What Did God at First Reveal to Man for the Rule of His Obedience?

Answ. The rule which God at first revealed
to man for his obedience was the moral law.

Q. When did God first reveal this rule of obedience?

A. He wrote it on Adam’s heart in creating him.

O. Why is this rule called a law? A. Because

it not only directs, but binds us to our duty.

Qj Why is it called the moral law? A. Because it

constantly directs and binds the manners of all men.

Qj Were not the ceremonial and judicial law grafted lrpon the moral law?’ A. Yes j the ceremonial up*

on the first table, and the judicial on the second.

Q. Was not the ceremonial law an obscure gospel?

A. Yes ‘, in as far as its rites and services represented Christ, and his righteousness and grace, Heb. x 1.

Q. How may the types of the Old Testament dispensation be distinguished? A. Into typical persons j typical classes of persons, occasional typical things; miscellaneous typical institutions ♦, typical places; typical oblations, typical seasons j and typical purifications.

Q. What particular persons were typical?

A. Adam, Abel, Enoch, Noah, Melchizedek, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Job, Moses, Aaron, Bezaleel, Aholiab, Phineas, Joshua, Gideon, Samson, Boaz, Samuel, David, Solomon, Elijah, Elisha, Jonah, Eliakim, Isaiah, Daniel, Zerubbabel, Joshua the high priest, John baptist, and perhaps Cyrus, &c.

Q. What did these typify? A. Jesus Christ in

his marvellous birth, excellent qualifications, solemn call to his work m7 saving offices and relations *, his work of obedience and suffering for his people •, and the glorious reward of it; his usefulness to his people, in promoting their deliverance, instruction, holiness, and comfort.

Q. Which were the typical classes of persons?

A. The Israelites in general; their first born males y the unmarried brothers of such as left widows childless ‘y the voluntary bond servants; the hanged malefactors; the sojourning strangers; the Nazarites; Nethinims 5 Levites j priests 5 high priests; holy prophets; and the kings of David’s family.

O. What did these typify? A. The high priest’s

and kinsmen redeemers typified Jesus Christ, in his person, endowments, and work, as our great Redeemer, and High-Priest. The strangers represented the Gentiles as objects of God’s gracious care, and the others were emblems of the saints, and figures of Christ in his dignity, his service of God, his sufferings for men, and his manage*- ment of the church and kingdom of God.

Q. What were the occasional typical things?

A. Noah’s ark; Jacob’s ladder 5 Moses’ burning bush; the cloudy pillar j the sweetened water of Mar ah; the manna j the rocks yielding water; the well of Beer; the cluster of grapes from Eschol; Aaron’s budding rod; the brazen serpent; the healing pool of Eethesda; the waters of Shiloah; the deliverance of the Hebrews from Egypt: their passage through the Red-sea; their travels in the wilderness j their entrance into Canaan; their wars with their heathen neighbours; and their return from Babylon.

Q. What did these typify? A. Most-part of the for-’

mer pointed out Christ as the Saviour, Mediator, nourishment, comfort, or medicine of his people. The ark and burning bush represented also the church as containing them that are saved, and as much exposed to persecution and trouble. The six last particulars typified the erection and fate of the Christian church 5 and the conversion and fate of her true members, with respect to their spiritual condition.

Q^. Which were the miscellaneous typical institutions P

A. Circumcision, which was a seal of the covenant; sanctification of fruit trees; offering no base things to God ‘y scourging of bond-women for whoredom; protection of fugitive servants; exclusion from the congregation of the Lord; wearing of proper apparel; blue fringes; not cutting of flesh for the dead; abstinence from blood, and fat, or animals torn, or dying of themselves; leaving of gleanings in fields or vineyards; avoiding of mixed garments, sowing of mixed seeds or plowing with oxen and asses together, or gendering with cattle of different kinds ten-Q3

derness to animals j not muzzling of the ox while treadout the corn •, covering of excrements in the camp; and temporary freedom from the service of war.

Q. What did all these signify A. In general, that

being renewed in the spirit of our minds, through our union to Jesus Christ, as made of God to us wisdom, righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption -y we should deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, and live soberly, righteously and godly ‘7 in simplicity and godly sincerity; doing justly, loving mercy, and walking humbly with our God.

Q. Which were the typical places i

A. Canaan *, the cities of refuge; Jerusalem j Zton the tabernacle and temple.

Q. What did these signify? A. Canaan, Jerusalem,

and Zion represented a new covenant state y and typified the state of the gospel church, and of the heavenly glory. The cities of refuge typified Jesus Christ, and our state of safety through him, in his covenant, and church. The tabernacle and temple represented Christ’s manhood, the gospel-church, and heavenly state j and were emblems of true believers as the residence of God.

