Queft. 68. What is required in the fixth commandment? A. The fixth commandment requireth all lawful endeavours to preferse our own life, and the life of others. Queft. 69. What is forbidden in the fixth commandment? A. The fixth commandment forbiddeth the taking arvay of our own life, or the life of our neighbour unjustly, or whatfoever tendeth thereunto. Q. 1. What is the natural order of these commandments in the fecond table?" A. In thefe commands God begins with the nearest concern of man, which is life; Job ii. 4.-Skin for Skin, yea, all that a man hath, will he give for his life. Next to that, his command guards his neareft relative, from whom the beft outward comfort is to rife, his wife: Mark x. 8. And they twain fhall be one flesh, &c. After that his good name, which is very precious to him; Eccl. vii. 1. A good name is better than precious ointment. And then his goods, which fupport his life; Ifa. iii. 1. For behold, the Lord, the Lord of hofts, doth take away from Jerufalem, and from Judah, the stay and the ftaff, the whole ftay of bread, and the whole ftay of water. Q. 2. How far doth this commandment extend itself? A It prohibits all cruelty, and commands all help, care, and pity, fo far as men's hearts and hands can go, for the relief and preservation of others; Pfalm cxix. 96.---But thy commandment is exceeding broad. Q3. Doth this command refpect only the outward action, or also the inward paflion of the foul? A. It refpects and bridles the inward paffion of the foul, as well as outward actions; as hatred, 1 John iii 15. Whofoever hateth his brother, is a murderer, &c. And caufelefs anger; Matth. v. 22. But I fay unto you, that whofoever is angry with his brother without a caufe, fhall be in danger of the judgment, &c. Q. 4. Doth this command only refpect the lives of others? A. No; it primarily refpects our own lives, and forbids us all things that tend to the shortening and ruin of them; Eph. v. 29. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh, but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord doth the church. Q.5 How many ways may men fin against this command, with refpect to their own lives. A. A man fineth against his own life, not only by deftroying himfelf, as the jailor would have done; Acts xvi. 27. And the keeper of the prifon awaking out of his fleep, and feeing the prifon doors open, he drew out his fword, and would have killed himself, fuppofing that the prisoners had been fled; but by refufing food or phyfic to preferve life, or macerating our bodies with exceffive forrows; 2 Cor. vii. 10.- -But the forrow of the world worketh death. Or envy at others felicity; Prov. xiv. 30.-But envy, the rottennefs of the bones. Q. 6. How are men guilty of murder with refpect to others? A. Murder, with refpect to others, may be either with relation to their bodies; Numb. xxxv. 30. Whofo killeth any perfon, the murderer fhall be put to death, &c. Or to their fouls, which is the moft heinous murder in the world; Ezek. iii. 18. When I fay unto the wicked, Thou fhalt furely die, and thou giveft him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way to fave his life: the fame wicked man fhall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Q. 7. Is all deftruction of another's life murder in the account of God? No; It is not, if the life of a perfon be taken away in the course of juftice; Gen. ix. 6. Whofo fheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be fhed. Or, in a juft and neceffary war; Judges v. 23. Curfe ye Meroz, (faid the angel of the Lord) curfe ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof; because they came not to the help of the Lord, to the help of the Lord against the mighty. Or by pure accident; Deut. xix. 5. As when a man goeth into the wood with his neighbour to hew wood, and his hand fetcheth a ftroke with the ax to cut down the tree, and the head flippeth from the helve, and lighteth upon his neighbour that he die, he thall flee unto one of those cities, and live. Or in felf-defence; Exod. xxii. 2. If a thief be found breaking up, and be fmitten that he die, there shall no blood be fhed for him., Q. 8. Is there no other way of breaking this command? A. Yes there is: Innocents may be murdered under the forms and folemnities both of juftice and religion. So Naboth was murdered by Jezebel 1 Kings xxi. 12, 13. They proclaimed a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people. And there came in two men, children of Belial, and fat before him: And the men of Belial witnessed against him, even against Naboth, in the presence of the people, faying, Naboth did blafpheme God and the king Then they carried him forth out of the city, and stoned him with ftones that he died. And the martyrs by bloody Papifts. And this ftrongly proves a day of judgment; Eccl. iii. 16, 17. And moreover, I faw under the fun the place of judgment, that wickednefs was there, and the place of righteousness, that iniquity was there. I faid in mine heart, God fhall judge the righteous and the wicked: For there is a time there for every purpose, and for every work. Q. 9. Are duels forbidden in this commandment? A. Yes, they are; for whatever point of honour be touched, or whatever provocation be given, we are not to be our own avengers; Rom. xii. 19. