truth. 2. Whatsoever is injurious to our own, or our neighbour's good name. Q. 2. What is forbidden in the Linth commandment as prejudicial unto truth? A. The ninth commandment forbiddeth as prejudicial unto truth, all falshood and lying whatsoever, whether it be lies to make mischief, or false accusations of others; or lies to make gain, as falsifying of our word, and over-reaching our neighbour for advantage to ourselves: or lies to make wonder, as in the inventing of strange or false news or lies to inake sport, as in lying jests; or lies to make excuse, as in all lies for the covering of our own, or others faults, Col. iii. 9. Lye not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds. Rev. xxi. 3. All liars shall have their part in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone, Q. 3. What doth the ninth commandment forbid, as injurious unto our own good name? A. The ninth commandment forbiddeth; as injurious unto our own good name: 1. The doing any thing Which is justly of evil report, and may pejudice our reputation among men; such as committing adultery, theft, fraud, and any kind of baseness and wickedness; which is not only dishonourable unto God, but dishonourable unto ourselves, Prov. vi. 32 53. Whoso committeth adultery with a woman, lacketh understanding: a wound and dishonour shall he get, and his reproach shall not be wiped away. 1 Sam.ii. 24, 30. Nay, my son for it is no good report that I hear: Now the Lord saith, Be it far from me, for them that honour me, I will honour: and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed. 2. All boasting and vain glory, and that whether we boast of a false gift, or those gifts which we really have.whereby we realy debase & render ourselves contemptible in the eyes of God, and of the more judicious Christians. I Cor. xiii. 4. 5. Charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, behaveth not itself unseemingly, Prov. xxv. 14. Whoso boasteth himself of a false gift, is like clouds and wind without rain, Matth. xxiii. 12. Whosoever shall exalt himself, shall be abased: and he that shall humble himself, shall be exalted. 3. Bearing false witness against ourselves, in accusing ourselves of that wherein we are not guilty, and by denying the gifts and graces which God hath given us, endeavouring to lessen our esteem. that thereby we might be numbred amongst those from whom we are through grace redeemed, Col. ii. 18. Let no man beguile you of your reward, in a voluntary humility. 4. Unnecessary and impudent discovery of our real infirmities, unto the scorn of the wicked'and ungodly. Q. 4. What doth the ninth commandment forbid, as injurious unto the good name of our neighbours ? A. The ninth commandment doth forbid, as injurious unto the good name of our neighbours: 1. Perjury or false swearing, and false accusations, or any ways bearing false witness ourselves, or suborning others to bear false witness against our neighbour, Zech. viii. 17. 2 Tim. iii. 1, 2, 3. Psal. xxxv. 11. Prov. xix. 5. Acts vi. 12, 13. 2. Judging, evil speaking, and rash censuring of our neighbours, for doubtful or small matters especially when we are guilty of the same, or of greater faults ourselves, Acts xxviii. 4. Mat. vii. 1, 3. Rom. ii. 2. James iv. 11. S. Scoffing, deriding, reviling and reproachful speeches unto the face of our neighbours, and all backbiting of them, which may wound or detract from their due reputation. Psal. 1. 19, 30. Psal, xv. 1. S. Lev. xix. 16. 1 Tim. v. 18.2 Cor. xii. 20. 4. Railing or taking up an evil report against our neighbours, without great proof, Exod. xxx. 1. Thou shalt not raise a false report, Psal. xv. 3. Nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour. Prov. xxvii. 12. If a ruler hearken to lies, all his servants are wicked. 79. Q. Which is the tenth commandment? A. The tenth commandment is, Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, Thou shalt not covet thy neighobur's wife, nor his man servant, nor his maid servant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's. 80. Q. What is required in the tenth commandment ? A. The tenth commandment requireth, full contentment with our own condition, with a right and chari table frame of spirit, towards our neighbour and all that is his. Q. 1. What doth the tenth commandment require, in reference unto ourselves? A. The tenth commandment doth require, in reference unto ourselves, full contentment with our own condition, Heb. xiii. 5. Let your conversation be without covetousness, and be content with such things as ye have? Q 2. Wherein doth contentment with our own condition consist? A. Contentment with our own condition doth consist in our free acquiescence and complacency with God's disposal of us, whereby we like our present condition, as best and most fit for us. Q. 3. How may we attain to contentment in a prosperious condition, when we abound in wealth and the good things of this life? A. We may attain to contentment in a prosperous condition, when we abound in wealth, and the good things of this life; 1. By not setting our hearts too much upon, nor expecting too much from any of these things. Psal. Ixii. 10. If riches increase, set not your heart upon them, Luke xii. 5. 