182 THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE [DISC. IV. us practise " love to God and our 'neighbour, which is the fulfilling of the law;" as far as our state. of frailty permits; Rom. xiii. 10. The design of the grace of God in Christ Jesus is, that we might be holy, and without blame before God, in love." Are " we chosen in Christ ? It is " that we may be holy; Rph. i. 2, 4. Doth God forgive us ? It is that, we may fear, and love, and serve him ;" Ps cxxx. 4. There " is forgiveness with God,, that he may be feared." Are we redeemed with the blood of Christ ? It is " that we might be a peculiar people, zealous of good works ;" Tit. ii. 14. Doth " the grace of God bring salvation to us ? It teaches us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, to live righteously, soberly, and reli- giously, in this present evil world ;" Tit. ii. 11, 12. Weare under the la.w still unto Christ, as it is the rule whereby Christgoverns his church, while he pardons their failures and imperfections : But we are not under the law, as it is the rule ofjudgment, and condemns all that have not fulfilled it. We 'are freed from the curse of the law, but not from the obligation to obedience. So. the apostle, 1 Cor. ix. 21. . All believers have this freedom from the curse of the law, that from a new principle of holiness and love, theymay fulfil the commands of the law, as far as our presentcircumstances will admit; Rom. vii. 6. " But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held ; that we should serve God, not in the spirit of terror and bondage, but in new- ness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter, i. e. by a new principle of holiness, wrought in us by the Spirit of God, as a principle of love and obedience. 2. The gospel gives us encouragement and strength to fulfil the duties of the' law, and engages us tohope in God, that we may love him, please and serve him, as a forgiving and reconciling God, which the broken law, . with all its commands, threatenings, and terrors, Both not, and could never do. The law speaks only condem- nation and death. "As many as labour for life under the law, and would be justified by the law, are Under the curse, and maydespair of life ;" Gal. iii. 10. Now de- spair is no spring of obedience, and hopeless labour is very feebly and negligently performed ; but hope is a powerful and lasting principle of holiness: 1 °John iii. 3.
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