Exposition of the Moral Law, Book 1 · Exercitation 1
EXERCITAT. I. Of the excellencie of the Morall Law, above other Lawes.
Iam. 2.8. If ye fulfill the royall Law yet doe well.
THe Morall Law hath not beene unfitly compared to the Eclipticke line; for as the Sunne keepeth ſtill his courſe in the Eclipticke line; and other planets,Simile, ſome of them are now in this ſide of the line, and now in that ſide of the line; and when they come within the Eclipticke line, then they come nearer to the Sunne. So man, when hee walketh in holineſſe and righteouſneſſe, then hee is within his Eclipticke line; but when hee walketh in ſinne and unrighteouſneſſe, then hee is without his line. Iob. 23.17. His wayes have I kept and have not declined from them.
A compariſon betwixt the Law Morall and Iudiciall.To ſhew the excellencie of the Morall Law, above all other Lawes; let us compare, firſt, Gods Morall Law, with his judiciall Law which hee gave alſo himſelfe. Gods morall Law exceedeth his judiciall Law in this, that his judiciall Law obliged the Iewes, and that onelyonly in Iudea. The Iudiciall law did binde the Iewes onelyonly in Iudea.As other poſitive Lawes binde, not men out of their owne Countrie; ſo the judiciall Law of Moſes, obliged not the Iewes; but onelyonly in Iudea. Example, no Levite might have a poſſeſſion in Iudea particularly by himſelfe; yet their Law did not binde the Iewes out of Iudea; The Morall Law bindeth all perſons in all places.for a Levite of Cyprus ſold his poſſeſſion, and laid the mony downe at the Apoſtles feete. Act. 4.36. but Gods morall Law bindeth all perſons, in all places an therefore it is called the royall Law, or the Kings Law, Iames, 2.8. For that which the King commandeth to be common, is common to all; as the Kings high way, Num. 21.2. So the Kings weight. 2. Sam. 14.26. He weighed the haire of his head at two hundred ſicles after the Kings weight; That is, the weight wherewith all men weighed. So the Kings Law, that is, the Law which all are bound to walke in. Contrary to this, is pervertere vias domini, to pervert the wayes of the Lord. Act. 10.13. It was a great blindeneſſe then of thoſe, who ſaid Act. 16.21. that Paul and Silas taught cuſtomes which were not lawfull for them to receive, neither to obſerve being Romans. But Gods morall Law bindeth all people a like.
The Morall law bindeth the inner man, but the Iudiciall Law bindeth him not.Secondly, the morall Law bindeth the inner man, but the judiciall Law of Moſes obliged not the inner man. Example, Tooth for tooth, and eye for eye, Deut. 16.21. When one had paid tooth for tooth, or eye for eye, hee had ſatisfied the judiciall Law; for that Law required no more of him. but the morall Law required more of him, that hee ſhould bee free of the rancour of his heart.
Thirdly, The iudiciall Law was fitted for them, as they were a people of a hard heart; as the law of divorce,The Iudiciall Law for the eſtate of the Iewes. of Ielouſie, and of the revenger of the blood; which were Lawes made according to the hardneſſe of the hearts of that people; and as the ſhoomaker maketh a ſhooe according to the crooked foote: ſo the Lord made theſe iudiciall Lawes, and fitted them to the eſtate of that people. Solon being asked, whether he had given the beſt Lawes to the Athenians or not? Anſwered: the beſt that they could ſuffer. So the Lord fitted theſe Lawes to the nature of that people: but the morall Law of God, is not fitted that way to the eſtate of men; but all men muſt fit themſelves to it.
Fourthly, ſome of the Iudiciall Lawes exempted ſome men, from performing ſome duties;The Iudiciall Law exempted ſome men from ſome duties, but the morall Law bindeth all alike. as Deut. 24, 5. A mad ſhould not goe to the warres, nor bee charged with any buſineſſe, the firſt yeare that hee is married. But the morall Law preſcribeth alike obedience to all, Ioel. 2, 16. Let the bridegroome goe forth of his chamber and the bride out of her cloſet.