Q. Which were the typical utensils?

A. The ark of the covenant; the pot of manna; the table of shew bread with its loaves; the golden altar with its incense; the golden candlestick with its oil ‘, the silver trumpets; the brazen lavers, and sea •, the brazen altar the altars of earth and stone j the altar of Ebal.

Q. What did these signify? A. The pot of manna, and the table of shew bread, but especially the silver trumpets, typified the ordinances and preaching of the gospel the others represented Christ as the fulfiller of the broken law, advocate with the Father, light of the church, or means of purification from and atonement for sin. And even the pot of manna, and table of shew-bread, may denote him as the provision and supporter of his people.

Q. Which were the typical oblations.?

A. The burnt-offerings -> the sin-offerings -, the trespass-offerings •, the peace-offerings j the meat-offerings j the drink-offerings j the holy anointing oil ‘, the soul ransom money *, the tithes ‘, the first fruits j and the things voluntarily devoted to God.

Q^ What did these signify? A. The oil signified the Holy Ghost and his influences 3 the others signified

Jesus Christ, as devoted to the service of God, and the salvation of his people; Jesus Christ as satisfying the jus* tice of God, expiating our sins, and thus becoming our spiritual peace maker, provision, and comfort.

Q. Which were the typical seasons?

A. The hours of the daily sacrifice •, the weekly Sabbath in its ceremonial use; the feast of new moons 5 the passover and feast of unleavened bread; Pentecost; the feast of trumpets j the fast of general expiation j the feast of tabernacles; the year of release; and jubilee.

Q. What did these signify?

A. The season of Christ’s appearance in our nature to fulfil all righteousness; and the seasons of the powerful virtue of his death, and spread of his gospel, in the New Testament church. The three last also prefigured the happiness of the heavenly state,

Q^ Which were the typical purifications f

A. Purifications from defilement contracted by unholy things, by touching or eating unclean beasts, by child-birth, by leprosy, by running issues, and by touching or approaching dead corpses j-^-and the trial of suspected adultery, and the expiation of uncertain murder.

Q^. What did all the washings, sprinklings and shavings, used in these purifications, signify?

A. That by the application of Christ’s blood and Spirit, for the removal of the guilt and filth of sin, and the destruction of its power, we become clean before God.

Q. Are the ceremonial and the judicial law now abrogated? A. Yes, Gal. v. 1, Keb. viii. 13. Col. ii, 14.

Q. Why is the ceremonial law abolished? A. Because Christ the substance of its types is already come, H&b. x.

Q, Why is the judicial law as such abolished?

A. Because the Jews are now cast off from being a nation peculiarly separated to the Lord, Rom. xi.

Q^ Can the moral law be abolished? A. No; the

obligation of the moral law is invariable, and constant from creation through all eternity, Psalm cxix. 144.

Q. Why so? A. Because it depends on the nature of God, and man’s relation to him as his reasonable creature,

Q. Upon whom is the moral law binding?

A. Upon all men, Rom. ii. 14, 15. Psal. cxlvii. 19, 20.

Q. Why hath God given a law to men? A. For his own honour and their happiness. Psalm cxlvii. 19, 20.

Q. How is the law for the honour of God? A. As

it shews that he is absolute ruler over all, James iv. 12.

Q. How is it for the happiness of men? A. As in keep* ing God’s command there is a great reward, Ps. xix. 11.

Q^ How many things are often included in a law I

A. Two *, its precept or command, and its sanction.

Q. In what does the precept of a law consist?

A. In shewing us our duty, and binding us to it’,

Q^ What is the sanction of a law? A. The threatening or promise annexed to the precept, in order to deter us from sin, and excite us to duty, Deut. xxx. 16.

Q. Is a threatening always annexed to God’s law?

A. No ‘, it is only annexed when the persons- under it are actually fallible, Gal. iii. 10. Lsv. xxvi.

Qj, Is a promise a necessary part of God’s law?

A. No j it is never annexed to it, but when the law is either formed into a covenant, or made a rule of life to such as are within the new covenant, Deut. xxxviii.

Q. With what different forms hath God clothed the moral law? A. With the form of the law of nature,.

of the covenant of works, and of a rule of life.

Q. What is the law of nature? A. The moral

law written on Adam’s heart in his creation,. binding him to perfect obedience under pain of eternal death, but promising him no reward of his obedience, Rom. ii. 14.

Q. What is the form of the law as a covenant of works?

A. The moral law considered as binding to perfect obedience under pain of eternal death, and promising eternal life as the reward of obedience, Gal. iii. .10, 12.

