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holy, wherein there is a conformity to those attri butes and actions of God, which are the pattern of our imitation. Just; that is, exactly agreeable to the frame of man's faculties, and most suitable to his condition in the world. Good; that is, beneficial to the observer of it; for in keeping of it there was great reward. And thus Adam in the state of innocence had the law of God written on his heart; and therefore it is faid, Gen. i. 27. that God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him. This image confifted in the moral qualities and perfections of his foul. He was made after the image of God, in righteousness and true holiness. The Lord imparted to him a spatk of his own comeliness, in order to communicate with himself in happiness. This was an universal and entire rectitude in his faculties, disposing them to their proper operations. But of this I spoke largely, when difcourfing of the creation of man *,

Secondly, There are three forts of laws we find in the word.

1. The ceremonial law, which was given by Moses. This bound only the Jews, and that to the coming of Christ, by whom it was abrogated, being a shadow of good things that were then to come: a hedge and partition-wall betwixt them and the Gentiles, which is now taken down,

2. The judicial law, which was the civil law of the Jews, given alto first by Moses, by which their civil concerns were to be regulated, in respect of which the Jewish government was a Theocracy. What a happy people were they under such a government! Yet does it not bind other nations further than it is of moral equity, being peculiarly adapted to the circumstances of that nation.

3. The moral law, which is the declaration of the will of God to mankind, binding all men to perfect obedience thereto in all the duties of holiness and righteousness, The ceremonial law was given to them as * Sce vol. i. F. 243. & feq.

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a church in their particular circumftances; the judicial law as a state; but the moral law was given them in common with all mankind. But of these laws I fpoke more largely in a preceding discourse *.

Thirdly, This moral law is found, 1. In the hearts of all men, as to fome remains thereof, Rom. ii. 15. There are common notions thereof, such as, That there is a God, and that he is to be worshipped; that we should give every one his due, &c. Confcience has that law with it which accuses for the commiffion of great crimes, Rom, i. ult. This internal law appears from those laws which are common in all countries for the preferving of human societies, the encouraging of virtue, and the difcouraging of vice. What standard elfe can they have for these laws but common reason? The design of them is to keep men within the bounds of goodness for mutual commerce. E very fon of Adam brings with him into the world a law in his nature; and when reason clears up itself from the clouds of fenfe, he can make some difference between good and evil. Every man finds a law within him that checks him if he offends it. None are without a legal indictment and a legal executioner within them. This law is found, 2. In the ten commandments fummarily. 3. In the whole Bible largely, This is that law which the carnal mind is enmity against in the natural man, which is written over again in the heart in regeneration, Heb. viii. 10. and that was fulfilled by Christ in the room of the elect.

Fourthly, As to the revelation thereof, we may confider three special seasons thereof.

1. It was revealed to Adam in innocency, and to all mankind in him. Not by an audible voice, but it was written in his heart; the knowledge of it was con created with his pure nature; his understanding was a lamp of light, whereby he plainly faw his duty as it was revealed to him.

Note, (1.) That it is a part of the moral natural law, See vol. i. p. 349.350.

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that man is to believe whatever God shall reveal, and obey whatever he commands. Accordingly God did reveal to him the symbolical law of the forbidden fruit, for the trial of him; and then the law so extended was the rule of his duty.

(2.) God added to this law a promise of life upon obedience, and a threatening of death upon disobedience. So it was cast into the form of a covenant, called the Covenant of works. This prohibition was founded upon most wife and just grounds. As, first, to declare God's sovereign right in all things; and next, to make trial of man's obedience in a matter very congruous to discover it. For if the prohibition had been grounded on any moral internal evil in the nature of the thing itself, there had not been so clear a testimony of God's dominion, nor of Adam's fubjection to it. But when that which was in itself indifferent became unlawful, merely by the will of God, and when the command had no other excellency but to make his authority more facred, this was a confining of man's liberty, and to abstain was pure obedience.

