to be taken away For as for those allegations that the rest of the Sabbath was a type of Christs rest in the grave and a part of the Iewish bondage how little force they have we have shewed before Now then if it evidently appear to all that will consider things with any indifferency by all that we have said that neither the resting from our labour one day in seven nor the continuing of that rest for the whole day nor yet the strictnesse of any rest enjoyned by the fourth Commandement are either as ceremonious or upon any other ground to be altered neither that the particular day of rest which now by Christs resurrection is altered from the last to the first day of the week is there commanded otherwise then in a generall rule equally communicable both to the Iewish and Christian Sabbath there appears no necessity of granting any thing to be mutable in this fourth Commandement more then in any of the laws of the Decalogue It hath been intimated before that mens mistake of the right interpretation of the fourth Commandement hath been a great occasion of questioning the perpetuity and immutability of the morall law and of how dangerous consequent it is to admit that there is any thing mutable therein experience teacheth us when we find how ready men are to embrace and hold that dangerous errour of casting aside the whole law and that so far as to deny it to be a rule of direction unto us Christians in the course of our practice whereby they open a wide gap to all licentiousnesse and by that means overthrow the very life and power of godlinesse to the high dishonour of God and to the extream perill of their own souls so that we see how neerly it concerns all such as have any true zeal for the furthering of Gods honour and their own salvation and their brethrens to endeavour by all the means that they can the establishing and maintaining of this truth that the morall law given by God to Adam in the beginning and renewed afterwards by Moses upon mount Sinai is an everlasting rule left by God unto his Church for the right ordering and guiding them in all their ways The premises then being duly weighed and layed together we have a sufficient ground to argue in this manner All the laws written in the Decalogue are morall and immutable in all things But the fourth Commandement concerning the observation of the Sabbath day is one of the laws of the Decalogue Therefore this law of the Sabbath is perpetuall and unchangeable in all things which are concerned therein And so much concerning the morality and perpetuity of the fourth Commandement in the Decalogue by way of digression SECT IV. A continuation of the consideration of the rest of the Laws recorded in the Scripture with such instructions as may be drawn from them HAving now established the perpetuity of that Law which we call Morall in all the Commandements thereof it is time to returne to that from which we digressed namely the delivering of rules for our direction in drawing out observations from the Laws recorded in Scripture for our instruction and there being three kinds of these Laws Morall Judiciall Ceremoniall as we have shewed before of these the Morall law comes first to be considered Now that Law being given to Adam the roote of mankind and that not so much to his person as to the nature of man which was wholly in him when he received this Law from God and consequently binding all those who are partakers of that nature it must needs be acknowledged that whatsoever commands we find therein we must guide our selves by as the rule of our practice Which that we may the better doe it will be needfull to lay before us some rules All duties to God and man are commanded in the Morall Law that may direct us in the right interpretation of these Commandements Before we give these rules it will be necessary to lay before us this evident ground of truth that these ten words as they are called comprise all the heads of duties to be performed both to God and man This is clearly manifested by our Saviours answer to the Lawyer that tempted him Luke 10.26 enquiring what he might doe to inherit eternall life to whom Christ replies that whatsoever duty was needfull to the attaining thereof was to be found in the commandements where he wils him to seek it Now these precepts being delivered in such briefe expressions as they are it must needs follow that every one of the tearms in them must needs be of exceeding large comprehension First therefore Rules for interpreting the Law whereas we find these Laws of the Decalogue penned some in the form of a command and most of them in the forme of a prohibition Rule 1 we must conceive that under every command there is implied a prohibition of whatsoever is contrary to what is commanded All the Commandements forbidding any sinne command the contrary duty and commanding the duty forbid the opposite sin and in every prohibition a command of all duties opposite to that which is forbidden For example in