Q.91. What is the duty which God requireth of man? A. The duty which God requireth of man, is obedience to his revealed will n.

Q. 92. What did God at first reveal unto man as the rule of his obedience?

A. The rule of obedience revealed to Adam in the estate of innocence, and to all mankind in him, befide a fpecial command not to eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, was the moral law ●.

Q.93. What is the moral law?

A. The moral law is the declaration of the will of God to mankind, directing and binding every one to perfonal, perfect, and perpetual conformity and obedience thereunto, in the frame and difpofition of the whole man, foul and body p, and in performance of all thofe duties of holiness,

we ever be with the Lord.
V. 18.
Wherefore comfort one another with
these words.

91. n Rom. xii. 1. I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye prefent your bodies a living facrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable fervice. v. 2. And be not conform ed to this world: but, be ye tranfformed, by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God. Mic. 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?. I Sam. xv. 22. And Samuel faid, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt-offerings and facrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than facrifice; and to hearken, than the fat of rams.

92. Gen. i. 26. And God faid, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fifh of the fea, and over the fowl of the air, and

and

:

over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. v. 27. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him: male and female created he them. Rom. ii. 14. For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, thefe having not the law, are a law unto themselves v. 15. Which fhew the work of the law written in their hearts, their confcience alfo bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accufing, or elfe excufing one another. Rom. x. 5. For Mofes defcribeth the righteoufnefs which is of the law, That the man which doth those things, fhall live by them. Gen. ii. 17. But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou fhalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eateft thereof, thou shalt furely die.

93. p Deut. v. 1. And Mofes called all Ifrael, and faid unto them, Hear, O Ifrael, the ftatutes and judgments which I fpeak in your ears this day, that ye nay learn

Gg

them,

and righteousness which he oweth to God and man q: promifing life upon the fulfilling, and threatning death upon the breach of it r.

Q. 94. Is there any ufe of the moral law to man fince the fall? A. Although no man, fince the fall, can attain to righte oufness and life by the moral law; yet there is great use thereof, as well common to all men, as pecultar either to the unregenerate, or the regenerate f,

Q.95. Of what ufe is the moral law to all men?

them, and keep and do them. v. 2. The Lord our God made a covepant with us in Horeb. v. 3. The Lord made not this covenant with our fathers, but with us, even us, who are all of us here alive this day. v. 31. But as for thee, stand thou here by me, and I will fpeak unto thee all the commandments, and the flatutes, and the judgments which thou shalt teach them, that they may do them in the land which I give them to poffefs it. v.33. You fhall walk in all the ways which the Lord your God hath command ed you, that ye may live, and that it may be well with you, and that ye may prolong your days in the land which ye shall poffefs. Lukę x. 26. He faid unto him, What is write ten in the law? how readeft thou? v. 27. And he answering, faid, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy foul, and with all thy ftrength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. Gal. iii. 10. For as many as are of the works of the law, are under the curfe: for it is written, Curfed is every one that --continueth not in all things which

are written in the book of the law to do them. 1 Theff. v. 23. And the very God of peace fanctify you wholly and I pray God your whole fpirit and foul and body be preferved blameless unto the co

A

A. The

ming of our Lord Jefus Chrift.

Luke i. 75. In holiness and righteoufnefs before him, all the days of our life. Acts xxiv. 16. And herein do I exercife myself to have always a confcience void of offence toward God, and toward men.

n Rom. x. 5. For Mofes defcribeth the righteoufnefs which is of the law, That the man which doth thofe things, fhall live by them. Gal. iii. 10. For as many as are of the works of the law, are under the curfe: for it is written, Curfed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. v. 12. And the law is not of faith: but, the man that doth them fhall live in them,

94. Rom. viii. 3. 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. Gal. ii. 16. Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jefus Chrift; even we have belie ved in Jefus Chrift, that we might be juftified by the faith of Chit, and not by the works of the for by the works of the law fhall 'flesh be justified.

t 1 Tim. i. 8. But we know that the law is good, if a man ufe it lawfully.

