Vindiciae legis, or, A vindication of the moral law and the covenants, from the…Vindiciae legis, or, A vindication of the morall law and the covenants, from the…

The Law as you have heard, may be considered either absolutely, as a Rule, or relatively, as a Covenant: We are handling of it in the first consideration, and have proved, that, as it was delivered by Moses, it doth belong to us Christians. I shall now handle the Perfection of it, and labour to show, that Christ hath instituted no new duty which was not commanded before by the Law of Moses. And this Question will be very profitable, partly against the Antinomians, partly the Papists, and lastly the Socinians, as will appear in the handling of it. That therefore I may the better come to my matter intended, take notice in the general, that these words are part of Christs Sermon upon the Mount; so that as the Law was first given upon a Mount, so also it is explained and interpreted by Christ upon a Mount. And in this Sermon is observable; first, that Christ begins with the end of actions, Blessedness; for so Moral Philosophy, which is practical, doth also begin. Secondly, he describes the Subjects who shall be made partakers of this, and they are described by several properties. In the ⟨p. 175⟩next place as some think ver. 13. he instructs the Apostles about their peculiar Office, Ye are salt (not honey, as one observeth) which is bitter to wounds: Ye are light, which is also offensive to sore eyes. In the next place he instructs the people (though some make this only spoken to the Disciples) and that first about the substance of the Precepts, what duties are to be done, against the false interpretations of the Pharisees and Scribes: and in the next Chapter he showeth the end, Why we do the good things God requireth of us, and that is for the glory of God, which ought to consume all other ends, as the Sun puts out the light of the fire: and the first substantial duty of the Commandments which he instanceth in, is this in my text.

THe Law as you have heard, may be considered either absolutely, as a Rule, or relatively, as a Covenant: We are handling of it in the first consideration, and have proved, that, as it was delivered by Moses, it doth belong to us Christians. I shall now handle the Perfection of it, and labour to shew, that Christ hath instituted no new duty which was not commanded before by the Law of Moses. And this Question will be very profitable, partly against the Antinomians, partly the Papists, and lastly the Socinians, as will appeare in the handling of it. That therefore I may the better come to my matter intended, take notice in the generall, that these words are part of Christs Sermon upon the Mount; so that as the Law was first given upon a Mount, so also it is explained and interpreted by Christ upon a Mount. And in this Sermon is observable; first, that Christ begins with the end of actions, Blessednesse; for so Morall Philosophy, which is practicall, doth also begin. Secondly, he describes the Subjects who shall be made partakers of this, and they are described by severall properties. In the