fect, and perpetual conformity and obedience thereunto, in the frame and disposition 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 threatening 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, of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. 93. P Deut. v. 1. And Moses called all Israel, and said unto them, Hear, O Israel, the statutes and judgments which I speak in your ears this day, that ye may learn them, and keep, and do them. Ver. 2. The Lord our God made a covenant with us in Horeb. Ver. 3. The Lord made not this covenant with our fathers, but with us, even us, who are all of us here alive this day. Ver. 31. But as for thee, stand thou here by me, and I will speak unto thee all the commandments, and the statutes, and the judgments which thou shalt teach them, that they may do them in the land which I give them to possess it. Ver. 33. Ye shall walk in all the ways which the Lord your God hath commanded you, that ye may live, and that it may be well with you, and that ye may prolong your days in the land which ye shall possess. Luke x. 26. He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? Ver. 27. And he answering, said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. Gal. iii. 10. For as many.. as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. 1 Thess. v. 23. And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 Luke i. 75. In holiness and righ teousness before him, all the days of our life. Acts xxiv. 16. And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men. Rom. x. 5. For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them. Gal. iii. 10. For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. Ver. 12. And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them. 94. Rom. viii. 3. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God L 4 sending thereof, as well common to all men, as peculiar either to the unregenerate, or the 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", and of their duty, binding them to walk accordingly"; to convince them of their disability to keep it, and of the sinful pollution_of their nature, hearts, and lives; to humble them in the sense of their sin and misery, and thereby help them to a clearer sight sending his own Son in the likepess of sinful flesh, and for sin condemned sin in the flesh. Gal. ii. 16. Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. t1 Tim. i. 8. But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully. 95. "Lev. xi. 44. For I am the Lord your God: ye shall therefore sanctify your selves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy; neither shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. Ver. 45. For I am the Lord that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy; for I am holy. Lev. XX. 7. Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy; for I am the Lord your God. Ver. 8. And ye shall keep my statutes, and do them: I am the Lord which sanctify you. Rom. vii. 12. Wherefore the law is holy; and the commandment holy, and just, and good. W Micah vi. 3. He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? James ii. 10. For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. Ver. 11. For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now, if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a trans gressor of the law. * Psal. xix. 11. Moreover, by them thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great re ward. Ver. 12. Who can under. stand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults. Rom. iii. 20. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. Rom. vii. 7. What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. y Rom. iii. 9. What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin. Ver. 23. For all haye sight of the need they have of Christ, and of the perfec tion 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 flee from wrath to come, and to drive them to Christ; or, upon their continuance in the estate and way of sin, to leave them inexcusable', and under the curse thereof. Q. 97. What special use is there of the moral law to the regenerate? f A. Although they that are regenerate and believe in Christ, be delivered from the moral law as a covenant of works, have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. 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 righteousness should have been by the law. Ver. 22. But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. 2 Rom. x. 4. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. 96. b 1 Tim. i. 9. Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righ teous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers, and murderers of mothers, for man-slayers, Ver. 10. For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for men-stealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine. Gal. iii. 24. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be jus ified by faith, d Rom. i. 20. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse. Compared with Rom. ii. 15. Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their consience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing. or else excusing one another. e Gal. iii. 10. For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. 97. f Rom. vi. 14. For sin shall: not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. Rom. vii. 4. Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God. Ver, 6. But now we are delivered from the law, that be ing dead wherein we were held; J. 5 that works, so as thereby they are neither justified nor condemned; yet, besides 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 good1; and thereby to provoke them to more thankfulness, to express the same in their greater care to conform themselves thereunto as the rule of their obedience'. that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter. Gal. iv. 4. But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, Ver. 5. To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. & Rom. iii. 20. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no Besh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. h Gal. v. 23. Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. Rom. viii. 1. There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. i Rom. vii. 24. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? Ver. 25. I thank God, through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin. Gal. iii. 13. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: Ver. 14. That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. Rom. viii. 3. For and Q. 98. Where what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin .condemned sin in the flesh: Ver. 4. That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. k Luke i. 68. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people, Ver. 69. And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David. Ver. 74. That he would grant unto us, that we, being delivered out of the hands of our enemies, might serve him without fear, Ver. 75. In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life. Col. i. 12. Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Ver. 13. Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath trans fated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: Ver. 14. In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins. 1 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 mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and 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, and written by him in two tables of stone; and are recorded in the twentieth chapter of Exodus. The four first commandments 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? 4. For the right understanding of the ten commandments, these rules are to be observed: 1. That the law is perfect, and bindeth every one to full conformity in the whole man unto the righteousness thereof, and unto entire obedience for ever; so as to require the utmost perfection of every duty, and to forbid the least degree of every sino. and perfect will of God. Tit, ii. 11. For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Ver. 12. Teaching us, that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Ver. 13. Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Ver. 14. Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. 98. Deut. x. 4. And he wrote on the tables, according to the first writing, the ten commandments, which the Lord spake unto you in the mount, out of the midst of the fire, in the day of the assembly; and the Lord gave them unto me. Exod. xxxiv. 1. And the Lord said unto Moses, Hew thee two tables of stone, like unto the first and I will write upon these tables the words that 2. That were in the first tables, which thou brakest. Ver. 2. And be ready in the morning, and come up in the morning unto mount Sinai, and present thyself there to me in the top of the mount. Ver. 3. And no man shall come up with thee, &c. Ver. 4. And he hewed two tables of stone, like unto the first; and Moses rose 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 n Mat. xxii. 37. Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. Ver. 38. This is the first and great commandment. Ver. 39. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Ver. 40. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. 99. Psal. xix. 7. The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the Lord |