"they may do fo, will find himself in a fatal er66 ror; for he fhall never enter into that eternal "glory, which is the reward of pious and obedi"ent fouls: But they, and they only, who adhere "both in their life and doctrine to them, fhall be "received into the kingdom of heaven. For fo "far am I from abrogating any of those duties, "and virtues, which your doctors teach you from "that law, that whatever they bid you observe "with regard thereto, I alfo require you to obferve "and do; and not only fo, but I tell you plainly, "that ye have much more to practife than they "teach you; and whofoever from henceforward "fhall expect eternal happiness, they must go be "yond the Scribes and Pharifees, both in the righ"teousness of their lives, and their inftructions too. IN farther explaining of this paragraph, there will be no neceffity of enlarging upon the meaning of these words, Think not that I am come to deftroy the law and the Prophets, I am not come to destroy, because they will be clearly and fully explained, from what will be faid on the two following heads. I. WHAT must be here understood by our Savi- İ. WHAT must be here understood by our Savibur's fulfilling the law and the Prophets. Our bleffed Saviour may be faid to have fulfilled the Prophets, in that he accomplished all things, which the Prophets foretold of him. Hence we meet with this expreffion frequently in the Evangelifts, That it might be fulfilled which was fpoken by the Prophets. And he may be faid to have fulfilled the law, law, in that he tranfgreffed no one commandment of the law. For thus he speaks of himself to the Jews, Which of you convinceth me of fin? And thus to his Difciples, The prince of this world cometh, and bath nothing in me. But the meaning of his fulfilling the law and the Prophets, in this place, is according to the fenfe of the Fathers and beft expofitors, that he compleated and perfected the moral law delivered to the Jews by Mofes and the Prophets; refining upon the feveral precepts of it, and extending them to fuch a compass of obligation, as was either wanting or undiscover'd there before. To clear this matter it will be requifite to fhew, (1.) THAT the Jewish moral law was not defigned by God to be the last and most perfect revelation of his will: But that the farther improvement and perfection thereof, was referved for the times of the Meffiah. Tho' the Almighty, to keep up the knowledge of himself as the only true God, call'd the pofterity of Jacob to be his peculiar people; and to affert his right of government, delivered them a law by Mofes; yet he dealt with them therein as a hard-hearted ftubborn race, receptive only of the outward forms of religion, but averfe to the fpiritual and inward fubftance of it. For this reason their law turn'd chiefly upon pompous ceremonies, and external obfervations; that the parade and fplendor of idolatry in the countries round them, might make the lefs impreffion upon the fancy of a people, that knew not how to relish a plain and fimple way of worship; and that the myftical prefcriptions of heathenifm might not attract their confciences, who were exceedingly inclined to fuperftition. They had alfo feveral political conftitutions laid down to regulate them as a separate state; John viii. 46. | John xiv. 30. and and fome few moral precepts: But these laft fo Sparingly delivered, and in fuch general terms, as fhews they were only to lead the way to a future and fuller inftruction, a compleater revelation which should be made by the Meffiah. For that fuch a revelation more compleat and perfect was reserved for Chrift, even Mofes, their own great law-giver, foretold, and charged them ftrictly with obedience to it. *The Lord faid unto me, I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words into his mouth, and he fball Speak unto them all that I shall command him. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words, which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him. This is exprefly in the New Teftament applied to Chrift; and what is here faid, that he should be like unto Mofes, imports, that he should be a Law-giver to his people, as Mofes was, the Author of a new difpenfation and revelation of the will of God. And the excellency of his law is intimated in that expreffion, I will put MY WORDS in his mouth, and he fhall fpeak unto them ALL that I SHALL COMMAND him. It's true, the law of Mofes was the word of God, and he delivered nothing but by command from him: Yet as this prophecy is moft vifibly in the intention of it, a gracious promife, and a great fignification of the divine favour, as alfo a fecond inftance of extraordinary revelation, it muft in reafon be fuppofed, to be more perfect and excellent than the former: For if it was not, if they had not fufficient inftruction by the law of Mofes, where would be the benefit that should make it the proper fubject of a promife? If a fecond revelation be not more perfect than the firft, there would be no need of it. And that this more Deut. xviii. 17, 18, 19. perfect revelation promised here by Mofes, and referved for that great Prophet whom he fpeaks of, has reference more efpecially to the moral law, and to the improvements that should be made therein, appears from the declared * occafion of making that promise to the Jews. It is grounded upon the terror that the people were under from the thundrings and lightnings, the found of the trumpet, and o ther awful fignals of God's prefence, when he spake to them from mount Horeb, or Sinai; and their defire thereupon, that God would no more reveal himself in that dreadful manner to them. God approved their requeft, and promifed he would for the future deliver his commands by Mofes, and after him more fully by the Meffiah. Now when was it that God fo fpake to them, and his terrors made them so afraid, but when the † ten commandments, or the moral law, was delivered? Which plainly intimates that the Meffiah fhould in after ages enlarge, explain, and perfect thofe commandments. I will therefore now proceed to fhew, (2.) THAT Chrift did thus improve the moral law of Mofes, and the Prophets; and that, 1. As to the doctrinal and perceptive part of it, in feveral instances, which were either wanting in the former difpenfation, or at least unknown and undiscover'd there; and not obligatory, till they were revealed by him in the chriftian fyftem. For proof of this I fhall need to have recourfe no farther than to his fermon on the mount, which is now under our confideration. And I fhall but juft name the inftances, because they will be treated of more largely in their proper place. The third commandment, which the Jews reftrain'd to the cafes of blafphemy and perjury, he has extended to all prophane, and rash or needlefs fwearing. *Deut. xviii. 16. The † Exod. xx. 18, 19. fixth, against murder, he has enlarged to a prohibition of all causeless and immoderate anger or refentments, tho' only cherish'd in the breaft; but if they proceed fo far as to vent themselves in paffionate and reviling language, he has reprefented to us what was before unknown, the finfulness and danger thereof with regard to the punishments of another world: And the neceffity of reconciliation with an offended brother, in order to the acceptance of our prayers with God. Upon the feventh commandment, which the Jews thought concerned only the outward and compleat acts of lewdness, he has introduced an interpretation, that makes the very looking upon a woman with luftful fancy and defires, criminal. The permiffion of divorce, which for the hardness of their hearts the law of Mofes had indulged them, our Saviour has reftrained to the cafe of fornication only, and reduced the facred ties of marriage to their original ftrictness. Retaliation of injuries had been allowed by the Mofaical law; but Chrift has here forbidden it, commands us to love our enemies, and to return good for evil, In these, and feveral other precepts, which might be gathered out of this fermon, and from other parts of the Gofpel, our Lord has raised the duty of a Chriftian to fuch a pitch of excellence, as the Jewish morality knew little or nothing of. But this was not all the advantages introduced above the law of Mofes. For, 2. HE improved the moral law in respect of the fanction alfo, the promises and encouragements annex'd to the observance of it; viz. the affiftance of the holy Spirit of grace, the full and free remiffion of fins, the reward of everlasting life, and the penalty incurred by obftinate difobedience, eternal mifery in hell. The Jews had no fuch promises made them of divine affiftance by the holy Spirit, to enable them to obey, as we thro' the mercy of God |