48 The Gofpel a Law of Liberty. S ERN. defign ; which we may be fuze is always II done, when men take any encouragement `from it to fin ; to allow themfelves in any works contrary to righteoufnefs, to the fear of God, to purity and charity. This is a point in which the apoftles have taken great care to inftruft chriftians. St. Paul, indeed, in his epiftle to the Galatians, fhews a very warm zeal for liberty ; he could not bear that any encroachment fhould be made upon it ; for when f lfe brethren were brought in privily, to fpie out the liberty of chriftians in order to enfnare, and bring them into bon - dage, he would not give place by fubjeblion fo much as for an hour*. Nay, when the apoftle Peter thro' fear of the yews, had gone into a feparation upon the fcore of the ceremonies, requiring the obfervance of them as a condition of religious communion, and fo compelling the Gentiles to conform to the cuftoms of the Jews ; Paul withflood him to the face, and he recommended it to chriftians, Chap. v. z. To Hand fail in the li- berty wherewith Chrifi bath made us free ; but in the 13th Verfe, he gives this necefhary caution, ye have been called into liberty, only ufe not liberty for an occafion to the fief!): do * Gal. ii. ,ç. not
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