This implies, that how unable soever we are to yield perfect obedience, yet it does not cease to be a duty. And though some sins are smaller than others, yet the least is contrary to the law of God; and therefore not to be committed by us.

II. 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.

This denotes that obedience ought to be performed in a spiritual manner. God is to be worshipped with our spirits; without which, all external modes of worship will avail nothing. Nevertheless, external worship is to be performed and expressed by words, works, and gestures; which supposes that our understandings are rightly informed, or that we do not worship an unknown God, and that our wills express a readiness to obey him out of choice, and without the least reluctancy; and our affections must centre in him, as performing the duties incumbent on us, with the utmost delight and plea

sure.

III. That, one and the same thing, in divers respects, is required or forbidden, in several commandments.

Thus covetousness is forbidden in the Tenth Commandment. Nevertheless, as hereby the world is loved more than God, it is a breach of the first Commandment, and as such is styled idolatry, Col. iii. 5.

IV. 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.

Thus the fifth Commandment requires us to honour our superiors; therefore it forbids our reproaching or doing any thing dishonourable or injurious to them, Matt. xv. 4. The eight Commandment forbids stealing; and it also requires the contrary duty, namely, that we should labour for a competent maintenance, that we may not be exposed to any temptation thereunto. Thus it is said, Let him that stole, steal 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, Eph. iv. 28. Moreover, as there is a promise of long life annexed to the fifth Commandment, this includes the contrary threatening to those that break it. Thus it is said, The cyc 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, Prov. xxx. 17. And on the other hand, whatever threatening is annexed to any commandment, the contrary promise is included, and belongs to those that repent of, or abhor, and turn from the sin therein forbidden. Thus it is said, At what instant I speak concerning 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, Jer. xviii. 7, 8.

V. 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 all times.

Thus sin is, under no pretence to be committed. Accordingly Moses, when he was in a prosperous condition in Pharaoh's court, though he might have pretended, that his greatness, and the advantages which Israel might have expected from it, might have been an excuse for his continuing to enjoy the pleasures of sin there. Nevertheless, he was sensible that this would not exempt him from guilt; therefore he forsook Egypt, and chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin, Heb. xi. 25. Again, what God commands is always a duty; so that there is no season of life in which it ceases to be so: as for instance, praying, reading, hearing the word, &c. Nevertheless these duties are not actually to be engaged in every moment of our lives. It is always our duty to visit the sick, comfort the afflicted, defend the oppressed; but such objects do not always present themselves to us, so as to render it our duty at all times.

VI. 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 there

unto.

Thus, according to the fourth Commandment, it is our duty to sanctify the Sabbath, and consequently to avoid every thing that may be a means or occasion of our breach of it. In the sixth Commandment murder is forbidden; so is likewise all sinful passion or anger with our brethren without a cause, Matt. v. 22. And in the seventh, adultery is forbidden; so is also looking on a woman to lust after her, Matt. v. 28. And as we are obliged to abstain from every sin forbidden, so from all appearance of evil, 1 Thes. v. 22. or what may be an occasion of it. Thus fathers are not to provoke their children to

wrath, Eph. vi. 4. and according to the moral reason of the command, we are not to provoke any one to wrath, or do that which may excite their corruptions.

VII. 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.

Not to endeavour to prevent sin in others, is, in effect, to commit it ourselves. Thus Eli contracted the guilt of his sons crimes, by not endeavouring to prevent them. And persons are said to hate their brethren in their hearts who do not rebuke them, but suffer sin upon them, Lev. xix. 17. And Abraham is commended in that he should command his household after him, that they should keep the way of the Lord, Gen. xviii. 19. From hence it follows, that it is a duty for parents to instruct their children in the ways of God, Deut. vi. 6, 7.

VIII. 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.

That we are to be helpful to others, in that which is their duty, appears, from our obligation to endeavour that God may be glorified. Therefore we are, to our utmost, to promote their faith and joy in Christ. Thus the apostle says, We are helpers of your joy, 2 Cor. i. 24. And, on the other hand, we ought to take care that we do not partake with others in their sin. Thus the Psalmist says, When thou sawest a thief, then thou consentedst with him, and hast been partaker with adulterers, Psal. 1. 18.

