saving Faith But I may the weak believer say in the sense of my own sinfulness and fear of Gods wrath am fled to Iesus Christ the only remedy of sin and misery and have ingaged my heart to the obedience of the Law of Love Therefore my faith is not a presumtuous and dead faith but true and saving faith The fourth warrant and specâ—al motive to believe in Christ is much assurance of life given in case men shall obey the command of believing and a fearful certification of destruction in case they obey not holden forth Ioh. 3.35 THe Father loveth the Son and hath given all things into his hand ver 36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him Wherein are holden forth to us these five following Doctrines 1. That the Father is well satisfied with the undertakings of the Son entered Redeemer and Surety to pay the ransom of believers and to perfect them in holiness and salvation The Father loveth the Son saith he viz. As he standeth Mediator in our name undertaking to perfect our Redemption in all points The Father loveth him that is doth heartily accept his offer to do the work and is well pleased with him his soul delighteth in him and resteth upon him and maketh him in this his Office the receptacle of love and grace and good will to be conveyed by him to believers in him 2. That for fulfilling of the Covenant of Redemption the Father hath given to the Son as he standeth in the capacity of the Mediator or as he is God incarnate the word made flesh all authority in Heaven and Earth all furniture of the riches of grace and of spirit and life with all power and ability which the Union of the Divine Nature with the Humane or which the fulness of the Godhead dwelling substantially in his Humane Nature or which the indivisible all-sufficiency and omnipoteâ—â—y of the inseparable every where present Triniâ—â— doâ—h import or the work of Redeâ—ption caâ—â—equire the Father saith he hath given alâ—â—hiâ—gs into the Sons hand to wit for accoâ—plâ—â—hing his work 3. 〈◊〉 assurance of life is holden forth to all who shall heartily receive Christ and the offer of the Covenant of grace and reconciliation through him he that believeth on the Son saith he hath everlasting life for it is made fast unto him 1. In Gods purpose and irrevocable decree as the believer is a man elected to life 2. By effectual calling of him unto life by God who as he is faithful so will he do it 3. By promise and everlasting Covenant sworn by God to give the believer strong consolation in life and death upon immutable grounds 4. By a pawn and infestment under the great Seal of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper so oft as the believer shall come to receive the symbols and pledges of life 5. In Christ the fountain and head of life who is entred in a possession as atturney for believers in whom our life is so laid up that it cannot be taken away 6. By begun possession of spiritual life and regeneration and a Kingdom consisting in righteousness peace and joy in the Holy Ghost erected within the believer as arles of the full possession of everlasting life 4. A fearful certification is given if a man receive not the Doctrine concerning righteousness and eternal life to be had by Jesus Christ he that believes not the Son shall not see life that is not so much as understand what it meaneth 5. He further certifieth that if a man receive not the Doctrine of the Son of God he shall be burdened twice with the wrath of God once as a born rebel by nature he shall bear the curse of the Law or the Covenant of Works and next he shall endure a greater condemnation in respect that light being come into the world and offered to him he hath rejected it and loveth darkness rather than light and this double wrath shall be fastned and fixed immoveably upon him so long as he remaineth in the condition of misbelief the wrath of God abideth on him saith he Hence may the weak believer strengthen his faith by reasoning from this ground after this manner Whosoever believeth the Doctrine delivered by the Son of God and findeth himself partly drawn powerfully to believe him by the sight of life in â—im and partly driven by the fear of Gods wrath to adhere unto him may be sure of right and interest to life eternal through him But sinful and unworthy I may the weak believer say do believe the Doctrine delivered by the Son of God and do feel my self partly drawn powerfully to believe in him by the sight of life in him and partly driven by the fear of Gods wrath to adhere unto him Therefore I may be sure of my right and interest unto eternal life through him The evidences of true Faith SO much for the laying the grounds of faith and warrants to believe now for evidencing of true faith by fruits these four things are requisite 1. That the believer be soundly convinced in his judgment of this obligation to keep the whole moral Law all the days of his life And that not the less but so much the more as he is delivered by Christ from the Covenant of Works and curse of the Law 2. That he endeavour to grow in the exercise and daily practice of Godliness and righteousness 3. That the course of his new obedience run in the right channel that is through faith in Christ and through a good conscience to all the duties of love toward God and man 4. That he keep strait communion with the fountain Christ Jesus from whom grace must run along for furnishing of good fruits For the first viz. To convince the believer in his judgement of his obligation to keep the Moral Law among many passages take Matth. 