95. Lev

A. The moral law is of ufe to all inen, to inform them of the holy nature and will of God v, and of their duty, binding them to walk accordingly w; to convince them of their dif ability to keep it, and of the finful pollution of their nature, hearts, and lives ; to humble them in fense of their fin and miseryy, and thereby help them to a clearer fight of the need they have of Chrift z, and of the perfection of his obedience a.

Q.96. What particular ufe is there of the moral law to un

regenerate men?

A. The moral law is of ufe to unregenerate men, to awaken their confciences to flee from wrath to come b

95. Lev. xi. 44. For I am the Lord your God: ye fhall therefore fanctify yourselves, and ye fhall be holy; for I am holy neither fhall ye defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. v. 45. For I am the Lord that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye fhall therefore be holy, for I am holy. Lev. xx. 7. Sanctify yourfelves therefore, and be ye holy: for I am the Lord your God. v. 8. And ye shall keep my ftatutes, and do them: I am the Lord which fanctify you. Rom, vii. 12. Where fore the law is holy; and the commandment holy, and juft, and good.

w Mic. vi. 8. He hath fhewed 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? James ii. 10. For whofoever fhall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. v.

1. For he that faid, Do not commit adultery; faid alfo, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery,yet if thou kill, thou art become a tranfeffor of the law.

x Pfal. xix. 11. Moreover, by em is thy fervant warned: and in

and keeping of them there is great re ward. v. 12. Who can understand his errors? cleanfe thou me from fecret faults. Rom. iii. 20. There fore by the deeds of the law, there fhall no flesh be juftified in his fight: for by the law is the knowledge of fin. Rom. vii. 7. What fhall we fay then? Is the law fin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known fin, but by the law: for I had not known luft, except the law had faid, Thou fhalt not covet.

:

Rom. iii. 9. 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. v. 23. For all have finned, and come short of the glory of God.

z Gal, iii. 21. Is the law then against the promifes of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteoufnefs fhould have been by the law. v. 22. But the fcripture hath concluded all under fin, that the promife by faith of Jefus Chrift might be given to them that belieye.

a Rom. x. 4. For Chrift is the end of the law for righteoufnefs to every one that believeth.

96. b 1 Tim. i. 9. Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous

236

The Larger Catechifm.

and to drive them to Chrift c: or, upon their continuance in the estate and way of fin, to leave them inexcufable, and under the curfe thereof e.

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 f, so as thereby they are neither juftifiedg nor condemned b; yet, befide the general ufes 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 ftead and for their goodi; and thereby to provoke them to more thankfulness

teous man, but for the lawless and difobedient, for the ungodly and for finners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers, and murderers of mothers, for man-flayers, v. 10. For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for men-stealers, for liars, for perjured perfons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to found doctrine.

c Gal. iii. 24. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

d Rom. i. 20. For the invifible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly feen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; fo that they are without excufe. Compared with Rom. ii. 15. Which fhew the work of the law written in their hearts, their confcience alfo bearing witnefs, and their thoughts the mean while accufing, or else excufing one another.

e Gal. iii. 10. For as many as are of the works of the law, are under the curfe for it is written, Curfed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.

97. f Rom. vi. 14. For fin fhall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. Rom. vii. 4. Wherefore, my brethren, ye alfo are become dead to the law by the body of Christ: that ye fhould be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that ye fhould bring forth fruit unto God. v. 6. But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should ferve in newness of fpirit, and not in the oldness of the letter. Gal. iv. 4. But when the fulness of the time was come, God fent forth his Son made of a woman, made under the law, v. §. To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of fons.

g Rom. iii. 20. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be juftified in his fight: for by the law is the knowledge of fin.

b Gal. v. 23. Meeknefs, tempe rance: against fuch there is no law. Rom, viii. 1. There is therefore now no condemnation to them which ar in Chrift Jefus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

i Rom. vii. 24. O wretched ma that I am, who fhall deliver mefror

th

Thankfulness k, and to exprefs the fame in their greater care o conform themfelves thereunto as the rule of their obedience /.

Q. 98. Where 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 in two tables of stone m; and are recorded in the twentieth chap