be revived q, and by the which, in the mean time, they are fupported from utter despair r. G 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 threatned death upon the breach of it; and endued him with power and ability to keep it a. vant, that walketh indark nefs, and - hath no light? let him trult in the name of the Lord, and ftay upon his God. q 1 John 2. 9. Whofoever is born of God, doth not commit fin: for his feed remaineth in him, and he cannot fin, because he is born of God Luke22.31. But I haveprayed for thee, that thy faith fail not; and when thou art converted,ftrengthenthy brethren. Job.13.15 Though he flay me, yet will I truft in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him. Pfal. 73. 15. If I fay,I will fpeak thus: behold, I fhould offend against the generation of thy children, Pfal. 51.8.12. (See letter p inmediately before.) Ifa. 50. 10. (See letter p immediately going.) r Mic 7, 7. Therefore I will look unto the i ord: I will wait for the "God of my falvation: my God will hear me. v. 8. Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy; when I fall, I fhallarife, when I fit in darkness; the Lord fhall be a light unto me. 7. 9. I will bear the indignation of the Lord, becaufe I have finned against him,untilheplead my caufe, and execute judgment for me: he will bring me forth to the light, and 1 thall behold his righteouf nels Jer. 32. 40. And I will make are verlaftingcovenant with them, that I will not turn away from l em, to do them good; but Iwill ut my fear in their hearts, that II. This they fhall not depart from me. Ifa. 54. 7. For a fmall moment have I forfaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee. v. 8. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee, for a moment;but with everlafting kindness will I have mercy on thee,faiththeLordthyredeemer. v. 9. For this is as the waters of Noah unto me: for as I have fworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth; fo have I fworn that I would not be wroth with thee, ncr rebuke thee. v. 10. For the mountains hall depart, and the hills be removed, but my kindneísfhall not depart fromthee, neither thall the covenant of my peace be removed, faith the Lord, that hath mercy onthee. Pfal. 22. 1. My God, my God, why haft thou forfaken me? Why art thou fo far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring? (Pfal. 88. throughout.) I. a Gen. 1. 26. And God faid, Let us make man in our image, after our liknels; and let them have dominion over the fifh of the fea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thingthat creepeth upon the earth. v. 27. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him: male and female created bethem. With Gen. 2. 17. But of the tree of the knowledge of II. This law, after his fall, continued to be a perfect rule of righteoufuefs; and, as fuch, was delivered by God upon mount Sinai in ten commandments, and written in two tables b; the four firft commandments containing our duty towards God, and the other fix our duty to man t. of good and evil,thou shalt not eat of it for in the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt furelydie. Rom. 2.14. 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 lawunto themselves.".15. Which fhew the work of the law writtenin their hearts, their confcience alfo bearing witnefs,and their thoughts the meanwhileaccufing,or elle excufing oneanother.Rom.10.5. For Mofes difcribeth the righteoufnefs which is of the law, that the man which doth thofe things, fhall live by them. Rom. 5. 12. Wherefore, as by one man fin entred into the world, and death by fin; and fo death passed upon all men, for that all have finned, v. 19. For as by one mans difobedience many were made finners fo by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. Gal. 3. 10. For as many as are of the works of the law, are under the curle: for it is written, curfed is everyonethat continueth not in all things, which are written in the book of the law,to dothem. V. 12. And the law is not of faith but, the man that doth them,(hall live in them. Eccl.7. 29. Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have fought out many inventions. Job. 28. 28. And unto man he laid, Behold the fear of the Lord, that is wildom; and to depart from evil, is understanding. III. Be ye fulfill the royal law, according to the Scripture, Thou fhalt love thy nighbour as thy felf, ye do well. v. 10. For whofoever fhall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. v. 11. For he that faid, do not commit adultery; faid alfo, Do not kill. Now if thou comniit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a tranfgreffor of the law. v. 12. So fpeak ye,andfo do, as they that fhall be judged by the law of liberty. Rom. 13. 8. Owe no man any thing, but to love one another for hethatlovethanother, hath fulfilled the law. v. 9. For this, thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not fteal,Thou shalt not bear falfe witnels, Thou shalt not covet, and if there be any other commandment,it is brieflyconprehended in this laying, namely, thou fhalt love thy nighbour as thy felf. Deut. 5.32. Ye fhall obferveto do therefore as the Lord your God hath commanded you: you fhall not turn afide to the right-hand or to the left. Deut. 10. 