inform them of the holy nature and will of God', and of their duty, binding them to walkaccordingly"; to convince them of their difability to keep it, and of the finful pollution of their nature, hearts and lives, to humble them in the fense of their fin and mifery", and thereby help them to a clearer fight of the need they have of Christ, and of the perfection of his obediencea.

Q. 96. What particular use is there of the moral law to unregenerate men?

A. The moral law is of use to unregenerate

v Lev. II. 44. 45. For I am the Lord your God: ye fhall therefore fanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy. Lev. 20.7 8. Rom. 7. 12. Wherefore the law is holy; and the commandment holy and just and good.

w Jam. 2. 10, 11. For whofoever fhall offend in one point, he is guilty of all. Mich. 6. 8. What doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?

x Pla. 19. 11, 12. Moreover by them is thy fervant warned -Who can understand his errors? Rom. 3. 20. For by the law is the knowledge of fin. Rom. 7. 7. I had not known fin, but by the law, for I had not known luft, except the law had faid, Thou shalt not covet.

y Rom. 3. 9, 23. What then? Are we better than they? No,

in no wife: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under fin. For all have finned, and come fhort of the glory of God. Rom. 7. 9. 13. When the commandment came, fin revived, and I died-That fin by the commandment might be come exceeding finful.

z Gal. 3. 21, 22. Is the law then againft the promises of God? God forbid! For if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righte oufnefs fhould have been by the law. But the Scripture hath concluded all under fin, that the promise by faith of Jefus Chrift might be given to them that believe.

a Rom. 10. 4. For Chrift is the end of the law for righte oufnefs to every one that believeth.

men, to awaken their confciences to flee from the wrath to come", and to drive them to Chrift; Or, upon their continuance in the estate and way of fin, to leave them inexcufable", and under the curfe thereof.

Q. 97. What Special ufe is there of the moral law to the regenerate?

A. Although they that are regenerate and believe in Chrift, be delivered from the moral law as a covenant of works, fo as thereby they are neither juftified nor condemned": Yet, befide the general uses thereof common to them with all men, it is of fpecial ufe, to fhew them how much they are bound to Chrift for his fulfilling it, and enduring the curfe thereof in their stead

b 1 Tim. 1. 9, 10. Knowing this that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawlefs and difobedient, for the ungodly and finners, &c. Rom,

7.9.

c Gal. 3. 24. Wherefore the law was our schoolmafter to bring us unto Christ, that we might be juftified by faith.

d Rom. 1. 20. So that they are without excufe. Compared with Rom. 2. 15.

e Gal. 3. 10. For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curfe.

f Rom 7. 4. 6. Wherefore my brethren, ye alfo are hecome dead to the law by the body of Chrift; that ye fhould be married to another, even to

him who is raised from the dead, that we fhould bring forth fruit unto God; but now we are delivered from the law,' that being dead wherein we were held: that we fhould ferve in newnefs of spirit, and not in the oldnefs of the letter. And 6. 14. For ye are not ununder the law, but under grace.

g Rom. 3. 20. Therefore by the deeds of the law there fhall no flesh be justified in his fight.

h Rom. 8. 1, 33, 34. There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jefus: Who is he that candemneth?

and for their good'; and thereby to provoke them to more thankfulness, and to express the fame in their greater care to conform themselves thereunto as the rule of their obedience'.

Q. 98. Wherein is the moral law fummarily comprehended?

A. The moral law is fummarily comprehended in the ten commandments, which were delivered by the voice of God upon mount Sinai, and written by him on two tables of flone"; and are recorded in the twentieth chapter of Exodus. The four first commandments containing our duty to God, and the other fix cur duty to man".

i Gal. 3. 13, 14. Chrift hath redeemed us from the curfe of the law, being made a curfe for us. That we might receive the promise of the Spirit thro' faith. Rom. 8. 3, 4. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God fending his own Son in the likeness of finful flesh, and for fin condemned fin in the flesh; that the righteoufnefs of the law might be fulfilled in us. 2 Cor. 5. 21.

k Col. 1. 12, 13, 14. Giving thanks unto the Father, who hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the faints in light: Who hath de. livered us from the power of darkness, and hath tranflated us into the kingdom of his dear Son In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of fins. Luke 1. 68, 69, 74, 75.

1 Rom. 7. 22. For I delight in the law of God, after the inward man. Tit. 2. 11. 12, 13, 14. For the grace of God that bringeth falvation, hath appeared to all men, teaching us that denying ungodlinefs, and worldly lufts, we fhould live foberly, righte oufly, and godly in this prefent world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God, and our Saviour Jefus Chrift; who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works, Rom. 12. 2.

m Deut. 10. 4. And he wrote upon the tables, according to the firft writing, the ten com. mandments. Exod. 34. 1, 2, 3, 4.

n Mat. 22. 37, 38, 39. 40. Jefus faid unto him, Thou shalt

99. What rules are to be obferved for the right understanding of the ten commandments?

A. For the right understanding of the ten commandments, these rules are to be observed;

1. That the law is perfect, and bindeth every one to full conformity in the whole man unto the righteousness thereof, and unto entire obedience for ever; fo as to require the utmost perfection of every duty, and to forbid the least degree of every fin°.

2. That it is fpiritual, and fo reacheth the understanding, will, affections, and all other powers of the foul; as well as words, works, and gestures".

3. That one and the fame thing, in divers refpects, is required or forbidden in feveral commandments.

love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy foul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great com. mandment. And the fecond is like unto it, Thou fhalt love thy neighbour as thyfelf. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

o Pfal. 19. 7. The law of the Lord is perfect. Jam. 2. 10. For whofoever fhall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. Mat. 5. 20. to the end. Whofoever fhall fay, (to his brother) Thou fool, fhall be in danger of hell-fire. Whofoever looketh on a woman to luft after her, hath committed adul

tery with her already in his heart. But let your communication be, yea, yea; nay, nay: for whatfoever is more than these cometh of evil. But I fay unto you, Love your enemies, blefs them that curfe you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that despitefully ufe you, and perfecute you.

p Rom. 7. 14. For we know that the law is fpiritual. Deut. 6. 5. Thou fhalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy foul, and with all thy might. Mat. 22. 37, 38, 39. Mat. 12. 36, 37.

q Col. 3. 5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth: fornication,

4. That as, where a duty is commanded, the contrary fin is forbidden'; and where a fin is forbidden, the contrary duty is commanded': So, where a promife is annexed, the contrary threatening is included'; and, where a threatening is annexed, the contrary promife is included'.

5. That what God forbids, is at no time to be done; what he commands is always our