Exercitations concerning the name, original, nature, use, and continuance of a day of sacred…

There were, and are indeed, general Notions of Good and Evil indelibly planted on the faculties of our souls, with a power of judging concerning our Actions and Moral Practices, whether they are conformable unto those Notions, with respect unto the superior Judgement of God. But besides the impairing of the Principles of these Notions before mentioned, they were of old variously obscured, perverted, and stifled, by Customs, Prejudices, and the Power of sin in the world, so as that they were of ⟨p. 226⟩little use as unto a due performance of Covenant Duties, indeed of none at all, in reference unto any Acceptation with God.

There were, and are indeed, general Notions of Good and Evil indelibly planted on the faculties of our souls, with a power of judging concerning our Actions and Moral Practices, whether they are conformable unto those Notions, with respect unto the superiour Judgement of God. But besides the impairing of the Principles of these Notions before mentioned, they were of old variously obscured, perverted, and stifled, by Customs, Prejudices, and the Power of sin in the world, so as that they were of ⟨p. 226⟩little use as unto a due performance of Covenant Duties, indeed of none at all, in reference unto any Acceptation with God.

Wherefore God erecting his Church, and renewing the knowledge of himself, and mans duty towards him in the Posterity of Abraham, he gave unto them afresh, in the first place, the Precepts of the Law and Covenant of Nature, for the Guide and Rule of their Obedience. And that this might now be permanent, he reduced the substance of the whole Law unto ten Words or Commands, writing them in Tables of Stone, which he appointed to be sacredly kept amongst them. The Law thus declared and written by him, was the same, I say, materially, and for the substance of it, with the Law of our Creation, or the Original Rule of our Covenant Obedience unto God. Yet in it as thus transcribed, there was an Innovation both in its Form and Principle of Obligation. For as to its form or directive power, it was now made external and objective unto the mind of man, which before was principally internal and subjective. And the immediate Obligation unto its Observation among that people, was now from the promulgation of it on Mount Sinai, and the delivery of it unto them thereon. Hence it was prefaced with Motives peculiar to their state and condition, and its Observation continually pressed on them afterwards, with Arguments taken from their peculiar Relation unto God; with his Love and Benefits unto them. This gave it a new Respect, because there was nothing originally