never utterly destitute of that feed of God, and life of faith, that love of Chrift and the brethren, that fincerity of heart and confcience of duty, out of which, by the operation of the Spirit, this affurance may in due time be revived, and by the which, in the mean time, they are fupported from utter defpair".

I 3

Go

CHAP. XIX.

Of the Law of God.

OD gave to Adam a law, as a covenant of works, by which he bound him and all his pofterity to perfonal, entire, exact and perpetual obedience; promifed life upon the fulfilling, and threatened death upon the breach of it; and endued him with power and ability to keep it2.

II. This law, after his fall, continued to be a perfect rule of righteoufnefs; and, as fuch, was delivered by God upon mount Sinai in ten commandments, and written in two tables"; the

I. a Gen. 1. 26. And God faid, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness:Gen. 2. 17. But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eateft thereof, thou shalt furely die. Rom. 2. 14, 15. For when the Gentiles which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, thefe having not the law, are a law unto themselves. Which fhew the work of the law written in their hearts, their confcience alfo bearing witnefs, and their thoughts the mean while accufing, or elfe

excufing one another. Rom. 10. 5. For Mofes defcribeth the righteousness which is of the law; That the man which doeth those things, fhall live by them. Rom. 5 12, 19. Wherefore, as by one man fin entered into the world, and death by fin, and fo death paffed upon all men, for that all have finned.-For as by one man's difobedience many were made finners; fo by the obedience of one, fhall many be made righteous. See alfo Gal. 3 IC, 12. Eccl. 7. 12. and Job 28. 28.

II. b Jam. 1.25. But whofo looketh into the perfect law of

four first commandments containing our duty towards God, and the other fix our duty to manc.

III. Befide this law, commonly called moral, God was pleased to give to the people of Ifrael, as a church under age, ceremonial laws, containing several typical ordinances, partly of worship, prefiguring Chrift, his graces, actions, sufferings and benefits"; and partly holding forth

liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be bleffed in his deed. James 2. 8, 10, 11, 12. If ye fulfil the royal law, according to the fcripture, Thou fhalt love thy neighbour as thyfelf, ye do well-for whofoever fhall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. Rom. 3. 19. Now we know that what things foever the law faith, it faith to them who are under the law. Rom. 13. 8, 9.Deut. 5. 32. Ye fhall obferve to do therefore as the Lord your God hath commanded you ye fhall not turn afide to the right hand or to the left. and chap. 10. 4. And he wrote on the tables, according to the first writing, the ten commandments, which the Lord fpake unto you in the mount, out of the midst of the fire, in the day of the affembly: and the Lord gave them unto me. Exod. 34, I.

c Mat. 22. 37, 38, 39, 40. Jefus faid unto him, Thou

fhalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy foul, and with all thy mind.-This is the first and great commandment -And the fecond is like unto it, Thou fhalt love thy neighbour as thyfelf.-On these two commandments, hang all the law and the prophets. Exod. 20. 3 to 18.

III. d Heb. 10. I. For the law having a fhadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with thofe facrifices, which they offered year by year continually, make the comers thereunto perfect. Gal. 4. 1, 2, 3. Now I fay, that the heir as long as he is a child differeth nothing from a fervant, though he be lord of all:

But is under tutors and governors, until the time appointed of the father.-Even fo we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world; Col. 2. 17. Which are a fhзdow of good things to come;

divers instructions of moral duties. All which ceremonial laws are now abrogated under the New Testament.

IV. To them also, as a body politic, he gave fundry judicial laws, which expired together with the ftate of that people, not obliging any other, now, further than the general equity thereof may require".

V. The moral law doth for ever bind all, as well justified perfons as others, to the obedience thereof"; and that not only in regard of the

but the body is of Christ. Heb. 9th chap.

e I Cor. 5. 7. Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened: for even Chrift our paffover is facrificed for us. 2 Cor. 6. 17. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye feparate, faith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing: and I will receive you.

f Col. 2. 14, 16, 17. Blotting out the hand-writing of ordinances, that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his crofs. Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink.-Which are a fhadow of things to come; but the body is of Chrift. Eph. 2. 15, 16. Having abolifhed in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments, contained in ordinances, for to make in him

felf of twain, one new man, fo making peace; and that he might reconcile both unto God in one body, by the cross, having flain the enmity thereby.

IV. g See Exod. 21ft chap. and 22d chap. ft to the 29th verfc. Gen. 49. 10. The fceptre fhall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him fall the gathering of the people be. Mat. 5. 38, 39, Ye have heard, that it hath been faid, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: but I fay unto you, that ye refift not evil, I Cor. 9, 8, 9, 10.

V. h Rom. 13. 8, 9. See above in letter b. 1 John 2. 3, 4, 7, 8. And hereby do we know, that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that faith, I know him, and keepeth not his com mandments, is a liar, and the

matter contained in it, but also in refpect of the authority of God the Creator who gave it'. Neither doth Chrift in the gofpel any way diffolve, but much ftrengthen, this obligation.

VI. Although true believers be not under the law as a covenant of works, to be thereby juftified or condemned'; yet is it of great use to them, as well as to others; in that, as a rule of life, informing them of the will of God and their duty, It directs and binds them to walk accordingly"; discovering also the finful pollutions of their nature, hearts and lives"; fo as, examining themfelves

truth is not in him. Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. Rom. 3. 31. and 6. 15. Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law. What then? fhall we fin, because we are not under the law but under grace? God forbid.

i Jam. 2. 10. II. See in let. ter b.

k Mat. 5. 18. For verily I fay unto you, Till heaven and earth pafs, one jot or one tittle fhall in no wife pafs from the law, till all be fulfilled. v. 19. Whofoever therefore fhall break one of thefe leaft com. mandments, and shall teach men fo, he fhall be called the leaft in the kingdom of heaven: but whofoever fhall do, and teach them, the fame fhall be called great in the kingdom

of heaven. Jam. 2. 8. Rom. 3. 31.

VI. 1 Rom. 6. 14. For fin fhall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. Rom. 8. 1. There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Chrift Jefus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. See also Gal. 4.4, 5. and Acts 13. 39.

m Rom. 7. 12, 22, 25. Wherefore the law is holy; and the commandment is holy, and juft and good. Pfal. 119. 5. O that my ways were directed to keep thy ftatutes! I Cor. 7. 19. Circumcifion is nothing, and uncircumcifion is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God. Gal. 5. 14, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23.

n Rom. 7. 7. What shall we fay then? is the law fin? God