tention of the Auditors.

Now that this Doctrine

was a Thing of this Nature, may appear if we confider;

1. The Confequence of it. We have had in the Church a great many dangerous Opinions derogatory to it. Some making Chrift as our Surety, fo to comply with the Covenant of Works for us, that there is nothing left for us to do our felves; fome, that overlooking the written Precepts, turn us over to hidden Decrees; fome that make the Gospel all Promises, or if there be any Condition, they make it such as fhall be performed to our Hand; fome that think the Law is fo abolifhed, that the Gofpel-Liberty has abfolved us from it; some that think it was a Law fo peculiar to the Jews, that we Chriftians are not concerned in it; fome that Chrift's perfect Righteousness is fo imputed to us, as if it were really Ours, and confequently that we have no need of any inherent Righteousness of our own: and a great many more Errors of this Nature, attending the ftrange Schemes fome Men have made of Grace and Decrees. For there is no Part of Religion has been more endeavoured to be overthrown and undermined, than this that relates to Moral Duties; to that Degree, that Morality it felf has been vilified as a low and mean Difpenfation. Not to fay any Thing now of the infinite Ways they have in the Church of Rome, by Pardons, Difpenfations, Penances, Commutations, their Doctrine of Probabilities, and other numerous Arts of loofe Cafuifts, to evacuate the Force of Duty. All these foreseen by our Saviour, together with the Defigns of his prefent Followers, who expected to fit themselves for his Service, by fighting his Battles,

Battles, and sharing in his Conquefts, not by the Renovation and Sanctification of their Hearts and Lives; made it a Thing of great Neceffity to prin-. ciple them well in this Doctrine, of the perpetual Obligation of the Moral Law: and therefore proper for our Saviour to ufher it in with fuch a folemn Affeveration.

2. That this Doctrine is apt of all other to be the leaft minded, even by those that believe it, at leaft do not pretend to deny it, is another good Reason for Ushering it in with this Affeveration. Alas, how many Pretences have we to flink our Necks out of this Collar of Duties? How many Excuses from Fashion and Custom? How many from natural and acquired Infirmities? How many Offputs and Delays? And, at last, what a forry Business do we make of all our moft exact Performance of Duty? How far fhort does it come of that prefcribed in the Gofpel? It appears by all this, that there is nothing we are more apt to forget; and that there was nothing more proper for our Saviour to take Pains upon, and labour; as accordingly we find he has done in this Sermon on the Mount: and particularly in this Text, where he ties the Moral Law upon his Followers to the End of the World by a folemn Affeveration.

II. The Second Thing I propofed to speak to from the Text, is the Affertion itself, concerning the perpetual Obligation of the Law. Till Heaven and Earth pass, one fot or one Tittle fhall in no wife pass from the Law. This Expreffion of one Jot or one Tittle not paffing from the Law, is figurative; and is not to be understood literally of Letters, or Points, or Corners and Parts of Letters; but only that none of the Moral Laws,

not

not the leaft or most inconfiderable of them, is to be abolished; but that they are all to be kept up in their full Force and Vigour. Taking our Saviour's Affertion then in this Senfe, there are these Three Truths I apprehend belong to the Scope and Purport of it.

1. That the Moral Law is of perpetual Obligation even to us Chriftians.

2. That an univerfal Obedience to all the Parts of the Moral Law is required of us: for here all Exceptions are exprefly excluded.

3. That a Nicenefs or Exactness, even in the seemingly most inconfiderable Parts of the Moral Law, is recommended: for fo much is meant by every fot or Tittle.

1. That the Moral Law is of perpetual Obligation to us Chriftians; this is the plain Meaning of those Words, till Heaven and Earth pass; that is, for ever fhall this Law remain in it's full Force and Vigour. Now in fpeaking to this Point of the Perpetuity of the Law, there are thefe Two Things to be made out.

(1) That this Law did not ceafe, as belonging only to the Jews; but that it remains in Force with Us Chriftians.

(2) That no Chriftian Liberty, no high Difpenfation of Grace, exempts us from the Obligation of the Moral Law.

(1) First, I fay, that this Law does not cease, as belonging only to the Jews. I confefs, to confider the Moral Law, not from the Matter of it, as it contains the eternal Dictates of the Law of Nature; but as it was enacted on Mount Sinai, and made a Statute-Law to the People of If rael; the Obligation of it to the rest of the VOL. II.

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World

World is not fo apparent; for it is there given out in fuch a Form, as to have a peculiar Relation to that People; as appears by the Preamble to it in the Beginning of the xxth Chap. of Exodus, I am the Lord thy God, which brought Thee out of the Land of Egypt, out of the Houfe of Bondage. As alfo from fome of the Reasons to enforce Obedience to it, inferted in the Body of the Law itfelf; particularly that in the Fifth Commandment, that their Days fhould be long in the Land, which the Lord their God had given them: Which is properly a Temporal Promife, relating to that People, and that particular Land. There are notwithstanding very good Reasons to tie upon us Chriftians the Obligation to the Moral Law. For, First, It is confeffed by All, to be a Tranfcript and Abridgment of the Law of Nature, and therefore binding upon all Men. It is true, the Law of Nature was obfcure, and by Reason of that Obfcurity, without the Help of this other Law of Mofes, could not have been fo well understood; yet this doth not hinder but that the Explication of Mofes (to make it no more than an Explication to the reft of the World, befides the Jews) cafting great Light upon the Law of Nature, this fuperadds a new Obligation to the Performance of thofe Duties of which we had before but a more confufed Perception. As when we are convinced of the Obligation of Gofpel Duties, which yet being perhaps in fome Points obfcure, if a clear Expofition fhould come out upon them, and we were convinced that That is really the true Sense; and that Expofition fhould acquaint us with fome Parts of our Duty which before we understood not fo well; we

fhould

fhould think our felves obliged to comply with those Duties, not from any new Authority of the Expofitor, but from the prior Obligation of the Duties Themselves, which he has only helped us to understand better.

But Secondly, That which puts the Thing quite out of Doubt with me, of the Obligation of this Law upon us Chriftians, even fuch of us as are not defcended from the Jews, is the Words of our Saviour in my Text, concerning the perpetual Obligation of that Law; and his enforcing and explaining it to his Disciples under, thefe Terms, For verily I fay unto you. And if there were no more to convince me that Chrift has made Additions, and not only new Explications, this One Thing would do it, that I do not fee, till Chrift's Authority enacted it, that the Moral Law of Mofes was formally bound as a Statute Law upon any other befides the Jews. The Law of Nature indeed injoined it (but obfcurely) to all Men; the Law of Mofes bound it, peculiarly upon the Jews; and now the Law of Chrift binds it upon Chriftians.

And Thirdly, the Spirit which is given to Christians teacheth them the fame Things; and the Fruits of the Spirit are no other than the Moral Duties enjoined by the Law: So good an Agreement there is in this Matter between the Law and the Gospel; that we may well ufe St. Paul's Question, Rom. iii. 31. Do we then make void the Law through Faith? God forbid, nay, we establish the Law:

(2) The Law then belonging to Chriftians, the next Thing is to fhew, that it is perpetual; that no Chriftian Liberty, no high Difpenfation

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