re

Before I was afflicted, I went aftray; but now have I kept thy Word. And ver. 71. It is good for me that I have been afficted, that I might learn thy Statutes.

Q3. Is Contentment with God's Appointments attainable in this Life?

A. Some Chriftians have attained to a very great Mcafure and eminent Degree of Contentment in the midft of changeable and afflictive Providences, Phil. iv. 11.—I have learned in whatsoever State I am therewith to be content, Pfal. xvi. 5, 6. The Lord is the Portion of mine Inheritance, and of my Cup: thou maintaineft my Lot. Thy Lines are fallen unto me in pleafant Places: yea, I have a goodly Heritage.

Q4. Is there no Danger of the Sin of Difcontent in a full and profperous Condition?

A. Fulness of the World fecures no Man from the Sin of Discontentment with his own, or coveting that which is ano ther's; becaufe the Defires enlarge as the Estate doth, Pfal. lxii. 10.-If Riches increafe, fet not your Hearts upon them. An Inftance whereof we have in Ahab, 1 Kings 21. 4. And Ahab came into his Houfe heavy and difpleased, because of the Word, which Naboth the Jezreelite bad spoken to him: for he had faid, I will not give thee the Inheritance of my Fathers,. and he laid him down upon his Bed, and turned away his Face, and would eat no Bread.

Q5. Whence doth Discontent with our Condition spring? A. It fprings partly from our Ignorance of God's Wisdom and Love in ordering all for our good, Rom. viii. 28. And we know that all Things work together for good to them that love God, &c. Partly from our inconfiderateness of the Vanity of the Creature, 1 Tim. vi. 7, 8. For we brought nothing into this World: and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having Food and Raiment, let us be therewith content. And partly from our Unbelief, Matth. vi. 31, 32. Therefore take no Thought, saying, what shall we eat? or what shall we drink? or wherewithal hall we be cloathed? (for after all thefe Things do the Gentiles feek) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all thefe Things.

Q. 6. Is Contentment with our own. Eftate all that this Commandment requires?

A. No, it requires a charitable Frame of Spirit towards our Neighbours alfo, Rom. xii. 10, 15. Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly Love, in Honour preferring one another. Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.

Q7. What is the first Sin forbidden in this Command

ment?

A. It directly and especially forbids all finful and inordinate Defires and Motions after other Mens Enjoyments, Col. iii. 5. Mortify therefore your Members which are upon the Earth, Fornication, Uncleanness, inordinate Affection, evil Concupif cence and Covetousness, which is Idolatry.

Q. 8. What is the second Sin forbidden in this Commandment?

A. It forbids all Cruelty and Incompaffionateness to others in Neceffity, and keeping back from them that Relief which is made theirs by God's Command, Prov. xi. 24.

-There is that with-holdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to Poverty, Lev. xix. 9, 10. And when ye reap the Harvest of your Land, thou shalt not wholly reap the Corners of thy Field, neither halt thou gather the Gleanings of thy Harveft. And thou shalt not glean thy Vineyard, neither halt thou gather every Grape of thy Vineyard: thou shalt leave them for the poor and Stranger: I am the Lord your God.

Q. 9. What is the third Sin forbidden in this Command? A. It forbids the detaining of the Hirelings Wages, when it is due, Hab. ii. 9, 10, 11. Wo to him that coveteth an evil Covetousness to his Houfe that he may fet his Neft on high, that be may be delivered from the Power of Evil. Thou haft confulted Shame to thy Houfe, by cutting off many People, and haft finned againfi thy Soul. For the Stone shall cry out of the Wall, and the Beam out of the Timber shall answer it.

Q. 10. What is the fourth Sin forbidden in this Commandment?

A. It forbids all inward Grudgings at, and Envyings of the Enjoyments of others, whether they be inward Goods of the Mind, or outward belonging to the Body, 1 Cor. xiii. 4. Charity envieth not, &c.

Q. 11. What is the Mifchief of Covetoufnefs ?.

A. It distracts the Heart in Duties, Ezek. xxxiii. 31. And they come unto thee as the People cometh, and they fit before thee, as my People, and they hear thy Words, but they will not do them; for with their Mouth they show much Love, but their Heart goeth after their Covetousness. Provokes the Wrath of God, Ifa. lvii. 17. For the Iniquity of his Covetousness was I wroth, and fmote him, &c. And where it reigns, it becomes Idolatry, Col. iii. 5.-And Covetoufnefs which is Idolatry. Q. 12. What is the first Inference hence?

A. It calls all Men to Humiliation for the Inordinacy of their Affections towards the World, their Difcontent with their own, and Envyings of others Conditions.

Q. 13. What is the fecond Inference hence?

A. As ever we would keep clear from this Sin, let us make God our Portion, Pfal. xvi. 5, 6. The Lord is the Portion of mine Inheritance, and of my Cup: thou maintaineft my Lot. And labour to get the Soul-fatisfying Comforts of his Spirit, John iv. 14. But whofocver drinketh of the Water that I fhall give him, jhall never thirst, &c. 2 Cor. vi. 10.—As having nothing, and yet poffeffing all Things.

