98. Queft, Where is the Moral Law fummarily com prehended?

Anfw. The Moral Law is fummarily comprehended in the Ten Commandments, which were delivered by the Voice of God upon Mount Sinai, and written by him in Two Tables of Stone ; and are recorded in the Twentieth Chapter of Exodus. The Four First Commandments containing our Duty to God, and the other Six our Duty to Man ".

99. Quelt. What Rules are to be obferved for the right understanding of the Ten Commandments ?

Anfw. For the right Understanding of the Ten Commandments, thefe 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; fo as to require the utmost Perfe

this prefent world; v.13. Looking for that bleffed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God, and our Saviour Jefus Chrift: v. 14. Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works.

98. Deut. 10. 4. And he wrote on the tables, according to the first writing, the ten commandments, which theLord fpake unto you in the mount, out of the midst of the fire,in the day of the affembly: and the Lord gave them unto me. Exod. 34. 1. And the Lord faid unto Mofes, Hew thee two tables of ftone like unto the first : and I will write upon thefe tables the words that were in the first tables which thou brakest. v. 2. And be ready in the morning, and

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come up in the morning unto mount Sinai, and prefent thy felf there to me, in the top of the mount. v. 3. And no man thall come up with thee, &c. v. 4. And he hewed two tables of ftone, like unto the firft; andMofes rose up early in the morning, and went up unto mount Sinai, as the Lord had commanded him, and took in his hand the two tables of stone.

n Mat. 22. 37. Jefus faid unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God, with all thy heart, and with all thy foul, and with all thy mind. v. 38. This is the firft and great commandment. v. 39. And the fecond is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy felf. v. 40. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. R

+99. Pfalm

Aion of every Duty, and to forbid the least Degree of every Sin.

2. That it is spiritual, and fo reacheth the Understanding, Will, Affections, and all other Powers of the Soul; as well as Words, Works, and Ge ftures P.

3. That one and the fame Thing, in diverfe Refpects, is required or forbidden in feveral Com

mandments-9

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4. That Pfalm 19. 7. The law of thefe, cometh of evil. v. 37. Ye the Lord is perfect, converting the have heard, that it hath been said, foul: the teftimony of the Lord is An eye for an eye, and a tooth for fure, making wise the fimple. James a tooth. v. 39. But I say unto you, 2. 10. For whofoever fhall keep the that ye refift not evil.--- v. 43. Ye whole law, and yet offend in one have heard that it hath been faid, point, he is guilty of all. Mat. 5. 21. Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and to the end. v. 21. Ye have heard hate thine enemy. v. 44. But I fay that it was faid by them of old time, unto you, Love your enemies, blefs Thou shalt not kill, and whofoever them that curfe you, do good to fhall kill, fhall be in danger of the them that hate you, and pray for judgment. v. 22. But I fay unto them which defpitefully use you, you, That whofoever is angry with and perfecute you; &

his brother without a caufe, fhall - P Rom 7. 145 For we know that be in danger of the judgment: and the law is fpirituale but I am carwhosoever fhall fay to his brother, nal,fold underfin. Deut. 6. §. Thou Raca,fhall be in danger of the coun- fhalt love the Lord thy God with cel: but whofoever shall fay, Thou all thine heart, and with all thy fool, shall be in danger of hellfire.- foul, and with all thy might. Com.. 27. Ye have heard that it was pared with Mats 22.037. Jefus faid faid by them of old time, Thou unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord fhalt: not commit adultery. v. 28, thy God with all thy heart, and But I fay unto you, That whofoever with all thy foul, and with all thy dooketh on a woman to luft after mind 138. This is the first and her, hath committed adultery with great commandment.© v. 39. And her already in his heart. 3. the second is like unto it," Thou Again, ye have heard that it hath halt love thy neighbour as thy felf. been faid by them of old time, Thou & 9 Colseng. Mortify therefore your fhalt not forfwear thy felf, but fhalt -members which are upon the earth; perform unto the Lord thine oaths. fornication uncleannefs,inordinate 34. But 1 fay unto you, Swear not affectiony evil concupifcence, and at all; neither by heaven, for it is covetoufnefs, which is idolatry. Gods throne: 37. But let your Amos 81 Saying, When will the communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, new moon be gone, that we may may: "for whatsoever is more than

fell

4. That as where a Duty is commanded, the contrary Sin is forbidden and where a Sin is for bidden, the contráty. Duty is commanded So where a Promise is annexed, the contrary Threatning is included; and where a Threatning is an nexed, the contrary Promife is included

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3. That

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fell corn and the fabbath, that fited by me, v. 6. And honour not we may fet forth wheat, making his father or his mother, he shall be the ephah fmall, and the thekel free. Thus have ye made the comgreat, and falfifying the balances mandment of God of none effect by deceit Prov. 1. 19. So are the by your tradition. ways of every one that is greedy of gain: which taketh away the life of the owners thereof, 1 Tim. 6. 10, For the love of money is the root of all evil; which while fome coveted after,they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many forrows.

"Mat. 5.21,22. [See letter®. ] v.23, Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there remembreft that thy brother hath ought against thee; v. 24. Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way, firft be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. Eph.4. 28. Let him that ftole, fteal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.

