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which, the Pfalmift here tells us, are exceeding broad. This Law is indeed exceeding ftrait, as to the Holiness and Strictness of its Precepts, giving not the leaft fcope or indulgence to any unruly Luft; but 'tis exceeding broad with refpect to the Comprehenfiveness of its Injunctions, which reach not only to the outward, but the inner Man. Tho God Almighty hath compriz'd his whole Will in Ten short Laws, call'd therefore the Decalogue or Ten Commandments; and tho our bleffed Saviour hath reduc'd them all to one Precept, making Love the fulfilling of the Law, declaring that upon the two parts of it, the Love of God and of our Neighbour, as upon two Hinges, hang all the Law and the Prophets: Tho, I fay, it feems to lie in this nar row compafs, yet each of thefe Parts dilate and fpread themfelves into fo many branches, as make them exceeding broad and extenfive. For the Love of God comprizes all that Duty and Homage we owe to our Maker, and will not fuffer the leaft Violation of his Honour: The Love of our Neighbour includes all the Offices of Juftice and Kindnefs we owe to one another, and will not permit any Violence to be offer'd to the Perfon or Rights of any and both thefe are justly ftyl'd the fulfilling of the Law. Yea, Charity, which includes both, is of a large extent, as may be feen in the fevera! Acts and Branches of it, mention'd by St. Paul, in 1 Cor. 13. call'd therefore the Bond of Perfectness. And tho the End of the Law is Charity, yet is that Grace fo exceeding wide and comprehenfive, that we can fee no end of that Perfection.

Now the Breadth and Length of the Commandments will the better appear, by confidering the Perfons, the Time, and the Matters to which they extend; in all which fenfes we fhall find them exceeding broad. And,

1. For the Perfons concern'd in them, they are all Mankind, for whofe Welfare and Direction they were firft given, and are ftill continu'd and deriv'd down to us; and being the Dictates of natural Reafon, as well as the Directions of the Divine Will, their Obligation must be as wide as Human Nature, and extend unto all Perfons. "Tis true indeed there were fome Circumftances at the firft folemn Delivery of this Law, that feem'd to relate only to the Jewish Nation; and being exprefly ftyl'd a Covenant made with that People, feems to confine it wholly unto them: but yet if we confider the Nature of the Commandments themselves, and our Saviour's Expofition of them, we fhall

find them of a larger extent, and to concern all Mankind. Then,

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2. For the Time; the Obligation of thefe Precepts commenc'd with the beginning of the World, and will last to the end of it for being first engraven on the Heart, and afterwards on Tables of Stone by the Finger of God himfelf, nothing can totally deface or deftroy the Impreffion. Thy Word faith the Pfalmift) is from Everlafting, and thy Truth endureth throughout all Ages. Yea, the Love of God and our Neighbour, which is the Subftance of this Law, will continue to Eternity, and laft when Time itself fhall be no more; for 'twill go with us into the other World, and there make up the greatest part of our future Felicity: which indefeafible Duration fhews us the Length and Breadth of God's Commandments.

3. The Matter or Things to which they extend, will farther fhew them to be exceeding broad; for they comprehend all the Duties, and reach to all the Actions of human Life.

(1.) All thofe Precepts fcatter'd up and down in the Holy Scripture may be reduc'd to, and are fum'd up in thefe Commandments: infomuch, that there is no Duty we owe either to God or Man, but falls under one or more of these ten Precepts, which are therefore reckon'd a Summary or Abstract of the whole Duty of Man; and that because,

(2.) They extend likewife to all the Actions of human Life, fo that there is not an idle Word or an evil Work, but comes under the Check and Cenfure of this Law; yea, it reaches the very Thoughts and Intentions of the Heart, and defigns to regulate the inward as well as the outward Man. This is a thing peculiar to the Divine Laws, to take cognizance of our Thoughts, which no human Power can difcern or reach: whereas to God the Maker and Searcher of Hearts, our Minds are as vifible as our Faces and 'tis but reafon that his Laws fhould reach as far as his Knowledge, and that he fhould punish thofe Irregularities, which none elfe can prefcribe to or prevent. We know (faith the Apoftle) that the Law is Spiritual; for it enters into our Spirits, fummons our Thoughts, and arraigns the Motions and Affections of the Heart: for which reafon, the Word of God is faid to be quick and powerful, piercing into the Soul and Spirit, and is a Difcerner of the Thoughts and Intents of the Heart; Heb. 4. 12.

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Thus we fee the Commandments of God in their full latitude are exceeding broad, and include much more in the Senfe, than is exprefs'd in the Letter of them; as will more fully appear hereafter in the expounding of them.

But for the better taking the Dimenfions of the Divine Law, and to fhew the Length and Breadth of God's Commandments, 'twill be requifite to premife fome of thofe general Rules given for the expounding of them.

