The History of the Old Testament Methodized, Chapter 4 · Section 14
SECT. XIV.
THe Lord now with an audible Voice, and with great Majeſty and Terrour, Proclaimed and Promulgated his Moral Law, (q)Which nevertheleſs diſanull'd not the promiſe of Grace made to Abraham 430 years before, Gal. 3.17.or Ten Commandments, containing the prime Dictates of Natural Reaſon, the chief Rules of Piety towards God, Equity towards our Neighbour, and Sobriety, Chaſtity, and Temperance in the government our Selves.(r)This Law is expreſly call'd a Covenant with that people, He declared unto you his Covenant (ſays the Text) which he commanded you to perform, even Ten Commandments, Deut. 4.13. and accordingly was repoſed in the Ark; hence as it ſeems named the Ark of the Covenant, Deut. 10.2. He wrote upon the Tables the words of the Covenant, the Ten Commandments, Exod. 34.28. The end and deſign of theſe Precepts was to ground them in the true notions of Piety and Religion, and to diſpoſe them to the practice of univerſal Righteouſneſs. Our Saviour did not derogate from this Law, but declared his intention only to expound it, or to ampliate and extend it. There is no Commandment herein (howſoever accoding to its immediate ſenſe ſeeming peculiar to that people) which according to good analogy or parity of reaſon doth not concern us alſo. And therefore 'tis ſaid, Nehem. 9.13. Thou cameſt down upon Mount Sinai, and gaveſt them right Judgments, and true Laws, good Statutes, and Commandments. And the Apoſtle, Rom. 7.12. ſays, The Law is holy, the Commandment holy, juſt, and good. We ſhall therefore ſet down theſe Laws particularly, and give a ſhort Paraphraſe of them. God ſpake all theſe words ſaying; that is, God Himſelf declared his own Mind and Will, by a loud Voice diſtinctly audible, and intelligible miraculouſly formed by himſelf, Deut. 5.24. Behold (ſay the people) the Lord our God hath ſhewed us his Glory and his Greatneſs, and we have heard his Voice out of the midſt of the Fire; we have ſeen this day that God doth talk with man, and yet he liveth.
I am the Lord (or I am Jehovah thy God) which brought thee out of the Land of Egypt, out of the Houſe of Bondage.
I am Jehovah, who indeed am what this my Name importeth, the only true, and real God, Eternal, Independent, Indefectible in Eſſence; I am that Jehovah to whoſe words upon all accounts thou oweſt Submiſſion, Attention and Obedience. I am Thy God, having choſen thee to be a peculiar people to my Self above all people that are upon the face of the Earth, and who, in purſuance of my ſingular Favour towards thee, and of my Covenant made with thee, have brought thee out of the Land of Egypt, out of the Houſe of Bondage. I then being Jehovah, the only true God, and thy God by Covenant and particular Engagement, do now propound my Will unto thee, and upon all accounts of Reaſon, Juſtice and Gratitude, do require thy regard and obſervance of the Precepts I now intend to give thee.
I. Commandment. Thou ſhalt have no other Gods before me.
THis Precept (as moſt of the reſt) is Negative and Prohibitive, but ſuppoſeth and implyeth ſome thing Affirmative, and Poſitive as the reſt may alſo be conceived to do. It implies this Affirmative Precept, Thou ſhalt have me for thy God, and ſhalt Serve, Worſhip, and Love Me with all thy Heart, Soul, Mind and Might, and ſhalt truſt in Me as a Being endued with Attributes and Perfections ſuperlatively excellent; and thou ſhalt not own nor acknowledge any other for God beſides Me. Take heed therefore of imitating them who acknowledge not nor Worſhip any God at all, (and ſuch are Athieſts) or acknowledge and adore many Gods (and ſuch are Polytheiſts.) Take heed alſo of framing in your Minds any untrue Idea of Me, diſagreeable to my moſt excellent Being and infinite Perfections. Take heed alſo of inordinately loving or relying upon any Creature, and ſo making that your God.