Exod. 20.12. Honour thy father and thy mother; that thy days may nothe be long upon fand which the Lord thy God giveth thee. Compared with Prov. 30. 17. The eye that mocketh at his father, and despiseth to obey his mother, the ravens of the valley fhall pick it out, and the young eagles fhall eat it.

Ifa, 58. 13. If thou turn away thy foot from the fabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day, and call the fabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable, and fhalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleafure, nor fpeaking thine own words. Deut. 6.13. Thoufhalt fear the Lord thy God, and ferve him, and shalt swear by his name. Compared with Mat, 4.9. And faith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. v. 1o. Then faith Je- Jer. 18. 7. At what inftant I fus unto him, Get thee hence, Sa- fhall fpeak concerning a nation, tan for it is written, Thou shalt and concerning a kingdom to pluck worship the Lord thy God, and him up and to pull down, and to deonly halt thou ferve. Mat. 15.4. ftroy it. v. 8. If that nation against For God commanded, faying, Ho- whom I have pronounced, turn from nour thy father and mother: and, their evil, I will repent of the evil He that curfeth father or mother, that I thought to do into them. let him die the death. v. s. But Exod. 20. 7. Thou shalt not take the ye fay, Whofoever fhall fay to his name of the Lord thy God in vain :. father or his mother, It is a gift by for the Lord will not hold him guiltwhatsoever thou mighteft be pro

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5. That what God forbids, is at no time to be done; what he commands, is always our Duty *; and yet every particular, Duty is not to be done at at all times ..

6. That under One Sin or Duty, all of the fame Kind are forbidden or commanded; together with all the Caufes, Means, Occafions, and Appearances thereof, and Provocations thereunto.

lefs that taketh his name in vain. Compared with Pfal. 15. 1. Lord, who fhall abide in thy tabernacle? who fhall dwell in thy holy hill v. 4. In whose eyes a vile perfon is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear the Lord: he that fweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not. v. s. He that putteth not out his money to ufury, nor taketh reward against the innocent. He that doth these things fhall never be moved. And with Pfalm 24. 4. He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lift up his foul unto vanity, nor fworn deceitfully. v.5. He fhall receive the bleffing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his falvation.

Job 13.7. Will ye fpeak wickedly for God? and talk deceitfully for him? v.8. Will ye accept his perfon? will ye contend for God: Rom, 3.8. And not rather, as we be flanderously reported, and as some affirm that we fay, Let us do evil, that good may come? whofe damnation is juft. Job 36. 21. Take heed, regard not iniquity: for this haft thou chofen rather than afflition. Heb. 11. 25. Choofing rather to fuffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of fin for a feafon.

*Deut. 4. 8. And what nationis here fo great, that hath ftatutes and

7. That

judgments f righteous, as all this law which I fet before you this day? v. 9. Only take heed to thy felf, and keep thy foul diligently, left thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and left they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy fons, and thy fons fons.

y Mat. 12. 7. But if ye had known what this meaneth, Iwill have mercy and not facrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.

Mat. S. 21, 22, 27, 28. [See in letter before.] Mat. 15. 4. For God commanded, faying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curfeth father or mother, let him die the death. v. s. But ye fay, Whofoever shall fay to his father or his mother, It is a gift by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me, v. 6. And honour not his father or his mother, he fhall be free. Thus have ye made thé commandment of God of none effect by your tradition. Heb. 10. 24. And let us confider one another to provoke unto love, and to good works. v.25. Not forfaking the affembling of our felves together, as the manner of fome is; but exhorting one another: and fo much the more, as ye fee the day approaching. 1 Thef. s. 22. Abftain from all appearance of evil.

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7. That what is forbidden or commanded to our felves, we are bound according to our Places, ro endeavour that it may be avoided or performed by. others, according to the Duty of their Places i 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 forbibden them.

100. Quelt, What Special Things are we to confider in the Ten Commandments?

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Anfw. We are to confider in the Ten Commandments, the Preface, the Subftance of the Commandments themselves, and feveral Reafons annexed to fome of them the more to inforce them."

Jude 23. And others fave with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment fpotted by the Alefh. Gal. s. 26. Let us not be defirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another. Col. 3. 21. Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, left they be difcouraged.

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Exod. 20.10.But the feventh day is the fabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy fon, nor thy daughter, thy man-fervant, nor thy maid-fervant,northy cattle, nor thy ftranger that is within thy gates. Lev. 19. 17. Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou fhalt in any wife rebuke thy neighbour, and not fuffer fin upon him. Gen. 18. 19. For I know him, that he will command his children and his houfhold after him, and they fhall keep the way of the Lord, to do juftice and judgment; that the Lord may bring upon Abraham, that which he hath Spoken of him. Josh. 24.15. And if it feem evil unto you to ferve the

for. Queft

Lord, choofe you this day whom ye will ferve, whether the gods which your fathers ferved, that were on the other fide of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whofe land ye dwell: but as for me and my houfe, we will ferve the Lord. Deut. 6. 6. And these words which I command thee this day, fhall be in thine heart v. 7. And thou fhalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and fhalt talk of them when thou fitteft in thine house, and when thou walkeft by the way, and when thou lieft down, and when thou rifeft up.

b 2 Cor. 1.24.Not for that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy: for by faith ye ftand.

1 Tim. 5. 22. Lay hands fuddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other mens fins: keep thy felf pure. Eph. 5. 11. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. 101. Exod.

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