words only with Capitals except such words as are alway so to begin and I did intend to do so But after the Epistle was composed by the Printer I was disposed to begin many Substantial words also with Capitals which are not Emphatical These are in the first 6 sheets containing Instruction and Correction and the An to Ob against Correction especially in the first 3 sheets to the end of Instruction by Doct. These words are begun with Capitals that Men Women and Children may take the more notice of such words and things which are to them of so great concern And whether you call it a Benefit or a Burden it is only for the first Edition for in the next Deo juvante I shall take them out reduce it to the order of the Epistle and so make it more Euphonical and Gratefull for the Readers pleasure A SECOND DIALOGUE OF THE DECALOGUE OR A DISCOURSE Concerning the Ten COMMANDMENTS The Second Part. I have written to him the Great things of my Law but they were counted as a Strange thing Hos 8.12 The Princes digged the well the Nobles of the People digged it by the direction of their Law-giver Nu. 21.18 The Lord is our Law-giver Isa 33.22 The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the Soul Ps 19.7 The Isles shall wait for his Law Isa 42.4 He will magnifie the Law and make it Honourable Isa 42.21 We have heard out of the Law that Christ abideth for Ever Joh. 12.34 Do we then make void the Law through Faith GOD forbid yea we establish the Law Rom. 3.31 LONDON Printed by J. A. for the Author 1681. The General Contents of the Second Dialogue TWelve Notes on the Ten Commandments Ten Ob against the Second Note Answ Of Thunder breaking new making the Tables The Law a rule of Life for all men How we are under the Law as the Jews were in Seven Particulars How we are Not under the Law as the Jews were in Seven Particulars An account of the C L. An account of the Judicial Law How the M L is abolished and how not How the C L is abolished and how not How the Judicial Law is abolished how not The whole duty of man in Ten Words Antinomian aversenesse to the Law Five Reasons of slighting the Law Of preaching the Doct of the gospel only Four Reasons of such preaching Sad effects of not preaching the Law Pride of some Preachers their Wives Children Pride or sin in such prodigiously perilous Six sorts of Simple Hearers Many in Profession like to be lost at London Conclusion by way of Exhortation Note these few abbreviations M L Moral Law C L Ceremonial Law C W Covenant of works C G Covenant of grace A SECOND DIALOGUE OF THE DECALOGUE Fath. GOd Save you Sir Since our Late Conference I have desired some Discourse from you of the Decalogue for I am much perswaded there is more in it than many Imagine When you delivered me the Sixt Document viz To acquaint my Children with the Decalogue I desired to hear that Lesson Enlarged yet was loth to interrupt you but now I come on purpose to desire you to give me some account of the Ten Commandments Min. Sir you are Welcome to me upon this account for I had also a mind to enlarge that Sixt Lesson upon the Law but was loth to be too tedious and am glad of an opportunity to do it now By the Title pages of old Books which lay open in Moor Fields I perceive there are some Tracts on the Ten Commandments by way of Exposition and so I shall not go that way to work but shall give you 12 Usefull Notes upon the whole to shew you in part what is contained in them Between which Notes you may put in and after them all adde what Question you please First 1 Note The M L on Adam's Heart The Moral Law Decalogue or Ten Commandments was engraven on Adam's heart as a Primitive Perfect Law of Nature Adam being created in God's Image which consisteth in Holinesse and Righteousnesse had the Law written in his Heart the Sum of which is Holinesse and Righteousnesse And Adam being capable of it God entred into a C W with him which contained 1 A peremptory precept Do this 2 A conditional promise If thou Do thou shalt Live 3 A conditional threat If thou Do not thou shalt Die. To keep this C W for Life no man was ever able except 1 Adam who brake it and ruined All mankind and 2 Jesus the Second Adam who by his obedience to it hath recovered all the Elect. But though no man can keep it yet Every unbeleever is under it and to Them it is a ministry of Condemnation †2 Cor. 3.9 ¶ By the way N B. A new State After the Fall there was a New Church State set up Ceremonial Sacrifices for God's service Instituted And man accepted with God upon a New account viz on Christ's account who Substituted himself in mans stead to Die for him by vertue of which Death beleeving man hath Life and Favour with God And that for 2000 years and more from the Fall to the delivery of the Law on Mount Sinai the Substance of their Religion was the Same as after the Publick promulgation of the Law 1 Instances of the use of Ceremonial Sacrifice we have in Abel * Gen. 4.4 Noah †Ch. 8.20 Abram * Ch. 15.9 and Job also †Job 1.5 who was before