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

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

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

2. The judicial law, which was the civil law of the Jews, given alto firft by Mofes, by which their civil concerns were to be regulated, in refpect of which the Jewish government was a Theocracy.

What

a happy people were they under fuch a government Yet does it not bind other nations further than it is of moral equity, being peculiarly adapted to the circumftances of that nation.

3. The moral law, which is the declaration of the will of God to mankind, binding all men to perfect obedience thereto in all the duties of holiness and rightroufnels. The ceremonial law was given to them as

* See vol, i. F. 243. & feq.

1

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

Thirdly, This moral law is found, 1. In the hearts of all men, as to fome remains thereof, Rom. i. 15. There are common notions thereof, fuch as, That there is a God, and that he is to be worshipped; that we fhould give every one his due, &c. Confcience has that law with it which accufes for the commiffion of great crimes, Rom, i. ult. This internal law appears from those laws which are common in all countries for the preferving of human focieties, the encou raging of virtue, and the difcouraging of vice. What ftandard elfe can they have for thefe laws but common reafon? The defign of them is to keep men with in the bounds of goodnefs for mutual commerce. E very fon of Adam brings with him into the world a law in his nature; and when reafon clears up itself from the clouds of fenfe, he can make fome difference be tween good and evil. Every man finds a law within him that checks him if he offends it. None are with out a legal indictment and a legal executioner within them. This law is found, 2, In the ten command. ments fummarily. 3. In the whole Bible largely This is that law which the carnal mind is enmity a gainst in the natural man, which is written over again in the heart in regeneration, Heb, viii. 10. and that was fulfilled by Christ in the room of the elect,

Fourthly, As to the revelation thereof, we may con fider three special feafons thereof.

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

Note, (1.) That it is a part of the moral natural law, See vol. i. p. 349. 350.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

were no new duties added to it by Chrift, for it was perfect before. So fays the pfalmift, Pfal. xix. 7. The law of the Lord is perfect.

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

Since the

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

of use,

3.

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

and to

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

II. 12.

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

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

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

1.) For a looking-glafs to let them fee their ftate and cafe, by convincing them, that by the deeds of the law there shall no fleft be justified in God's fight; for by the law is the knowledge of fin, Rom. iii. 20. and fo to bring them to Chrift, who has wrought out a perfect righteoufnefs for their juftification.

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

3) For a fcourge vexing and tormenting their confciences, and making them uneasy in a finful course} rendering them inexcufable, and laying them under

the curfe.

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

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

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