II. Commandment. Thou ſhalt not make unto thee any graven Image, &c.
THe Firſt Commandment determined the right and true Object of our Worſhip. The Second directs, and limits the manner of expreſſing and exerciſing it, and forbids the manner practiſed by Heathens, of Worſhipping their falſe Gods by Images and Corporeal Shapes and Repreſentations.(s)To worſhip an Idol inſtead of God is Idolatry forbidden in the Firſt Commandment. When the true God is worſhipped in, or by an Image, 'tis Idolatry forbidden by the Second. Inward Idolatry is oppoſed to the Firſt Commandment, and Outward to the Second. We ought not to think, ſays the Apoſtle, Acts 17.29. that the Godhead is like unto Gold, or Silver, or Stone graven by art, or man's device. Moſt reaſonable therefore is this Prohibition of making any reſemblance of what kind ſoever by Picture, Sculpture or Tuſion, to repreſent God, or for Religious uſe, (t)The civil uſe of Images is not forbidden, but Images made and uſed for Divine Worſhip. Neither are thoſe Images only forbidden which are the Images of falſe Gods, but of the true alſo. Papiſts by worſhipping Saints and Angels, offend againſt the firſt Commandment. By making Images of the Father, Son and Holy Ghoſt, and worſhipping theſe Images, or worſhipping God by theſe Images, they offend againſt the Second. As for the Cherubim made by Solomon, and the braſen Serpent by Moſes, they were made by God's ſpecial Command, but not to be worſhipped. The Cherubim ſeem intended as an Emblem, to repreſent the natures and ſervices of the holy Angels, and not any likeneſs of God, they being full of zeal, and always upon the Wing (as it were) and ready to obey God's Will. The braſen Serpent was made not to be worſhipped, but as a Type of Chriſt; and now Chriſt is come, all Types are to vaniſh.and to bow down or Proſtrate our ſelves before it. For there being but one true Object of our Worſhip, the Eternal, Inviſible God, whoſe glorious Excellencies infinitely tranſcend our Comprehenſion, and conſequently of whom we cannot deviſe any reſemblance not infinitely beneath him, unlike to him and unworthy of him. It muſt needs be therefore a great prophaneneſs to pretend the repreſenting Him by any Image. Moſes, Deut. 4.15. reports to the people of the Jews the ground of this Prohibition, Take good heed to your ſelves (ſays he) for ye ſaw no manner of ſimilitude on the day that the Lord ſpake to you in Horeb, out of the midſt of the Fire, leſt you corrupt your ſelves, and make you a graven Image. No ſhape repreſenting God did then appear at his uttering of theſe Laws to prevent their framing any reſemblance of Him, and practiſing this ſort of Idolatrous Worſhip. For God foreſaw that men would be very prone to be pleaſed with, and to dote upon ſenſible Repreſentations, and averſe from raiſing up their minds to Him, as endued with pure, intellectual, and ſpiritual Perfections. So that He expreſly forbids making any Images, or Similitudes in order to worſhip Him thereby.*Ne que tantum imagines faciebant multorum Deorum Cultores, ſed & magico ritu exiſtimabant ſpiritum quendam aetherium in eas deduci imagines. Tertullianus libro de ſpectaculis, Daemones ait operari in ſimulacris. Minutius Foelix, iſti impuri ſpiritus ſub ſtatuis, & imaginibus conſecratis deliteſcunt. Et huc pertinet ni failor locus Zach. 10.2. Grotius in explicatione Decalogi. And in this Prohibition we may conceive this poſitive Precept to be alſo implied and intended, viz. that in our Devotions and Religious Services which we perform to God, we ſhould raiſe our minds above groſs ſenſe and phantaſie, and ſhould labour for high and worthy Conceptions of God, and ſhould apprehend Him incomparably ſuperiour to all things which we do ſee and know; and we ſhould direct our minds to him as to a Being tranſcendently perfect in Wiſdom, Holineſs, Goodneſs, Juſtice, and Power, and ſhould (as our Saviour Commands) Worſhip him in ſpirit and truth, Joh. 4.24. and perform ſuch Worſhip to him as is agreeable to his ſpiritual Nature, and is commanded by Himſelf. And the Lord was pleaſed to add this reaſon to this Prohibition, For I the Lord thy God am a jealous (u)There is great danger in Idolatrous Worſhip, leſt the heart of the Creature be thereby drawn away from God. Therefore the breach of this Commandment is called Scortatio, Perſidia, Violatio foederis conjugalis. God is angry for the breach of any Commandment, but he is jealous leſt his Worſhip be corrupted, and his Glory given to Creatures.God; that is, a God very tender of my Honour, and of my Right, impatient of any Competitor or Sharer with Me in the Duties and Services which properly and incommunicably are due unto Me. I am the Lord; (ſaith God by the Prophet Iſaiah) that is my Name, and my Glory I will not give to another, nor my Praiſe to graven Images, Iſa. 42.8. This jealouſie doth imply not only a great diſlike, but a fierce diſpleaſure againſt the Infringers of this Law.
