ESSAY IV.

A Brief Expofition of the Ten Commandments, as comprising the Subftance of the Moral Law.

FROM the fcriptural character of God, we pro

ceed to the confideration of his moral government, as made known to us by revelation: and a clear knowledge of his holy law is peculiarly requifite, in forming our judgment on this fubject. This was delivered to Ifrael by Jehovah himself, from mount Sinai, with most tremendous displays of his majesty, power, and juftice: and though other Scriptures must be adduced, as a divinely infpired comment; yet the decalogue may properly be taken for our text, in examining the demands of the moral law. --It is evident, that there is a distinction between moral precepts and pofitive inflitutions: fome things are in themfelves fo indifferent, that the fame authority, which commanded, might have forbidden them; as the use of bread and wine in one ordinance, and that of water in another: but it is ab> furd to fuppofe, that God could have required his creatures to defpise him or to hate one another; or to have forbidden them to fpeak truth and to do juftice.

Some traces of the moral law are difcoverable by our natural reafon, and the whole accords to it: it has its foundation in the nature of God and man, in the relations men bear to Him and to each other, and in the obligations that refult from them; on which account it is immutable in its requirements, and demands obedience from all mankind, as far as

they

they have an opportunity of becoming acquainted with it. Different circumftances may indeed occafion a coincident variation ; as the entrance of fin bath rendered patience, and forgiveness of injuries exercifes of our love to God and our neighbours: but though these will ceafe in heaven, yet the grand principles whence they are deduced will continue the fame to eternity.

The law is alfo fpiritual; that is, it takes cognizance of our fpirits, or our moft fecret thoughts, defires, purposes, and difpofitions; and demands. the exact regulation of the judgment, will, and affections, in conformity to the holy excellencies. of the divine character. Love is its principal requifition, without which the best external obe. dience is condemned as hypocrify. This is peculiar to the law of God, who alone can fearch the heart: but in common with other laws, it requires entire, uninterrupted, and perpetual obedience; for no law can tolerate the tranfgreffion of itself. From the entrance to the clofe of life the Lord enjoins upon us exact conformity to every precept: every deviation from this perfect rule whether by omiflion or commiffion, excefs or defect, is fin and every fin deferves wrath, and needs forgivenefs '.

As the ten commandments are divinely commented upon in all the preceptive part of Scripture; fo the fubftance of them is fummed up, in the two great commands of "loving God with all our "heart, with all our mind, with all our foul, "and with all our ftrength," and of loving our

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neiglibours as ourfelves:" and we are authorised by our Lord's example, to interpret every one of them in the ftricteft, moft spiritual, and moft exten-, five fenfe, of which it is capable. Even repentance, faith in Chrift, and all other evangelical graces and duties, are exercifes of this entire love

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to God, and required of a finner as placed under a difpenfation of mercy; though originally the law had nothing to do with redemption, but lay at the foundation of another covenant. We may, therefore, wave the controverfy concerning the rule of duty; whether it be the ten commandments, or the whole word of God: for the one, properly underflood, will be found as broad as the other: feeing we cannot love God with all our hearts; unless we love every discovery he is pleafed to make of his glory, believe every teftimony and embrace every promife which he gives, and feek his favour in the ufe of all the means he is pleafed to appoint. Yet this relates only to the law, as the rule of duty, and as given in fubferviency to the gospel: for originally it contains nothing about mercy, repentance, or acceptance of imperfect obedience; but only fays, "Do this and live," and "Curfed be every tranfgreffor."

Thus the law was given to Ifrael, not only to fhew them their real condition according to the. covenant of works, but alfo with reference to their national covenant, and as the rule of duty to redeemed finners: and therefore mercy is mentioned in the fecond commandment; not indeed as communicated by the law, but as fhewn by the Lord to his obedient people. The remainder of this effay will confift of a compendious expofition of the ten commandments, as introductory to a further confideration of the divine government.

The great Lawgiver prefaced his injunctions, by proclaiming his own effential glory and immutable excellency, "I am JEHOVAH." As the fource of existence, and confequently of all power, wisdom, justice, truth, and goodnefs, He is the standard of excellence and beauty; from whom all created amiablenefs is' an emanation, of whose glory it is a feeble reflection. To Him alone the throne be longs; He only is qualified to be the univerfal Lawgiver and Judge; and he has the fole and unalienable

alienable title to that love and service which his law demands. To this he added "THY GOD," to exprefs Ifrael's relation and obligation to him. We all are his rational creatures, and every benefit he beftows binds us more forcibly to love and obedience. We, like Ifrael, are his profeffed worshippers; if we be what we profess, He is our portion and everlasting felicity; and this ftill enhances our obligations to devote ourfelves to his fervice. The redemption of Ifrael from the house of bondage was typical of our redemption by Jefus Chrift from fin and mifery: and though all men ought to obey the law of God; yet none do render any spiritual obedience to it, except his redeemed people.

After this folemn introduction, Jehovah firft added, "Thou fhalt have no other gods before 66 me. The commandments are addreffed, in the fingular number, to each perfon, because every one is concerned in them on his own account and each prohibition implies a pofitive duty. This first requires a difpofition and conduct, fuited to the relation in which we ftand to "the Lord our God." He alone is the adequate object of our love, and able to fatisfy our capacity of happiness: all we have and are belong to him, and he has an una lienable right to prefcribe the ufe that we fhould make of all his gifts. He has fo clear a title to our love, gratitude, reverence, adoration, fubmiffion, credence, confidence, and obedience; that we cannot withhold them from Him without the moft manifeft injuftice. Confidering who He is, and what He hath done for us, except we love him to the full extent of all our natural powers, we do not render him his due; and if we thus loved him, all contrary affections would be excluded, all inferior affections fubordinated. Admiring his excellency, defiring and delighting in him and his favour, being grateful for his kindnefs, and zealous for his glory, with all the energy

of our whole fouls; it is evident, that we fhould love other objects only for his fake, and according to his will: no creature could then rival him in our affections, or prevail with us to neglect his fervice: and whilft we rendered him the tribute of adoring love and praife, and fo glorified Him, we fhould poffefs unalloyed felicity in the enjoyment of his favour. This is the reasonable ftate in which things ought to be; and all that deviates from it is fin, and the effect of man's apoftacy.

In the preceding effay, fome thoughts have been offered on man's propenfity to idolatry. To the difgrace of the human understanding, the groffeft fpecies of it have been very general in the world: and a more refined and plaufible kind of idolatry hath often fupplanted them in those few places, where fomething more rational hath prevailed. We need not, however, enlarge on this violation of the first commandment; or fhew particularly how the Pagans, and Ifrael, and fome parts of the profefling church of Chrift, by worshipping creatures, have afcribed to them the glory of thofe attributes, which Jehovah incommunicably poffeffes. This must be allowed to be the grand tranfgreffion of this law; and all pretences to witchcraft, fortune-telling, charms, or incantations, partake in a measure of the fame guilt; as information, or affistance, are profeffedly fought from creatures, where God Thould be wholly depended on and fubmitted to. But this fpiritual precept reaches much further. To love, defire, delight in, or expect good from, any forbidden indulgence, even in the smallest degree, must be a violation of it and to fuffer the moft excellent or amiable of creatures to rival God in our affections, must be a proportionable contempt of him. Atheism and irreligion violate this law for by them men fet up themfelves as gods, afpire to independence, reject fubordination, and refuse to render homage or worship to any fuperior

being;