As great liberties are by some taken on the supposition that a thorough reformation took place in God's government at the crucifixion; that the constitution by which he had previously governed the world was there abolished, and an entire new set of laws and regulations introduced; it may be well to inquire what change really did take place, and how much was abolished, and ceased at the cross of Christ. Did he enact a new code of laws? Did he introduce a new rule of duty? Did he teach us that nothing of the former dispensation is binding in this? This is the question at issue. If we have any divine laws in this dispensation which were common to the old, and these laws are re-enactments of Christ, it follows that they must have been abolished; for a law cannot be re-enacted till it has first been abolished. But if Christ simply teaches the perpetuity, in this dispensation, of certain laws which existed in the old, it is both anti-scriptural and absurd to talk of their abolition; as God would not suffer a law to be abolished which he designed to be of perpetual continuance. And, third, if there existed a code of laws in the former dispensation, the perpetuity of which, as a code, he teaches in this, he teaches the perpetuity of every single commandment in that code, as much as though he specified them one by one. These principles will be acknowledged by all. Let us now turn to Christ's first public discourse, and see with what language he commences his instructions: "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven." Matt. v, 17-20. We know that the term law is applied to different objects in the New Testament. What its meaning is in the text before us, is differently held by different individuals. But we think the language sufficiently definite on this point. The law spoken of is a law the fulfilling of which does not abolish it, otherwise the language is but nonsense. But we know that Christ did through his blood abolish the ceremonial law, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, ces, and did blot out the handwriting of ordinances, which was against us. Eph. ii, 15; Col. ii, 14. Now if this is the law referred to in Matt. v, 17, the language of the text is substantially this: "Think not that I am come to destroy (or abolish) the law; I am not come to abolish, but to fulfill; which is to abolish;" or to make it still shorter, "I am not come to abolish the law, but to abolish it;" which is absurd. But further: We claim that the ceremonial law cannot here be referred to, from the consideration that the declaration as applied to that law will not hold true in fact; for Christ did not come to fulfill, or abolish, that law. Of him, to be sure, was the substance which that law foreshadowed; and hence of course he took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; but this was not the purpose for which he came. He came to die for lost man, and in view of this fact, a law of types and shadows was instituted. He came to fulfill his great mission, and the law instituted in view of that coming, was thereby, as a matter of course, abolished. But the law of Matt. v, 17, is a law which the Saviour did come to fulfill. What law did he come to fulfill? We answer, the moral law. To fulfill a moral law, is to keep its requirements; and this does not abolish it. If it is necessary to illustrate so plain a fact as this, we can do so by almost any number of references to Scripture. The moral law demands (1.) perfect obedience; but if this is not rendered, it then demands (2.) the death of the transgressor. In order that the sacrifice of Christ be availing, he must keep the law, or it would demand his life as a transgressor. Having kept it, he then fulfilled, for disobedient man, the demands it has upon the transgressor. Thus in a two-fold sense he fulfilled the moral law, making thereby a way of escape for man; and to this end he came. But again: The law spoken of is a law of commandments. "Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments," &c.; but the expressions, "the commandments," or "these commandments," without qualification, never stand in the New Testament, for the rules and regulations of the ceremonial law; consequently our Lord is here enforcing obedience to some other law. And again: We call especial attention to the closing declaration of this paragraph of our Saviour's discourse: "For I say unto you, that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven." He makes this declaration to enforce his previous exhortation, to do and teach the commandments of which he was speaking; for, he tells them, unless their standard of righteousness should be raised higher than that of the scribes and Pharisees, they could not enter into the kingdom of heaven. But what is righteousness? Why, we all know what unrighteousness is; for "all unrighteousness is sin." 1 John v, 17. And what is sin? Sin is the transgression of the law. 1 John iii, 4. If unrighteousness then is transgression of the law, righteousness is obedience to the law, or right doing. The law therefore of which Christ speak Matt. v, 17, is the law by which we are to regulate our actions and form our characters; it is moral law; for it is the standard of our righteousness; and unless our righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, we shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. One more thought on this point: The law is spoken of as something already existing; it is spoken of as something the most familiar to those present, as much so at least, as the prophets; obedience to the least of the commandments referred to, is enjoined upon every individual throughout all time, with promises to the obedient and threats against those who should break them or teach men so. This is no new enactment by the Saviour. It is only declaring the perpetuity in this dispensation, of something that existed in the old. Something survived the disolution of the "middle wall of partition," and is brought over unqualified and unchanged into the present age. How much?