Q. What is the form of the moral law as a rule of life?

A. The moral law as binding to perfect obedience under pain of fatherly chastisements, and having the promise of gracious and fatherly rewards annexed to obedience, Psalm lxxxix. 30, 31, 32. 1 Cor. xv. 58.

Q. In what do the law of nature and the law as a covenant differ? A. Chiefly in the law as a covenant having a promise of eternal life annexed to obedience, which the law of nature hath not, Gal. iii. 12.

Q. Wherein do the law of nature, and the law as a rule of life, differ? A. Chiefly in that the law of

nature was perfectly written on man’s heart in creation, was given by an absolute God, and required obedience un-Quest. 40. Of God’s Law. 18$

der pain of eternal death; which is not the case with the law as a rule of life, Ezek. viii. 4. Luke i. 74, 75.

Q. In what do the law as a covenant of works, and the law as a rule of life, differ? A. Chiefly in their author, subjects, sanction, design, and acceptance of obedience.

Qj How do they differ in their author? A, An

absolute God gives the law as a covenant ‘, but Christ as Mediator gives the law as a rule of life, which i: therefore called the law of Christ, Gen. ii. 16. 1 Cor. ix. 21.

Q. Is the law as a rule inforced with the authority of God as our Creator and Preserver?

A. Yes; but that authority iss veetened and heightenen by his being our God, Redeemer, and Father in Christ, Luke i. 74, 75,

Q. How do the law as a covenant and as a rule differ in. their subjects? A. All men in their natural state

are under the law as a covenant but believers only are under the law as a rule of life, Rom. vii. 4, 5, 6.

Q. Are not believers under the law as a covenant?

A. No 5 they are wholly delivered from, and completely dead to it, Rom. vi. 14. Gal. ii. 19. and iv. 4, 5.

Q. To what of the law, as a covenant, are believers dead? A. To its command, promise, and curse.

Q. How are they dead to the command of it

A. As no obedience can be required of them as the condition of their eternal life, Phil. iii. S. Heb. xii. 28.

Qj How are they dead to the promise of it?

A. Their persons are not in the least justified, nor eternal life procured by their good works, 1 Cor. iv. 4.

Q. How are they delivered from the curse or threatening of it? A. As they cannot incur God’s wrath, ox be condemned to hell for their sin, Rom. viii. 1, 33.

Q. By what means are believers delivered frm the law as a covenant? A. By their union to Christ, who

fulfilled and magnified it in their name and stead.

Q^. Why is Chris; called the end of the law for rigfoetusness t A. Because he fulfilled and abolished the

types of the ceremonial law, and answered the demands of the moral with his perfect righteousness, Rom. x. 4.

Q. Wherein do the law as a covenant and as a rule differ in their sanction? A. The sanction of the law as a covenant, is eternal life or death; but the sanction of the law as a rule, is fatherly rewards or chastisements*

Q. What is believers obedience to the law as a rule rewarded with? A. With much freedom from

spiritual plagues, and sweet communion with God here, and additional degrees of glory in heaven, Isa. lxiv. 4, 5.

Q. Why call you these fatherly ox gracious rewards f

A. Because though they are given to obedient believers, yet they are not given for their obedience sake, but flow from God’s fatherly grace and love, Rom. v. 21.

£). If it is not for the sake of their good works that believers are rewarded, how is it that the more holy they are, the more happiness they receive?

A. Because the receiving of much purchased holiness prepares for receiving the more abundant purchased happiness, Dan. xii. 3.

Q. Is not holiness itself happiness?

A. It is the very height of happiness, Psalm xvii. 15.

Q. Are more diligent and holy believers less indebted to Chr-st for their happiness, than more slothful believers?

A. No; they are the deeper in the debt of God’s free grace, being first indebted for more grace, and then for more glory, Luke xxii. 28, 29, 30. 1 Cor. xv. 10.

Q^ Doth believers obedience always go before their privilege, according to the law as a rule? A. No first the privileges of regeneration, justification and adoption are bestowed *7 then follow duty and privilege by turns, till they perfectly unite into one in glory.

Q. What mean you by fatherly chastisements?

A. All these troubles which believers meet with in this world after their conversion on account of their sin,Heb.xii.

Q. What are the heaviest of believers chastisements?

A. The terrors of God, and hiding of his face, with the occasional prevalency of sin and Satan; which are terrible as hell to the saints, Psalm lxxxviii. Rom. vii.

Q. Why are these called chastisements, and not punishments? A. Because they tend not to the hurt, but to the advantage of the saints, Heb. xii. 6, 10, 11.

