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Q.95. Of what ufe is the moral law to all men?

A. The moral law is of ufe to all men, to inform them of the holy nature and will of God v, and of their duty, binding them to walk accordingly w; to convince them of their difability to keep it, and of the finful pollution of their nature, hearts and lives ; to humble them in the sense of their fin and miferyy, and thereby help them to a clearer fight of the need they have of Chrift z, and of the perfection of his obedience a.

Q.96. What particular ufe is there of the moral law to unregenerate men?

fully.

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95. v Lev. xi. 44. For I am the Lord your God: ye fhall therefore fanctify yourselves, and ye fhall be holy; for I am holy: neither shall defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. v. 45. For I am the Lord that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: : ye fhall therefore be holy, for I am holy. Lev.xx.7.Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I am the Lord your God. v. 8. And ye fhall keep my ftatutes, and do them: I am the Lord which fanctify you. Rom. vii. 12. Wherefore the law is holy; and the commandment holy, and juft and good.

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Mic. vi. 8. He hath fhewed thee Oman, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do juftly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? Jam. ii. 10. For whofoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. v. 11. For he that faid, Do not commit adultery, faid alfo, Do not kill. Now if thou commit noadultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a tranfgreffor of the law.

A. The

*Pfal. xix. 11. Morcover by them. is thy fervant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward. v. 12. Who can understand his errors? cleanfe thou me from secret faults. Rom. iii. 20. Therefore by the deeds of the law there fhall no fleth be juftified in his fight: for by the law is the knowledge of fin. Rom. vii. 7. What fhall we say then? is the law fin? God forbid, Nay, I had not known fin, but by the law: for I had not known luft, except the law had faid, Thou shalt not covet.

Rom. iii. 9. What then? are we better than they? No, in no ways: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under fin. v. 33. For all have finned, and come fhort of the glory of God.

z Gal, iii. 21. Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid, for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteoufnefs fhould have been by the law. y. 22. But the fcripture hath concluded all under fin, that the promise by faith of Je fus Chrift might be given to them that believe.

• Rom. x. 4. For Chrift is the end of the law for righteousness to every

one.

A. The moral law is of ufe to unregenerate men, to awaken their confciences to flee from wrath to come b, and to drive them to Chriftc: or, upon their continuance in the estate and way of fin, to leave them inexcufable d, and under the curfe thereof e.

Q.97. What special ufe is there of the moral law to the regenerate?

A. Altho' they that are regenerate and believe in Christ, be delivered from the moral law as a covenant of works f, fo as thereby they are neither juftified g nor condemned h; yet, beside the general uses thereof common to them with all men, it is of special ufe, to fhew them how much they are bound

one that believeth.

96. b 1 Tim.i. 9. Knowing this that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and difobedient, for the ungodly and finners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers, and murderers of mothers, for man-flayers. v. 10. For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for men-ftealers, for liars, for perjured perfons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to found doctrine.

Gal. iii. 24. Wherefore the law was our school-mafter to bring us unto Chrift, that we might be juftified by faith.

d Rom. i. 20. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly feen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; fo that they are without excufe. Compared with Rom. ii. 15. Which fhew the work of the law written in their hearts, their confcience alfo bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accufing or elfe excufing one another.

Gal, iii, 10. For as many as are

to

of the works of the law, are under the curfe: for it is written, Curfed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.

97.fRom. vi. 14. For fin fhall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. Rom. vii. 4. Wherefore, my brethren, ye alfo are become dead to the law by the body of Chrift: that ye fhould be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that ye

fhould bring forth fruit unto God. v. 6. But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held: that we fhould ferve in newness of fpirit, and not in the oldness of the letter. Gal. iv. 4. But when the fulness of the time was come, God fent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law. v. 5. To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of fons.

Rom. iii. 20. Therefore by the deeds of the law there fhall no flesh be justified in his fights for by the law is the knowledge of fin.

b Gal. v. 23. Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

Rom,

to Chrift for his fulfilling it, and enduring the curfe thereof in their stead and for their good i; and thereby to provoke them to more thankfulness k, and to exprefs the fame in their greater care to conform themselves thereunto às the rule of their obedience /.

Q98. Where is the moral law fummarily comprehended? A. The moral law is fummarily comprehended in the ten commandments, which were delivered by the voice of God upon

Rom. viii. 1. There is therefore now no condemnation to them who are in Chrift Jefus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

i Rom. vii. 24. O wretched man that I am, who fhall deliver me from the body of this death? v. 25. I thank God through Jefus Chrift our Lord. So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh, the law of fin. Gal. iii. 13. Chrift hath redeemed us from the curfe of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Curfed is every one that hangeth on a tree: v. 14. That the bleffing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jefus Chrift; that we might receive the promife of the Spirit through faith. Rom. viii. 3. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God fending his own Son in the likeness of finful flesh, and for fin condemned fin in the fleth: v. 4. That the righteoufness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Luke i. 68. Blessed be the Lord God of Ifrael, for he hath vifited and redeemed his people, v. 69. And hath raifed up an horn of falvation for us, in the house of his fervant David. v. 74. That he would grant unto us, that we being deli

vered out of the hands of our ene mies, might ferve him without fear, v. 75. In holiness and righteoufnefs before him all the days of our life. Col. i. 12. Giving thanks unto the Father, who hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the faints in light: v. 13. Who hath delivered us from the power of darknefs, and hath tranflated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: y. 14. In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of fins.

