Obedience, the true title to heaven.

Neh. 9. 29. They dealt proudly, and hearkened not unto thy commandments, but sinned against thy judgments, (which if a man do, he shall live in them.)

Ezk. 18, 5. If a man be just, and do that which is lawful and right,-8. Hath executed true judgment between man and man, Hath walked in my statutes, and hath kept my judgments, to deal truly; he is just, he shall surely live, saith the Lord God. 21. If the wicked will turn from all the sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die.

Ezk. 20. 13. They walked not in my statutes, and they despised my judgments, which if a man do, he shall even live in them.

Mat. 7. 21. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord. Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father, which is in heaven.

Mat. 19. 17. If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.

Lk. 10. 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 neighbor as thyself. And he [Jesus] said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.

Rom. 8. 13. If ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.

1 Cor. 7. 19. Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God.

Gal. 3, 12. The man that doeth them shall live in them. Gal. 6. 16. As many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.

Rev. 22. 14. Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

Obedience expedient.

296. Is it wise to keep the commandments of God? Ex. 19. 5. If ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine. And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation.

Dt. 4. 40. Thou shalt keep therefore his statutes and his commandments which I command thee this day, that it may go well with thee, and with thy children after thee, and that thou mayest prolong thy days upon the earth.

Dt. 28. 1. And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day: that the Lord thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth: And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God. Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field. Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep. Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store. Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out. [7-14. See also Lev. 26. 3-13.]

1 S. 15. 22. And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt-offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of

rams.

Ps. 25. 10. All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies.

Ps. 81. 13. O that my people had hearkened unto me, and Israel had walked in my ways! I should soon have subdued their enemies, and turned my hand against their adversaries. The haters of the Lord should have sub mitted themselves unto him:-He would have fed

Disobedience threatened.

them also with the finest of the wheat: and with honey out of the rock should I have satisfied thee.

Ps. 111. 10. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments.

Pr. 3. 1. My son, forget not my law; but let thy heart keep my commandments: For length of days, and long life, and peace shall they add to thee.

Is. 1. 14. If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.

Is. 48. 18. O that thou hadst hearkened unto my commandments! then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea.

Mat. 7. 24. Whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. [See 577.]

297. Has God threatened those who disobey his commands?

Dt. 28. 15. It shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day: that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee: Cursed shalt thou be in the city, and cursed shalt thou be in the field. Cursed shall be thy basket and thy store. Cursed shall be the fruit of thy body. and the fruit of thy land, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep. Cursed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and cursed shalt thou be when thou goest out. (See the remainder of the chapter, and Lev. 26. 14—6.)

1 S. 15. 23. Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.

Mat. 5. 19. Whosoever therefore shall break one of

Penalty of the law-Ceremonial and civil code of the Jews.

these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven.

Mat. 7. 26. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

Gal. 3. 10. Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.

298. What is the penalty of the law of God?

Gen. 2. 17. In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

Ezk. 18. 4. The soul that sinneth, it shall die.

Mat. 25. 41. Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the Devil and his angels.

Rom. 6. 23. The wages of sin is death: but the gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Jam. 1. 15. And sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

Rev. 2. 11. He that overcometh, shall not be hurt of the second death.

299. Is the ceremonial and civil code of the Jews now in force?

Mat. 5. 31. It hath been said, (Dt. 24. 1—4,) Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement: But I say unto you, that whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced, committeth adultery. 38. Ye have heard that it hath been said, (Lev. 24. 19.) An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. But I say unto you that ye resist not evil; but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if a man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also. 43. Ye have heard that it hath been said, thou shalt love

Expediency of.

thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy: But I say unto you, Love your enemies.

2 Cor. 3. 11. If that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious.

Gal. 3. 19. Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made. 23. But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore the law was our school-master to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a school master.

Gal. 4. 31. So then, brethren, we are not children of the bond-woman, but of the free. Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace. (See Gal. 4th Chap. throughout.)

Ep. 2. 14. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinan

ces.

Heb. 7. 18. For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before, for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof. For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God.

Heb. 10. 9. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second.

Human Government.

300. Is any human government expedient?

Dt. 13. 10. And thou shalt stone him with stones