80. QUEST. What is required in the tenth commandment? ANSW. The tenth commandment requireth, full contentment with our own condition, with a right and charitable frame of fpirit toward our neighbour and all that is his. 21. What is the practice of the Papifts with reference to the tenth commandment? A. In regard they ftrike out the fecond commandment, because contrary to their image worship; therefore, in order to keep up the number TEN, they split THIS into two, making these words, Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's houfe, to be the ninth; and, Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, &c, to be the tenth. 2. 2. How are they confuted? A. By the words of this commandment (as they are here inferted from Exod xx. 17.) being tranfpofed into a different order in Deut. v. 21.; where defiring our neighbour's wife is put before coveting of his boufe; which is a plain evidence, that what the Papifts make two, is but one undivided precept; otherwife what, according to them, is the ninth in the one place, will be the tenth in the other. 2. 3. What is the general duty required in this commandment? A. It is an inward difpofition and inclination of the whole foul, to perform all the duties contained in the law, particularly in the fecond table, which this commandment more immediately refpects; and that out of love to God, and a defire to please him, Pfal. cxix. 5. 47. Q4. How do you prove this to be the general duty required? A. From the general fin forbidden namely, COVETING, which includes the motion or ftirring of corruption against all the commands of the law, because of their holiness and contrariety to depraved nature, Rom. vii. 7, 8. 25. What inward difpofition of foul doth this commandment require with reference to ourselves in particular! A. It requires, with reference to ourselves full content ment with our own condition], 1 Tim. vi. 6, Q6. What do you understand by full contentment with our own condition? A. A cheerful acquiefcence in the lot, which God, in his holy and wife providence, is pleased to carve out for us in this world, Heb. xiii. 5-Be content with fuch things have. as ye 27. Is full contentment with our own condition at tainable in this life? A. Though the perfection of no grace is attainable in this life, yet a great meafure, and eminent degrees of grace, particularly this of contentment, may be, and has been attained by the faints in this world, Phil. iv. 11.I have learned, in whatever ftate I am, therewith to be content. Q. 8. Is contentment, in a profperous condition, an easy attainment? A. No: without grace it cannot be attained; because naturally our ambitious and covetous defires increase in proportion to our riches; as is evident in the inftance of Ahab, whom a kingdom could not fatisfy without Naboth's vineyard, Kings xxi. 4. 29. How is true contentment attained ́under prospe rous circumftances? A. By looking above all time enjoyments as transitory and vain, unto God himself, as our chief good and eternal inheritance, Pfal. lxii. 1c. and xvi. 5, 6. 2. 10. Is contentment required likewife under cross dif penfations of providence; fuch as, poverty, reproach, bodily afflictions, and lofs of near relations? A. Though it be a grievous fin to be ftupidly infenfible nd unconcerned under thefe or the like circumstances, Hof. 9.; yet a contentment of fubmiflion, or such as is witht repining and murmuring, is undoubtedly required unr the foreft troubles that can befal us in this life, Lam. 39. Wherefore doth a living man complain? 2. 11. What ground of contentment have we under atward poverty and want! A. That though we be the poor of this world, yet we may be rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom, James ii. 5. Q. 12. Why should we bear reproach without murmur. ing? A. Becaufe whatever reproach is caft on us for Chrift's fake, he will wipe it clean off at his second appearing, Luke xxii. 28, 29. Matth. xxv. 34 213. What reafon of contentment have we under bodily afflictions? A. That they are but of fhort duration, 2 Cor. iv '17.; mixed with mercy, Lim. iii. 32.; confiftent with love, Jo. xi. 3.; and defigned for our profit that we might be partakers of his holiness, Heb. xii. c. 214. What fhould content and comfort us under the lafs of near and dear relations? A. That the Lord Jefus, who ftands in every amiable relation to us, is always to the fore, being the fame yefterday, to-day, and for ever, Heb. xiii. 8. Q. 15. Are we required to be content under divine de fertion, or the want of the fenfe of the love of God?. A. Though we have no reafon to quarrel with God, for withdrawing the light of his countenance, which we never deferved; yet it is impoffible for any gracious foul to be eafy and content under the hidings of his face, but must needs earnestly long for, and ardently breathe after the returns of his love; as is evident from the example and practice of the faints, in the following texts, Job. xxiii. 