day. For God himself was the immediate author of it, whose authority is sovereign and over all; and thence also it follows, that the matter of it was good. For the commandment, as our apostle speaks, was holy, just and good, Rom. vii. 12. And however there be a difference between that which is morally good in itself and its own nature, and that which is so only by divine institution; yet the revealed will of God is the adequate rule of good and evil unto us, as unto our obedience. On these accounts, therefore, it never was, nor ever could be abolished.

Secondly, A law may be abrogated, when on any consideration whatever, its obligation unto practice doth cease or is taken away. Thus was it with this law; for, as every other law, it may be considered two ways.

1. With respect unto its main end, and directive power to guide men therein. This, in all human laws, is the public good of the community or society unto which it is given. When this ceaseth, and the law becomes not directive or useful unto the public good any more, all rational obligations unto its observance do cease also. But yet this law differed also from all others. All that any other law aimeth at, is obedience to itself, and the public good, which that obedience will produce. So the moral law in the first covenant, had no other end but obedience unto it, and the rewardableness thereon, of them that did obey it. So was it an entire instrument of our living to God, and of eternal rewards thereon. But as in its renovation it was made a part of the law here intended, it came with it to be of another nature, or to have another use and end. For the whole scope and design of this law, was to direct men not to look after that good which was its end, in obedience unto itself, but in something else, that it directed unto by that obedience. The end it directed unto, was righteousness before God; but this could never be attained by an obedience unto it, nor was it ever intended that so it should do. This the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, Rom. viii. 3. And therefore, those who pursued and followed after it with the most earnestness for this end, never attained thereunto, Rom. ix. 31, 32. This end, therefore, is principally to be considered in this law, which, when it is attained, the law is established, although its obligation unto obedience unto itself, do necessarily cease. Now this end of the law was Christ and his righteousness, as the apostle expressly declares; "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness, to every one that believeth," Rom. x. 4. And therefore, this whole law was our schoolmaster to Christ, Gal. iii. 24, 25. This is called by our Saviour, wλngwrα TOY YOμy, to fulfil the law,' and is opposed to πλήρωσαι τον νόμον, the destroying of it, Matt. v. 17. "I came not xaraλurai, to destroy or dissolve the law, but to fulfil it." That is, not t

abrogate it or take it away, as that which either wanted a just authority, or was not good or useful, the common reasons of the abrogation of any law in force; but I came to bring in and accomplish the whole end which it aimed at, and directed unto; whereon it would cease to oblige unto a farther practice. And this the apostle calls irrava,to establish the law;'" Do we then make void the law through faith? yea, we establish the law," Rom. iii. 31. That is, we declare how it hath its end and full accomplishment, which is the greatest establishment that any law is capable of. And if the fulfilling of the law, both as unto what it requires in a way of obedience, and what also in its curse for sin, be not imputed unto us, we do not by faith establish the law, but make it void.

2. The law may be considered with respect unto the particular duties that it required and prescribed. And because the whole law had its end, these were appointed only until that end might be, or was attained. So saith our apostle, "They were imposed until the time of reformation," chap. ix. 10. Wherefore, two things did accompany this law in its first institution. 1. That an obedience unto its commands, would not produce the good which it directed unto, as formally respecting the law itself. 2. That the duties it required had a limited time for their performance and acceptance, allotted to them. Wherefore, without the least disparagement unto it, as unto the authority whereby it was given, or as unto its own holiness and goodness, it might be disannulled as unto its actual obligation unto practice, and observance of its commands. For the end of it being fully accomplished, it is no less established, than if the observance of it had been continued unto the end of the world. It was therefore established by Christ and the gospel, as unto its end, use and scope; it was disannulled as to its obligatory power, and to the observance of its commands. For these two are inconsistent, namely, that a law, as unto all its ends, should be fulfilled, and yet stand in force in its obligatory power unto obedience.

Secondly, We must inquire how this was done, or how this law was abrogated, as to its obligatory power and efficacy. And this was done two ways.

First, Really and virtually. This was done by Christ himself in his own person. For the fulfilling and accomplishing of it, was that which really and virtually took away all its obligatory power. For what should it oblige men unto? An answer is ready, unto all its demands, namely, that they are fulfilled: and as unto what was significative in its duties, it is all really exhibited; so that on no account it can any more oblige or command the consciences of men. This the apostle sets out, in a comparison with the relation that is between a man and his wife, with the obligation unto mutual duties that ensues

thereon, Rom. vii. 1-6. Whilst the husband is alive, the wife is obliged unto all conjugal duties towards him and unto him alone. But upon his death, that obligation ceaseth of itself, and she is at liberty to marry unto another. So were we obliged unto the law, whilst it was alive, whilst it stood in its force and vigour: but when through the death of Christ, the law was accomplished, it died as to the relation which was between it and us, whereon all its obligation unto observance, was disannulled. This was that, whereby the law was really and virtually abrogated. Its preceptive part being fulfilled, and its significative being exhibited, it was of no more force or efficacy as a law. The reason why it was thus to have an end put to it, is declared in the close of the verse.

Secondly, It was so abrogated declaratively; or the will of God concerning its abrogation, was made known four ways.

