136 MORAL LAW UNDER THE GOtrEL. 6. " This mistake will lead us to slight and despise the writings of the apostles, as though they never did nor could preach the gospel so clearly as Christ himself ;" whereas they were really designed and sent forth after the death and re- surrection and ascension of Christ, to preach the full gospel' to the nations in clearer and stronger language than Jesus himself ever did to the multitude; they were instructed and commissioned to publish the way to salvation by Christ, in a brighter and more explicit manner sud expression, than his divine wisdom thought proper to do before he had actually died and rose agtiin, by which transactions he laid the foun- dation for preaching the gospel more clearly and perfectly. A mistake about the personal ministry of Christ, in such passages as this in my text, will make us look upon the glo- rious and evangelical paragraphs in the sermons and the epistles of Peter, Paul, and John, as mere affectionate and fervent pieces of discourse, according to the warm temper and lively fancies of those honest and zealous men, who in the heat of their spirits spoke many things mystically and unintel- ligibly. This bath been the professed opinion ofsome who are called christians concerning the great apostle ; and upon this account they think none of hiswritings are to be read without great caution : But if you will seek the way ofsalvation aright, Say they, you must go to the mount, and hear our Saviour's sermon there, in the v. vi. and vii. chapters of the gospel of St. Matthew, while they neglect the more evangelical speeches even of Christ himself. This has been the language of some men, the leaders of the consciences of the ignorant multitude, who are by nature inclined enough to a covenant of works, and need not be taught and persuaded to build all their hopes of heaven upon the works of the law, which Christ never de= signed in that noble and admirable sermon of his on the mountain. But now ifwe suppose Christ frequently preaching the law, on purpose to show the Jews the grossest defects and im- perfection of their obedience, and their need of a Saviour, and givino. such hints of the gospel. as were suited to that dispensa- tion of his life and personal ministry ; and if we suppose the apostles more fully preaching this gospel, which our Saviour just opened and begun in his life-time, and publishing it in all its glory of righteousness and grace, after the death and resurrection of Christ, because it was not proper to be thus clearly preached before, then we may well reconcile the different' language of St. Paul and ofChrist, when one saith, Believe on the Lord .Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved; Acts xvi. 31. and the ether, If thou wilt enter into life, keep the command- ments; ;fiat. xix. 17. It is certain that the law is not against
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