the Law on Sinai as is easily proved THEN the master of a family was King to rule Prophet to teach Priest to offer sacrifices cut in pieces for the Sins of his family * Gen. 15.10 so Now should masters Rule Teach and offer the Sacrifices of a broken cut Exo. 29.17 contrite Heart in prayer for the Sins of their families †Psal 51.17 2 And the M L of Nature did in part remain in the heart of man after the Fall and God made a Farther manifestation of it to man else the world was in a wofull wild posture for One 2000 years at least A sottish conceit To think the world was without Law till they had it from Sinai is a ridiculous conceit if So for what was the world Drowned and Sodom Burned for where no Law is there is no Transgression †Rom. 4.15 If no Law in the world no Sin in the world but untill the law Sin was in the world * Ch. 5.13 q d untill the law the Law was in the world for Sin is not imputed when there is no Law i e such Acts are not counted Sin if no Law to forbid them I doubt Religious Persons knew the law Then better than they do Now since the promulgation both of Law and Gospel too Second 2 Note The M L given to a people in a C G. The Law delivered on Mount Sinai with an audible voice as a Sermon from God himself was given to a
worship Idols Our being under this Law Asserted take Gods name in Vain prophane the SABBATH dishonour Parents Kill Steal commit Adultery and what the DEVIL and We will Fath. But we Gentiles are under the Gospel the grace of which teacheth us to Deny ungodlyness Min. There is none to Deny if there be no Law Proved by being Opposed But this Position of Mine We are Under the Law needs No more Proof then this Contradiction of Yours We are Under the Gospel N B. The preaching of the Gospel is the Proffer of a Pardon This plainly proves Persons under this Proffer to be Condemned They are Condemned by the Law They are Under it or could not be Condemned by it It 's for Sin which is the Transgression of the Law But where No Law is there is No Transgression And so no need of Remission N B. Under the Gospel a Person is either 1 In a Condemned State under the Proffer of a Pardon or 2 In a Justified State under the Priviledge of a Pardon In both States he is under the Law In the former its Clear he is under the Curse of the Law In the latter he is freed from the Curse and Condemning power of the Law but he is not freed from the Commanding power of the Law It 's to be his rule Of life Temporal and Spiritual that thereby God may be Glorified though not his rule For life Eternal that thereby he may be Justified Gal. 3.10 He that obeys the Law for Justification is under Condemnation And he that believes the Gospel for Justification without regard to the Law in his Conversation Jam. 2.20 is in the Same Condition The former expects Salvation by Dead Works without Faith The latter expects Salvation by a Dead Faith without Works Both in a Sad Dead Condition And what ever be the State yet Dead or Deeply Sleepy is the Soul of such a Parent who neglects his Children so contrary to this GREAT Command * DEU VI. VI VII Fath. I cannot deny your Doctrine And seeing you are disposed to enter into So Serious a Discourse about my Children I desire your Advice and Counsel in their Education And I will omit the Businesse I was going about for this is I see of Greater Concern Min. With a very good Will I like your motion Well But it will take up Much Time And therefore let us Seat our Selves in yonder Shaddow from the heat of the Sun as Abraham did Gen. 18.1 4. when the Lord appeared to him And if we spend our Time Well God will be with Us also Fath. We are come to the Place I see here are convenient Seats I am glad I met with you so Near it Min. Very convenient Come Sir Sit You Down with your Wife as one And with your leave let your Children Sit Down with us and hear our Discourse Fath. Let it be so We are all Seated I pray proceed Min. Seeing Providence hath placed us together upon this Account I am glad your Wife is present because so much concerned For by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Parents in theh plural not two Fathers but a Father and a Mother is intended Joh. 9.2 e g. Master who did sin this man or his Parents And the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Achild comes of the Root and Verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies both To Beget and to Bare e g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Who hath begotten me these * Isa 49.21 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I Bare him with sorrow †1 Ch. 4.9 Mat. 19.5 Parents Parallels they twain shall be one Flesh Parents are Parallels Equally concerned When one is Dead the Care and Industry of the Living is to be Double But if one be Dead while Alive the Care of the Living is to be Trible For the Dead Parent will not Help but Hinder the Living Fath. We desire to hear our dutie Min. The Education of Children Education two Heads is a Greater Work than the Greatest