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.
Q1. What does this commandment chiefly respect?
A. The LIFE of man, which is the nearest and most valuable of all his temporal concerns, Job 2:4 - "Skin for skin; yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life."
Q2. What makes the life of man valuable?
A. His being "made in the image of God," Gen. 9:6.
Q3. What does this commandment require with reference to man's life?
A. All lawful endeavours to preserve it in ourselves and others.
Q4. What lawful endeavours should we use for the preservation of our own life?
A. The "just defence thereof against violence: - a sober use of meat, drink, physic, sleep, labour, and recreation."88
Q5. By what means should we endeavour to preserve the life of others?
A. "By resisting all thoughts and purposes, subduing all passions and avoiding all occasions, temptations, and practices, which tend to the unjust taking away the life of any."89
Q6. Why are we restricted by the answer to lawful endeavours?
A. To caution and guard us against the unlawful means which some have used, for the preservation of their lives.
Q7. What are the unlawful means which some have used for this end?
A. Denying the truth, 1 Tim. 1:19, 20, and lying, Gen. 12:12, 13.
Q8. What will be the consequence of denying the truth, for preserving of natural life?
A. The losing of a better life than that which we thus intend to preserve, Matt. 16:25, 26.
Q9. May not a lie be told at a time, for preserving life, especially if its preservation be for the public good?
A. At no time, and on no occasion whatever, are we to "do evil that good may come," Rom, 3:8.
Q10. Are we restricted, by this commandment, to the preservation of bodily life only?
A. No; we are also required to consult the welfare of our own souls, and the souls of others.
Q11. What is required of us for the welfare of our own souls?
A. A careful avoiding of all sin, Proverbs 11:19; and a diligent use of all the means of grace, 1 Pet. 2:2.
Q12. What is required of us for promoting the welfare of the souls of others?
A. That we be communicative of our knowledge and experiences to them as occasion offers, Psalm 66:16; that we pray for them, James 5:16; and that we set an example of holy walking before them, Matt. 5:16.
Q13. What are those Christian virtues or graces which this commandment requires, in order to the preservation of life?
A. It requires for this end, "love, compassion, meekness, gentleness, kindness - and comforting, and succouring the distressed."90
Q14. Why should we bear a love to mankind in general?
A. Because they are partakers of the same nature, and possessed of the same rational faculties with us, Acts 17:26, 28.
Q15. How does love contribute to the preservation of life?
A. It covers all those infirmities, and buries all those quarrels which tend to raise strife and variance among men, Proverbs 10:12.
Q16. What influence has compassion, upon the duty here required?
A. It affects us so deeply with the calamities and miseries of our fellow creatures, that it inclines us to relieve them according to our ability, Luke 10:33, 34.
Q17. How does meekness tend to preserve life?
A. As it governs our passions, Proverbs 14:29, and prevents our being easily disturbed at the unkind and unmannerly treatment of others, Col. 3:13.
Q18. How does gentleness contribute to the duty here mentioned?
A. As it excites to an affable and courteous behaviour towards all with whom we are conversant, 1 Pet. 3:8, and disposes us to put the most favourable construction upon any of their actions that may appear doubtful, 1 Cor. 13:5.
Q19. What influence has kindness upon preserving life?
A. As it excites us to the performance of all good offices in our power, both to the souls and bodies of men, Rom. 13:10, 12.
Q20. What should engage us to comfort and succour the distressed?
A. A desire to honour the Lord with our substance, Proverbs 3:9; and to lend to him, who will surely pay us again, chap. 19:17.
Q1. Are we to take care of our own lives?
A. Yes: No man ever yet hated his own flesh, but nourisheth and cherisheth it, Eph. 5:29.
Q2. Must we endeavour the preservation of them?
A. Yes: Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life, Job 2:4.
Q3. Are we to be careful of our diet?
A. Yes: Hast thou found honey, eat so much as is sufficient for thee, Prov. 25:16.
Q4. Are we to use physic when we need it?
A. Yes: Take a lump of figs and lay it upon the boil, Isa. 38:21.
Q5. And are we to be cheerful?
A. Yes: For a merry heart doeth good like a medicine, Prov. 17:22.
Q6. But may we deny Christ to save our lives?
A. No: He that so saveth his life shall lose it, Matt. 16:25.
Q7. May we commit any wilful sin to save our lives?
A. No: We must do no evil that good may come, Rom. 3:8.
Q8. But what we do for the preservation of our own lives, must it be with an eye to God's glory?
A. Yes: That I may live, and keep thy word, Ps. 119:17. Live and praise thee, Ps. 119:175.
Q9. Are we to be compassionate even to the brute creatures?
A. Yes: A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast, Prov. 12:10.
Q10. Are we to be careful of the lives of others as well as of our own?
A. Yes: It was Cain that said, Am I my brother's keeper? Gen. 4:9.
Q11. Are we to do what we can in our places for the relief of those who are exposed to violence?
A. Yes: We must deliver them that are ready to be slain, Prov. 24:11,12.
Q12. Must we succour the distressed, like the good Samaritan?
A. Yes: Go thou and do likewise, Luke 10:87.
Q13. Are we to support the lives of those who are in straits?
A. Yes: The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me, Job 29:13.
Q14. Are we to be meek towards those that provoke us?
A. Yes: Showing all meekness toward all men, Titus 3:2.
Q15. And are we to be merciful toward those who need us?
A. Yes: Put on, as the elect of God, bowels of mercy, Col. 3:12.
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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.