salvation which are thus designated to be those comprehended in the Decalogue.

Both here, and in other places of the New Testament, where the ten commandments are referred to, those of the second table, and none of the first, are cited: which, some account for by supposing that the Jews were not so chargeable with offences against those as against the laws of the second table; some, again, by supposing that it was meant to enforce the great duties of charity to our neighbours as a principal part of religion, and the strongest evidence of our love to God; while others are of opinion, to whom I fully accede, that our Lord and his apostles quoted from the second table, without any other specific view than to point out the necessity of keeping those commandments which are contained in the Decalogue. It is worthy of observation that, in the above cited passage, our Saviour adds, "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself," which, as it is not a part of the ten commandments, must be understood, either as the sum of the precepts which he had cited, or as briefly expressing the substance of the tenth, "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his man-servant, nor his maid-servant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any

1 Rom. xiii. 8, 9.-James ii. 8—11.

thing that is thy neighbour's." The clause is omitted in the parallel passages of Mark x. 19. and Luke xviii. 20.; but Mark, after the words "do not bear false witness," adds instead of it the prohibition "defraud not," which must also be interpreted either as explanatory of the foregoing clause, or as substituted for the tenth commandment *. At all events, it is beyond contradiction that our Lord, by referring to the Decalogue as a rule of conduct, has given his infallible sanction to its laws.

Again, when a certain lawyer, tempting him, asked which was the great commandment in the law, our Saviour answered, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets'." None of the ten commandments are here verbally cited, but reference is certainly made to them, for, by giving the substance of the two tables, Christ undoubtedly intended to ratify the whole. In the question of the Pharisee,

k See the commentators, particularly Poli Synop., Wolfius, and Kuinöel. In citing the Decalogue, the Jews were not very solicitous of verbal accuracy. See Surenhusius, Biblos Katal. lib. ii. Thes. iv. et seq.; Kuinöel, Comm. in Mark x, 19.

Matt. xxii. 37-40.

Master, which is the great commandment?" the ten commandments are clearly alluded to, and, if our Saviour had meant to liberate his followers from their observance, he would doubtless have said, that the precepts of the law were now become of little moment in comparison of the new commandments which he was about to impose upon his disciples. But, so far from saying aught in disparagement of the Decalogue, he declares its sum and substance to be that upon which all the law and the prophets depend. That passages containing similar sentiments to those which our Lord delivers are to be found in the law makes no difference in the case m; for as the Decalogue is an epitome of the moral law, so are his two commandments an epitome of the Decalogue, and when he enforces these latter he vir tually enforces the former, which is only a little more extended summary of the same moral principles. The text in Deuteronomy, cited below, immediately follows the chapter in which Moses rehearsed the divine proclamation of the ten commandments, to the first table of which he most likely referred; and that from Leviticus concludes

m

"Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might." Deut. vi. 5. "Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." Levit. xix. 18.

a recapitulation of various laws relating to a man's neighbour, and explanatory of the second table: if, therefore, our Lord be supposed to have alleged these, he must at the same time have referred to the precepts of the Decalogue. Considering also that these precepts must have been uppermost in the mind of a Jew in asking the question, which is the great commandment? it can scarcely be doubted that our Saviour, who knew what was in man, alluded to them, and that his intention was, in his reply, to enforce the obligation of the ten commandments.

In his sermon on the mount he declares, in the most explicit terms, that it was not his design to abrogate any part of the moral law. "Think not, says he, that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven; but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven"." That our Saviour in these declarations made a reference to the Decalogue is clear from this, that he im

mediately proceeds to explain the sixth, seventh, and third commandments, evidently regarding them as parts of the moral law which he was inculcating. He removes the false glosses which the Jews had put upon them, and shews their spiritual nature and extent, which is a full proof that he imposes them as a rule of conduct upon his disciples. If it had been his object to rescind any part of them, he would, it may fairly be presumed, have expressly said so; whereas he declares that "one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law," and "that whosoever shall break one of these least commandments," that is, which are esteemed least by the Pharisees ", "shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven;" thereby confirming their entire and permanent obligation.

In another conference with the Scribes and Pharisees," he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death. But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever

• Verses 21, 27, 33.

P So many commentators explain it, but Dr. Campbell renders it "whosoever shall violate, were it the least of these commandments."