Question 41.Where is the moral law summarily comprehended?
Ans. The moral law is summarily comprehended in the ten commandments.
Q. 41.1. What is it for the moral law to be summarily comprehended in the ten commandments?
A. The moral law is summarily comprehended in the ten commandments, in that the sum and chief heads of the law are therein contained.
Q. 41.2. Is there, then, any thing included, as commanded or forbidden in the moral law, but what is expressed in the ten commandments?
A. The moral law being spiritual and very large, doth reach both the whole inward man, and all the outward conversation, and therefore the ten general heads in the commandments do include many particular members and branches. 1. Whatever sin is forbidden in any one precept, the contrary duty is commanded, and all sins of the same kind also are forbidden; and not only the outward act, together with the words and gestures tending thereunto, but also all the inward affections to sin, together with all causes, means, occasions, appearances, and whatever may be a provocation unto it, either in ourselves or
others. "Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: but I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the counsel: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: but I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her, hath committed adultery with her already in his heart."Matt 5:21-22,27-28. 2. Whatever duty is commanded, the contrary is forbidden; and all duties of the same kind are included, together with all suitable affections thereunto, as also the using all means appointed for help, quickening, and furtherance therein, and our endeavours in our places to help and further others in their obedience.
Question 42.What is the sum of the ten commandments?
Ans. The sum of the ten commandments is, To love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our strength, and with all our mind, and our neighbour as ourselves.
Q. 42.1. In how many tables were the ten commandments at first written?
A. The ten commandments were at first written by God himself in the mount, and given unto Moses in two tables of stone. "At that time the Lord said unto me, Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first, and come up unto me into the mount. And I will write on the tables the words which were in the first tables, which thou brakest. And he wrote on the tables, according to the first writing, the ten commandments."Deut 10:1-2,4.
Q. 42.2. What is the comprehensive duty of the ten commandments written in these tables?
A. The comprehensive duty of the ten commandments, is love.
Q. 42.3. What is the sum of the first table of the law?
A. The sum of the first table of the law, which hath a more immediate reference unto God, is to love the Lord our God with all our heart, and with all our soul, and with all our strength, and with all our mind. "And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength. This is the first commandment."Mark 12:30.
Q. 42.4. What is it to love the Lord with all the heart, and with all the soul, and with all the mind, and with all the strength?
A. To love the Lord with all the heart, and with all the soul, and with all the mind, and with all the strength, doth imply the supremacy, ardency, and activity of our love, whereby we choose the Lord, cleave to him, and delight in him as our chief good, and employ all the faculties and powers of soul and body in obedience, out of love.
Q. 42.5. What is the sum of the second table of the law?
A. The sum of the second table of the law, which hath a reference unto men, is to love our neighbour as ourselves. "The second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself."Mark 12:31.
Q. 42.6. Who is our neighbour?
A. Every man is our neighbour; and therefore we are bound to bear a general affection unto all.
Q. 42.7. What is it to love our neighbour as ourselves?
A. To love our neighbour as ourselves, is to love our neighbour with the same truth and constancy of love as we do ourselves.
Question 43.What is the preface to the ten commandments?
Ans. The preface to the ten commandments is 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."
Question 44.What doth the preface to the ten commandments teach us?
Ans. The preface to the ten commandments teacheth us, that because God is the Lord, and our God and Redeemer, therefore we are bound to keep all his commandments.
Q. 43&44.1. How many reasons or arguments are there in the preface, to oblige and persuade us to keep all God's commandments?
A. There are in the preface three reasons or arguments to oblige and persuade us to keep all God's commandments. 1. Because God is the Lord: "I am the Lord." 2. Because God is our God: "I am the Lord thy God." 3. Because God is our Redeemer: "Which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage."
Q. 43&44.2. How can God be said to bring his people out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage now?
A. As God brought his people of old out of the earthly Egypt, and the bondage of men; so he doth now bring his people out of the spiritual Egypt, and the bondage they are in unto the devil and their own lusts.