QUEST. C. What special things are we to consider in the Ten Commandments?

ANSW. We are to consider in the Ten Commandments, the preface, the substance of the Commandments themselves, and several reasons annexed to some of them, the more to inforce them.

QUEST. CI. What is the preface to the Ten Commandments. ANSW. The preface to the Commandments is contained in these words [I am the Lord thy God, who 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 God, having his being

in and of himself, and giving being to all his words, and works; and that he is a God in covenant, as with Israel of old, so with all his people; who, as he brought them out of their bondage in Egypt, so he delivereth us from our spiritual thraldom; and that therefore we are bound to take him for our God alone, and to keep all his Commandments. QUEST. CII. What is the sum of the four Commandments, which contain our duty to God?

ANSW. The sum of the four Commandments containing our duty to 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.

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I. That the substance of each commandment is to be considered by us, or what it is, that God enjoins or forbids therein; in which we find that every Commandment contains a distinct head of duty, and is to be explained according to the rules laid down in the foregoing answer. And also that some of them have reasons annexed to them; which is an instance of God's condescending goodness, that besides the consideration of our obligation to obey whatever he commands, because it is his will, we may have other motives to enforce this obedience. What these reasons or motives are, will be considered in their proper place.

II. That here is a general preface, which God has set before the commandments, which contains several motives to obedience; some of which were indeed peculiarly adapted to the Israelites, whereby they were put in mind of their late deliverance out of the land of Egypt. Nevertheless, if we consider the moral reason thereof, as this, together with the subject-matter of the commandments, to which it is prefixed, may be applied to God's people under all ages, we shall find that it extends farther than the obligation which Israel was under, as delivered from the Egyptian bondage. Therefore it may be observed,

1. That God reveals himself as the Lord, whose name alone is Jehovah, a God of infinite sovereignty and almighty power, as well as faithful to his promises; so that whatever he obliges us to do, or gives us encouragement to expect from him, we have the highest motive and inducement thereunto.

2. He styles himself his people's God; and so puts them in mind of that relation which they stand in to him, as the result of the covenant of grace, in which he gives them a warrant to lay claim to those spiritual blessings which he bestows on a

people high unto him; and this is considered as a farther obligation to obedience. The covenant of grace respects either the external dispensation thereof, which belongs to the church in general, viz. to all who are made partakers of the glad tidings of salvation, which are contained in the gospel; or else that particular claim which believers have to saving blessings which are made over to them therein, which respects all those graces which God is pleased to give his people here, and that glory which he has reserved for them hereafter; and this must certainly be reckoned the highest motive to duty.

3. As to what respects God's having brought Israel out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage; this is to be extended farther than that particular providence, which was then fresh in their memories; and therefore it denotes all the deliverances which God is pleased to vouchsafe to his people, whether temporal or spiritual; and in particular, that which was procured for us by Christ, from the bondage and thraldom of sin and Satan, the condemning sentence of the law, together with that salvation which is inseparably connected with it; which is to be improved by us as an inducement to yield universal obedience to all God's commandments.

There are some, indeed, who think that this is a part of the first Commandment, and so the meaning is, Thou art to know, and practically consider, that I am the Lord thy God, as containing the affirmative part thereof; and then follows the negative, Thou shalt have no other gods; or else they suppose it to be a reason annexed to this Commandment in particular. But it seems most probable, that it is a preface to all the Commandments, and accordingly to be applied as a motive to enforce obedience to every one of them.

III. We have farther an account of the sum of the four Commandments, which contain our duty to God. Here it may be observed,

1. That the sum of all the commandments is love. This is what the apostle, intends, when he says, that the end of the commandment is charity, or rather love, as it ought to be rendered, 1 Tim. i. 5. and accordingly he says, He that loveth another hath fulfilled the law, Rom. xiii. 8. This love hath either God or man for its object, and comprizes in it the duties which we owe to God and man: and they are all reduced to this general head; that hereby we may understand; that obedience, whether it be to God or man, is to be performed with delight; otherwise it will be a burden to us and unacceptable to him, who has obliged us to love him and keep his commandments; because he first loved us.

2. These commandments, as they respect our duty to God and man, are comprized in two tables, which are to be diviVOL. III.

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