Man receives the Knowledge of his Duty by degrees and advances into a Mind prepossest with the prejudices of Sense and therefore may see farther and farther into things so as to correct his Errors and repent of them That his Passions grow strong before his Reason has force to govern them That his Duties are so many that in some cases they are almost inconsistent That even when he sins and provokes his Maker there are secret declarations in his Conscience against what he acts or in the Language of the Apostle The Evil that he would not that he does Such Considerations as these mov'd the merciful God to be willing to receive Man to favour made him inclinable to be reconcil'd and to mitigate that Anger he had justly conceiv'd against him for the breach of his Laws But it is impossible that God should be pacify'd while the Law which Man has broken and which the weakness of his Nature tempts him still to violate remains in its severity There can be no Peace between God and Man while this is to be executed upon every failure while Man is born under almost a necessity of Sinning and yet oblig'd to a necessity of Innocence Something must be done to this Law before God's displeasure can be remov'd and if so This Law must either be wholly taken away or Explain'd in a more easy Sence or some other satisfaction made it But the Law which ought to have been the Rule of Man's Life could not be repeal'd and quite taken away For then Man either must be left Lawless or some other Law made in the room of it The former throws down all the boundaries of Virtue and Vice gives encouragement to every Irregularity excludes God out of the Government of the World and places Man in the wildest State of Nature accountable to none but himself for his Actions If a new Law is to be substituted either this Law must partake something of the former or be oppos'd to it If it has somewhat of the Injunctions of the old Law it must have as much of the Difficulties of it too oppos'd it cannot be for the former Law rises so regularly from the Nature of Things that whatsoever should command any thing contrary to it would enjoin what is unjust and therefore would be null as soon as promulg'd Neither could this Law have a milder and more equitable Sence or Construction put upon it to soften its hardness that Man might in some measure evade the Obligation and therefore the Penalty of it For a mild interpreting of a Law is only a shewing That some Persons or Actions are not comprehended under it As the ancient Heathens were not oblig'd by the Jewish Judicial or Ceremonial Law or the present Chinese by the Evangelical As Works of Religion and Mercy are not included under the Prohibition of working on the Sabbath But neither of these can take any place here For Man could not pretend to be exempted from a Law which was made and design'd for him and could not be sutable to any other Order of Beings Nor could any Actions be excepted out of it for then must all Actions be so for tho' particular Persons might only break the Law in some special parts and therefore only have need of having those Actions Privileg'd which were contrary to it yet Mankind in general would violate every Branch of it so that all Actions in gross must be put out of its reach which is the same with an Abrogation or Repeal But there was a different Method from all these A Method by which the Law might be retain'd in its Majesty as well as Integrity not one jot or tittle of it pass away and yet Man be freed from its Rigour This was if a third Person would interpose and undergo the Punishment due to the Offenders would satisfy the Divine Wrath and propitiate for Mankind For the Dignity or Honour as well as the Force of a Law is sufficiently preserv'd if either its Injunctions are kept or satisfactory Punishment inflicted But Who can stand before God when he is angry Or Who attone for the Sin of Mankind Which of all the Angels or Arch-Angels can sustain the Person of a Mediator and satisfy the Law which we have broke Which in the Language of the Holy Job might like a Daysman betwixt God and us lay his hand on us both For God is not a Man as we are that we should answer him and should come together in Judgment The most perfect of Created Beings would shrink under so vast a Burthen So that the Son of God himself must be deputed for so glorious a purpose He that comes from Edom with dyed Garments from Bozrah Wherefore is he red in his Apparel and his Garments like him that treadeth in the Wine-fat The reason is because He has trodden the Wine-press alone and of the people there was none with him And in this God commended his Love towards us that while we were yet Sinners Christ died for us That the chastisement of our peace was upon him and that with his