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clamour, and evil-speaking, be put away from you, with all malice; and be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another. 2. Instead of provoking one another unto love and good works, enticing one another, or yielding unto one another's enticements unto sin. Heb. x. 24, Let us consider one another, to provoke unto love and good works. Prov. i. 10, My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.. 3. A private, contracted, selfish spirit, which keepeth them from any cordial and diligent seeking of one another's good, unless their own private carnal interest be promoted thereby. 1 Cor. x. 24, Let no man seek his own, but every man another's wealth.

Q. 66. 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.

Q. 1. What is the promise itself, which is annexed for the encouragement of those that keep this fifth commandment?

A. The promise itself, which is annexed for the encouragement of them that keep this fifth commandment, is the promise of long life; and this the first particular commandment with promise. Honour thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. Eph. vi. 2, Honour thy fa ther and thy mother, (which is the first commandment with promise.)

Q. 2. How is the fifth commandment the first com. mandment with promise, when there is a promise of God's showing mercy unto thousands, annexed unto the second commandment?

A. The promise of God's showing mercy unto thousands, annexed unto the second commandment, hath not respect unto that commandment only, but is made to those that love God, and with that, keep all his other commandments; whereas, this promise of long life is

particularly applied unto the keepers of the fifth commandment.

Q. 3. What is included in this promise of long life?

A. This promise of long life doth include, not only the continuance of life for a long time, which may be so accompanied with miseries, that death may be more desirable; but also it includeth the blessing and prosperity of life. Eph. vi. 2, 3, Honour thy father and thy mother, that it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live. long on the earth.

Q. 4. Do all those then that honour their parents, live long, and prosper upon the earth?

A. 1. Many that honour their parents, and are faithful in all relative duties, do now attain long life and prosperity in the world, and that by virtue of this promise; and those, that do otherwise, are many of them cut off in their youth, or in the midst of their days, and bring the curse of poverty and want upon themselves while they live yet withal we may observe, that temporal promises and judgments were fulfilled more in the letter formerly in the old testament times, than in the latter gospel days, wherein they are often exchanged into spiritual. 2. This promise is to be understood with this exception, so far as it may serve for God's glory, and the real good of all those that keep this commandment; and oftentimes God is glorified, and they are benefitted, when they are exercised with affliction, and God sees it best to to take some of them home in their youth, or strength of their years, to himself, to hide them from the miseries that befal them that survive, and instead of long life on earth, he giveth them eternal life in heaven. Psalm cxix. 71, It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I might learn thy statutes. Isa. lvii. 1, The righteous perisheth, and merciful men are taken away from the evil to come. 1 John ii. 25, This is the promise he hath promised us, even eternal life.

Q. 67. Which is the sixth commandment? A. The sixth commandment is, Thou shalt not kill,

Q. 68. What is required in the sixth com. mandment?

A. The sixth commandment requireth all lawful endeavours to preserve our own life, and the life of others. Q. 1. What doth the sixth commandment respect? A. The sixth commandment doth respect our own and others life.

Q. 2. What doth the sixth commandment require, in reference to our own life?

A. The sixth commandment doth require, in reference unto our own life, all lawful endeavours for the preservation of it.

Q. 3. May we not deny Christ and his truths for the preservation of our life, if we should certainly lose our life for owning and acknowledging them?

A. The denial of Christ and his truths, is an unlawful mean for the preservation of our life, and therefore not to be used; and saving our life this way, is the way to lose our life and our souls forever. Matth. x. 33, Whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven. Matth. xvi. 25, 26, Whosoever will save his life, shall lose it. What is a man profited if he shall he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?

Q. 4. May we not in any case endeavour the saving of our life by a lie, as Isaac did at Gerar, when he said his wife was his sister, lest the men of the place should kill him for his wife's sake? (Gen. xxvi. 7.)

A. The apostle doth answer this case, Rom. iii. 8, We be slanderously reported, that we say, Let us do evil, that good may come, whose damnation is just. Therefore the lie of Isaac, for preservation of his life, was his sin, and offensive to God, and no more to be approved than the adultery of David, which the scripture doth record, not for imitation, but for caution.

Q. 5. May we not defend our life against an enemy that doth assault us on the Sabbath-day, though we intermit the duties of God's worship thereby?

A. Though sins ought never to be committed, whatever good might come thereby, negative precepts bind

ing to all times; yet positive precepts binding always, but not at all times, duties may be intermitted at some time without sin; and God doth dispense with his worship on his day, when it is necessary we should be employed otherwise in the defence of our life against a public enemy.

Q. 6. What are the lawful endeavours which we ought to use for the preservation of our life?

A. The lawful endeavours which we ought to use for the preservation of our life, are, 1. Defence of ourselves with arms and weapons, against the violence of thieves, Luke xxii. 36, and cut-throats, that seek to murder us.

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He that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy 2. Defence of ourselves with clothes, and in houses, against the violence of the weather and cold. Prov. xxxi. 21, She is not afraid of the snow for her household; for all her household are clothed with scarlet. 3. The nourishing and refreshing our bodies in a sober and moderate use of meat, drink, and sleep. Eph. v. 29, For no man hateth his own flesh, but nourisheth and cherisheth it. 1 Tim. v. 23, Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach's sake, and thine often infirmities. 4. The exerJohn xi. 12, If he sleep he shall do well. cising our bodies with labour and moderate recreations. Eccl. v. 12, The sleep of a labouring man is sweet. Eccl. iii. 1, 4, To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance. 5. The use of physic for the removal of sickMatth. ix. 12, They ness, and the recovery of health. that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. 6. Patience, peaceableness, contentment, cheerfulness, and the moderate exhilirating our spirits with God's gifts, especially rejoicing in the giver, and using all good means to get and keep our mind and heart in a good temper, which doth much tend to the preservation of our health, and a good temper also in our body. Prov. xvii. 22, A merry heart doth good like a medicine; but a broken spirit drieth the bones.

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Q. 7. What doth the sixth commandment require, în reference unto the life of others?

A. The sixth commandment doth require, in reference unto the life of others, all lawful endeavours to preserve others life.

Q. 8. May no lie be made use of to preserve the life of others, especially if they be God's people, and their life be unjustly sought by God's enemies; as Rahab, by a lie, saved the lives of the Israelites in her house, for which she is recorded with commendation, and herself and house were saved when all the city besides were destroyed?

A. 1. No lie must be used upon this or any account, the loss of the lives of the most righteous not being so evil as the least evil of sin. 2. Rahab was commended and spared for her faith, and because of the promise which the Israelites had made unto her, not because of her lie, which was her sin; which sin, without pardon, would have been punished in hell. Heb. xi. 31, By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace.

Q. 9. How may and ought we to endeavour the pres ervation of others' lives?

A. 1. Such as are magistrates, judges, and have power in their hand, ought to defend the innocent when oppressed, wronged, and in danger of losing their livelihood, especially when in danger of death. Psal. lxxxii. 3, 4, Defend the poor and fatherless. Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked. Prov. xxiv. 11, 12, If thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death, and those that are ready to be slain: if thou sayest, Behold we knew it not: doth not he, that pondereth the heart, consider it? and shall not he render to every man according to his works? 2. All ought to distribute necessaries of life according to their ability, unto such as are poor and in want. James ii. 15, 16, If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food; and one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be you warmed and filled: notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what dath it profit? 3. All ought to forbear all wrongs, and

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