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ed; according to which they shall be judged, and sentenced to everlasting punishment. Rev. xx. 11, 12, And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it,, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away, and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened; and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. Matth. xxv. 41, Then shall he say unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. 4. They shall then be driven away from the presence of the Lord into hell, where they shall be punished with extremity of anguish, and torment in soul and body, without any alleviation or intermission, unto all eternity. Matth. xxv. 46, And these shall go away into everlasting punishment. Rom. ii. 8, 9, Indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish (shall be) upon every soul of man that doth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile. Rev. xiv. 11, And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up forever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night.

Q. 39. What is the duty which God requireth of man?

A. The duty which God requireth of man is obedience to his revealed will.

Q. 1. Upon what account is obedience unto God the duty of man?

A. Obedience unto God is the duty of man, because God is his Creator and Benefactor, and supreme Sovereign Lord and King.

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Q. 2. Is there any other Lord over the conscience, who can require obedience of man for their own sake chiefly, besides God?

A. God is the only Lord of the conscience; and though we are, to obey magistrates, and parents, and masters, yet we are chiefly to do this, because God requireth us so to do; and if they command us to do any thing which God doth forbid, we are to refuse obedience, being to obey God rather than any man in the world.

Acts iv. 19, Whether it be right in the sight of God, to hearken unto you rather than unto God, judge ye.

Q3. What rule hath God given us, according to which our whole obedience must be guided?

A. The only rule which God hath given us, according to which our whole obedience unto him must be guided, is his revealed will,

Q. 4. Hath God any other will than that which he hath revealed?

A. God hath a secret will of his counsel concerning all things which come to pass, and this cannot be known as to most things beforehand, and therefore is no rule for our obedience.

Q. 5. What is the difference between God's secret will, and God's revealed will?

A. God's secret will is concerning all things that are done, and shall be done; and doth extend even unto sinful actions, which he doth will to permit and determine, and direct beyond man's will and intention, to his own glory. But God's revealed will is concerning those things which may and ought to be done; and doth extend only unto those things which are duty, and which in themselves do tend to God's glory: and this revealed will is the rule of man's obedience.

Q. 6. Where is the revealed will of God to be found? A. The revealed will of God is to be found in the scriptures, where the whole duty of man to God is made known. Micah vi. 8, 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.

Q. 40. What did God at first reveal to man. for the rule of his obedience?

A. The rule which God at first revealed to man for his obedience, was the moral law.

Q. 1. Are there any other laws which God hath given unto man?

A. The Lord gave other positive laws to the people of the Jews, which they were bound to yield obedience

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unto, such as the ceremonial laws; but these laws were not intended as a standing rule of obedience for all nations in all ages, and therefore were, after a time, abrogated or disannulled, and the not yielding obedience to them by us, at this time, is no sin.

Q. 2. Doth the moral law continue to be a rule of obedience in the days of the gospel?

A. As the moral law was at first revealed that it might be a rule of man's obedience; so it doth continue so to be unto all men, in every nation, unto the end of the world.

Q3. How can the moral law be a rule of obedience unto the Heathen and Infidel world, who are without the light of the scriptures to make it known unto them?

A. Though without the light of the scriptures there cannot be so clear a discovery of the moral law, yet by the light of nature it is made known unto all nations in some measure, sufficient to leave the very Heathens. without excuse for their disobedience. Rom ii. 14, 15,

For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves; which shew the work of the law written in their hearts.

Q. 4. Can any man attain life by obedience unto the moral law?

A. If any man could yield perfect obedience unto the moral law, he might attain life thereby; but all being guilty of sin, perfect obedience is impossible, and life thereby is unattainable; therefore the law was not given into man after his fall, that it might give life. Gal. iii. 12, The law is not of faith: but, The man that doth them shall live in them. Rom. iii. 19, Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them that are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped,and all the world may become guilty before God. iii. 21, 22, If there had been law given which could have given life, verily, righteousness should have been by the law. But the scripture hath concluded all under sin.

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Q. 5. Wherefore then was the law given, when righteousness and life was not attainable thereby?

A. The law was given to be a school-master to bring men unto Christ, that they might attain life by faith in him. Gal. iii. 24, Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

Q. 6. How doth the law bring men unto Christ?

Rom.

A. The law bringeth men unto Christ, 1. By convincing men of sin. The prohibitions of the law convince them of their sins of commission; the injunctions of the law convince them of their sins of omission. iii. 20, For by the law is the knowledge of sin. 2. By discovering unto men the curse of God which is due to them for sin, which all guilty sinners do lie under. Gal. iii. 10, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. 3. By awakening the consciences of the guilty, begetting bondage and fear in them; the Spirit working with the law, as a spirit of bondage, doth show them their danger and future wrath, because of their disobe dience. Gal. iv. 24, These are the two covenants; the one from the Mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage. And thus men are brought unto a sight of their need of Christ and his perfect righteousness, without which there can be no life and salvation.

Q. 7. When men are brought, and by faith joined un. to Christ, doth the moral law cease to be of any further use unto them?

A. Though believers, through their interest in Christ, are delivered from the curse and condemnation, the rigour and irritation of the moral law, which, while out of Christ, they are under; yet the moral law is still of singular use unto believers, to provoke them unto thankfulness for Christ, who hath fulfilled the law in their stead; and to be a rule according to which they ought to endeavour, as much as may be, to order their hearts and lives, however in this life perfection of obedience thereunto is unattainable. Rom. vii. 6, But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held. Ver. 12, The law is holy; and the commandment holy, and just, and good. Titus ii. 11, 12, The grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men ;

teaching us, that, denying ungodliness, and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present world.

Q. 41. Wherein is the moral law summarily. comprehended?

A. The moral law is summarily comprehended in the ten commandments.

Q. 1. What is it for the moral law to be summarily comprehended in the ten commandments?

A. The moral law is summarily comprehended in the ten commandments, in that the sum and chief heads of the law are therein contained.

Q. 2. Is there then any thing included, as commanded or forbidden, in the moral law, but what is expressed in the ten commandments?

A. The moral law being spiritual and very large, doth reach both the whole inward man, and all the outward conversation, and therefore the ten general heads in the commandments do include many particular members and branches. 1. Whatever sin is forbidden in any one precept, the contrary duty is commanded; and all sins of the same kind also are forbidden: and not only the outward act together with the words and gestures tending thereunto, but also all the inward affections to sin, together with all causes, means, occasions, appearances, and whatever may be a provocation unto it, either in ourselves or others. Matth. v. 21, 22, 27, 28, Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill, shall be in danger of the judgment; But I say unto you, that whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause, shall be in danger of the judgment; and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the counsel; but whosoever shall say, thou fool, shall be in danger of hellfire. Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, that whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her, hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

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