stripes we were healed For as by his Life he fulfill'd every part of the Law did whatsoever it had enjoin'd and so perform'd our Righteousness so by substituting himself to bear the Punishment of our Transgressions by enduring what the Law had threatned he dissolv'd our Obligation to those Sufferings which were due to us according to the Order of the Divine Justice and pacify'd the Diety's Fury the Law being still retain'd in its original Majesty And both these as well the Innocence of his Life as the Meritoriousness of his Death were necessary for the Person who should attone for the Sins of Mankind For had not his Life been wholly made up of Obedience had there been one flaw one Transgression in it he could not have been that holy and unspotted Sacrifice for the Sins of the whole World All that he could have done would have been to have died for his own Offences if perhaps he could have wash'd out his Personal stains by his Blood But as to our Faults it must cost more to redeem them the Sacrifice which can expiate for them must have nobler Qualifications so that He must let that alone for ever The Innocence of his Life was therefore not only an accomplishing of the Law in our stead and a Rule for us to act by but was in a more peculiar manner a Qualification also to prepare him to suffer duly for our Sins Which Passion was the formal Act which took away our Transgressions On him they were laid and he paid the Price of them By this Act and under this Qualification did he propitiate for our sins Secondly The equitableness of which Propitiation by removing the Penalty from the Sinner to a Stipulator who engages himself to suffer for the Guilty is the next thing to be consider'd If there was any Injustice in this as Socinus pretends there is it must either consist in this That
Doom at last and was to be the common Event of all both of those who sacrificed and those who sacrificed not It being therefore thus reasonable That God should release Man's Punishment it is as reasonable That he should lay this Punishment on Christ For either the Punishment must be laid on Christ or on some other or be remitted without any Satisfaction But without Satisfaction whatsoever the Deist may fancy the Penalty could not be sutably remov'd for that God should pardon Sin without receiving any Satisfaction is first against his Nature and Being for He is of purer Eyes than to behold Evil and cannot look on Iniquity Against his Justice because as a just and righteous Governour of the World he may not suffer his Laws to be affronted without vindicating their Honour Against his Truth since in his first Covenant with Man he has inseparably combin'd Sin and Punishment In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die Nor could the Punishment be laid on any other but Christ because none except one of the Persons of the ever-blessed Trinity could suffer Punishment sufficient to clear the Guilty For it was infinite Majesty which was injur'd and it must be satisfy'd by Majesty as infinite But it was not reasonable that the Father who i 〈…〉 the Oeconomy and Order of the Trinity is superiour to the Son and Holy Ghost should by this Humiliation be debas'd below them both It was not meet that the Holy Ghost should propitiate because he was to be sent by the Mediator in order to the applying of the Salvation which he should purchase So that whatsoever imaginary Models the School-men may raise of other Methods by which God might save the World yet there is none which agrees with Reason in all Points but the Propitiation which Christ wrought through his Sufferings The summ of all is That Christ is become our Propitiation not by Dying to bear witness to any saving or sanctifying Doctrin not by gaining a Right by his Death to forgive Sin not by giving us an Example by which we may have our Sins pardon'd not by any Encouragement his Death might yield us to an holy Life not by any of these single nor by all united but by Dying for our Sins and paying a Price tantamount to our Transgressions By clearing the Mulct which the breach of the Divine Law had contracted by an Act which at once secures Honour to the Law and Impunity to the Offenders Which Substitution of our Saviour to suffer for our Sins was shewn to be Just and Reasonable Just as having nothing in it which disagrees either with other methods of Divine Justice or with Human Proceedings Reasonable as being the only means by which God might shew his high value of his own Commands and yet his compassion for his Creatures and by one well-mixt Action display at the same time both his Justice and his Mercy A DISCOURSE Concerning MIRACLES HEB. Chap. II. ver 4. God also bearing them witness both with Signs and Wonders and with divers Miracles THE Apostle in the