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life: And they are they which testify of me.- In whom ye also. trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise. As new-born babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.- Wherefore lay apart all filthiness, and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the ingrafted word, which is able to save your souls. But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. John 5. 39. Eph. 1. 13. 1 Pet. 2. 2, 3. Jam. 1. 21-24. || 1 Cor. 1. 21. and 15. 1, 2. Acts 17. 11, 12. Heb. 4. 1, 2.

Have you read and heard the word of God with diligence, interest, prayerfulness, and self-application? Have you felt that GOD addresses you in his word?

161. What are the advantages of rightly attending to the written or dispensed word?

So they read in the book in the law of GoD distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.But if all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all: And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on his face, he will worship GoD, and report that GOD is in you of a truth The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.- For whatsoever things were written aforetime, were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. Neh. 8. 8. 1 Cor. 14. 24, 25. Ps. 19. 8. Acts 26. 18. Rom. 15. 4. || and 10. 13-17. 2 Tim. 3. 15-17.

Have you found the word of Gon enlightening, purifying, and comforting to your hearts? Have you derived from it all the spiritual blessings which you might have done?

162. Are we required to love all mankind?

A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.- Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not

suffer sin upon him. Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the Lord. And if a stranger sojourn with thee in your land, ye shall not vex him. But the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your GoD. John 13. 34, 35. Lev. 19. 17, 18, 33, 34. || 1 John 3. 11, 15, 18. Luke 10. 25-37.

Are your hearts filled with benevolent affections towards all mankind, and with complacent love towards the pious?

163. Does the benign Godlike spirit of Christianity require us to exercise love and kindness towards our very enemies?

Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy: But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. Therefore, if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.- Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing. Mat. 5. 43-45. Rom. 12. 20, 21. 1 Pet. 3. 9. Luke 6. 35. Prov. 25. 21, 22. Ex. 23. 4, 5. Ps. 35. 12-14.

Do not these precepts respecting love to enemies prove christianity to be from GOD? Have you a heart to obey these precepts ?

164. What is the sentence of God's law against MURDER?

Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.- Thou shalt not kill.Whoso killeth any person, the murderer shall be put to death by the mouth of witnesses: but one witness shall not testify against any person to cause him to die. Moreover, ye shall take no satisfaction for the life of a murderer, which is guilty of death: but he shall be surely put to death. So ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye are for blood it defileth the land: and the land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it. Gen. 9. 6. Ex. 20. 13. Num. 35. 30, 31, 33. || Deut. 19. 10, 13. Lev. 24. 17. 1 Kin. 2. 5, 6, 29-34. 1 John 3. 15. Rev. 21. 8.

Are not murderers multiplying in this land? What does GoD esteem the shedding of human blood in wars?

165. Are we not warned against sinful anger as highly criminal, and tending to murder?

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Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil. He that is soon angry dealeth foolishly and a man of wicked devices is hated. He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls. An angry man stirreth up strife, and a furious man aboundeth in transgression. Ps. 37. 8. Prov. 14. 17. and 25. 28. and 29. 22. || and 16. 32. and 19. 11. Eccl. 7. 9. || Mat. 5. 22. Eph. 4. 31. 1 John 3. 15.

Has God never seen in your heart what his law in its spirituality pronounces murder? How careful ought you to be to repress sinful anger?

166. How is manslaughter defined and treated by the law of God?

And this is the case of the slayer, which shall flee thither, that he may live: Whoso killeth his neighbour ignorantly, whom he hated not in time past; As when a man goeth into the wood with his neighbour to hew wood, and his hand fetcheth a stroke with the axe to cut down the tree, and the head slippeth from the helve, and lighteth upon his neighbour, that he die; he shall flee unto one of these cities, and live. But if he thrust him suddenly without enmity, or have cast upon him any thing without laying of wait, Or with any stone, wherewith a man may die, seeing him not, and cast it upon him, that he die, and was not his enemy, neither sought his harm: Then the congregation shall judge between the slayer and the revenger of blood according to these judgments: And the congregation shall deliver the slayer out of the hand of the revenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to the city of his refuge, whither he was fled: and he shall abide in it. unto the death of the high priest, which was anointed with the holy oil. Deut. 19. 4, 5. Num. 35. 22-25. || Ex. 21. 13. Josh. 20. 3, 5.

Is not this something different from what human laws call manslaughter? How careful ought men to be of the lives of others?

167. "Who hath wo? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes ?" (x)

They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed (x) See Appendix, Note X.

wine. Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.Wo unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink. Wo unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; that continue until night, till wine inflame them! Therefore hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it.- The Lord will not spare him, but then the anger of the Lord and his jealousy shall smoke against that man, and all the curses that are written in this book shall lie upon him, and the Lord shall blot out his name from under heaven. Prov. 23. 30-32. Is. 5. 22, 11, 14. Deut. 29. 20. ||Is. 56. 12. 2 Pet. 2. 12, 13. Prov. 23. 19-21. Luke 21. 34. (y)

Does not intemperance insensibly steal upon the most of drunkards? Can you be too watchful against the least approach towards this pernicious but prevalent evil?

168. Is not EVERY SPECIES of dishonesty as well as theft forbidden?

Ye shall not steal, neither deal falsely, neither lie one to another. Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment, in mete-yard, in weight, or in measure. Just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin shall he have: I am the Lord your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt. Therefore shall ye observe all my statutes, and all my judgments, and do them: I am the Lord. Let him that stole, steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.- For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus. That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified.Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of GOD. Lev. 19. 11, 35 -37. Eph. 4. 28. 1 Thes. 4. 2, 6. 1 Cor. 6. 10. || Deut. 25. 13-16. Job 20. 19, 22. Amos 8. 4-7.

Are there not multitudes who allow themselves in fraud and cheating, who would be ashamed to steal? Will not you resolve to have perfect integrity regulate all your dealings with men?

169. Is nol lying forbidden and abhorred of God, and detested of good men?

These are the things that ye shall do; Speak ye every man (y) See Appendix, Note Y.

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the truth to his neighbour; execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates: And let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbour; and love no false oath: for all these are things that I hate, saith the Lord.- Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile. But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. The lip of truth shall be established for ever: but a lying tongue is but for a moment. Lying lips are abomination to the Lord: but they that deal truly are his delight.- A righteous man hateth lying: but a wicked man is loathsome, and cometh to shame. Zech. 8. 16, 17. Ps. 34. 13. Eph. 4. 15, 25. Prov. 12. 19, 22. and 13. 5. || Jer. 9. 2-9. Mic. 6. 12, 13. Rev.

21. 8.

Have you not much occasion to repent of falsehood? Ought you not to pray much that you may be kept from every approach towards it?

170. What are the consequences of flattery, tale-bearing, and slander?

A man that flattereth his neighbour spreadeth a net for his feet. He that goeth about as a tale-bearer revealeth secrets: therefore meddle not with him that flattereth with his lips.Thou shalt not go up and down as a tale-bearer among thy people; neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbour; I am the Lord. He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter separateth very friends. The words of a tale-bearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.- Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out: so where there is no tale-bearer, the strife ceaseth.- Whoso privily slandereth his neighbour, him will I cut off: him that hath a high look and a proud heart will not I suffer. Prov. 29. 5. and 20. 19. Lev. 19. 16. Prov. 17. 9. and 18. 8. and 26. 20. Ps. 101. 5. || and 12. 23. Prov. 11. 13. and 10. 18.

How lamentably prevalent are the sins of the tongue? Are you entirely free from their guilt?

171. Is every kind of unprofitable conversation forbidden ?

Be not deceived: Evil communications corrupt good manners. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.- Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of Gov

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