Q43. What is the preface to the ten commandments?
A. The preface to the ten commandments is in these words, I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
Q1. Why does God use arguments and inducements to win men to the obedience of his laws?
A. Because he loves to work on man as a rational creature, according to the principles of his nature; Hosea 11:4. I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love: And because he delights in none but free and cheerful obedience; Psalm 110:3. Your people shall be willing in the day of your power.
Q2. What is the first argument in this preface?
A. It is the sovereignty of the Lawgiver, [I am the Lord,] which should awe the heart of every man to obedience; James 4:12. There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy.
Q3. What is the second argument to obedience?
A. Our propriety in God by covenant, [I am the Lord your God;] this obliges to obedience, and aggravateth disobedience; Psalm 50:7. Hear, O my people, and I will speak; O Israel, and I will testify against you; I am God, even your God. Hosea 9:1. For you have gone a whoring from your God.
Q4. What is the third argument unto obedience?
A. The benefits of redemption that they receive from God. Benefits persuade to duty; and the goodness of God leads you to repentance, Romans 2:4.
Q5. How can deliverance out of Egypt be an argument to them that never were in Egypt?
A. As that deliverance was a type of our deliverance, so it is an argument to us, and an argument from the less to the greater; for it obliges us more than them; Luke 1:74, 75. That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies, might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.
Q6. What is that deliverance we have? and how does it oblige us to obedience?
A. Our deliverance is not from Egypt, but from Hell; Colossians 1:13. Who has delivered us from the power of darkness, and has translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son. And our persons are bought by the Redeemer to glorify God; 1 Corinthians 6:19, 20. What don't you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, which is in you? For you are bought with a price: Therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.
Q7. Is it not mercenary to serve God upon the account of benefits received, or to be received?
A. He who makes religious duties mediums to attain carnal advantages only, is of a worse than mercenary spirit; Hosea 7:14. And they have not cried unto me with their hearts, when they howled upon their beds: They assemble themselves for corn and wine, and they rebel against me. But to be quickened by mercy to duty is not mercenary, but evangelical; Hosea 3:5. They shall fear the Lord, and his goodness.
Q8. What is the first inference from hence?
A. That great is the condescension of God to man, that he will use arguments to induce him to obedience, who might exact it only by his sovereignty, and justly damn us for our disobedience; 2 Corinthians 5:20. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: We pray you in Christ's stead, be reconciled to God.
Q9. What is the second inference from hence?
A. That the more mercy any receive from God, the more obligations are laid on them to obey him; Psalm 116:1, 2. I love the Lord, because he has heard my voice, and my supplications: Because he has inclined his ear unto me, therefore will I call upon him as long as I live.
Q10. What is the third inference from hence?
A. The more mercies and favors any man sins against, the greater is that man's sin, and the sorer will be his punishment; Amos 3:2. You only have I known of all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.
Q11. What is the fourth inference from hence?
A. That God's expectations are greater, where his mercies and favors have been so; Isaiah 5:4. What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? Wherefore when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes.
Q12. What is the last inference from hence?
A. That memorials of God's mercies are to be kept by us, to provoke us to constant and cheerful duties of obedience; Exodus 17:14. And the Lord said unto Moses, write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua. Psalm 103:2, 3. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits. Of the first Commandment
Q44. What does the preface to the ten commandments teach us?
A. The preface to the ten commandments teaches us that because God is the Lord, and our God, and Redeemer, therefore we are bound to keep all his commandments.
Q1. Did God himself speak the ten commandments?
A. Yes: God spake all these words, saying, Exod. 20:1.
Q2. Was it fit they should be introduced with a solemn preface?
A. Yes: Hear, O heavens, and give ear, 0 earth, for the Lord hath spoken, Isa. 1:2.
Q3. Did he therein assert his own authority?
A. Yes: I am the Lord thy God.
Q4. Did he remind them of the great things he had lately done for them?