£). Would it not more effectually stir up believers to obedience, if it entitled them to elernal life, and their disobedience exposed them to eternal death? A. No -, that would disparage the righteousness of Christ, hinder our improvement of it us the great motive of obedience, and fill us with so much of the spirit of bondage, as to disqualify us for gospel obedience, 2 Cor. v. 14.

Q. How is the righteousness of Christ, as the alone condition of our eternal fife, the great motive to holy obedience? A. Therein we clearly see the constraining love of Christ; the holiness, goodness, and greatness of God; the purity, goodness, and binding force of his law 5 and the vileness of sin; and have assurance of strength for, and a gracious reward of, our obedience.

Q. How long doth the sanction of fatherly rewards and chastisements continue annexed to the lav, as a rule of life

A. Only in this world, 1 Cor. xiii. 10.

Q. Why hath the law as a rule of life no such sanction in heaven? A. Because there the saints are by grace

infallibly established in holiness, and there work and reward are become entirely the same, Rev. iii. 12.

O. How do the law as a covenant and as a rule differ in their design? A. The original design of the law as

a covenant was, that man might procure life by it ‘, but the design of it as a rule is, to teach men how to improve the spiritual life which they freely receive from Christ, and testify their thankfulness to God for it, Gal. iii.

Q. How do they differ in acceptance of obedience?

A. The law as a covenant accepts nothing less than perfect obedience; but the law as a rule, though it require perfect, admits of God’s accepting our sincere obedience for Christ’s sake, Rev. viii. 3, 4. 1 Cor. xv. 58.

Q. What mean you by sincere obedience? A. Our uprightly endeavouring to obey the whole law of God.

Q. Can any man since Adam’s fall attain life by his 0- bedience to the law? A. No As many as are of the

works of the law, are under the curse, Gal. iii. 10.

Q. Is the moral law then of any use to men?

A. It is of very great use to them, Psalm xix. 7, — 10.

Qv To whom is it of use? A. To all men in general, and to believers and unbelievers in particular.

A. To shew them their duty, and bind them to it ‘, to discover to them the holiness of God, their own sinfulness, and inability to keep the law, and their need of Christ and his righteousness, Micah vi. 8. Gal. iii. 11. 12, 21. Qj Of what use is the moral lsw to believers? A. To shew them what their sins deserve how much they are obliged to Christ for fulfilling the law in their steadj and how they should express their gratitude to him for his kindness to them, Titus ii. 12, 13, 14. and iii. 8.

Q. How then is it said, The law was not made for a righteous man? A. The meaning is, that it was not

made to terrify, curse, and condemn a righteous man.

awaken their conscience, and drive them to Christ, or bind them over to more dreadful wrath if they refuse him, Gal. iii. 24.

Q. How is the moral law made known to men?

A. Either by being written on their hearts, or by revelation in the word of God, Rom. ii. 15, 18.

Q. In what different ways is God’s law written on men’s hearts? A. Either by nature, or by grace.

Q. In what do the natural and gracious writings of the moral law on men’s hearts differ? A. Since the fall,

the frst merely imptesseth some knowledge of the law in our conscience, without influence from the word of God; the last consists in the Spirit’s powerful application of the word of God to our heart, thereby conveying to us the knowledge of the law, and an inclination and ability to keep it, Rom. ii. 14, 15. Jer. xxxi. 33.

Q. On whose hearts is God’s law written in a natural manner? A. On the hearts of all men, Rom. ii. 15.

Q. On whose hearts is it written in a gracious manner?

A. On the hearts of believers only, Jer. xxxi. 33.

Qj. What are the properties of the moral law of God?

A. It is spiritual and holy, just and good, perfect and exceeding broad, Rom. vii. 12, 14. Psalm xix. 7, — 10.

Q. How is God’s law spiritual? A. It reaches our heart, and requires obedience from spiritual motives, in a spiritual manner, and to spiritual ends, Luke i. 74, 75.

Q. How is the law holy? A. It is the transcript

of God’s holiness commanding every thing holy, and condemning all impurity, 1 Pet. i. 15, 16. Matth. v.

Q. How is God’s lw just? A. It binds to give

every one their due, and requires no more than God originally gave man ability to perform, Psalm cxix.

Q. How is God’s law good? A. The keeping of it tends greatly to his glory, and our advantage, Psalm xix. 11.

Q. How is God’s law perfect? A. It is a complete

standard or lit and wrong, requiring every duty in the highest degree, Matth. v. 48. Psalm cxix. 9.

Q. How is God’s law exceeding broad? A. It binds our whole man at all times, and in every situation 5 and requires many duties in every case and season.