Chapter 19
Of the Law of God
1. God gave to Adam a law of universal obedience written in his heart, and a particular precept of not eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil; by which he bound him and all his posterity to personal, entire, exact, and perpetual obedience; promised life upon the fulfilling, and threatened death upon the breach of it, and endued him with power and ability to keep it.
(Gen. 1:27Gen. 1:27
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
WP-Bible plugin; Eccles. 7:29es. 7:29
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
WP-Bible plugin; Rom. 10:5Rom. 10:5
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5 For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them.
WP-Bible plugin; Gal. 3:10, 12Gal. 3:10, 12
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.
12 And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.
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2. The same law that was first written in the heart of man continued to be a perfect rule of righteousness after the fall, and was delivered by God upon Mount Sinai, in ten commandments, and written in two tables, the four first containing our duty towards God, and the other six, our duty to man.
(Rom. 2:14, 15Rom. 2:14, 15
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
14 For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:
15 Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;) their conscience...: or, the conscience witnessing with them the mean...: or, between themselves
WP-Bible plugin; Deut. 10:4Deut. 10:4
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
4 And he wrote on the tables, according to the first writing, the ten commandments, which the LORD spake unto you in the mount out of the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly: and the LORD gave them unto me. commandments: Heb. words
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3. Besides this law, commonly called moral, God was pleased to give to the people of Israel ceremonial laws, containing several typical ordinances, partly of worship, prefiguring Christ, his graces, actions, sufferings, and benefits; and partly holding forth divers instructions of moral duties, all which ceremonial laws being appointed only to the time of reformation, are, by Jesus Christ the true Messiah and only law-giver, who was furnished with power from the Father for that end abrogated and taken away.
(Heb. 10:1Heb. 10:1
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
10
1 For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.
WP-Bible plugin; Col. 2:17Col. 2:17
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17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.
WP-Bible plugin; I Cor. 5:7r. 5:7
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7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.
WP-Bible plugin; Col. 2:14, 16, 17Col. 2:14, 16, 17
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: in meat...: or, for eating and drinking respect: or, part
17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.
WP-Bible plugin; Eph. 2:14, 16Eph. 2:14, 16
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14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;
16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: thereby: or, in himself
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4. To them also he gave sundry judicial laws, which expired together with the state of that people, not obliging any now by virtue of that institution; their general equity only being of modern use.
(1 Cor. 9:8-101 Cor. 9:8-10
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
8 Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also?
9 For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen?
10 Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope.
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5. The moral law doth for ever bind all, as well justified persons as others, to the obedience thereof, and that not only in regard of the matter contained in it, but also in respect of the authority of God the Creator, who gave it; neither doth Christ in the Gospel any way dissolve, but much strengthen this obligation.
(Rom. 13:8-10Rom. 13:8-10
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
8 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.
9 For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
WP-Bible plugin; James 2:8, 10-12James 2:8, 10-12
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8 If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:
10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
11 For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law. he that: or, that law which
12 So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.
WP-Bible plugin; James 2:10, 11James 2:10, 11
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10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
11 For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law. he that: or, that law which
WP-Bible plugin; Matt. 5:17-19Matt. 5:17-19
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
WP-Bible plugin; Rom. 3:31Rom. 3:31
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
31 Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.
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6. Although true believers be not under the law as a covenant of works, to be thereby justified or condemned, yet it is of great use to them as well as to others, in that as a rule of life, informing them of the will of God and their duty, it directs and binds them to walk accordingly; discovering also the sinful pollutions of their natures, hearts, and lives, so as examining themselves thereby, they may come to further conviction of, humiliation for, and hatred against, sin; together with a clearer sight of the need they have of Christ and the perfection of his obedience; it is likewise of use to the regenerate to restrain their corruptions, in that it forbids sin; and the threatenings of it serve to shew what even their sins deserve, and what afflictions in this life they may expect for them, although freed from the curse and unallayed rigour thereof. The promises of it likewise shew them God’s approbation of obedience, and what blessings they may expect upon the performance thereof, though not as due to them by the law as a covenant of works; so as man’s doing good and refraining from evil, because the law encourageth to the one and deterreth from the other, is no evidence of his being under the law and not under grace.
(Rom. 6:14Rom. 6:14
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
WP-Bible plugin; Gal. 2:16Gal. 2:16
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
WP-Bible plugin; Rom. 8:1, 10:4Rom. 8:1, 10:4
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8
1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
WP-Bible plugin; Rom. 3:20, 7:7Rom. 3:20, 7:7
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20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
7 For if the truth of God hath more abounded through my lie unto his glory; why yet am I also judged as a sinner?
WP-Bible plugin, etc; Rom. 6:12-14Rom. 6:12-14
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12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. instruments: Gr. arms, or, weapons
14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
WP-Bible plugin; 1 Pet. 3:8-131 Pet. 3:8-13
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8 Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: love as: or, loving to the
9 Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.
10 For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile:
11 Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it.
12 For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil. against: Gr. upon
13 And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good?
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7. Neither are the aforementioned uses of the law contrary to the grace of the Gospel, but do sweetly comply with it, the Spirit of Christ subduing and enabling the will of man to do that freely and cheerfully which the will of God, revealed in the law, requireth to be done.
(Gal. 3:21Gal. 3:21
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
21 Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.
WP-Bible plugin; Ezek. 36:27Ezek. 36:27
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27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.
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