The Gofpel a Law of Liberty. 3 9 binding force of the divine precepts which S ER M. are indifpenfable. He came not to deflroy the law, but to fulfil it ; and fo far from dimi- nifhing the ftrength of that motive which is taken from the future judgment, on the contrary, it is eflablifhed by the gofpel, which declares, that God now commandeth all men every where to repent, becaufè he bath appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteoz fnefs. This, therefore, at leaft, is a neceffary caution infinuated in the text againft the abufe of chritlian liberty, as if it imported an immunity from the righteous judgment of God : inftead of that, the gofpel has explained the nature of this judgment more fully, and afferted it more clearly, declared the impartial equity and the univerfality of it, with all the circum- fiances which can concur to render it awful to men, and induce them by the expefation of it to the praäice of religion and virtue. The light of nature itfelf, and that work of his law which God has written in our hearts, direáls us to look for a diftribution of rewards and punifhments hereafter, fnce the admi- nifiration of providence, here, does not thew fuch a difference between the condi- tions of good and bad men, as we cannot rea- fonably doubt but the wife and righteoua D 4 ruler
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