Viſiting the Iniquity of the Fathers upon the Children unto the third and fourth Generation of them that hate(x)Populus, Dei ſponſa vocatur, foedus conjugium, Idololatria ſcortatio. Quemadmodum amoris ſignum eſt fidelitas conjugalis, ſic fidei violatio odii teſtimonium eſt. Riv. Deum odiſſe, in ſacris literis peculiariter, imo unicè ait Maimonides, illi dicuntur qui falſos deos colunt. me.
God hereby intimates, that he ſhall look upon thoſe that tranſgreſs this Law, and commit this kind of Idolatry here forbidden as Enemies, and haters (x)Populus, Dei ſponſa vocatur, foedus conjugium, Idololatria ſcortatio. Quemadmodum amoris ſignum eſt fidelitas conjugalis, ſic fidei violatio odii teſtimonium eſt. Riv. Deum odiſſe, in ſacris literis peculiariter, imo unicè ait Maimonides, illi dicuntur qui falſos deos colunt.of him, becauſe their actions ſignifie a diſpoſition of mind in them repugnant to his Mind and Will. When a man loveth God leſs than his Idol, that may well be eſteemed hatred of God. 2ly, He declares, That He will not only puniſh theſe perſons themſelves who commit this Idolatry, (whereby He is ſo much wronged and diſhonoured) but to deter men the more from it, He declares, That it ſhall go ill with their Poſterity for their ſakes. Their Children to the third and fourth Generation ſhall be more ſtrictly and ſeverely dealt with, and upon this ſcore ſhall receive leſs of Favour and Mercy from him than otherwiſe they might have received. Not that God will arbitrarily inflict undeſerved Puniſhments upon the Children of bad men for the Faults of their Anceſtors. He diſclaims ſuch kind of dealing, Ezek. 18.20. Deut. 24.16. Jer. 31.30. The Son ſhall not bear the Iniquity of the Father; the Soul that ſinneth it ſhall die. Every one ſhall die for his own Iniquity. Every man that eateth ſowre Grapes his own teeth ſhall be ſet on edge, &c. But notwithſtanding God may juſtly, for the Sin of the Parents, withhold his free Favours from their Children, which elſe, according to the general courſe of his goodneſs, they might have been capable of. As particularly He may withhold that meaſure of Grace from them that might have effectually retained them from Sin, and conſequently have prevented their Guilt, and ſo their Puniſhment. But if ſuch Children do fall into perſonal ſins, God may (without Impeachment of his Juſtice and Goodneſs) ſeverely viſit them, and ſharply puniſh them for them, and that not only upon their own, but their Fathers account alſo. And therefore the Lord is pleaſed to add this Commination the more to deter and reſtrain men from committing this ſin of Idolatry, it being like to bring damage to their Children and Poſterity, (y)Examples of which proceeding do in the Divine Hiſtory often occur; As in Solomon, in Rehoboham, in Baaſha, in Ahab, in Jehu.of whom Parents (of all things) uſe to have the tendereſt regard, and are afraid to be the cauſes of their Ruine and Calamity.
