the Laws of God himself, 2 Thef. ii. 8. Then shall that wicked one be revealed whom the Lord fhall confume with the Spirit of his Mouth, and fhall destroy with the Brightness of his comBut affumes Power to difpence with God's Laws to

ing. others.

Q. 8. What is the second Inference hence ?

A. That Man dieth not as Beasts die; which are under no Moral Law, and therefore capable of no Sin, but muft come to Judgment after Death, Ecclef. iii. 21. Who knoweth the Spirit of Man that goeth upward, and the Spirit of the ·Beast that goeth downward to the Earth? Heb. ix. 27. And as it is appointed unto Men once to die, but after this the Judg

inent.

Q. 9. What is the third Inference hence?

A. That though the Actions of Men naturally confidered, are tranfcient, yet their Confequences and Effects are permanent; An Act is foon done, a Word foon spoken, a Thought foon thought; but when done, spoken or thought, they are placed to account, Gal. vi. 7, 8. Be not deceived, God is not mocked; for whatsoever a Man foweth, that shall be also reap; for he that foweth to the Flesh, hall of the Flesh reap Corruption; but he that foweth to the Spirit, shall of the Spirit reap Life everlasting.

Q. 10. What is the fourth Inference from hence ?

A. That God will proceed with Man by different Rules in the Day of Judgment, according to the different Laws they lived under in this World, Rom ii. 12. For as many as have finned without Law, shall also perish without Law; and as many as have finned in the Law, fhall be judged by the Law, Q. What is the fifth Inference from hence?

A. That those who have finned against the clearest Light, and beft Helps, will, if they die impenitent, be judged to the greatest Mifery, Matt. xi. 23. And thou Capernaum which art exalted unto Heaven, shalt be brought down to Hell; for if the mighty Works which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this Day, Heb. ii. 3. How hall we escape if we neglect so great Salvation?

Q. 12. What is the fixth Inference from hence ?

A. That as we are to prize the Moral Law highly, as a Rule of Life; Pfal. cxix. 105. The Word is a Lamp unto my

Feet,

Feet, and a Light unto my Path. So are we to blefs God for the Gospel-Difpenfation, by which only we can attain te Juftification and Salvation, Heb. xii. 22. But we are come to Mount Sion, and unto the City of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable Company of Angels.

Quest. 42.

Of Love to God and Men.

WHAT is the Sum of the Ten Command

?

A. The Sum of the Ten Commandments is to love the Lord our God with all our Hearts, with all our Soul, with all our Strength, and with all our Mind; and our Neighbour as ourselves.

Q. I. What is the Sum of the Ten Commandments ?

A. To love the Lord our God with a fupreme Love, and Men with a fincere Love, in and for him, Matt. xxii 37, 38. Jefus faid unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy Heart, and with all thy Soul, and with all thy Mind. This is the First and Great Commandment; the Second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thyself.

Q. 2. What is the first Thing contained in our fupreme Love to God?

A. It implies the loving of God purely and abfolutely for himself. The Excellencies that are in him, Cant. i. 3. Thy Name is an Ointment poured forth; therefore the Virgins Love thee. And the Benefits we receive from him, Pfal. cxvi. 1. I love the Lord because he bath heard my Voice and my Supplication.

Q3. What is the second Property of this fupreme Love? A. Supreme Love devotes the whole Man to God and Chrift: So that in Life and Death that Man defigns the Glory of God as his main End, Rom. xiv. 7, 8. For none of us liveth to himself, and no Man dieth to himself; for whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether que die, we die unto the Lord; whether we live therefore or die, we are the Lord's.

Q4. What is the third Property of fupreme Love? A. It caufes the Soul to depreciate and flight all other Things in Comparison of God's Glory; and an Interest in

Chrift,

Chrift, Acts xx. 24. But none of thefe Things move me, neither count I my Life dear unto myself, fo that I may finish my Course with Joy, Phil. iii. 8, 9. I count all Things but Lofs for the excellency of the Knowledge of Chrift Jefus my Lord.

Q5. What is the fourth Property of fupreme Love?

A. It centers the Soul in God as its only Reft, Pfal. cxvi. 7. Return unto thy Reft, O my Soul. And cannot be fatisfied till it come to the full Enjoyment of him, 2 Thef. iii. 5. The Lord direct your Hearts into the Love of God, and patient waiting for Chrift.

Q. 6. Why muft we love God with a fupreme Love?

A. Because such a Love only fuits the tranfcendent Excellency of God. Commands all we are and have for God, and is the only Love that will continue to the End, Rom. viii. 35. Who fhall separate us from the Love of Chrift?

