to conform themselves thereunto as the rule of their obedience." Q. 98. Wherein is the moral law summarily comprehended? A. The moral law is summarily comprehended in the ten commandments, which were delivered by the voice of God upon mount Sinai, and written by him on two tables of stone; and are recorded in the twentieth chapter of Exodus; the first four commandments containing our duty to God, and the other six our duty to man. d Q. 99. What rules are to be observed for the right understanding of the ten commandments? A. For the right understanding of the ten c Rom. vii. 22. For I delight in the law of God, after the inward man. Tit. ii. 11, 12, 13, 14. For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us, that, denying ungodliness, and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. Rom. xii. 2. d Deut. x. 4. And he wrote on the tables, according to the first writing, the ten commandments. Ex. xxxiv. 1, 2, 8, 4. • Matt. xxii. 37, 38, 39, 40. Jesus said unto him, 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. commandments, these rules are to be observed : 1. That the law is perfect, and bindeth every one to full conformity in the whole man unto the righteousness thereof, and unto entire obedience for ever; so as to require the utmost perfection of every duty, and to forbid the least degree of every sin. 2. That it is spiritual, and so reacheth the understanding, will, affections, and all other powers of the soul; as well as words, works, and gestures. 3. That one and the same thing, in divers respects, is required or forbidden in several commandments.h f Psa. xix. 7. The law of the Lord is perfect. James ii. 10. For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. Matt. v. 22, 28, 37, 44. Whosoever shall say, [to his brother] Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell-fire.-Whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her, hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.-But let your communication be Yea, yea; Nay nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.-But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and perse cute you. Rom. vii. 14. For we know that the law is spiritual. Deut. vi. 5. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. Matt. xxii. 37, 38, 39. Matt. xii. 36, 37. Col. iii. 5. Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleannesss, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 1 Tim. vi. 10. For the love of money is the root of all evil; which while some coveted after, they 4. That as, where a duty is commanded, the contrary sin is forbidden; and where a sin is forbidden, the contrary duty is commanded: So, where a promise is annexed, the contrary threatening is included; and where a threatening is annexed, the contrary promise is included.1 k themselves through have erred from the faith, and pierced with many sorrows. Ex. xx. 3, 4, 5. i Isa. lviii. 13. If thou turn away Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words. Matt. xv. 4, 5, 6. 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 thou mightest be profited by me; and honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition. Deut. vi. 13. Compared with Matt. iv. 9, 10. j Eph. iv. 28. Let him that stole steal no more; but rather let him labour, &c. Ex. xx. 12. Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. Compared with Prov. xxx. 17. The eye that mocketh at his father, and despiseth to obey his mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it. 1 Jer. xviii. 7, 8. At what instant I shall speak concorning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy it; if that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them. Ex. xx. 7. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh 5. That what God forbids, is at no time to be done; m what he commands is always our duty; and yet every particular duty is not to be done at all times." n 6. That, under one sin or duty, all of the same kind are forbidden or commanded; together with all the causes, means, occasions, and appearances thereof, and provocations thereunto.P 7. That what is forbidden or commanded to ourselves, we are bound, according to our places, to endeavour that it may be avoided or performed by others, according to the duty of their places. his name in vain. Compared with Psa. xv. 1, 4, 5, and, with Psa. xxiv. 4, 5. m Rom. iii. 8. And not rather, (as we be slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say) Let us do evil that good may come? whose damnation is just. Heb. xi. 25. ■ Deut. iv. 9. Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thine heart all the days of thy life; but teach them thy sons, and thy sons' sons. • Matt. xii. 7. But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless. Mark xiv. 7. p 1 Thess. v. 22. Abstain from all appearance of evil. Gal. v. 26. Let us not be desirous of vain-glory, provoking one another, envying one another. Heb. x. 24. Let us consider one another, to provoke unto love, and to good works. Col. iii. 21. 4 Ex. xx. 10. But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy man-servant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy, stranger that is 8. That in what is commanded to others, we are bound, according to our places and callings, to be helpful to them; and to take heed of partaking with others in what is forbidden them." Q. 100. What special things are we to consider in the ten commandments ? A. We are to consider in the ten commandments, the preface, the substance of the commandments themselves, and the several reasons annexed to some of them the more to enforce them. Q. 101. What is the preface to the ten commandments? A. The preface to the ten commandments is contained in these words, I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Wherein God manifesteth his sovereignty, as being Jehovah, the eternal, immutable, and almighty t within thy gates. Gen. xviii. 19. For I know him, that he will command his children, and his household after him; and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment. Deut vi. 6, 7. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thy heart: and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thy house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. Josh. xxiv. 15. r 2 Cor. i. 24. Not for that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy. 1 Tim. v. 22. Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partakers of other men's sins: keep thyself pure. Eph. v. 11. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. Ex. xx. 2. |