Because the several Precepts of this Law are exprefs'd, fome in a negative, and fome in an affirmative Form, therefore the

First Rule usually given for expounding of them is this, viz. The Negative Precepts of the Law include the Affirmative, and the Affirmative always infer the Negative: that is, where any Sin is forbidden in God's Commandments, there the Duty contrary to it is requir'd; and where any Duty is requir'd, there the contrary Sin is forbidden, for thefe things neceffarily imply and infer each other. Thus for example, thofe negative Precepts that forbid Murder, Adultery, Theft, falfe Witness, Covetoufnefs, require the oppofite Virtues of Meeknefs, Chastity, Honefty, Truth, and Contentment with our Condition. And those affirmative Precepts that require the keeping holy the Lord's Day, and honouring God's Holy Name and Word, forbid all Abuse and Profanation of either. But tho the negative and affirmative Precepts thus include and infer one another, yet the Obligation of them are not both alike; and therefore a

Second Rule is wont to be added, viz. That the negative Precepts bind femper & ad femper, that is, always and every moment of time but the affirmative Precepts bind femper, but not ad femper; that is, they bind always, but not every moment. As in the former Inftances, thofe negative Precepts that forbid Murder, Adultery, Theft, and false Witnefs, bind always and to every moment; because there can be no part or moment of Time, in which it may be lawful to murder, commit Adultery, fteal, or bear falfe Witnefs. But the affirmative Precepts of keeping holy the Sabbath-day, and ferving and worshipping of God, bind indeed always, but not to every moment for there are many moments of Time between the return of thofe seasons, in which we may be otherwife lawfully employ'd, tho these things be for fome time intermitted and both the Neceffities of Nature and the Duties of our Calling require feme

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Ceffation

Ceffation from them. Indeed as to the Habit of Obedience, that extends to every moment, for we are bid to pray without ceafing; that is, to be always in a readiness and difpofition to ferve him: but the actual Performance of it is not always neceffary or practicable, for we cannot be every minute upon our knees, or always actually praying or praifing God.

A Third Rule for the right expounding and understanding this Law, is, That thofe negative Commands that forbid the outward and groffer Acts of any Sin, forbid all the inward Defires and Motions of the Soul towards it; and likewife thofe affirmative Precepts that command the external Acts of any Virtue, command alfo thofe internal Acts and Affections of the Soul, that are futable and neceffary to the performance of it. Thus, for example, the Law that prohibits Adultery, forbids not only the outward groffer Acts of Uncleanness, but all Impurity of the Mind, all unchafte Defires, or Delight in forbidden Pleasures, tho they never come into Act. So likewife the Commandment that enjoins the worshipping and ferving God, exacts from us not barely the outward Service of the Lip or the Knee, but chiefly the inward Reverence and Devotion of the Heart.

4. Another Rule is, that thofe Precepts that prohibit the greater or higher Acts of Sin, forbid likewife all the lower Degrees, Occafions and Tendencies thereunto; and thofe Commandments that enjoin any Duty, require alfo all the Means and Helps that are neceffary to the doing of it. Thus the Commandment that forbids Murder, prohibits all rafh and caufelefs Anger, with all that Hatred and Malice that may occafion it: The Commandment that forbids Adultery, condemns all wanton Defires and Dreffes, all lafcivious Behaviour in Thought, Word or Deed, that may lead to it. In like manner all thofe Precepts that require us to love and worship God, to honour and obey our Parents, require likewife all the neceffary Means, Helps, and Occafions leading thereunto. All these things are warranted by our Saviour's expounding the Law in his Divine Sermon on the Mount.

Laftly, Tho the Precepts of the firft Table relate to the Duty we owe to God, and tho the Duties of the fecond Table which concern our Neighbour, are to be observ'd for the fake of the firft; yet in fome cafes the Duties of the firft Table give place to thofe of the fecond, and the Love

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we bear to our Neighbour will fuperfede the Obligation of fome Duties we are to pay unto God. This Rule is grounded on the Words of God Almighty, who hath declar'd that he will have Mercy and not Sacrifice; not that he rejects thofe Sacrifices which he exprefly requires, efpecially that of a broken and contrite Heart; but where our own or others Infirmities difable us from, or interfere with the Worship of God, there he hath gracioufly difpens'd with us during that Exigence, and allow'd the Service of himself to give way to the ferving ourfelves and our diftrefs'd Neighbour. This is evident in the cafe of the Sabbath or Lord's Day, in which the Works of Neceffity and Charity are by our Saviour's Approbation and Example to take place of the highest Acts of Piety: for the Sabbath (faith he) was made for Man, and not Man for the Sabbath; Mark 2. 27. Where the Son of God, who is Lord of the Sabbath, declares that Works of Neceffity and Mercy, and that not only to Man, but to brute Beafts, may be lawfully done on that day, without any Guilt, or the Profanation of it.

Thus we fee the Truth of what the Pfalmift here affirms, that the Commandments of God are exceeding broad, extending to all Perfons, Times, and Places, and comprehending the whole Duty of Man.

But tho the full Sense and Meaning of the Divine Law be fo large and comprehenfive, yet is there a close and intimate Connection between all the Parts and Precepts of it, and a neceffary Dependence of one upon the other; being all fo link'd and knit together by the Bond of Divine Authority, that whofoever breaketh any one of them is guilty of all: for fo St. James exprefly declares, that he that offendeth in one point, is guilty of all; James 2. 10.

Upon the whole then, the Latitude and Comprehenfivenefs of God's Law fhould put us all upon the ferious Study and Meditation of it. This, we find, was the daily practice of our Royal Pfalmift, who made this the frequent Subject of his Meditation; yea, we find him labouring hard to exprefs the Love and Delight he took in it: O how I love thy Law! (faith he) 'tis my Meditation all the day; and elfewhere, All the day long is my study in it. And because the Precepts of it were of fo large an extent, we find him often praying unto God to teach him his Statutes, and to open his eyes to fee, and learn the wondrous things of his Law; And 'tis our Duty and Wisdom too, to do likewife.

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