5.16 LEt your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorifie your Father which is in Heaven ver 17. Think not that I am come to destroy the Law or the Prophets I am not come to destroy but to fulfil ver 18. For verily I say unto you till Heaven and Earth pass one jot or one title shall in no wise pass from the Law till all be fulfiâ—led ver 19. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least Commandments and shall teach men so he shall be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven but whosoever shall do and teach them the same shall be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven ver 20. For I say unto you that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees ye shall in no case enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Wherein our Lord 1. Giveth commandment to believers justified by faith to give evidence of the grace of God in them before men by doing good works Let your light so shine
before men saith he that they may see your good works 2. He induceth them so to do by shewing that albeit they be not justified by works yet spectators of their good works may be converted or edified and so glory may redound to God by their good works when the witnesses thereof shall glorifie your Father which is in Heaven 3. He gives them no other rule for their new obedience than the Moral Law set down and explicated by Moses and the Prophets Think not saith he that I am come to destroy the Law and the Prophets 4. He gives them to understand that the Doctrine of grace and freedom from the curse of the Law by faith in him is readily mistaken by mens corrupt judgment as if it did loose or slaken the obligation of believers to obey the commands and to be subject to the authority of the Law and that this error is indeed a destroying of the Law and of the Prophets which he will in no case ever endure in any of his Disciples it is so contrary to the end of his coming which is first to sanctifie and then to save believers Think not saith he that I am come to destroy the Law and the Prophets 5. He teacheth that the end of the Gospel and Covenant of Grace is to procure mens obedience unto the Moral Law I am come saith he to fulfil the Law and the Prophets 6. That the obligation of the Moral Law itâ— all points unto all holy duties is perpetual and shall stand to the worlds end that is till Heaven and Earth pass away 7. That as God hath a care of the Scriptures from the beginning so shall he have care of them still to the Worlds end that there shall not one jot or one title of the substance thereof be taken away so saith the Text v. 11. 8. That as the breaking of the Moral Law and defending the transgression thereof to be no sin doth exclude men both from Heaven and justly also from the fellowship of the true Kirk so the obedience of the Law and teaching others to do the same by example counsel and doctrine according to every mans calling proveth a man to be a true believer and in great estimation with God and worthy to be much esteemed of by the true Church v. 19. 9. That the righteousness of every true Christian must be more than the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees for the Scribes and Pharisees albeit they took great pains to discharge sundry duties of the Law yet they cutted short the exposition thereof that it might the less condemn the practice they studied the outward part of the duty but neglected the inward and spiritual part they discharged meaner duties carefully but neglected judgment mercy and the love of God In a word they went about to establish their own righteousness and rejected the Righteousness of God by faith in Jesus But a true Christian must have more than all this he must acknowledg the full extent of the spiritual meaning of the Law and have a respect to all the Commandments and labour to cleanse himself from all filthiness of flesh and Spirit and not lay weight upon what service he hath done or shall do but cloath himself with the imputed righteousness of Christ which only can hide his nakedness or else he cannot be saved So saith the Text Except your righteousness c. The second thing requisite to evidence true Faith is that the believer endeavour to put the rules of Godliness and Righteousness in practice and to grow in the daily exercise thereof holden forth 2 Pet. 1.5 ANd besides this giving all diligence add to your faith vertue and to vertue knowledge ver 6. And to knowledge temperance and to temperance patience and to patience godliness ver 7. And to godliness brotherly kindness and to brotherly kindness charity ver 8. For if these things be in you and abound they make you that ye shall neither be barreâ— nor unfruitfull in the knowledge of our Lord Iesus Christ. Wherein 1. The Apostle teacheth believers for evidencing of pious faith in themselves to endeavour to add to their faith seven other sister graces the first is Vertue or the active exercise and practice of all Moral duties that so faith may not be idle but put forth it self in work The second is Knowledge which serveth to furnish Faith with information of the truth to be believed and to furnish Vertue with direction what duties are to be done and how to go