1. In general by the promulgation and preaching of the gos pel, where the accomplishment and cessation of it, was declared. For the declaration made, that the Messiah was come, that he had finished his work in the world, and thereby made an end of sin, bringing in everlasting righteousness, whereby the law was fulfilled, did sufficiently manifest its abrogation. The apostles, I confess, in their first preaching to the Jews, spake not of it expressly, but left it to discover itself as an un deniable consequent of what they taught, concerning the Lord Christ and the righteousness of God in him. This, for some while, many of them that believed, understood not, and therefore were zealous of the law, which God in his patience and forbearance did graciously tolerate, so as not to impute it unto them. It was indeed great darkness, and manifold prejudices, that hindered the believing Jews from seeing the necessary consequence unto the abolition of the law, from the promulgation of the gospel: yet this was God pleased to bear with them in, that we might not be too fierce, nor reflect with too much severity, on such as are not able in all things to receive the whole truth, as we desire they should.

2. It was so by the institution and introduction of new ordinances of worship. This was wholly inconsistent with the law, wherein it was expressly enacted, that nothing should be added unto the worship of God therein prescribed. And if any such addition was made by the authority of God himself, as was inconsistent with any thing before appointed, it is evident that the whole law was disannulled. But a new order, a new entire system of ordinances of worship, was declared in the gospel. Yea, and those, some of them especially, as that of the Lord's supper, utterly inconsistent with any ordinances of the law, seeing it declares that to be done and past, which they direct us unto as future and to come.

3. There was a determination made in the case by the Holy Ghost, upon an occasion administered thereunto. Those of the apostles, who preached the gospel unto the Gentiles, had made no mention unto them of the law of Moses, as knowing that it was nailed unto the cross of Christ, and taken out of the way. So were they brought unto the faith and obedience of the gospel without any respect unto the law, as that wherein they were not concerned, now it had received its accomplishment. But some of the Jews who believed, being yet persuaded that the law was to be continued in force, and its observance imposed on all that were proselyted by the gospel, occasion was given unto that solemn determination, which was made by the apostles, through the guidance of the Holy Ghost, Acts xv. And the substance of that determination was this; that the gospel, as preached unto the Gentiles, was not a way or means of proselyting them unto Judaism, but the bringing them unto a new church-state, by an interest in the promise and covenant of Abraham, given and made four hundred and thirty years before the giving of the law. Whilst the law stood in its force, whoever was proselyted unto the truth, he was so unto the law, and every Gentile that was converted unto the true God, was bound to be circumcised, and became obliged unto the whole Jaw. But that being now disannulled, it is solemnly declared, that the Gentiles converted by the gospel, were under no obligation unto the law of Moses, but being received into the covenant of Abraham, were to be gathered into a new churchstate, erected in and by the Lord Christ in the gospel.

4. As unto those of the Hebrews, who yet would not understand these express declarations of the ceasing of the obligatory power of the law, to put an end unto all disputes about his will in this matter, God gave a dreadful nois or abolition' unto it, in the total, final, irrevocable destruction of the city and temple, with all the instruments and vessels of its worship, especially of the priesthood and all that belonged thereunto. Thus was the law disannulled, and thus was it declared so to be.

Obs. I. It is a matter of the highest nature and importance, to set up, take away, or remove any thing from, or change any thing in the worship of God. Unless the authority of God interpose, and be manifested so to do, there is nothing for conscience to rest in, in these things. And,

Obs. II. The revelation of the will of God, in things relating unto his worship, is very difficultly received, where the minds of men are prepossessed with prejudices and traditions. Notwithstanding all those ways whereby God had revealed his mind concerning the abolition of the Mosaic institutions, yet

these Hebrews could neither understand it nor receive it, until the whole seat of its worship was destroyed and consumed.

Obs. III. The only securing principle in all things of this nature, is to preserve our souls in an entire subjection unto the authority of Christ, and unto his alone.

Thirdly, The close of the verse gives an especial reason of the disannulling or abrogation of the command, taken from its own nature and efficacy. For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before; dia To αυτής ασθενες και ανω φελες, that is, δια την αυτής ασθενείαν και ανωφελίαν. The adjective in the neuter gender put for a substantive, which is emphatical; as on the contrary it is so, when the substantive is put for the adjective; as 1 John ii. 27. Andes esti nai ovx ect. Vivdes, 'is true and is not a lie; that is, mendax, false or lying.' And auras, ' its own,' is added to shew that the principal cause of disannulling the law, was taken from the law itself.

I have proved before, that the commandment in this verse is of equal extent and signification with the law in the next. And the law there, doth evidently intend the whole law, in both the parts of it, moral and ceremonial, as it was given by Moses unto the church of Israel. And this whole law is here charged by our apostle with weakness and unprofitableness, both which make a law fit to be disanulled. But it must be acknowledg ed, that there is a difficulty of no small importance, in the assignation of these imperfections unto the law; for this law was given by God himself. And how can it be supposed that the good and holy God should prescribe such a law unto his people, as was always weak and unprofitable. From this and the like considerations, the blasphemous Manichees denied that the good God was the author of the Old Testament, and the Jews continue still upon it to reject the gospel, as not allowing the least imperfection in the law, but equalling it almost with God himself. We must therefore consider in what sense the apostle ascribes these properties to the law.

1. Some seek for a solution of this difficulty, from Ezek. xx. 11. compared with ver. 25. Ver. 11. God saith, that "I gave them my statutes, and shewed them my judgments, which if a man do, he shall live in them." But ver. 25. "I gave them also statutes that were not good, 'and judgments whereby they should not live." The first sort of laws, they say, were the decalogue, with those other judgments that accompanied it, which were given unto the people as God's covenant, before they broke it by making the golden calf. These were good in themselves, and good unto the people, so as if they did them, they should live therein. But after the people had broken the covenant in making of a golden calf, God gave them that whole system of ordinances, institutions and laws which ensued.