Chapter III: The law of the ten s a rule of life to believers.

The law of the ten s a rule of life to believers.

Nom. But, sir, why may not believers amongst the Gentiles receive the ten commandments as a rule of life, at the hands of Moses, as well as the believers amongst the Jews did?

Evan. For answer hereunto, I pray you consider that, the ten commandments being the substance of the law of nature [262] engraven in the heart of man in innocency, and the express idea, or representation of God's own image, even a beam of his own holiness, were to have been a rule of life both to Adam and his posterity, though they never had been the covenant of works; [263] but being become the covenant of words, they were to have been a rule of life to them, as a covenant of works. [264] And then, being as it were raised 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 were a rule of life to him;
[265] yet not as the covenant of works, as they were before his fall, and so continued until the time of Moses. And as they were delivered by Moses unto 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. And since Christ's coming in the flesh, they have been and are to be, a rule of life both to believing Jews and believing Gentiles, unto the end of the world; not as they are delivered by Moses, but as they are delivered by Christ: for when Christ the Son comes and speaks himself, then Moses the servant must keep silence; according as Moses himself foretold, (Acts 3:22), saying, "A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things which he shall say unto you." And, therefore, when the disciples seemed to desire to hear Moses and Elias [266] speak on the mountain Tabor, they were presently taken away; and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him," (Matt 17:4,5). As if the Lord had said, You are not now to hear either Moses or Elias, but my "well-beloved Son"; and, therefore, I say unto you, HEAR HIM. [267] And is it not said, (Heb 1:2), "That in these last days God hath spoken to us by his Son"? and doth not the apostle say, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; and whatsoever you do, in word or deed, do all in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." The wife must be subject unto the husband, as unto Christ; [268] the child must yield obedience to his parents, as unto Christ; and the believing servant must do his master's business, as Christ's business; for says the apostle, "Ye serve the Lord Christ," (Col 3:16-24). Yea, says he to the Galatians, "Bear ye 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; but 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 find not that they are repeated in such a method as they are set down in Exodus and Deuteronomy, yet so long as we find that Christ and his apostles did require and command these things, that are therein commanded, and reproved and condemn those things that are therein forbidden, and that both by their lives and doctrines, it is sufficient to prove them to be the law of Christ. [269]

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,--

1st, Whether the true knowledge of God required, (John 3:19); and the want of it condemned, (2 Thess 1:8); and the true love of God required, (Matt 22:37); and the want of it reproved, (John 5:42); and the true fear of God required, (1 Peter 2:17, Heb 12:28); and the want of it condemned, (Rom 3:18); and the true trusting in God required, and the trusting in the creature forbidden, (2 Cor 1:9, 1 Tim 6:17); be not the substance of the first commandment.

And consider, 2dly, Whether the "hearing and reading of God's word," commanded, (John 5:39, Rev 1:3); and "prayer," required, (Rom 12:12, 1 Thess 5:17); and "singing of psalms," required, (Col 3:16, James 5:13); and whether "idolatry," forbidden, (1 Cor 10:14, 1 John 5:21); be not the substance of the second commandment.

And consider, 3dly, Whether "worshipping of God in vain," condemned, (Matt 15:9); and "using vain repetitions in prayer," forbidden, (Matt 6:7); and "hearing of the word only, and not doing," forbidden, (James 1:22); whether "worhsipping God in spirit and truth," commanded, (John 4:24); and "praying with the spirit and with understanding also"; and "singing with the spirit" and "with understanding also," commended, (1 Cor 14:15); and "taking heed what we hear," (Mark 4:24); be not the substance of the third commandment.

Consider, 4thly, Whether Christ's rising from the dead the first day of the week, (Mark 16:2,9); the disciples assembling, and Christ's appearing unto them, two several first days of the week, (John 20:19,26); and the disciples coming together and breaking bread, and preaching afterwards on that day, (Acts 20:7, 1 Cor 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, Whether the apostle's saying, "Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right: honour thy father and thy mother, which is the first commandment with promise," (Eph 6:1,2), and all these other exhortations, given by him and the apostle Peter, both to inferiours and superiours, to do their duty to each other, (Eph 5:22,25, 6:4,5,9, Col 3:18-22, Titus 3:1, 1 Peter 3:1, 2:18); I say, consider whether all these places do not 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, "Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet," (Rom 13:9). Now, judge you whether the ten commandments be not repeated in the New Testament; and so consequently whether they be not the law of Christ, and whether a believer be not under the law to Christ, or "in the law through Christ," as the apostle's phrase is, (1 Cor 9:21).