Secondly, let us compare Gods morall Law,A compariſon betwixt the morall Law and the ceremoniall. and his ceremoniall Law together. Some of the ceremoniall Lawes obliged all the Iewes in all places: therefore Daniel in Babylon might not eate of any of the uncleane meates of the King of Babel, Dan. 1, 8. Some of the ceremonies obliged but ſome of the Iewes in all places;Ceremonies which had relati n to the Temple, were not kept in the Wilderneſſe, or in the captivity. as no Nazaret might drinke wine. And thirdly ſome of the ceremonies, obliged all the Iewes at ſometimes; as no Iew might eat leaven at the Paſcha. But the morall Law obliged all people, at all times, and in all places. Theſe ceremonies which had relation to the Temple, they kept them neither in the wilderneſſe, nor in the captivitie: as they paid nothing to the Prieſts who ſerved in the Temple. But the morall Law did bind them, both in the wilderneſſe and in the captivitie; and therefore he who brake the Sabbath in the wilderneſſe, was ſtoned to death, Levit. 24.
Againe, the ceremoniall Law was accommodated and fitted to them, as they were infants in the Church; and it was fitted to their capacity and non-age: but the morall Law bindeth all eſtates and conditions of men alike.
The ceremoniall Law ſhew what was ſinne ex accidente indirectly, but the morall per ſe and directly.Thirdly, the ceremoniall Law, made them underſtand ſinne, ex accidente; for it was appointed in expiationem peccati, for the expiation of ſinne: as the judiciall Law was appointed in paenam peccati, for the puniſhment of ſinne. But the morall Law ſhewed them directly what was ſinne.
Fourthly, theſe ceremoniall Lawes are called, praecepta non bona, Ezekiel. 20.25. I gave them alſo ſtatutes that were not good, and judgements whereby they ſhall not live.
Pracepta mala non bona bona.There are three ſorts of precepts. Firſt mala, as the ſtatutes of Omri. Micah. 6.16. Secondly, non bona, as the ceremoniall Law. Thirdly bona, as the morall Law. The Lord calleth theſe ceremoniall precepts, non bona: becauſe they could bring nothing to perfection, Heb. 10.1. And he that kept them could not live by them; they were given but as hedges to keepe in the people,The ceremoniall ſtatutes were called, not good, becauſe they brought nothing to perfection. after they ſet up the Golden Calfe, that they ſhould not commit Idolatrie any more: and they were but ſhadowes to them, of good things to come, Heb. 10.1. They commanded neither vertue nor vice in themſelves; therefore he calleth them praecepta non bona. But the morall Precepts are juſt and holy, and the man that doth them, ſhall live in them, Gal. 3.12.
A compariſon betwixt the morall Law, and the Lawes of men.Thirdly, let us compare Gods morall Law and the Lawes of men, they ſay that ratio legis eſt anima legis, the wiſdome of God was anima huius legis, and as farre as the wiſedome of God, differed from the wiſedome of man; ſo farre differeth the Law of God, from the civill Lawes of men.
Secondly, the civill Law ſaith,The morall Law of God forbiddeth the motions of the heart without conſent, but the Law of man doth not ſo. de minutis non curat lex, that is, the Law looketh not to every ſmall tranſgreſſion. But Gods morall Law, obſerveth and condemneth, both the great and the leaſt ſinnes; it forbiddeth Gnats, as well as Camels, Mat. 23. The Nazaret was forbidden as well to eat the kernell of the Raiſin, as to eate the huske, or drinke the Wine. Num. 6.4. So the Lord forbiddeth in his Law, as well the firſt motions of the heart without conſent, as he doth the act it ſelfe; but mans Law looketh not to theſe:Simile. and as the Sunne when it ſhineth brightly, ſheweth us atomes, the very little motes, which are the leaſt things we can perceive: ſo the bright Law of God, ſheweth us theſe firſt motions of the heart to be ſinne, which the naturall man would thinke to be as ſmall as the motes in the Sunne.