about them prudently The third is Temperance which serveth to moderate the use of all pleasant things that a man be not cloged therewith nor made unfit for any duty whereto he is called The fourth is Patience which serveth to moderate a mans affections when he meeteth wiâ—h any difficulty or unpleasant thing that he neither weary for pains required in well doing nor faint when the Lord chastiseth him nor murmur when he crosseth him The fifth is Godliness which may keep him up in all exercises of Religion inward and outward whereby he may be furnished from God for all other duties which he hath to do The sixth is Brotherly kindness which keepeth estimation of and affection to all the houshold of Faith and to the image of God in every one wheresoever it is seen The seventh is Love which keepeth the heart in readiness to do good to all men whosoever they be upon all occasions which God shall offer 2. Albeit it be true that there is much corruption and infirmity in the godly yet the Apostle will have men uprightly endeavouring and doing their best as they are able to joyn all these graces one to another and to grow in the measure of exercising of them giving all diligence saith he add to your saith c. 3. He assureth all professed believers that as they shall profit in the obedience of this direction so they shall Profitably prove the soundness of their own faith and if they want these graces that they shall be found blind deceivers of themselves ver 9. The third thing requisite to evidence true faith is that obedience to the Law run in the right channel that is through faith in Christ c. holden forth 1 Tim. 1.5 NOw the end of the Commandment is love out of a pure heart and of a good conscience and of saith unfaigned Wherein the Apostle teacheth these seven Doctrines 1. That the obedience of the Law must flow from love and love from a pure heart and a pure heart from a good Conscience and a good conscience from Faith unfaigned this he maketh the only right channel of good works the end of the Law is Love c. 2. That the end of the Law is not that men may be justified by their obedience of it as the Jewish Doctors did falsly teach for it is impossible that sinners can be justified by the Law who for every transgression are condemned by the Law for the end of the Law is
not such as the Jewish Doctors taught but love out of a pure heart c. 3. That the true end of the Law preached unto the people is that they by the Law being made to see their deserved condemnation should flie to Christ unfaignedly to be justified by faith in him So saith the Text while it maketh love to flow through faith in Christ. 4. That no man can set himself in love to obey the Law except in as far as his conscience is quieted by faith or is seeking to be quieted in Christ for the end of the Law is love of a good conscience and faith unfaigned 5. That faigned faith goeth to Christ without reckoning with the Law and so wants an errand but unfaigned faith reckoneth with the Law and is forced to flie for refuge unto Christ as the end of the Law for righteousness so often as it finds it self guilty for breaking of the Law For the end of the Law is faith unfaigned 6. That the fruits of love may come forth in act particularly it is necessary that the heart be brought to the hatred of all sin and uncleanness and to a stedfast purpose to follow all holiness universal for the end of the Law is love out of a pure heart 7. That unfaigned fâ—ith is able to make the conscience good and the heart pure and the man lovingly obedient to the Law for when Christs blood is seen by faith to quiet justice then the conscience becometh quiet also and will not suffer the heart to entertain the love of sin but sets the man on work to fear God for his mercy and to obey all his commandments out of love to God for his free gift of justification by grace bestowed on him For this is the end of the Law indeed whereby it obtaineth of a man more obedience than any other way The fourth thing requisite to evidence true faith is the keeping of strait communion with Christ the fountain of all grace and of all good works holden forth Iohn 15.5 I Am the true vine ye are the branches he that abideth in me and I in him the same bringeth forth much fruit for without me ye can do nothing Wherein Christ in a similitude from a vine tree teacheth us 1. That by nature we are wild barren briers till we be changed by coming unto Christ and that Christ is that noble vine tree having all life and sap of grace in himself and able to change the nature of every one that cometh to him and to communicate spirit and life to as many as shall believe in him I am the vine saith he and ye are the branches 2 That Christ loveth to have believers so united unto him as that they be not separated at any time by unbelief and that there may be a mutual inhabitation of them in him by faith and love and of him in them by his Word and Spirit for he joyneth these together if ye abide in me and I in you as things inseparable 3. That except a man be ingrafted in Christ and united to him by faith he cannot do any the least good work of his own strength yea except in as far as a man doth draw spirit and life from Christ by faith the work which he doth is naughty and nul in the point of goodness in Gods estimation for without me saith he ye can do nothing 4. That this mutual inhabitation is the fountain and infallible cause of constant continuing and abounding in well-doing For he that abideth in me and I in him saith he the same beareth much fruit Now as our abiding in Christ presupposeth three things 1. That we have heard the joyful sound of the Gospel making offer of Christ to us who are lost sinners by the Law 2. That we have heartily embraced the gracious offer of Christ. 