Q.11. What is the fixth Thing forbidden in this Command? A. It forbids the taking away of another's Goods by open Robbery, by Sea or Land, Job v. 5. —And the Robber f-wal loweth up their Subftance. Or clandeftinely and privately, 1 Pet. iv. 15. But let none of you suffer as a Murderer or as a Thief, &c.

Q. 12. What is the Danger of this Sin?

A. It brings Mens Souls, Bodies and Estates under the Curfe of God, Zech. v. 2, 4. Then faid he unto me, This is the Curfe that goeth forth over the Face of the whole Earth: for every one that tealeth shall be cut off, as on this Side, according to it:-I will bring it forth faith the Lord of Hofts, and it fball enter into the Houfe of the Thief, &c.

Q. 13. What is the firft Inftruction hence?

A. Let all that are guilty of this Sin repent, and restore, as they expect Mercy from God, Eph. iv. 28. Let him that fole, fteal no more, &c. Luke xix. 8. And Zaccheus ftood, and faid unto the Lord, Behold Lord, the Half of my Goods I give to the Poor, and if I have taken away any Thing from any Man by falfe Accufation, I reftore him four-fold.

Q 14. What is the last Inference from hence?

A. To excite all to whom God hath given a Competency of the Things of the World, that they blefs God for keeping them from the Temptations of this Sin, Prov. xxx. 8, 9.- Give me neither Poverty nor Riches, feed me with Food convenient for me: left I be full and deny thee, and jay, who is the Lord? or left I be poor and steal, and take the Name of my

God in vain.

Of the ninth Commandment.

Quest. 76. W

HICH is the ninth Commandment? A. The ninth Commandment is, [Thou fhalt not bear falfe Witness against thy Neighbour.] Queft. 77. 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 Names, efpecially in Witnessbearing.

Queft. 78. What is forbidden in the ninth Command

1

A. The ninth Commandment forbiddeth whatsoever is prejudicial to Truth, or injurious to our own, or our Neighbour's good Name.

Q. What is the general Scope and Aim of the ninth Commandment?

A. The ninth Command aims chiefly at the Prefervation and promoting of Truth amongst Men, Zech. viii. 16. Speak ye every Man the Truth to his Neighbour, &c. This being of indifpenfable Neceffity to the Subfiftence and Welfare of human Society, Eph. iv. 25. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every Man Truth with his Neighbour, for we are Members one of another.

Q. 2. What is the firft Thing required particularly in this Command?

A. This Command requires every Man to take Care of preferving his own good Name, by ordering his Converfation in univerfal Integrity, 1 Pet. iii. 15, 16. But fanctify the Lord God in your Hearts, and be ready always to give an Anfwer to every Man that afketh you a Reafon of the Hope that is in you, with Meeknefs and Fear: Having a good Confcience, that whereas they speak Evil of you as of evil Doers, they may be afbamed that falfly accufe your good Converfation in Chrift. Q3. What's the fecond Thing required in this Commandment?

A. It requires all due Care to preferve the good Name and Honour of other Men, as well as our own; for Christians are not to be of narrow and private Spirits, which center only in their own Interelts and Concernments, Phil. ii. 4 Look not every Man on his own Things; but every Man also on the Things of others.

Q. 4. How are we to preferve the good Names of others? A. We are to preferve the good Names of others by an inward Esteem of all the good that is in them, Phil. ii. 3.In Lowlinefs of Mind let each efteem other better than themselves. And manifefting our inward Efteem of them by a wife and feasonable Expreffion thereof for their Encouragement in the ways of Godlinefs, Rom. i. 8. First I thank First Ithank my God through Jefus Chrift for you all, that your Faith is Spoken of ibrong cut th whe World.

Q5. Dow elfe are we to defend oder Mens

A. Ty

A. By our readinefs to receive with Joy the Reports of that Good that is in them, 3 Epift. John iii. For I rejoiced greatly when the Brethren came and teftified of the Truth that is in the, even as thou walkeft in the Truth. And discountenancing all Reproaches maliciously vented against them, Pfal. xv. 3.-Nor taketh up a Reproach against his Neighbour. Q6. But what if the Report be evidently true?

A. In that Cafe we are to grieve for their Mifcarriages, as the Effect and Fruit of our Love to their Souls, 2 Cor. ii. 4. For out of much Affliction and Anguish of Heart, I wrote unto you with many Tears, not that ye fhould be grieved, but that ye might know the Love which I have more abundantly unto you. And to difcharge our Duties privately and faithfully in Order to their Recovery, Mat. xviii. 15, 16, 17. Moreover, if thy Brother fall trespass against thee, go and tell him his Fault between thee and him alone, &c. Winking at and concealing in Love their leffer and common Infirmities, 1 Pet. iv. 8. And above all Things have fervent Charity among your felves: for charity fhall cover a Multitude of Sins.

