graces of God; (1) aggravating smaller faults; (2) hiding, excusing, or extenuating of sins, when called to a free confession; (3) unnecessarily discovering of infirmities; (4) raising false rumours; (5) receiving and countenancing evil reports, (6) and stopping our ears against just defence; (7) evil suspicion; (8) envying or thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.-And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses. Acts xii. 22.

(1) Job xxvii. 5, 6. God forbid that I should justify you: till I die I will not remove mine integrity from me. My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go: my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live.

Matt.

(2) Isa. xxix. 20, 21.-All that watch for iniquity are cut off; that make a man an offender for a word. vii. 3.

(3) Gen. iii. 12, 13. And the man said, The woman, whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.-And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat. Prov. xxviii. 13. He that covereth his sins shall not prosper. 2 Kings v. 25. Gen. iv. 9.

(4) Prov. xxv. 9. Debate thy cause with thy neighbour himself; and discover not a secret to another. Gen.

ix. 22.

(5) Ex. xxiii. 1. Thou shalt not raise a false report. (6) Jer. xx. 10.-I heard the defaming of many,-Report, say they, and we will report it. All my familiars watched for my halting, saying, Peradventure he will be enticed, and we shall prevail against him, and we shall take our revenge on him. Prov. xxix. 12.

(7) Acts vii. 57. Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears. Job xxxi. 13, 14. If I did despise the cause of my man-servant, or of my maid servant, when they contended with me; what then shall I do when God riseth up? and when he visiteth, what shall I answer him?

(8) 1 Cor. xiii. 4, 5. 1 Tim. vi. 4.

Charity-thinketh no evil

grieving at the deserved credit of any; (1) endeavouring or desiring to impair it, (2) rejoicing in their disgrace and infamy; (3) scornful contempt, (4) fond admiration; (5) breach of lawful promises; (6) neglecting such things as are of good report; (7) and practising or not avoiding ourselves, or not hindering what we can in others, such things as procure an ill name. (8)

(1) Matt. xxi. 15. And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the son of David; they were sore displeased. Num. xi. 29. (2) Dan. vi. 3, 4. Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes,-Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom. Ezra iv. 12, 13. (3) Jer. xlviii. 27. For was not Israel a derision unto thee? was he found among thieves? for since thou spakest of him, thou skippedst for joy.

(4) Matt. xxvii. 28, 29. And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe. And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand; and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews! Ps. xxxv. 15, 16.

(5) 1 Cor. iii. 21.—Let no man glory in men.-Jude 16. Having men's persons in admiration because of advantage.-Acts xii. 22.

(6) Rom. i. 31. Without understanding, covenant breakers. 2 Tim. iii. 3.

(7) 2 Sam. xii. 14.-Thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme. 1 Sam. ii. 24. (8) Phil. iii. 18, 19. For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things. 2 Pet. ii. 2. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reasor

Q. 146. Which is the tenth commandment? A. The tenth commandment is, Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maid-servant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's. (1)

Q. 147. What are the duties required in the tenth commandment?

A. The duties required in the tenth commandment are, such a full contentment with our own condition, (2) and such a charitable frame of the whole soul towards our neighbour, as that all our inward motions and affections touching him, tend unto and further all that good which is his. (3)

Q. 148. What are the sins forbidden in the tenth commandment?

A. The sins forbidden in the tenth commandment are, discontentment with our own estates;(4) envying, (5) and grieving at the good

of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. 2 Sam. xii. 13.

(1) Ex. xx. 17.

(2) Heb. xiii. 5. Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee. 1 Tim vi. 6.

(3) Rom. xii. 15. Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. Phil. ii. 4. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Job xxxi. 29. 1 Tim. i. 5.

(4) 1 Cor. x. 10. Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. 1 Kings xxi. 4. Let us not be desirous of vain glory,

(5) Gal. v. 26.

1

of our neighbour, (1) together with all inordinate motions and affections to any thing that is his.(2) Q. 149. Is any man able perfectly to keep the commandments of God?

A. No man is able, either of himself, (3) or by any grace received in this life, perfectly to keep the commandments of God; (4) but doth daily break them in thought, (5) word, and deed. (6)

provoking one another, envying one another. James iii. 14, 16. But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.For where envying and strife is, there is confusion, and every evil work.

(1) Ps. cxii. 9, 10.-His horn shall be exalted with honour. The wicked shall see it, and be grieved. Neh. ii. 10.

(2) Rom. vii. 7.-I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. Deut. v. 21. Neither shalt thou desire thy neighbour's wife, neither shalt thou covet thy neighbour's house, his field, or his man-servant, or his maid-servant, his ox, or his ass, or any thing that is thy neighbour's. Col. iii. 5. Mortify-inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Rom. xiii. 9.

(3) James iii. 2.—In many things we offend all. Job xv. 14. What is man, that he should be clean? and he which is born of a woman, that he should be righteous ? John xv. 5.-Without me ye can do nothing.

(4) Eccl. vii. 20.-There is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not. 1 Kings viii. 46 For there is no man that sinneth not. 1 John i. 8. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

(5) Gen. viii. 21.-The imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth. James i. 14.-Every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Gen. vi. 5. See figure (4), above.

(6) Ps. xix. 12. Who can understand his errors?

Q. 150. Are all transgressions of the law of God equally heinous in themselves, and in the sight of God?

A. All transgressions of the law of God are not equally heinous; but some sins in themselves, and by reason of several aggravations, are more heinous in the sight of God than others. (1)

Q. 151. What are those aggravations that make some sins more heinous than others? A. Sins receive their aggravations,

1. From the persons offending: (2) If they be of riper age, (3) greater experience, or grace; (4) eminent for profession, (5)

cleanse thou me from secret faults. Rom. iii. 9, 19.We have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin-Every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. James iii. 2, 8. In many things we offend all.-The tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.

(1) Heb. ii. 2, 3.-If the word spoken by angels was steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward: how shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord? Ezra ix. 14. Ps. lxxviii. 17, 32, 56.

(2) Jer. ii. 8. The priests said not, Where is the Lord? and they that handle the law knew me not: the pastors also transgressed against me, and the prophets prophesied by Baal.

(3) Job xxxii. 9. Great men are not always wise: neither do the aged understand judgment. Eccl. iv. 13. (4) 1 Kings xi. 9. And the Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice.

(5) 2 Sam. xii. 14.-Bv this deed thou hast given