The Catechizing of Families, Chapter 33
CHAP. XXXIII. Of the Preface to the Decalogue.
Qu. 1. VVHat are the Parts of the Decalogue?
A. I. The Constitution of the Kingdom of God over Men described: And, II. The Administration or Governing Laws of his Kingdom.
Q. 2. What words express the Constitution of God's Kingdom?
A. [I am the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the Land of Egypt, out of the House of bondage.]
Q. 3. What is the Constitution here expressed?
A. 1. GOD the Soveraign: 2. Man the Subject. 3. The work of God, which was the next Foundation or reason of the mutual Relation between God and Man, as here intended.aMal. 2. 10. Mat. 19. 17. Mark 12. 32. Ier. 7. 23. Ioh. 20. 17.
Q. 4. What is included in the first part, of God's Soveraignty?
A. 1. That there is a God, and but One God (in this special Sence:) 2. That the God of Israel is this One true God, who maketh these Laws. 3. That we must all obey him.
Q. 5. What is GOD, & what doth that word here mean?
A. This was largely opened in the beginning. Briefly, to be GOD is to be a Spirit, Infinite in Being, in Vital Power, Knowledge and Goodness, of whom as the efficient Cause, and through whom as the Governour, and to whom as the End, are all things else; related to us as our Creator, and as our Absolute Owner, Our Supream Ruler and our greatest Benefactor, Friend and Father.
Q. 6. What words mention [Man as the Subject of the Kingdom?]
A. [Hear O Israel] and [Thy God that brought Thee, &c.
Q. 7. What Relations are here included?
A. That we being Gods Creatures and Redeemed Ones, are, 1. His Own: 2. His Subjects, to be Ruled by him. 3. His poor Beneficiaries, that have all from him, and owe him all our Love.
Q. 8. What do the words signifie [that brought thee out of the Land of Egypt?]
A. That besides the Right of Creation, God hath a Second Right to us as our Redeemer: The deliverance from Egypt was that Typical one that founded the Relation between him and the Common-wealth of Israel. But as the Decalogue is the Law of Christ, the meaing is [I am the Lord thy God who Redeemed thee from sin and misery by Iesus Christ. bMat. 28. 19. Rom. 14. 9. Ioh. 5. 22. Ioh. 17. 2, 3.So that this signifieth the nearest Right and Reason of this Relation between God and Man. He giveth us his Law now not only as our Creator, but as our Redeemer: and as such we must be his willing Subjects and obey him.
Q. 9. Are all Men Subjects of God's Kingdom?
A. 1. All are Subjects as to Right and Obligation. 2. All that Profess Subjection as profest Consenters. 3. And all true hearty Consenters are his sincere Subjects that shall be Saved.
God the Creator and Redeemer hath the Right of Soveraignty over all the World whether they Consent or not. But they shall not have the Blessing of Faithful Subjects without their own true Consent, nor of visible Church Members without profest Consent. But antecedent Mercies he giveth to all.
Q. 10. Why is this description of Gods Soveraignty, and Mans Subjection, and the Ground of it, set before the Commandements?
A. Because, 1. Faith must go before Obedience.cIoh. 17. 3. & 14. 1, 2. Ioh. 3. 16. Ios. 24. 18. Ioh. 20, 28. He that will come to God and obey him, must Believe that God is God, and that he is the Rewarder of them that diligently seek him, Heb. 11. 6. And he that will obey him as our Redeemer, must believe that we are Redeemed by Jesus Christ, and that he is our Lord and King. 2. And Relations go before the Dutyes of Relation: And our Consent foundeth the mutual Relation. The nature and form of Obedience is, To Obey anothers Commanding will because he is our Rightful Governour. No Man can Obey him formally whom he taketh not for his Ruler. And Subjection or Consent to be Governed, is Virtually all Obedience.
