The fountain opened, or, The great gospel privilege of having Christ exhibited to sinful…The fountain opened, or, The great gospel priviledge of having Christ exhibited to sinfull…

6. The Moral Law was at first given to man to be this Rule. As there is a Common Government which God exerciseth over the Creation, so there is a Special Government by which he leads Intelligent & Rational Agents to the end they are appointed to: Now this Law was the Rule of Gods special Government with respect to mankind. This Law is by some made the same with, and by others divers from the law of nature; but if we reckon the law of nature, to be that which was engraven on the heart of man at the first, it may be well reckoned for the same. This was every way suited to the nature of man; it was fitted for the guiding of such a creature to its last end, in all the things in which he was concerned: The sanctified understanding in man, during his state of integrity, not only could read the inscriptions of it on his heart, but saw and approved the reasonableness and equity of it; yea, the convictions of a natural Conscience in fallen man, do prove that he cannot withstand the righteousness of it, Rom. 2. 14, 15. Man was to obey this Law in all things, and to be happy in that Obedience, Rom. 10. 5. The man that doth these things shall live by them; & see, Jam. 1. 25. The threatening indeed was annexed to the Sacrament of that Covenant, Gen. 2 17. In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die; but every Article in it, or precept of it being ratified by that Seal, it so sealed up and confirmed ⟨p. 188⟩the whole of it unto man, and had a reference to every duty that was contained therein. This was the same Law which had a new edition of it at Mount Sinai, where God published it, and registered it on Tables of Stone, & summed it up in ten Precepts, which comprised in them the sum and substance of mans duty, and wherein he was bound to Serve and Glorify God in his whole course, reaching both his heart and his life, the matter, manner & end of all he did.

6. The Moral Law was at first given to man to be this Rule. As there is a Common Government which God exerciseth over the Creation, so there is a Special Government by which he leads Intelligent & Rational Agents to the end they are appointed to: Now this Law was the Rule of Gods special Government with respect to mankind. This Law is by some made the same with, and by others divers from the law of nature; but if we reckon the law of nature, to be that which was engraven on the heart of man at the first, it may be well reckoned for the same. This was every way suited to the nature of man; it was fitted for the guiding of such a creature to its last end, in all the things in which he was concerned: The sanctified understanding in man, during his state of integrity, not only could read the inscriptions of it on his heart, but saw and approved the reasonableness and equity of it; yea, the convictions of a natural Conscience in fallen man, do prove that he cannot withstand the righteousness of it,