auto the Law, Declared and P indicated. .3 8 z z. The Law bath two parts or powers. (H.) Its preceptive part, commanding and requiring obedience, with a promife of life annexed: Do this and live. (2.) Thefanirion on fup- pofition of difobedience , binding the firmer unto puniíh- ment, or a meet recompence of reward. la the day thou.finne.it, thou (halt die. And every Law properly fo called, proceeds on thefe fuppofttions of obedience or difobedience, whence its commanding and punifhing Power are infeparate from its Nature. 2. This Law, whereof we fpeak, was firer given unto Man in innocency; and therefore the ferf power of it, was only in act : It obliged only unto Obedience. For an innocent per - fon could not be obnoxioua unto its fanction, which contained only an obligation unto punifhment, on tüppofition of dif obedience. It could not therefore oblige our firft Parents unto Obedience and Punifhment both, teeing its Obligation unto Punifhment could not be in actual force, but on fuppo- fition of aftual difobedience. A Moral Cauf of, and Motive unto Obedience it was, and had an influence into the pre - fervation of Man from fn.. Unto that end it was faid unto him, In the day thou eateft, thou f alt furely die. The negleCt hereof, and of that ruling influence which it ought to have had on the minds of our firer Parents, opened the door unto the entrance of fin. But it implies a contradiction, that an innocent perfon fhould be under an ad ual obligation unto punifliment from the fanCtion of the Lazy. It bound only un- to Obedience, as all Laws, with Penalties, do before their tranfgref lion. But 3. On the committing of fin, (and it is fo with every one that is guilty of fin) Man came under an anal obligation unto punifhment. This is no more quelrionable than whether at firer he was under an Obligation unto Obedience. But then the Quettion is, whether the firfr Intention and Obligation of the Law unto obedience, doth ceaCe to affect the tiara er, or.
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