4. And he wrote on the tables, according to the firft writting,thetencommandments, which the Lord fpake unto you, in the mount, out of the midft of the fire, in the day of the affembly: and the Lord gave them unto me. Exod. 34. 1. And the Lord faid unto Mofes, Hew thee two tables of ftone like unto the firft;and I will write upon these tables the words that were in the firft tables which thou brakeft. 11. b James 1. 25. But whofo looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a furgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man fhall be bleed in his deed, James 2. 8. If c Mat. 22. 37 Jefus faid unto him, thou fhalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy III. Beside this law, commonly called moral, God was pleafed to give to the people of Ifrael, as a church under age, ceremonial laws, containing feveral typical ordinances, partly of worship, prefiguring Chrift, his graces, actions, fuf. ferings and benefits d; and partly holding forth divers inftructions of moral duties e. All which ceremonial laws are now abrogated under the new testament f. IV. To them alfo as a body politick, he gave fundry judicial laws, which expired together with the state of that people, not obliging any other now, further than the general equity thereof may require g. thy foul, and with all thy mind. 7. 38. This is the firft and great commandment. .39. And the fecond is likeuntoit, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy felf. v. 40. On these two commandmentshang all the law and the prophets. III. d (Heb,9.Chapter.)Heb.10 1. For the law having a fhadow of good things to come, and not the veryimage of thethings,can never with thofe facrifices, which they offered year by year continually, make thecomers thereuntoperfect. Gal. 4.1. Now I fay,that the heir as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a fervant, tho' he be lord over all: v, 2. But is under tutors &governors, until the time appointed of the father. v. 3.Even fo we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world. Col. 2. 17. Which are a fhadow of things to come; but the body is of Chrift. e 1 Cor.5.7.Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened: for even Chrift our paflover is facrificed forus.2 Cor.6. 17 Where fore come out from among them, and be ye feparate, faith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you Jude 23. And others fave with tear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garmentsfpotted by the flesh. fCol.21.4.Blottingout thehand V. The writting of ordinances,that was against us, which wascontrary tous, and took it out of the way,nailing it to the crofs. v. 16. Let no man therefore judge you in meat or in drink,or inrelpect of an holy day, or of the new-moon, or of the fabbath days. 7. 17. Which are a shadow of things to come,but the body is of Chrift.Dan.9. 27.And he fhall confirmthecovenant with many for one week and in the midst of the week, he fhall caufe the facrifice and the oblation to cease; and for the over spreading of abominations, he fhall make it defolate, even until the confummation, and that determined thall be poured upon the defolate. Eph. 2. 15. Having abolished in his flesh the enmity,eventhe law of commandments,containedin ordainances,for to make in himfelf of twain, one new man,fo making peace; v. 16. And that he might reconcile both unto Godinone body by thecrofs, having flain the enmity thereby. IV. g(Exod.21.Chapter Exod. 22. 1. to the 29,Verfe:See both in the Bible. Gen 49.10.The fceptre fhall not depart from Judah, nor a law-giverfrombetween hisfeet,unto Shiloh come:and unto him thall the gathering of the people be. Withi Pet.2.13 Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's fake, whether it be to the king as fupreme; v. 14 Or unto V. The moral law doth forever bind all, as well justified perfons as others, to the obedience thereof h; and that not only in regard of the matter contained in it, but also in respect of the authority of God the Creator who gave it i. Neither doth Chrift in the gofpel any way diffolve, but much ftrengthen, this obligation k. VI. Although true believers be not under the law as a covenant of works, to be thereby justified or condemned 1; yet governors, as unto them that are fent by him, for the punishmentof evil-doers, and for the praise of them that do well. Matth. 5. 17. Think not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets: I am not come to deftroy, but to fulfill. With..38. Ye have heard,that it hath been faid; Aneyefor an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:. 39. But I fay unto you, that ye. relift not evil: butwhofoever fhall fmite thee on the right cheek, turn to himthe other also. 1 Cor. 9, 8. Say I these things as a man? or faith not the law the fame alfo. v. 9. For it is written in the law of Mofes, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn: Doth God take care for oxen? v. 10. Or faith he it altogether for our fakes? for ourfakes no doubt, this is written, that he that ploweth fhouldplow in hope; and that he that threfheth in hope, thould be partaker of this hope. V.h Rom 13.8,9.