Corn. x . The Preface to the Decalogue. Chap. x . LP41 r nyQiy.+ ápc.n CT) 11CPra r¡j tat, ntt nT, tf r ç1É `7p e41:1 e : ?n etnr?e 4E kI r yb 3 .;is .04 3+: oFi t7uváu id R1 EA f4 e y g, aá Q Ei E¢: Gu 444 , v 44 (.5:4,t) 444jv.; v tu cbu ìù THE EXPUSITION O F T H E Firíf Commandment. CHAP.I. Of the Preface to the Decalogue. Two things required in aLaw giver. ï. Wifdom. 2. Authority. Both appear here. gods Authority declared. t. By his Name Je- hovah, which implyes. r. That being himfelf, and that all other things comefrom him. 2. His abfolute dominion over all the Creatures. Fromwhich flow two Attributes. z. His Eternity. 2. His veracity or truth. 2. Byhis jurifdietion a thy GodbyCrea- tion, andby Covenant. 3. By a lateBenefit. Their deliverance out of /Egypt. How all this belongs to us. HE Lord .(fake, &c. From the fecond to the eighteenth verfeofExod, this Chapter , the words which indeed are the Body ofthe Law, contain in them, two things. r. The Stile. I am the Lord thy God which have brought-thee out verfe,:. of the Landof (Egypt , out of theHoufe ofBondage. 2. The Charge. ThouPak have no other Gods before me, &c. To theperfed enabling ofevery Lawgiver to make Laws is required. o. W if: ufq; ts., dom. z. Authority. r. For the Wifdom of God , it appears in the Laws themfelves: A?ofesjuftifieth peat. 4. t. it, and challengeth all theNations of the Earth to match them. What Nation (faith he) is there fogreat,that hath Statutes and Judgments foRighteous, as all this Law? And the wifdomof a Law is belt fern in theequity of it. But a little before (tomew moreplainlyhis wifdom) he tells them, that it was their wifdom to keep them ; for the Nationswhich fhould fee that they were kept, would prefantly conclude and fay, Surely this Nation is a wife and underftanding People , which they would never do, ifthey had not conceived wifdom in the framing ofthem. So that certainly wemuff Efaj :8:9: needs confefs with the Prophet, that it came from the Lord , who is wonderful in Counfel. 2. For his Authority, ( which is rerum agendarum telum,) it is plainlydemonftra- tedby God himfelfin the fecund verfe ; andminifefted by the deliveranceof the If raelites out of "Egypt, by firong hand. In every Edift and Law proclaimed, thebe- ginirg is with theStile of the Prince , intimating thereby his Prerogative Royal, to make Laws,and to publifh and fee them obeyed. And therefore his Authority isan- nexed, as to the Lawis general, fo to thofe particular Laws which have a reafon an- nexed. As to the fecond. For I the Lord thyGod am a jealousGod, &c. To the third. Forthe Lord will not hold him guiltlefs, &c. To the fourth. For in fix days the Lord made Heaven and Earth, &e. and it is the Sabbath ofthe Lord. Now, if it be truc that Men"expcfl no reafon to perfwade them to lay hold ofa benefit,then there needs none tomake themobferve theLaw , becaufe it is a benefit; for the Pfalmiff Pfal;:s ad. fo accounts it. He hath not dealt fo with any Nation,neither have theHeathen know- ledge of his Laws. Yet it pleafed God to add his reafon from his own Perron, though indeed profitbe a fufficient Orator. And thus doth God in divers places,, as Levit. 2t.8.t2.s5.23. As alfo St. Paul mentioneth it for the NéwTcllament As I live,faith Ron, r4 the Lord,every Knee (hall bow to me,and every Tongue (hall confers to God; which Efay 4S. 23; words are taken out ofthe Prophet. L z In
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=