part of Parents in the Whole World are aware of And that I may be as usefull to you in One Conference as I can I shall reduce my Advice and Discourse to these two General Heads viz Instruction and Correction Fath. What is Instruction Let me hear the word handled Min. Instructiō is a Latine word Instruction opened of Instruo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To set in order Instruction is a setting in Order for Children are Out of order both in Heart and Life e g. The Soul in Every Faculty is out of order The Imagination Deviseth evil The Memory Retains evil The Understanding is Dark and Misjudgeth evil and good The Will is Opposite to the Will of God The Affections Love evil and Hate good And this disordered Soul puts the Body out of order in Every Part. e g. The Eye Beholds vanity The Ear Hears it The Tongue Talks it The Hands Work it The Feet Follow it God set All in good order by Creation but the Devil put All out of order by Temptation and all into Confusion and Desolation And the simple verb Struo from whence comes Instruction signifies To build The Lord God formed Man * Gen. 2.7 The rib which the Lord God had taken from Man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he Builded into a Woman †Ver. 22. This Stately Structure which God set up by Creation Satan hath pulled down by Temptation Now No Man can build upon That Foundation which God at first set ADAM upon There is no coming At it for the Flaming Sword But if you SO Instruct your Children as to bring them Unto and build them Upon Jesus Christ that Sure Foundation they shall be Safer than Ever was Adam in Innocencie in Paradise For the Gates of Hell shall Never prevail against them Fath. That is a Very desirable condition Indeed How shall I So Instruct my Children Min. By Word and Deed or by Doctrine and Example Instruction by D and Exam. Fath. How by Word or Doctrine Min. The Word Doctrine 1 By Doct. is derived of the Latine Word Doctrina Learning of Doceo To teach as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Doctrine comes of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To receive for you must Receive it from GOD as you are desired to do Receive I pray thee the Law from his Mouth †Job 22.22 And your Children are to receive it from You. Hear O my Son and Receive my sayings * Pro. 4.10 Fath. What Doctrine am I to Instruct them in Min. The Doctrine of the Holy Scriptures Tit. 2.10 2 Jo. 9. Pro. 4.2 Tit. 2.1 Called The Doctrine of GOD The Doctrine of CHRIST Good Doctrine Sound Doctrine Fath. Draw me out some Documents and lay some Lessons before me to learn my Children Min. Take these twenty First Doc 1. Of God Teach them to know God Himself His Eternity in his
Essence and Being from everlasting to everlasting thou art GOD †Psal 90.2 His Infinitenesse in his Attributes viz Wisdom Knowledge Power Mercy Justice That He is the Only Wise GOD Omniscient Omnipresent Omnipotent That God doth at Once and Alway Know all See all Hear all That he is in every Place and can doe whatever he Please in Heaven and Earth and Hell Second Doc 2. Of Crea tion Teach them to know God to be the Wonderfull Creatour of the Whole Creation viz Heaven Earth Sea Hell And of every creature in them And all for his Pleasure †Rev. 4.11 And that God upholds the Whole Creation by his Uncreated Power And provides for Men Beasts Birds Fishes Fouls Flies And learn your Children to remember GOD as a Creatour not as a Father in a State of Nature And themselves as Creatures not Children of God before they be Born of God Third Doc 3. Of Mans First State Teach them to know the Holy and Happy Condition God made Man in at First And the Covenant God made with man And how Man was to continue in that Condition by vertue of his Obedidience to that Covenant And how all Man-kind were to Stand and Fall In and With ADAM Fourth Doc 4. Mans Fall Teach them to know Mans Fall 1 INTO Original Sin by Satans Subtilty And his Fall 2 BY Original Sin From a Paradise a Palace a Pure State into a Dungeon and Deluge of Wo. The Principal Effects of which Fall are Filth Guilt The Filth of Sin hath spoiled Man of the Image of GOD Impressed the Image of the DEVILL upon him And deprived Man of his Interest in GOD. He was With God in Paradise but being Drove out he is Without God in the World * Eph. 2.12 It hath Debased him He was made but little lower than the ANGELS Sin hath debased Man to a Hog a Dog a DEVIL Sad effects of Sin Sin hath so Darkned mans Soul that GOD only who is light can Illuminate it It hath so Deadned and Killed him that none but the Living GOD can Quicken him It hath so Defiled him that neither Fire nor Water can Cleanse him The Flood of Water that washt away a World of Sinners washt not away One Sin The Fire that shall burn up a World of Sinners and burn them down to Hell and burn them there for Ever shall Never burn away One Sin 2 Guilt Adam's Guilt is imputed to All. All guilty of Eternal Death by One mans Sin Simile As when the Head of a mans