1. AMONG the multitude of reproaches which fell upon him who _was despised and rejected of men_, it could not fail to be one, that he was a teacher of novelties, an introducer of a _new religion_. This might be affirmed with the more colour, because many of the expressions he had used, were not common among the _Jews_: either they did not use them at all, or not in the same sense, not in so full and strong a meaning. Add to this, that the worshipping God _in spirit and in truth_, must always appear a new religion, to those who have hitherto known nothing but outside worship, nothing but the _form of godliness_. 2. And ’tis not improbable, some might hope it was so: that he was abolishing the old religion, and bringing in another; one which they might flatter themselves, would be an easier way to heaven. But our Lord refutes in these words both the vain hopes of the one, and the groundless calumnies of the other. I shall consider them in the same order as they lie, taking each verse for a distinct head of discourse. I. 1. And, first, _Think not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets. I am not come to destroy but to fulfil._ The ritual or ceremonial law, delivered by _Moses_ to the children of _Israel_, containing all the injunctions and ordinances which related to the old sacrifices and service of the temple, our Lord indeed did come to destroy, to dissolve and utterly abolish. To this bear all the apostles witness: not only _Barnabas_ and _Paul_, who vehemently withstood those who taught, that Christians [90]_ought to keep the law of_ Moses; not only St. _Peter_, who termed the insisting on this, on the observance of the ritual law, a [91]_tempting_ God, _and putting a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers_, saith he, _nor we were able to bear_: but _all the apostles, elders and brethren, being assembled with one accord_, declared, that to command them to keep this law, was to [92]_subvert their souls_; and that _it seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to them, to lay no_ such _burthen upon_ them. This _hand-writing of ordinances our_ Lord did _blot out, take away and nail to his cross_.