to be useful, either as to their temporal or fpiritual good, Luke x 36, 37.

22. What is it to love our neighbour [as ourselves]! A it is to love him as truly and fincerely as we do ourfelves, Eph.v 29. No man ever hated his own flesh, but nour• ifheth and cherisheth it.

221. Should our love to our neighbour be as great as it is to ourselves?

A. It is not required that it be as great in degree, but only that it be as fincere, and free of hypocrify, as it is to ourfelves, Rom xii. 9.

Q. 22. What is the rule according to which our love to our neighbour should be regulated?

A. That we do to others what we would have them do to us, Matth vii. 12.

223. How is this rule to be explained for preventing the abufe of it?

A. That we do as we would be done to, from a wellinformed judgement; and by fuch as place themselves in the fame relations, and in the fame circumfiances with us

224 Why are we enjoined to efteem others better than ourfelves, Phil. ii 3.?

A. Because the more of the grace of God we have in our hearts, we will the more clearly fee that we ourselves are the chief of finners, 1 Tim. i, 14 15. and have the feed of all fin in us, which would foon fpring up into the worst of actions, if not restrained, Rom. vii. 235

225. What is the difference betwixt the love we fhould have to all in general, and the love we should have to the faints in particular?

A. We fhould love all men in general, with a love of benevolence, and likewife of beneficence, according to our abili ty, Gal vi 1c.; but we fhould love the faints with a love of complacency and delight, Pfal. xvi. 3.

2 26. How ought our love to extend itself to our ene

mies?

A By forgiving them, and praying for them, Mat. v. 44. Acts vii. 60.

2. 27: What may we learn from the fum of the commandments?

A. That charity, or love, which is the end of the commandment; ought to flow from a pure heart and a good confcience, and faith unfeigned, i Tim. i. 5.

43. QUEST. What is the preface to the ten

commandments?

ANSW. 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 houfe of bondage.

44. QUEST. What doth the preface to the

ten commandments teach us?

ANSW. 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.

21. What is a [ preface]?

A. It is fomething spoken before: or, a preparatory introduction to a following difcourfe.

22.Whether are thefe words, [I am the Lord thy God,] c. to be understood as a preface to all the commandments, or to the first only?

A. They are to be understood as a preface to them all, though they ftand immediately connected with the first, as being the ground of the particular applicatory faith in a redeeming God, which is therein injoined.

Q. 3. Why are the above words prefixed as a preface to all the commandments?

A. Because they are defigned as fo many reafons and arguments to enforce our obedience unto them.

Q4 Why did God give reafons to enforce obedience to his commands, when his will is the fupreme law?

A. To manifeft his amazing condefcenfion, in dealing with us in a fuitableness to our natures as rational creatures, Hof. xi. 4.

Q. 5. How many reasons or arguments are there in this preface, whereby God enforces obedience to his law?

A. Three: the firft is, because he is THE LORD, or Je

HOVAH; the fecond, because he is OUR GOD; and the third because he is our REDEEMER.

26. Which of thefe three is the formal reefon of obedience?

A. The firft, namely God's effential greatnefs, as he is JEHOVAH, the Moft High over all the earth, Plal. lxxxiii. 18. ; though, at the fame time, his relative goodness, as our God, and the deliverance he hath accomplished as our Redeemer, are invincible arguments and motives thereunto, Lev. xix 36.37%

Q7. What is the ftrength of the first argument for obedience, taken from God's being [THE LORD]?

A. The ftrength of it lies in this, That becaule God is JEHOVAH, the eternal, immutable, and almighty God, having his being in and of him self, and giving Leing to all his words and works*: therefore, all obedience and fubjection is due to him; Lev. xx. 8%

2.8. Wherein lies the ftrength of the fecond argument for obedience to God's law, taken from his being [OUR GOD]?

A. It lies in this, That becaufe he makes nimfelf over to finners of mankind, by a new covenant grant, in the word of divine revelation; therefore, this ought to fweeten all his commands, and powerfully excite us to the obedience of them, Lev. xx. 7.

29. What doth God make over to us in the word, when he makes a grant of himself therein to be our God? A. He makes over to us whatever he is, Hof, xiii. 4. and whatever he hath, Pfal lxxxiv 1. as God, to be ours freely and eternally.

2. 10. What doth he make over to us when he makes a grant of whatever HE 13?