3. That by receiving of him we are become the sons of God Iob. 1.12 And are incorporated into his Mystical body that he may dwell in us as his temple and we dwel in him as in the residence of righteousness and life So our abiding in Christ importeth other three things 1. An imploying of Christ in all our addresses to God and in all our undertakings of whatsoever peece of service to him 2. A contentedness with his sufficiency without going out from him to seek righteousness or life or furniture in any case in our own or any of the creatures worthiness 3. A fixedness in our believing in him a fixedness in our imploying and making use of him and a fixedness in our contentment in him and adhering to him so that no allurement no tentation of Satan or the World no terror nor trouble may be able to drive our spirits from firm adherence unto him or from constant avowing of his truth and obeying his commands who hath loved us and given himself for us and in whom not only our life is laid up but also the fulness of the God-head dwelleth bodily by reason of the substantial and personal union of the Divine and Humane nature in him Hence let every watchful Believer for strengthning himself in faith and obedience reason after this manner WHosoever doth daily imploy Christ Iesus for cleansing his conscience and affections from the guiltiness and filthiness of sins against the Law and for making of him to give evidence of true faith in himself But I may every watchful believer say do daily imploy Jesus Christ for cleansing my conscience and affections from the guiltiness and filthiness of sins against the Law for enabling of me to give obedience to the Law in love Therefore I have the evidence of true faith in my self And hence also let the sleepy and sluggish believer reason for his own up-stirring thus Whatsoever is necessary for giving evidence of true faith I must study to do it except would deceive my self and perish But to imploy Christ Jesus daily for cleansing of my conscience and affections from the guiltiness and filthiness of sins against the Law and for enabling of me to give obedience to the Law in love is necessary for evidencing of true faith in me Therefore this I must study to do except I would deceive my self and perish And lastly seeing Christ himself hath pointed this fourth as an undoubted evidence of a man elected of God unto life and given to Jesus Christ to be redeemed if he come unto him that is close Covenant and keep communion with him as he teacheth us Iohn 6.37 Saying All that the Father hath given me shall come to me and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out Let every person who doth not in earnest make use of Christ for remission of sin and amendment of life reason hence and from the whole premisses after this manner that his conscience may be wakned Whosoever is neither by the Law nor by the Gospel so convinced of sin righteousness and judgment as to make him come to Christ and imploy him daily for remission
to them as well as to others in that as a rule of life informing the of the will of God and their duty it directs and binds them to walk accordingly discovering also the sinful pollutions of their nature hearts and lives so as examining themselves thereby they may come to further conviction of humâ—liation for and hatred against sin together with a clearer sight of the need they have of Christ and the perfection of his obedience It is likewise of use to the regenerate to restrain their corruptions in that it forbids sin and the threatnings of it serve to shew what even their sins deserve and what afflictions in this life they may expect for them although freed from the curse thereof threatned in the Law The promises of it in like manner shew them Gods approbation of obedience what blessings they may expect upon the performance there of although not as due to them by the Law as a Covenant of Works So as a mans doing good and refraining from evil because the Law encourageth to the one deterreth from the other is no evidence of his being under the Law and not under grace VII Neither are the fore mentioned uses of the Law contrary to the grace of the Gospel but do sweetly comply with it the spirit of Christ subduing and inabling the will of man to do that freely and chearfully which the will of God revealed in the Law requireth to be done CHAP. XX. Of Christian Liberty and Liberty of Conscience THe Liberty which Christ hath purchased for Believers under the gospel consists in their freedom from the guilt of sin the condemning wrath of God the curse of the Moral Law and in their being delivered from this present evil world bondage to Satan and dominion of sin from the evil of afflictions the sting of death the Victory of the grave and everlasting damnation as also in their free access to God and their yielding obedience unto him not out of slavish fear but a Child like love and willing mind All which were common also to Believers under the Law But under