Rom. vii. 22. For I delight in the law of God, after the inward

man. Rom. xii. 2. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your minds, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God. Tit. ii. 11. For the grace of God that bringeth falvation, hath appeared to all men; v. 12. Teaching us that denying ungodlinefs and worldly lufts, we fhould live foberly, righteously, and godly in this prefent world; v. 13. Looking for that bleffed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God, and our Saviour Jefus Chrift: v. 14. Who gave himfelf for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works,

Q3 98. m Deut,

upon mount Sinai, and written by him in two tables of ftonem; and are recorded in the twentieth chapter of Exodus. The four first commandments containing our duty to God, and the other fix our duty to man n.

Q.99. What rules are to be obferved for the right understanding of the ten commandments?

A. For the right understanding of the ten commandments, thefe rules are to be obferved;

1. That the law is perfect, and bindeth every one to full conformity in the whole man unto the righteoufnefs thereof, and unto entire obedience for ever; fo as to require the utmoft perfection of every duty, and to forbid the least degree of every fino.

98. m Deut. x. 4. And he wrote on the tables, according to the first writing, the ten commandments, which the Lord fpake unto you in the mount, out of the midst of the fire, in the day of the affembly: and the Lord gave them unto me. Exod. xxxiv. 1. And the Lord faid unto Mofes, Hew thee two tables of ftone like unto the first: and I will write upon these tables the words that were in the first tables which thou brakeft. v. 2. And be ready in the morning, and come up in the morning unto mount Sinai, and present thyfelf there to me, in the top of the mount. v. 3. And no man shall come up with thee, &c. v. 4. And he hewed two tables of stone, like unto the firft; and Mofes rofe up early in the morning, and went up unto mount Sinai, as the Lord had commanded him, and took in his hand the two tables of ftone.

n Mat. xxii. 37. Jefus faid unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy foul, and with all thy mind. .38. This is the first and great com

.

2. That

mandment. v. 39. And the fecond is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyfelf. v. 40. On the fe two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

99. Pfal. xix. 7. The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the foul: the teftimony of the Lord is fure, making wife the fimple. Jam. ii. 10. For whofoever fhall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. Mat. v. 20. to the end. v. 21. Ye have heard that it was faid by them of old time, Thou fhalt not kill, and whofoever shall kill, fhall be in danger of the judgment. v. 22. But I fay unto you, That whofoever is angry with his brother without a caufe, fhall be in danger of the judgment; and whofoever fhall fay to his brother, Raca, fhall be in danger of the council: but whofoever shall fay, Thou fool, fhall be in danger of hell fire. -v. 27. Ye have heard that it was faid by them of old time, Thou fhalt not commit adultery. v. 28. But L fay unto you, That whofoever looketh on a woman to luft after her,

hath

2. That it is spiritual, and so reacheth the understanding, will, affections, and all other powers of the foul; as well as words, works, and gesturesp.

3. That one and the fame thing, in diverse respects, is required or forbidden in feveral commandments q.

4. That as, where a duty is commanded, the contrary fin is forbiddenr; and, where a fin is forbidden, the contrary du

hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.-v. 33. Again, ye have heard that it hath been faid by them of old time, Thou shalt not forfwear thyfelf, but fhalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths. v. 34. But I fay unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven, for it is God's throne:-v. 37. But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatfoever is more than thefe cometh of evil. v. 38. Ye have heard that it hath been faid, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. v. 39. But I fay unto you, that ye refiit not evil. v. 43. Ye have heard that it hath been faid, Thou fhalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. v. 44. But I fay unto you, Love your enemies, blefs them that curfe you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them who defpitefully ufe you, and perfecute you, &c.

Rom. vii. 14. For we know that the law is fpiritual: but I am carnal, fold under fin. Deut. vi. 5. Thou fhalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy foul, and with all thy might. Compared with Mat. xxii. 37. Jefus faid unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy foul, and with all thy mind. v. 38. This is the first and great commandment. v. 39. And the fecond is like unto it, Thou fhalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

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Col. iii. 5. Mortify therefore

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your members which are upon the earth: fornication, uncleannefs, inordinate affection, evil concupifcence, and covetoufnefs, which is idolatry. Amos viii. 5.Saying, When will the new-moon be gone, that we may fell corn? and the fabbath, that we may fet forth wheat; making the ephah fmall, and the fhekel great, and falfifying the balances by deceit? Prov. i. 19. So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain: which taketh away the life of the owners thereof. 1 Tim. vi. 10. For the love of money is the root of all evil; which while fome coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves thro' with many forrows.

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Ifa. lviii. 13. If thou turn away thy foot from the fabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day, and call the fabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable, and fhalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleafure, nor fpeaking thine own words. Deut. vi. 13. Thou fhalt fear the Lord thy God, and ferve him, and fhalt fwear by his name. Compared with Mat. iv. 9. And faith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worthip me. v. 10. Then faith Jefus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only fhalt thou ferve. Mat. xv. 4

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