body plots Treason the whole Body Hangs for it So of Adam the Head and his posterity the Body if Pardon prevent not Fift Teach them to know Actual Sin viz. To know what IS Sin Doc 5. Actual Sin And to know what Sin IS 1 The tranSgression of the Law that IS Sin †1 Jo. 3.4 Transgression is a going beyond the Bounds of the Law Or doing any thing Contrary to the Command in Deed Word or Thought This is Sin Here note the danger of Smal sins Little sins lead to Greater Smal Sin dangerous The thief Little thought his Thest would by degrees bring him to the Gallows when he began with a Pin a Point and a Peny As little do men think such Small Sins will bring them to Hell Not only the Measure of sin but the Nature of sin is Damnable if the Measure be Never so Small the Soul that sinneth shall Dic †Ezek. 18.4 If so what doe Thousands and Millions amount to A Fly is a Smal Creature yet Swarms destroyed Egypt * Ex. 8.24 A drop of Water is a Smal Matter but drops enough Drowned the World A threed is a Smal Thing yet enough twisted together will Bind the Strongest Giant or Hang the Heaviest man on Earth Quid levius penna What is Lighter than a Feather yet enough of these Packed up together will break the Porters Back 2. What Sin IS To the Law and to the Testimony for Titles for it Six Titles of Sin Sin hath Six Titles to make men Flee from it 1 A Mire †2 Pet. 2.22 that makes a Soul like a Swine so wallowing 2 A Fire that consumes to Destruction * Job 31.12 of Goods Good Name Body Soul and all 3 A Sepulchre full of dead mens Bones and All uncleanness †Mat. 23.27 4 The Dogs Vomit * 2 Pet. 2.22 i e stinking Carrion that the Stomach of a Dog cannot endure 5 The Poyson of Asps †Ro. 3.13 Tell your Children an Oath a Lie a Wicked Word in the Mouth is worse than a Toad under the Tongue And Sin in the Heart is worse than Poyson in the Heart for that can but kill the Body 6 The Plague of the Heart * 1 K. 8.38 a Dreadful Disease If the Plague be in London a Year we think it a Long Time for such a Dismal Disease to Last and Wast But this Plague of SIn hath been in the World between five and six Thousand years A strange disease Few are ever Sick of it yet SO many Die of it that all the World cannot Sum up one Weekly Bill of Mortality Sin is Worse than Sorrow Some sorrow Kills Sin but Sin if not killed Kills the Soul Sin is worse than the DEVIL Sin can destroy a Soul without SATAN but Satan cannot destroy a Soul without Sin Sin is worse than Hell Hell is an Affliction and Contradiction to the Will of Man but Sin is a Contradiction to the Will of GOD. And a Burden which God sigheth under saying AH I will ease me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will be comforted †Isa 1.24 implying a Grieving burden And a bitter burden Ephraim provoked him to anger most bitterly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with bitterness * Ho. 12.14 A pressing burden Behold I am Pressed under you †Am. 2.13 A breaking burden I am broken under your whorish heart * Ezek. 6.9 Which argues NO weakness in GOD but the Weight and Strength of Sin I know your Mighty Sins †Am. 5.12 Thus saith the Lord the Lord of Hosts the Mighty one of Israel AH I will ease me * Isa 1 24. N B. The Mighty One complains of the pressure of Sin Well may God say to Man Can Thy heart indure or can thy hands be strong in the day that I shall deal with thee †Ezek. 22.14 i e for Sin Seeing Sin is SO weighty Use and the Soul SO filthy Let noue be Proud of a beautiful Body Let not your Children be Proud if Pretty Take heed you doe not make their Hearts proud with proud Habits as some Professing Parents Prophanely doe lest God send the Smal Pocks or the Great Plague to pull Pride down to the Dust Beauty that is but Skin Deep will Soon be Blasted Fair Skins and Foul Souls are Frequently found together Many Hell black Souls dwell in Shining Shels but if
Christ was preached to them not only Ceremonially but also Doctrinally but yet Mystically He was called a Rod a Branch †Isa 11.1 Water Wine Milk * Ch. 55.1 a Fountain †Zec. 13.1 this was mystical Doctrine their ignorance of which is sometime bewailed Ah Lord God! they say of me Doth he not speak Parables * Ezek. 20.49 N B The Gospel to the Jews was like an inestimable treasure in a dark gay Glasse Simile overlaid with fair Flowers painted with Pictures to signifie the Substance within but they like children were apter to eye the Out-side than the Inside The Gospel to Us is like the same treasure in a Clear glasse Simile plain without gays and pictures so that we can see the inside Simile Or it 's like the same treasure in an open earthen vessel or Shell as the word signifies †2 Cor. 4.7 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Testa A Shell Moses put a vail over his Face and when Moses is read the vail is upon their Heart i e their minds were blinded * Ch. 3.13 Hence little Faith much Fear darknesse and dread dwell together Zion said The Lord hath forsaken me †Isa 49.14 they would conclude it