The Decalogue.

Is. 33: 22 The LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our King; he will save us.

Dan. 4: 34 At the end of the days, I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the Most High, and I praised and honored him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation.

Rev. 19: 6 The Lord God omnipotent reigneth. 16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.

[See 241, 260, 744.]

281. Decalogue, or comprehensive precepts of the law of God.

Preface.

Ex. 20:1 God spake all these words, saying, 2 I am the LORD thy God which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

First Commandment.

3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

Second Commandment.

4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: 5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; 6 And showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.

Third Commandment.

7 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.

Fourth Commandment.

8 Remember the sabbath-day to keep it holy. 9 Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work: 10 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 manservant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: 11 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.

Fifth Commandment.

Promulgation of the Decalogue.

12 Honor thy father and thy mother; that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

Sixth Commandment.

13 Thou shalt not kill.

Seventh Commandment.

14 Thou shalt not commit adultery.

Eighth Commandment.

15 Thou shalt not steal.

Ninth Commandment.

16 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.

Tenth Commandment.

17 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his man-servant, nor his maid-servant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbor's.

Eleventh Commandment.

Jn. 13: 34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. 35 By this shall all men know that ye are my ples, if ye have love one to another.

disci

282. Circumstances connected with the promulgation of the Decalogue. Ex. 19: 10 The LORD said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and sanctify them to-day and to-morrow, and let them wash their clothes, 11 And be ready against the third day for the third day the LORD will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai. 12 And thou shalt set bounds unto the people round about, saying, Take heed to yourselves, that ye go not up into the mount, or touch the border of it: whosoever toucheth the mount shall be surely put to death: 13 There shall not a hand touch it, but he shall surely be stoned or shot through: whether it be beast or man, it shall not live: when the trumpet soundeth long, they shall come up to the mount. 16 It came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled. 17 And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God; and they stood at the nether part of the mount. And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly. 19 And when the voice of the trumpet

18

The Decalogue illustrated.

sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice. 20 And the LORD came down upon mount Sinai, on the top of the mount; and the LORD called Moses up to the top of the mount; and Moses went up. 21 And the LORD said unto Moses, Go down, charge the people, lest they break through unto the LORD to gaze, and many of them perish. 22 And let the priests also which come near to the LORD, sanctify themselves, lest the LORD break forth upon them. 23 And Moses said unto the LORD, The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai : for thou chargedst us, saying, Set bounds about the mount, and sanctify it. 24 And the LORD said unto him, Away, get thee down, and thou shalt come up, thou, and Aaron with thee: but let not the priests and the people break through, to come up unto the LORD, lest he break forth upon them. 25 So Moses went down unto the people, and spake unto them.

Dt. 5: 22 These words the LORD spake unto all your assembly in the mount, out of the midst of the fire, of the cloud, and of the thick darkness, with a great voice; and he added no more: and he wrote them in two tables of stone, and delivered them unto me. 23 And it came to pass, when ye heard the voice out of the midst of the darkness, (for the mountain did burn with fire,) that ye came near unto me, even all the heads of your tribes, and your elders; 24 And ye said, Behold, 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.

283. Illustrations and summaries of the Decalogue.

Mat. 5: 43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy: 44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; 45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 If ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? 47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? 48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect-7: 12 All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them; for this is the law and the prophets.—22: 35 One of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, 36 Master, which is the great command

His regard for it- Perfection required.

ment in the law? 37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

Rom. 13: 8 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. 9 For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. 10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbor: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

Gal. 5: 14 All the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.

Jam. 2: 8 If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself, ye do well: 9 But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors. 10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. [See 413, 414.]

284. God's regard for his law.

Is. 42: 21 The LORD is well pleased for his righteousness' sake; he will magnify the law, and make it honorable.-66: 2 To this man will I look, even to him that is poor, and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.

Mat. 5: 19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do, and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. [See 42, 50.]

285. The law of God requires moral perfection.

Gen. 17: 1 I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.

Dt. 18: 13 Thou shalt be perfect with the Lord thy God. 1 K. 8: 61 Let your heart therefore be perfect with the Lord our God, to walk in his statutes, and to keep his command

ments.

Pr. 23: 17 Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long.

Mat. 5: 48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. 22: 37 Jesus said unto him,

Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.

1 Cor. 10: 31 Whether therefore ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

2 Cor. 7: 1 Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. - 13: 11 Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace. Jam. 1: 4 Let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

i Pet. 1: 15 As he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; 16 Because it is written, ye holy; for I am holy.

Be

2 Pet. 3: 11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, 12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God.

Jude 21 Keep yourselves in the love of God. [See 501, 629.]

286. The law of God reasonable― obeying it perfectly our highest happiness and privilege.

Dt. 6: 24 The LORD commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as it is at this day. 25 And it shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments before the LORD our God, as he hath commanded us. 10: 12 Now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thine heart and with all thy soul, 13 To keep the commandments of the LORD, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good?

Neh. 9: 13 Thou camest down also upon mount Sinai, and spakest with them from heaven, and gavest them right judgments, and true laws, good statutes and commandments.

Ps. 19: 7 The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. 8 The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. 9 The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. 10 More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than