Particulars of the pious and holy men of old, are needlefs; when the Apostle, after the lift of heroes recorded, adds, "that time "would fail him to enumerate all who wrought righteousness, "obtained the promises, &c." Heb. xi. They are noble inftances of an amazing fortitude, and unthaken zeal, by which in all things they became more than conquerors; and by having refpect to a future recompence, obtained a good report, and are fet forth as enfamples to us. Enfamples equalled by few, excelled by

none !

And in what do the prophetick writings differ from the Gospel ? both preach repentance for the remiffion of fins, perfuade men to forfake their evil ways, and then promife that God would remember their iniquities no more. In confequence of which, no humiliations can be deeper, no forrow for guilt more afflicting, no converfion more fincere, or fupplications for pardon and acceptance more earnest, than what every where occur in the patriarchal and fucceeding ages."

It is alfo obfervable, that as their religion and hopes chiefly centred in the Meffiah, their notices of him, from the earliest times, were fo frequent, that every prophet who arose in Ifrael, fpake plainly of him. "Receive (fays St. Peter) the falvation of

your fouls; of which falvation (through Christ) the prophets "have enquired and fearched diligently, &c." 1 Ep. i. 19. So that every age had its evangelifts. The paffion and refurrection of Chrift, (through which alone falvation could be had) with the glory that thould follow, were articles of the prophets, as well as of the Apostles creed,

If then "the grace of God which bringeth falvation, hath ap"< peared to all men," Tit. ii. 11. and the patriarchs were faved by it, what difference is there between their law and ours? for, when all is faid, to believe in the true God and his Meffiah; a remiffion of fins through him, on a fincere obedience and repentance; a refurrection; the foul's furvivance; and a future state of rewards and punishments; ever were, and will be, the furn of all religion,

This they did but there could be no knowledge of the covenant, or its conditions, till declared; no faith in a Meffiah, till revealed; no proof of obedience, without a law; no subjection to rewards or punishments, without a freedom of choice; no power to do what is well pleafing to God, without the aid of his holy fpirit. Hence the judicious Mede owns that the Gospel, or

glad tidings of falvation, to be attained by Christ, were as ancient as the time of man's fin, and afterwards repeated and continued, P. 110.

8th. Of the Mofaical law, little need be faid, as being of a late date, and narrow extent. The patriarchal was from the beginning, and renewed to many: thus, "God preached, before, "the Gofpel to Abraham." Gal. iii. 8. That is, before his circumcifion; and this notice of justification by a Messiah was revealed to him, who had been bred in idolatry 430 years before the law of Mofes. Nor was the decalogue any part of this law: Mofes plainly distinguishes them; "The Lord delivered unto you "his covenant, even the ten commandments." Deut. iv. 13. They had been long under both; and Moses was only the mesfenger, not the lawgiver.

God delivered one; the other was wrote by Mofes in a book, after their falling into idolatry, Exod. xxiv. 7. and laid upon them as a punishment, or burthen, rather than a religion, having nothing of true piety in it. God himself fays, "I gave them "my ftatutes, and fhewed them my judgments, which if a man "do, he fhall even live in them." Ezek. xx. IL. These were

the precepts of old, renewed at Sinai, and had the promife of life: "notwithstanding they rebelled against me," "wherefore I gave "them ftatutes that were not good, and judgments whereby they "fhould not live." Ezek. xx. 21. v. 25. .As the commands of God, they were bound to obferve them; but the ftricteft obedience thereto did not entitle to life.

Many were the effential differences between these laws. The patriarchal was to endure for ever: the mofaical but for a time. That obliged all mankind: this only a small colony, to whom it was a feparate municipal conftitution; as charters to a body of citizens, who are nevertheless bound by the common law of the land.

The obfervation then that arifes, is, that if the pious Jews were faved under it, they were not saved by it. It could punish or remit offences, committed against its own ordinances, according as the cafe was; but "not purge the confcience from dead works, to "ferve the living God." Heb. ix. 14. Eternal life and death were no part of it; but still remained in force, as fanctions of the original law and covenant.

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Hence the frequent affurances, that fins were not remitted, nor juftification to be had from the observance of it: yet the Hebrews never doubted that the most prefumptuous fins, idolatry, murder, injuftice, or oppreffion, for which no mercy could be found by the law of Mofes, would, on a fincere repentance, be fully pardoned; confequently by the terms of another covenant, and so well known, that their hopes of eternity refted upon it.

The fins of David were irremiffible in the court of Ifrael, yet he knew forgivenefs was to be had in that of heaven. On this ground, he confeffed, fupplicated for, and obtained abfolution. Against thee only have I finned; deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my falvation." This must be only through the Meffiah, for there "never was any name, given "under heaven, whereby men could be faved, but that of Christ Jefus."

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9th. As law is the rule of life, and measure of action, it will be neceffary, for a further confirmation of the subject before us, to confider fome peculiarities effential to it.