the second Commandement which under the name of Images forbids the inventing or using of any form of worship of mans devising there is withall commanded the worship of God according to his own will in the use of the ordinances prescribed and warranted by his Word as prayer and hearing of the Word receiving the Sacraments c. And in the third Commandement under the prohibition of taking Gods name in vaine is commanded the taking up of it with all holy reverence and feare Secondly Rule 2 under the name of any duty commanded there is required not only the performance of the outward act of that duty The Law besides the outward act requires the obedience of the heart but withall the inward obedience of the heart to the Law which requires it Rom. 6.17 and the letting out of all the affections of the soule in the performance of it as Psal 119.167 the Prophet professeth that his soul had kept Gods Testimonies and that he did love them exceedingly whence it is that both our Saviour Christ and his Apostles after him both comprise all duties commanded in the Law under the name of Love being an affection of the heart and tell us that the holy affection of love is the fulfilling of the Law Rom. 13.10 implying that whatsoever the act be which we perform yet if it proceed not from that holy disposition of the heart And the use of all helps to any duty commanded it is not answerable to the Law Againe together with the duty commanded in any Law there is required the use of all helps and meanes which may further us thereunto on the other side where any sinne is forbidden there the inward roote of that evill And forbids the originall corruption of the heart with all motions flowing from thence even as far
the Sabbath was altogether needlesse and superfluous Thirdly they insist strongly upon this that if God had given Adam such a law at that time then had the Patriarchs been bound to the observation of that law Now say they if the Patriarchs had been bound to the observation of that law they had certainly kept it but that neither all or any of them observed any such is manifest by the history of their lives written by Moses wherein there is no mention of any such thing For the first of these three arguments which is Answer to the first that it was impossible for Adam in Paradise to keep a Sabbath they reason thus The Sabbath say they was appointed for the publike worship of God 1. That supposeth publick worship to be the whole duty of the Sabbath as all men must needs acknowledge But Adam and his wife could not make a publike assembly nor consequently worship God publikely nor by the same observe a Sabbath according to the Law To this we answer in the First place Though publike worship be the principall yet it is not the sole duty of the Sabbath Honoring God forbearing to do ones own waies or to find his own pleasure or to speake ones own words are duties of such an holy day of Rest as God delights in Isa 58.13 as well as publike worship And the Fourth Commandement which sets apart an whole day unto the Lord entirely and commands therein a totall cessation from all our employments in our ordinary calling makes it evident The sequestring of our selves from our ordinary secular affaires for religious duties is the full scope of that fourth Commandement which if a single person shut out by sicknesse or any other casuall accident from publike Assemblies perform he keeps an acceptable Sabbath unto God though he cannot joyne with the Congregation in the duties of publike worship Againe why may not two persons where there are no more 2. Two where no more are may be esteemed a publike assembly be esteemed to be a publike Assembly It is cleare that our Saviour esteems the meeting of two or three for prayer a gathering together Mat. 18.20 And then it 's plaine that Adam and Eve meeting together in Paradise and employing the whole day in prayer and other holy and religious exercises may in a true and proper sense be said to worship publikely so that in this argument brought against possibility of keeping a Sabbath by Adam and Eve in Paradise 3. It is no good argument Adam could not then keep the Sabbath therefore he had no Law for it the propositions are both faulty Besides this is no good argument Adam and Eve could not at that present keep a Sabbath therefore they had no Law given them by God to command it The fifth Commandement prescribing the duties of Parents to their Children is questionlesse a Law of nature shall we say that this Law was not at the least written in Adams heart from the beginning because he had then no child We think it wisdome to make laws for warres in time of Peace although there can be no execution of them for the present The Next Argument against the Institution of the Sabbath in Paradise Answer to the second is that then Adam needed no Sabbath neither for his body nor for his mind For his body they say he needed no Sabbath because that he being exercised in no painfull or toylsome