nalty, and bound to yield obedience to its commands. The covenant
being made with Adam, not only for himself, but also for all his
posterity, when he violated it, he left them all under it as a
broken covenant. Most miserable, therefore is the condition of all
men by nature; for "as many as are of the works of the law are under
the curse." Galatians 3:10. Truly infatuated are they who seek for
righteousness by the works of the law; for "by the deeds of the law
shall no flesh be justified in the sight of God." Romans 3:20.

SECTION 2. This law, after his fall, continued to be a perfect rule
of righteousness; and, as such, was delivered by God upon Mount
Sinai in ten commandments, and written in two tables; the first four
commandments containing our duty towards God, and the other six our
duty to man.

Exposition of 19.2

Upon the fall of man, the law, considered as a covenant of works,
was annulled and set aside; but, considered as moral, it continued
to be a perfect rule of righteousness. That fair copy of the law
which had been inscribed on the heart of the first man in his
creation, was, by the fall, greatly defaced, although not totally
obliterated. Some faint impressions of it still remain on the minds
of all reasonable creatures. Its general principles, such as, that
God is to be worshiped, that parents ought to be honored, that we
should do to others what we would reasonably wish that they should
do to us—such general principles as these are still, in some degree,
engraved on the minds of all men.—Romans 2:14, 15. But the original
edition of the law being greatly obliterated, God was graciously
pleased to give a new and complete copy of it. He delivered it to
the Israelites from Mount Sinai, with awful solemnity. In this
promulgation of the law, he summed it up in ten commandments; and,
therefore, it is commonly styled the Law of the Ten Commandments.
These commandments were written by the finger of God himself on two
tables of stone.—Exodus. 32:15, 16; 34:1. The first four
commandments contain our duty to God, and the other six our duty to
man; and they are summed up by our Savior in the two great
commandments, of loving God with all our hearts, and our neighbor as
ourselves.—Matthew 22:37–40. The Church of Rome assigns only three
precepts to the first table, and seven to the second. They join
together the first and second commandments, and that for an obvious
reason. Standing separately, the second forbids the use of images in
the worship of God, and plainly condemns the practice of that
Church; but viewed as an appendage to the first precept, it only
forbids, as they pretend, the worship of the images of false gods;
and, consequently, leaves them at liberty to worship the images
which they have consecrated to the honor of the true God and his
saints. Having thus turned two precepts into one, in order to make
up the number of ten, they split the last precept of the decalogue
into two, making "You shall not covet your neighbor's house," one,
and the words which follow, another. This division cannot be
vindicated. The two first precepts obviously relate to distinct
things. The first points out the object of worship, namely, the
living and true God, and no other. The second prescribes the means
of worship—not by images or any other plan of human invention, but
by the ordinances which are divinely appointed. The tenth precept is
as clearly one and indivisible. The whole of it relates to one
subject—covetousness, or unlawful desire; and if it ought to be
divided into two, because the words "You shall not covet" are twice
repeated, it would follow that it should be divided into as many
commands as there are different classes of objects specified; for
the words "You shall not covet" must be understood as prefixed to
each of these objects. The Apostle Paul plainly speaks of it as one
precept, when he says: "I had not known lust, except the law had
said, You shall not covet." Romans 7:7.

It may be remarked, that the law of the ten commandments was
promulgated to Israel from Sinai in the form of a covenant of works.
Not that it was the design of God to renew a covenant of works with
Israel, or to put them upon seeking life by their own obedience to
the law; but the law was published to them as a covenant of works,
to show them that without a perfect righteousness, answering to all
the demands of the law, they could not be justified before God; and
that, finding themselves wholly destitute of that righteousness,
they might be excited to take hold of the covenant of grace, in
which a perfect righteousness for their justification is graciously
provided. The Sinai transaction was a mixed dispensation. In it the
covenant of grace was published, as appears from these words in the
preface standing before the commandments: "I am the Lord your God,
which have brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of
bondage;" and from the promulgation of the ceremonial law at the
same time. But the moral law, as a covenant of works, was also
displayed, to convince the Israelites of their sinfulness and
misery, to teach them the necessity of an atonement, and lead them
to embrace by faith the blessed Mediator, the Seed promised to
Abraham, in whom all the families of the earth were to be blessed.
The law, therefore, was published at Sinai as a covenant of works,
in subservience to the covenant of grace. And the law is still
published in subservience to the gospel, as "a schoolmaster to bring
sinners to Christ, that they may be justified by faith." Galatians
3:24.