Thirdly, the civill Law ſaith, Cogitationis paenam in noſtro for… nemo luat; but the morall Law firſt taketh order with the cogitations of the heart, then it commeth to the countenance, Why is thy countenance fallen, Gen. 4.6. then to the gnaſhing of teeth, Act. 7.54. foreign,foreign. they gnaſhed with their teeth, as if they had beene cutting with a Saw: then to the foaming of the mouth; therefore the Hebrwes marke, that Ceſeph ſignifieth both foaming at the mouth, and anger, Eſth. 1.18.foreign ira ſpuma. Theſe the Greekes call foreign, Who are angry till they foame at the mouth againe. So the morall Law taketh order with the angrie words as to call our brother Raca or foole: then ſee how the morall Law purſueth the act it ſelfe; as firſt, the Phariſees revenge, tooth for tooth and eye for eye: then Cains revenge, ſeaven for one. Then Lamanes revenge, ſeventy for one, Gen. 24. Then Hamans revenge,The morall Law forbiddeth all ſort of unlawfull revenge, or to remember an injury. to have all the Iewes killed; and as the morall Law taketh order with the fact it ſelfe: ſo with the dregs after the injurie is pardoned. Thou ſhalt not avenge nor remember Levit. 19, 18. A man is ſtrucken with a dagger, when he throweth away the dagger then he pardoneth the revenge; but yet if he keepe ſtill the ſheath, the dregge remaineth; and he remembereth the wrong done to him.
The Civill Law doth not reſpect vertues in themſelves, but as they concerne the Commonwealth.Fourthly, the civill Law, Whatſoever it commandeth concerning vertues, it commandeth it onelyonly in reſpect of humane ſociety, and as they are acts of juſtice; ſo that if it preſcribe any thing of morall vertues, as of temperance and ſobriety; it reſpecteth them no other wayes,Ariſt. lib. 5. Ethic. cap. 1 but as they are good for the commonwealth; but not as they are directly vertues in themſelves. Example, When it comandeth temperance, it commandeth it not as a vertue neceſſarie for this or that particular man, but becauſe this intemperance doth hurt the commonwealth. So when it forbiddeth Adultery, it forbiddeth not, as a ſinne hurtfull to the man, who committeth it; but as a ſinne contrarie to an act of juſtice: but the Law of God commandeth theſe vertues, as vertues directly; both intellectunall and moral.
Fiftly, mans Law permitteth many things, which the Law of God altogether diſaloweth; mans Law permitted the Husband, if he tooke his wife in the act of Adultery to kill her; as the Athenians made a Law of it; and Draco and Solon approved it. The Law of the twelue tables ſaith Moechum in adulteri… deprehenſum necato: Plutarchus in vita ſolomis, & lex 12 tabul.but this Law was moderated lege Iulia, it was onelyonly permitted for the husband to kill the Adulterer, if hee had beene a vile and a baſe fellow; and afterward, it was permitted to the Father onelyonly, to kill his Daughter if ſhe were taken in adultery; but not to her Husband: yet theſe were never allowed by the Law of God, and although before men thoſe were not puniſhed, yet they were guilty before the Lord.
Fourthly,A compariſon betwixt the morall Law, and Law of a mans conſcience. let us compare the morall Law with the Law of mans conſcience, and wee ſhall ſee how perfect the morall Law is. We are obliged to follow our conſcience if it be rightly informed, becauſe it is the Deputy of the Lord: if it be an erroneous conſcience, we are bound to doe nothing againſt it; becauſe it is the Lords Deputie we ſhould thus farre reſpect it, although we follow it not. A Tyrant becauſe he is Gods Deputie, his ſubjects may not riſe againſt him; yet they muſt not obey his unlawfull Commandements: but wee are ſtill bound to follow the Law of God.
