In this regard the Gospel is no new law; — only the duties of the moral and eternal law are plainly declared in the doctrine of it, enforced in its motives, and directed as to their manner and end. Nor in this sense did the Lord Christ ever declare himself to be a new lawgiver ; yea, he declares the contrary — that he came to confirm the old, Matt. v. 17.
Secondly, The law may be considered as containing the institutions of worship which were given in Horeb by Moses, with other statutes and judgments. It was in this sense abolished by Christ. For the things themselves were appointed but unto the time of refonnation. And thereon, as the supreme Lord and lawgiver of the Gospel
13G THE PEllSON OF CHRIST.
Cliurcli, lie gave a iibav law of v.^orsbip, consisting in several institu- tions and ordinances of worship thereunto belonging. See Heb. iii. 3-6, and our exposition of that place.
Obedience unto the Lord Christ may be considered with respect unto both these; — the moral laiu which he confirmed, and the laiv of evangelical luorship which he gave and appointed. And some few things may be added to clear the nature of it.
1. Obedience unto Christ doth not consist merely in doing the things which he requu'eth. So far the church under the Old Tes- tament was obliged to yield obedience unto Moses; and we are yet so unto the prophets and apostles. This is done, or may be so, with respect unto any subordinate directive cause of our obedience, when it is not formally so denominated from his authority. All obedience unto Christ joroceeds from an express subjection of our souls and consciences unto him.
2. No religious obedience could be due unto the Lord Christ directly, by the rule and command of the moral law, were he not God by nature also. The reason and foundation of all the obedience required therein is, "I am the Lord thy God; thou shalt have no other gods before me." This contains the formal reason of all religious obedience. The Socinians pretend highly unto obedience to the precepts of Christ; but all obedience unto Christ himself they utterly overthrow. The obedience they pretend unto him, is but obeying God the Father according to his commands; but tliey take away the foundation of all obedience unto his person, by denying his divine nature. And all religious obedience unto any who is not God by nature, is idolatry. Wherefore, all obedience unto God, due by the moral law, hath respect unto the person of Christ, as one God with the Father and Holy Spirit, blessed for ever.
8. There is a peculiar respect unto him in all moral obedience as Mediator.
(1.) In that, by the supreme authority over the church wherewith he was vested, he hath confirmed all the commands of the moral law, giving them new enforcements ; whence he calls them his com- mands. " This," saith he, " is my commandment. That ye love one another;" which yet was the old commandment of the moral law, " Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself" Hence the apostle calls it an old and new commandment, 1 John ii. 7, 8.
This law was given unto the church under the Old Testament in the hand of a mediator; that is, of Moses, Gal. iii. 19. It had an original power of obliging all mankind unto obedience, from its first institution or prescription in our creation ; which it never lost nor abated in. Howbeit the church was obliged to have a respect unto it, as it was given unto them, " ordained by angels in the hand of a
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mediator." See Mai. iv. 4. Hereon many tilings hard and diffx-ult did ensue, which we are now freed from. We are not obliged unto the observance of the moral law itself, as given in the hand of that mediator, which gave it the formal reason of a covenant unto that people, and had other statutes and judgments inseparable from it. But the same law continueth still in its original authority and power, which it had from the beginning, to oblige all indispensably unto obedience.
Howbeit, as the Church of Israel, as such, was not obliged unto obedience unto the moral law absolutely considered, but as it was given unto them peculiarly in the hand of a mediator — that is, of Moses; no more is the Evangelical Church, as such, obliged by the original authority of that law, but as it is confinned unto us in the hand of our Mediator. This renders all our moral obedience evan- gelical. For there is no duty of it, but we are obliged to perform it in faith through Christ, on the motives of the love of God in him, of the benefits of his mediation, and the gTace we receive by him : whatever is otherwise done by us is not acceptable unto God.
They do, therefore, for the most part, but deceive themselves and others, who talk so loudly about moral duties. I know of none that are acceptable unto God, which are not only materially, but formally so, and no more.
If the obligation they own unto them be only the original power of the moral law, or the law of our creation, and they are performed in the strength of that law unto the end of it, they are no way accepted of God. But if they intend the duties which the moral law requireth, proceeding from, and performed by, faith in Christ, upon the grounds of the love of God in him, and grace received from him — then are they duties purely evangelical. And although the laAv hath never lost, nor ever can lose, its original power of obliging us unto universal obedience, as we are reasonable creatures; yet is our obedience unto it as Christians, as believers, immediately influenced by its confirmation unto the Evangelical Church in the hand of our Mediator. For —