90 Chap'.2. The.Diviftonof the Decalogue. Corn. I: the rule to the fqare mind by, fomens Legiflaroris regala Legit, the mind of the Law- maker is the rule of the Law. The intent of the Law-giver is knownby his end, for as bonitos Ethica, fo bonitos Theologica pendent afine,' Divine as well as Moral goodnefs depends upon the end, theretore in our interpretation wemuff confider Gods end, and make that ours. The Efaÿ.4a. S. fupream end of the Law is Gods Glory, as it is in tFe Prophet. My Glory will I r Tim. s. 4.4, not give toanother, and the fubordinate end is, vult omnesftivari, he will have all MenPaved, as the Apoftle teflifies. But ( as is Paid before ) the beft way to take our direLtion more particularly to know the meaning ofa law, is to confider there two,' the extent, and reftraint or limitation. And fielt let u; take a view of force rules concerning the firft. Of Extent. And for direEtion in this, the Jews have fet down thirteen rules which may be reduced to there. Firft, ( as they fay ) inevery commandment there is praceptnm faciens err nonfaciens, if the commandment be affirmative it imployeth afro the nega- tive, & e contra, according to the rules of Logique, fi hoc elffeciendum, ejnu comra- rium fegiendum, if this be to be done the contrary is to be avoided. And to this pur- Pfa1m34. 14. pore, Efchew evil and do good, ( faith the Pfalmift, ) there is the Rule. The aftir -. mativesof the Dccalogue are but two, which are the fourth and fifth. The Rab- bins find in the Books of Mofestwo hundred forty eight affirmativeCommandments, according to the number of the Joynts in a Mans Body, and the negatives in the five yearks both hich added, hundred make fixhundred and thirteen the accordin of days h Hebrew letters in the ten Commandments. The fecond Rule is, That whereloever a thing is commanded or prohibited, there 2 all thehomogenem ( or of the fame kind ) to it are forbidden or enjoyned. The fame may be feen in Mans Laws. ALaw is extended either Specifics, or byEquipollent. 1. Specifics is, when a thing is donethat is of the fainekind, but by circumftance is divers. 2. By Equipollent, theRabbins call thole by by names : firft, when the ballante hangs equal!, the Logicians call it a pari, as in the Commandement E%od. '1'6" againft Theft, to fet a Mans Houle onFire is as evil as to (teal. Secondly, when one is lighter or heavier than the other, from the left to the greater, a majori Efay. 7.13. (asthey call it. ) If one be bound to Honour his Parents, much more to Honour God. 3 The thirdRule is peculiar to the Law of God, which is fpiritul. The !aft corn- Rom. 7.14. mandment forbidding the inward delires of theHeart, is added as a rule how to un- derftand all the refl. When you have extended them fpecifice, and per equipollent, then they muff be extended to the Spirit : Lex humana ltgat roanum, lingua divina comprimit animam, Mans Law bindsonly the hands, but Gods the Soul. The true John 4. a3. worfhip of God is in Spirit ; and the reafon is good, for theHeart is the Fountain Mat. r 5. 19. of all Evil. Out of the Heart proccedcrh evil thoughts, faith our Saviour. This ap- pearedby the Dream of Polydorus in Plutarch, defeco numinisvinddla, that Dreamed in the Night, that his Heart came to him and Paid, ego ribs omnium horum madame fuse author, I am the tauleof all there evils which have befallen thee. The Heart therefore is firft to be cleanfed, by truly planting the fear and knowledge of God Plutarch faith, that the Heathen would have refrained the Heart if they could, in it. but becaufe they could not, they forbare ir. The Lawof Man faileth two ways, Fidt for want of knowledge of the offender, bccaufc they knew not the Heart. Secondly, for want of power. As when the number of offenders is fo great, or their power of fuch force, as there is no refitting them, toltcratiou moil 'be. Ertl, But though with men faults may be fo clofely carried as that it cannot he found where the fault is, or how it may be remedied s yet with God and his Laws it cannot be fo. For the Heart is deceitful (as the Prophet truly faith) above all things, and defpc- Jer.17.9. rately wicked, quit cognofcit idem, who knows it ? but in the next verle, he anfwer- eth himfelf, that there is a quit, a who is he that knoweth it : f rte Lord fearch the 10' Heart, I try the Reins. There is no defefl of knowledge in God. Secondly, nei- thee can there be fo many Offenders, but God is able to dcflroy them. It is his pow. .
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