Laſtly,A compariſon betwixt the Law of God and the Law of ſinne. let us compare the morall Law and the Law of ſinne together. Paul Rom. 7, 21. calleth ſin a Law, becauſe it commandeth a man, even as the Law doth. Gods Law is a ſtreight Law, the ſtreighteſt Line in the Mathematickes, is the ſhorteſt Line, and if we would goe the ſtraight way to happineſſe, let us keepe this Law of God; but enter not in the way of ſinne; for it is a crooked Line, and it will bee long ere we come to our journeyes end, if we walke out of this plaine way: the Law of ſinne is eaſie in the beginning and narrow in the end; but the Law of God is contrarie: the Law of ſinne is lato-anguſta, but the Law of God is anguſto-lata.
The concluſion of this is. From the generalitie of the Concluſion. 1 Law that all men are bound to walke in it, therefore all men ſhall be judged by it; but with this difference, the Heathen and Pagans ſhall be judged, onelyonly by it, as it is the Law of nature. The Iewes ſhal be judged by it, as it is the Law of Moſes; by whom the Lord wrot theſe great things of his Law, Hoſ. 8, 12. There is one that accuſeth you, even Moſes in whom ye truſt, Ioh. 5, 45. Thirdly, Chriſtians ſhal be judged by the evangelicall law. Rom. 2, 16. God ſhal judge the ſecrets of men, by Ieſus Chriſt, according to my Goſpel.
Concluſion. 2 Secondly, from the brightneſſe and puritie of the Law; let us learne to walke as the Children of light: for the bright Law is ſet up to diſcover ſinne to us, that we may ſhunne it. A man that hath a neate and a cleane houſe; he hath a looking glaſſe ſet up in it, that men may decerne the ſpots in their faces, to the end, they may doe them away; the Law of the Lord is that glaſſe ſet up in his Church that it may ſhew us our ſpots, and that we may doe them away. But if any man be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his naturall face in a glaſſe; for he beholdeth himſelfe and goeth away, and streight way forgeteth what manner of man hee was, Iam. 1.23. So it is, if we forget our ſpirituall face when we looke in the Law.
From this that the Law is ſpirituall and ſearcheth the Concluſion. 3 ſecrets of the heart, the concluſion is. That mens Lawes bind not the conſcience directly, Aquinas ſayeth out of Seneca; Servitus in totum hominem cujuſcunque, ſortis per omnia non deſcendit: but we may convert this ſpeech, Servitus in totum hominem cujuſcunque ſortis per omnia deſcendit: no Law of man can bind the conſcience of any, no not of the pooreſt Slave that is, Slaves in the Revelation are called,foreign. bodies, Rev. 18.13. She ſold bodies, that is, ſlaves; why are ſlaves called foreign bodies? becauſe as Epiphanius obſerveth, their Maſters commandements reach onelyonly to their bodies; therefore the Apoſtle calleth them, their Maſters according to the fleſh. foreign Vaginae, …haldaicè corpusEph. 6.5. the body is but nedena the ſheath of the ſoule. Dan. 7.15. I Daniel was greived in my ſpirit in the midſt of my Sheath. But the moral law of God bindeth both ſoule and bodie: and this is that which Iames ſaith, there is one Lawgiver who can both ſave and deſtroy. Iam. 4.12. meaning God who can deſtroy both ſoule …nd body.
Concluſion. 4 From the excellencie and perfection of the morall Law, we may draw this concluſion. That no man ſhould ſpeake evill of his brother Iam. 4.17. for then he judgeth the Law, becauſe the Law forbidderh a man to ſpeake evill of his brother, and as the ſtroakes which are given upon the left ſide, are felt upon the right: ſo when wee ſpeake evill of our brother, wee wrong the Law in not ſubmitting our ſelves to it; and Iudge that, which ſhould be our Iudge; and then wee wrong God himſelfe who gave this Law, and we ſay as the houſe of Iſrael ſaid, the way of the Lord is not equall. Ezek. 18.25.