Q. 43&44.3. How are we bound and obliged to keep God's commandments as he is the Lord?
A. We are bound and obliged to keep God's commandments as he is the Lord, because, as he is the Lord, he is our Creator and supreme Sovereign, and we owe to him all obedience, as we are his creatures and subjects. "Serve the Lord with gladness. Know that he made us, and not we ourselves."Ps 100:2-3. "Who would not fear thee, O King of nations? for to thee doth it appertain."Jer 10:7.
Q. 43&44.4. How are we bound and obliged to keep God's commandments as he is our God?
A. We are bound and obliged to keep God's commandments as he is our God, because, as our God, he hath taken us into covenant, and brought us into a special relation to himself, and hereby laid a greater obligation upon us to do him service. "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God, and keep his charge, and his statutes, and his judgments, and his commandments alway."Deut 11:1.
Q. 43&44.5. How are we bound and obliged to keep God's commandments as he is our Redeemer?
A. We are bound and obliged to keep God's commandments as he is our Redeemer, because God hath redeemed us for this end, that, being free from the slavery of sin and Satan, we might be encouraged and enabled to yield obedience unto him. "Ye are not your own, for ye are bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."1 Cor 6:19-20. "That we, being delivered out of the hands of our enemies, might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life."Luke 1:74-75.
Question 45.Which is the first commandment?
Ans. The first commandment is, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me."
Question 46.What is required in the first commandment?
Ans. The first commandment requireth us to know and acknowledge God to be the only true God, and our God, and to worship and glorify him accordingly.
Q. 45&46.1. How many duties are there chiefly required in the first commandment?
A. There are three duties chiefly required in the first commandment. 1. To know God. "And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father."1 Chron 28:9. 2. To acknowledge God. "Thou hast avouched the Lord this day to be thy God"Deut 26:17. 3. To worship and glorify God. "Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve."Matt 4:10.
Q. 45&46.2. What are we bound to know concerning God?
A. We are bound to know1. That God is, or that there is a God. 2. What God is in all those glorious attributes and perfections whereby he hath made himself known.
Q. 45&46.3. How ought we to acknowledge God?
A. 1. We ought to acknowledge God to be the only true God. "Unto us there is but one God."1 Cor 8:6. 2. We ought to take and own God for our God. "This God is our God."Ps 48:14.
Q. 45&46.4. How ought we to worship and glorify God?
A. We ought to worship and glorify God as the only right object of divine worship and honour1. In our minds, by thinking, meditating, remembering, and highly esteeming of him. "A book of remembrance was written before him, for them that thought on his name."Mal 3:16. "When I remember thee on my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches."Ps 63:6. "O God, who is like unto thee?"Ps 71:19. 2. In our wills, by choosing him for our chief good, and devoting ourselves to his service. "Ye have chosen the Lord, to serve him."Josh 24:22. 3. In our hearts, by loving him, desiring him, fearing him, believing and trusting in him, grieving for our sins against him, hoping in him, delighting and rejoicing in him. "And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, and to love him?" etc.Deut 10:12. "The desire of our soul is to thy name."Isa 26:8. "And the people believed the Lord and his servant Moses."Exod 14:31. "Trust ye in the Lord for ever."Isa 26:4 "I will be sorry for my sin."Ps 38:18. "Let Israel hope in the Lord"Ps 130:7. "Delight thyself in the Lord"Ps 37:4. 4. In our lips, by calling upon him, and speaking well of his name. "In everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God."Phil 4:6. "My mouth shall speak of the praise of the Lord."Ps 145:21. 6. In our lives, by yielding all obedience unto him, being zealous for his glory, careful to please him, fearful of offending him, and by walking humbly before him. "This thing commanded I them, Obey my voice, and walk ye in all the ways that I commanded."Jer 7:23. "The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up."John 2:17. "Walk worthy of the Lord, unto all pleasing."Col 1:10. "How can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?"Gen 39:9. "Walk humbly with thy God."Mic 6:8.