labour but exercised only in such work as might be accounted rather a recreation then a labour needed no rest at all or refreshing of his body thereby 1. Ease by rest though it be a consequent is not the scope of the Sabbath To this we answer that the ease of man and beast from labour although it be a consequent of the rest of the Sabbath yet was it never the scope of it seeing the moderation of labour belongs properly to the same commandement which enjoynes labour that is unto the Eight as the Apostle also interprets it Eph. 4.28 The Fourth Commandement forbids labour indeed but not so much for mercy as for Piety nor so much for easing of the toyle of the body as for the preventing of the distraction of the mind by labour seeing we know the body cannot labour but the mind must needs be more or lesse employed withall which therefore at that time cannot so freely be wholly exercised in Spirituall duties as it ought So that Adam might have use of a Sabbath in Paradise although he needed it not for the ease of his body 2. Adam might make use of the Sabbath in respect of his minde Yea but say they Adam much lesse needed a Sabbath in respect of his mind then he did in respect of his bodie because his mind in that state of Innocency being continually filled with heavenly thoughts he could not choose but keep a perpetuall Sabbath To this Objection we have answered in part already that the Sabbath requires of us not only the filling of the mind with heavenly Meditations but besides a totall sequestration of the whole man to the exercise of all holy duties forbidding us to finde our own pleasure or our own waies Isa 58.13 that is take up any employment either of body or minde about any of those affaires which may properly becalled our own such as are all our secular affaires Now although Adam in Paradise had not in that ease and pleasure of his in keeping the Garden his minde so wholly taken up with that businesse as ours are now in our more toylsome works yet it must needs be and was his duty too to attend and to have his minde exercised in the thoughts of those things that he tooke in hand which on the Sabbath ought to be wholly laid aside In one word Adam was and ought on other dayes to be wholly heavenly minded in the use of earthly things but on the Sabbath day he was to be wholly heavenly minded in the use of heavenly things All then that can be made good in this parcular is only this that Adam in some respects lesse needed a Sabbath then we doe whence cannot possibly be inferred that he therefore needed none at all nay upon the same ground it will follow that because he being riper in knowledge stronger in faith and more quickned and fervent in affection lesse needed the Sacraments or other like helps as we doe it was not fit for him to have any Sacrament at all As well as of the Sacraments c. Rather we may conclude that because Adam infinitely excelled us in all these abilities therefore though he lesse needed yet he was more fit to keep a Sabbath then we are having more leisure and being more heavenly minded then we are All this while we speake of the Sabbath as if it were given to man only for his own good whereas the principall scope of it is the honouring of God which was Adam duty as well as ours So that in respect of
them either took from the Sibylls books or from some other directions pretended to be given by the Gods themselves Neither can we possibly be assured that such rites as we worship God withall In the observation of the Sabbath use of the Sacraments c. are accepted unlesse God himself prescribe them as we see he did the whole form of ceremoniall worship in the Leviticall law and the Sabbath and Sacraments both in Paradise and under the Gospel by our Saviour Christ And for the services which are to be performed to men first we finde little in the Precepts of such as are meer Moralists concerning that fountain of those duties whence they ought to flow which is love without which none of them is accepted 1 Cor. 13.3 Neither doe we finde that measure of love required by them which our Saviour commands to love our neighbour as our self Mat. 5.44 wherein he affirms we go beyond naturall men and consequently implies that we doe more then naturall reason teacheth whence it will follow that the law which requires that duty was not given by man and therefore must needs be acknowledged to be the Precept and Word of God and not of man Nay beyond all this 3. Most of all self-deniall which nature never taught we find that Gods Word requires of us the deniall of our selves and that every way both of our own vvisdome to prescribe as the Lord requires his people to do not vvhat is right in their own eyes Deut. 12.8 but what is right in the eyes of the Lord their God Deut. 13.18 and of our own ability to undertake and perform as our Saviour requires us to bring forth fruit in him vvithout vvhom vve can doe nothing Iohn 15.5 and of our own ends as the Apostle tels us that vve