Q. 11. But what if Men never hear of the Redeemer, may they not obey Gods Law of Nature?
A. They may know that they are Sinners; and that the sin of an Immortal Soul deserveth endless punishment: And they may find by experience that God useth them not as they deserve, but giveth many mercies to those that deserve nothing but misery; and that he obligeth them to use some means in hope for their recovery, and so that he Governeth them by a Law (or on terms) of Mercy. And being under the first Edition of the Law of Grace, though they know not the second, they ought to keep that Law which they are under, and they shall be judged by it.
Q. 12. How then doth the Christian Church as Christs Kingdom, differ from the World without, if they be any of his Kingdom too?
A. As all the World was under that Common Law of Grace which was made for them to Adam and Noe, and yet Abraham and his Seed only were chosen out of all the World as a peculiar Holy Nation to God, and were under a Law and Covenant of Peculiarity, which belonged only unto them; so though Christ hath not revoked those common Mercies given to all by the first Edition of the Law of Grace, nor left the World ungoverned and lawless, yet he hath given to Christians a more excellent Covenant of Peculiarity than he gave the Natural Seed of Abraham, and hath elected them out of the World to himself, as a chosen Generation, a Royal Priestood, an Holy Nation, a peculiar People, to shew forth the Praises of him that hath called them out of darkness into his marvellous Light, 1 Pet. 2. 9.
Q. 13. It seems then we must take great heed that we make not Christs Kingdom either less or Greater than it is?
A. To make it Greater than it is, by equalling those without with the Church, or Church-hypocrites with the sincere, doth dishonour Gods Holiness, and the wonderful design of Christ in Mans Redemption, and the Grace of the Spirit, and the Church of God, and obscureth the Doctrine of Election and God's peculiar Love, and tendeth to the discomfort of the Faithful, and even to Infidelity.
And to make Christ's Kingdom less than it is, by de…ying the first Edition of the Law of Grace made to …ll, and the common Mercies given to all, (antecedently …o their rejection of them) doth obscure and wrong …he Glory of Gods Love to Man, and deny his com…on Grace and Law, and feigneth the World either …o be under no Law of God, or else to be all bound to be perfectly Innocent at the time when they are guilty,dPsal. 145. 9. and either not bound at all to hope and seek for Salvation, or else to seek it on the Condition of being Innocent when they know that it is impossible, they being already guilty: And it maketh the World like the Devils almost; shut up in despair; and it leaveth them as Guiltless of all sin against Grace and the Law of Grace, as if they had none such: And it contradicteth the judgment of Abraham the Father of the Faithful, who saw Christ's day: For he thought that even the wicked City Sodom had had Fifty Persons so Righteous as that God should have spared the rest for their sakes: (to say nothing of Iob, Nineve, &c.)▪ In a word, the ungrounded extenuating the Grace o… Christ, and the Love of God, hardeneth Infidels, and tempteth Christians to perplexing Thoughts of the Gospel, and of the Infinite Goodness of God, and maketh it more difficult than indeed it is, to see hi… Amiableness, and consequently to Glorifie and Lo… him, as the Essential Love, whose Goodness is equa… to his Greatness. It is Satan as an Angel of Light and Righteousness, who pretending the defence of God's special Love to his Elect, denyeth his common Mercies to Mandkind, to dishonour Gods's Love, and strengthen our own Temptations, against the Joyfu… Love of God.
Q. 14. Is Government and Subjection all that … here included?
A. No: God's Kingdom is a Paternal Kingdom, … ling Children by Love, that he may make them happy [I am the Lord thy God] signifieth [I am thy great… Benefactor, thy Father, who gave thee all the Goo… thou hast, and will give to my obedient Children, Grace and Glory, and all that they can reasonably desire, and will protect them from all their Enemies, and supply their wants, and deliver them from Evil, and will be for ever their Sun and Shield, their Reward and Joy, and better to them than Man in Flesh can now conceive, even Love it self.e2 Cor. 6. 16, 18. Ioh. 20. 28.