entrance of this Chapter informs us That Christ being a Prophet so much surpassing all before him and now advanc'd above the Angels to his Royal Office in Heaven whereby he is certainly able to perform what he foretold we ought in all reason to heed his Predictions and to make use of them as means to fortifie us when we are tempted to Sin or Apostacy For if the Law were given only by the Ministry of Angels and yet the Threats on the breaking of that did come to pass and all the Sins committed by the Israelites against it were severely chastis'd and the Transgressors not suffer'd to enter into the promis'd Land How shall we avoid equal Punishment if we do not by Constancy and Obedience make our selves capable of that Deliverance which Christ first at his being upon Earth and the Apostles which heard it from him assur'd us of and which God himself has testify'd by so many Prodigies and ominous Presages And by giving them who foretold 'em Power to work Miracles and other Abilities of the Spirit God also bearing them witness both with Signs and Wonders and with divers Miracles By Wonders in a strict sence are meant any extraordinary surprizing and new Operations whether springing from a divine Power or a natural By Miracles are understood Effects of a divine and infinite Power whether wrought privately or publickly on purpose to confirm any Doctrin or without any such design Thus our Saviour's Fast for fourty Days was a Miracle tho' it was not wrought for the confirmation of any Doctrin nor before any publick Assembly of Spectators A Sign is something more than a Wonder or a Miracle for it is wrought publickly by an infinite Power in confirmation of a Doctrin Thus our Saviour's changing Water into Wine is said to be the first of his Miracles of this kind that is the first of his Signs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For as to pure Miracles he had acted several before as his Fast for fourty Days tho Descent of the Holy Ghost in a Bodily shape This is the distinction of the Schools tho' in common vld. Aquln 2. 2dae q. 178. art 1. ad 3. acceptation Signs and Miracles are taken in the same sence Under which Notion I shall consider them and shew First What a Miracle is Secondly I shall examine what Power is capable of working a Miracle Thirdly I shall enquire into some of those Marks by which we may distinguish a true Miracle from a false one Fourthly I shall prove That the Miracles wrought by Jesus Christ and his Apostles have all these Marks of a true Miracle Lastly I shall close all by briefly shewing That tho' Christianity was at first establish'd by Miracles yet that there is no reason that we should expect a continu'd succession of them to the present times First I shall shew what a Miracle is A Miracle is something that surpasses the Power of Men or of Nature wrought in savour of a Person who knows that this Miracle shall be thus transacted 'T is a Work that surpasses the Power of Men or of Nature for let an Effect be never so surprizing or extraordinary yet while it is within the force of second Causes it is no Miracle It must in strict speaking bear the lively Impression and sovereign Stamp of Divinity upon it so that we may without hazard of being deceiv'd boldly vouch that This is the Lord 's doing and it is marvellous in our eyes Which we may safely say when Diseases are cur'd by a Touch the tumultuous Seas calm'd by a Rebuke and the Dead rais'd by the Command of One who assum'd no more than the Form of a Man When the Unlearned speak Languages which they never learn'd When the Flames shall lose their destructive Nature and instead of consuming guard When a Hand rais'd up shall determine the Fate of Armies When the Lord shall hearken to the voice
Miracle they ought so to be remov'd as not to return If Sight is restor'd to the Blind it ought not to be a temporary Restitution but a permanent and continued state of Seeing Fourthly Miracles ought to be of that Nature as to be capable of being extended over the whole Creation For since they flow from an infinite Power which has equal Jurisdiction over every Creature they cannot be confin'd within any particular Circle of Beings For whatsoever Creature the Voice of God is addrest to it immediately loses its Liberty and can only perform what is his Pleasure There is a fifth Mark which commonly attends on a real Miracle which tho' it does not fully convince that the Miracle is true yet it is a great recommendation of it to the Love and Admiration of Mankind and is fitted to perswade us That the Doctrin settled by it is from above That is when a Miracle is wrought for the good of Mankind to cure their Diseases raise their Dead The sixth Mark of a true Miracle is That it should not be wrought meerly for the