Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1837-02-15

tHe Y were under no 0bllgatlOn 10 OBEY the
law: They suppose that Christ has deliv-
cred them from the law, and given them
the Spirit, and that the leadings of the
Spirit are now to be their rule Of life, in
stead of the law of God Where the BIZ
bic says sin hath no dominion over be-
levers, these persons understand by it,
that the same acts, which would be sin if
done by an uncovered person, are not
sin in them. The others, they say, are
under the law, and SO bound by its rules,
but themselves are sanetifed, and are in
Christ and If they break the law it is no
sin. But all such notions must be radio
ally wrong. God has no right to give up
the moral law. He cannot disc barge US
from the duty Of love to God and love to
man, for this is right in itself And un-
less God will alter the whole moral con-
stitution Of the universe, so as to make
that right which is wrong he cannot give
up the claims Of the moral law Besides,
this doctrine represents Jesus Christ and
the Holy Ghost as having taken up arms
openly against the government Of God.
g. The distinction between law religion
and gospel religion does not consist in the
fact that the gospel is any less strict in its
claims, or allows any greater latitude of
selfindu1gence than the law. Not only
does the gospel not cancel the obligations
of the moral law, but it does in no degree
abate them. Some people talk about Cos
pei liberty; as though they had got new
rule Of life, less strict, and allowing more
liberty than the law | admit that it has
provided a new method Classification, but
it everywhere insists that the rule of life
is the same with the law. The very first
sentence of the gospel, the command to
repent, is in effect a re-enactment of the
law, for it is a command to return TO ODE
dience The idea that the liberty Of the
gospel differs from the liberty Of the law,
is erroneous
4. Neither does the distinction consist
in the fact that those called IegalIsts, or
who have a legal religion, do, either by
profession or in fact, depend on their own
works for justification. 1t is not often the
case, at least in our day, that legalists do
profess dependence on their oHn works,
for there are none so ignorant as not to
know that this is directly in the face of
the gospel. Nor is it necessarily the case
that they really depend on their own
works. Often they really depend on
Christ for salvation. But their dependence
is false dependence, such as they have
no right to have They depend on him,
but they make it manifest that their faith,
or dependence, is not that which actually
" worketh by love-" or that "purifeth the
heart or that overcometh the world"
1t is simple matter of tact, that the faith
which they have does not do what the
faith does which men must have in order
to be saved, and so it is not the faith of
the gospel. They have kind Of
faith but not that kind which makes men
real Christians, and brings them under
the terms of the gospel.
ii. | am TO mention some of the partic-
ulars in which these two kinds Of religion
differ.
There are several different classes of
persons who manifestly have a legal reli-
gion. There are some who really pro-
fess to depend on their own works for SAL
walton. Such were the Pharisees.
When | speak of works, mean works of
law. And here | want vo1 to Distinguish
between works of law and works of faith
This is the grand distinction to be kept in
view. 1t is between works produced by
legal considerations, and those produced
| by faith. There are but two principles
on which obedience to any government
can turn: One is the principle of hope
and fear, under the influence of conscience.
Conscience points out what is right or
wrong, and the individual is induced by
hope and fear to obey. The o,her prin-
ciple is confidence and love. You see
this illustrated in families, where one
child always obeys from hope and fear,
and another from atfectionate confidence
So in the government of God, the only
thing that ever produced even the appear
ance Of obedience, is one of these two
principles.
There is multitude of things that ad-
dress our hopes and fears such as charac-
ter, interest, heaven and he'll, &c. These
may produce external obedience, or con.
formity to the law But flial confidence
leads men to obey God from love This
is the on y obedience that is acceptable to
God. God not only requires certain
course of conduct, but that this should
spring from love. There never was and
never can be, in the government of God,
any acceptable obedience butthe obedience
OF faith. Some suppose that faith will be
done away in heaven. This is strange
notion As if there were no occasion to
trust God in heaven, or no reason to exer
else confidence in him. Here is the great
distinction between the religion of law
and gospel religion. Legal obedience is
| influenced by hope and fear, and is hypo-
critical, selfish, outward, constrained
] Gospel obedience is from love, and is sin.
/ cere, free. cheerful true. There is class