Q. 7. What is it to love our Neighbour as ourselves ? A. It is the exact Obfervation and Practice of the golden Rule of Chrift, Matt. vii. 12. Therefore all Things whatsoever ye would that Men fhould do to you, do ye even fo to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

Q. 8. Are all Men to be loved alike, and with the fame Degree of Love?

A. No; though we must love all Men with the Love of Benevolence; yet the Saints only with the Love of Com placency, Pfal. xvi. 3. But to the Saints that are in the Earth, and to the excellent, in whom is all my Delight. And to fuch we muft efpecially do good, Gal. vi. 10. As we have therefore Opportunity, let us do good unto all Men, especially unto them who are of the Houfbold of Faith.

Q. 9. What is the first Instruction from hence?

A. Hence we learn the Excellency of divine Love. Mofes expreffes the whole Duty of Man in the Commandments. Christ hangs the whole Law upon these Two, Love to God, and our Neighbour, Mark xii. 30, 31. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine Heart, and with all thy Soul, and with all thy Mind, and with all thy Strength. This is the firft Commandment. And the fecond is like, namely, this, thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thyself; there is none other Commandment greater than thefe. And the Apoftle reduces thefe

Two

Two into One, Gal. v. 14. For all the Law is fulfilled in one Word, even in this, Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thyself. Q. 10. What is the fecond Inference from hence?

A. It convinces the holiest of Men how far fhort they come in their Obedience to the Rule of Duty, and therein the Law is our Schoolmaster to bring us to Chrift, Gal. iii. 24. Q. 11. What is the third Inference from hence?

A. It difcovers the Excellency and Perfection of the Law of God, Pfal. xix. 7. The Law of the Lord is perfect, converting the Soul. And that we are highly to honour and magnify it as a Rule of Duty, though we must utterly renounce it as the Way of our Juftification.

Q. iz. What is the last Inference from hence?

A. That there is nothing too dear for a Christian in this' World, but he muft give it up by felf-denial, when it comes in Competition with his fupreme Love to God, Luke xiv. 26. If any Man come to me, and hate not his Father, and Mother, Wife, and Children, and Brethren, and Sifters, yea, and his own Life alfo, he cannot be my Difciple, i, e. love them lefs

than me.

Of the Preface to the Commandments.

HAT is the Preface to the Ten Com

Queft. 43. W mandments?

and 44:

A. The Preface to the Ten Commandments is 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. What doth the Preface to the Ten Commandments teach

us ?

A. The Preface to the Ten Commandments teacheth us, that because God is the Lord, and our God, and Redeemer, therefore we are bound to keep all his Commandments.

Q. 1. Why doth God ufe Arguments and Inducements to win Men to the Obedience of his Laws ?

A. Because he loves to work on Man as a rational Creature, according to the Principles of his Nature, Hof. xi. 4. I drew them with Cords of a Man, with Bands of Love. And becaufe he delights in none but free and chearful Obedience,

Pfal.

Pfal. cx. 3. Thy People fhall be willing in the Day of thy Power.

Q. 2. What is the first Argument in this Preface?

A. It is the Sovereignty of the Law-giver [I am the Lord] which fhould awe the Heart of every Man to Obedience. Jam. iv. 12. There is one Law-giver, who is able to save and to deftroy.

Q. 3. What is the fecond Argument to Obedience ?

A. Our Propriety in God by Covenant [I am the Lord thy God] This obligeth to Obedience, and aggravateth Difobedience, Pfal. 1. 7. Hear, O my People, and I will speak ; O Ifrael, and I will teftify against thee; I am God, even thy God, Hof. ix. 1. Thou haft gone a Whoring from thy God.

Q4. What is the third Argument unto Obedience!

A. The Benefits of Redemption that they receive from -God. Benefits perfuade to Duty; and the Goodness of God leads to Repentance, Rom. ii. 4.

V

Q. 5. How can Deliverance out of Egypt, be an Argument to them that never were in Egypt?

A. As that Deliverance was a Type of our Deliverance, fo it is an Argument to us, and an Argument from the lefs to the greater; fo it obligeth us more than them, Luke i. 74, 75. That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the Hand of our Enemies, might ferve him without Fear, in Holiness and Righteousness before him all the Days of our Life.

Q. 6. What is that Deliverance we have? and how doth it oblige us to Obedience ?

A. Our Deliverance is not from Egypt, but from Hell. Who hath delivered us from the Power of Darkness, and bath tranflated us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, Col. i. 13. And our Perfons are bought by the Redeemer to glorify God. 1 Cor. vi. 19. What, know ye not that your Body is the Temple of the Holy Ghoft, which is in you; for ye are bought with a Price; wherefore glorify God in your Body, and in your Spirits

which are God's.

Q7. Is it not mercenary to ferve God upon the Account of Benefits received, or to be received?

A. He that makes religious Duties Mediums to attain carnal Advantages only, is of a worse than mercenary Spirit. Hof. vii. 14 And they have not cried unto me with their Hearts, L

when