to do if the law was so fraught with refreshment as you pretend.

I wish, Sir, that you would desire your schoolmistress to set you a few more scripture lessons before you attempt to appear again in the office of an usher. Paul says that the rock which Moses smote was typical of Christ, who went in the cloud; if so, his smiting of it was typical of the Saviour's being smitten with the curse of the law, when he was made a curse for us, and died the just for the unjust. The water that refreshed Israel was figurative of the water and blood that ran from his side at his death. By his blood which cleanses from all sin, we are purified; and by the spirit, or water of life, we are renewed and made fruitful. This is the refreshment that satisfied Israel; "for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ," 1 Cor. x. 4.

This doctrine of yours, Sir, is Antinomianism; and the worst that ever was preached in the world. "Is the law against the promises of God? God forbid,” Gal. iii. 21. If refreshment comes from the law, then life must come from the law; and, if so, righteousness must come from the law also, for they go hand in hand. By Christ we have justification unto life. "Had there been a law given that could have given life, righteousness should have come by the law;" and, if so, as before observed, then Christ is dead in vain. This doctrine sets aside the bounties of mercy and the

benefits of the cross at once, for "if they that are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise of God of none effect." This is Antinomianism; and wo to such Antinomians as make void either the law of faith or the law of works. But you proceed in your arguments, and I after you to overturn them.

'The moral law stands distinguished from all ' other laws, and is properly called moral, as it has respect to its duties both unto God and unto man; our Lord distinguished it very plainly from the ' ceremonial law, and as plainly from the judicial law. The law of God appeared in very early times, ' and was written upon the heart of man in Para'dise; this is called the law of nature, or the law ' of innocency.'

Instead of the moral law of God being distinguished from all other laws, I always thought it was the only basis and standard of all laws; and, instead of its being called moral, it ought to be called spiritual, holy, just, and good; and, instead of being called moral with respect to its duties, it ought to be called good with respect to the commands and requirements of it. Its being distinguished from the judicial law by the Saviour is a mystery to me; for I never knew that the Jews had any law to go by but the law of Moses, nor had they any authority to arraign or put any man to death but by that law; and, instead of the Saviour's distinguishing that from the judicial law of the Jews, he charges them with assuming Moses'

chair, binding burdens on the people, robbing widows, and binding of consciences, by teaching for doctrines the commandments of men, and so making God's law of none effect by their traditions, and murdering the prophets of God by them, which the scriptures assert to be their pride, their hypocrisy, and their ruin. Had they believed Moses, they would have believed the Saviour, for he wrote of him; but, as they believed not Moses' writings, it was not likely they should believe his words.

With respect to the moral and ceremonial laws, you might easily have brought them both to one point; for Christ is the end of the moral law, as you call it, for righteousness, and the truth of the ceremonial law as a priest and sacrifice.

As for the law of nature, and the law of innocency, these require a little defining. The law of God appears more or less on the thoughts and consciences of heathens; and heathens are said to be a law unto themselves: but the original copy of this is the law of God. And, if by the law of innocency you mean the law that God, gave to Adam, it is the same: but, if you mean by the law of nature any law that nature, or natural men, have given, they have always been contrary to the law of God, and are therefore styled the traditions, commandments, and doctrines of men; such as are enforced by carnal power or policy, and by which the commandments of God are generally made of none effect. But you pro

ceed on your journey, and I after you as fast as I can.

This is a law that is binding upon all man'kind, as the apostle has reference to when speak

ing of the heathen world, who sinned without 'the written or revealed law, that these should be 'judged by the law of nature, which was written in

every man's heart, or that law which is within 'excusing and accusing, according to the nature of ' every action.'

The law, whether written on paper or impressed on a sinner's conscience, is really binding, as you assert, for Paul says it genders to bondage, and bond slaves such must remain, unless the Son make them free. The ministration of death gives no hope of life; it keeps those that adhere to it for salvation through the fear of death all their lifetime subject to bondage. But Christ came to deliver his people from the bondage of death; and those that have the Saviour's easy yoke on their necks, or are enabled to look into the perfect law of liberty, will be blessed in their deeds, though not for them; and, feeling his love in their hearts, and being sensibly upheld with his free spirit, they will stand fast in the liberty wherewith he has made them free, and will not again be entangled with the yoke of bondage.

The law of heathens gives no hope. It is God's law, written on the sinner's heart by God's Spirit, that brings the sinner into covenant with God, in which he finds life and peace, by faith in Christ.

The moral law is distinguished by its promise, ' its precept, and its punishment, and is divided • thus into three parts.'

You should have worded it thus; its precepts, its promises, and its punishments. You should have set the precepts first, for it commands before it promises; and as it has got more precepts and punishments than one, they should have been expressed in the plural.

Its promises are these, both of which are preceded by the precepts; "Honour thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long in the land;" which is the first commandment, with promise; and David tells us what this promised blessing is; "the days of our years are threescore years and ten, and if by reason of strength, they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow." The next commandment, with promise, is this; "Ye shall therefore keep my statutes and judgments: which, if a man do, he shall live in them," Lev. xviii. 5. Here is doing first, and life for doing, you can bring no other promises from the law than these. But as no man can do, no man, by this law, can live; " for had there been a law given, that could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law." The law is a killing letter, and curses every sinner that is under it; and he that escapes its binding yoke, its killing power, and its dreadful curse, is the believer in Christ, and him only. The just man shall live by his faith; but the law is not of faith, nor