must bring forth fruit unto God Rom. 7.4 that he may be glorified Mat. 5.16 and therefore the Prophet cals Israel an empty Vine because he brought forth fruit to himself Hos 10.1 whence it is that our Saviour makes this self-deniall the first step to Religion Mat. 16.24 A duty that humane reason is so far from prescribing that it cannot so much as allow and submit unto it when it is prescribed and that because it cannot finde out mans emptinesse and weaknesse the ground on which self-deniall is founded or at least sensibly acknowledged Wherfore the Scriptures which require that duty which is so contrary to the principles of nature must needs be the Word of God Thus we see that the subject which the Scriptures handle is above the pitch of humane wisdome whether vve look to the grounds of faith or rules of practise which are layed down therein The true knowledge of God vvhom the world hath not known the great and glorious works of the worlds Creation vvith the time manner and order thereof And of mans Redemption after his fall and corruption thereby together with the state into which he is redeemed to be mystically united to Christ by the Spirit which gives him interest in his merits and righteousnesse makes him Gods childe by adoption and an heir of glory The duties of fear love and affiance in God all grounded on the true knowledge of him And lastly the service of love to man binding him to love his neighbour as himself yea his very enemies and above all things to deny himself So that the Scripture discovering those things which naturall reason could never finde out must needs be acknowledged to be delivered by God himself and to be his Word MARK III. Of the powerfull effects of the Scriptures upon mens hearts which discover them to be the Word of God THe two former Markes of the Scriptures which manifest them to be the Word of God appear as it were in the face and body of that sacred volume this third Mark is taken from the wonderfull and supernaturall effects that they work upon the heart and conscience which are such as cannot possibly be performed by any other then a divine Power These effects may be reduced unto three heads First the wounding and terrifying Secondly the converting and renuing Thirdly the comforting and reviving of the heart Neither of which being possible to bee wrought by the power of man as we shal manifest by and by it must needs be granted that the Scripture which produceth such wonderfull effects is not of man but of God seeing we know no cause can work an effect greater and of an higher nature then it self To begin with the first The first Effect of the Word the pricking of the heart Differing from naturall terrours the terrours and prickings of heart which are caused in men by Gods Word It cannot be denyed but there may be and are sometimes wrought in mens hearts some naturall terrours which may cause in them much unquietnesse but between such naturall passions and these spirituall agonies which are wrought by the word there will appear a wide difference if they be well examined and that more ways then one 1. In the grounds upon which they be raised 2. In the effects produced by them The grounds of naturall terrours 1. A naturall sense of sin 2. A naturall acknowledgment of Gods Justice Holinesse and Power which may be easily made manifest by observing first the grounds whence either of them doe arise And secondly the effects which the one and the other produce in those on whose hearts they make impression with the different consequents that follow thereupon Concerning the grounds upon which terrours are raised in mans heart the causes of such as are naturall appear to be evidently different from those which raise spirituall passions For we cannot be ignorant that every man by nature having imprinted in his heart some rude notions at the least both of good and evill and withall some acknowledgement of Gods Justice Holinesse and Power and having besides a conscience within his own breast sitting as Judge to passe censure upon his own ways and actions before which his thoughts accuse or excuse one another as the Apostle speaks Rom. 2.15 must needs have usually some sense of every known sin either more or lesse Whence it follows that the more the conscience is illightned and by that means awakened to look back upon a mans own sin and the wrath of God lying upon him for sin and his powerfull revenging hand pursuing him the more he must of necessity be distracted in his thoughts with fearfull terrours which may cause his life to hang before him All working in the heart fears of punishment Deut. 28.65 and to be bitter unto him and yet these terrours as arising from naturall principles are meerly naturall being caused by a naturall sense of sin and acknowledgment of Gods wrath and fear of his own danger thereby which any man may have by nature From this apprehension of the guilt of sin The grounds of spirituall terrours and fear of the punishment that follows it the causes that affect a godly