the new Testament the liberty of Christians is further inlarged in their freedom from the yoke of the Ceremonial Law to which the Jewish Church was subject g and in greater boldness of access to the Throne of Grace h and in fuller communications of the free Spirit of God than believers under the Law did ordinarily partake of II. God alone is Lord of the conscience and hath left it free from the doctrines and commandments of men which are in any thing contrary to his word or beside it in matters of Faith or Worship So that to believe such Doctrines or to obey such commands out of conscience is to betray true liberty of conscience the requiring of an implicite Faith and an absolute and blind obedience is to destroy liberty of conscience and reason also III. They who upon pretence of Christian Liberty do practice any sin or cherish any Lust do thereby destroy the end of Christian liberty which is that being delivered out of the hands of our Enemies we might serve the Lord without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all the daies of our life IV. And because the power which God hath ordained and the liberty which Christ hath purchased are not intended by God to destroy but mutually to uphold preserve one another They who upon pretence of Christian liberty shall oppose any lawful power or the lawful exercise of it whether it be Civil or Ecclesiastical resist the ordinance of God And for their publishing of such practices as are contrary to the light of nature or to the known principles of Christianity whether concerning Faith Worship or Conversation or to the power of Godliness or such erroneous Opinions or Practices as either in their own nature or in the manner of publishing or maintaining them are destructive to the external peace and order which Christ hath established in the Church they may lawfully be called to account and proceeded against by the Censures of the Church and by the power of civil Magistrate CHAP. XXI Of Religious Worship and the Sabbath day THe light of Nature sheweth that there is a God who hath Lordship sovereignty over all is good doth good unto all is therefore to be feared loved praised called upon trusted in and served with all the heart and with all the soul and with all the might But the acceptable way of worshiping the true God is instituted by himself and so limited to his own revealed Will that he may not be worshipped according to the imaginations devices of men or the suggestions of Satan under any visible representations or any other way not prescribed in the holy Scripture II. Religious Worship is to be given to God the Father Son and holy Ghost and to him alone not to Angels Saints or any other Creature and since the Fall not without a Mediator nor in the mediation of any other but of Christ alone III. Prayer with Thanks-giving being one special part of Religious Worship is by God required of all men and that it may be accepted it is to be made in the name of the Son by the help of his Spirit according to his will with understanding reverence humility fervency faith love and perseverance and if vocal in a known tongue IV. Prayer is to be made for all things lawful and for all sorts of men living or that shall live hereafter o but not for the dead nor for those of whom it it may be known that they have sinned the sin unto death V. The reading of the Scriptures with Godly fear the sound Preaching and conscionable hearing of the Word in obedience unto God with understanding faith and reverence singing of Psalms with grace in the heart as also the due administration and worthy receiving of the Sacraments instituted by Christ are all parts of the ordinary Religious Worship of God besides religious Oaths Vows Sollemn Fasting and Thanksgivings upon several occasions which are in their several times and seasons to be used in an holy and religious manner VI. Neither Prayer nor any other part of Religious Worship is now under the Gospel either tyed unto or made more acceptable by any place in which it is performed or towards which it is directed but GOD is to be worshipped every where in Spirit and truth as in private Families daily and in secret each one to himself so more solemnly in the publick Assemblies which are not carelesly or wilfully to be neglected or forsaken when God by his word or providence calleth thereunto VII As it is of the Law of Nature that in general a due
of the invisible Church have with Christ A. The communion in glory which the members of the invisible Church have with Christ is in this life immediately after death and at last perfected at the Resurrection and day of Judgment Q. 83. What is the Communion in glory with Christ which the members of the invisible Church enjoy in this life A. The members of the invisible Church have communicated to them in this life the first fruits of glory with Christ as they are members of him their head so in him are interested in that glory which he is fully possessed of and as an earnest thereof enjoy the sense of Gods love peace of conscience joy in the holy Ghost hope of glory as on the contrary the sense of Gods revenging wrath horror of conscience and a fearful expectation of judgment are to the wicked the beginning of their torments which they shall endure after death Q. 84. Shall all men die A. Death being threatned as the wages of sin it is appointed unto all men once to