Shewing mercy unto Thouſands of them love me and keep my Commandments.
And as God deters from violation of this Precept, by threatening a long train of Puniſhments to the Tranſgreſſors of it, ſo he encourageth to yield Obedience to it, by a Declaration of his intention, not only graciouſly to Reward the obedient Perſons themſelves, but their Poſterity alſo, unto a thouſand Deſcents. God will ſhew mercy and deal more favourably with the Children of good Parents, for a long tract of time, for their Father's ſake. And though God will puniſh the offending Children of good Parents, yet their Miſdeeds ſhall not interrupt his kindneſs towards the reſt of their Poſterity, or quite aboliſh the remembrance of their Fathers(z)So we may ſee that God dealt with Abraham and the Patriarchs paſſing by (in memory of their faithful Obedience to him) the manifold Provocations of their Cildren. goodneſs. And here we may take notice how the expreſſions of God's Mercy do exceed thoſe of his Juſtice. He will viſit the Iniquities of diſobedient Fathers unto the third or fourth Generation, but He will ſhew Mercy to a thouſand Generations of them that love and obey Him. And further we may obſerve, That loving God, and keeping his Commandments are conjoyned as terms equivalent: They are indeed inſeparably connected; Love being a certain cauſe of Obedience, and Obedience an infallible ſign of Love. See Joh. 14.21.
III. Commandment. Thou ſhalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltleſs that takes his Name in vain.
HEre is firſt a Precept. 2. A Reaſon deterring from Diſobedience thereunto.
1. The Precept, Thou ſhalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain, or as ſome render it, Thou ſhalt not bring the Name of the Lord thy God to a vanity, or to a lye, (a)So the word Shaveh frequently ſignifies, ſee Lev. 19.12.or thou ſhalt not ſwear in the Name of God to a falſehood. Our Saviour Himſelf, Math. 5.33. ſeems to point at this Law, when He ſays, Ye have heard it was ſaid to the Ancients, Thou ſhalt not forſwear thy ſelf. So that the prime intent of this Law ſeems to be to prohibit Perjury; that is, invoking God, or atteſting God to a lye, and appealing to him as a Witneſs and Judge that what we aſſert is true, when we know it is not. And it ſeems alſo to injoyn that in promiſory Oaths, what we promiſe or covenant in the Name of God, we ſhould ſincerely intend to perform, and not deal falſly therein, as thoſe do who never intend to perform what they promiſe. Swearing *Of Swearing ſee more in the firſt Chapter of the ſecond part of the Supplement to Knowledge and Practice.is in its own nature imediately an act of Religion, and importeth a firm belief and perſwaſion of God's chief Attributes and Prerogatives, viz. of his Omnipreſence and Omniſcience (extending to the knowledge of our moſt inward thoughts and ſecret purpoſes) of his Juſtice in maintaining Truth and Right, and avenging Iniquity and Falſehood. He therefore that knowingly and willingly is guilty of Perjury, ſeems to deſpiſe the Juſtice of God, and to defie his Vengeance. This ſeems to be the firſt and direct meaning of this Law. But it may be extended further, ſo as to prohibite all light and vain ſwearing in ordinary Communication, all irreverent, unneceſſary uſing and introducing the great and dreadful Name of God, which we ſhould not without great awe of ſpirit, and high veneration ever mention or ſpeak of. 'Tis an argument therefore of horrible Impiety and Prophaneneſs, without any Reaſon or Temptation, without any Profit or Pleaſure ariſing thence, to abuſe the glorious Name of God, and lightly to toſs it in our mouths, and ſo to provoke his dreadful Vengeance, who will in no wiſe hold him guiltleſs that taketh his Name in vain.