A. Yes: I am the Lord thy God, from the land of Egypt, Hos. 12:9.
Q5. Was the condition of Israel in Egypt very miserable?
A. Yes: For the Egyptians made them to serve with rigour, Exod. 1:13.
Q6. Did God bring them out of Egypt?
A. Yes: He brought Israel from among them, for his mercy endureth for ever, Ps. 136:11.
Q7. Did he do it miraculously?
A. Yes: With a strong hand, and a stretched-out arm, for his mercy endureth for ever, Ps. 136:12.
Q8. Did this oblige them to keep his commandments?
A. Yes: When I brought them out of the land of Egypt, I said, Obey my voice, Jer. 7:22, 23.
Q9. But does this concern us?
A. Yes: For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them, Heb. 4:2.
Q10. For is God the God of the Jews only? Is he not also of the Gentiles?
A. Yes: Of the Gentiles also, Rom. 3:29.
Log in to save personal notes on this question.
The Ten Commandments
The moral law and what God requires of man
Q39. What is the duty which God requireth of man?
A. The duty which God requireth of man, is obedience to his revealed will.
Q40. 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.
Q41. Wherein is the moral law summarily comprehended?
A. The moral law is summarily comprehended in the ten commandments.
Q42. What is the sum of the ten commandments?
A. The sum of the ten commandments is, To love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our strength, and with all our mind; and our neighbour as ourselves.
Q43. What is the preface to the ten commandments?
A. The preface to the ten commandments is in these words, I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
Q44. What doth the preface to the ten commandments teach us?
A. The preface to the ten commandments teacheth us, That because God is the Lord, and our God, and Redeemer, therefore we are bound to keep all his commandments.
Q45. Which is the first commandment?
A. The first commandment is, Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
Q46. What is required in the first commandment?
A. The first commandment requireth us to know and acknowledge God to be the only true God, and our God; and to worship and glorify him accordingly.
Q47. What is forbidden in the first commandment?
A. The first commandment forbiddeth the denying, or not worshipping and glorifying the true God as God, and our God; and the giving of that worship and glory to any other, which is due to him alone.
Q48. What are we specially taught by these words, 'before me', in the first commandment?
A. These words, before me, in the first commandment teach us, that God, who seeth all things, taketh notice of, and is much displeased with, the sin of having any other God.
Q49. Which is the second commandment?
A. The second commandment is, Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: thou shalt not bow down thy self to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; and showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
Q50. What is required in the second commandment?
A. The second commandment requireth the receiving, observing, and keeping pure and entire, all such religious worship and ordinances as God hath appointed in his Word.
Q51. What is forbidden in the second commandment?
A. The second commandment forbiddeth the worshipping of God by images, or any other way not appointed in his Word.
Q52. What are the reasons annexed to the second commandment?
A. The reasons annexed to the second commandment are, God's sovereignty over us, his propriety in us, and the zeal he hath to his own worship.
Q53. Which is the third commandment?
A. The third commandment is, Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
Q54. What is required in the third commandment?
A. The third commandment requireth the holy and reverend use of God's names, titles, attributes, ordinances, Word, and works.
Q55. What is forbidden in the third commandment?
A. The third commandment forbiddeth all profaning or abusing of anything whereby God maketh himself known.
Q56. What is the reason annexed to the third commandment?
A. The reason annexed to the third commandment is, that however the breakers of this commandment may escape punishment from men, yet the Lord our God will not suffer them to escape his righteous judgment.
Q57. Which is the fourth commandment?
A. The fourth commandment is, Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work; but the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
Q58. What is required in the fourth commandment?
A. The fourth commandment requireth the keeping holy to God such set times as he hath appointed in his Word; expressly one whole day in seven, to be a holy sabbath to himself.
Q59. Which day of the seven hath God appointed to be the weekly sabbath?
A. From the beginning of the world to the resurrection of Christ, God appointed the seventh day of the week to be the weekly sabbath; and the first day of the week ever since, to continue to the end of the world, which is the Christian sabbath.
Q60. How is the sabbath to be sanctified?