by vertue of another under whom it commands is humane 2. In the subject matters prescribed 1. Principles of faith The second difference between the Authority of God and man is in respect of the subjects or matters prescribed which are either principles of saith or rules of life for the former because God is true every man a lyer Rō 3.4 therefore in grounds of faith Which only God can deliver 1. Because many of them are unsearchable by man we admit no testimony but Gods alone for two reasons First the imperfection of our knowledge arising partly by the nature of the things to be beleeved whereof many are unsearchable by mans wisdome and therefore must be revealed by the Spirit 1 Cor. 2.11 12. and partly from the weaknesse of the means of our knowledge which is the information by sense that looks onely on the outward appearance 1 Sā 16.9 so that it is impossible that man should know any thing in matters of faith but by revelation from God which also he apprehends weakly and imperfectly So that in matters of faith there is no infallibility in mans knowledge and that which is depends upon the credit not of the man but of the Spirit which reveals it Another reason why mans testimony is no sufficient ground of faith 2. Because men may lye is because men may deceive as well as be deceived wherefore though they often speake truth we are not sure that they doe so always because it is not contrary to their nature to lye Whereas Gods knowledg is infallible 1. Because he hath light in himself 2. And knows by vision not by discourse as it is unto Gods Tit. 1.2 Neither of these imperfections are found in God whose knowledge must needs be every way perfect because he sees by his own not by a borrowed light which must therefore be without any mixture of darknesse 1 John 1.5 And because the means of Gods knowledge is by vision not by discourse yea by such a sight as pierceth through the very nature of all things seeing God himself is in and through all Ephes 4.6 Besides the most of the things which we beleeve 3. And must needs understād what he freely gives are things freely given us of God 1 Cor. 2.12 which therefore he must needs understand fully seeing the spirit in man understands the things of a man although no man else know them 1 Cor. 2.11 Now in the next place there can be no more question of Gods fidelity in revealing then there is of his infallibility in understanding all things seeing truth is Gods nature And can no more deceive then be deceived which therefore he can no more swerve from then from himself So seeing we finde Gods testimony every way infallible and mans uncertain it must needs be granted that it is peculiar to God alone to establish grounds of faith Againe for the regulating of mans practise 2. And rules of life onely to be prescribed by God 1. Whose will is infallibly good 2. And the duties prescribed are his services there is a wide difference between Gods and mans Authority for if we respect the substance of duty that can be prescribed by none but God alone both because onely his will is infallibly good Psal 143.10.119.39 and therefore only fit to be the rule of righteousnesse and besides because the duties commanded being all of them immediately or mediately services unto God it was most fit that God alone should appoint the duties of his own service The truth is in matters of practise mans authority hath to doe only in two things First in applying the rules of morall duties to particulars for the preservation of order and peace thereby Secondly in compelling men to obedience in such duties as are prescribed In brief then divine Authority establisheth principles of faith and prescribes the substance of morall dutie humane authority meddles not in laying down any grounds of faith at all and in morall duties prescribes not the substance but onely the order and manner of outward performance of that which divine authority hath commanded The third difference between divine and humane Authority 3. In the extent of this authority which bindes the consciēce belonging onely to God is in the extent of them both Humane authority being ordained for preservation of order and by it of peace in civill society for the furtherance and supporting of godlinesse and honesty 1 Tim. 2.2 reacheth no farther then to binde men to conform to order in the course of their practise but divine Authority having an higher scope even the renuing of the heart and bringing under the thoughts thereof to the obedience of Christ 2 Cor. 10.5 bindes the conscience that is both the judgement of man to allow that which is commanded as holy and just with the Apostle Rom. 7.12 and the will to choose it as good and the affections to embrace it Rom. 7.22 accordingly yea the whole man to follow it with the strength of constant endeavours after the Prophet Davids example Psal 119.106.112 Hence it follows that in obeying mens commandements he that doth what Authority