LAW UNSEALE D, OR, A PRACTICAL EXPOSITION QF THE Ten Commandments. WITH A Refolution of Several Momentous By the Learned, Laborious, and Faithful Servant of JESUS -Thy Commandment is exceeding broad, Pfal. cxix. 96. To which are prefixed the Commendatory Epiftles of two SEVENTH EDITION. GLASGOW: Printed by JOHN BRYCE, and Sold at his Shop, MDCCLXXVII. To the Right Honourable, truly Noble, and renownedly Religious LADY, My Lady Marquifs of AR GYLE. NOBLEST MADAM, AD it fo feemed good to the Sovereign, holy, and H infinitely wife God, he might at the first moment of his peoples converfion, have quite expelled all, even in the very leaft remainders of indwelling corruption, and perfectly conformed them to his own image in holiness; but he hath in the depth of his infearchable wifdom, other wife difpofed for ends beft known to himfelf: concerning which (whatever may be, even here, our ftrongly-probable, and, in a good meafure, quieting conjectures as to fome of them) it will be our wifdom to make a reference for full fatisfaction to the day of that great folemn and celebrious general affembly of the firft-born, wherein all fuch references fhall be called and fatisfyingly difcuffed: And feeing he hath thought it fit that fome relicts of fin (but exauctorated of its reign and dominion) fhould indwell; and that thereby the fpiritual conftitution of fojourning faints fhould be a mixture of grace and corruption (each of thefe, notwithstanding, retaining ftill its own natural irreconcileable antipathy with the other, and lufting against the other; fo that in all their actings, both gracious and finful, they are ftill divided; and neither one, as they were before regenerating grace, nor as they fhall be in glory its highly congruous and fuitable to the fame infinite wildom, that there fhould be a proportionable and correfpondent mixture in the difpenfations of his providence towards them while on this fide heaven, fome more fmiling, and fome more crofs: the flesh and unregenerate part requiring croffes to whip it up, and drive it forewards and the Spirit and regenerate part calling for them alfo, to keep it awake and on its guard, against the furprizing prejudice and hurt it may fuftain from the reftlefs ill neighbour, and troublesome companion, a body of death that cleaverh close to them, as a girdle doth to the loins of a a man, by reafon of which they have not many hours, let be days, to dwell to an end: When their conftitution cometh to be purely grace, perfectly defecat and refined from all the dreggy and droffy mixture of indwelling corruption, then will their lot be pure folace and joy, even perfection and perpetuity of joy, without any the leaft mixture of forrow or trouble of whatever fort; but till then (and bleffed eternally be God, it is not long to that, even but a moment) trouble and forrow, lefs or more, will wait on them who through much tribulation must enter into the kingdom of God: Yet on a juft reckoning there will be found no real nor well grounded reafon of diffatisfaction with this wife difpofal of divine providence, fince he never afflicteth, nor are they in heavinefs through one or more, or even manifold temptations; but when there is need, and fuch need that a few ferious reflections will conftrain the patient to acknowledge it, and to fay, This fame particular crofs fo and fo circumftantiated, could not well have been wanted without a greater prejudice; nay, confidering the infeparable connection that God in his eternal and unalterable decree, hath eftablifhed betwixt the end and all the means that lead to it; when ever fuch and fuch a cross is actually met with, there is ground to think that it is as neceffary as the falvation of the Chriftian is; that cross being appointed as one mean with others, to bring about the purposed end, to wit, the falvation of fuch a perfon; which one confideration (That they are appointed thereunto; as the apoftle writing to the Theffalonians, afferteth) well pondered, would contribute not a little to reconcile the most fadly croffed and afflicted children of God, a great deal more to their respective croffes; and would make them to be taken up and born more patiently, pleasantly, and chearfully; and would with. all, make them to look out on them with a lefs formidable and more amiable afpect than ordinarily they do. And fince, in the second place, all their afflictions are afflictions only of this prefent time, for a season, and but for a moment, not protracted according to defert one minute beyond death, let be eternities length; fince moreover the heaviest loads, and greatest measures of them are but light and moderate afflictions, and his feverest correctings of them are in meature with judgment and difcretion; He ayeth his rough wind in the day of bis eaft wind, and doth in great wifdam fuite and proportion the trials of his people to their ftrength and standing; in his faithfulness, not fuffering them to be tempted above what what they are able, but with the temptation making a way to efcape that they may be able to bear it: Its not his manner to put new wine into old bottles, nor to few a piece of new cloath unto an old garment. He that teacheth the husbandman difcretion, about the fit time and feafon of plowing, fowing, harrowing, and reaping of every kind of feed and grain, according to its nature; and how to thresh out these feveral forts of feed and grain by fit means and instruments, can, being wonderful in counfel and excellent in working, with infinitely more wifdom, fkill, judgment, difcretion, and tenderness, pitch the fitteft feafons, kinds, measures, and durations of his peoples afflictions, according to their several ne ceffities, difpofitions, ftandings, capacities, and abilities. And fince withal, our Sovereign Lord the King, the King of faints, out of the abfolutenefs of his dominion, and the fuper-aboundance of his richeft grace hath impofed upon every erofs that his people meet with, not expecting (to say so) veffels of the greateft burden of affliction that fail up and down the Sundt, as it were, of the troublesome sea of this world, the toll and cuftom of fome fpiritual good to be paid to them; allowing, warranting, and commanding them by his commiffion granted to them under his great feal for that effect, to demand, require, and exact it from every occurring crofs and affliction: And if there fhall be any demur or delay, let be feeming denial to pay this cuftom, to wait and fearch for it, and with a piece of holy peremptoriness, to perfift in the exacting of it, as being moft certainly without a poffibility of mifgiving, to be got there; for which the coinmiffion (more and more endeavoured to be really believed and made use of according to the granter's mind) fhould be produced; wherein he hath given the higheft fecurity that all things (having a fpecial look at all their afflictions, as the context, in the con. feffion of moft, if not all judicious commentators putteth beyond debate) shall work together for good to them that love God, and are the called according to his purpose: where he hath, to fpeak fo with reverence to his Majefty, condefcended fome way, to abridge his own fovereignty and abfolute dominion, engageing himself by covenant, that though he may do what he will, yet he fhall will to do nothing, but what shall be for his peoples good; fo that in all his difpenfations towards them, his abfolute dominion and his good will fhall be commenfurable, and of equal extent, the one of them never to be ftretched one hairs breadth beyond the other; and even in the most dark, involved, intricate, obftrufe, and myfte rious providences where in they can read and take up lealt of his mind; and wherein he (feeming to walk either in the greateft abfolutenefs of his dominion, or in the fharpeft fe verity of his juftice) refufeth to give a particular account of |