die for that all have sinned Q. 85. Death being the wages of sin why are not the righteous delivered from death seeing all their sins are forgiven in Christ A. The righteous shall be delivered from death it self at the last day even in death are delivered from the sting curse of it so that although they die yet it is out of Gods love to free them perfectly from sin and misery to make then capable of further communion with Christ in glory which they then enter upon Q. 89. What is the Communion in glory with Christ which the members of the invisible Church enjoy immediately after death A. The communion in glory with Christ which the members of the invisible Church enjoy immediately after death is in that their souls are then made perfect in hoâ—iness and received into the highest heavens wheâ—e they behold the face of God in light and glory waâ—ting for the fâ—ll redemption of their bodies which even in death continue united to Christ and rest in their Graves as in their Beds till at the last day they be again united to their souls whereas the souls of the wicked are at death cast into hel where they remain in torments and utter darkness and their bodies kept in their graves as in their Prisons till the great day Q. 87. What are we to believe concerning the Resurrection A. We are to believe that at the last day there shall be a general Resurrection of the dead both of the just and unjust when they that are then found alive shall in a moment be changed the self same bodies of the dead which were laid in the grave being then again united to their souls forever shall be raised up by the power of Christ the bodies of the just by the Spirit of Christ by vertue of his resurrection as their head shall be raised in power spiritual incorruptible and made like to his glorious body and the bodies of the wicked shall be raised up in dishonour by him as an offended Judge Q. 88. What shall immediately follow after the Resurrection A. Immediately after the resurrection shall follow the general and final judgment of Angels and men the day hour whereof no man knows that all may watch pray be ever ready for the coming of the Lord Q. 89. What shall be done to the wicked at the day of Iudgment A. At the day of judgment the wicked shall be set on Christs left hand and upon clear evidence full conviction of their own consciences shall have the fearful but just sentence of condemnation pronounced against them and thereupon shall be cast out from the favourable Presence of God the glorious fellowship with Christ his Saints and all his holy Angels into hell to be punished with unspeakable torments both of body and soul with the Devil and his Angels for ever Q. 90. What shall be done to the Righteous at the day of Iudgment A. At the day of judgment the righteous being caught up to Christ in the clouds shall be set on his right hand there openly acknowledged and acquitted shall joyn with him in the judging of reprobate Angels and men and shall be received into heaven where they shall be fully and for ever freed from all sin and misery i filled with unconceivable joyes made perfectly holy and happy both in body and soul in the company of innumerable saints and holy Angels but especially in the immediate vision and fruition of God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ and of the holy Spirit to all eternity this is the perfect and full communion which the members of the invisible Church shall enjoy with Christ in glory at the resurrection and day of Judgment Having seen what the Scriptures principally teach us to believe concerning God it follows to consider what they require as the duty of man Q. 91. WHat is the duty that God requireth of man A. The duty which God requireth of man is obedience to his revealed will Q. 92. What did God at first reveal unto man as the rule of his obedience A. The rule of obedience revealed to Adam in the state of innocency and to all mankind in him beside a special command not to eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was the moral Law Q. 93. What is the Moral Law A. The Moral Law is the declaration of the will of God to mankind directing and binding every one to personal perfeect and perpetual conformity and obedience thereunto in the fruits dispositions of the whole man soul and body and in performance of all those duties of holiness and righteousness which he oweth to God and man promising life upon the fulfilling and threatning death upon the breach of it Q. 94. Is there any use of the Moral Law to man since the fall A. Although no man since the fall can attain to righteousness and life by the Moral Law yet there is great use thereof as well common to all men as peculiar either to the unregenerate or regenerate Q. 95. Of what use is the Moral Law to all men A. The Moral Law is of use to all men to inform them of the holy nature and will of God of their duty binding them to walk accorddingly to convince them of their disability to keep it of the sinful pollution of their nature hearts lives to humble them in sense of their sin and misery and there by help them to a clear sight of the need they have of Christ and of the perfection of his obedience Q. 96. What particular use is there of the Moral Law to unregenerate
