(62) The COMMANDMENTS. I. Question. V OU said that your Godfathers and Godmothers did promise for you, that you should keep God's Commandments. Tell me how many there be? Exod. 34. A. Ten. 28. 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 those Ten. III. Q. Which be they? A. The fame which God spake in the twentieth Chapter of Exodus, saying, I am the Lord thy God, who brought thee out of the Land of Ægypt, out of the house of bondage. IV. Q. Are the Commandments of the Gospel 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. Christ nail A. They are the same for substance a. But instead of the Ceremonies of the Law b, there is more plainly the Substance fignified by these Ceremonies c... ed to bis cross the band- from finful pleasures or profits. The Sabbaths and other Holy days signified the appointing convenient times for the publick worship of God, and for needful rest 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 necessity to be receiv'd in a Christian kingdom, any farther than the reason of the Law, or the good of the kingdom makes it necessary. 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, Alts 15. 29, upon the occasion of the importunity of the Jewish Christians, ver. 1, 5: that was not requir'd of all Christians for ever. For Christ has given us full liberty to eat any thing. Mark 7. 14 to 20. Therefore blood and things strangled were forbidden by the Apostles, 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 Christians 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' those meats were forbidden, Alts 15, together with blood and things strangled. So the abstaining from blood and things strangled was then accounted necessary only for maintaining peace with the Jewish Christians, zealous of the Law; and was no more rerequir'd when there were no such Christians. The reason why this was more necessary for peace with the Jewish Christians, 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 Faust. 1. 32, c. 13. V. Q. Out of what bondage bas God brought Christians ? a Coll. 1. 13. b. Pf. 51. 5. John 3. 5,6. 1 Cor. 10. 20. God has also brought Protestants out of the eruel bondage of po pery. A. Out of the bondage of sin and the devil a; which we are all in by nature b; and which our forefathers were in by heathenism c. *. VI. Q. What is the first Commandment? VII. Q. VII. Q. What are you commanded in this Commandment? A. I am Commanded to have no false God, and to do my duty towards God. VIII. Q. Who have falfe Gods ? a Levit. 20. 6. A. Not only heathens, but Deut. 18. 10 to 15. they alfo that deal with the b Jer. 17. 5. devil, or go to those that deal Gen. 15.6. • Matth. 6. 24. Mark with him a, or put their trust 10. 24. d Pfalm 100. 3. Deut. 8. 17, 18: 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. :, e Eph. 5. 20. 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 ; to worship him d, to give him thanks e, to put my whole trust in him f, to call upon him g, to honour his Holy * Name b and his Word i; and to serve him truly all the days of my life k. X. Q. What is to believe in God? 5. 7. 8 Matth. 7.7 1. 74, 75 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 soul, and with all my strength? Α. Το a This is the plain meaning of each of these sayings, with all my heart, with all my mind, with all my soul, with all my strength; A. To love him with all my might a, and above all thingsb; and to shew fuch love in keeping all his Commandments c. and with all the understanding, Mark 12. 33; according to the usual way of expressing one thing more fully. 1 Kings 2, 3. P. 18, 2. To give a diftinct meaning of the several sayings, feems to have more of curiosity than need. 15. b Matth. 10.37, 38, 39. Luke 14. 26, 27, 33. c John 141 John 5. 3. XIII. Q. What is to worship God? Luke a Pf. 95. 6. 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 b To honour him with all reverence and decency in all parts of his Service, with such a House, and all things belonging to it, as are fit for the Honour of God, with such Ministers 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. Ps. 96.8, 9. Heb 12. 28, 29. He that truly honours God in his heart, will not be slack to pay him all outward honour. XIV. Q. What must you give bim thanks for? A. I must 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 Prov. 3. 5, 6. Jer. 17. 5. Mark 10. b Phil. 2. 13. 24. Acts 17. 25, 28. e Matth. 6. 13. Ifai. 43.11. d Eph. 6. 11, 18. Phil 2. 12, 13. for my doing, or having any using the means he has or dain'd d. 1 Theff. 4. 11, 12. Prov. 28. 27. b1 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 b Tim that are good for me a. And I must pray for Matth. the fame things for all men b, as well enemies as 2. 1. 5.44. others c. Luke 23. XVII. Q. When and where must you worship 34. Acts 7. God, and give him thanks, and call upon bim? 60. a Coll. 4. 2. Beware of Excuses for neglecting it. b Acts 2. 42, 46. Heb. 10. 25, publick Worship is strictly commanded, even in a time of persecution. Therefore, if thou defirest God's blessing, come every time, except great neceffity hinders. Be sure to be prefent with all that belong to thee, before the beginning; and stay with them all till all be ended. Reverently attend to thy duty all the time of the Service, neither speaking, nor paying respect 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 sufficient feaft for a fober Christian may be provided, without any one staying at home upon that account. Ride not to Church, but for neceffity. If thou hast need to ride, beware of prefering the worship of thy felf, before the Worship of thy Maker, by caufing either the absence of thy servant, or his coming in after the beginning of the Service, or his going out before the end. Heb. 12. 28, 29. A. I must worship God, and give him thanks, and call upon him constantly a, in his House b, and with the family c, and in fecret d. Because all cannot come daily to Church, therefore wheresoever 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 sleepy time, nor presently after feeding the body, or hard labour, and in the fittest places, clean and decent as may be. The offering of incense 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 those four times observ'd for times of publick prayer, (Luke 1. 10. Acts 2. 1, 15. ch. 3. 1.) do teach that Chriftians ought to worship God at least four times every day; twice in publick, in the Church when it may be, or with the family, and twice in secret. On |