Part 55

This denotes that obedience ought to be performed in a spiritual manner. God is to be worshipped with our spirits; without which, all external modes of worship will avail nothing. Nevertheless, external worship is to be performed and expressed by words, works, and gestures; which supposes that our understandings are rightly informed, or that we do not worship an unknown God, and that our wills express a readiness to obey him out of choice, and without the least reluctancy; and our affections must centre in him, as performing the duties incumbent on us, with the utmost delight and pleasure.

III. That, one and the same thing, in divers respects, is required or forbidden, in several commandments.

Thus covetousness is forbidden in the Tenth Commandment. Nevertheless, as hereby the world is loved more than God, it is a breach of the first Commandment, and as such is styled _idolatry_, Col. iii. 5.

IV. 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 threatening is included; and where a threatening is annexed, the contrary promise is included.

Thus the fifth Commandment requires us to honour our superiors; therefore it forbids our reproaching or doing any thing dishonourable or injurious to them, Matt. xv. 4. The eight Commandment forbids stealing; and it also requires the contrary duty, namely, that we should labour for a competent maintenance, that we may not be exposed to any temptation thereunto. Thus it is said, _Let him that stole, steal no more, but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth_, Eph. iv. 28. Moreover, as there is a promise of long life annexed to the fifth Commandment, this includes the contrary threatening to those that break it. Thus it is said, _The eye that mocketh at his father, and despiseth to obey his mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it_, Prov. xxx. 17. And on the other hand, whatever threatening is annexed to any commandment, the contrary promise is included, and belongs to those that repent of, or abhor, and turn from the sin therein forbidden. Thus it is said, _At what instant I speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up and to pull down, and to destroy it. If that nation against whom I have pronounced turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them_, Jer. xviii. 7, 8.

V. That what God forbids, is at no time to be done; what he commands, is always our duty, and yet every particular duty, is not to be done at all times.

Thus sin is, under no pretence to be committed. Accordingly Moses, when he was in a prosperous condition in Pharaoh’s court, though he might have pretended, that his greatness, and the advantages which Israel might have expected from it, might have been an excuse for his continuing to enjoy the pleasures of sin there. Nevertheless, he was sensible that this would not exempt him from guilt; therefore _he forsook Egypt, and chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin_, Heb. xi. 25. Again, what God commands is always a duty; so that there is no season of life in which it ceases to be so: as for instance, praying, reading, hearing the word, &c. Nevertheless these duties are not actually to be engaged in every moment of our lives. It is always our duty to visit the sick, comfort the afflicted, defend the oppressed; but such objects do not always present themselves to us, so as to render it our duty at all times.

VI. 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, and provocations thereunto.

Thus, according to the fourth Commandment, it is our duty to sanctify the Sabbath, and consequently to avoid every thing that may be a means or occasion of our breach of it. In the sixth Commandment murder is forbidden; so is likewise all sinful passion or anger with our brethren without a cause, Matt. v. 22. And in the seventh, adultery is forbidden; so is also _looking on a woman to lust after her_, Matt. v. 28. And as we are obliged to _abstain_ from every sin forbidden, so _from all appearance of evil_, 1 Thes. v. 22. or what may be an occasion of it. Thus _fathers_ are _not to provoke their children to wrath_, Eph. vi. 4. and according to the moral reason of the command, we are not to provoke any one to wrath, or do that which may excite their corruptions.

VII. That, what is forbidden or commanded to ourselves, 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.

Not to endeavour to prevent sin in others, is, in effect, to commit it ourselves. Thus Eli contracted the guilt of his sons crimes, by not endeavouring to prevent them. And persons are said to _hate their brethren in their hearts_ who _do not rebuke them, but suffer sin upon them_, Lev. xix. 17. And Abraham is commended in that he _should command his household after him, that they should keep the way of the Lord_, Gen. xviii. 19. From hence it follows, that it is a duty for parents to instruct their children in the ways of God, Deut. vi. 6, 7.

VIII. 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.

That we are to be helpful to others, in that which is their duty, appears, from our obligation to endeavour that God may be glorified. Therefore we are, to our utmost, to promote their faith and joy in Christ. Thus the apostle says, _We are helpers of your joy_, 2 Cor. i. 24. And, on the other hand, we ought to take care that we do not partake with others in their sin. Thus the Psalmist says, _When thou sawest a thief, then thou consentedst with him, and hast been partaker with adulterers_, Psal. l. 18.

Quest. C., CI., CII.