Now, law in its primary notion implies a restraint of liberty, whereby a free agent is directed to act, or not to act, in such a manner, as before he was not obliged to; and that under the pain of guilt and punishment.

Whence a noble author lays it down for an unquestionable truth, "that no actions are good or bad, honeft or vile, till made fo by "fome law; it being certain, that antecedently to the impofition "of any law, all actions must be efteemed indifferent." Puffendorff, L. N. 1. 2. c. 3. § 4.

And Mr. Locke, "that what duty is, cannot be known, with"out a law." L. 2. c. 28. &c.

"And by referring their actions to the divine law, men judge "whether they are duties or fins." lb. § 7.

For as God created man a free agent, no one had right or power to fetter his liberty, but the Lord of nature; which he super-induced, by giving a revelation of what he required: nor could this have the force of a law, till fignified to man after the manner of men; that is, by difcourfe and communication; by fomething that taught him, and obliged him. See Duct. Dub. L. 2. c. I.

From these principles it will follow, that all duties were of external inftitution, not reasoned out, but abfolutely positive, before

any act of obedience or fin could be performed; for law being the standard of actions, by that they must be deemed lawful or unlawful; and being alfo the measure of them, muft contain every particular to be done or avoided. All which must be duly promulged, because law cannot bind, till declared, and known to be fuch.

This obtained from the beginning. God was the lawgiver, revelation the publisher; and thence arofe fuch difference in the actions of men: "The divine law being the only meafure of duty or fin." Locke Ib. § 8.

10th. From the fame authority proceeds another effential of law, viz. its Obligation, without which it could not operate, but remain a dead letter, of none effect. This arifes on two accounts, (ft.) from reftraint of liberty, with respect to actions, which else were at our choice; and (2dly,) from annexing rewards or punishments, to the use or abuse of our freedom; which is the most rational obligation to determine the human will. These fanctions are the great enforcement of law, as drawing good or evil upon us, from our obfervance or breach of it, by the decree of the lawmaker: "without them a law cannot be fuppofed; fince it would be in vain for one intelligent being to fet a rule to the actions of another, if he had it not in his power to reward the compliance with, and punish deviation from his rule." Locke L. 2. c. 28. $6. &c. See Appendix B.

For as actions cannot be faid to be good or bad, where there is nothing to direct, or determine the will, fo none are subject to the fanctions of law, but the voluntary and chofen; and the being convinced of these fanctions, induces a bond or tie, to act, or not to act; as it fubjects to that happiness or mifery, which the law has annexed to the free choice of such or fuch actions.

Law, then, is the will of a rightful fuperior, commanding, or forbidding; who has a juft authority over him that is commanded, wisdom to observe how his will is obeyed, and power to reward or punish accordingly. This is the prerogative of God alone, as creator he has fupreme authority over the creature. He is lord of the foul, can take notice of its inward tranfactions, and moft fecret faults, and inflict punishment equal to tranfgreffion. Therefore he only can command and bind the conscience, because none other can judge of it, and whatever does not so oblige, can be neither religion, nor law.

Again; the fanctions of law must be commenfurate to the whole of their beings who are subjected to them, or the obligation would be, but in part. If then man is intended for immortality, such must be the fanctions of the law he is bound by; and he the only law-giver who has authority to enact them, and power to reward with everlasting life, or punish with eternal damnation. Thefe could not be fet, before us, but by revelation: therefore the revealed word, which will be the rule of judgment hereafter, must be at prefent, the only principle and measure of human actions.

For as every thing blameable, or commendable, must have fome rule to try its goodness by, "hence the divine law is the only true touchstone, even of moral rectitude, fince by comparing their actions to that, it is, that men judge of their most confiderable moral good, or evil; that is, whether as duties or fins, they are likely to procure them happiness or misery from the hands of the almighty." Locke, Ib. § 8.

§ 11th. If no authority but the fupreme, can induce an obligation, the most facred regard must be had, not to admit any bond on conscience, but what has a manifeft and divine right to it.

This will convince us, that no judicature on earth has fuch enacting or compulfive power, but what is virtually, or formally, derived from the law of God-That human precepts may advise, or perfuade, but cannot controul-That reafon may gain affent, but not be a rule of obedience, till it has some unerring method of knowing what is reasonable or unreasonable; which it is plain the heathens never had, fince it ever failed them in the particular applications of good and evil-That no fingle person can oblige another, having no right to it, or sovereign jurisdiction over him, in matters of duty and fin-That laws entered into, by a combination of men, in fociety, can be of force no longer than the agreement lafts, which every one may retire from at pleasure. Nor during fuch compact, can any force of human command inveft fuch precepts with the power of obligation; they must have this before they can be received as rightful laws, and that only depends on their being the will of a rightful superior, that is, God*.

* This Plato allows, that God, and no mortal, is the first and original cause of all law. De Leg. 1.