however this fyftem doth more directly and immediately oblige that people, all being formally, and in style of law, directed only to them, promulged in their ears, expreffed in their language, inferted into the body of their laws, as a principal member of them; it being alfo expressly callDeut. iv. ed a covenant with that people, (He declared unto you, fays the text, his covenant, which he commanded you to xxxiv.1,28. perform, even ten commandments,) and accordingly was 13. x. 2. Exod. 17. repofed in the ark, hence it seems named the ark of the covenant, the which, when all nations fhould be converted to God, and admitted into the Church, was, as the prophet Jeremiah foretold, to be utterly discarded and laid Jer. iii. 16, afide; (In thofe days, faith God in him, they shall fay no more, The ark of the covenant of the Lord: neither shall it come to mind: neither fhall they remember it; neither fhall they vifit it; neither shall that be done any more.) Hence, although fome paffages herein, according to their primary, ftrict, and literal meaning, might never have been intended univerfally and perpetually to oblige; Yet, notwithstanding these exceptions, if we confider, 1. The manner of its delivery; with what extraordinary folemnity it was proclaimed; how it was dictated immediately from God's own mouth; and written with his finger; or, 2. The matter of it, containing the prime dictates of natural reason, the chief rules of piety toward God, and equity toward our neighbour; (whence those elogies Neh. ix. 13. conferred on it, in Nehemiah; Thou camest also down upon mount Sinai—and gaveft them right judgments, and true laws, good ftatutes and commandments: and by St. Rom. vii. Paul; The law is holy; the commandment holy, juft, and good: for that commendation doth, I fuppofe, especially respect this part of the Jewish law, out of which he Rom. vii. 7. takes his inftance, Thou shalt not covet :) if we also confider, 12. 3. The end and defign of these precepts, which was to ground them in true notions of religion, and to dispose them to the practice of righteousness; to render them loyal and acceptable subjects to God; to promote God's glory and their own good; which being expreffed in Deut. x. 12. general concerning their law, doth more especially agree to this fyftem; being as the base and platform, the heart and quinteffence of all their other laws; the which feem added as fuperftructures on it, or fences thereof. 4. If we alfo confider, that our Saviour did not derogate from this Law; but declared his intention only to expound it, or to ampliate and extend it; (they are the words of Tertullian and Irenæus ;) and how the Apostles do fometimes allege fome paffages in it, as retaining fome Rom. vii. 7. Eph. vi. 2. authority and force to oblige. 5. Confidering also, farther, that there is no commandment herein (howfoever according to its immediate and direct sense seeming peculiar to that people) which may not in a larger, or in a mysterious and fpiritual meaning, which at least may not according to good analogy, or parity of reason, concern us; obliging us, if not by direct authority in punctual manner to the very same thing, yet, as a fignification of God's pleasure and approbation, to fomewhat answerable and like thereto. 6. Lastly, If we confider that all, or the greatest part of, the main duties concerning us are either plainly expreffed, or closely infinuated in them; or may at least be conveniently reduced to them; our Saviour himself having gone before, directing us in the matter and manner of doing it : Confidering, I fay, these things, we have no small reason to yield great veneration to this ancient fyftem of precepts; and to acknowledge the great ufe thereof in order to the guidance of our life and practice: we accordingly fhall so descant thereon, as by confidering the main drift, intrinfic reason, and spiritual intention of each particular, to reduce the chief precepts of Chriftian doctrine which oblige us thereto. Premifing thus much, 1 addrefs my difcourfe to the particulars; omitting all controverted niceties concerning the divifion thereof, and all circumftantial questions; touching only fuch things as fhall appear fubftantial and ufeful. God spake all these Words, saping : THIS is a title, or fuperfcription, like the Par de le Roi (by the King) at the head of a proclamation, declaring from whom, and in what manner, that which follows doth come; and therefore implying what it is, and how it fhould be received. God spake; It comes from God, as author; and that moft immediately, as it were, from his own mouth; and hath confequently the nature and force of a law, obliging to highest regard and obedience; as that which proceedeth from the most sovereign, unquestionable, and uncontrollable authority; which is promulged in a way most evident and most direct: every fignification of God's purpose or pleasure is ufually called God's word; for Heb. i. 1. God, as the Apoftle fays, in divers kinds and manners did Speak unto the fathers; and to every fuch word our ear fhould be attentive, our heart fhould be fubmiffive, our hand fhould be obedient; but