A. The sabbath is to be sanctified by a holy resting all that day, even from such worldly employments and recreations as are lawful on other days; and spending the whole time in the public and private exercises of God's worship, except so much as is to be taken up in the works of necessity and mercy.
Q61. What is forbidden in the fourth commandment?
A. The fourth commandment forbiddeth the omission or careless performance of the duties required, and the profaning the day by idleness, or doing that which is in itself sinful, or by unnecessary thoughts, words, or works, about our worldly employments or recreations.
Q62. What are the reasons annexed to the fourth commandment?
A. The reasons annexed to the fourth commandment are, God's allowing us six days of the week for our own employments, his challenging a special propriety in the seventh, his own example, and his blessing the sabbath day.
Q63. Which is the fifth commandment?
A. The fifth commandment is, Honour thy father and thy mother; that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.
Q64. What is required in the fifth commandment?
A. The fifth commandment requireth the preserving the honor, and performing the duties, belonging to everyone in their several places and relations, as superiors, inferiors, or equals.
Q65. What is forbidden in the fifth commandment?
A. The fifth commandment forbiddeth the neglecting of, or doing anything against, the honor and duty which belongeth to everyone in their several places and relations.
Q66. What is the reason annexed to the fifth commandment?
A. The reason annexed to the fifth commandment is, a promise of long life and prosperity (as far as it shall serve for God's glory and their own good) to all such as keep this commandment.
Q67. Which is the sixth commandment?
A. The sixth commandment is, Thou shalt not kill.
Q68. What is required in the sixth commandment?
A. The sixth commandment requireth all lawful endeavors to preserve our own life, and the life of others.
Q69. What is forbidden in the sixth commandment?
A. The sixth commandment forbiddeth the taking away of our own life, or the life of our neighbour, unjustly, or whatsoever tendeth thereunto.
Q70. Which is the seventh commandment?
A. The seventh commandment is, Thou shalt not commit adultery.
Q71. What is required in the seventh commandment?
A. The seventh commandment requireth the preservation of our own and our neighbour's chastity, in heart, speech, and behavior.
Q72. What is forbidden in the seventh commandment?
A. The seventh commandment forbiddeth all unchaste thoughts, words, and actions.
Q73. Which is the eighth commandment?
A. The eighth commandment is, Thou shalt not steal.
Q74. What is required in the eighth commandment?
A. The eighth commandment requireth the lawful procuring and furthering the wealth and outward estate of ourselves and others.
Q75. What is forbidden in the eighth commandment?
A. The eighth commandment forbiddeth whatsoever doth, or may, unjustly hinder our own, or our neighbour's, wealth or outward estate.
Q76. Which is the ninth commandment?
A. The ninth commandment is, Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.
Q77. What is required in the ninth commandment?
A. The ninth commandment requireth the maintaining and promoting of truth between man and man, and of our own and our neighbour's good name, especially in witness bearing.
Q78. What is forbidden in the ninth commandment?
A. The ninth commandment forbiddeth whatsoever is prejudicial to truth, or injurious to our own, or our neighbour's, good name.
Q79. Which is the tenth commandment?
A. The tenth commandment is, Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbour's.
Q80. What is required in the tenth commandment?
A. The tenth commandment requireth full contentment with our own condition, with a right and charitable frame of spirit toward our neighbour, and all that is his.
Q81. What is forbidden in the tenth commandment?
A. The tenth commandment forbiddeth all discontentment with our own estate, envying or grieving at the good of our neighbour, and all inordinate motions and affections to anything that is his.
Q82. Is any man able perfectly to keep the commandments of God?
A. No mere man, since the fall, is able in this life perfectly to keep the commandments of God, but doth daily break them in thought, word, and deed.
Q83. Are all transgressions of the law equally heinous?
A. Some sins in themselves, and by reason of several aggravations, are more heinous in the sight of God than others.
Q84. What doth every sin deserve?
A. Every sin deserveth God's wrath and curse, both in this life, and that which is to come.