Question 47.What is forbidden in the first commandment?
Ans. The first commandment forbiddeth the denying, or not worshipping and glorifying the true God
as God, and our God, and the giving of that worship and glory to any other which is due to him alone.
Q. 47.1. What are the chief sins forbidden in the first commandment?
A. The chief sins forbidden in the first commandment are1. Atheism. 2. Profaneness. 3. Idolatry.
Q. 47.2. What is atheism?
A. Atheism is the denying, or not having a God. "The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God."Ps 14:1. "At that time ye were without Christ, having no hope, and without God in the world."Eph 2:12.
Q. 47.3. What is the profaneness forbidden in this commandment?
A. The profaneness forbidden in this commandment is, the not worshipping and glorifying the true God as God, and our God.
Q. 47.4. Wherein doth this profaneness in regard of God's worship and honour appear?
A. Profaneness, in regard of God's worship and honour, doth appear1. When persons do not know God, or have misapprehensions of him. "My people is foolish, they have not known me."Jer 4:22. "Thou thoughtest I was altogether such an one as thyself."Ps 50:21. 2. When persons are forgetful of God. "My people have forgotten me days without number."Jer 2:32. 3. When persons hate God, or love themselves or anything else more than God, desire creatures more than God, trust in arms of flesh more than God, delight in objects of sense more than God, when persons set their affection upon anything in the world more than God, and take off the heart, in whole or in part, from God. "The carnal mind is enmity against God."Rom 8:7. "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him."1 John 2:15. "Set your affections on things above, not on things on the earth."Col 3:2. 4. When persons omit or neglect to give that worship and glory which is due unto God, either with the inward or outward man. "But thou hast not called upon me, O Jacob."Isa 43:22.
Q. 47.5. What is that idolatry which is forbidden in the first commandment?
A. The idolatry which is forbidden in the first commandment, is the giving that worship and glory unto any other which is due unto God alone. "Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever."Rom 1:25.
Q. 47.6. How many ways may persons be guilty of the idolatry forbidden in this commandment?
A. Persons may be guilty of the idolatry forbidden in this commandment1. By having and worshipping other gods besides the true God, with the outward man; as when persons worship the heathenish gods, or angels, or saints. 2. By giving that honour and respect to any thing in the world which is due only unto God, with the inward man, which is heart-idolatry. "And covetousness, which is idolatry."Col 3:5.
Question 48.What are we specially taught by these words, "Before me," in the first commandment?
Ans. These words, "Before me," in the first commandment, teach us, that God, who seeth all things, taketh notice of, and is much displeased with, the sin of having any other god.
Q. 48.1. How doth it appear that God seeth all things?
A. It doth appear that God seeth all things, because God is everywhere present, and is infinite in understanding. "Can any hide himself in secret places, that I shall not see him? saith the Lord: do not I fill heaven and earth?"Jer 23:24. "His understanding is infinite."Ps 147:5.
Q. 48.2. Why doth God take such notice of, and is so displeased with, the sin of having any other god?
A. Because the sin of having any other god is a great affront unto the holy and jealous eye of God, who will not give his glory to another. "If we have stretched out our hands to a strange god, shall not God search this out?"Ps 44:20-21. "I am the Lord; that is my name;
and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images."Isa 42:8.
Question 49.Which is the second commandment?
Ans. The second commandment is, "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; and showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments."
Question 50.What is required in the second commandment?
Ans. The second commandment requireth the receiving, observing, and keeping pure and entire, all such religious worship and ordinances as God hath appointed in his word.
Q. 49&50.1. How doth the worship required in this second commandment differ from the worship required in the first commandment?
A. The worship required in the first commandment hath a respect unto the object of worship, whereby we are bound to worship the true God, and none else: the worship required in the second commandment hath a respect unto the means of worship, whereby we are bound to worship God recording to the way and means of his own appointment, and no other.
