Serm. LI. but perfei the Lait of Mofes. 361 were Inftituted by God himfelf, to make an external and legal expiation, and to be Types and Shadows of a better and more perfell Sacrifice, which should really expiate Sin; but even this was very darkly and imperféftly dìfcovered to them; betides, that the expiations of the Law did only extend to the leaft forts of Sins, thofe of ignorance and inadvertency, but not at all to prefirmptioua Sins, and fuch as were committed with a high hand, not to toilful and deliberate Sins, except in fome very few and rare Cafes particularly mentioned- in the Law; fo that tho' a great part of the Religious Rites both of the Pagan and Jewish Religion, aimed at the expiation of Sin, yet were they really ineffe&ual to that end; and upon the whole matter, Mankind, tho' they conceived good hope of God's mercy and forgivenefs in cafe of Repentance (Who can tell if God will turn and repents and turn away from his anger ?) yet they were unacquainted with any certain and effe- &ual means to that purpofe. It remains then, that this great bleffing of the Forgivenefsof Sins, was never fufficiently declared and affured to Mankind, but through Jefus Chrift in the Gofpel. So St. Paul exprefly Alerts, Alts t 3. 38, 39. Be it known unto you there- fore, Men andBrethren, that through this Man k preached unto you the forgivenefs of Sins, and by him all that believe are juflifted from all things, fromwhich ye could not be juftifed by the Lam ofMofes. TheGospel bath provided an expiation from all Sins in general, and that by a Sacrifice of ineftimable value, the blood of the Son of God. And this is amighty encouragement to Repentance, and one moft effe&ual means to reclaimMen from their Sins, tobe affured that they are indemni- fied for what is paft. And this the Apoftle means, when he Pays, Gal. 3. 13. that Chrift bath redeemed usfrom the curt of the Law, being made a curie for us ; that is, whereas the Law left Sinners, as to thofe Sins which flood moft in need ofpardon, under a Curie, having provided no expiation for them, Chrift hath redeemed them from that Curfe,bymaking a general expiation for Sin ; and in this fenfe it is that the Author to the Hebrews fays,Ch.9. a 5. that Chrift died for the redemptionof the tranf- gre ens thatwere under thefirft Covenant that is, for thofe Sins for which the Cove- nant of the Law had provided no way of forgivenefs; and therefore St. John fays emphatically, t Job. I. 7. that theblood of7efus Chrifl tleanfeth usfrom all Sin. thirdly, The Law did not afford fufficiently plain and certain Rules and Di- re&ions for a good Life. As the corruption and degeneracy of Mankind grew worfe, fo the light of Nature waxed dimmer and dimmer, and the Rule ofGood and Evil was more doubtful and uncertain, and that in very confiderable in- fiances of our Duty. The Law of Mofes was peculiar to the Jews : and even to them, who only had the benefit and advantage of it, it did not give clear and perfe& light and dire&ion as to Moral Duties, and thofe things which are of an Eternal and Immutable Reafon and Goodnefs. And therefore our Saviour in this Sermon explains it to a greater perfe&ion than it was underftood to have among the Jews, or the letter of it feemed to intend, and hath not only forbidden fe- veral things permitted by that Law, as Divorce, and Retaliation of Injuries; but hath heightnedour Duty in feveral inftances of it, requiring us to love our Enemies, and toforgive the greateli injuries and provocations, the' never fo often repeated, and not only not to revenge them, but to requite themwith good turns, which were not underftoodby Mankind to be Laws before; but yet when duly confider'd, arevery agreeable to right Reafon, and the fenfe of the wifeft and belt Men. So that the Chriflian Religion hath not only fixt and determinedour Duty, and brought it to agreater certainty, but hath railed it to a greater Perfetlion, and rendered it every way fit to bring the Mindsof Men to a more Divine temper, and a more reafonable and perfe& way of ferving God, than ever theWorld was inftruCted in before. Fourthly, The Promifes and Threatningsof the Law were onlyof temporal good and evil things, which are, in comparifon of the endlefs Rewards and Punifh- ments of another World, but very languid and faint Motives to obedience. Not but that the Jews under the Law, had fuch apprehenflons of their own Immorta- lity, and of a future {fate of Happinefs and Mifery after this Life, as Natural Light fuggefted to them; which was in moft but a wavering and uncertain per- fwafion, and confequently of fmall efficacy to engage Men to their Duty; but Aaa the
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