Advantage or Honour of the Performer nor ought he to propose any Interest from it but the good and happiness of Mankind Where these Marks combine in any Miracle we may securely vouch That it is the Work of God and that the Person who performs it is Commission'd from Heaven after an extraordinary manner So that I shall proceed to shew Fourthly That the Miracles performed by Jesus Christ and therefore those wrought by his Apostles have all these Marks of a true Miracle And First There was sufficient Evidence That the Miracles of Jesus Christ were wrought And first There was Evidence sufficient to convince those who flourish'd in the times in which the Miracles were wrought and secondly To satisfy us who live in distant Ages Those who were co-temporary with the Miracles had not the least Umbrage from Reason to doubt the truth of them For they were wrought in publick often in great Assemblies of People generally upon notorious and inveteraâ—â—â— Diseases and Maladies in presence of the Enemies of Christianity And in matters addrest to Sense where every one has due Power as well as Right to judge Even the most implacable Adversaries who saw and envied this growing Religion in its Infancy could not deny but that notable Miracles had been done by the Professors of it But Secondly There is sufficient Evidence to satisfy us that these Miracles have been wrought And this Evidence rises from the Sincerity of the primitive Believers who were Eye-witnesses of these Miracles and Recorders of them to Posterity And who laid down their Lives not only to give Sanction to the Doctrin of Jesus but to attest the truth of his Miracles by which it was confirm'd The Relations of these Persons must be assuredly true since they could propose no other Interest to themselves but the Propagation of Truth All other sinister aims were disappointed by their Deaths and their Reward was only to be hop'd for in that glorious future State of which they discours'd so much Add to this That the first Professors of Christianity always appeal'd to Miracles and challeng'd the Heathens to bring their fancy'd Deities assuring them that they should all be miraculously struck dumb by the God of the Christians otherwise they offer'd themselves to Death as Enemies of the establish'd Religion of their Country The greatest Enemies of Christianity could not deny so manifest a matter as the Miracles wrought by Jesus Christ and his Apostles Lucian the great Ridiculer of all Religion freely owns it For He whom he blasphemously styles in his * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 363. Edit Ribitti Ariston 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is undoubtedly our Saviour This Jewish Sophister he tells us cast out Devils heal'd the Sick rais'd the Dead Secondly The Miracles of our Saviour did not tend to overthrow any Doctrin before establish'd by God by sufficient Miracles For tho' the Civil and Judicial Laws of Moses fell shortly after our Saviour's Death because they were only calculated for the Common-wealth of the Jews and were dissolv'd with that Polity yet we find that our Saviour during his abode on Earth did not in the least invalidate their Obligation and was so far from teaching any thing contrary to the Obedience of them that he was always prepar'd to practise them himself As to the Ritual and Ceremonial Law which was employ'd about Circumcision and Purifications and Sacrifices in distinction of Meats and Times and various other Rites and Observances this was not properly dissolv'd and made void by the coming of Christ but fulfill'd and made good by him The Rites and Ceremonies of this Law were the Types and Resemblances of those future good things which were promis'd under the Gospel a kind of rude Draught and Sciography of a more spiritual refin'd and perfect Oeconomy which was design'd and at last finish'd and compleated by Christianity But while these Laws continued in force our Saviour submitted himself to them He was Circumcis'd and presented in the Temple and perform'd all other Rites commanded by the Law of Moses He did not therefore work any Miracle in opposition to these Laws but they having remain'd as long as they were design'd to do and there was any use of them expir'd and abated of their own accord Thirdly The Effects of our Saviour's Miracles were permanent He did not suspend only but expel Diseases the Dead which he rais'd had their Soul join'd to their Body by as firm an union as when it was at first inspir'd Fourthly Our Saviour's Miracles were extended over the whole Creation the Power of them was as large as the Circle of the World nor were Hell and the Grave exempted from their Jurisdiction The faln Angels who rebell'd against God were yet forc'd to submit to him And