requires so he perform it in a willing submission thereunto in obedience to God which the Apostle cals obeying for conscience sake Rom. 13.5 hath performed his duty neither hath cause to judge himself a transgressour though he approve not the law it self as good and holy nay though upon good ground he think the contrary to that which is commanded more fit and convenient so he think not so out of any self-conceipt rash judgement or distaste of the Authority that commands But in obeying Gods Commandements it is far otherwise For though a man fulfill the law in the outward act yet if he allow it not as holy and just if his endeavour be not to conform his will to Gods will therein if he rejoyce not in performing it as a good man doth Prov. 21.15 his own conscience ought to condemn him as a transgressour and sinner against God at least in some degree So then divine Authority bindes the conscience by a double band both of the power that commands and of the justice of the commandement but humane Authority bindes onely by vertue of the power that commands not by the equity of the commandement further then it agrees with Gods law or conduceth to order and peace for which Authority was established The last difference between divine and humane Authority 4. In the sanctions annexed to the precepts is in respect of the sanctions annexed to their laws which are proportioned to the nature and quality of the obedience required and to the power of him that requires it For Gods commands in his laws are specially inward holinesse righteousnesse love c. and that under the penalty of the curse and wrath of God 1. Reaching to the soul 2. And reaching to eternity to bee poured out on the soul as well as on the body both in this life
in it we must labour earnestly to work our hearts to the love of those Counsells of God which we embrace by faith for their Righteousnesse Psal 119.128 Purity ver 140. Perfection ver 96 97. and especially for the usefulnesse and wonderfull benefit of them to our selves that we may desire them with all our soules Psal 119.131 and delight and rejoyce in them ver 162.174 To this purpose it will be needfull to set before us the wonderfull efficacy of the Word which not only counsells Psal 119.24 and directs us in our waies v. 105. but helps us farther in clensing them ver 9. in quickning the spirit ver 93. giving wisdome v. 98 99 100. converting the soul Ps 19.7 bringing great reward that we obtained by observing them ver 11. and great peace which they have that love them Psal 119.165 These eminent excellencies of the Word set before us in such particulars cannot choose but make these heavenly counsells precious in our eyes as they are to holy David Psal 119.72.127.162 and bring the soule to delight in them exceedingly Such fervent affections This will make us serious in devising how we may put the counsels of God in practise if they once quicken a mans spirit cannot choose but move him to advise seriously with himselfe how he may bring both his heart and practise to conforme to those holy counsells and directions which he finds laid before him in Gods Word wherupon he must necessarily fall to the considering of his disposition condition employments and occasions and to the devising of a way how to frame out of the Word rules to himself for the ordering of them aright according to the mind and will of God with the Prophet David Psal 119.59 bethinking himself what means he may make use of to that purpose taking the Word with him as a light in his hand to guide his steps Psal 119.105 joyning to the company of godly persons v. 63. chasing away the wicked that might withdraw him vers 115. and this he doth with all speed vers 60. with a resolution to hold on in this holy course to the end vers 112. unto which he binds himself by a solemn vow and covenant v. 106. A man having thus resolved upon the practise of such duties as the Word prescribes For which end we are to take hold of the first Opportunities offered must embrace the first opportunity offered unto him to put his resolution in execution Partly because Opportunities are not alwaies presented and besides because the time of this life which is allotted for the practise of the duties required is short and the duties themselves are many wherein the more we abound the more we increase our reward and further our account at the last day 2 Cor. 9.6 And lastly because the inlargement of the heart is requisite to the running of the way of Gods Commandements Psalme 119.32 which therefore it will be needfull for us to make use of when it comes upon us knowing that we cannot command it when we will Now in setting to the Practise of such duties as the Word prescribes although we must have respect to all Gods Commandements after Davids example Psalme 119.6 for that is our Righteousnesse Especially for those duties which are layed before us in Reading the Word Deuteronomy 6.25 yet seeing all duties cannot be performed at once we must