Q. 49&50.2. What is the way and means which God hath appointed for his worship?
A. The only way and means which God hath appointed for his worship, are his ordinances, which he hath prescribed in his Word.
Q. 49&50.3. What are the ordinances which God hath appointed
in his Word, to be the means of worship, and to be observed by his people?
A. The ordinances which God hath appointed in his Word, to be the means of his worship, and to be observed by his people, are1. Prayer unto God with thanksgiving, and that publicly in assemblies, privately in families, and secretly in closets. "Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God."Phil 4:6. "Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."Eph 5:20. "And the whole multitude of people were praying."Luke 1:10. "Pour out thy fury upon the families which call not upon thy name"Jer 10:25. "But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret, and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly."Matt 6:6. 2. Reading and searching the Scriptures. "For Moses is read in the synagogues every Sabbath-day."Acts 15:21. "Search the Scriptures, for in them ye think ye have eternal life, and they are they which testify of me."John 5:39. 3. Preaching and hearing of the word. "Preach the word; be instant in season, and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and doctrine."2 Tim 4:2. "Hear, and your soul shall live."Isa 55:3. 4. Singing of psalms. "Praise ye the Lord. Sing unto the Lord a new song, and his praise in the congregation of saints."Ps 149:1. "Is any merry? let him sing psalms."James 5:13. 5. Administration and receiving of the sacraments, both of baptism and the Lord's supper. "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost."Matt 28:19. "For I have received of the Lord that which also I have delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus, the same night in which he was betrayed, took bread: and when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the
New Testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me."1 Cor 11:23-25. 6. Fasting. "But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days."Luke 5:35. 7. Instructing of children and household in the laws of the Lord. "For I know him, that he will command his children, and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord."Gen 18:19. "And these words which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart; and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children."Deut 6:6-7. "And ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath, but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord."Eph 6:4. 8. Conference and discourse of the things of God. "They that feared the Lord spake often one to another, and the Lord hearkened and heard it."Mal 3:16. "Thou shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up."Deut 6:7. 9. Meditation. "I will meditate of all thy works."Ps 77:12. "Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them, that thy profiting may appear unto all."1 Tim 4:15. 10. Vows to the Lord. "Vow and pay unto the Lord."Ps 76:11. 11. Swearing by the name of the Lord, when lawfully called. "Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name.Deut 6:13. 12. Exercise of Church discipline. "If thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone. But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more. And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church; but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as a heathen man and a publican."Matt 18:15-17.
Q. 49&50.4. What doth God require in the second commandment, in reference to his ordinances and means of worship?
A. God, in the second commandment, doth require, in reference to his ordinances and means of worship1. The receiving of them. 2. Observing of them. 3. The keeping them pure and entire.
Q. 49&50.5. What is it to receive God's ordinances?
A. The receiving God's ordinances implieth an approving of them with the mind, and embracement of them with the will.
Q. 49&50.6. What is it to observe God's ordinances?
A. The observing God's ordinances, implieth a doing what is required in them, a making use of them, and attending upon God in them.
Q. 49&50.7. What is it to keep pure and entire God's ordinances?
A. The keeping pure and entire God's ordinances implieth a doing what in us lieth to preserve the ordinances from corruption, not suffering any thing to be added to them, or taken away from them. "What thing soever I command you, observe to do it; thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it."Deut 12:32.
Q. 49&50.8. How doth it appear that the receiving, observing, and keeping pure and entire all such religious worship and ordinances as God hath appointed, is required in the second commandment, when it doth only forbid: "Thou shalt not make to thyself any graven image," etc.?
A. God's forbidding the making of any graven image, and worshipping it, doth clearly imply1. That God must be worshipped by some means. 2. That it is a sin to worship God by graven images. 3. That, by consequence, it is a sin to worship God by the means which he hath not appointed. 4. That therefore it is a duty to worship God by the means which he hath appointed, which being his ordinances, they must be received, observed, and kept pure and entire.