The COMMANDMENTS.

I. Question.

You

YOU faid that your Godfathers and Godmothers did promife for you, that you should keep God's Commandments. Tell me how many there be?

A. Ten.

II. Q. What do you learn by their being no more than ten?

A. I learn that all that God commands us is contain❜d in thofe Ten.

III. Q. Which be they?

A. The fame which God fpake in the twentieth Chapter of Exodus, faying, I am the Lord thy God, who brought thee out of the Land of Egypt, out of the houfe of bondage.

IV. Q. Are the Commandments of the Gafpel the fame with the Commandments of the Law?

a Matth. 5. 17. ch. 19. 17, 18, 19 Luke 10. 25 to 29. b Coll. 2. 14, 16. Chrift nailed to his cross the band

writing of ordinances:

A. They are the fame for fubftance a. But instead of the Ceremonies of the Law b, there is more plainly the Subftance fignified by thefe Ce

that is, by his Death remonies c.
he obtain'd pardon for
all that believe and obey his Gofpel, without our obferving the
Ceremonies of the Law. Matth. 26. 28. Matth. 5. 18, 21 to
the end. i Cor. 5. 7,8. Coll. 2. 11. 16, 17. Heb. 9. 13, 14.
ch. 10. 11, 12, 14. In thefe places the Paffover, and the Sacri
fices and Ceremonies for pardon of fin fignified the Sacrifice of
the Death of Chrift, and that we must put our trust in that Sa-
crifice. Circumcifion fignified the putting away of all fin. The
abstaining from meats unclean by the Law fignified the abstaining

from

from finful pleafures or profits. The Sabbaths and other Holy days fignified the appointing convenient times for the publick wor fhip of God, and for needful reft and refreshment. And all the other Rites and Ceremonies had their Spiritual fignification. Matth. 5. 18.

As to the Laws given for the civil Government of the people of Ifrael: they were given only to that people; and therefore they need not of neceffity to be receiv'd in a Christian kingdom, any farther than the reason of the Law, or the good of the kingdom makes it neceffary.

As to the ceremonial Commandment not to eat blood and things ftrangled, to keep men at a distance from murder, and to fignify their abhorrence of it, Gen. 9. 4, 5. requir'd of Chriftians, A&s 15: 29, upon the occafion of the importunity of the Jewish Chriftians, ver. 1, 5 that was not requir'd of all Chriftians for ever. For Chrift has given us full liberty to eat any thing. Mark 7. 14 to 20. Therefore blood and things ftrangled were forbidden by the Apoftles, only for a time, while the Jewish Chriftians were zealous of the Law of Mofes; that offence might not be given to them. Rom. 14. 14, 15, 20. This further appears by St. Paul's allowing Chriftians to eat, as the Gifts of God, meats offer'd to idols, when they might do it without giving offence, 1 Cor. 10. 25 to the end: altho' thofe meats were forbidden, As 15, together with blood and things ftrangled. So the abftaining from blood and things ftrangled was then accounted neceffary only for maintaining peace with the Jewish Chriftians, zealous of the Law; and was no more rerequir'd when there were no fuch Chriftians. The reafon why this was more neceffary for peace with the Jewish Chriftians, than other Ceremonies of the Law, was because this was commanded to all men, Gen. 9, 4. but those were commanded only to the Ifraelites. See Auguft. contra Fauft. 1. 32, c. 13.

V. Q. Out of what bondage has God brought Chriftians?

a Coll. 1. 13.

b.Pf. 51. 5. John 3.

6. 1 Cor. 10. 20.
God has alfo brought

Proteftants out of the
cruel bondage of po-

pery.

A. Out of the bondage of fin and the devil a; which we are all in by nature b; and which our forefathers were in by heathenifm c.*.

VI. Q. What is the firft Commandment?

A. Thou fhalt have none other Gods but me.

VII. Q.

VII. Q. What are you commanded in this Commandment?

Gen. 15.6.

A. I am Commanded to have no falfe God, and to do my duty towards God. VIII. Q. Who have falfe Gods?

a Levit. zo. 6.
Deut. 18. 10 to 15.
b Jer. 17. 5.
e Matth. 6. 24. Mark

10. 24.

d Pfalm 100. 3.

Deut. 8. 17, 18.

A. Not only heathens, but they also that deal with the devil, or go to those that deal with him a, or put their truft in man b, or in riches c, or in themselves d.

IX. What is thy duty towards God?

a Gen. 15. 6.
b Matth. 10. 28.
e Mark 12. 30.
d Matth. 4. 10.
e Eph. 5. 20.
f Prov. 3.5, 6. 1 Pet.