SECTION 3. Besides this law, commonly called moral, God was pleased
to give to the people of Israel, as a Church under age, ceremonial
laws, containing several typical ordinances; partly of worship,
prefiguring Christ, his graces, actions, sufferings, and benefits;
and partly holding forth divers instructions of moral duties. All
which ceremonial laws are now abrogated under the New Testament.

SECTION 4. To them also, as a body politic, he gave sundry judicial
laws, which expired together with the state of that people, not
obliging any other now, further than the general equity thereof may
require.

SECTION 5. The moral law does forever bind all, as well justified
persons as others, to the obedience thereof; 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. Neither does Christ in
the Gospel any way dissolve, but much strengthen this obligation.

Exposition of 19.3–19.5

Besides the moral law, God gave to Israel ceremonial and judicial
laws; the two latter are of limited and temporary use; the former is
of universal and perpetual obligation.

1. The ceremonial law respected the Jews in their ecclesiastical
capacity, or as a Church, and prescribed the rites and carnal
ordinances which were to be observed by them in the external worship
of God. These ceremonies were chiefly designed to prefigure Christ,
and lead them to the knowledge of the way of salvation through
him.—Hebrews 10:1. This law is abrogated under the New Testament
dispensation. This appears—1. From the nature of the law itself. It
was given to the Jews to separate them from the idolatrous rites of
other nations, and to preserve their religion uncorrupted. But when
the gospel was preached to all nations, and Jews and Gentiles were
gathered into one body, under Christ, their Head, the wall of
separation was taken down.—Ephesians 2:14, 15. 2. Because these
ceremonies were only figures of good things to come, imposed upon
the Jews until the time of reformation, and were abrogated by
Christ, in whom they were realized and substantiated.—Hebrews
9:9–12. 3. Because these ceremonies were given to the Israelites to
typify and represent Christ and his death; and, since Christ has
come, and has, by his death and satisfaction, accomplished all that
they prefigured, these types must be abolished.—Colossians 2:17. 4.
Because many of these rites were restricted to the temple of
Jerusalem, and the temple being now destroyed, these rites must
cease along with it. 5. Because the apostles expressly taught, that
the ceremonial law is abrogated under the Christian
dispensation.—Acts 15:24. One chief design of the Epistle to the
Hebrews is, to prove that this law must necessarily be
annulled.—Hebrews 7:12.

2. The judicial law respected the Jews in their political capacity,
or as a nation, and consisted of those institutions which God
prescribed to them for their civil government. This law, as far as
the Jewish polity was peculiar, has also been entirely abolished;
but as far as it contains any statute founded in the law of nature
common to all nations, it is still obligatory.

3. The moral law is so called because it relates to moral actions,
and to distinguish it from the positive laws, which were only of
temporary obligation. This law has no relation to times and places,
or to one nation more than another; but being founded in the
relations of men to their Creator, and to one another, it retains
its authority under all dispensations. In opposition to the
Antinomians, who say that believers are released from the obligation
of the moral law, our Confession teaches that this law is
perpetually binding on justified persons, as well as others.
Believers are, indeed, delivered from this law in its covenant form;
but they are still under it as a rule of life, in the hand of the
Mediator, being "not without law to God, but under the law to
Christ." 1 Corinthians 9:21. Christ, in the most solemn and explicit
manner, declared, that he "came not to destroy the law, but to
fulfill it." Matthew 5:17. He fulfilled it, as a covenant, by his
own perfect obedience, and his most grievous sufferings in the room
of his people; and its heavenly precepts he has enforced upon their
minds, by the most cogent motives, as a perfect rule of duty. The
gospel, instead of weakening the obligation of the law, confirms and
strengthens its authority, and enforces obedience to its precepts by
the strongest motives: "Do we make void the law through faith? God
forbid; nay, we establish the law." Romans 3:31. Although the moral
law is to believers divested of its covenant form, it remains
immutably the same, in regard both to its matter and its authority.
And as the law was binding on the first man as a rule of life,
antecedent to any covenant-transaction between God and him, we may
easily understand that the law may be entirely divested of its
covenant form, while it continues in full force as a rule of moral
conduct.

