what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of Gov. John 14. 13, 14. and 16. 24. Rom. 8. 26, 27. || Col. 3, 17. Gal. 4. 6. Rom. 8.

15.

Do you go to the throne of grace divested of self-righteousness and self-confidence? Do you ask, expect, and receive the aids of the Holy Spirit in prayer?

115. Whose prayers will be heard and answered?

Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of GOD, and doeth his will, him he heareth.The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry. The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.- Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. John 9. 31. Ps. 34. 15, 17. Jam. 5. 16. || 1 Tim. 2. 8. Ps. 4. 3. and 26. 6. Prov. 15. 29.

Are you a doer of God's will? Have you ever received merciful answers to prayer?

116. What is said respecting the prayer and sacrifice of the wicked?

He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination.- The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord: but the prayer of the upright is his delight. But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Prov. 28. 9. and 15. 8. Heb. 11. 6. || Ps. 66. 18. and 109. 7. Is. 1. 10-17. Mat. 23. 14.

Are your ears open to instruction from the law of GOD? Have you never offered the sacrifice of the wicked?

117. Are not the carriage, the conduct, and even the thoughts of the wicked displeasing to God?

A high look, and a proud heart, and the ploughing of the wicked, is sin.- The way of the wicked is an abomination unto the Lord; but he loveth him that followeth after righteousness. The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord: but the words of the pure are pleasant words.- Because the carnal mind is enmity against GoD: for it is not subject to the law of GOD, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please GOD. Prov. 21. 4. and 15. 9, 26. Rom. 8. 7, 8. || Prov. 1. 27-29. Is. 55. 7. and 59. 1, 2.

Is any thing done under the influence of an unholy heart. morally pleasing to Gon? Have you an unsanctified heart?

F

118. Are oaths before a magistrate lawful?

Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name. That he who blesseth himself in the earth, shall bless himself in the Gon of truth; and he that sweareth in the earth shall swear by the GoD of truth; because the former troubles are forgotten, and because they are hid from mine eyes. And thou shalt swear, The Lord liveth, in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness; and the nations shall bless themselves in him, and in him shall they glory. For men verily swear by the greater and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife. Deut. 6. 13. Is. 65. 16. Jer. 4. 2. Heb. 6. 16. || Jer. 12. 16. 2 Chron. 15. 12, 14, 15. Ex. 22. 10, 11. Lev. 5. 1. Mat. 26. 63, 64.

Do you understand the nature of an oath? Can the moral obligations of an oath be felt by one, who denies the doctrine of future rewards and punishments?

119. Is not false swearing a very heinous and destructive sin?

Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.And ye shall not swear by my name falsely, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the Lord. These are the things that ye shall do; Speak ye every man the truth to his neighbour; execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates: And let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbour; and love no false oath for all these are things that I hate, saith the Lord. Then I turned, and lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a flying roll. And he said unto

me, What seest thou? And I answered, I see a flying roll; the length thereof is twenty cubits, and the breadth thereof ten cubits. Then said he unto me, This is the curse that goeth forth over the face of the whole earth: for every one that stealeth shall be cut off as on this side, according to it; and every one that sweareth shall be cut off as on that side, according to it. I will bring it forth, saith the Lord of hosts, and it shall enter into the house of the thief, and into the house of him that sweareth falsely by my name: and it shall remain in the midst of his house, and shall consume it with the timber thereof and the stones thereof. They have spoken words, swearing falsely in making a covenant: thus judgment springeth up as hemlock in the furrows of the field.- Shall I not visit for these things? saith the Lord: and shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation AS THIS? Ex. 20. 16. Lev. 19. 12. Zech. 8. 16, 17. and 5. 1, 2-4. Hos. 10. 4. Jer. 5. 9. || Hos. 4. 1, 2. Jer. 23. 10. Mal. 3. 5.

Is there not much false swearing in this land? Should you

dare to call the Gon of truth to witness any thing which you did not know to be strictly true?

120. What saith the law and the testimony respecting blasphemy?

ses.

