deemer: Spirituall Redeemer from the bondage of sin and Satan, whereof that temporall deliverance was a type. And although there be no expresse mention of a Hemming. Syntag. Decal. Mediatour in the Law, yet it is included in the word of promise, I am thy God. From Evangelicall promises, and the remembrance of them, and a late type, the Lord makes beginning, when he gave his Law. And it is further to be noted, that as these words, I am the Lord thy God, are prefixed to the first Commandment in the Law, so are they Levit. 19. 4,6,
11,12,16,30,
31,32,37.
Levit. 18.5.annexed to all others in sundry places of Scripture, as an argument to move to sincere obedience. Least the Jewes should feare (as it commeth to passe in doubtfull matters) they heare that the rule of life is prescribed unto them of the true and only God, who is theirs by Covenant. Least diffidence should make them slacke, God comes familiarly, and commends his gracious Covenant unto them. The reason from all this is plaine, that Covenant wherin the Lord promiseth, or proclaimeth himselfe to be the God of Israel, is the Covenant of grace, which God made with Israel. But in giving the Law upon Mount Sinai God promised, and proclaimed himself to be the God of Israel.
Thirdly, Christ our Saviour thus reciteth the first Commandment, Mark. 12.29
Deut. 6.4Heare O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord, therefore thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart. And Moses in the explication of the Decalogue condemneth incredulity, saying, Deut. 6.16.
Exod. 17.7Ye shall not tempt the Lord your God, as ye tempted him in Massah; for there they tempted God by incredulity. Where it is most apparent, that in this first Precept we are enjoyned to take God to be our God, to choose him to be our portion, to cleave unto him, to trust in him as our only Saviour. And it can hardly be questioned, whether that Covenant wherin we are bound to take God to be our Father, King and Saviour be the Covenant of grace or no? And by the same reason it is manifest, that the Law requireth faith as well as love and obedience, and doth build these upon it as a foundation. It prescribeth faith in the first place, and throughout, namely that we acknowledge God the Law-giver, to be the Lord our God, the only true God, and testifie that faith unto him, by an universall and uniforme obedience to that whole Law and every title thereof. The Law was given for this end, that it might instruct us in faith, which is the mother of a good conscience and of love. Christ and faith is the end and soule of theLaw,
