and the Gospel, the better to fecure us against this great Crime, abfolutely condemns not only the Act itself, but every Act of Uncleanness of any Kind, and even every Tendency to fuch Pollutions. Our bleffed Saviour, as has been obferv'd, in his Interpretation of this Commandment, fays, that he that looks on a Woman to luft after her bath committed Adultery with her in his Heart; and commands us to pluck out our right Eyes, and cut off our right Hands, if they offend us in this Way, rather than indulge ourselves in those Crimes which will cast us into Hell-fire.-And agreeably to this his Apostle ranks among Sins of this fort not Adultery only, but Fornication, Uncleanness, and Lafciviousness of every kind, Gal. v. 19. and requires us to put away all filthy Communication out of our Mouths, Col. iii. 8. —So that, as Chriftians, we are strictly required to glorify God in our Body and in our Spirit, which are God's, 1 Cor. vi. 20. to abstain from all kinds of fleshly Lufts which war against the Soul, 1 Pet. ii. 11. to poffefs our Bodies in Sanctification and Honour, 1 Theff. iv. 4. and not to let any Uncleanness be once named among us, as becometh Saints, Eph. v. 3.

And as this Commandment in the Law relates particularly to married Perfons, it may be extended to all the other Duties of that State; and may be understood to imply not that Fidelity only, but likewife that Tenderness, Protection, and Support which the Husband owes

his

his Wife; and the like Affection, Submiffion, Efteem, and Love which the owes to her Hufband.

The eighth Commandment, Thou shalt not Steal, commands us not to injure our Neighbour in his Property; and that not only by taking it from him without his Knowledge, which is properly Theft or Stealing; but by depriving him of it unjustly in any other manner, either by Violence or by Fraud.—All Deceit in Trade with regard either to the Price or Value of what is fold; all Extortions under Pretence of Power, or Authority, or Law; all Advantages taken from the Neceffities of others; all Refufals to pay juft Debts; and all Methods of detaining from others what they have a Right to demand; all thefe Ways, whereby we either gain from others more than we ought in Juftice and Equity to have, or keep from them what they have a Right to, are as injurious to our Neighbour, and as offenfive to God, as Theft itself.-And therefore in order to prevent this, our Bleffed Lord has given us an infallible Rule to direct us in all these Cafes, which is, To do to others, on all these Occafions, the fame thing which we might justly require them to do to us, if we were in their Circumstances, and they in ours.

And in cafe we have already been guilty of thefe Crimes, the Gofpel requires Reftitution to be made to all those whom we have fo injured, and in order to prevent as much as pof

fible thefe Offences for the future, it cuts off the very Occafions and Temptations to them by requiring of us Frugality, Sobriety, and Temperance; and by commanding us to Labour and Diligence in our honeft Callings; that we may be fo far from wanting, and being there by tempted to defraud others, as to have to give to him that needeth.

The ninth Commandment is, Thou shalt not bear falfe Witness against thy Neighbour.Which the Gospel extends not only to bearing falfe Witness against him in a Court of Juftice, which is the higheft Crime of this fort; but to all Injuries done to the Characters or Reputation of others in Converfation; either by raifing or divulging falfe Reports, or even by fpreading true ones which are prejudicial to him without Cause.-Nothing but its Neceffity to fome publick or private Good can authorize our spreading the real Faults of others to their Prejudice; and much more criminal confequently it must be to invent, report, or aggravate groundless Scandals.

And therefore the Apoftles forbid all Whifperings, Railings, Tale-bearing, Clamour, and Evil-fpeaking; and our Bleffed Lord, in order to pluck up these great and common Evils by the Roots, commands us not to injure our Neighbour's Reputation, even in Thought.Judge him not, fays he, that ye be not judged. And therefore our Duty is, not only to re

frain our Tongues from Evil, and our Lips that they fpeak no Guile; but likewife to be careful how we cenfure and condemn others, even in our private Judgments; fince with the fame Meafure that we mete unto others here, it fhall be measured to us hereafter in the Day of Judgment.

The tenth Commandment, Thou shalt not covet thy Neighbour's Houfe, nor his Wife, nor bis Servant, nor his Maid, nor his Ox, nor his Afs, nor any thing that is his; is plainly a general Guard to the other Commandments, which prohibit Injuries to others in their Property. For by forbidding us to covet what is his, it abfolutely condemns all unjust and wicked Attempts of every kind to deprive him of it. And in order effectually to prevent fuch Attempts, the Gospel condemns all envious Thoughts at the Riches or Prosperity of others, and requires us to be contented and heavenly-minded.—It requires us to be content with what God's Providence allots us; and, when we have used all lawful Means, to rely upon him for the Supply of our Wants, who hath faid, he will not leave us nor forfake us, Heb. xiii. 5.-It condemns Covetousness, as it fignifies the placing our Love and Trust in Riches, as no less a Crime than Idolatry itself, Eph. v. 5.-And on the contrary, it commands us to make it our firft Care and Concern to feek the Kingdom of God and his Righ4 teousness;

teousness; to place our Affections on Things above, and not on Things in the Earth; and to be ever most intent on laying up Treasures in Heaven, that, where our Treasure is, there may our Hearts be also.

These are the Commandments God gave the Jews, as explained, enforced, and improved by the Gospel; and it is from the whole very evident, That (as the next Questions and Anfwers fhew) they contain our Duty towards God, and our Duty towards our Neighbour.

That our Duty towards God is contained in this fingle Precept of loving him with all our Hearts, our Minds, our Souls, and our Strength; which our Blessed Lord calls the first and the great Commandment, because it relates to our Maker, whom we are firft to obey, and because it comprehends all the other Particulars of our Duty to him. For he who loves him thus fincerely, will faithfully believe in him whom he loves; will fear, left he should provoke him to Anger; will worship him as his God and Saviour; will give him Thanks for all the Bleffings he receives from him; will put his whole Trust in him, to deliver him in all Dangers; will call upon him conftantly, to defend and fupport him; will honour his holy Name and Word, and all that is any way related to him; and will not do this for a Time only, but will ferve him thus truly and affectionately all the Days of bis Life. And lastly, VOL. II.

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