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first parents, or impressing the commands of the moral law on their nature; so that by the power of reasoning, with which they were endowed, they might attain to the knowledge thereof. So that man, by the light of nature, knew all things contained in the moral law.

As to what is farther said in this answer, that the moral law was given to man in innocency; that has been considered elsewhere. And as all mankind were represented by him, so we are to understand those words, that it was given to all mankind in him. But these things have been insisted on in another place, as also what relates to his being prohibited from eating the tree of knowledge of good and evil, I shall pass it over, and proceed to speak more particularly concerning the moral law, together with the use thereof to all sorts of men.

QUEST. XCIII. What is the moral law?

ANSW. The moral law is the declaration of the will of God to mankind, directing and binding every one to personal, perfect, and perpetual conformity and obedience thereunto, in the frame and disposition of the whole man, soul and body, and in performance of all those duties of holiness and righteousness which he oweth to God and man; promising life upon the fulfilling, and threatening death upon the breach of it.

QUEST. XCIV. Is there any use of the moral law to man, since the fall?

ANSW. Although no man, since the fall, can attain to righte ousness and life by the moral law; yet there is great use thereof, as well common to all men, as peculiar, either to the unregenerate, or the regenerate.

QUEST. XCV. Of what use is the moral law to all men?

ANSW. The moral law is of use to all men, to inform them of the holy nature and will of God, and of their duty, binding them to walk accordingly; to convince them of their disability to keep it, and of the sinful pollution of their nature, hearts, and lives; to humble them in a sense of their sin and misery, and thereby help them to a clearer sight of the need they have of Christ, and of the perfection of his obedi

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QUEST. XCVI. What particular use is there of the moral law to unregenerate men?

ANSW. The moral law is of use to unregenerate men, to awaken their consciences to fly from wrath to come, and to drive them to Christ; or, upon their continuance in the estate and way of sin, to leave them inexcusable, and under the curse thereof.

QUEST. XCVII. What special use is there of the moral law to the regenerate?

ANSW. Although they that are regenerate, and believe in Christ, be delivered from the moral law as a covenant of works, so as thereby they are neither justified, nor condemned; yet beside the general uses thereof common to them with all men, it is of special use to shew them how much they are bound to Christ for his fulfilling it, and enduring the curse thereof in their stead, and for their good; and thereby to provoke them to more thankfulness, and to express the same in their greater care, to conform themselves thereunto, as the rule of their obedience.

N these answers we have,

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I. A description of the moral law, in which we may observe,

1. That it is a declaration of the will of God to mankind, that so we may not be destitute of a rule to guide and regulate our behaviour, both towards God and man. This is the first idea contained in a law; and there is another, which respects the obligation which we are laid under hereby, arising from our being creatures, and consequently subject to God, who, as the supreme governor, has an undoubted right to demand obedience from us to every thing that he prescribes and reveals to us, as a rule for our direction therein. Moreover, that which God requires of us in this law, is, personal, perfect, and perpetual conformity and obedience thereunto.

(1.) It must be personal, as denoting that it is not to be performed by proxy; so that whatever services we may expect from men, we must not conclude that they can perform obedience for us to God, and thereby fulfil the obligation we are personally laid under. Yea, we may proceed farther, and assert, that what Christ has performed for us, does not exempt us from an obligation to yield perfect obedience; though it is not to be performed by us with the same view with which he performed it, as will be farther considered under a following

head, where we shall shew, that though it is not to be obeyed by us as a covenant of works; nevertheless we are obliged to obey it as a rule of life.

(2.) Our obedience to the law of God must be perfect. The same obligation that man was under at first, to yield perfect obedience, remains still in force, though we are not able to perform it. The insolvency of man by the fall, did not cancel or disannul this debt *. And how much soever God may own and approve of the sincerity of his people, which is all the perfection which fallen man can arrive to in this world; yet we must not suppose, that hereby we fulfil the obligation which God, as a law-giver, has laid us under. This I the rather take notice of, that there may not be the least ground to suppose that we make void the law, but rather establish it, and thereby assert the right which God has to that perfection of obedience, which is due from us, though unable to perform it.

(3.) It must be perpetual, without backsliding from God, or the least remissness in our duty to him; and therefore there is no abatement or dispensation allowed of, that may give countenance to the least defect of this obedience. Thus the Psal

mist says, I will never forget thy precepts, Psal. cxix. 93. and, Every day will I bless thee, and I will praise thy name for ever and ever, Psal. cxlv. 2. Moreover, we may observe, that this obedience is to be performed with the whole man, and in particular, by the soul, with the utmost intenseness, in all the powers and faculties thereof. Accordingly our understandings are to be rightly instructed, as to what respects the matter and manner of performing it; our wills to be entirely subjected to the will of God, and our affections engaged therein, as being sanctified and excited by the Spirit, to the end, that duty may be performed with delight, arising from the love which we bear to him, whose servants we are.

