The law unsealed

1. However the Commandments be expressed, affirmatively or negatively, every one of them hath two parts▪ one affirmative, implied in negative Precepts, requiring the duties that are contrary to the sins forbidden; another negative, implied in the affirmative Precepts, forbidding the sins that are contrary to the duties commanded; as for example the third Commandment, Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain; it implies a Command reverently to use his Name: So, to remember to keep Holy the Sabbath day, implies a Prohibition of profaning it; in which sense all the Commandments may in some respect be called negative (and so a part of the fourth Commandment is negatively expressed, Thou shalt dunno work) or affirmative; in which respect Christ comprehendeth all the negatives under these two great affirmative Commandments, of love to God and our Neighbour, for every Commandment doth both enjoin and forbid; the like may be said of promises and threatenings, there being in every promise a threatening, and in every threatening a promise conditionally implied: And this may be a reason why some Commandments are negatively expressed, some positively, to show us that both are comprehended.

1. However the Commandments be expressed, affirmatively or negatively, every one of them hath two parts▪ one affirmative, implyed in negative Precepts, requiring the duties that are contray to the sins forbidden; another negative, implyed in the affirmative Precepts, forbidding the sins that are contrary to the duties commanded; as for example the third Commandment, Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain; it implies a Command reverently to use his Name: So, to remember to keep Holy the Satbbath day, implies a Prohibition of prophaning it; in which sense all the Commandments may in some respect be called negative (and so a part of the fourth Commandment is negatively expressed, Thou shalt d•no work) or affirmative; in which respect Christ comprehendeth all the negatives under these two great affirmative Commandments, of love to God and our Neighbour, for every Commandment doth both enjoyn and forbid; the like may be said of promises and threatnings, there being in every promise a threatning, and in every threatning a promise conditionally implyed: And this may be a reason why some Commandments are negatively expressed, some positively, to show us that both are compredended.