The Gofpel a Law of Liberty. 31 real perfection and happinefs, is that which is S E R ivt: exercifed according to the diretion of reafon II. and wifdom. On this account principally the gofpel is called the law of liberty, it reflores the em- pire of reafon in men, and refcues them from fervitude to their lufts and pafíions. It has this denomination on an other account, which I may afterwards infift on, namely, as it has abolifhed the ceremonial -law, a yoke, which St. Peter Pays, neither we nor our fathers were able to bear *. This liberty by the gofpel is largely explained by the apoftle Paul. But St. James, not treating of that fubjec parti- cularly, it is reafonable to underfland the cha- rater as applied by him in a greater latitude. In the ift chap. he has recommended a di- ligent attention to, and a due improvement of the word of God, that we fhould receive it with meeknefs as the ingrafted word which is able to fave us, laying apart all filthinefs and fuperfuity of naughtin fs ; and, then, he de- fcribes the different forts of hearers, the care - lefs, unattentive, unreformed ; and the ferious and obedient. The former he compares to a man beholding his natural face in a glafs, who f on forgets what manner of man be was. The other, looking ftedfaftly, and with the molt earnef} attention into the gofpel, is transform'd * AEts xv. O. by
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