A. He makes over to us both what he is effentially, and what he is perfonally

2. What doth he make over to us when he makes à grant of what he is effentially.

A. All his glorious attributes and excellences to be ours, Exod. xxxiv. 6.; his infinity, to be the extent of our inheritance, Rev. xxi. 7.; his eternity to be the date of our hap piness, John xiv. 9, his unchangeablenefs, to be the rock of our reft, Mal iii. 6. ; his wifdom to direct us, Pfl. Ixxiii; 24.; his power, to project us, 2 Chron. xvi. 9. his holinefs; Larger Cat Quest. 101 E

PART II.

to fanctify us, Ez-k. xvi 14.; his juftice, to affuil us, Rom. iii. 26 ; his goodness to reward us in the way of grace, not of debt, 1 John ii. 25 ; and his truh, to fecure us in the accomplishment of all his promifes, Heb. x. 23.

212. What doth he make over to us, when he makes a grant of what he is perfonally?

A He makes over himself in the perfon of the Father, to be our God and Father in Chrift, Pet. i, 3. in the perfon of the Son, to be our Redeemer and saviour, Ifa. xlviii. 17; and in the perfon of the Holy Ghost, to be our Sanctifier and Comforter, John xiv. 16

913 What is it that he makes over to us, when he makes a grant of whatever HE HATH?

A As he hath all the good things we can poffibly need in time, or through eternity, fo he makes them all freely over to us in the promife;-. All things are yours. 1 Cor. iii. 21.: for inftance he hath life, for the quickening of us who are dead in trefpaffes and fins, Eph. ii. 4; righteousnefs, for the juftifying us who are guilty, f. xlv. 2); and re lemption for delivering us who are lawful cap'ives, chap. xlix. 24 25. In a word, Eye hath not feen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things, which God hath prepared for them that love him, 1 Cor. ii. 9.

214. Is this grant that God makes of himself to us in the word, to be our God, no more than a mere argument, or motive to enforce our obedience?

A. It alfo ftrengthens and enables us thereunto, Ezek. xxxvi. 27, 28.

215 How doth the revelation of God's being our God, ftrengthen and enable us to obedience?

A in as much as by the revelation hereof, the Holy Ghoft is conveyed as the immediate efficient of holiness, Gal. iii. 2; and faith is wrought in the foul, as the fpring and fountain thereof, chap. v. 6.

2, 15 Why do h God front his law with this grant of himfelf as the Lord our God!

A Because it is comprehenfive of all the promises of the covenant, and of the bleffings that are wrapt up in them, and therefore the beft encouragement to the obedience of faith; for, because he is our God he will give us one heart, and one way; he will not turn away from us to do us good, but will put his fear in our hearts, that we shall not depart from him, Jer. xxxii. 38, 39, 401

2. 17. Why doth God make this declaration of his grace in the prefent time [1 AM] and not in the future, I WILD be thy God?

A. To fhew, that God's covenant of promife is always a folid ground and foundation for the prefent actings of faith, in every cafe and circumlance wherein we can be fituate, James ii. 23.

28. Why doth God, in this grant, addrefs the finner in the fingular number, I am [THY] God?

A. Because he wants that every individual finner, to whom the revelation of his grace doth come, fhould believe it, with a particular applicatory faith, Zech xiii. 9. I will fay, It is my people; and they shall fay, The Lord is my God,

Q 19. How may we know, if ever we have by faith, received the offer and grant that God makes of himself in the word?

A by our love and esteem of him, Exod. xv. 2.; by our repofing entire truft and confidence in him, Pfal. xvii. 2 ; by our likeness and conformity to him, 1 Jha iii. 3.; apd by our longing after the full fruition and enjoyment of him. Pfal. 1xxiii. 25.

22 What is the THIRD ARGUMENT, in the Preface for enforcing our obedience?

A. It is in thefe words: [which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage]

Q. How are thefe words explained in our Catechifm? A. Of our fpiritual redemption by Jefus Chrift; for, [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].

222, Wherein lies the ftrength of this argument, for enforcing our obedience to the commands of God?

A. It lies in this, That as he has brought ifrael of old out of their bondage in Egypt, fo he delivereth us out of our fpiritual thraldom: and therefore we should ferve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life, Luke i 74, 75,

223. In what respects did the deliverance of Ifrael out of Egypt refemble our fpiritual redemption by Chrift?

A. The Ifraelites were made to ferve the Egyptians with rigour, Exod. i. 14.; fo finners, by nature, are under the most cruel bondage and fervitude to fin and Satan, 2 Pet. ii. 3.; the Ifraelites were not able of themselves to