2. By placing our chief happiness in God, and things above; and chiefly, seeking to enjoy God in the good things which we have, Psal. xvi. 5, 6. The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance, and of my cup: Thou maintainest my lot, the lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places, yea, I have a goodly heritage. 3. By readiness to distribute to the necessity of others, which is accompanied with God's love and blessing, who giveth the greatest comforts in these things unto such, I Cor. ix. 7, 8. By prayer, and seeking to God through Christ, for this grace of contentment; without which, the more we have in the world, the more our desires after increase will be enlaged, and the less we shall be satisfied. Q. 4. How may we attain contentment in a low, Tecessitious and afflicted condition. A. We may attain contentment in a low, necessitous and afflicted condition: 1. By attaining true godliness, unto which alone true contentment is annexed, 1 Tim. vi. 6. Godliness with contentment is great gain. 2. By being fully persuaded of, and seriously and understandingly eyeing the wise and good hand of God's providence, in his disposal of us, and bringing any affliction upon us, Job i. 21. The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord. Psal. xxix. 9. I was dumb I opened not my mouth; because thou didst it, Psal. cxix. 75. I know, O Lord, that thy judgments are right; and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me. 5. By getting an interest, and trusting in God's promise, to cause all things, even the worst thing that can befal us, to work together for our good, Rom. viii. 2. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. 4. By humility, and a deep sense of our undeservings, and ill deservings at God's hand for our sins, Gen. xxxiii. 10. I am not worthy of the least of all thy mercies, and the truth which thou hast shewed unto thy servant, Dan. ix. 8. 5. By looking unto others better than themselves, who have been lower in the world, and more afflicted than we have been; our Saviour had no where to lay his head: and those of whom the world was not worthy, had no certain dwelling place in the world, and many of them destitute, afflicted andtormented. 6. By labouring so much the more to abound in spiritual riches the less we have of temporal; and if we have no searthly inheritance, to secure our right unto, and living by faith upon our heavenly inheritance, hereby the poorest, sometimes become the richest, and those that have most outward trouble, have most inward joy, James ii. 5. Hath not God chosen the poor of this world, rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him? 1 Thess. i. 6. Having received the word in much afflic tion and with joy in the holy Ghost. 7. By considering how we brought nothing in the world, and that we can carry nothing with us out of it, Job i. 21. Na-ked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither. 4 Tim. vi. 7, 8. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment, let us therewith be content. 1. By going to Christ. to teach us the lesson of universal contentment, and fetching strength from him to exercise this grace in every condition, Philip. iv. 11, 12, 13. Q. 5. What doth the tenth commandment require in reference unto our neighbour? A. The tenth commandment doth require in refer*ence unto our neighbour, a right and charitable frame of spirit towards him and all that is his. Q. 6. Wherein doth this right and charitable frame of spirit towards our neighbour, and all that is his, consist? A. This right and charitable frame of spirit towards our neighbour and all that is his, doth consist, 1. In our affections of love, desire, and delight towards and in our neighbour, and his welfare: together with grief and sorrow with, and for our neighbour's evil and sufferings, Rom. xii. 15. Be kindly affectioned one to another, with brotherly love, rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep, Heb. xiii. 3. Remember those that are in bonds as bound with them, and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also ia the body. 2. In a ready disposition, and habitual inclination unto these affections towards our neighbour. Q. 7. How may we attain such affections and dispositions towards our neighbour? A. We may attain such affections and dispositions towards our neighbour. 1. By getting the law of God written upon our heart, whereby we are wrought into a love of the law, and to an inclination to do it, Heb. viii. 10. I will put my laws into their mind and write them in their hearts. 2. By getting our affections set chiefly upon God, which will incline unto any right affections one towards another. I John v. 1. Every one that loveth him that begat, loveth him also that is begotten of him. 3. By faith in Jesus Christ, which worketh the heart both to a true love to God, and one towards another, Gal. vi. 6. But faith which worketh by love. 3. By looking unto, and following the exam |