A. My duty towards God, is to believe in him a, to fear him b, and to love him with all my heart, with all my mind, with all my foul, and with all my strength c; to worship him d, to give him thanks e, to put my whole truft in him f, to call upon him g, to honour his Holy *Name b and his Word i; and to ferve him truly all the days of my life k.

5. 7. 8 Matth. 7. 7
to 12. * Infinitely
Good and Honourable."
b Pfalm 111. 9.
i Pfalm 1. 2. k Luke

1. 74, 75

X. Q. What is to believe in God?

A. To believe his Word, and live according Jam. 2.19 to it.

to 24.

Matth.10. 28.

XI. Q. What is to fear him?

A. To fear nothing more than to offend him.

XII. Q. What is to love him with all my heart, with all my mind, with all my foul, and with all my strength?

A. To

a This is the plain meaning of each of thefe fayings, with all my heart, with all my mind, with all my foul, with all my ftrength;

A. To love him with all my might a, and above all thingsb; and to fhew fuch love in keeping all his Commandments .

and with all the understanding, Mark 12. 33; according to the ufual way of expreffing one thing more fully. 1 Kings 2, 3. P. 18, 2. To give a diftinct meaning of the feveral fayings, feems to have more of curiofity than need.

b Matth. 10.37, 38, 39. Luke 14. 26, 27, 33. c John 1415. 1 John 5. 3.

XIII. Q. What is to worship God?

a Pf. 95. 6. Luke 22. 41. Abhor a foft. thing under thy knees, except there be a fore upon them.

A. To kneel before him with all reverence a, and to honour him duly in all things b.

b To honour him with all reverence and decency in all parts of his Service, with fuch a House, and all things belonging to it, as are fit for the Honour of God, with fuch Minifters and officers as are meet to serve in his House, with an honourable maintenance of his Minifters and officers, and with a full and liberal portion of time for his Service. Pf. 96. 8, 9. Heb 12. 28, 29. He that truly honours God in his heart, will not be flack to pay him all outward honour.

2

XIV. Q. What must you give him thanks for?

A. I muft give God thanks for all good a Eph. 5. things a, and for all his goodness and loving kindness to me, and to all men b.

XV. Q. What is to put your whole trust in him?

A. To truft in him alone a, for my doing, or having any good b; and for deliverance from any fin, or other evil c; ufing the means he has ordain'd d.

Prov. 28. 27.

by Tim. 2.

a Matth.

XVI. Q. What must you call upon God for?
A. I must pray to God to forgive my fins,

6. 9 to 14. and to give me grace to live well, and all things
bi Tim. that are good for me a.
And I must pray for

I

2. I.

Matth, the fame things for all men b, as well enemies as others c.

5.44.

Luke 23.

XVII. Q. When and where must you worship 34. As7-God, and give him thanks, and call upon him?

60.

4. 2. Be

ware of Excufes for
neglecting it.

A. I must worship God, and give him thanks, and call upon him conftantly a, in his Houfe b, and with the familyc, and in fecret d.

1

b Acts 2. 42, 46.
Heb. 10. 25, publick
Worship is ftrictly com-
manded, even in a time
of perfecution. Therefore, if thou defireft God's bleffing, come
every time, except great neceffity hinders. Be fure to be pre-
fent with all that belong to thee, before the beginning; and ftay
with them all till all be ended. Reverently attend to thy duty
all the time of the Service, neither speaking, nor paying refpect
to any one; and refraining as much as is poffible, all disturbing
noise. Prefer not the worship of thy belly, as if that were thy
god, before the Worship of Almighty God. Both neceffaries,
and a fufficient feast for a fober Chriftian may be provided, with-
out any one staying at home upon that account. Ride not to
Church, but for neceffity. If thou haft need to ride, beware of
prefering the worship of thy felf, before the Worship of thy
Maker, by caufing either the abfence of thy fervant, or his coming
in after the beginning of the Service, or his going out before the
end. Heb. 12. 28, 29.

Because all cannot come daily to Church, therefore wherefoever that cannot be, there must be daily publick Worship with the family, at fit times; in the morning early; in the evening, not in the fleepy time, nor presently after feeding the body, or hard labour, and in the fitteft places, clean and decent as may be.

The offering of incenfe in the Temple in the beginning and end of the day, Exod. 30. 7, 8, and the offering of a lamb every morning and evening, ch. 29. 38, 39; and thofe four times obferv'd for times of publick prayer, (Luke 1. 10. Acts 2. L. 15. ch. 3. 1.) do teach that Chriftians ought to worship God at leaft four times every day; twice in publick, in the Church when it may be, or with the family, and twice in fecret.

On