2. It was revealed to the Ifraelites again upon mount Sinai in ten commandments. For Adam having fallen, and fo man's nature being corrupted, the knowledge of this law was darkened, howsoever the godly patriarchs kept up the knowledge of it. But in Egypt they had loft much of the sense of it, which made it necessary to be renewed.

3. By Jesus Christ and his apostles the law was again revealed to the world, the knowledge of it being then much loft among the Jews as well as the Gentiles. And now we have it comprehended in the scriptures of the Old and New Testament.

Fifthly, As to the properties of it; it is,

1. An universal law, binding all men, in all places, and at all times, Rom. ii. 14. 15. For when the Gentiles, &c.

2. It is a perfect law, comprehending the whole of man's duty to God, and to his neighbour. There

were no new duties added to it by Chrift, for it was perfect before. So says the pfalmist, Pfal. xix. 1. The law of the Lord is perfect.

3. It is indispensable and perpetual; Luke xvi. 17. It is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail. Matth. v. 18. Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

Lastly, For what use is the law revealed? I answer,

1. It was revealed at first, that man by obedience to it might be justified; but now it is not revealed for that end, feeing no man by obedience to it can obtain justification: For that the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, Rom. viii. 3. Since the fall no mere man can attain happiness by the law; for all are guilty of fin, and cannot poffibly yield that per fect obedience which the law requires. For there is not a just man upon earth that doth good, and finneth not, Eccl. vii. 20. In many things we offend all. Yet it is

of use,

(1.) To all men in general. It is of a threefold ufe. 1.) To let all men know what the holy will of God and their duty is: Micah vi. 8. He hath Shewed thee, O man, what is good: and what doth the Lord re quire of thee, but to do justly, and and to to love mercy, walk humbly with thy God?

2.) To let all fee their inability to keep it, and fo to humble them in the sense of their fin. By them, fays David, is thy fervant warned. Who can understand bis errors? cleanse thou me from fecret faults, Plal. xix.

11. 12.

3.) To give them a clear sense of their need of Chrift. Wherefore ferveth the law? faith the apostle. It was add ed because of tranfgreffions, till the feed should come, to whom the promise was made, Gal. iii. 19. And fays the fame apostle, ver. 24. The law was our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith And it brings men to Chrift, (1. As it convinceth them of their fin. The prohibitions of the law con

vince men of their fins of commiffion; and the injunctions of it convince them of their fins of omiffion.. Hence says the apostle, Rom. iii. 20. By the law is the knowledge of fin. Rom. vii. 7. I had not known fin but by the law, &c. There are many things which men had never reckoned fins, unless the aw of God had discovered them. (2. By discovering unto them the dreadful wrath and curse of God that is due unto them for their fins. It tells them, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them, Gal. iii. 10. (3. By awakening their confciences under a sense of their guilt and apprehenfion of their misery, and begetting in them bondage and fear, whereby they are brought tơ a clearer fight of their need of Christ, and of the perfection of his obedience.

(2.) To the unregenerate: particularly it is,

1.) For a looking-glass to let them fee their state and case, by convincing them, that by the deeds of the law there shall no flesk be justified in God's fight; for by the law is the knowledge of fin, Rom. iii. 20. and fo to bring them to Christ, who has wrought out a perfect righteousness for their justification.

2.) For a bridle to hold them in with its commands and threatenings, who otherwise would regard nothing. The law, says the apostle, is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for finners, &c. 1 Tim. i. 9.

3) For a fcourge vexing and tormenting their consciences, and making them uneasy in a sinful coursey rendering them inexcusable, and laying them under the curse.

(3.) To them that are in Chrift. It ferves,

1.) To magnify Christ unto them, shewing them their obligation to him for fulfilling it in their stead. O wretched man that I am! says the apostle; who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord, Rom. vii. 24. 25. Christ bath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made VOL. II.

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