Mat. vii. 1,2. * Them; *all Counterfeiting of Hands,and Seals, or Pfal. xv. 1.3. any Other Writings to His Prejudice: All TaleEph. iv. 25. bearing; * Rafh-speaking, and Cenfuring: All *Credulity,or being Ready to believe what is Evil of our Neighbour: All Encouragement that is Given to those who are apt to speak Evil of Other Men. Jam. i. 26. Pfal. xv. 1, 2. Eph. iv. 25. i Pet. iii. 1 Q. What is Required of Us by this Commandment? A. To be Religiously strict in speaking Truth of our Neighbour; Not Only to take care that what we fay be true, but that by our manner of delivering it, by our flourishing upon it, or Otherwife Circumftantiating of it, we do not give Mat. vii. 1,2. Occafion to any to Miftake Us. *To be charitable both in what We hear, and fay of Other Men. Luk. xxiii. * To Vindicate their Reputation as far as fairly Acts xxv. 8. we can; and to hold our Tongues, at least not to* Aggravate their Faults, where we cannot, 7. 41. Cor.xiii. 5, Rom. vii. 7. Col. iii. 5: QW Hat is the laft Commandment? A. Thou shalt not Covet thy Peighbours Houle; Thou shalt not Covet thy Neighbours Wife; Noz his Servant,noz his Maid,noz his Dr, no his Als, noz Any thing that is his. QWhat is the Sin forbidden in this Commandment? A. The Unlawful Defire of what is Another Man's. Q. When is fucha Defire Unlawful? A. When it puts Men on any deliberate Thoughts,and Contrivances, to obtain that which is Anothers; without the Confent, and Allowance of Him to whom it belongs. Q. What if a Man's Defire be fo bounded, as not to put him upon any undue Means to Obtain what is Another Man's? A. If it be fo bounded within the Ufe of Lawful Means, that He is determined not to make ufe of any other, tho' he should never obtain it, it is not Sinful. As if Abab had only defired 1 Kings xxi, Naboth's Vineyard for the Convenience of it; and as foon as he faw that Naboth would not part with it, had Refted in the Refufal, and Gone no farther; he would have done nothing Amifs. But if a Man's Defire be Violent, and Unreasonable, if it makes him Resolve to compafs what he Covets by any means; if fair means will not do, to have it by foul Ones; fuch a Defire as this, is Sinful, is Sinful, And therefore when Ahab grew difcontented at Naboth's Refufal; ib. ver. and after that the Malice and Cunning of Jezebel had deftroy'd him, went down, and took poffeffion of it; the Event fhew'd his Coveting to have been Criminal; and that his Defire was as Inordinate, as the Event was Tragical. Q. What think you of fuch a Defire, as tho' it be Violent and Immoderate, yet is presently Supprefs'd; and does not proceed to any Wicked Refolutions, Endeavours, or Actions, in Order to the Accomplishment of what it Covets? A. St. James feems to warrant us to think favourably of it: Jam. i. 14, 15. Yet it cannot be doubted but that all fuch Defires proceed from an Evil Principle within Us; and we ought to Watch all we can, even against the first Motions of them, and fupprefs them. Mat. v. 28. 29,30. Q. What is the Duty Required in this Commandment? 16. A. Contentment with our Eftate whatfoever it Ezek. xxxiii. be, fo as neither to Murmur against God, nor to Envy Phil.iv. 11. 1 Tim. vi.6. Envy our Neighbour, upon the account of any Heb. xiii. 5. thing which He poffeffes. There being nothing Rom. xiii. 13. more Certain, than that He who is not fatisfied The iv. 11, with what Himself Enjoys, will be apt, upon every Occafion, criminally to Covet what is Another Man's. I Cor.xiii. 4. 