And the son of an Israelitish woman, whose father was an Egyptian, went out among the children of Israel; and this son of the Israelitish woman and a man of Israel strove together in the camp; And the Israelitish woman's son blasphemed the name of the Lord, and cursed: And they brought him unto MoAnd the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Bring forth him that hath cursed without the camp; and let all that heard him lay their hands upon his head, and let all the congregation stone him. And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, Whosoever curseth his God shall bear his sin. And he that blasphemeth the name of the Lord, he shall surely be put to death, and all the congregation shall certainly stone him as well the stranger as he that is born in the land, when he blasphemeth the name of the Lord, shall be put to death.And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against GOD, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.- O God, how long shall the adversary reproach? shall the enemy blaspheme thy name for ever? Lev. 24. 10, 11, 13-16. Rev. 13. 1, 5, 6. Ps. 74. 10. Rev. 16. 10, 11. Mark 3. 2, 3, 29. Jam. 2. 7.

If blasphemy once deserved the punishment of death, must it not be a very great sin? How cautious, how watchful ought you to be against its commissions!

121. Is not PROFANE CURSING AND SWEARING exceedingly criminal and highly offensive in the sight of God, as well as unnecessary, inexcusable, and disreputable in the estimation of every considerate man? (t)

Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain : for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. But I say unto you, Swear not at all: neither by heaven; for it is GOD's throne: Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King: Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. But let your communica

(t) See Appendix, Note T.

tion be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil. But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea, be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation. Ex. 20. 7. Mat. 5. 34–37. Jam. 5. 12. || Hos. 4.2. Mat. 23. 16-22. Ps. 59. 12. and 109. 17, 18. Lev. 18. 21. Have you never profaned the name of GOD? Do you not profane it whenever you mention it without reverence?

122. Why is it that so many indulge in profaneness ?

Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness. There is no fear of God before their eyes.- This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead. (u) Eccl. 8. 11. Rom. 3. 13, 14, 18. Eccl. 9. 3. Jer. 17. 9. Ps. 36. 1, 3. Jam. 3. 8-10.

Profaneness affords neither honour, profit, nor pleasure, unless it can afford pleasure to destroy the souls of children and others under the influence of such examples-to degrade the man below the brute and imitate apostate spirits.

Does not the corrupting influence of bad examples spread the contagion of profaneness? Has your example always encouraged reverence for the name of GOD?

123. What general directions are given with respect to the sabbath?

Remember the sabbath-day to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy man-servant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath-day, and hallowed it. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made. There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of GOD. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased

(u) See Appendix, Note U

VERSITY

Upon the first day to

the

of the

from his own works, as God did from his. Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given churches of Galatia, even so do ye week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.- And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, (ready to depart on the morrow) and continued his speech until midnight. Ex. 20. 8-11. Gen. 2. 2, 3. Heb. 4. 9, 10. 1 Cor. 16. 1, 2. Acts 20. 7. Ex. 16. 25-28. Jer. 17. 21, 22. Lev. 23. 3, 32. Mark 2. 27.

Are you pleased that God has appointed one day in seven to be a holy rest? Is not the institution of the sabbath in Eden an evidence of its perpetual obligation?

124. What authority have we from scriptural precepts and examples for attending public worship on the sabbath?

Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am the Lord.- And it shall come to pass, that from one newmoon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the Lord.- Likewise the people of the land shall worship at the door of this gate before the Lord in the sabbaths and in the new-moons.- And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about. And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all. And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbathday, and stood up for to read. And came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and taught them on the sabbath-days. And they were astonished at his doctrine: for his word was with power.- And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath-days reasoned with them out of the scriptures, Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ. Lev. 19. 30. Is. 66. 23. Éz. 46. 3. Luke 4. 14-16, 31, 32. Acts 17. 2, 3. || and 13. 14-16, 26, 42, 44. and 15. 21. and 18. 4.

Have you statedly, attentively, prayerfully, and profitably, waited on God in his earthly Sanctuary? Have you delighted in the assemblies of the saints?

125. Is praise to God an important and animating part of public and private worship? (v)

Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! Let them exalt (v) See Appendix, Note V.