand display of the righteous government of Jehovah. How pure, how strict, he maintains the honour of his law, the rights of his throne! Beholding his wrath revealed against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, we can no longer remain "ignorant of God's righteousness," in his government, and therefore no longer go about to establish our own righteousness by the deeds of the law; but, die to the law, and trust to a perfect righteousness provided. In the body of Christ we see the law answered for every true believer: he has magnified it, and made it honourable, and so is the end of it; he has blotted out the hand-writing which was against us, he has nailed the curse to the tree; if so, what has it to do with the Christian? I receive Christ as he is set forth in the gospel. I rely upon what he did and suffered, that I might be delivered. I die to the law through the body of Christ, for in that body he obeyed and died for me.

Second. The law itself is used for this purpose, Gal. ii. 19; Rom. vii. 9, "When the commandment came, sin revived and I died." How did the commandment come? with light and power. The law comes into the understanding with light, this light makes manifest; what does it reveal? it shows