take more speciall care for the present not only of those things which our imployments in our particular callings or incident occasions press upon us but of those also which the Word which we have read or heard directs unto conceiving that God thereby more especially commends them unto us for that present We know that we are not onely to do what God hath commanded In all our Practise we must observe not only what is commanded but withall as it is commanded but besides to do it as he hath commanded Deut. 5.25 without turning aside to the right or left hand verse 32. that is to perform the duties which God prescribes in such Manner Forme and Order as he requires them to be done Wherefore he that desires to be accepted in his Obedience ought to set the Word of God before him as David doth his judgments Psalme 18.22 as a man doth the coppy by which he writes This is done by keeping the rules given us in the Word fresh in our memories reviving them by often meditation This use David made of the Word which he caryed alwaies with him as a Lanthorne to direct him in every step Psalme 119.105 having it ever with him verse 98. and having respect to his statutes continually verse 117. Thus it behoves us to make use of the Word after we have read it Examining our waies how neere they come up to the rule or come short of it But withall because we know the rules thereof are not only given for direction but besides for examination of our waies it will be good for us to call our selves daily to account how our practise answers the rules that are from time to time set before us in reading or hearing the Word Both that on the one side we may be incouraged in conforming our practise to the Law and rejoyce in the grace of God working in us with thankfulnesse That wee may be either thankfull or humbled and on the other side when we find that we have swarved from the duty required and the rule set before us we may be humbled and grieved for our failings and driven to seek unto Christ to make up our peace and may pray more earnestly for Gods assistance to look better to our waies for time to come as David doth Psal 119.131 132 133 176. I make no question but that the consideration of these directions given for the profitable reading of Scriptures will work diversly upon divers persons * 1. Obj. Such a strict rule will discourage some 1. As conceiving it impossible to be followed 2. Or requiring more time then can be spared 2. Object And others to mourne when they come short of what is prescribed To the first 1. The difficulty ariseth from their unwilling minds 2. As much time may be spared from their vanities To the second 1. We deal with a gratious Father who accepts a willing mind 2. Only we must endevour to come as neer to the rule as we may Some conceiving the rules impossible to be observed in that exact manner as is prescribed or at least that such a strict observation of them will cause greater expence of time labour then they are willing to spare are deterred from the performance of the duty as the Jewes were from following our Saviour upon the hearing of his Sermon Joh. 6.60 61. Some others men of tender hearts may pondering all these duties in their thoughts be driven to mourn in secret when they find their own performances so unanswerable to the rules formerly delivered and may doubt whether they are accepted or no. To
as the originall corruption and Propension of the heart thereunto with all the evill thoughts and motions of the minde that flow from thence are forbidden Thus our Saviour interprets murther to reach not only to the outward violence done to the person of our neighbour but to the hating of them inwardly in the heart yea even to rash and unadvised anger towards him And he extends adultery as far as the lusting after a woman in ones heart Mat. 5.22 28. In the Third place take speciall notice of the names which God gives unto every sinne forbidden in the Law 3. We must judge of sins as God in his Law judgeth of them anger is murther lust adultery c. by which we may easily judge both how God himselfe values it and how he would have us to value it As in the sixth Commandement where he forbids anger and malice he calls them murther In the seventh where he forbids lust and wantonnesse he calls them adultery In the eight where he forbids idlenesse fraud mercilesnesse to the poore he names them all theft Now God we know is the only impartiall Judge of all things and we are sure he speakes of things as he iudgeth of them and consequently seeing he calls the thoughts and motions to sinne by the names of the acts of it we learne so to judge of our sins not as the world judgeth of them but as they are weighed out unto us by the balance of the Sanctuary not small and scarce worthy the observation but foule and abominable Thus whereas men think vaine thoughts scarce worthy the least censure David hates them Psal 119.113 and whereas we take no notice of idle words our Saviour tells us we