SECTION 6. Although true believers be not under the law as a
covenant of works, to be thereby justified or condemned, yet is it
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 nature, hearts, and lives; so as, examining
themselves thereby, they may come to further conviction of,
humiliation for, and hatred against 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 threatenings 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
thereof threatened in the law. The promises of it, in like manner,
show them God's approbation of obedience, and what blessings they
may expect upon the performance thereof, although not as due to them
by the law as a covenant of works: so as a man's doing good, and
refraining from evil, because the law encourages to the one, and
deters from the other, is no evidence of his being under the law,
and not under grace.

SECTION 7. Neither are the aforementioned uses of the law contrary
to the grace of the gospel, but do sweetly comply with it; 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
requires to be done.

Exposition of 19.6–19.7

It is here affirmed, that true believers are completely delivered
from the law, as a covenant of works. Christ, as their
representative and surety, endured the curse of the law in all its
bitterness, and in its utmost extent, in his sufferings unto death,
and thus set them completely free from its condemning
power.—Galatians 3:13; Romans 8:1. But had Christ only endured the
curse of the law, and still left his people under its commanding
power as a covenant, this would only have restored them to the same
uncertain state of probation in which Adam originally stood, and
every transgression would have again involved them under the curse.
Christ, however, not only sustained the full infliction of the
penalty of the law, he also yielded perfect obedience to its
precepts, and thus obtained for his people deliverance from its
commanding, as well as its condemning power. To show the complete
nature of this freedom, we are told that they are dead to the law
through the body of Christ; that Christ is the end of the law for
righteousness to every one that believes; and that they are not
under the law, but under grace.—Romans 7:4; 10:4; 6:14.

The doctrine of the believer's freedom from the law, as a covenant,
has no tendency to licentiousness; for it has already been
established, that they are under the obligation of the law as a rule
of life; and here it is further shown that the law is of manifold
use to them, as well as to others: "The law is good," says the
Apostle Paul, "if a man use it lawfully" (1 Timothy 1:8); that is,
if he use it in a suitableness to the state wherein he is, either as
a believer or an unbeliever. The law serves numerous and important
purposes, both to the unregenerate and to the regenerate. Some of
these uses may be briefly stated—

First. To the unregenerate the moral law is of use in the following
respects—

1. To restrain them from much sin.—1 Timothy 1:9.

2. To convince them of their sinfulness and misery.—Romans 3:20;
7:9.

3. To discover to them their absolute need of Christ, and drive them
to him as their all-sufficient Savior.—Galatians 3:24.

4. To render them inexcusable, if they continue in their sins, and
finally reject the only Savior of lost sinners.—Romans 1:20; 2:15;
John 3:18, 36.

Second. The moral law is of use to the regenerate in the following
respects—

1. To render Christ more precious to them, and excite their
gratitude to him who so loved them as to obey its precepts and
suffer its penalty, that he might deliver them from it as a
covenant.—Galatians 3:13; 4:4, 5.

2. To show them the will of God, and regulate their conduct.—Micah
6:8.

3. To serve as a standard of self-examination, in order to discover
the pollutions of their hearts and lives—to keep them self-abased—to
lead them to a constant dependence upon Christ, and to excite them
to a progressive advancement in holiness.—Philippians 3:10–14.

4. To serve as a test of their sincerity, that they may assure their
hearts