Cháp,s, hat ii'containecin thefirßPrecept, Cont rulesof extcñfi'on ufed by Chrift would permit : and his intent is, that affirmative duties fhould bedone after the impediments are removed. And though ad negatie- nem, non feeltaitiar afirmatio eppofrri, yet the Rule Of Logick holds only in bare affirmative and negative propofitions , not in affirmative or negative precepts ; for in there , Qi negat prohibent,jtrbeepremovenr. In Laws , prohibe: impedimentsns, pracipitadjo oentxm, he that forbidsthe obffaclecommands the helps. And thisallo ferves toThew how full of weeds our Nature is, that it is not capable of a command, but firft of a countermand. We are not capable ofgood, before that which is ill in us, be weeded out of us. I. That the future Tcnce is fo much ufed in the Cothmandrnents, it is an implicite 3; touch ofour tranfgref ions paff ; and that for the time to come itis doubtful and un- certain what wewill be: for the time pall it (hews that we have been grievous tranfgreffours and is withal a warning of the pronenefs of our Nature to ill for the time to come : that even then we will be as ready to do wickedly as ever before , for as there is one that will fay, facies, fo there is another as ready to fay, fäciam. Evil fuggeftions, evil examples , our own corrupt Natures, and Saban befides will egg usforward ; and therefore we muff keep a diligent watch and abridge our felves Thet aà 'of things lawful ; we muff flee from the fmoak , abftain from all appearancedevil Rom.6s ( as the Apofflc fpeaks ) that the body of fin reign not in us. z. And in the fecond place, it impofeth a continual keeping ofthe Law, fo long as we live. It is for to day, to morrow, and to our lives end ; and therefore our war- fare againff fin mutt be to bloodand death : and before fuch time we arenot difchar. ged from the obligation of the Law. Ecdef9.8: Now for the Commandments themfelves, The end of the Law is to make a Man good , and here àlfo ate tome things to be noted from the order here obferved. t. Impediments are to be removed that we may keep the Law, therefore this firft Commandment runs negatively. As when the frameof a building is to beerefted, if tt Tree be Handing in the way, it muff be cut down ; or ifthe ground benot lureand dry, it is not meet to ere, t an Houle upon : or as in a Cure inChyrurgery,if thewhole Body becorrupt or fome Member be dead, and the flefh putrified, that mull firft be cut away before any thing be applied to the grieved part. Groundmuff be (allowed before Corn be fowen. And fo God hath provided by his Law running negatively and that in the front of it, Non babebis, &c. falfc Gods mull be renounced that the Jer4.3+ worfhipofthe true God may take place. z. The fecond obfervation followeth , that that be done firft which is firft in Order. As in a building the foundation is firft laid,and in natural generation,the heart is firft : this alto is done here. Fu it , Nonhabebis deos diemcoramme, thou ihalt have noother Gods before me. This is the foundation of all worihip,inward orout, ward ; and therefore in the firft place mentioned. We are to obferve our former rules fines mandatorttm diligenter ohfervandifart , we muff therefore know what in- tent God had in giving this Commandment. One end of the Law, as is Paid, is to make Mengood. And the ultimate end or ?copeof this, and all other Commandments,i'sthe glory ofGod: The whole firft. Table refers to Godlinefs, Holinefs, Religion : Now Religion being an Aflion, it t Eor.l è.r muff needs proceed from fome inward Principle and fo both it; which is from the Soul ofMan, and principally from the Spirit ofit, which in this regard is compared to a Treafury, out of which good Men bring good, and evil Men evil things. Our worfhip and lervice of God will be according to the Treafury of our hearts , theMatta.' Spirit : if that be good, our outward worfhip will be fo too. We fee then , that inafmuch as the Spirit is the chiefand principal thing inGods worfnip, our chief and principal care too, ought to be had for this fpm- tual worfhip. And indeed it is the fcopeof this firft Commandment It is faid,that according to the fupertour end,the Commandment is to be efteemed. itopriorfirm, eaprior neceftno , hence it is that the firft Table is to bepreferred before the fecond; becaufe fpiritual worfhip required in the firft Commandment,is before outward wòr- fhip,prefcribed in the fecond Commandment. So Man was made the end of the Sab- bath, not the Sabbath the end of Matt. Mark z. 27. therefore the breachof theeat- tarsal part of the Sabbath muff yield to the neceflities of Man. FN a Where. 09
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