shall answer to God for them Mat. 12.36 This valuing and esteeming of sinne according to the foulnesse of it as it is just in it selfe so is it of singular use unto us as well to make sinne so hatefull unto us Which will move us 1. To tremble at motions to sinne that we may flie from it as from a Serpent trembling at every motion or allurement thereunto as also to bring us to an abhorring and loathing of our selves Ezek. 36.31 2. Loath our selves 3. To esteem and embrace Christ and lastly to raise up our hearts to an high esteem of Jesus Christ hungring and thirsting after him and admiring and adoring the riches of Gods mercy in giving him out of his free love to be a meanes of purchasing our peace and taking away from us the guilt of so many foule and abominable transgressions A Fourth direction for the making a right use of the Morall Law Rule 4 is to consider the force and weight of every Commandement thereof 1. In respect of the authority all Commandements are equall wherein we are to take speciall notice of three things First that in respect of the authority that commands all the Laws are equall as S. James tels us 2. In respect of the object the Commandements of the first Table are groatest James 2.11 upon which ground he infers in the same place that whosoever offends by transgressing of any one of these Laws is guilty of the breach of all the rest because he offends against that authority by which all those Laws are established In the second place in respect of the objects of the duties commanded in that Law the Commandements of the first Table are of grcatest importance according to our Saviours owne determination Mat. 22.38 because the services therein required are more immediately directed unto God and consequently his honour is more immediately concerned in them then in the duties of the second Table in the observing whereof although we honour and serve God yet our services therein are immediately directed to men Consequently infidelity love feare and dependence on the creature we are to abhorre as the sins of the highest nature by which above all others God is most dishonored although the world judge of them farre otherwise Lastly 3. The negative binds more strongly then the affirmative the negative Commandements bind us more strongly then the affirmative in this respect because the negative oblige us alwaies and to all times as a man is not to commit Idolatry to blaspheme Gods name c. at any time whereas the affirmative Commandements although they bind us alwaies yet they bind us not to all times as though one is still bound to pray heare c. yet he is not found to perform them at all times Fifthly Rule 5 although we find not the promises of rewards and mercy The promises and curses belong to every Law although they be not expressed and threatnings of wrath and vengeance expressed in every Commandement and annexed thereunto yet that which we find expresly set down in some of the Laws we must understand and conceive to belong to the rest of the Laws in which there is no such thing expressed even a curse denounced against every one that confirmes not all the words of the Law that is every Commandement and every duty required in any one of them to doe them And a blessing promised to the keeping and yeelding obedience to the whole Law Both which we must not limit as some doe to outward and temporary blessings And are not only temporary but spirituall and eternal and curses but must extend beyond them to those which are spirituall and eternall even the powring out of the full measure of the wrath of God upon the body and soule of every person who is a transgressour of the Law and that to all eternity and the rewarding of every man that yeelds sincere and constant obedience in every thing which the Law requires with all manner of blessings upon soule and body for evermore Sixthly Rule 6 all those premises of blessings and threats of curses Yet they must not be the ground of obedience be annexed to the whole Law yet our ground of yeelding obedience to that Law must not be so much either the hope of the one or feare of the other although by reason of the infirmity of the flesh both for the awing and quickening of our hearts we may make profitable use of both But subjection to the authority that commands with the Prophet David Psal 119.120 166. as the submitting of our selves to the righteous and holy will of God whose we are wholly and therefore owe unto him all that we can doe with our best abilities whence the Psalmist presents his earnest request unto God to teach him to doe his will Psal 143.10 that is both what God wills and because he wills it And the way to interest our selves in Gods Promises is as the Apostle tells us Heb. 10.36 The doing of his will Indeed as the Lord is our God by the strongest and justest of all titles both because we are his creatures and beyond that his redeemed ones so the manifesting of his will unto us either in his Law what he would have