THE PREFACE. books of this nature fuperfluous, we muft know ; That though the De- calogùe, as it was given by Mofes to the Jews,was apart of thatCove- nant which. God made with themonMount sinai,and fobelongedproper them, as appears bothbythe Preface, wherein their deliverance out of .,Eór1t is urged as amotive of obedience, and by fome other paffages in the precepts, Which have peculiar referenceto that people, as that fyrn- bolical ref1 . required in the fourth precept in remembranceof their refit fromthe e Egyptian bondage, and the promife of long life in the land of cancan, in the fifth. Yetfeeing that. the fubftance of it is noother than theLaw of Nature writteninmans Heart at the firft, and that byChrift ourLaw-giver it ismade a part'of the Gofpel,or lécondCovenant, though with fome qualification ) therefore it obliges all Chriftians, and that under the higheft p ains, . and is therefore juftly called the Law of Chrift. Al! the parts of`the Moral Law we may find required in the Gofpel, though upon other groundsthanthofe were laid by Mofes,( this fecond Covenant, tta. 33. y :. being effablifhed upon better promifes ) we have the fame rules for our $. aEtion, the fame duties required, the fame fins forbidden ; the difference is this, that here God acceptsour obediencein votoat our firft converfion, whenhe freely pardons our fins pall., and experts the aerual performance - afterward in the courteof our lives, and admits repentance after lapfes, . whereas the law, as it was part of the other Covenant, requires perfect obediencewithout any intermifüon, otherwifewe having higher promifes, and agreater meafureof theSpirit being now difpenfedunder the Cofpel, ahigherdegree of obedienceto the law is now required, which is Yet no , way, grievous or burdenfome to atrue believer, for thepower of Chrifts. Spirit, and the height ofthe promifes , make the yoke eafie , and the burden light. Therefore Chrift tells us exprefly he came not to diffolve the law , but to fulfil it, or to fill it up, as theGreek .nAnf.f., imports, becaufe he did enlarge and perfeetit ; and therefore 7beophylaEt P, g. in En. makes the Lawof Chrift, compared with that ofMc,fes, as oYed¢tas7e7,4j the Painting to life,to the cx,ay4pmfd,or firft draught in black andwhite,and faith, thatChrrft did not x4zoxuervcxr4yeyí4v,aiNriit6o myrivavAnps "v, notdeftroq thefirft draught,but fill it upas a painter perfectsa piéturewith the colours ihadows,after the firft draught ; andwith himdo generally concur the BacinPGl.to reftof the Fathers:Baflfaith,thatwhereas the oldLaw faith,Thou Shalt not Ori.cont.celf. 1. s. p. 1S9. kill,ourLord(Chrift )aeaemrhp4vópta5e7m "v,giving moreperfeEtLaws,faith,Thou Çhryfo. to 3.p linknot beangry.origen faith,that theLaws ofChrift are xeeiroves 4 Searr¢por, 93.ed- favil, better and more Divine, than all thofe before him. St. chryfoltome calls thatSermon upon theMount eixpov2ñr 0000116f the very topofPhilofophy,& faith,that Chrifts giving ofLaws,was u 6vmd i,roxovwpa: the time or feafon of greater and higher precepts. Among the Latines, Tertulian faith, Ter.1.3,contr. Chrifi legesfüpplementa nece(faria effe di(ciplinu creatoris, that theLaws of ìvtarcion.c.t6. Chrift are neceffaryfupplementsto the Laws of the Creator, and c6riflus DeiCreatoris pnecepta (upplendo &confervavit 6-auxit,thatChriftpreferved eñt p fi4; and increafed theLaws of God the Creator by filling themup. St. Au- Aug. Too deknffinC faith, that Chrift fulfilled the Lawbyadding, quodminus habet f..r,dos.in fie confirmevit and foconfirmed it by monce I. I. what wasdeficient, r reducing it tomore perfeftron. And again upon thole words ( except your. righteoufnefs, Niii nonTalton eá qux inchoanthomines impleveritis, fed eti- ani afla quo a me adduntur, pi nonveni folvere fed implere, tmlefs ye not only fulfill thofe which men have begun, but alto what is added by me
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