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, &c. Q. 10. What is the first inference hence? A. That we have great cause to blefs God for his protecting law, and for human laws grounded upon his law for the protection of our lives; Rom. xiii. 4.For he is the minifter of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doth evil. Q. 11. What is the fecond inference hence? A. That all that are guilty of this fin, have great cause to be hum r bled and afflicted: For it is a crying fin, Gen. iv. 10. The voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground. Yet not to defpair of mercy upon true repentance. Manaffeh fhed innocent blood, and yet was pardoned, upon repentance; 2 Kings xxi. 16. Moreover, Manaffeh fhed innocent blood very much, till he had filled Jerufalem from one end to another, &c. Q. 12. What is the third inference hence? A Let all men watch against pride, paffion, malice, and revenge, the fin of the heart, from which this horrid fin proceeds; Matth. xv. 18, 19. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, &c. Of the feventh Commandment. Quest, 70. HICH is the feventh commandment? WHIC not commit adultery. A. The feventh commandment is, 【Thou shalt Queft. 71. What is required in the feventh commandment? A. The feventh commandment requireth the prefervation of our own and our neighbour's chastity in heart, fpeech, and behaviour. Queft. 72. What is forbidden in the feventh commandment? and actions. Q. I. What is the duty required in this commandment ! A. The first duty required in this commandment is, the preferva tion of our own chastity in heart, lip, and life; Theff. iv. 3, 4. For this is the will of God, even your fanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication. That every one of you should know how to poffefs his veffel in fanctification and honour. And Eph. iv. 29. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, &c, Q. 2. Why muft we preferve our own chastity? A Because our bodies are, or ought to be the temples of the holy Ghoft; 1 Cor. vi. 15, 19. Know ye not, that your bodies are the members of Chrift? "Shall I then take the members of Chrift, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid. What, know ye not that your body is the temple of the holy Ghoft, which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? And it is the ex prefs charge of God that they be kept pure and clean; I Theff. iv. 3, 4. For this is the will of God, even your fanctification, that ye fhould abftain from fornication. That every one of you fhould know how to poffefs his veffel in fanctification and honour. Q3. What is the fecond reason? A. The fecond reafon is, because of the evil of it to ourfelves: As, (1.) It injures the body; 1 Cor. vi. 18. He that committeth fornication, finneth against his own body. (2.) It levels us with the Heathen; Eph. iv. 17, 19. This I fay therefore, and testify in the Lord that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk,---who being pat feeling, have given themselves over to lafciviousness, to work all uncleannefs with greediness. (3.) Dishonours our names; Prov vi. 32 33. But whofo committeth adultery with a woman, a wound and dishonour shall he get, &c. (4.) Scatters our eftates; Prov. v. 10. Lest strangers be filled with thy wealth, and thy labours be in the houfe of ftrangers. (5.) Deftroyeth the foul; Prov. vi. 32.He. that doth it, defcroyeth his own foul. Q.4. What age is moft incident to this fin? A The youthful age is moft apt to be drawn into this fin; Prov. vii. 7. And behold among the limple ones, I difcerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding. And 2 Tim. ii. 22. Flee alfo youthful lufts, &c. Q.5. How far doth this command extend itfelf? A. It extends itself to the heart, mind, and fancy, as well as to the body, and external actions; Matth. v. 28. But I fay unto you, that whofoever looketh on a woman, to luft after her, hath commitred adultery with her already in his heart. Q.6. What are the ufual inducements to this fin? A. The ufual inducements to this fin are, (1.) Idleness and fulness of the creatures; Ezek. xvi. 49, 50. Behold, this was the iniquity of thy fitter Sodom; pride, fulnefs of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her, and in her daughters, &c. (2.) Wanton gestures; Ifa. iii. 16. Moreover, the Lord faith, Becaufe the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with ftretched forth necks, and wanton eyes, walking, and mincing as they go, and making a tinkling with their feet. (3) Filthy communication; Eph. v. 4. Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jefting, which are not convenient, &c. Q. 7. What is the firft remedy against this fin? 07 A The first remedy, and the moft effectual, is, to get the Spirit of God within us, to fanctify and rule us; Gal. v. 16.- Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lufts of the flesh. Q. 8. What is the fecond remedy? A. The keeping of a strict watch over the heart; Prov. iv. 23: Keep thy heart with all diligence, &c. And over the external fenfes ; Job xxxi. 1. I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid? Q. 9. What is the third remedy against it? A. Deep and ferious confideration of the danger of this fin, and what God threatens against adulterers; Heb. xiii. 4. Whoremongers and adulterers God will judge. 1 Cor. vi. 9, 10.-Be not deceived, neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate,---shall inherit the kingdom of God. And how he describes them, Prov. xxii. 14. The mouth of a strange woman is a deep pit; he that is abhorred of the Lord fhall fall therein. Q. 10. What is the fourth remedy against it ? A. Prayer; Pfalm cxix. 37. Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity, &c. And, to evidence our fincerity in prayer, we must study to thun all occafions of this fin; Pfalm xviii. 23. I was alfo upright before him; and I kept myself from mine iniquity. Q11. What is the firft inference from hence? A. What cause thofe have to blefs God, that have been kept from this fin; though the best ought to be humbled for their heart-pollutions, Q. 12. What is the fecond inference from hence? Q. Let it warn parents to do what in them lies to prevent the ruin of their children by this fin, (1.) By filling their heads and hands with lawful bufinefs. (2.) By ferious admonitions and prayers for them. (3.) By keeping them from vain and tempting company. (4.) By difpofing them feasonably in suitable marriage. Q. 13. What is the third inference from hence? Let those that are defiled with this fin repent seriously of it as David did; Pfalm li. 8. Make me to hear joy and gladness, that the bones which thou haft broken may rejoice. And apply the blood of Chrift by faith; for in fo doing, it may be pardoned; 1 Cor. vi. 11. And fuch were fome of you; but ye are washed, but ye are fanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and by the Spirit of our God. Queft. 73. Real.] Of the eighth Commandment. HICH is the eighth commandment? WH A. The eighth commandment is, [Thou shalt not Queft. 74. What is required in the eighth commandment? A. The eighth commandment requireth the lawful procuring and furthering the wealth, and outward eftate of ourselves and others. Queft. 75. What is forbidden in the eighth commandment? A. The eighth commandment forbiddeth whatsoever doth, or may unjustly binder our own, or our neighbour's wealth, or outward eftate. Q. What is prefuppofed in this commandment? A. It prefuppofeth that God hath given every man a propriety in his eftate, and that no man's goods are common to others, except by his confent in times and cafes extraordinary; Acts ii. 44. And all that believed were together, and had all things common. Q. 2. What is required in this commandment? A. It requires of every man diligence in a lawful calling, to get and preferve an eftate for his own and other's good; Prov. xiii. 11. He that gathereth by labour, fhall increase. Eph. iv. 28 But rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. Q. 3. What elfe is required in this commandment ? A. It requires us not only to get and keep the things of the world in a lawful manner, but to distribute and communicate them to those that are in want, and not caft them into temptations of fin, or inevitable ruin; Ifa. lviii. 10. And if thou draw out thy foul to the hungry, and fatisfy the afflicted foul: Then fhall thy light rife in obfcurity, and thy darkness be as the noon-day; 1 John iii. 17. But whofo hath this world's good, and feeth his brother have need, and |