A37046:104
The law unsealed
The law unsealed: or, A practical exposition of the Ten Commandments With a resolution of several momentous questions and cases of conscience. By the learned, laborious, faithful servant of Jesus Christ, Mr. James Durham, late minister of the Gospel at Glasgow.
Glasgow: printed by Robert Sanders, 1676
AN EXPOSITION OF THE TEN COMMANDMENTS, Delivered in several LECTURES. › Preface
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
3. Observe, that this Rule of Negatives tying ad semper, or obliging in all circumstances of time, is not to be understood, but where the matter is Moral; therefore we would distinguish again betwixt negative Morals, and negative Positives, for Positives, whether negative or affirmative, give still place to Morals, As for instance, that part of the fourth Commandment is negative▪ In it (that is, one the seventh day) ••ou shalt do no manner of work, yet sometimes, when necessity calls for it, some manner of works is lawful on that day, because it is only a negative Positive, and not a negative Moral: And so David's eating of Show-bread, was against a negative Command, though not against a negative Moral, but a negative Positive.
3. Observe, that this Rule of Negatives tying ad semper, or obliging in all circumstances of time, is not to be understood, but where the matter is Moral; therefore we would distinguish again betwixt negative Morals, and negative Positives, for Positives, whether negative or affirmative, give still place to Morals, As for instance, that part of the fourth Commandment is negative▪ In it (that is, one the seventh day) ••ou shalt do no manner of work, yet sometimes, when necessity calls for it, some manner of works is lawful on that day, because it is only a negative Positive, and not a negative Moral: And so David's eating of Shew-bread, was against a negative Command, though not against a negative Moral, but a negative Positive.
4. Take this Rule, that in all Commands, jointly and severally, we would have special respect unto the scope God aims at by them all in general, or by such a Command in particular: now the general scope is (2 Cor. 7. 1. 1. Pet. 1. 15. 16