words, by the blessed Redeemer; "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God, with all thy soul, with all thy mind, with all thy strength, and with all thy might. This is the first and great commandment of the law, and the second is like unto it; thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."

Permit me here to observe, that this law is the same as the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus, which makes us free from the law of sin and death. The law of sin is death; but the law of life in Christ Jesus, is the law of love, and no other law can make the transgressor free from sin. Whatever other methods are proposed, whatever suggestions have been made by the wisdom of the world, respecting means and methods whereby the sinner is justified, heaven devised but one way, and that is, by conformity to the law of God. Whoever loves the Lord his God, and his neighbour as himself, fulfils the law, and in that he is justified; and it is altogether impossible that any other kind of justification should do the creature the least good. This law of the Spirit of life in Christ, is the law of love to God, and love to man, and the apostle says, that all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; "thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." In further describing this law, we shall take notice of its perfection. It is called, as in our text, "the perfect law of liberty." It then must be a perfect law of liberty. A law is perfect, if it needs no amendment or alteration to answer the purpose for which it was made. In human legislation it is frequently the case, that it is necessary to make alterations and amendments in a law to answer the purposes and ends of that law; but in divine legislation there is no occasion for

this, because our heavenly Father could make no mistake. Almighty God in framing a law, knew what would answer the purpose, and therefore his law was complete and perfect in the beginning. Now, no other law would answer the purpose, but the law of love. For love towards God secures the creature's obedience in all its forms; because whoever loves another, always endeavours to conform to what is agreeable to the person he loves. And if we love our neighbours as ourselves, it is impossible that we can trespass on their rights, privileges or immunities in any shape, or ever fall short of doing every thing to them, and for them, that they can need from us, as far as we are able. You see, then, the perfection of the law it never can be altered, it never can be changed, it was perfect in the beginning, it is perfect now, it will always remain a perfect law. There never will be any need of repealing it; it will be always binding, always obligatory on every being in the universe; and you will hear the cry through all heaven, and through all nature, "Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart-love thy neighbour as thyself." This is pure, unsullied divinity from God the Creator of all. My friends, it never can possibly be otherwise than the duty of every mortal being to love his Creator, and his fellow beings.

The perfection of this law appears in its being perfectly calculated to answer the end and purpose of that law, which is the ultimate happiness and felicity of the subject. It is not necessary for me to inform my hearers, that the very end and design is the happiness of a subject. Any law that does not produce the happiness of the subject in the result, is a law that does not answer its designs. And here permit me to observe, that it is proof pos

words, by the blessed Redeemer; "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God, with all thy soul, with all thy mind, with all thy strength, and with all thy might. This is the first and great commandment of the law, and the second is like unto it; thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." Permit me here to observe, that this law is the same as the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus, which makes us free from the law of sin and death. The law of sin is death; but the law of life in Christ Jesus, is the law of love, and no other law can make the transgressor free from sin. Whatever other methods are proposed, whatever suggestions have been made by the wisdom of the world, respecting means and methods whereby the sinner is justified, heaven devised but one way, and that is, by conformity to the law of God. Whoever loves the Lord his God, and his neighbour as himself, fulfils the law, and in that he is justified; and it is altogether impossible that any other kind of justification should do the creature the least good. This law of the Spirit of life in Christ, is the law of love to God, and love to man, and the apostle says, that all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; "thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." In further describing this law, we shall take notice of its perfection. It is called, as in our text, "the perfect law of liberty." It then must be a perfect law of liberty. A law is perfect, if it needs no amendment or alteration to answer the purpose for which it was made. In human legislation it is frequently the case, that it is necessary to make alterations and amendments in a law to answer the purposes and ends of that law; but in divine legislation there is no occasion for

this, because our heavenly Father could make no mistake. Almighty God in framing a law, knew what would answer the purpose, and therefore his law was complete and perfect in the beginning. Now, no other law would answer the purpose, but the law of love. For love towards God secures the creature's obedience in all its forms; because whoever loves another, always endeavours to conform to what is agreeable to the person he loves. And if we love our neighbours as ourselves, it is impossible that we can trespass on their rights, privileges or immunities in any shape, or ever fall short of doing every thing to them, and for them, that they can need from us, as far as we are able. You see, then, the perfection of the law: it never can be altered, it never can be changed, it was perfect in the beginning, it is perfect now, it will always remain a perfect law. There never will be any need of repealing it; it will be always binding, always obligatory on every being in the universe; and you will hear the cry through all heaven, and through all nature, "Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart-love thy neighbour as thyself." This is pure, unsullied divinity from God the Creator of all. My friends, it never can possibly be otherwise than the duty of every mortal being to love his Creator, and his fellow beings.

The perfection of this law appears in its being perfectly calculated to answer the end and purpose of that law, which is the ultimate happiness and felicity of the subject. It is not necessary for me to inform my hearers, that the very end and design is the happiness of a subject. Any law that does not produce the happiness of the subject in the result, is a law that does not answer its designs. And here permit me to observe, that it is proof pos

itive, that our heavenly Father designed the happiness of every rational creature, in that he subjected all to his requirement, "Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and thy neighbour as thyself." Permit me to observe that it is impossible for any individual to perform the duties here required, without being blessed to all the extent of blessing, that he can enjoy. Our heavenly Father continually blesses his creatures on earth, and those creatures have nothing better to bestow in return than love, towards God and their fellow-men. Here permit me also to say, that the perfection of the law appears in another peculiar instance, viz. that it has no substitute. There is no substitute for obedience. Heaven never accepts of any thing in room of this obedience. You cannot put it off and settle your account with the law, in any other way, than by conforming to it. This is the nature of the law of love, and it may, if you please, be simplified by what is perfectly within the capacity of common understanding. If the parent love the child, there is nothing to be expected in return but love from the child to the parent. He might bring all the offerings and sacrifices in his ability to bestow, and spread them at his father's feet, and say, "Accept of these in room of my love and affection," and though the offering contained all the mines of the South, and all the riches of the Indies, it would be worth nothing in comparison with love. The father would say, "No, child; I love you in my heart, the only return I can except is that you love me." In the law of God, the result is just the same. The principle is immutable. It has been proposed by erring man-(Remember, "to err is human," and we do not disparage his character when we say this)—It has been proposed by erring