Death and Diseases were soften'd into Life and Health The Winds and Seas were silent at his Voice and He stilled the raging of the Waters So that the general Obedience of all Nature was a sufficient Motive to perswade that it was the God of Nature who acted Fifthly Our Saviour's Miracles bear that endearing Character That they were wrought for the good of Mankind For most of the Works of our Saviour were equally beneficial and miraculous Even in the Prologue to his own Crucifixion his violent Attachment when one of his Enemies was wounded he bestow'd a Miracle to effect his cure The Spirit of the Gospel display'd it self in all that he did as that of the Law in the Miracles of Moses As the latter were generally perform'd to destroy and consume so those of Jesus wholly aim'd to preserve and save Lastly Our Saviour's Miracles were not design'd to gain himself Applause Interest or Honour For he refus'd to be made a King And tho' he was crown'd indeed yet it was with Thorns alone tho' he was Exalted yet it was only upon the Cross to be made a more conspicuous Instance of
or absolutely needful to the gaining of Eternal Life but what was so under the Old Testament before his coming otherwise he had been oblig'd to have inform'd the Lawyer of thâ—se new Terms of Salvation and not to have refer'd him to the Law and what was to be read in it He did not therefore new extend the old Commands or impose new ones he introduc'd no new Religion into the World nor even material Circumstances of it the Will of God as it was reveal'd to Man being of that kind that it is as unchangeable as his own glorious Nature and the way to Heaven as much one as that ever-blessed and holy GOD whose enjoyment makes up the Bliss of that happy State This Conclusion drawn from the design of the Words I shall endeavour to prove by shewing First That it was inconsistent with the Character which our Saviour should bear to exercise such Legislative Power as to give New Commands or new extension to the Old ones Secondly That the Moral Law in its own nature was incapable of receiving an addition of New Commands or of having the Old ones extended to New Duties Thirdly That as it was inconsistent with our Saviour under that Character which he bore and as there was this incapacity in the Law so That he never attempted to do what was both thus against the Nature of the Thing and besides his own Character to extend the Old Commands or impose New ones Fourthly That as our Saviour has not added any thing to the Law so neither has he taken any thing from it nor is there any Priviledge in the Gospel which makes void any of the Commands of God before given Lastly I shall briefly reflect on the Encouragement that there is to observe the divine Commands because their observance shall be rewarded with Eternal Life as it is styl'd by our Saviour The three first of these Positions are quite contrary to the Doctrin taught by Smaloius or whosoever else was the Author of the Racovian Catechism and Racov. Cat. â— â—â—â— c. to the generality of the Vnitarian Divines nay and even to some of great Name amongst our selves who in some Bâ— Taylor 's Ductor Dubitant pag. â—42 c. Rule 4. Edit 1696. Forbes and others things seem too favourable to their Opinions who affirm That it was agreeable to our Saviour's Character to make additions to the Law and that the Law was qualify'd to receive 'em and that he did not only extend the Mosaick Commands to new Duties but also made the Appendage of several Commands of his own Such are the Commands of Self-denial taking up the Cross or Patience under Misery and Death the following of Christ to which Duties they say there was no obligation before Christianity In opposition to whom I shall endeavour to prove First That it was inconsistent with that Character which our Saviour should bear to exercise any such Legislative Power as to give new Commands or newextension to the old ones By the Virtue of his Character our Saviour does not so much as assume Authority to displace the Scribes and Pharisees from Moses's Chair or to weaken that power which they had gain'd over the People tho' he well knew how unjust their Pretensions were both to the one and the other so far is he from publishing any thing but what might reasonably be spoken from the Chair of Moses and suitably to his Sence The Scribes and Pharisees says he sit in Moses's seat all therefore whatsoever they bid you observe and do that observe and do 'T is true he divests the Law as was fit of those artificial Traditions which instead of strengthning did in his unerring Judgment make it void He drew off that Veil from its Face which their Doctor 's Interpretations had put on it and shew'd the beauty of its Holiness in its full lustre But he does not