QUEST. C. _What special things are we to consider in the Ten Commandments?_

ANSW. We are to consider in the Ten Commandments, the preface, the substance of the Commandments themselves, and several reasons annexed to some of them, the more to inforce them.

QUEST. CI. _What is the preface to the Ten Commandments._

ANSW. The preface to the Commandments is contained in these words [_I am the Lord thy God, who have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage_] wherein 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.

QUEST. CII. _What is the sum of the four Commandments, which contain our duty to God?_

ANSW. 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.

These answers contain some things necessary to be observed; as,

I. That the substance of each commandment is to be considered by us, or what it is, that God enjoins or forbids therein; in which we find that every Commandment contains a distinct head of duty, and is to be explained according to the rules laid down in the foregoing answer. And also that some of them have reasons annexed to them; which is an instance of God’s condescending goodness, that besides the consideration of our obligation to obey whatever he commands, because it is his will, we may have other motives to enforce this obedience. What these reasons or motives are, will be considered in their proper place.

II. That here is a general preface, which God has set before the commandments, which contains several motives to obedience; some of which were indeed peculiarly adapted to the Israelites, whereby they were put in mind of their late deliverance out of the land of Egypt. Nevertheless, if we consider the moral reason thereof, as this, together with the subject-matter of the commandments, to which it is prefixed, may be applied to God’s people under all ages, we shall find that it extends farther than the obligation which Israel was under, as delivered from the Egyptian bondage. Therefore it may be observed,

1. That God reveals himself as the Lord, whose name alone is Jehovah, a God of infinite sovereignty and almighty power, as well as faithful to his promises; so that whatever he obliges us to do, or gives us encouragement to expect from him, we have the highest motive and inducement thereunto.

2. He styles himself his people’s God; and so puts them in mind of that relation which they stand in to him, as the result of the covenant of grace, in which he gives them a warrant to lay claim to those spiritual blessings which he bestows on a people nigh unto him; and this is considered as a farther obligation to obedience. The covenant of grace respects either the external dispensation thereof, which belongs to the church in general, viz. to all who are made partakers of the glad tidings of salvation, which are contained in the gospel; or else that particular claim which believers have to saving blessings which are made over to them therein, which respects all those graces which God is pleased to give his people here, and that glory which he has reserved for them hereafter; and this must certainly be reckoned the highest motive to duty.

3. As to what respects God’s having brought Israel out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage; this is to be extended farther than that particular providence, which was then fresh in their memories; and therefore it denotes all the deliverances which God is pleased to vouchsafe to his people, whether temporal or spiritual; and in particular, that which was procured for us by Christ, from the bondage and thraldom of sin and Satan, the condemning sentence of the law, together with that salvation which is inseparably connected with it; which is to be improved by us as an inducement to yield universal obedience to all God’s commandments.

There are some, indeed, who think that this is a part of the first Commandment, and so the meaning is, Thou art to know, and practically consider, that I am the Lord thy God, as containing the affirmative part thereof; and then follows the negative, Thou shalt have no other gods; or else they suppose it to be a reason annexed to this Commandment in particular. But it seems most probable, that it is a preface to all the Commandments, and accordingly to be applied as a motive to enforce obedience to every one of them.

III. We have farther an account of the sum of the four Commandments, which contain our duty to God. Here it maybe observed,

1. That the sum of all the commandments is love. This is what the apostle intends, when he says, that _the end of the commandment is charity_, or rather _love_, as it ought to be rendered, 1 Tim. i. 5. and accordingly he says, _He that loveth another hath fulfilled the law_, Rom. xiii. 8. This love hath either God or man for its object, and comprizes in it the duties which we owe to God and man: and they are all reduced to this general head; that hereby we may understand; that obedience, whether it be to God or man, is to be performed with delight; otherwise it will be a burden to us and unacceptable to him, who has obliged us to love him and keep his commandments; because he first loved us.

2. These commandments, as they respect our duty to God and man, are comprized in two tables, which are to be divided according to their respective objects. Some ancient writers, indeed, have very injudiciously supposed that the five first Commandments belong to the first table, and the others to the second; and so make an equal division thereof; and the Papists have assigned but three to the first table, making the second Commandment an appendix to the first; and that the number ten may be compleat, they divide the tenth Commandment into two. The reason urged by them for this matter, will be considered in its proper place; but we are bound to conclude that the four first Commandments contain the duties of the first table, which respect those which we immediately owe to God; and these are to be performed, as our Saviour says, _with all our soul, with all our strength, and with all our mind_, Luke x. 27. which is an idea superior to that which is contained in the duty we owe to man. And the six last Commandments contain the duties of the second table, of which our neighbour is the more immediate object.

