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relief of the w poor, as becomes a Christian: secondly, that all the days of my life I cease from my evil works, and yield myself to the Lord, to work by his holy Spirit in me, and thus a begin in this life the eternal sabbath.

པ་“་་་་

XXXIX. LORD'S DAY.

Q. 104. What doth God require in the fifth command ?

A. That I shew all honour, love, and fidelity to my father and mother, and all in authority over me, and y submit myself to their good instruction and correction, with due obedience; and also patiently bear with their & weaknesses and infirmities, since it pleases a God to govern us by their hand.

XL. LORD'S DAY.

Q. 105. What doth God require in the sixth command ?

A. That neither in thoughts, nor words, nor gestures, much less in deeds, I dishonour, hate, wound or b kill my neighbour, by myself or by another; but that I lay c aside all desire of revenge; also, that I d hurt not myself, or wilfully expose myself to any danger, wherefore also the magistrate e is armed with the sword, to prevent murder.

Q. 106. But this command seems only to speak of murder !

A. In forbidding murder, God teaches us, that he abhors the causes thereof; such asƒ envy, g hatred, h anger, and desire of revenge; and that i he accounts all these as murder.

Q. 107. But is it enough that we do not kill any man in the manner mentioned above?

A. No; for when God forbids envy, hatred, and anger, he commands us toj love our neighbour as ourselves; to shew k patience, peace, l meekness, m mercy, and all kindness, towards him, n and prevent his hurt as much as in us lies; and that we o do good, even to our enemies.

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XLI. LORD'S DAY.

Q. 108. What doth the seventh command teach us?

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A. That all uncleanness is accursed p of God, and that therefore we must with all our hearts q detest the same, and liver chastely and temperately, whether in s holy wedlock, or in a single life.

Q. 109. Doth God forbid in this command, only adultery, and such like gross sins?

A. Since both our body and soul are temples of the Holy Ghost, he commands us to preserve them pure and holy; therefore he forbids all unchaste actions, t gestures, words, thoughts, u desires, and whatever v can entice men thereto.

XLII. LORD'S DAY.

Q. 110. What doth God forbid in the eighth command ?

A. God forbids not only those w thefts and a robberies which are punishable by the magistrate; but he comprehends under the name of theft all wicked tricks and devices, whereby we design, to y appropriate to ourselves the goods which belong to our neighbour; whether it be by force, or under the appearance of right; as by unjust a weights, ells, a measures, fraudulent merchandize, false coins, b usury, or by any other way forbidden by God; as also all c covetousness, all abuse and waste of his gifts.

Q. III. But what doth God require in this command ?

A. That I promote the advantage of my neighbour in every instance I can or may; and deal with him as I d desire to be dealt with by others; further also That I faithfully labour, so that I e may be able to relieve the needy.

XLIII. LORD'S DAY.

Q. 112. What is required in the ninth command ?

A. That I bear false witness fagainst no man; nor falsify g any man's word: that I be no backbiter, h or slanderer; that I do not judge, or join i in condemning any man rashly or unheard; but that ij avoid all sorts of lies and deceit, as the proper works k of the devil, unless I would bring down upon me the heavy wrath of God, likewise that in judgment and all other dealings, I love the truth, speak it upightly p Lev. 18. 27.

q Judg. 22. 23.
7 1 Thes. 4. 3, 4.
s Heb. 13. 4.
t Eph. 5. 3.
u Mat. 5. 28.

1 Cor. 7. 4, 9.

1 Cor. 6. 18.

1 Cor. 15. 33.

1 Thes. 4. 6.

v Eph. 5. 18.
n 1 Cor. 6. 10.
1 Cor. 6. 10.
y Luke 3. 14.
Prov. 11. 1.
a Ezek. 45, 9, 10, 11.

Deut.

25. 13.

b Psa. 15. 5. Luke 6. 35.
c 1 Cor. 6. 10.-

d Mat. 7. 12.

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and confess it: also that I defend and promote, m as much as I am able, the honour and good character of my neighbour.

ག་་་་རས་

XLIV. LORD'S DAY.

Q. 113. What doth the tenth command require of us?

A. That even the smallest inclination or thought, contrary to any of God's commands, never rise in our hearts; but that at all times we hate all sin with our whole hearts, n and delight in all righteousness.