that we find add any thing to it and as He came not to destroy the Law and the Prophets so neither came he to make any New Law of his own For the Character which he sustain'd was indeed unqualify'd for such an Office because he did not appear in the Person of a Law-giver to give New Laws but in that of a Mediator being at once the Priest and the Sacrifice to atone for our breaches of the old to free us from the Curse which we had contracted by them and to be made a Curse for us that he might redeem us from the Curse of the Law For this is one of the great differences between Moses and Christ That the former was to make Laws and by the force of them to accuse and condemn the Disobedient whereas Jesus Christ came only to pardon absolve and reconcile Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father says he to the opposing Jews there is one that â—coâ—soth you even Moses in whom you trust The reason is because God sent not his Son into the World to condemn the World or indeed to execute any other branch of Judicial or Legislative Jurisdiction but that thro' him the World might be saved For the Law the Rule of Practice and Obedience was given by Moses but Grace the Dispensation of Pardon and Reconcilement to the Benitent and Truth the Fulfilling of the Types of the Law came by Jesus Christ The appearance of a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief was too inglorious for a divine Law-giver to assume and Laws would but receive small force from him who was despis'd and rejected of men So that he was only to live suffer and die suitably to the Law a Pattern of unmateh'd Innocence and Virtue to fulfil it not to add to it And indeed it was absolutely unnecessary that our Saviour should be invested with the Power of adding any thing to the Law For Secondly The Moral Law in its own nature was incapable of receiving an addition of New Commands or of having the Old ones extended to New Duties The Psalmist tells us The Law of God is perfect and there is reason that it should be so if we consider that the fources of Good and Evil are not chiefly laid in any positive Injunction of God with a design to try Man's Obedience as * Sunt qui nullam praeceptorum causamquaerunt sed dicunt omnia solam Dei Voluntatem sequi Maimonides Mor. Nov. â— 3. c. 26. some have fancy'd but in the order and dependance of things themselves which are always in the principal the same We must therefore conclude that this Law which is the Rule of this Good or Evil must be always the same too and therefore when it began to be a Law or a measure of this Good or Evil it must be as perfect as it is at present because what is now Good or Evil was always Good or Evil. Farther If we survey the compass and latitude of that Holiness Sanctity and Perfection which were commanded by the Law we may find that it was not
Verdict of Reason and Natural Conscience but fully condemn'd by the Sentence of God pronounc'd by Moses and his Holy Prophets As our Saviour did not new extend the Old Commands so neither farther did He impose any New ones oâ— his own But here our Catechist affirms that our Saviour did enjoin several New Commands of his own as the Command of Denying our selves or pluâ—king out our right Eye and cutting off our right Hand of taking up the â—â—oâ—â— and of following Christ But these were Duties before the Gospel before the Day spring from on high had visited us in the Substance tho' not in every Circumstance Branch and Punctilio of them For tho' 't is improper to say That the following of our Saviour was a Duty before this Saviour appear'd on the Earth â—â—o should thus be follow'd before He had led a Life of compleat Virtue and Innocence which should be an Example to all his Followers yet that Resignation to the Will of God that perfect Charity towards Mankind that Humility and Perseverance in Fasting and Prayer which our Adversaries make so peculiarly imitable in our Saviour were obligatory before they were thus practic'd and enforc'd by Him And this will appear by a brief yet particular Examination of each one of them And in the first place Self-Denial which is nothing else but that Virtue by which we renounce our own Will and all its carnal Desires and conform them to the Will of God equally oblig'd under the Old Testament as under the New For did not the former as well as the latter exact a perfect Love of God A Love exerted with all our Heart with all our Soul with all our Might A Love in some proportion worthy that Divine Object to which it was addrest and that oblig'd Creature who paid it But could so pure a Love as this be offer'd unless the Offerer renounc'd his own Will and all its carnal Desires and wholly submitted them to the Will of God since all Love of the World and whatsoever