353. SERMON L. The St f Sermon tn ibis Teat. Chriftianity doth not deftroy, but perte& the Law of Mofes. MATTHEW 5. 17. Think not that I am come to deftroy the Law or the Prophets. I am not come to deftroy, but tofini. TH E R. E is noSaying in the whole Gofpel, which the Jews did fo fre- quentlyobje& to the Chrittians as this of our Bleffed Saviour, as if his Words and A&ions wtre plainly repugnant, and contrary to one ano- ther .: for when it is evident, fay they, that he took away fo many Ceremonies, Purifications, Diftinftions of Meats, Sacrifices, Judicial Laws, and many other things ; yet he fays, he came not to deflroy the Low or the Prophets ; fo that it is plain, that he did throw down the Law of Mofes, and in fo doing contradi&ed his own Saying, that he did not intend to defiroy the Law. To clear our Saviour's words of this Obje&ion, it will be requifite to confider the Scope and Defign of hisDifcourfe in this Chapter ; by which we (hall fully underftand the fenfe and meaning of thefe Words in the Text. OurSaviour, in this Sermon, (which contains the Sum and Subftance of his Re- ligion) doth earneftly recommend to his Difciples and Followers, and ftri&ly enjoyns theperfeF} Pra&ice of all Goodnefs and Virtue, declaring to them, that he cametobring in and eftabli(h that Righteoufnefs, which the Jewifh Religion indeed:aimed at, but through the Weaknefs and Imperte&ion of that Difpenfa- tion, was not able to effe& and_accomplith. And to take away all fufpicion of a Defign, to contradi& the former Revelations of God, made to the Jewsby Mo- tes and the Prophets, or to deftroy their Divine Authority, by carrying on a De- fign contrary to them, I fay, to prevent any imagination of this kind, he does here in the Text exprefly declare the contrary ; Think not, &c. Intimating that force either did, or at leatt might be apt tofufpe&, that his Defign was to deftrole the obligation of the Law, and to undermine the Authority of Mofes and the Prophets ; to free them from this jealoufie, he declares plainly, that he had no fuch thought and intention, it was far from him. I am not come to defiroy, seazu><vaaa, to abrogate or d ffolve the Law, to encou- rage Men to the breach and violation ofit; for the word is of the fame fenfe with Atiew, at the 19. ver. whofoever (bail break one ofthere leaf[ Commandments ; and with xxireoi ses, Rom. 3. 31. vó'.cov asv xce.rzygiehu, do we then make void the Law by Faith ? Which is the fame quettion with that of the fame Apoftle, Gal. 3. 21. Is the Law then againfi the Promifes of God ? that is, are the Law and the Gofpel con- trary ? do they contraditï one another ; So that the meaning of our Saviour's De- claration is this, that he was not come to diffblve, and abrogate, and make void the Law, or to encourage Men to the breachof it', that the Precepts of his Reli- gionwere in no wife contrary to thofe of the Law and the Prophets, did not thwart and oppofe them, or any ways contradi& the main defign and intention of the Law and the Prophets; that is, of the Yewiflt Religion; for fo the Law and the Prophets do f'ecuently fignifie, Mat. 7. sa.. therefore all things whatfaever ye would that Men fhould do toyou, do ye even fo to them for this is the Law and the Prophets ; that is, this is the main fcope and intention of what your Religion, contained in the Law and the Prophets, teacheth, concerning your Duty to one another. So like- wife, Matth. 22. 40. On thefe two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets; that is, this is the fumofall the Duties of Religion; to thefe two Laws, all that Z z the
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=