Sect. 2. — The law of the Ten Commandments a rule of life to believers.
Sect. 2. — The law of the Ten Commandments a rule of life to believers.
Nom. But, sir, why may not believers among the Gentiles receive the Ten Commandments as a rule of life, at the hands of Moses, as well as the believers among the Jews did?
Evan. For the answer to this, I ask you to consider that the Ten Commandments were the substance of the law of nature engraven in the heart of man in innocency; they were the express idea or representation of God’s own image — even a beam of his own holiness. They were to have been a rule of life both to Adam and his posterity, even though they had never been the Covenant of Works. But having become the covenant of words, they were to have been a rule of life to them, as a Covenant of Works. And then, being as it were, razed out of man’s heart by his fall, they were made known to Adam and the rest of the believing fathers, by visions and revelations.
And so they were a rule of life to him — but not as the Covenant of Works, as they had been before his fall. They continued to be a rule until the time of Moses. And as they were delivered by Moses to the believing Jews from the ark, and so as from Christ, they were a rule of life to them until the time of Christ’s coming in the flesh. Since Christ’s coming in the flesh, they have been and continue to be a rule of life both to believing Jews and believing Gentiles, to the end of the world — not as they were delivered by Moses, but as they were delivered by Christ. For when Christ the Son comes and speaks himself, then Moses the servant must keep silence. Moses himself foretold this, saying in Acts 3.22, “The Lord your God shall raise up a prophet for you from your brethren, like me. You shall listen to him in all things which he says to you.”
And therefore, when the disciples seemed to desire to hear Moses and Elias speak on Mount Tabor, they were quickly taken away; and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased; hear him,” Mat. 17.4, 5. It is as if the Lord had said, You are not to hear either Moses or Elias now, but my “well-beloved Son;” and therefore I say to you. Hear HIM. It is said in Heb. 1.2, “That in these last days God has spoken to us by his Son.” And the apostle says, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; and whatever you do, in word or deed, do it all in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” The wife must be subject to the husband as to Christ; the child must yield obedience to his parents as to Christ; and the believing servant must do his master’s business, as Christ’s business. For the apostle says, “You serve the Lord Christ,” Col. 3.16-24. Indeed, he says to the Galatians, “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the Law of Christ,” Gal. 6.2.
Ant. Sir, I like it very well that you say Christ should be a Christian’s teacher, and not Moses. Yet I question whether the Ten Commandments may be called the Law of Christ; for where can you find them repeated either by our Saviour or his apostles in the whole New Testament?
Evan. Though we do not find them repeated in the way they are set down in Exodus and Deuteronomy, yet so long as we find that Christ and his apostles required and commanded those things commanded in it, and reprove and condemn those things forbidden in it, and do so both by their lives and doctrines, it is sufficient to prove that they are the Law of Christ.
Ant. I think indeed they have done so touching some of the commandments, but not touching all.
Evan. Because you say so, I entreat you to consider the following:
1st, The true knowledge of God is required in John 3.19; and the lack of it is condemned in 2Thess. 1.8; and the true love of God is required in Mat. 22.37; and the lack of it is reproved in John 5.42; and the true fear of God is required in 1Pet. 2.17; Heb. 12.28; and the lack of it is condemned in Rom. 3.18; and true trusting in God is required, and trusting in the creature is forbidden in 2Cor. 1.9; 1Tim. 6.17. Are these not the substance of the first commandment?
And consider, 2dly, The “hearing and reading of God’s word” is commanded in John 5.39; Rev. 1.3; and “prayer” is required in Rom. 12.12; 1Thess. 5.17; and “singing of psalms” is required in Col. 3.16; James 5.13; and “idolatry” is forbidden in 1Cor. 10.14; 1John 5.21. Are these not the substance of the second commandment?
And consider, 3dly, That “worshipping God in vain” is condemned in Mat. 15.9; and “using vain repetitions in prayer” is forbidden in Mat. 6.7; and “hearing the word only, and not doing” is forbidden in James 1.22; “worshipping God in spirit and truth” is commanded in John 4.24; and “praying with the spirit and with understanding also,” and “singing with the spirit” and “with understanding also,” is commended in 1Cor. 14.15; and also “taking heed to what we hear” is commanded in Mark 4.24. Are these not the substance of the third commandment?
Consider, 4thly, Christ’s rising from the dead the first day of the week, in Mark 16.2, 9; the disciples assembling, and Christ’s appearing to them, on two separate first days of the week, in John 20.19, 26; and the disciples coming together and breaking bread, and preaching afterwards on that day, in Acts 20.7; 1Cor. 16.2; and John’s being in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, Rev. 1.10; I say, consider whether these things do not prove that the first day of the week is to be kept as the Christian Sabbath.
Consider, 5thly, The apostle saying, “Children,obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right; honour “Your father and your mother, which is the first commandment with promise,” Eph. 6.1, 2, and all these other exhortations given by him and by the apostle Peter, both to inferiors and superiors, to do their duty to each other, Eph. 5.22, 25; Eph. 6.4, 5, 9; Col. 3.18-22; Tit. 3.1; 1Pet. 3.1; 1Pet. 2.18. I say, consider whether all these places prove that the duties of the fifth commandment are required in the New Testament.
Here you see are five of the Ten Commandments; and as for the other five, the apostle reckons them up altogether, saying, “You shall not commit adultery, you shall not kill, you shall not steal, you shall not bear false witness, you shall not covet,” Rom. 13.9. Now, judge whether the Ten Commandments are not repeated in the New Testament; and consequently whether they are not the Law of Christ, and whether a believer is not under the law to Christ, or “in the law through Christ,” as the apostle phrases it in 1Cor. 9.21.