That this division of the Commandments is just, appears from what the apostle says, when speaking concerning the duty contained in the fifth Commandment, _Honour thy father and mother_, who calls it _the first Commandment with promise_, Eph. vi. 2. Whereas it is not the first Commandment that has a promise annexed to it, since the second Commandment contains a promise of mercy to thousands of them that love God and keep his commandments; nor is it the first of the ten Commandments. Therefore the apostle can intend nothing hereby but that it is the first Commandment of the second table.

And now we are considering the Commandments as thus contained in two tables, and distinguished with respect to the more immediate objects thereof, we may farther observe; that though both of them are enjoined by the authority of God, and consequently are equally binding, so that the obedience which is acceptable in his sight, must be so extensive, as that we must _have respect to all his commandments_, Psal. cxix. 6. Yet it may be observed,

(1.) That the duties of the first table, in which we have to do with God as the more immediate object thereof, are to be considered as acts of religious worship, whereby we not only confess our obligation to obey him; but in performing it, adore and magnify his divine perfections as the highest end and reason thereof; which is not included in the idea of the duties which we owe to our neighbour, as contained in the commandments of the second table. These, indeed are to be religiously observed, not from any circumstance respecting our neighbour, but as duties which we perform in obedience to God[204].

(2.) Though the principal and most excellent branch of religion consists in our obeying the commandments of the first table; yet our obedience is not only defective, but unacceptable to God, if we neglect to perform those of the second. And, on the other hand, the performance of the duties of the second table is not sufficient to denominate a person a religious man, who lives in the neglect of those which are contained in the first.

(3.) The duties which we owe to our neighbour, as contained in the second table, are, for the most part, to give way to those which we owe to God, pursuant to those which are enjoined in the first, especially when they are considered as standing in competition with them. Thus we are obliged, in the fifth Commandment, to obey our parents or superiors. Nevertheless, if they command us to break the Sabbath, profane the name of God, or attend on such worship which he has not required, we are to disobey them, or to _obey God rather than men_, Acts iv. 19. And elsewhere it is said, _If thy brother, the son of thy mother, or thy son, or thy daughter, or the wife of thy bosom, or thy friend, which is as thine own soul, entice thee secretly, saying, Let us go, and serve other gods: thou shalt not consent unto him, nor hearken unto him_, Deut. xiii. 6, 8. This our Saviour calls _hating father and mother, wife, children, and brethren_, Luke xiv, 26. without which we cannot be his disciples. By which he intends, that if the love which we otherwise owe to them, be inconsistent with that obedience which he requires of his followers; or, if we cannot oblige them, and at the same time perform the duties which we owe to him, the inferior obligation must give way to the superior.

Footnote 204:

_The former of these are generally styled the Elicit acts of religion, the latter the Imperate._

Quest. CIII., CIV.

QUEST. CIII. _Which is the first commandment?_

ANSW. The first commandment is, _Thou shalt have no other gods before me_.

QUEST. CIV. _What are the duties required in the first commandment?_

ANSW. The duties required in the first commandment, are, the knowing and acknowledging of God to be the only true God, and our God; and to worship and glorify him accordingly, by thinking, meditating, remembering, highly esteeming, honouring, adoring, choosing, loving, desiring, fearing of him, believing him, trusting, hoping, delighting, rejoicing in him, being zealous for him, calling upon him, giving all praise and thanks, and yielding all obedience and submission to him, with the whole man, being careful in all things to please him, and sorrowful when in any thing he is offended, and walking humbly with him.

The duties required in this Commandment, are contained in three general heads.

I. We are obliged to know God. This supposes that our understanding is rightly informed as to what relates to the divine perfections, which are displayed in the works of creation and providence, by which we are led into the knowledge of his eternal power and Godhead; and this is called the natural knowledge of God: but that knowledge which we are to endeavour to attain, who have a brighter manifestation of his perfections in the gospel, is of a far more excellent and superior nature; inasmuch as herein we see the glory of God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; or behold the perfections of the divine nature, as displayed in and through a Mediator; which is that knowledge which is absolutely necessary to salvation, as our Saviour says, _This is life eternal; that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent_, John xvii. 3. By this means we not only know what God is, but our interest in him, and the foundation which we have of our being accepted in his sight.

