SECT.

VIII.

The Law fulfill'd by CHRIST.

As to himself, that he paid the higheft Regard to it, appears from that folemn Declaration in his Difcourfe on the Mount. Think not that I am come to deftroy the Matt. v. Law and the Prophets: I am not come to 17. deftroy but to fulfill. For verily I fay unto you, till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wife pass from the Law, till all be fulfill' d. Whofoever therefore fball break one of these least commandments, and fhall teach men fo, he shall be call'd the leaft in the kingdom of Heaven: But whofoever shall do and teach them, the fame fhall be call'd great in the kingdom of heaven. For I fay unto you, that except your. righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharifees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

And, indeed, he amply made his Words good. For, every thing that was merely ceremonial, typical, and predictive of the Meffiah, either in the Law or the Prophets, he clearly fulfill'd by the corresponding Circumstances of his Birth, Life, Pas

fion, Death, and Refurrection. And every thing that concern'd Morality, the eternal Law of Nature and Reason in either, he not only fulfill'd, in doing all manner of Good to those that stood in need of it; but, as the original Word implies, improv❜d, and added new Force and Vigour to it; by requiring a more exact Obfervance of it than had before been thought neceffary.

Of this there are feveral Inftances immediately following the Paffage laft cited. Ye have heard (fays he) that it was faid by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment. But I fay unto you that whofoever is angry with his Brother, &c. fhall be in danger of the Judgment, &c. And therefore he prefcribes fpeedy Reconciliation and Forgiveness, to thofe, among whom any Misunderstanding has happen'd.

Again; Ye have heard that it was faid by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery. But I fay unto you, that whosoever looketh on a woman to luft after her,

πληρῶσαι.

bath

bath committed adultery with her already, in bis Heart.

And fo, he forbids all manner of idle Swearing, even tho' God's Name be not us'd in the cafe. He declares against Retaliation of Injuries, and requires us to return Good for Evil: and to love, not only fuch of our Neighbours, as never hurt us, but even those who are our Enemies and hate us; after the Example of our Father which is in Heaven.

And then, as to the judicial Part of the Law, well might he be faid to fulfill that, by bringing Life and Immortality to Light, thro' the Gospel; and, to enhance the Obligation arifing from earthly and temporal Rewards and Punishments, by adding to the one, the eternal Joys of Heaven, and to the other the everlasting Torments of Hell.

CHAP.

CHA P. II.

SECT. I. The Form of their Government. O far concerning the Law. Let us proceed to inquire next into the Nature and Form of their Government; both as it was establish'd by those Laws which God gave them, and such as he permitted it to be afterwards, when the Law came to be neglected by them.

Now, by inquiring into the Form and Kind of their Government, we mean nothing more than to know in what Hards the fovereign Power was lodg'd. And this, at the Beginning, we find to have been exercis'd by a certain Number of the principal or leading Men among them; afterward by their Kings: The first of which was what is call'd an Aristocracy, the Second a Monarchy. For, as to its having been a Theocracy, as fome affect to term it, (which Word implies that their Government and the executive Power of

it flow'd immediately from God) that Character, I conceive, would not be fufficient to ascertain its proper Form; being fuch, as may be occafionally applied to either a Monarchy, an Ariftocracy, or a Democracy, at fuch Times as they conform themselves, in any tolerable Degree, to the Rules of God's natural and revealed Law. By me kings reign, Prov. viii. and princes decree justice; by me princes rule, and nobles, even all the judges of the earth: fays the Voice of Wisdom.

SECT. II.

First, an ARISTOCRACY.

15.

16.

The Jewish Government therefore, as it was left settled by Mofes, and that by God's fpecial Direction, was an Aristocracy. The LORD faid unto Mofes, Gather Deut. xi. unto me feventy men of the elders of Ifrael, whom thou knowest to be the elders of the people, and officers over them; and bring them unto the tabernacle of the congregation, that they may ftand there with thee: and I will take of the Spirit which is upon thee, and will put it upon them; and they shall bear

the