from a crosse Providence e g The Lord is with thee thou mighty man of valour and Gideon said Oh my Lord if the Lord be with us why then is all This befallen us but now the Lord hath forsaken us * Judg. 6.12 13. Thus subject were they to slavish fear and a spirit of bondage But we being under a clear Gospel have much light light and joy are joyned together †Ps 97.11 peace cometh by the knowledge of God * 2 Pet. 1.2 If a fearful child meets his father in the Dark Simile he dreads him as Death for thinks he that man will Kill me but if he meet him in the Light he runs into his Arms. Hence Christians under clear Gospel light are said to have the Spirit of Adoption crying Abba Father †Rom. 8.15 i e Father Father child-like with much freedom from fear This is called the Spirit of the Son God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts crying Abba Father * Gal. 4.6 The excellency of which Spirit appears in this viz it acts a Soul to own God as a Father under the most Dismal dispensation like the Spirit of the Son under the Fathers wrath crying My God my God though as forsaken in that dismal Dooms-day of his Death which made the air Dark and the earth Quake Howbeit some Persons at Times did Act faith very Nobly under the Law also e g When death is at the Door if Esther the Queen will not speak a word to the King for life Noble Acts. yet Mordecai will beleeve Deliverance shall arise for the Jews from another place †Est 4.14 David will not fear when his Sins compasse him about * Ps 49.5 nor when all Nations compasse him about like Bees †Psal 118.10 nor if the Earth be removed and the Mountains into the midst of the Sea * Ps 46.2 If Gods Zeal Strength Bowels Mercies and all are restrained yet Evangelical Isaiah will say to God Doubtlesse thou art our Father †Isa 63.15 16. Shadrach Meshach and Abed-nego will believe in their God in the very Face of the furious King and at the Mouth of the Seven-fold fiery furnace * Dan. 3.16 And Daniel will do the like in the lions den †Ch. 6. And some did Noble acts by faith a Catalogue of which we have upon record * Heb. 11. ¶ 6 The Jews were under the M L as pointing at Christ to Come to justifie by blood not then in Being e g If a man sin against any of the ten commandments of the Lord and his sin come to his knowledge by the law is this knowledge of sin and by it is the Conscience troubled he shall bring his Sin-offering a Kid of the goats a Male without blemish and kill it and his sin shall be forgiven him †Lev. 4. Thus the M L by its Scourge sent the Sinner to the C L the Sacrifice and Type of Christ and the Type pointed to Christ himself then to come for they drank of that Spiritual Rock that followed them †1 Cor. 10.4 Before faith came i e faith in Christ actually crucified we were kept under the Law shut up to the faith which should afterwards be revealed * Gal. 3.23 i e when Christ the Object of faith should be revealed as manifest in the Flesh and So believed on in the world †1 Tim. 3.16 faith in Christ actually crucified Christ was Virtually crucified from the foundation of the World And under the Law they were Virtually redeemed from the Curse of the Law but not Actually redeemed but when the fulnesse of time was come God sent forth his Son made of a woman made under the law Actually to redeem them that were under the law * Gal. 4.4 5 ¶ 7 The Jews were under many and great Promises of temporal Blessings annexed to their obedience to the Law even a full land flowing with Milk and Honey the glory of all Lands †Ezek. 20 6. Thus we are not under the Law as the Jews were Of the great judgments they were under the execution of for their Disobedience to the M L I say nothing but they happened to them for Ensamples or Types and they are written for OVR admonition upon whom the Ends of the world are Come * 1 Cor. 10.11 ¶ N B A threefold Affirmation Under the Ministry of the Gospel the C W requires as perfect obedience of them that are under it as it did under the ministry of the Law 2 Under the ministry of the Gospel there is as high a degree of Holiness required of justified Persons as there was under the ministry of the Law It 's a Mad mistake to think the Law requires obedience to the law A mad mistake but the Gospel requires no obedience to the law 3 Under the Ministry of the Gospel the Law is to be preached to prick the Heart and prepare for Christ as Peter did by charging the Jews with the Murder of Jesus †Act. 2.36 37. They that say Nay in effect say Peter Paul Jesus himself James and John whom he Surnamed the sons of Thunder * Mar. 3.17 were all a company of Dunces in their Doctrine Therefore to say Before Christs death the Jews were all by nature under the law as a C W A 3 fold Folly but we are all freed from it since Christs death under the Gospel Or 2 They in a State of nature or in a justified State were under the law for a rule of life but not we Or 3 They were under the law to humble and prepare them for Christ but not we these are false foolish