belongs to the carnal Mind is Enmity to God every sinful Dâ—â—â—â—e entertain'd in an Heart consecrated to the Almighty making the whole Sacrifice an Abomination in his sight So that since a perfect Love of God was commanded by the Old Testament and this could not be given without a complear Self-denial every Religious Votary under that Dispensation as well as under the Gospel was oblig'd to deny himself to renounce all his carnal Desires that he might love God with a more inâ—â—am'd Affection a more passionate Devotion So that the Command of Self-denial was â—o New Command of our Saviour's but one of those which were deliver'd to the Israelites and upon the Observation of which the God oâ— them Fathers promis'd to Increase them mightily in the Land which flowed with Milk and Honey Secondly The taking up the Cross that is a Preparedness to endure any Misery for the Name of God and Constancy in his Holy Religionâ— â—ay which is the greatest Tryal of an unshaken Courage a Readiness to suffer even Death it self which tho' it is the finisher yet is the most dismal of all Miseries A Disposition to undergo these which is meant by taking up the Cross was a Duty which oblig'd under the Ritual Law as well as since its Abrogation 'T is true indeed Christianity at its first rise seems to be a Religion purely made up of Sufferings The Prospect was wholly dark and melancholy Its Professors as well as its Founder pour'd out their Souls to Death and were number'd with Transgressors shar'd with him in the Agonies of a violent and the Shame of a disgraceful Dissolution Tho' the Duty if taking up the Cross was thus vigorously put in practice by the first Christians yet did it not then begin to oblige but was a Duty in foâ—â—e under the Law and strictly kept by I its Religious Observers Some of which as the Apostlâ— to the Hebrewâ— tells us were Tortur'd not accepting Deliverance others had Tryals of cruel Mâ—â—kings and Sâ—â—â—â—â—ings of Bonds and Imprisonments were Ston'd were Sawn asunder were Tempted or as others read it with perhaps an apter connexion with the Context 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were Burâ—â— were slain with the Sword Thirdly The following of Christ that is a conforming our Lives to the Life of Christ or a resembling him in those Virtues which are properly his not known as our Opposâ—â—â— say before He taught and practic'd them Such are a Resignation to the Will of God perfect Charity Humility and Peâ—sevenance in Fasting and Prayer But these were Duties before they were thus practic'd oâ— enforc'd by our Saviour For what greater Obligation could there be to a Resignation to the Will of God than that Command of the Prophets Trust in the Lord for euer for in the Lord Jehovah â—â— everlasting strength What greater Instance could be given of perfect Charity than that passionate Expostulation of Moses upon God's being angry with the Israelites for â—he Molten Calf Yâ—â— nâ—w says he if thou wilt forgive their Sin if not blot me I pray thes out of the Book that thou hast written It seems to rise up to St. Paul's pathetical Wish under the Gospel I could wish that my self were accursed from Christ for my Brethren my Kinsmen according to the Flesh As for Humility it was a Duty before the Gospel for the Prophet Micah commands us to walk Humbly with our God as well as to do Justly and love Mercy Fasting and Prayer and Perseverance in them were Duties antecedent to the Gospel for we find that our Saviour does not so much settle any New Commands about them as remove those Mistakes which were risen concerning them He supposes that to Pray was a Duty but his Direction is Not to pray as the Hypocrites do He supposes Fasting to be a Duty but his Injunction is Not to disfigure the Face that we may appear to Men to Fast So that He does not enjoin the Duties which were commanded before only corrects the Errors which are frequent in the Practice of them So that we may hence conclude That our Saviour has appointed no. Now Commands of his own only explain'd the Old ones of the Law and press'd Mankind to the practice of them as of Truths in which through his Merits Eternal Life is contain'd But before I proceed to the next Subject of our Enquiry I shall make this remark on what has been already offen'd That it is far from the Design of this Discourse to depreciate the Moral Law of Christ The whole aim of it is to set it in a just Light to shew that it is a necessary and eternal Law such a Law as when God ever impos'd any Law on his Cre 〈…〉 res was the most suitable for him to enact and for them to obey Such a Law as I had almost said the Rectitude of his own Nature laid him under a necessity of establishing according to the Order in which He had form'd the Reasonable