Q. 7. What is forbidden in the ninth Commandment? A. It forbids us to injure others, by raifing or receiving Lies and falfe Reports, which are highly injurious to their good Names, Col. iii. 9. Lie not one to another, &c.

Q. 8. What elfe is forbidden in the ninth Commandment?

A. It especially forbids Perjury or falfe Swearing, whereby not only the Names, but Estates and Lives of the innocent are injured and ruined, Ffal. xxxv. 11. False Witnesses did rife up: they laid to my charge Things that I knew not, Prov. xix. 5. A falfe Witness fhall not be unpunished: and he that Speaketh Lies fhall not escape.. A Sin which God will punish, Mal. iii. 5. And I will come near to you to judgment, and I will be a fwift Witness against the Sorcerers and against the Adulterers, and against falfe Swearers, &c.

Q. 9. What else is forbidden in this Commandment?

A. It forbids all Whisperings and Back-bitings of others fecretly, 2 Cor. xii. 20. Left there be Debates, Envyings, Wraths, Strifes, Back-bitings, Whisperings, &c. And all Tale-carrying from one to another to our Neighbours Injury, Levit. xix. 16. Thou shalt not go up and down as a Tale

bearer

bearer among thy People, &c. And 1 Tim. v. 13. And not only idle, but Tatlers alfo and Bufy-bodies, Speaking Things which they ought not.

Q. 10. What elfe doth the ninth Commandment forbid? A. It forbids all rafh and unwarrantable judging of other Mens Hearts and final Eftates, which is ufually accompa nied with Ignorance of our own, Math. vii. 1, 3. Fudge not that ye be not judged.-And why beholdeft thou the Mote that is in thy Brother's Eye, but confidereft not the Beam that is in thine own Eye?

Q. 11. What elfe is forbidden in this Commandment?

A. It forbids the eclipfing of the true Worth and Honour of others, by a proud exalting of ourselves, 1 Cor. xiii. 4, 5-Charity envith not, charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, &c. Or by crying up one to the Difparagement of another good Man, 1 Cor. iii. 4, 5. For while one faith, I am of Paul, and another I am of Apollo, are ye not carnal? &c. Q. 12. What is the firft Inference from hence?

A. That the beft Chriftians have caufe to be humbled for the Sins of the Tongue, whereby God is dishonoured, and others are injured, Jam. iii. 2. - If any Man offend not in Word, the fame is a perfect Man, and able alfo to bridle the whole Body. And ver. 5, 6. Even fo the Tongue is a little Member, and boafteth great Things: Behold how great a Matter a little Fire kindleth. And the Tongue is a Fire, a World of Iniquity: fo is the Tongue amongst our Members, that it defileth the whole Body, and fetteth on Fire the Courfe of Nature, and it is fet on Fire of Hell.

Q 13. What is the second Inference from hence ?

A. It is our great Concernment to walk with that Piety and Juftice towards God and Men, as to cut off all juft Occafions of Reproach from our own Names, 2 Cor. xi. 12. But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off Occafion from them which defire Occafion, &c. 1 Tim. v. 14. I will therefore that the younger Women marry, bear Children, guide the Houfe, give none Occafion to the Adverfary to speak reproachfully.

Q. 14. What is the third Inference from this Commandment?

A. To

A. To blefs God that our Names are kept fweet and honourable in the World among good Men, 3 Epift. John xii. Demetrius bath a good Report of all Men, &c. Or if we be reproached, it is by none but wicked Men, and that for our Duty to God, Dan. vi. 5. Then faid thefe Men, we fall not find any Occafion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the Law of his God.

Quest. 79.

Of the tenth Commandment.

W

HICH is the tenth Commandment? A. The tenth Commandment is, [Thou fhalt not covet thy Neighbour's Houfe, thou shalt not covet thy Neighbour's Wife, nor his Man-Servant, nor his MaidServant, nor his Ox, nor his Afs, nor any Thing that is thy Neighbour's.]

Queft. 80. 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 towards our Neighbour, and all that is his.

Queft. 81. What is forbidden in the tenth Commandment? A. The tenth Commandment forbiddeth all Difcontentment with our own Eftate, envying or grieving at the Good of our Neighbour, and all inordinate Motions and Affections to any Thing that is his.

Q. What is the principal Scope and Aim of the tenth Commandment?

A. It is to prevent all Occafions of tranfgreffing the other Precepts of the fecond Table, by reftraining this Sin of Covetoufnefs in the Heart, Pfal. cxix. 35, 36. Make me to go in the Path of thy Commandments: for therein do I delight. Incline my Heart unto thy Teftimonies; and not to Covetousness.

Q. 2. What doth this tenth Command require of us in Reference to ourselves?

A. It requires of us perfect Contentment and Satisfaction with that Estate and Condition, wherein God hath placed us in the World, Hebr. xiii. 5. Let your Converfation be without Covetousness: and be content with fuch Things as ye have, &c. Reckoning it to be good for us, to be in that State we are, though never fo low or afflicted, Pfal. cxix. 67.

Before