(See above in letter b.) v. 10. Love worketh no ill tohis neighbour; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. Eph. 6. 2.Honour thy father and mother, which is the first commandment with promife. John. 2. 3. And hereby do we know that we know him.if we keephis commandments. v. 4, He that faith, I know him,& keepeth not his commandments,is a liar, and the truth is not in him. v. 7. Brethren, I writeno newcommandment unto you, but an old commandment,which ye had from is the beginning: the old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning. 7. 8. Again, a new commandment I write untoyou,which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is paft,and the true light now fhinneth. i James 2.10, 11.(Seein letterb.) k Mat. 5. 17. (See in letter g.) v. 18. For verily, I fay unto you, Till heaven and earth pafs,onejot or one title fhall in no wife pafs from the law, till all be fulfilled. 7. 19. Whofoever therefore fhall break one of thefe leaft commandments, and fhall teach men fo, he shall be called leaft in the kingdom of heaven: but whofoever shall do and teach them, the fame shall be calledgreatinthe kingdom of heaven. James2. 8.(See in letter b before) Rom. 3. 31. Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid : yea, we eltablish the law. VI I Rom. 6 14.For fin shall not have dominion over you; for ye are not under the law, but under grace.Gal.2.16. Knowing that a manis not juftified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jefus Chrift, even we have believed in Jefus Chrift; that we might be juftified by the faith of Chrift,and not by the works ofthe law for by the works of the law shall no flesh be juftified.Gal. 3.13. Chrift hath redeemed us from the curfe of the law,beingmadea curfe for us: for it is written, Curfed is G4 every is it of great ufe 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 m; difcovering alfo the finful pollutions of their nature, hearts and lives n; foas, examining themselves thereby, they may come to further conviction of, humiliation for, and hatred against fin o; together with a clearer fight of the need they have of Chrift, and the perfection of his obedience p. It is likewife of ufe to the regenerate, to reftrain their corruptions; every one that hangeth on a tree. Gal 4. 4 But when the fulness of the time was come. God fent forth his Son made of a woman, made under the law. v. 5. To redeem them that were under the law,that we might receive the adoption of fons. Acts 13. 39. And by him all that believe are juftified from all things, from the which ye could not be juftified by thelaw of Mofes, Rom. 8. 1. There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Chrift,cfus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit, mRom.7.12.Wherefore the law is holy; and the commandment holy, and jult, and good. 2. 22. For I delight in the law of God, after the inward man. . 25. I thank God,through Jefus Chrift our Lord. So then, with the wind, I mylelf ferve the law of God; but with the flesh, the law of fin. Pfal. 119. 4. Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently, . 5. Ü that my ways were directed to keep thy ftatutes! v. 6.Then fhall I not be afhamed, when I have refpe & unto all thy commandments. 1Cor, 7. 19. Circumcifion is nothing, and uncircumcifion is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God. Gal. 5. 14, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23. See in the Bible. n Rom. 7. 7. What fhall we fay then? is the law fi? God forbid. Nay, I had not known fin, but by the law: for I had not known luft, except the law had faid, Thou fhalt in not covet. Rom. 3, 20. Therefore by the deeds of the law,there fhall no flesh be juftified in his fight: for by the law is the knowledge of fin, o James 1. 23. For if any be a hearer of the word,and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass ; 7.24, For he beholdeth himfelf, and goeth his way, and ftraightway for getteth what manner of man he was. .25. But whofo looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man fhall be blessed in his dead Rom.7 9. For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, fin revived, and I died, 2, 14. For we know that the law is fpiritual: but I am carnal, fold under fin. v. 24. O wretched man that I am, who fhall deliver me from the body of this death! p Gal. 3.24. Wherefore the law was our school-mafter, to bring us unto Chrift,that we might be juftified by faith.Rom.7.24. (fee before in the letter o, .25. in letter m.) Rom. 8.3. For what the law could not do,in that it was weak through the flesh, God fending his own Son in the likeness of finful flefh, and for fin condemned fin in the flesh; v. 4. That the righteoufnefs of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the fpirit, 4 James |