THE LAW OF LIFE
The law of the Spirit of life shall set you free from the law of sin and death. Rom. 8-2. After two days he will revive the hope of Israel; and in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight. Hosea 6-2. The prophet here alludes to a dispensation - a day of two thousand years. After two days, or dispensations, Jesus came and revived the hope of Israel, which was the life of the body. Adam would not have lost his body had he not sinned - which was disobedience to the Word of God. God, however, has not forsaken his people, nor will he fail in his purposes. He has followed his people with the words of promise, and his covenants of life will not fail. Enoch in the first dispensation received the immortal life of his body, by obedience, and saw not death. Noah by obedience to God's Word escaped the deluge or destruction of the old world.
The law of life was given to Moses; and Paul said, The law was ordained unto life. The hope of Israel was life without death - though they did not attain unto it because of sin, which was the transgression of the law; therefore their bodies fell. But Elijah kept the law of life and did not die. The life of the body was the faith they held - i.e., the true seed from the beginning; but when the children of Israel were scattered among the Gentiles they lost the faith in part - saw the soul salvation still, but became blinded to the life of the body - therefore Paul said to the Gentiles, I would not have you ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits, that blindness in part happened unto Israel until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. Rom. 11-25. He saw at the fulness of the Gentiles, Israel would be gathered again - i.e., their descendants, the seed that was to come, to whom the promise was made, (Gal.3- 19,) viz., the promise of the life of the body. Remember, they had never lost the common faith. Their testimony was good, and some of them still held to the great faith of the life of the body.
Look at David. He said, Thou hast delivered my soul from death, wilt thou not deliver my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living? They died in the faith, not having received the promise; therefore Paul says, There is something better for us - i.e., the life of the body is better than the common salvation of the soul. He brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, and he never taught death. His teaching was the life of the body all the way through. He came not to destroy men's lives, but to save them. He kept the law, as it was ordained unto life; and the spirit of the law of life was in Christ Jesus. But they refused it at his hands, and he made the atonement for the soul; and now he comes to raise us up, and we shall live in his sight. He was a light to lighten the Gentiles for their soul salvation, till their fulness, and now he comes to be the glory of his people Israel. God has set his hand the second time to recover the remnant of his people Israel! and his laws come in force; as it is written, The nail that is fastened in the sure place shall be removed; (Isa. 22-25;) - which nailed the law till the Gentiles came in for the soul by faith. Now Israel will keep it as Jesus kept it, for he never at any time transgressed his Father's commandments. The 144,000 sing the song of Moses and the Lamb (Law and Gospel) - not after a carnal commandment, like the Jews of old, but the righteousness of the law of life; for they are virgins, who are not defiled with women. Rev. 14-4. The kingdom of lust must pass away and give place to wisdom and power of God; and, He that doeth the will of God abideth for ever; (1 John 2-17;) for they will overcome the world, the devil and the flesh - crucify the old man with its affections and lusts. To him that overcometh shall I grant to sit down with me in my throne, as I also have overcome and am set down with my Father in his throne. To him that overcometh shall I grant to eat of the hidden manna which is hid in the midst of the Paradise of God, that ye may eat thereof and not die.
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