Hopkins - HP BR75 .H65 1710

56 An Expojition upon the which is Chrift Jefus, who is the end of the Ceremonial Law, bY putting an end noto it in its Abrogation; and the end of tile Moral Law, becaufe in him it hat& at. tained its end, for the end of it Was by convincing 11s of our own Weaknefs andJn· ability to perform it, to lead uS 'unto Chrift, by .who(e Righteoufnefs alone, and not by the Works of the Law, we ' arc to expecl: Juil:ificatjon before Gbd: Yet tHere was fo thkk a Veil caft over the Law, that the 1ews t::ould not look through it upon the Glory that !hone in Chrift,, of whom MofoJ was !till the Type,: 'But when they lball tutn unto the Lord, this- Veil fuall be taken a,w~v, and then !hall they diftern t_lie fignificape!Y of cin .tl~ofe Ritual Obfervances, aJ1d,Pcrceivefniritual Things after a inore fhblune and fpmtual manner. ·· T And thus I have fhewn you the Time, the Reafon~ , ;ind the CiTcumftances of the delivery of this·E:Pltome of the Law in the Ten)Commandments, wherein many ex~ cel!en_t Gofpel-Truths are delineated and fhadowed ,Ol.lt unto us. . . But fom.e one may fay,What necil all this long -:DifcOurfe about the Law? Is it n.ot fully abrogated by the coming of Chri!l into the Wqrld? Shall we be again brc>nght under that heavy Yeak of Bondage, which neith~r We, nor our Fathers were ever able to bear? Doth not the Scripture freqUently teftifie, that we are not now un~ der the L:lw, Dut under Grace:, that we are freed from the Law, "th:tt Chrilt wcrs made under the Law; t<;i free thofe W_ho were under the Law; and therefore to terrific and over-.1w Mens Confcienccs py the Amhority of the Law, what elfe is it hut a Legal Difpenfation; unworthy of that Chriftian Liberty into wl1ich our S:1v iour hath vindicated us, having fulfilled the Law by his Obedience, and by l1is Death abolilh'd it? To this I anfwcr, Far be it from every Chriliian .to iQdnlgl' himfclf in any Litentioufnefs from filch a corrupt and roit"en Notion of the Law's :Abrogation; for fo far is it from being abolilh' d by tfic coming ofChri!l, that he himfelf expreOy tells Matth.. 5. us, He came not to dtftroy tht Law, but to fulfil ft; TO~ vO~v '7AIIf,;~~. £. c: either tO 17. perfor~ or elfe to perfeCl: and fill up the Law. And Verfe tS. aflCVers, That ti'll 'Heaven and Earth pafs away, one jot or one tittle Jh.an in no wife pafs ftom the Lflw, until all be fulfilled~ ;: e. t ill die confummatio·n and fulfill ing of aU things ; and then th'e Law which was out Rule on Earth, !hall become our Nature in Heaven. When therefore St. Paul fpeaks (as frequently he cloth) of the Abrogation, atld Difannulling of the Law, we muft heedfully diftinguith both of the Law, and like":.. wife of the Abrogation of it. The Law which God delivered by Mofis's Mini!lry, was of three forts: The Ceremonial, Judicial, and 1\lon!Law. The diftinct Confideration of each of thefe, may afford us fome light in this matter. The Ceremonial Law was wholly taken up in in joining thofe Obfervances of Sacrifices, and Offerin~s, and various ~ethods of Pur~fications and Cleanfings, which were typical of Chnft, and that Sacrifice of hts wh1ch alone was able to take away Sin. The Judicial Law confifted of th<~_fe Conffitutions which God prefcribed ~he 'Jews for their Civil Government: for thetr State was a Theocracy; and whereas m other Commonwealths t he chief Magifrrates gave Laws unto the People, in this, t he ·Laws for their Religion, and for their Ci~il Go~~rnme,n.t, ·Wet:e both Divine, and both immediately froni God. So that thetr Judtctal Law was given them to be the ftanding Law of their Nation; according to which all Actions anj:l Suits between Party and Party were to be tried and det~rmined ; as in all other Nations. there a.r~ particular Laws and Statutes for the DeciJion of Controverfies that may anfe among them. Sut the Moral Law is a S:Yffem or' BOO.y of thofe Precepts which carry an univerfal and natural Equity in them, being fo conformable to the Light and Reafon, and the Dictates ofevery Man's Confcience, that as foon as ever they are declared and nndcr!lood, we muft needs fubfcribe to the Jufticc and Righteoufnefs of them. Thefe

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