men A. The Moral Law is of use to unregenerate men to awaken their consciences to fly from wrath to come to drive them to Christ or upon their continuance in the estate and way of sin to leave them unexcuseable under the curse thereof Q. 97. What special use is there of the Moral Law to the regenerate A. Although they that are regenerate believe in Christ be delivered from the moral law as a Covenant of works so as thereby they are neither justified nor condemned yet beside the general uses thereof common to them with all men it is of special use to shew them how much they are bound to Christ for his fulfilling it and enduring the curse thereof in their stead and for their good thereby to provoke them to more thankfulness and to express the same in their greater care to conform themselves thereunto as the rule of their obedience Q. 98. Where is the Moral Law summarily comprehended A. The moral Law is summarily comprehended in the ten Commandments which were delivered by the voice of God upon mount Sinai written by him in two tables of stone and are recorded in the twentieth chap. of Exodus the four first Commandements containing our duty to God and the other six our duty to man Q. 99. What rules are to be observed for the right understanding of the ten Commandments A. For the right understanding of the ten Commandments these rules are to be observed 1. That the Law is perfect bindeth every one to full conformity in the wholeman unto the righteousness thereof unto intire obedience for ever so as to requite the utmost perfection of every duty and to forâ—â—d the least degree of every sin 2. That it is spiritual and so reacheth the Understanding Will Affections and all other powers of the soul as well as words works and gestures 3. That one and the same thing in divers respects is required or forbidden in several Commandments 4. That as where a duty is commanded the contrary sin is forbidden and where a sin is forbidden the contrary duty is commanded so where a promise is annexed the contrary threatning is included and where a threatning is annexed the contrary promise is included 5. That what God forbids is at no time to be done what he commands is alwaies our duty and yet every particular duty is not to be done at all times 6. That under one sin or duty all of the same kind are forbidden or commanded together with all the causes means occasions and appearances thereof provocations thereunto 7. That what is forbidden or commanded to our selves 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 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 Q. 101. What special things are we to consider in the ten Commandments A. We are to consider in the 10 Commandments the preface the substance of the Commandments themselves several reasons annexed to some of them the more to inforce them Q. 102. What is the preface to the Commandments A. The preface to the 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 where in God manifesteth his Sovereignty as being Jehovah the eternal immutable and Almighty God having his being in and of himself and giving being to all his words 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 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 Q. 103. Which is the first Commandment A. The first Commandment is Thou shalt have no other Gods before me Q. 104. What are the duties required in the first Commandment A. The duties required in the first Commandment are the knowing acknowledging of God to be the only true God and our God and to worship and glorifie him accordingly by thinking meditating remembring highly esteeming honouring adoring chusing loving desiring fearing of him believing him trusting hoping rejoycing in him being zealous for him calling upon him giving all praise thanks yielding all obedience submission to him with the whole man be in carefull in all things to please him and sorrowfull when in any thing he is offended and walking humbly with him Q. 105. What are the sins forbidden in the first Commandment A. The sins forbidden in the first Commandment are Atheisme in denying or not having a God Idolatry in having or worshiping more Gods than one or any with or in stead of the true God the not having and avouching him for God and our God the omission or neglect of any thing due to him required in this Commandment ignorance forgetfulness misapprehensions false opinions unworthy and wicked thoughts of him bold and curious search into his secrets all prophaneness hatred of God self-love self-seeking and all other inordinate and immoderate setting of our mind will or affections upon other things and taking them off from him in whole or in part vain credulity unbelief heresie misbelief distrust despair incorrigibleness insensibleness under judgments hardness of heart pride presumption carnal security tempting of God using unlawful means and trusting in lawful means carnal delights and joyes corrupt blind and indiscreet zeal lukewarmness deadness in the things of God estranging our selves and apostatizing from God praying or giving any religious worship to Saints Angels or any other creatures all compacts and consulting with the devil and harkning to his suggestions making men the Lords of our faith conscience slighting and despising God and his Commands resisting grieving of his spirit disconteâ—t and impatient at his dispensatioâ—â— charging him foolishly for the evilâ— he inflicts on us and ascribing the praise of any good we either are have or can do to fortune