It is also to be performed with our bodies. The former, includes in it that obedience more especially which is internal; this, that which is external. This is what is styled a lower sort of obedience; and if we rest here, it is so far from being acceptable, as the apostle says, that Bodily exercise profiteth little, 1 Tim. iv. 8. Nevertheless, as the body is an instrument of the soul in acting, that service which is performed therein, is absolutely necessary; and therefore all religious worship is to be engaged in with a becoming reverence that is external, as well as that which is internal; without which the soul cannot be said to engage in any religious duties, in a becoming manner. It is farther observed, that this obedience includes in it holiness and righteousness. The former of these respects more * It is a known maxim in the civil law, Cessante capacitate subditi non, cessat obligatto.

especially our duty to God, which, being a branch of religious worship, ought to be performed with a reverential fear of his divine Majesty, and that due regard to his infinite purity, and entire dedication and consecration of ourselves to him, as becomes those who are sanctified by his Spirit, and enabled to exercise all those graces whereby we may approve ourselves his faithful servants and subjects. The latter more especially respects those duties which we owe to men, in the various relations we stand in to them, which is incumbent on us as what is enjoined by God.

2. The moral law is farther considered as having a promise of life annexed to it, and a threatning of death upon the breach thereof. This is what is generally called the sanction annexed to the law. A law without a sanction would not be much regarded, especially by those who have not a due sense of their obligation to obedience. Persons are very much disposed to enquire, when a command is given, what the consequences of their obeying or disregarding it will be? and this being made known before hand, is a strong motive to obedience. If God is pleased, out of his abundant grace, to encourage his people, by giving them to expect some blessings that he will bestow on those that obey him, it is, in some respect, necessary that this should be known. But especially since punishment, in proportion to the nature of the crime, will be the consequence of disobedience, it is becoming the divine perfections to let it be known, that the wages of sin is death. And this was not only annexed to the moral law, but equally impressed on the nature of man, who could not but know, that rebellion against God would be punished with a separation from him, and that all those miseries would attend it, in proportion to the respective aggravation thereof, that it deserves.

II. We have an account of the use of the moral law since the fall; and that either with respect to mankind in general, or the unregenerate and regenerate. And here it is observed, that no man since the fall, can attain righteousness and life by it; therefore it is not to be used with that view. From whence we may infer, that this might have been attained by man before the fall, according to the tenor of the covenant which he was under, the sum and substance whereof was that the man that doth these things shall live by them, Rom. x. 5. as the apostle says. Eternal life was promised to man in innocency; and he was then able to yield sinless obedience, which was the condition thereof. But it is impossible for fallen man thus to obey; for how perfect soever his obedience may be for the future, it is supposed, from the nature of the thing, that it cannot be sinless, after sin has been committed; and it would be a reflection on the justice and holiness of God, for us to con

clude that he will accept of imperfect obedience, instead of perfect. Therefore it follows, that a right to life is not to be expected from our imperfect obedience to the law, as the apostle says, By the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified, chap. iii. 20. in God's sight; in this respect our own righteousness is represented not only as faulty and defective, but as altogether insufficient to procure an interest in the divine favour, or to exempt us from the punishment which is due to us for sin. It is one thing to say, that eternal life is connected with obedience, so that no one can have the least ground to expect it without it; and another thing to say, that it is founded upon it, or, that it gives us a right and title to it. Nevertheless, we are not to conclude that the law is of no use; for, 1. It is of use to all men, in several respects:

(1.) It informs us of the holy nature and will of God, and of our duty to him. This is the first idea we have of a law*, which signifies more especially a doctrine; and, as the subjectmatter thereof, respects our being taught what we are obliged to, as commanded by a law-giver, it signifies a law. The divine perfections are eminently instamped on it in very legible characters; his sovereignty, as having a right to demand obedience; his holiness in the matter thereof, and in the obligation we are herein laid under to be holy in all conversation; because it is written, be ye holy, for I am holy, 1 Pet. i. 15, 16. and therefore this perfection is set forth in those threatnings that are annexed to it, whereby the wrath of God is revealed against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, Rom. i. 18. As it is designed to discover our secret faults, that we may be humbled for them, and hereby a multitude of sins may be prevented, so it not only sets forth the holiness, but the goodness of God; and indeed there is nothing enjoined therein as our duty, but what includes in it some advantage. Thus the Psalmist describes it as more to be desired than gold, yea, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the honey comb; and adds, that in keeping thereof, there is great reward, Psal. xix. 10, 11.

(2.) The moral law is of use to all men, as it binds them to perform that which is therein enjoined as matter of duty, which is another idea contained in a law, viz. as it is that which binds the consciences of men, that so we may not vainly and presumptuously conclude, to our own destruction, that we may live as we list, or say, who is Lord over us? It is a great instance of the care and goodness of God, that he has taken this method to prevent that ruin which would arise from our withdrawing the allegiance which we owe to him, and lay us un

* Thus the word nn, is derived from 1971, didicit, or viam monstravit

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