IV. Commandment. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy, &c.
GOd uſhers in this Precept, above all the reſt, with a Remember, intimating how much it importeth man to obſerve it.(b)The Sabbath was a ſign of the Covenant that God made with that people, Exod. 31.16, 17. The Jews ſo highly valued this Precept, that it was a ſaying among them, The Sabbath weigheth againſt all the Commandments. (c)In the Learned Dr. Barrow's Expoſition of the Decalogue.Becauſe if the Sabbath be duly and carefully obſerved, all the reſt of the Commandments will be made known, and frequently inculcated upon the people; and ſo the right Obſervance of this one Precept will tend to procure all the reſt to be obſerved. This Commandment, as ſome obſerve, is Morale poſitivum; that is, ſomethings commanded in it are naturally moral, and have an innate rectitude in them, ariſing from the nature of the things themſelves, and ſome are only poſitively moral, and have their obligation only from the poſitive ſanction of the Lawgiver.
As particularly,
To contemplate with a grateful and joful (d)Et haec cauſa eſt Cur ab Eccleſia Vetuſtiſſima introductus mos fuit, ne Sabbato jejunaretur, quod laetitiae is eſſet dies. Grotius in Explicatione Decalogi.ſenſe God's glorious Work of Creation, wherein his Goodneſs, Wiſdom, and Power are ſo illuſtriouſly diſplayed, wherein ſo great Accommodations and Benefits are generally diſpenſed to all the Creatures, and to Mankind more eſpecially.
To remember God's Favours and gracious Providences over our ſelves, our Relations, our Country; as the Iſraelites were bound more eſpecially to remember their great and remarkable Deliverance out of Egypt; To allot ſome competent time ſeriouſly to attend to the great concernments of our Souls, and not to ſpend our ſelves, and all our time in perpetual carking, and labouring about affairs that concern only our Bodies, and this preſent life; To ſet ſome time apart wherein God our Creator ſhould be ſolemnly and publickly worſhipped by thoſe that own Him for their God, and live in a Vicinity and Neighbourhood together.
To give ſome time of reſt, relaxation, and refreſhment to our Servants, and thoſe whom Providence hath diſpoſed into that mean Condition to miniſter to us, that their lives may not, by inceſſant labour, be grievous to them, but that they may with ſome comfort ſerve us, and that they may have convenient leiſure alſo to ſerve God, and mind the welfare of their Souls.
To ſhew ſome mercy and pitty even to the poor Beaſts that labour for us, allowing them ſome eaſe and reſt from their painful Drudgeries in our Service. Theſe are all of them things very reaſonable, and there ſeems to be an obligation to them dictated by natural light, and grounded in the very nature of the things themſelves. And Reaſon muſt needs approve of them as Duties of Piety, Juſtice, and Humanity.
But now as to the determination of the proportion or quantity of time that ſhould be allotted for theſe Duties, and that the Seventh day, or one day in ſeven ſhould be particularly aſſigned for theſe purpoſes, and that a ceſſation from labour both of Man and Beaſt ſhould be ſo ſtrictly injoyned, (except in caſes of neceſſity or mercy) this can be reſolved into no other ground than the Will and pleaſure of the Lawgiver, who ſaw what was moſt needful and convenient for man, and fit to be injoyn'd him. It would not therefore be for the good of the World, or the benefit of Mankind to be diſpenſed with, as to the obſervation of the Sabbath, or thoſe fore-mentioned Duties. We may alſo further take notice of the reaſon which the Lord is pleaſed to give, why He did eſpecially chooſe this Day *Ut perpetua ejus obſervatione imprimeretur omnium animis firma notitia mundum non ab aeterno fuiſſe, quae ad impietatem via eſt, ſed a Deo conditum. Grotius in Explic. Decalog.to bleſs and ſanctifie it, and appoint it to be ſet apart for his own Service; namely, becauſe He himſelf reſted on that day, and was refreſhed, as 'tis expreſſed Exod. 31.17. which is ſpoken of God after the manner of men, that we might be more apprehenſive of his Reſt, for our imitation. And that this very time might inſtruct and excite us gratefully and religiouſly to meditate on the great and glorious Structure of the World. But from our Saviour's Reſurrection the day was changed to the firſt day of the Week, in Commemoration that he had finiſhed the great Work of our Redemption on that day. And ſo though not the ſame day, yet the ſame proportion of time is ſtill to be obſerved by us Chriſtians.(e)See more of this Subject in Knowledge and Practice, page 117.
