- ..., ',j ; · ~ Firji Commandment. so thlt you fee, ·wc·arefar from being difpenfed with for our Obligation to Obc, d-iencc: but rather th.:it Obligition is made the ftrider by Chrift's coming jnro the World, and every Tranfgrcffion a!?a inft.the Moral La"': fs i~haunce~ to ~n cxcc~s ofSin and Guilt, not onlY. by t!J£_A~thonty of God's lnJun<frton, whtch lhll contt· nues inviolable but }Jkcwifc from tbe SanChon of our Mcdllftor and R.edecn:ter, who hath invigora~d th~ Pr~c~pts of the Llw by his exptCfs"Comtnand, and promifed us the affiftance of his Sp1nt to obferve ·and perform them. · · Now here before I can come particularly to treat of the '\\'ords.of the Decalogue; I. think it rcquifite to propound fome general Rules for the right Undcrftanding~aud Expounding of the Com~andments, which will be of great' ufe ~o ~s for our n?;ht · , apprehending the full Latitude and Extent of them. The Pfalm1ft tells•us, That P[<~l. 1 , 5 • the Commandments of God are exceeding brOOd~ They are exc~eding ftraight, as 96. to any Tolera tion or Indulgence given to the unruly .Luft~ an~ Apphi:tes c:>f Men.; but exceeding broad) in the Comprehenfivcnefs of their• lnJunCbons, extendmg the1r Authority over all tHe ACl:ions of our Lives. Now that we may co~ceivefdmcwliat of this B\"ldth and Reach ofthe Law of God, obfervt thefc followmg Rules . . p;rjl, AI\ thofe Precepts which are difperfed in the Holy S'<fiptures, and.concern I• the regulating of otiT Lives and A(hons, al~liough they arc not·to be found exprefiy mentioned in the Detalogue, yet may they very tJptly bC reduced under one of thefe Ten Commands. There is no Duty required, nor Sin forbidden by God, but it falls under one, at lcaft, of thcfe ten \:Vords, and fometimes under more than one: and therefore to the right and genuihe Interpretation of this Law, we muft take in wh:ttfoevcr the Prophets, Apoftles, or our Lord Chrift himfelf hath taught, as Comments and Expofitions upon it; for the Decalogue is a Compendium of all that they have taught concerning Moral Worfuip and Juftice; yea, onr Saviour doth Epitomize ~hiS very Epitome it felf, and redncerl1 thofc ten Words intO two; Love to God, which comprehendeth a \I t.hC'Dutics of the firft Table; ' and La\• c. tci Qur Neighbour; which comprehcndeth all the Duties of the fecond T able; and. tells us, that upon thefe tWo hang all the Law an4 the Prophet-s,. Marrh. 2-2. verfe '37· to verfe 41. And ct;rtainly, a due Love of God, and of our Neighbour, V(illrhake us careful to perform all the of Duties Religion to the one, and of Juftice to the other, and keep us from attempting any Vi0lation to his Honour~ or Violence to their Right. And therefore tllc Apoftle tells us, That Lov.e is the fulfilling of t:hc Law; R~m• 1 ] . and, t 'Jl,m. i. 4· th1t the end of the Commandment is Charity, or Love; -the End, 10. £.e. the €ompicrion, or the Confurhmation of the Comm:~ndment, is Love both to God, and one another. But concerning this, 1 fuall have occafion to . fpeak more largely hereafter. .. · Stcondiy,Sincemoftof thcComm:10dments are delivered in NegatiVe or Pr.ohjbiting ti . Tqms, and only the Fourth and Fifth in Affirmative or In joining ;r Wc may obferve this Rule, Th:It the Affirmative Commands include in them the Prohibition of the contrary Sin ; and the Neg:Itive Command.s :include the InjunCl:ion of the ·fontrary Duty : for it is neceffary that the contrary to what is forbidden, muft be commanded; and again, the contrary to ~hat is commanded, muft be forbidden ; as for inftance, God in the Third CommJndtnent, forbid? the taking of his N1me jO: yain, therefore by confequence · the hallowin~ and fahCtifyjng his Nanie is therein romm<tnded. The Fourth requires the fanCt:ifying of theS'l.bhitth-day; therefore it furely fol\0weth, that th~Prophan:Ition ~of it i.s ther~by forb~dden.; ' · r.Th'7,Fj frh co~n· mands us to Honour our 'Farents; therefore 1t forh1ds us to be Dl[Obcrilep,t.l:>r lnJ u~ rious tO the_m. And ro it is eafie to collcCt:·.pf the re.ft. :'\ i \'"J Thirdly) Obferve alfo, That every Negative Command binds fomper SJnd ad fcmper; ni ~ as the Schools fpeak; i.e. always and to every mom~nt of' time: but the Afiirma.. tive Prcc;ept.s, tho' they bind always, yet they do n6t bind to eve:. ry momen~; indeed as to the * habit of Obedience they do, but .. Lictt Ptttttptum ,.ffomati - not as to the ACts. To make this plain by infbmcc: TJ1~ Firft 'lmm r~on ~bliga tJd. fi tn;m - iz• Gom~andm~nt. Thou ]halt ha-ve no other Gods before Mc, bindeth :~f:;/;; ,~;~:,r:~pl:~::;;, ~:~ always, and to every mo.mcnJ}of time ; fo. that he is guilty of Ido~ · mm Ad ftmper fl(.md11n, hnbih~ry, whofoever fuaU at any time fet up a~ny other God t;o wor.- tum, ita }Cil. whomofempa- {iJ lhiJ?, ~e~de~ the _Lor47ehovah:· But the Affirmative Precept, it4 tlijpofittn , qucd fimp" f t p•· wluch IS mcluded m thiS Negative, 1Jiz... To Worlbip, to Love r:~t~ implm pr.m ptW1! quotin to IQ.voke, to depend upqn, this God, obligeth us always, for w~ .. ri~:!~irf~:~:~~:n. 3.~i~ra~~· muft never aa contrary hereunto ; and likewife it qbligeth us to s every
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=