Q. 114. But can those who are converted to God, perfectly keep these commands?

A. No; but even the holiest men while in this life, have only small beginnings of this o obedience, yet so, that with a p sincere resolution, they begin to live, not only according to some, but all the commands of God.

Q. 115. Why will God then have the ten commands so strictly preached, since no man in this life can keep them ?

A. First, that all our life time, we may learn q more and more to know our sinful nature, and thus become the more earnest in seeking the remission of sin, r and righteousness in Christ: likewise, that we constantly endeavour and pray to God for the grace of the holy spirit, that we may become more and more conformable to the image of God, till we arrive at the perfection proposed to us, in a life to come.s

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XLV. LORD'S DAY.

OF PRAYER.

Q. 116. Why is prayer necessary for christians?

A. Because it is that chief part of t thankfulness which God requires of us and also because God will give his grace and holy Spirit to those only who with sincere desires continually ask them of him, and u are thankful for them.

Q. 117. What are the requisites of that prayer, which is acceptable to God, and which he will hear ?

A. First, that we from the heart pray to the one true God only, who hath v manifested himself in his word, for all things he hath commanded us to ask of him: w secondly, that we rightly and thoroughly know our need and misery, that so we may a deeply humble ourselves in the presence of his divine majesty: thirdly, that we may be fully persuad

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ed that he, notwithstanding we are y unworthy of it, will, for the sake of Christ our Lord, certainly z hear our prayer, as he has a promised as in his word.

Q. 118. What hath God commanded us to ask of him?

A. All b things necessary for soul and body; which Christ our Lord has comprised, in that prayer he himself c has taught us.

Q. 119. What are the words of that prayer?

A. Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors and lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil : For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever.

XLVI. LORD'S DAY.

AMEN.

Q. 120. Why hath Christ commanded us to address God thus, "Our Father ?"

A. That immediately in the very beginning of our prayer, he might excite in us a child-like reverence for, and confidence in God, which are the foundation of our prayer; namely, that God is become our Father in Christ, d and will much less deny us what we ask of him in true faith, than our parents e will refuse us earthly things.

Q. 121. Why is it here added, "Which art in heaven ?"

A. Lest we should form any ƒ earthly conceptions of God's heavenly majesty, and that we g may expect from his Almighty power all things necessary for soul and body.

XLVII. LORD'S DAY.

Q. 122. Which is the first petition ?

A. h "Hallowed be thy name;" that is, grant us first rightly i to know thee, and toj sanctify, glorify, and praise thee in all thy works, in which thy power, wisdom, goodness, justice, mercy, and truth, are clearly displayed; and further also, that we may so order and direct our whole lives, our thoughts, words and actions, as that thy name may never be blasphemed, but rather k honoured and praised, on our account.

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XLVIII. LORD'S DAY.

Q. 123. Which is the second petition ?

A. "Thy kingdom come;" that is, rule us so by thy word and Spirit, that we may m submit ourselves more and more to thee; preserve and n increase thy church, destroy the o works of the devil, and all violence which would exalt itself against thee; and also, all wicked counsels devised against thy holy word; till the full p perfection of thy kingdom takes place, q wherein thou shalt be all in all.

XLIX. LORD'S DAY.

Q. 124. Which is the third petition ?

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A. r Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven;" that is, grant that we and all men may renounce s our own will, and without murmuring, t obey thy will which is only good; that so every one may attend to and u perform the duties of his station and calling as willingly and faithfully, as the v angels do in heaven.

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L. LORD'S DAY.

Q. 125. Which is the fourth petition ?

A. N "Give us this day our daily bread;" that is, be pleased to provide us with all things a necessary for the body, that we may thereby acknowledge thee to be the only fountain of all y good, and that neither our care nor industry, nor even thy gifts, can z profit us without thy blessing, and therefore that we may withdraw our trust from all creatures, and place a it alone in thee.

LI. LORD'S DAY.

Q. 126. Which is the fifth petition?

A. b "And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors;" that is, be pleased for the sake of Christ's blood, c not to impute to us poor sinners, our transgressions, nor that depravity which always cleaves to us, even as we feel this evidence of thy grace in us, that it is our firm resolution from the heart, to d forgive our neighbour.

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