V. Commandment. Honour thy Father and Mother, that thy days may be long in the Land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.
CHildren are injoyned by this Precept to honour their Parents in their hearts, The ſubſequent Precepts contain the prime Rules of juſtice towards Man, and of Temperance, Sobriety, and Chaſtity in the government of our Selves.and highly to love their Perſons as the Inſtruments under God of their being. And they are hereby obliged to yield to them Reverence, Obedience, Thankfulneſs, and Requital as they are able They are bound highly to honour and eſteem them, and to uſe due expreſſions of Reſpect and Obſervance towards them in word and deed. Parents are preſumed to be always full of tender affection, and good will towards their Children; full of deſire and care for their good, full of pity and compaſſion towards them. Which diſpoſitions do in reaſon and equity require anſwerable Inclinations in Children towards their Parents. Children receive from their Parents, under God, their being and life, their maintenance and protection, it being a long while ere they are able to provide for, or defend themſelves. The goods acquired by the Parents induſtry do uſually devolve upon their Children. And all good and pious Parents think themſelves obliged to take care of the Souls, and ſpiritual Welfare of their Children, and to inſtruct them in the fear of God, and to ſet them in the right way to Eternal Happineſs. And this they do moſt frankly and freely, without regard to any profit that may thereby accrue to themſelves. It is abundant ſatisfaction to them to ſee their Chirldren do well. Their chief delight and contentment in this world is uſually in their Childrens well-doing. Therefore juſtice and ingenuity do oblige Children to pay to their Parents dutiful Reſpect and Obſervanc. And they will be no looſers in ſo doing. For to the obſervance of this Precept is added a very encouraging Promiſe, viz. of length of days. The Apoſtle injoyns Children to be obedient to their Parents in all things that are lawful and pleaſing to the Lord, Eph. 6.1. And He preſſes the Obſervance of this Precept, 1. From the equity of it, becauſe the Law of God and Nature requires it. 2. Becauſe this is the firſt Commandment of the ſecond Table, which hath a particular Promiſe annexed to it, viz. length of days; which Promiſe is either actually fulfilled by God to obedient Children, or elſe by changing of the Benefit, He gives them a much better life in his own Kingdom for it. And there ſeems a great congruity in the Reward promiſed to the Duty to be performed, viz. that they who are grateful to thoſe from whom, under God, they received their life, ſhould by God's Diſpenſation enjoy that life long, and with much Comfort; and that they who neglect the Authors of their life, ſhould ſoon be deprived of it, or of the Comforts and Contentments that others enjoy. And we may by analogy and parity of reaſon reduce unto this Commandment the Obligation we have to honour all thoſe who perform to us beneficial Offices, like unto thoſe we receive from our Parents. Particularly ſuch Perſons from whom we have Protection, as Governours and Magiſtrates. Such who watch over us for the good of our Souls, as Miniſters and Paſtors, Such who afford us Maintenance and Education, as Benefactors, School-Maſters, Tutors, &c.