3. and xxix. 2, 3. Pfal. xii. 1. and xlix. 1, 2 and lxxxiv. z. 216. What inward frame or difpofition of foul doth the tenth commandment require with reference to cur neighbour? A. It requires [a right and charitable frame of Spirit toward him, and all that is his] Rom xii. 15. Q. 17. When may we be faid, to have this [right and charitable frame of fpirit] here required? A. When our inward motions and aff. ctions are influenced by grace, to fway and determine us to promote and rejoice in the welfare of our neighbour, both as to his fpiritual and temporal concerns, 1 Cor. xiii. 4-8. 218 When may it be evident to ourselves, that we have a right and charitable frame of fpirit, towards these that excel as in gifts and graces? A. When under a humbling fenfe of our own defects, we are thankful for the honour that is brought to God, by the fhining of his gifts or graces in others, Gal. i. 23, 24. Q. 19. What fhould induce us to a right and charitable frame of fpirit toward thofe that are in more profperous circumftances than ourselves; or whofe condition in the world is better than our own? for! . The confidering that a flourishing condition in the d is not always the beft, Pfal. xxxviii. 16 that if we PRAT IL U enjoy communion with God,it is infinitely preferable to all outward profperity, without it, Pfal. xvi. 5, 6. 2. 20. How may such a right and charitable frame of fpirit be attained? A. Only by the implantation of faith, as the root of this and all other motions of the foul that are acceptable to God, Heb. xi. 6. Rom. xiv. 23. 81. QUEST. What is forbidden in the tenth commandment? ANSW. The tenth commandment forbiddeth, all difcontentment with our own eftate, envying or grieving at the good of our neighbour, and all inordinate motions and affections, to any thing that is his. Q. What is the leading fin forbidden in this command ment? A. It is COVETOUSNESS: Thou shalt not cover. A. It is an exceffive and irregular defire of these worldly goods which we have not, Prov. i. 19. and which God, in his providence, does not fee meet that we fhould have, Pfal. lxxv. 6, 7. Q. 3. How doth the excess of an avaricious mind difcov. er itself? A. By fuch an insatiable thirst after worldly gain, as can never be fatisfied, Prov. xxx. 15. 24. Wherein confifts the irregularity of covetoufness ? A. In the defire of worldly goods which are in the pof ion of our neighbour, and even fometimes as they are his, Kings xxi. 2. 2. 5. How doth the covetoufnefs of the heart discover felf? A. By [difcontentment with our own estate], and [envying or grieving at the good of our neighbour]. 26. [What is difcontentment with our own eftate]? A. It is to murmur and fret at our prefent condition in the world, as being worfe than, we think, fhould fall to our fhare, or than we are expecting and looking for, 2 Kings vi. 33. 27. What is the aggravation of this fin? d. It argues an unwillingness to be at God's difpofa!, Pfal. xii.4. an efteeming ourselves more competent judges than he, of what is beft for us, 1 Kings i. 5.; and it is, in effect, an ufurping the throne of God, and taking his government into our own hands, Exod. v. 2. Q.8 What are the proper remedies against it? A The only fovereign remedy, is to give Chrift the preeminence in our hearts, Pfal. Ixxiii. 25.; for then we will undervalue all time things, in comparison of him, Pfal. lxxvi 4. 29. What is [envying or grieving at the good of our neigh · bour ]? A It is to repine and grudge at his profperous circumftances, Neh. ii. 10. or any fuperior endowment or privi lege he is poffeffed of above ourselves, Pfal. cxii. 9, 10. 20. What is the evil of this fin? A. It waftes and confumes the body, Prov. xiv. 30. Enwy is the rottenness of the bones; and it is fertile of confusion, and every evil work, Jam. iii. 16 Q. What is the fource or fpring of covetoufness? A. The inordinate motions and affections] that are in our fouls. Q12. What do you understand by the inordinate motions and affections] here forbidden? A. Not only the unlawful purposes, intentions, and defires, that are actually formed in the heart, but even the first rifings and stirrings of corruption in the foul, which are antecedent to the confent of the will, Gen v.5. 213. Are not the vicious lufts and defires that are formed and confented to in the heart, forbidden in other commandments of the fecond table, as well as in this? A. Yes as appears from our Saviour's expofition of the feventh commandment, Mat. v. 28. But I say unto you, Whofoever looketh on a woman to luft after her, hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. 14. How then is this commandment diftinguished from others, which forbid heart fins equally with it? A. This commandment levelleth particularly at the root of all fin, namely, habitual luft, or corruption of nature, together with the very firft motions or stirring thereof, and |