Jf. It forbids the detaining of the hirelings wages, when it is due ; Hab. ii. 9, 10, 11» Woe to him that coveteth an evil covetousness to his house, that he may set his nest on higli, that he may be de- livered from the power of evil. Thou hast consulted sliame to thy house, by cutting off many people, and hast sinned against thy soul. For the stone shall cry out of the wall, and the beam out of the timber shall answer it.
Q. 10. What is the fourth sin forbidden in this commandment ?
A. It forbids all inward grudgings at, and envyings of the enjoy- ments of others, whether they be inward goods of the mind, or out- ward, belonging to the body; 1 C'or. xiii. 14. Charity envieth not, &c.
Q. n. What is the mischief of covetousness.'^
A. It distracts thy heart in duties; Ezek. xxxiii. 31. And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them ; for with their mouths they shew much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness. Provokes the wrath of God ; Isa. Ivii. 17. For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth, and smote him, &c. And where it reigns it becomes idolatry ; Gol. iii. 5. And covetous- ness, which is idolatry.
Q. 12. What is the first inference from hence .'^
A. It calls all men to humiliation for the inordinacy of their affec- tions towards the world, their discontent with their own and envyings of others conditions.
Q. 13. What is the second inference from hence ?
A. As ever we would keep clear from this sin, let us make God our portion ; Psal. xvi. 5, 6. The Lord is the portion of mine inhe- ritance, and of my cup ; thou maintainest my lot. And labour to get the soul- satisfying comforts of his Spirit ; John iv. 14. But who- soever drinketh of the water that I shall give him, shall never thirst, &c. 2 Cor. vi. 10. As having nothing, and yet possessing all things.
Q. 14. What is the last inference from hence .''
A. If God has given us a sufficiency of the things of this life for our necessity, let us be satisfied, though we want other things for our delight ; 1 Tim. vL 8. And having food and raiment, let us be therewith content. And relieve ourselves by an expectation of those better things laid up in heaven for us, if we be believers ; 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.
Cff keephig' the Law.
Quest. 82. XS any man able perfectly to keep the commandments of God .? A. No mere man since the Jail is able in this life perfectly to keep the
S54 AN EXrOSlTION OF THE ASSEMJ^LY's CATECHlsk.
commemdments of God, but doth dally break them in thought, w&rd, and deed.
Q. 1. Wherein doth the perfect keeping of Grod's la# consist ?
A. It consists in the perfect and constant conformity of the internal and external actions of heart and life, to every command of God ; Gal. iii. 10. Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things V'hich are written in the book of the law to do them. Matth. xxii. 87, 38, 39. Jesus said unto them. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Q. 9.. But if a man commit no external act against the latv, may he not be said perfectly to keep it, although in mind or thought ht should trangress.?
A. No; for an inward motion of sin in the heart, that nevier breaks forth into act, is a violation of the law, and brings the soul under the curse of it; Matth. v. 21, 22. Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time. Thou shalt not kill : And whosoever shall kill, shall be in danger of the judgment. But I say unto you, that who- soever is angry with his brother without a cause, shall be in danget* of the judgment, &c. And ver. 27, 28. Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time. Thou shalt not commit adultery. But I say unto you, that whosoever looketh upon a woman to lust after her, hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.
Q. 3. May not a man keep the law if he keep some of its com- mands, though he cannot keep every one of them punctually 't
A. No, he cannot; for the transgression of any one command in the least degree, is a breach of all, and brings the curse of the whole upon a man's soul ; James ii. 10. For vrhosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
Q. 4. Was the law never kept b}^ any since it was made ?
A. Yes, Adam in his innocent state kept it ; for he was made up- right ; EccL vii. 29. God made man upright, &c. And Christ per- fectly kept it; Mat. v. 17. Think not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets : I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
Q. 5. What is the first reason why no mere man in this hfe can fulfil and keep the law of God perfectly ?
A. It is because the law of God is perfect, and the best of men in this life are imperfect ; Psal. xix. 7. The law of the Lord is perfect, &c. Eccl. vii. 20. For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.
Q. 6. But may not men perfectly keep it when regenerate, and born of God ?
A. No ; because even in the regenerate there is a law of sin, which wars against the law of God ; Gal. v. 17. For the flesh lusteth against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh, &c. Rom. vii. 22, 23. For I dehght in the law of God after the inward man. But I see another
AN EXPOSITION 0;F THE ASSEMBLY'S CATECHISM. S55
law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, &c. And though thev are said not to sin, 1 John iii. 9. Whosoever is born of God, doth not commit sin, &c. That is not to be taken absolutely, but comparatively, as they once did, and others still do.
Q. 7. But did not Christ command the young man to keep the law ?
A. It is true that Christ did put the young man upon this task ; Matth. xix. 17. If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. But it was not on a supposition that he was able to do it ; but to convince him of the impossibility of justification that way.
Q. 8. But doth not the apostle say, that the righteousness of the law is fulfilled in believers ?
A. It is true that the apostle doth say, Rom. viii. 4. but the mean- ing is not, that we fulfil it in our own persons, by our complete obedi- ence to it ; but it is fulfilled in us, by our union with Christ, whq perfectly kept it ; and the righteousness of the law, which is in Christ, becomes ours, by God's imputation of it to us ; Rom. iv. 23, 24. Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him ; but for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead,
Q. 9. What is the first inference from hence ?