VI. Commandment. Thou ſhalt not Kill.
MAn's life being his moſt precious enjoyment in this World, no man may take it away but by Commiſſion or Licence from God. God indeed doth allow Magiſtrates, upon reaſonable cauſe, (for the preſervation of the publick Peace, Safety and Welfare,) in a regular Courſe of Juſtice, to diſpoſe of mens lives, who have forfeited them to the Law. For the Magiſtrate beareth not the Sword in vain, [Rom. 13.4.] but is the Miniſter of God, an Avenger to execute wrath upon him that doth evil, 1 Pet. 2.14. And he that kills a man in a way not irregular; namely, as a Miniſter of Juſtice, or in a lawful War, authorized by a juſt Commiſſion, or in his own juſt and neceſſary defence, cannot be ſaid to violate the true intent of this Precept. For ſuch a perſon cannot be juſtly ſaid to kill, but rather God himſelf, the Lord of Life and Death, doth then kill. Vengeance is his, and He in this manner by his Miniſters doth repay it. But in this Commandment is forbidden all voluntary and irregular taking away our Neighbour's life, without juſt and neceſſary cauſe, upon what motive, principle or pretence ſoever it be, either by direct violence, or fraudulent contrivance, either by our ſelves, or by others; and all adviſing, encouraging, or any wiſe becoming inſtrumental or acceſſory thereunto; This is the Crime here expreſly forbidden. But a Poſitive Duty is alſo here included, and accordingly ſhould be underſtood, viz. That we ſhould endeavour, as far as we are able, to preſerve our own life, in the firſt place, and then our Neighbours, by relieving him in extream need, and by ſuccouring him in extream danger, by admoniſhing him of any deſtructive miſchief He ſeems unawares running into. The contrary, is in reaſonable eſteem, and in God's ſight, a killing of him. And to kill a man hath this great guilt in it, that He that doth it, doth thereby violate, and deſtroy God's Image in his Neighbour. He that ſheds man's bloud, by man ſhall his bloud be ſhed; for in the Image of God created he him, Gen. 9.6. And this further is to be obſerved, That the taking away a man's life doth infinitely ſurpaſs all the evil or injury which any man can ſuſtain from another in his eſtate or fame. For theſe things are capable of ſome reparation, but the other is altogether irreparable, and therefore includes in it the greateſt injury and iniquity. For hereby all temporal good is at once raviſhed from a man, and the Soul alſo of the perſon killed may poſſibly incur a great damage and hazard in reſpect to its future State, by being thus ſuddenly ſnatched away. So that the Slayer oftentimes not only robbeth his Brother of his temporal life, but of his time of Repentance, and opportunity of making his peace with God. Therefore to hate a man to death muſt needs be accounted the utmoſt pitch of hatred. Such is the direct intent and importance of this Law. But our Saviour in his Comment hereon, Math. 5.21. hath explained, and extended it further, ſo as to interdict all things that any way approach or tend unto this hateful evil, as raſh, cauſeleſs outragious anger, contumelious and deſpiteful Language, ſecret grudges or malice in our hearts againſt our Neighbour. For theſe, as they do commonly produce the act of murder, ſo they argue Inclinations thereunto, which if fear and ſelf-reſpect did not reſtrain, would preſently produce it; and conſequently in moral account (which regards not ſo much the act as the will) are of the ſame quality therewith. The Apoſtle tells us, 1 Joh. 3.15. He that hates his brother is a murderer, and no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. So that all malice, ſpight, envy, hatred, rancor, immoderate anger, and animoſity, are here alſo forbidden.
VII. Commandment. Thou ſhalt not commit Adultery.
THis Commandment injoyns Chaſtity of Mind, Heart, and Body, and the preſervation of it in our ſelves and others. Whoſoever ſhall attempt the Affection or Chaſtity of another mans wife highly ſinneth againſt God, commits a great treſpaſs againſt his Neighbour, and defiles himſelf with the fouleſt turpitude. He violates an Inſtitution to which God hath affixed eſpecial marks of reſpect and ſanctity. He wounds his Neighbour's Honour, and ruines Him in that wherein the great content of his mind, and comfort of his life is wound up. He offendeth againſt the welfare of Families, breeding horrible Confuſions and Diſſentions in them. Adultery therefore is a lothſome Ʋnrighteouſneſs, moſt odious to God, and a fire that conſumeth unto deſtruction. Further, this Commandment forbids all ſorts of unlawful, and irregular ſatisfactions to luſtful Appetite, and all kinds of Impurity and Laſciviouſneſs, not in act only, but in thought, in deſire, (f)Our Saviour extends this Commandment to forbid all unlawful luſtings, or deſires, or Inclinations of the heart, Mat. 5.28. I ſay unto you, that whoſoever looketh on a woman to luſt after her, hath committed Adultery with her in his heart.in ſpeech, or in geſture, and what ever tends to foment the fleſhly Concupiſcence, which we ought to endeavour, by all good means, to quench and ſuppreſs.
