sinful cursing,(1) oaths,(2) vows, (3) and lots; (4) violating of our oaths and vows, if lawful;(5) and fulfilling them, if of things unlawful; (6) murmuring and quarrelling at, (7) curious prying into, (8) and misapplying of God's decrees (9) (1) Rom. xii. 14.-Bless, and curse not. 1 Sam. xvii. 43. 2 Sam. xvi. 5. (2) Jer. v. 7.-Thy children have forsaken me, and sworn by them that are no gods. Jer. xxiii. 10.-For because of swearing the land mourneth. (3) Deut. xxiii. 18. Thou shalt not bring the hire of a whore, or the price of a dog, into the house of the Lord thy God for any vow. Acts xxiii. 12, 14. And when it was day, certain of the Jews banded together, and bound themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul. (4) Esth. iii. 7, and ix. 24. They cast Pur, that is, the lot, before Haman, from day to day. Because Haman-had devised against the Jews to destroy them, and had cast Pur. (5) Ps. xxiv. 4.-Who hath not lifted up his soul' unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. Ezek. xvii. 16, 18, 19. Surely mine oath that he hath despised, and my covenant that he hath broken, even it will I recompense upon his own head. (6) Mark vi. 26. And the king was exceeding sorry: yet for his oath's sake, and for their sakes which sat with him, he would not reject her. 1 Sam. xxv. 22, 32, 33, 34. (7) Rom. ix. 14, 19, 20.-Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.-Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will? Nay, but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus ? (8) Deut. xxix. 29. The secret things belong unto the Lord. (9) Rom. iii. 5, 7, 8. But if our unrighteousness commend the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance?-For if the and providences; (1) misinterpreting, (2) misapplying, (3) or any way perverting the word, or any part of it, (4) to profane jests, (5) curious and unprofitable questions, vain janglings, or the maintaining of false doctrines; (6) abusing it, the creatures, or any thing contained under the name of God, to charms, (7) or sinful lusts truth of God hath more abounded through my lie unto his glory; why yet am I also judged as a sinner? &c. (1) Eccl. viii. 11. Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. Ps. lxxiii. 12, 13. (2) Matt. v. 21 to the end. (3) Ezek. xiii. 22. Because with lies ye have made the heart of the righteous sad, whom I have not made sad; and strengthened the hands of the wicked, that he should not return from his wicked way, by promising him life. (4) 2 Pet. iii. 16.-In which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. Matt. xxii. 24-31.-Ye do err, not know ing the Scriptures, nor the power of God, &c. (5) Jer. xxiii. 34, 36, 38. (6) 1 Tim. vi. 4, 5, 20. He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth.-Avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called. 2 Tim. ii. 14.—Charging them before the Lord, that they strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers. Tit. iii. 9. (7) Deut. xviii. 10 to 14. There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, or a and practices; (1) the maligning, (2) scorning,(3) reviling, (4) or any ways opposing of God's truth, grace, and ways; (5) making profession of religion in hypocrisy, or for sinister ends; (6) being ashamed of it; (7) or a shame to it, by charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. Acts xix. 13. (1) 2 Tim. iv. 3, 4. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. Jude 4. Rom xiii. 13, 14. 1 Kings xxi. 9, 10. (2) Acts xiii. 45. But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming. 1 John iii. 12. (3) 2 Pet. iii. 3. Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last day scoffers, walking after their own lusts. Ps. i. 1.-nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. (4) 1 Pet. iv. 4. Wherein they think it strange, that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you. (5) Acts xiii. 45, 46, 50. See figure (3), above. But the Jews stirred up the devout and honourable women, and the chief men of the city, and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them out of their coasts. Acts iv. 18.-And commanded them not to , speak at all, nor teach, in the name of Jesus. Acts xix. 9. 1 Thess. ii. 16. Heb. x. 29. (6) 2 Tim. iii. 5. Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof. Matt. xxiii. 14. Wo unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer. Matt. vi. 1, 2, 3, 5, 16. (7) Mark viii. 38. Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me, and of my words, in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father, with the holy angels. uncomfortable, (1) unwise, (2) unfruitful, (3) and offensive walking (4) or backsliding from it. (5) Q. 114. What reasons are annexed to the third commandment? A. The reasons annexed to the third commandment, in these words, "the Lord thy God" and "for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain,”(6) are, because he is the Lord and our God, therefore his name is not to be profaned, or any way abused by us; (7) especially because he will be so far from acquitting and sparing the trans (1) Ps. lxxiii. 14, 15. For all the day long have I been plagued, and chastened every morning, &c. (2) Eph. v. 15, 16, 17. See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. 1 Cor. vi. 5, 6. (3) Isa. v. 4. What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? Wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes. 2 Pet. i. 8, 9. (4) Rom. ii. 23, 24. Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God? For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles, through you, (5) Gal. iii. 1, 3. O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?-Are ye so foolish? Having be gun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh? Heb. vi. 6. (6) Ex. xx. 7. (7) Lev. xix. 12. And ye shall not swear by my name falsely, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the Lord. gressors of this commandment, as that he will not suffer them to escape his righteous judgment, (1) albeit many such escape the censures and punishments of men. (2) Q. 115. Which is the fourth commandment? A. The fourth commandment is, Remember the Sabbath-day to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy man-servant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath-day and hallowed it. (3) Q. 116. What is required in the fourth commandment? A. The fourth commandment requireth of all men the sanctifying or keeping holy to God such set times as he hath appointed in his word, expressly one whole day in seven; (1) Deut. xxviii. 58, 59. If thou wilt not observe to do all the words of this law, that are written in this book, that thou mayest fear this glorious and fearful name, THE LORD THY GOD; then the Lord will make thy plagues wonderful, and the plagues of thy seed, even great plagues, and of long continuance. Zech. v. 2, 3, 4. Ezek. xxxvi. 21, 22, 23. 1 Sam. ii. 12, 17, 22. 1 Sam. iii. 13. |