Chapter 19

Of the Law of God

1. God gave to Adam a law of universal obedience, written in his heart, and a
particular precept of not eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and
evil;

Genesis So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and
1:27 female created he them.

Ecclesiastes 7:9 Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.

by which He bound him and all his posterity, to personal, entire, exact and perpetual
obedience;

Romans For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which
10:5 doeth those things shall live by them.

promised life upon the fulfilling, and threatened death upon the breach of it, and
endued him with power and ability to keep it.

Genesis 3:9 And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?
Genesis And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked;
3:10 and I hid myself.
Genesis And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof
3:11 I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?
Genesis And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the
3:12 tree, and I did eat.

2. The same law that was first written in the heart of man, continued to be a
perfect rule of righteousness after the fall,
Romans For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the
2:14 law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:
Romans Which show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing
2:15 witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)
Romans In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my
2:16 gospel.

and delivered by God upon Mount Sinai, in ten commandments, and written in two
tables, the four first containing our duty towards God, and the other six our duty to
man.

Deuteronomy And he wrote on the tables, according to the first writing, the ten commandments,
10:4 which the LORD spake unto you in the mount out of the midst of the fire in the
day of the assembly: and the LORD gave them unto me.

3. Besides this law, commonly called moral, God was pleased to give to the
people of Israel ceremonial laws, containing several typical ordinances, partly
of worship, prefiguring Christ, His graces, actions, sufferings, and benefits;

Hebrews For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the
10:1 things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually
make the comers thereunto perfect.

Colossians Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or
2:16 of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:
Colossians Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.
2:17

and partly holding forth divers instructions of moral duties,

I Corinthians Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole
5:6 lump?
I Corinthians Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are
5:7 unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:
I Corinthians Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of
5:8 malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

all which ceremonial laws being appointed only to the time of reformation, are, by
Jesus Christ, the true Messiah and only law-giver, who was furnished with power
from the Father for that end, abrogated and taken away.

Colossians And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he
2:13 quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;
Colossians Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary
2:14 to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
Colossians And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly,
2:15 triumphing over them in it.
Colossians Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or
2:16 of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:
Colossians Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.
2:17

Ephesians For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall
2:14 of partition between us;
Ephesians Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained
2:15 in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;
Ephesians And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the
2:16 enmity thereby:
Ephesians And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were
2:17 nigh.

4. To them also He gave sundry judicial laws, which expired together with the
state of that people, not obliging any now by virtue of that institution; their
general equity only being of modern use.

I Corinthians Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and
9:7 eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of
the flock?
I Corinthians Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also?
9:8
I Corinthians For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox
9:9 that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen?
I Corinthians Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that
9:10 he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be
partaker of his hope.

5. The moral law doth for ever bind all, as well justified persons as others, to the
obedience thereof,

Romans Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled
13:8 the law.
Romans For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou
13:9 shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other
commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy
neighbour as thyself.
Romans Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
13:10

James If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as
2:8 thyself, ye do well:
James But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as
2:9 transgressors.
James For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
2:10
James For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no
2:11 adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.
James So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.
2:12

and that not only in regard of the matter contained in it, but also in respect of the
authority of God the Creator who gave it;

James For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
2:10
James For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no
2:11 adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.
neither doth Christ in the Gospel any way dissolve, but much strengthen this
obligation.

Matthew Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy,
5:17 but to fulfil.
Matthew For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no
5:18 wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
Matthew Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach
5:19 men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do
and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Romans 3:31 Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.

6. Although true believers be not under the law, as a covenant of works, to be

thereby justified or condemned,

Romas 6:14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under
grace.

Galatians We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles,
2:15
Galatians Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus
2:16 Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of
Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be
justified.

Romans There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk
8:1 not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Romans For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.
10:4
yet it is of great use to them, as well as to others, in that, as a rule of life, informing
them of the will of God and their duty, it directs and binds them to walk accordingly;
discovering also the sinful pollutions of their natures, hearts, and lives, so as
examining themselves thereby, they may come to further conviction of, humiliation
for, and hatred against sin;

Romans Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles
3:29 also:
Romans Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and
3:30 uncircumcision through faith.

Romans What shall we say then? is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by
7:7 the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.
Romans But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of
7:8 concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead.
Romans For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived,
7:9 and I died.
Romans And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death.
7:10
Romans For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me.
7:11
Romans Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.
7:12
Romans Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might
7:13 appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment
might become exceeding sinful.
Romans For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.
7:14
Romans For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do
7:15 I.
Romans If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.
7:16
Romans Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
7:17
Romans For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is
7:18 present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
Romans For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
7:19
Romans Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
7:20
Romans I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.
7:21
Romans For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:
7:22
Romans But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and
7:23 bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
Romans O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
7:24
Romans I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the
7:25 law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

together with a clearer sight of the need they have of Christ, and the perfection of
His obedience: it is likewise of use to the regenerate, to restrain their corruptions, in
that it forbids sin; and the threatening of it serve to show what even their sins
deserve, and what afflictions in this life they may expect for them, although freed
from the curse and unallayed rigour thereof. These promises of it likewise show them
God's approbation of obedience, and what blessings they may expect upon the
performance thereof, though not as due to them by the law as a covenant of works;
so as man's doing good, and refraining from evil, because the law encourageth to the
one and deterreth from the other, is no evidence of his being under the law, and not
under grace.

Romans Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts
6:12 thereof.
Romans Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield
6:13 yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as
instruments of righteousness unto God.
Romans For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
6:14

I Peter Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be
3:8 pitiful, be courteous:
I Peter Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that
3:9 ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.
I Peter For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his
3:10 lips that they speak no guile:
I Peter Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it.
3:11
I Peter For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers:
3:12 but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.
I Peter And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good?
3:13
 7. Neither are the forementioned uses of the law contrary to the grace of the
Gospel, but do sweetly comply with it,

Galatians Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law
3:21 given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.

the Spirit of Christ subduing and enabling the will of man to do that freely and
cheerfully, which the will of God, revealed in the law, requireth to be done.

Ezekiel And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall
36:27 keep my judgments, and do them.