VIII. Commandment. Thou ſhalt not Steal.
THis Commandment injoyns, that every man ſhould quietly enjoy thoſe ſupports and conveniencies of his life, which, in any honeſt way, he hath right unto, or is poſſeſſed of. And it prohibits all Invaſion or Ʋſurpation by any means what ever (either by open Violence, or by clandeſtine Fraud) of our Neighbour's Goods, or Rights. Many ſorts of Ʋnrighteouſneſs are reducible to this Commandment, as fraudulent Dealing, falſe Weights and Meaſures, over-reaching in Contracts, unfaithfulneſs in matters of Truſt, Exaction, Oppreſſion, Extortion, and not making Reſtitution of ill-gotten Goods when there is ability. The Poſitive Duties to be underſtood are Diligence and Induſtry in our Callings, whereby (with God's bleſſing) we may ſupport our ſelves, and prevent the importunate Temptations of Want and Need, and may be able to relieve others that are in want, and may be well content with our own eſtates, truſting in God, and relying on his Providence, to take care of us.
IX. Commandment. Thou ſhalt not bear falſe witneſs againſt thy Neighbour.
BEaring falſe Teſtimony againſt our Neigbour, eſpecially in matters Capital, and wherein his life is concern'd, is here prohibited; And not only that, but alſo defaming him, or unjuſtly detracting from him, and breeding in the minds of others an ill opinion of him. We are therefore here forbidden to wrong our Neighbour in his Credit and good Name, as well as in his Eſtate. We are forbidden to hurt him either in word or deed. Charity obligeth us to think the beſt of our Neighbour, to be candid in our Opinions, and Diſcourſes concerning Him, to forbear all raſh and harſh Cenſures of Him, and to abhor affixing any faults upon Him of which He is not guilty. To walk Ʋprightly, and to work Righteouſneſs, and ſpeak the truth from our hearts, are the good man's Character, Pſal. 15. v. 2.
X. Commandment. Thou ſhalt not covet thy Neighbours Houſe, nor his Wife, nor his Man-Servant, nor his Maid-Servant, nor his Ox, nor his Aſſe, nor any thing that is thy Neigbours.
THis Law is very Comprehenſive, preſcribing univerſal Juſtice towards our Neighbour, and that not only in outward deeds and dealing, but in inward thought and deſire, prohibiting us unlawfully or irregularly to deſire any thing that is his, to his detriment. We are to be ſo far from depriving our Neighbour of any good thing belonging to him, that we are not ſo much as irregularly to wiſh or deſire it. We are not only to abſtain from injurious Actions, but to repreſs in our ſelves all covetous and injurious Inclinations. And the Poſitive Duty here implied is, That we ſhould have a delight and complacency in our Neigbour's good, not envying him any of his Enjoyments; being, in our minds, well content with the portion God is pleaſed to vouchſafe to us, and intirely truſting in Him that he will ſupply us with what is needful and fitting for us, without the damage of our Neighbour.
Thus we ſee that God's Law is, as St. Paul obſerves, Spiritual; not only reſtraining exteriour Acts, but regulating our inmoſt Thoughts, quelling all inordinate Appetites and Affections of Heart within us. And all theſe Precepts both of the firſt and ſecond Table are reduced to theſe two Heads of loving God with all our Hearts, Souls, and Spirits, and loving our Neighbour as our ſelves.