12. See the Pre SECT. XXXIII. QWE have now done with the feveral Branches of that Duty which God Requires of Us; and which our Godfathers, and Godmothers, promifed, at our Baptifm, that we should fulfil: Is there any thing yet Remaining neceffary to be known by Us in Order to our Salvation? A. Yes there is; namely, To understand what those Means are which God has Ordain'd for the conveying of his Grace to Us, and to enable us to fulfil that Duty which He has Required of Us. 2. By what means may we obtain the Grace of God, in order to this End? A. Chiefly by these two: Hearty Prayer to face to this God for it; and a Right Ufe of the Holy Sacra Prayer: Ch. Cat. Rom.x. 14. + Pfal. lxv. 2. ments. Q. What is Prayer? A. It is a Religious | Calling upon God, founded upon the Belief both of his Infinite Knowledge, Power, and Prefence; and of his Gracious GoodJo. xvi. 24. nefs,and Mercy towards Us in*Jefus Chrift: And by virtue whereof, He is not only always † Pre1 Kings viii. fent with Us, to Hear and Receive our Prayers, Mat. vi. 8. Thoroughly Acquainted with All our Needs; Lev. xxxii. and fully Able, to Supply them; but is alfo xciv. 9. 30, &c. 17.27. moft moft willing, and ready fo to do; if We call + Mat vii.7. upon Him as we ought to do. xxi 22. Luk xi.9. Q. Upon what is the Neceffity of our Praying Jovi.24. to God founded? Jam.i.6. xliv.20,21. 123. A. Besides that it is a part of that Religious Pfal.v.2. Worship which it behoves Us to Pay to Him; and being publickly Perform'd, is One of the High-Ifa.xlv.20. eft Ads of Outward Honour, that we are capable of Giving to him; it is neceffarily Establish'd upon thefe Two Principles; Firft, A due Senfe Jam i.s. of our Own Weakness, and Wants: And, SeSe-Mat.vii,7,8. condly, A firm Belief, that God is both Áble, and Willing, to Relieve Us. Q. What are the Wants, which we chiefly need to have Supply'd by God? A. There is Nothing wherein we do not ftand in need of his Support. Our Life, Act.xvii. 25, Health, Food, and Raiment; all that we have, 28. or hope to Enjoy, in our prefent Estate, proceeds from him; and We do, in all Thefe, intirely depend upon his Providence. But that for which we ought to be more especially concern'd, and have yet more need to beg the Divine Affiftance, is for the fupplying of our Spi- Luk-xi.9. ritual Wants; That God would Enable us to fulfil Jovi 24. our Duty towards Him; and thereby, That God would Qualify us for his Favour at the present, and for his Pardon,and Acceptance, when we Come to die. 2. Are we not able, of our Selves, to fulfil our Duty towards God, as we ought to do? Act xiii 48. A. So far from it, that we cannot have fo Deut.xxix.4. much as any Saving Knowledge of it, or Defire after it, without the Concurrence of his Grace, 1 Cor. iii 6. to Open our Understandings, to Purify our Affetions, to Regulate our Wills, aud to prepare us both Eph.ii.8. Phik.ii.13. Luk.xi.9. XXV.29. both to Believe, and Do, according to his Good Pleasure. Q. By what Means may we be Enabled to Live according to God's Commandments? A. By the Special Grace of the Holy Spirit, which he never denies to any Chriftian who Luk. viii.. heartily Prays for it, and duly Improves that Portion of it, which God has before bestow'd upon him. Mat.vii.7. -xxi. 22. Jo.xvi. 23, 24. Jam.iv.3: 1 Jo.iii. 22. Jam i.6. Luk.xviii.1. Q. Does God always Answer the Prayers that are made to Him? A. He does, if they are made after fuch a Manner as he Requires; and for Such Things as He fees to be Expedient for Us; unless he should have fome extraordinary Reason to Refufe Us: In which Cafe, though he may not Grant Us the very Things which we defire, yet He will recompenfe us the more abundantly in Some Other way. - Q. After what Manner ought we to Pray to God? A. With Faith; with Diligence; with Attention with Fervour; and with Perfeverance. Q. Are thefe Conditions fo ftrictly Required by God, that no Prayers are heard by Him which want any of Them? A. That may not Generally be affirm'd: There are great Inequalities in the Affections of the best Men in their Prayers; Nor can Any avoid all kind of Wandrings, and Difturbances, in them. Nay, fometimes the best Chriftians, may be the most distracted, with vain. Thoughts, and melancholy Fancies, in their Devotions. That which is certain is this, that Every Man ought to Pray as frequently as his Circumstances of Life will permit him; and when he does pray, ought to do it with the utmost |