Q. 14. What is the laft Inference hence?

A. If God have given us a Sufficiency of the Things of this Life for our Neceffity, let us be fatisfied, though we 3 want other Things for our Delight, 1 Tim. vi. 8. And baving Food and Raiment, let us be therewith content. And relieve ourselves by an Expectation of those better Things laid up in Heaven for us, if we be Believers, Jam. ii. 5-Hath not God chofen the Poor of this World, rich in Faith, and Heirs' of the Kingdom, which he hath promised to them that love him.

Quest. 82.

Of keeping the Law.

IS any Man able perfectly to keep the Com

A. No meer Man, fince the Fall, is able in this Life perfectly to keep the Commandments of God, but doth daily break them in Thought, Word, and Deed.

Q. Wherein doth the perfect keeping of God's Law confiit?

A. It confifts in the perfect and conflant Conformity of the internal and external Actions of Heart and Life, to every Command of God, Gal. iii. 10. — - Curfed is every one that continueth not in all Things which are written in the Book of the Law to do them, Matth. xxii. 37, 38, 39. Jefus faid unto him, thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy Heart, and with all thy Soul, and with all thy Mind. This is the first and great Commandment. And the fecond is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thyself.

Q. 2. But if a Man commit no external Act against the Law, may he not be faid perfectly to keep it, although in Mind or Thought he should tranfgrefs?

A. No, for an inward Motion of Sin in the Heart, that never breaks forth into Act, is a Violation of the Law, and brings the Soul under the Curfe of it, Matth. v. 21, 22. Ye have heard that it was faid by them of old Time, Thou shalt not kill: and whosoever shall kill, fhall be in Danger of the Judgment. But I fay unto you, that whosoever is angry with his Brother without a Cauje, fall be in Danger of the Judgment, &c. And ver. 27, 28. Ye have heard that it was faid by them of old Time, Thou shalt not commit Adultery. But I Jay unto you, that whosoever looketh on a Woman to luft after her, hath committed Adultery with her already in his Heart.

Q. 3. May not a Man keep the Law, if he keep fome of its Commands, though he cannot keep every one of them punctually?

A. No he cannot; for the Tranfgreffion of any one Command in the leaft Degree, is a Breach of all, and brings the Curfe of the whole upon a Man's Soul, Jam. ii. 10. For whofoever shall keep the whole Law, and yet offend in one Point, he is guilty of all.

Q. 4. Was the Law never kept by any fince it was made? A. Yes, Adam in his innocent State kept it, for he was made upright, Ecclef. vii. 29. God made Man upright, &c, And Chrift perfectly kept it, Matth. v. 17. Think not that I am come to deftroy the Law or the Prophets: I am not come to defiroy but to fulfil.

Q. 5. What is the first Reason why no meer Man in this Life can fulfil and keep the Law of God perfectly?

A. It is because the Law of Cod is perfe, and the beit of Men in this Life are imperfect, &c. Ec lef. vii. 20. For there is not a juft Man upon Earth, that doeth good ad finneth

not.

Q. 6. But may not Men perfectly keep it, when regenerate, and born of God?

A. No, becaufe even in the Regenerate there is a Law of Sin which wars against the Law of God, Gal. v. 17. For the Flesh lufteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the Fleb, &c. Rom. vii. 22, 23. For I delight in the Law of God after the inward Man. But I fee another Law in my Memiers waring against the Law of my Mind, &c. And though they are faid not to fin, 1-John iii. 9. (Whosoever is born of God, doth not commit Sin, &c.) that is not to be taken abfolutely; but comparatively, as they once did, and others fill do.

Q. 7. But did not Chrift command the young Man to keep the Law?

A. It is true that Chrift did put the young Man upon this Task, Matth. xix. 17.-If thou wilt enter into Life, keep the Commandments But it was not on a Suppofition that he was able to do it, but to covince him of the Impoffibility of Juftification that Way.

Q. 8. But doth not the Apostle fay that the Righteoufnefs of the Law is fulfilled in Believers?

A. It is true that the Apostle doth fay fo, Rom. viii. 4. but the Meaning is not, that we fulfil it in our own Perfons by our compleat Obedience to it, but it is fulfilled in us by our Union with Chrift, who perfectly kept it; and that Righteoufnefs of the Law which is in Chrift, becomes ours by God's Imputation of it to us, Rom. iv. 23, 24. Now it was not written for his fake alone, that it was imputed to him. But for us alfo to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him, that raised up Jefus our Lord from the Dead.

Q. 9. What is the firft Inference from hence ?

A. That Juftification by our own Works is utterly impoffible to the holicft of Men, Gal. ii. 16.-For by the Works of the Law fall no Flesh be justified, Pfal. cxxx. 3. If thou, Lord, shouldft mark Iniquities: O Lord, who fhal stand?

Q. 10. What is the fecond Inference from hence?

A. Hence