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the Rites or Cuftoms, carnal Ordinances, and the like. 4. Lastly, Our Saviour's vehement Affeveration concerning the Perpetuity of the Law, till Heaven and Earth fhould pass away, seems no way confiftent with Truth, if applied to the Ceremonial Law, which he knew was quickly to be abolished. Nor does it seem to be a fufficient Answer, that the Types were fulfilled in their Antitypes, and the Prophecies in their Accomplishment; for there are Abundance of Ceremonies abolished, befides what were Types of the Meffah; and the very Sabbath itself is changed from the Seventh to the First Day of the Week. For all which Reasons, I am of Opinion, our Saviour fpeaks here only of the Law, as it is a Rule of Life and Manners, that is, the Moral Law, with the Explications of the Prophets. I have infifted the longer on this first Question, both because Interpreters are much puzzled and divided about it; and because, by the Help of what has been now obferved, we fhall find an eafier Solution to the other Questions propofed.

II. The Second Question is, whether there was any fuch Opinion current among them, as that the Meffiah was to deftroy the Law or the Prophets? It is plain our Saviour enters upon this Argument, as if he had known of fome fuch Error they had concerning him in their Minds, by this faying, Think not that I am come to defroy the Law or the Prophets. For Answer of this Doubt, the Generality of Interpreters give us this Account of the Matter; That our Saviour being about to give out fo many Things as Duties, in which he prefcribes either quite new Laws, or at least a much higher Degree of Ho

linefs and Virtue than the People had been hitherto taught; he was afraid on that Account they would think he intended to destroy the Law of Mofes, for which they defervedly had a very great Veneration. But tho' this be the common Anfwer to this Queftion, I confefs it seems to me not fo fatisfactory; and that for these two Reafons: First, Because this Answer fuppofes, that they had already an Apprehenfion of the Reformation our Saviour was going to make in the Law, before he had acquainted them with it: And that by way of Anticipation of a Doubt which he was going to raife, he fortified them with this Antidote, which feems not so very probable. Secondly, Suppofing they had as perfectly known all the Reformation Chrift was to make about the Law before-hand, as they did afterwards, I can fee nothing from which they could entertain any fuch Prejudice or Sufpicion; as that he was about to deftroy the Moral Law: his whole Doctrine about it having fo clear a Tendency to the perfecting of it, but not the leaft Shew or Colour of abrogating or destroying it. So that really I can't think this Opinion of his Intention to destroy the Law or the Prophets, did at all proceed from any of the Doctrines he delivers in this Sermon about them. That which feems to me a much more probable Account of the Matter is, that this Opinion was a Confequence of the Notions they had of the Meffiah's worldly Kingdom; for how could they think to do fo much Mischief as to fet up the Kingdom of the Meffiah by Conqueft above all the Kingdoms of the World, and to flow in Wealth and carnal Pleafure, and to kill, and flay, and fall upon the Spoil,

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Spoil, and poffefs themselves of other Mens Goods and Inheritances, unless the Strictness of the Moral Law, particularly of the 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, and 10th Commandments, were difpenfed with, which do fo carefully guard and fence Governments, and Mens Lives and Estates and Properties, that till thofe Laws are out of the Way, there is no coming at them. And therefore the Prejudice our Saviour is here correcting, as I take it, was not a Prejudice they had learned in his School, but a Prejudice they brought along with them to it, like all thofe other Prejudices, which he cured in the eight Beatitudes; for this flows as naturally from their carnal Notions of the Meffiah and his Kingdom, as any of thofe other did and is very properly annexed to that Discourse, as well as it is a pertinent Tranfition from it, to the preaching up of the Moral Law in it's Purity and Perfection, q. d. As I have been endeavouring to undeceive you as to your Covetous, Ambitious, Vain, Vindictive, Unjuft, Unmerciful, Lafcivious, Turbulent and Seditious Expectations from the Meffiah's Kingdom; and to poffefs you with the contrary good Qualifications, Poverty of Spirit, Penitential Serioufnefs, Meeknefs, Juftice, Mercifulness, Purity, Peaceablenefs and Patience; fo now I tell you in general, as to all Sorts of Duty, that ye are not to expect that I will exempt you from your Obedience to any Part of good Morality what foever, recommended either by Mofes or the Prophets; I am fo far from evacuating those Duties, that I am refolved, by my Doctrine and Example, and the Injunctions I intend to lay on my Difciples, to preach up all Moral Duties to a greater Height than ye have

ever as yet been taught them. me to the Third Question.

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And this leads

III. In what Senfe it is true, that Chrift came not to deftroy, but to fulfil the Law and the Prophets. The Law and the Prophets here meant, I have juft now fhewed to be the Moral Law, with the Interpretations of the Prophets. This Law Christ did not come to deftroy, that is, to abolish; so far from it, that with a great Affeveration he affirms in the next Verfe, That till Heaven and Earth pass, one jot or one tittle fhall in no wife pafs from the Law, till all be fulfilled; or till all Things come to an End; as the Words are rendred by fome learned Interpreters. And thus far all Commentators are agreed, except a few Antinomians, that Chrift doth not evacuate the Moral Law but that it is still binding and obligatory upon us Chriftians. But as to the Meaning of the latter Part of this Sentence, that he was come to fulfil, or fill up, or perfect it, (for all thefe does the Original Word Ampwoα, fignify) there feems to be a confiderable Variation among Interpreters; tho' at Bottom, like many other Things, it will be found rather a Verbal, than a real Controverfy. The Question is, whether our Saviour has only better cleared the Meaning of the Moral Law, vindicating it from the wrong Gloffes of the Scribes and Pharifees; or whether he has not further added to the Moral Law itself, requiring fome further or more exprefs Moral Duties of us Chriftians, than Mofes required in the Law of the Jews? That which induces me to think this is not fo material a Controverfy, as is by fome pretended, is this; that all are agreed in the Duties required by Chrift; there is not one of

them

them difputed; the Question is only, whether the fame Duties do not belong to the Law of Mofes, rightly interpreted, or whether they were fuperadded anew by Chrift? I fay, as long as we are all agreed in the Duties, what fignifies it whether they are required only by Chrift, or by Mofes and Chrift both? For that is really all the Purport of this Controverfy. For my Part, I fee no Neceffity of making all that follows here with this Introduction, But I fay unto you, quite new Conftitutions; it is fufficient to justify that Form of Expreflion, that it was new to them, and quite another Meaning from what the Scribes and Pharifees, their prefent Interpreters of the Law, understood by it. And I am well fatisfied, that as to the Defign of the Law, which is to teach the Love of God and our Neighbour to the Height; and as to the Spiritual Meaning of the Law, it is the fame with that of the Gospel; but the Means of compaffing that Defign are not near fo effectual in the one, as in the other; and therefore I fhall briefly give you my Reasons, why it seems to me our Saviour meant more by this Expreffion, than barely to act the Part of a good Interpreter of the Law; and that he has proceeded further to make Amendments and Alterations. 1. First then, the Original Word in my Text, σa, which we render to fulfil, fignifies likewife to fill up and perfect; and is by almost all the Ancient Fathers upon this Text, interpreted in this latter Senfe. And they illuftrate it by a very pretty Similitude; the Similitude of a Painter, who at first makes his rude Draught with a Coal or Lead; then afterwards comes with his Live-Colours, and finishes. So this Doctrine

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