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forbidden or commanded, together with all the causes, means, occasions, and appearances thereof, and provocations thereunto.z

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.a

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.c

mercy and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.

z Mat. v. 21, 22, 27, 28. (See in letter o before.) Mat. 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. Heb. x. 24, 25. And let us consider one another, to provoke unto love and to good works: not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching 1 Thess. v. 22. Abstain from all appearance of evil. Jude 23. And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh. Gal. v. 26. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another. Col. iii. 21. Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.

a Exod. 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, nor thy man-servant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates. Lev. xix. 17. Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him. Gen. xviii. 19. For, L 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 that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him. Josh. xxiv. 15. And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served, that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Deut. vi. 6, 7. And these words which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart. And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children; and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.

62 Cor. i. 24. Not for that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy: for by faith ye stand.

c1 Tim. v. 22. Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men's sins: keep thyself pure. Eph. v. 11. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprovs them

Q. 100. What special things are we to consider in the tex commandments?

A. 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 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 God; having his being in and of himself,f and giving being to all his words,s 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.

101. d Exod. xx. 2.

e Isa. xliv. 6. Thus saith the Lord the King of Israel, and his redeemer, the Lord of hosts, I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.

ƒ Exod. iii. 14. And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.

g Exod. vi. 3. And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.

h Acts xvii. 24, 28. God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples. made with hands. For, in him we live, and move, and have our be ing; as certain also of your own poets have said, For, we are also his offspring.

i Gen. xvii. 7. And I will establish my covenant between me and thee, and thy seed after thee in their generations, for an everlasting covenant; to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. Compared with Rom. iii. 29. Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also..

k Luke i. 74, 75. That he would grant unto us, 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.

1 Pet. i. 15 to 18. But as he, which hath called you, is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; because it is written, Be ye holy, for I am holy. And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear: forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers. Lev. xvii. 30. Therefore, shall ye keep mine ordinance, that ye commit

Q. 102. What is the sum of the four commandments, which contain our duty to God?

A. 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.m

Q. 103. What is the first commandment ?

A. The first commandment is, Thou shalt have no other gods before me."

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Q. 104. Which are the duties required in the first commandment? A. The duties required in the first commandment are, the knowing and acknowledging of God, to be the only true God, and our God; and to worship and glorify him accordingly,P by thinking,¶ meditating,' remembering, highly esnot any one of these abominable customs, which were committed before you, and that ye defile not yourselves therein: I am the Lord, your God. Lev. xix. 37. Therefore, shall ye observe all my statutes, and all my judgments, and do them: I am the Lord.

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102. m Luke x. 27. And he answering, said, Thou shalt love the Lord, thy God, with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. 103. n Exod. xx. 3.

104. o 1 Chron. xxviii. 9. And thou, Solomon, my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart, and with a willing mind; for, the Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee: but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off forever. Deut. xxvi. 17. Thou hast avouched the Lord this day to be thy God, and to walk in his ways, and to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and to hearken unto his voice. Isa. xliii. 10. Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, and my servant, whom I have chosen : that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. Jer. xiv. 22. Are there any among the vanities of the Gentiles that can cause rain? or can the heavens give showers? Art not thou he, O Lord, our God? therefore, we will wait upon thee; for thou hast made all these things.

p Psal. xcv. 6, 7. O come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker. For, he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. Mat. iv. 10. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for, it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord, thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. Psal. xxix. 2. Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.

Mal iii. 16. Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another, and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name.

r Psal. Ixiii. 6. When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night-watches.

s Eccl. xii. 1. Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them.

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teeming, honouring, adoring,w choosing, loving, desiring, fearing of him ;a believing him ;b trusting, hoping,d delighting, rejoicing in him ;f being zealous for him ; calling upon him; giving all praise and thanks,h and yielding all obedience and submission to him with the whole man; being careful in all things to please him, and sor

t Psal. lxxi. 19. Thy righteousness also, O God, is very high, who hast done great things: O God, who is like unto thee?

Mal. i. 6. A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master ; if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the Lord of hosts unto you, O priests that despise my name.

w Isa. xlv. 23. I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, that unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.

z Josh. xxiv. 15, 22. And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served, that were on the other side of the food, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. And Joshua said unto the people, Ye are witnesses against yourselves, that ye have chosen the Lord, to serve him. And they said, We are witnesses.

Deut. vi. 5. And thou shalt love the Lord, thy God, with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

z Psal. Ixxiii. 25. Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee.

a Isa. viii. 13. Sanctify the Lord of hosts himself, and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.

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b Exod. xiv. 31. And Israel saw that great work which the Lord upon the Egyptians; and the people feared the Lord, and believed the Lord, and his servant Moses.

c Isa. xxvi. 4. Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for, in the Lord JrHOVAH is everlasting strength.

d Psal. cxxx. 7. Let Israel hope in the Lord: for with the Lord there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption.

e Psal xxxvii. 4. Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

f Psal. xxxii. 11. Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, ye righteous; and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.

g Rom. xii. 11. Not slothful in business, fervent in spirit; serving the Lord. Compared with Numb. xxv. 11. Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, hath turned my wrath away from the children of Israel (while he was zealous for my sake among them) that I consumed not the children of Israel in my jealousy.

h Phil. iv. 6. Be careful for nothing but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God.

i Jer. vii. 23. But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you. Jam. iv. 7. Submit yourselves therefore to God; resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

k 1 John iii. 22. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, be

rowful when in any thing he is offended; and walking humbly with him.m

Q. 105. What are the sins forbidden in the first commandment? A. The sins forbidden in the first commandment are, Atheism, in denying, or not having a God ;n Idolatry, in having or worshipping more gods than one, or any with or instead of the true God; the not having and avouching him for God, and our God ;P the omission or neglect of any thing due to him, required in this commandment ; ignorance, forgetfulness, misapprehensions, false opinions,

cause we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.

Jer. xxxi. 18. I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus; Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised, as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke: turn thou me, and I shall be turned; for thou art the Lord, my God. Psal. cxix. 136. Rivers of waters run down mine eyes: because they keep not thy law.

m Mic. vi. 8. He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?

105. n Psal. xiv. 1. The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God: they are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doth good. Eph. ii. 12. That, at that time, ye were without Christ, being aliens from the common wealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world.

o Jer. ii. 27, 28. Saying to a stock, Thou art my father; and to a stone, Thou hast brought me forth: for they have turned their back unto me, and not their face: but in the time of their trouble they will say, Arise, and save us. But where are thy gods that thou hast made thee? let them arise if they can save thee in the time of thy trouble for, according to the number of thy cities, are thy gods Ŏ Judah. Compared with 1 Thess. i. 9. For, they themselves show of us, what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from Idols, to serve the living and true God.

p Psal. lxxxi. 11. But my people would not hearken to my voice: and Israel would none of me.

Isa. xliii. 22, 23, 24. But thou hast not called upon me, O Jacob, but thou hast been weary of me, O Israel. Thou hast not brought me the small cattle of thy burnt-offerings, neither hast thou honoured me with thy sacrifices. I have not caused thee to serve with an offering, nor wearied thee with incense. Thou hast bought me no sweet cane with money, neither hast thou filled me with the fat of thy sacrifices: but thou hast made me to serve with thy sins, thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities.

r Jer. iv. 22. For my people is foolish, they have not known me ; they are sottish children, and they have none understanding: they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge. Hos. iv. 1, 6. Hear the word of the Lord, ye children of Israel: for the Lord hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land. My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected

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