especially they should be fo, when God himself immediately declares his mind and will; as he did notoriously in this cafe, by a great voice, distinctly audible and intelligible, miraculously formed by Deut. v. 24. himself; Behold, say the people, the Lord our God hath fhewed us his glory and his greatness, and we have heard his voice out of the midft of the fire: we have feen this day that God doth talk with man, and he liveth: and if whatever is in God's name (by meffage of angels, by infpiration of men, or by any other ways) revealed, must be entertained with all fubmifs refpect, what regard is due to that word, which God is pleased, not by his ministers and inftruments, but himself in perfon, as it were, to pronounce ! These words: that is, these fpeeches or fentences; (for fo a word in Scripture ftyle fignifieth;) or these things and matters; (for the Hebrew word debarim, as the Greek phuara, fignifieth both words and things :) they are feveral times in the Pentateuch called the ten words, or xxxiv. 28. ten things; whence the fyftem of them is named the De Exod. χχχίν. Deut. iv. 13. X. 2. calogue. 11. All these words: all, without diftinction or exception, Jam. ii. 10, did proceed from the fame authority, and in the fame manner; and all therefore do require the like regard and obfervance to be yielded to them. I am the Lord; or, I am Jehovah, thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: THESE words are by fome taken for a precept, enjoining the acknowledgment and acceptance of God, answerable to what is here implied; and confequently all the pofitive duties of religion, deducible hence: but we see the style is declarative and affertive, not directly imperative; and so it may pass rather as a preface, farther enforcing obligation to obedience; wherein are expreffed or intimated the chief reasons upon which it is grounded; every word containing in it somewhat of remarkable emphasis. I am Jehovah ; or that very fame God, who under this appellation discovered myself to thy forefathers; who enacted a special covenant with them; who received homage, worship, and engagements to fervice from them; who promised especial protection and favour to them and to their feed; that Jehovah, who indeed am, what this name importeth, the only true and real God; eternal, independent, and indefectible in effence; true and infallible in word; conftant and immutable in purpose; firm and faithful in performance of whatever I promise or threaten: that fame Jehovah I am: to whose words therefore, upon all accounts of reason, of duty, of intereft, thou particularly doft owe moft fubmiffive attention and obedience. Thy God: that fupereminent Being and Power, to whom thou peculiarly doft owe worship and honour, love and affection, duty and service: who although he be indeed the Lord of all the world, yet beareth a special relation unto thee; as having chosen and avouched thee to be Deut. vii. 6. a special people to himself, above all the people that are xiv. 2. upon the face of the earth; having promised thee to make Deut. xxvi. thee high above all nations which he hath made, in praife, 19. and in name, and in honour; and having by many fignal xxvi. 18. demonftrations of favour and mercy confirmed to thee the performance of his covenant and promife; thou alfo reciDeut. xxvi. procally having avowed me to be thy God, to walk in my ways, to keep my ftatutes, my commandments, my judg ments, and to hearken to my voice. 16. Who brought thee out of the Land of Egypt; out of the House of Bondage: THIS is a particular and most remarkable inftance, by which it appeareth what God it is that doth thus impose law upon them, and how they are obliged to entertain it that God it is, who in purfuance of his fingular favour toward thee, and of his covenant made with thee, hath particularly obliged thee by fo eminent a benefit, in a manner fo full of wonder in itself, fo full of grace toward thee, delivering thee from faddeft oppreffion and flavery, bringing thee into a defirable ftate of prefent liberty, and of fure tendency (not otherwise than by thy fault to be frustrated) toward enjoyment of reft, of plenty, of all joy and comfort in the promised land; declaring hereby, as his glorious and divine perfections of wisdom and power, fo his exceeding goodness toward thee, his faithful care over thee, his readiness and fufficiency, in all thy needs and exigencies, to protect, preserve, and deliver thee: I then being fuch, Jehovah, the only true God; thy God, by particular engagement and endearment; thy gracious and bountiful benefactor, not in will only, but in deed, do thus propound my will unto thee; and upon all accounts of general and special duty, of reason, of justice, of gratitude, require thy regard and obfervance of what follows. Now what God in a direct and literal fenfe thus fpeaketh to the Jewish people, may, according to likeness of cafe and parity of reason, (especially in a mystical and fpiritual way,) upon more confiderable and effectual acHeb. xiii. 8. counts, be applied unto us: the Lord Jehovah is fuch no lefs to us than to them; he is the fame yesterday, to day, |