II. We are farther commanded to acknowledge or make a visible profession of our subjection to God, and in particular, to Christ, as our great Mediator: His name, interest, and glory, should be most dear to us; and we are, on all occasions, to testify, that we count it our glory to be his servants, and to make it appear that he is the supreme object of our desire and delight, as the Psalmist says, _I cried unto thee, O Lord, I said, Thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living_, Psal cxlii. 5. And elsewhere, _Whom have I in heaven but thee, and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee_, Psal. lxxiii. 25.

III. We are farther obliged by this Commandment, to worship and glorify God, pursuant to what we know, and the profession we make of him as the true God and our God. To worship and glorify God, is to ascribe all possible glory and perfection to him, and to have our hearts suitably affected therewith, as sensible of that infinite distance which we stand at from him. This is considered under several heads, which contain the substance of what is required in this Commandment; as,

1. We must make God the subject of our daily meditation; calling to mind what he is in himself, and what he is to us, or does for us; which is to be considered as a means to preserve us from sin, and a spur, to duty, a motive to holy fear and reverence.

2. We are to honour, adore, and fear him for his greatness. Thus the Psalmist says, _Who in the heaven can be compared unto the Lord; who among the sons of the mighty can be likened to the Lord? God is greatly to be feared in the assemblies of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him_, Psal. lxxxix. 6, 7.

3. As God is the best good, and has promised that he will be a God to us; so he is to be desired, loved, delighted, and rejoiced in, and chosen by us; as the prophet says, ‘With my soul have I desired thee in the night,’ Isa. xxvi. 9. and the church, ‘I sat down under his shadow with great delight,’ Cant. ii. 3. and the apostle, ‘Lord, thou knowest that I love thee,’ John xxi. 15.

4. As he is a God of truth, we are to believe all that he has spoken; and in particular, what he has revealed in his promises or threatnings, relating to mercies which he will bestow, or judgments which he will inflict. Thus our Saviour says, ‘If I say the truth, why do ye not believe me,’ John viii. 46. And it is said, when Israel ‘saw that great work which the Lord did upon the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord, and believed the Lord, and his servant Moses,’ Exod. xiv. 31.

5. As he is able to save to the utmost, and faithful in fulfilling all his promises, we are to trust him with all we have from him, and for all those blessings which we hope to receive at his hands. Thus the prophet says, ‘Trust ye in the Lord for ever; for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength,’ Isa. xxvi. 4. And the apostle speaks of his _having committed_ all to him, 2 Tim. i. 11. as the consequence of what he knew him to be.

6. When the name, interest, and glory of God is opposed in the world, we are to express an holy zeal for it. Thus the prophet Elijah says, ‘I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword,’ 1 Kings xix. 10. And as to what concerns our conversation in general, we are to be ‘not slothful in business, but fervent in spirit, serving the Lord,’ Rom. xii. 11.

7. Since he is a God hearing prayer, we are daily to call upon him, ‘O thou that hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come,’ Psal. lxv. 2.

8. As he is the God of all our mercies, we are to thank and praise him for them. Thus the Psalmist says, ‘O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever,’ Psal. cxxxvi. 1.

9. His sovereignty and dominion over us, calls for subjection and obedience, and a constant care to please him, and approve ourselves to him in all things. Thus the apostle says, ‘Submit yourselves to God,’ James iv. 7. And the Psalmist speaks of a person’s ‘cleansing his way, by taking heed thereto according to his word,’ Psal. cxix. 9.

10. As he is an holy, jealous, and sin-hating God, we are to be filled with grief and sorrow of heart when he is offended, either by ourselves or others, as Ephraim says, ‘I was ashamed, yea, even confounded; because I did bear the reproach of my youth,’ Jer. xxxi. 19. And the Psalmist, ‘Rivers of waters run down mine eyes, because they,’ that is, the world in general, ‘keep not thy law,’ Psal. cxxix. 136.

11. A sense of our unworthiness and daily infirmities should excite us to _walk humbly with God_. This is enjoined as a necessary duty, Mic. vi. 8. and is called a _being clothed with humility_, 1 Pet. v. 5. Thus concerning the duties required in this Commandment.

That which may be farther observed is, that it is fitly placed before all the other Commandments, because it is, from the nature of the thing, necessary to our performing the duties which are required in them. The object of worship must first be known before we can apply ourselves, in a right manner, to perform any duty prescribed, whether respecting God or man.