The
Larger Catechism – Questions 91-100
HAVING
SEEN WHAT THE SCRIPTURES PRINCIPALLY TEACH US TO BELIEVE CONCERNING GOD, IT
FOLLOWS TO CONSIDER WHAT THEY REQUIRE AS THE DUTY OF MAN.
Q.
91. What is the duty which God requireth of man?
A.
The duty which God requireth of man, is obedience to his revealed willa.
a
Rom.12:1,2; Micah 6:8; 1 Sam.15:22
Q.
92. What did God at first reveal unto man as the rule of his obedience?
A.
The rule of obedience revealed to Adam in the estate of innocence, and to all
mankind in him, besides a special command not to eat of the fruit of the tree
of the knowledge of good and evil, was the moral lawa.
a
Gen.1:26,27; Rom.2:14,15; Rom.10:5; Gen.2:17
Q.
93. What is the moral law?
A.
The moral law is the declaration of the will of God to mankind, directing and
binding every one to personal, perfect, and perpetual conformity and obedience
thereunto, in the frame and disposition of the whole man, soul and bodya,
and in performance of all those duties of holiness and righteousness which he
oweth to God and manb promising life upon the fulfilling, and
threatening death upon the breach of itc.
a
Deut.5:1-3,31,33; Luke 10:26,27; Gal.3:10; 1 Thess.5:23 b Luke 1:75;
Acts 24:16 c Rom.10:5; Gal.3:10,12
Q.
94. Is there any use of the moral law to man since the fall?
A.
Although no man, since the fall, can attain to righteousness and life by the
moral lawa; yet there is great use thereof, as well common to all
men, as peculiar either to the unregenerate, or the regenerateb.
a
Rom.8:3; Gal.2:16 b 1 Tim.1:8
Q. 95. Of what use is the moral law to all men?
A.
The moral law is of use to all men, to inform them of the holy nature and will
of Goda, and of their duty, binding them to walk accordinglyb;
to convince them of their disability to keep it, and of the sinful pollution
of their nature, hearts, and livesc: to humble them in the sense of
their sin and miseryd, and thereby help them to a clearer sight of
the need they have of Christe, and of the perfection of his
obediencef.
a
Lev.11:44,45; Lev.20:7,8; Rom.7:12 b Micah 6:8; James 2:10,11 c
Ps.19:11,12; Rom.3:20; Rom.7:7 d Rom.3:9,23 e Gal.3:21,22 f
Rom.10:4
Q.
96. What particular use is there of the moral law to unregenerate men?
A.
The moral law is of use to unregenerate men, to awaken their consciences to
flee from wrath to comea, and to drive them to Christb;
or, upon their continuance in the estate and way of sin, to leave them
inexcusablec, and under the curse thereofd.
a
1 Tim.1:9,10 b Gal.3:24 c Rom.1:20 compared with Rom.2:15 d
Gal.3:10
Q.
97. What special use is there of the moral law to the regenerate?
A.
Although they that are regenerate, and believe in Christ, be delivered from
the moral law as a covenant of worksa, so as thereby they are
neither justifiedb nor condemnedc; yet, besides the
general uses thereof common to them with all men, it is of special use, to
shew them how much they are bound to Christ for his fulfilling it, and
enduring the curse thereof in their stead, and for their goodd; and
thereby to provoke them to more thankfulnesse, and to express the
same in their greater care to conform themselves thereunto as the rule of
their obediencef.
a
Rom.6:14; Rom.7:4,6; Gal.4:4,5 b Rom.3:20 c Gal.5:23; Rom.8:1 d
Rom.7:24,25; Gal.3:13,14; Rom.8:3,4 e Luke 1:68,69,74,75; Col.1:12-14 f
Rom.7:22; Rom.12:2; Tit.2:11-14
Q.
98. Where is the moral law summarily comprehended?
A.
The moral law is summarily comprehended in the ten commandments, which were
delivered by the voice of God upon mount Sinai, and written by him in two
tables of stonea; and are recorded in the twentieth chapter of
Exodus. The four first commandments containing our duty to God, and the other
six our duty to manb.
a
Deut.10:4; Exod.34:1-4 b Matt.22:37-40
Q.
99. What rules are to be observed for the right understanding of the ten
commandments?
A.
For the right understanding of the ten commandments, these rules are to be
observed:
1.
That the law is perfect, and bindeth every one to full conformity in the whole
man unto the righteousness thereof, and unto entire obedience for ever; so as
to require the utmost perfection of every duty, and to forbid the least degree
of every sina.
a
Ps. 19:7; James 2:10; Matt.5:21,22
2.
That it is spiritual, and so reacheth the understanding, will, affections, and
all other powers of the soul; as well as words, works, and gesturesb.
b
Rom.7:14; Deut.6:5 compared with Matt.22:37-39;
Matt.5:21,22,27,28,33,34,37-39,43,44
3.
That one and the same thing, in divers respects, is required or forbidden in
several commandmentsc.
c
Col.3:5; Amos 8:5; Prov.1:19; 1 Tim.6:10
4.
That as, where a duty is commanded, the contrary sin is forbiddend;
and, where a sin is forbidden, the contrary duty is commandede: so,
where a promise is annexed, the contrary threatening is includedf;
and, where a threatening is annexed, the contrary promise is includedg.
d
Isa.58:13; Deut.6:13 compared with Matt.4:9,10; Matt.15:4-6 e
Matt.5:21,22-25; Eph.4:28 f Exod. 20:12 compared with Prov.30:17 g
Jer.18:7,8; Exod.20:7 compared with Ps.15:1,4,5 and with Ps.24:4,5
5.That
what God forbids, is at no time to be doneh; what he commands, is
always our dutyi; and yet every particular duty is not to be done
at all timesk.
h
Job 13:7,8; Rom.3:8; Job 36:21; Heb.11:25 i Deut.4:8,9 k
Matt.12:7
6.
That under one sin or duty, all of the same kind are forbidden or commanded;
together with all the causes, means, occasions, and appearances thereof, and
provocations thereuntol.
l
Matt.5:21,22,27,28; Matt.15:4-6; Heb.10:24,25; 1 Thess.5:22; Jude 23;
Gal.5:26; Col.3:21
7.
That what is forbidden or commanded to ourselves, we are bound, according to
our places, to endeavour that it may be avoided or performed by others,
according to the duty of their placesm.
m
Exod.20:10; Lev.19:17; Gen.18:19; Josh.24:15; Deut.6:6,7
8.
That in what is commanded to others, we are bound, according to our places and
callings, to be helpful to themn; and to take heed of partaking
with others in what is forbidden themo.
n
2 Cor.1:24 o 1 Tim.5:22; Eph.5:11
Q.
100. What special things are we to consider in the ten commandments?
A.
We are to consider, in the ten commandments, the preface, the substance of the
commandments themselves, and several reasons annexed to some of them, the more
to enforce them.
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