What doth the preface to the ten commandments teach us?
Part Second
What doth the preface to the ten commandments teach us?
The preface to the ten commandments teacheth us, That because God is the Lord, and our God, and Redeemer, therefore we are bound to keep all his commandments.
1. What is a [preface]?
It is something spoken before; or, a preparatory introduction to a following discourse.
2. Whether are these words, [I am the Lord thy God], &c. to be understood as a preface to all the commandments, or to the first only?
They are to be understood as a preface to them all; though they stand immediately connected with the first, as being the ground of the particular applicatory faith in a redeeming God, which is therein injoined.
3. Why are the above words prefixed as a preface to all the commandments?
Because they are designed as so many reasons and arguments to enforce our obedience unto them.
4. Why doth God give reasons to enforce obedience to his commands, when his will is the supreme law?
To manifest his amazing condescension, in dealing with us in a suitableness to our natures as rational creatures.
Hosea 11:4
Hosea 11:4
5. How many reasons, or arguments, are there in this preface, whereby God enforces obedience to his law?
Three: the first is, because he is THE LORD, or Jehovah; the second, because he is OUR GOD; and the third, because he is our REDEEMER.
6. Which of these three is the formal reason of obedience?
The first, namely, God’s essential greatness, as he is JEHOVAH, the Most High over all the earth: though, at the same time, his relative goodness, as our God, and the deliverance he hath accomplished as our Redeemer, are invincible arguments and motives thereunto.
7. What is the strength of the first argument for obedience, taken from God’s being [THE LORD]?
The strength of it lies in this, That because God is JEHOVAH, “the eternal, immutable, and almighty God, having his being in and of himself, and giving being to all his words and works;” [Larger Cat. Quest. 101.] therefore all obedience and subjection is due to him.
Leviticus 20:8
Leviticus 20:8
8. Wherein lies the strength of the second argument for obedience to God’s law, taken from his being [OUR GOD]?
It lies in this, That because he makes himself over to sinners of mankind, by a new-covenant grant, in the word of divine revelation; therefore this ought to sweeten all his commands, and powerfully excite us to the obedience of them.
Leviticus 20:7
Leviticus 20:7
9. What doth God make over to us in the word, when he makes a grant of himself therein, to be our God?
He makes over to us whatever he is, and whatever he hath, as God, to be ours freely and eternally.
10. What doth he make over to us, when he makes a grant of whatever HE IS?
He makes over to us both what he is essentially, and what he is personally.
11. What doth he make over to us, when he makes a grant of what he is essentially?
All his glorious attributes and excellencies to be ours: his infinity, to be the extent of our inheritance; his eternity, to be the date of our happiness; his unchangeableness to be the rock of our rest; his wisdom, to direct us; his power, to protect us; his holiness, to sanctify us; his justice, to assoil us; his goodness, to reward us in the way of grace, not of debt; and his truth, to secure us in the accomplishment of all his promises.
12. What doth he make over to us, when he makes a grant of what he is personally?
He makes over himself in the person of the Father, to be our God and Father in Christ; in the person of the Son, to be our Redeemer and Saviour; and in the person of the Holy Ghost, to be our Sanctifier and Comforter.
13. What is it that he makes over to us, when he makes a grant of whatever HE HATH?
As he hath all the good things we can possibly need in time, or through eternity, so he makes them all freely over to us in the promise,—“All things are yours,” for instance, he hath life, for the quickening of us who are dead in trespasses and sins; righteousness, for the justifying us who are guilty; and redemption, for delivering us who are lawful captives. In a word, “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him,”
14. Is this grant that God makes of himself to us in the word, to be our God, no more than a mere argument, or motive, to enforce our obedience?
It also strengthens and enables us thereunto.
Ezekiel 36:27–28
Ezekiel 36:27–28
15. How doth the revelation of God’s being our God, strengthen and enable us to obedience?
In as much as by the revelation hereof, the Holy Ghost is conveyed, as the immediate efficient of holiness; and faith is wrought in the soul, as the spring and fountain thereof.
16. Why doth God front his law with this grant of himself, as the Lord our God?
Because it is comprehensive of all the promises of the covenant, and of the blessings that are wrapt up in them; and therefore the best encouragement to the obedience of faith: for, because he is our God, he will give us one heart and one way; he will not turn away from us to do us good, but will put his fear in our hearts, that we shall not depart from him.
Jeremiah 32:38–40
Jeremiah 32:38–40
17. Why doth God make this declaration of his grace in the present time, [I AM], and not in the future, I WILL be thy God?
To shew, that God’s covenant of promise is always a solid ground and foundation for the present actings of faith, in every case and circumstance wherein we can be situate.
James 2:23
James 2:23
18. Why doth God, in this grant, address the sinner in the singular number, I am [THY] God?
Because he wants that every individual sinner, to whom the revelation of his grace doth come, should believe it, with a particular applicatory faith, “I will say, It is my people; and they shall say, The Lord is MY GOD.”
Zechariah 13:9
Zechariah 13:9
19. How may we know, if ever we have, by faith, received the offer and grant that God makes of himself in the word?
By our love and esteem of him; by our reposing entire trust and confidence in him; by our likeness and conformity to him; and by our longing after the full fruition and enjoyment of him.
20. What is the THIRD ARGUMENT, in the preface, for enforcing our obedience?
It is in these words; [which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage].
21. How are these words explained in our Catechism?
Of our spiritual redemption by Jesus Christ; for, “the preface to the ten commandments teacheth us, That because God is the Lord, and our God and REDEEMER, therefore we are bound to keep all his commandments.”
22. Wherein lies the strength of this argument, for enforcing our obedience to the commands of God?
It lies in this, That as he brought Israel of old out of their bondage in Egypt, so he delivereth us out of our spiritual thraldom; and therefore we should “serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life,”
Luke 1:74–75
Luke 1:74–75
23. In what respects did the deliverance of Israel out of Egypt resemble our spiritual redemption by Christ?
The Israelites were made to serve the Egyptians with rigour; so sinners, by nature, are under the most cruel bondage and servitude to sin and Satan: the Israelites were not able of themselves to shake off the Egyptian yoke; no more are sinners of mankind capable to extricate themselves from a state of spiritual slavery, in which they are naturally inthralled: the Israelites were brought out of Egypt with a strong hand, and a stretched-out arm; so are we out of our spiritual thraldom, by the mighty power of God allenarly: the Egyptians were destroyed, when Israel was delivered; so principalities and powers were spoiled, transgression finished, and death unstinged, when our redemption was accomplished.
24. Seeing the deliverance of Israel, which was typical of our spiritual deliverance, was brought about by divine power, without the payment of a price, will it follow that our spiritual redemption was without a price also?
By no means; unless the similitude betwixt the type and the antitype did hold in every respect, which it cannot possibly do: for, though there be a resemblance betwixt them in some things, yet there is always a disparity in others; as might be made evident in every one of the scripture types and metaphors, whereunto divine things are compared: for instance, Jonah was alive in the whale’s belly, whereas Christ was actually dead in the grave.
25. Since God brought all the Israelites, without exception, out of Egypt, doth it from thence follow, that Christ redeemed all mankind from their spiritual bondage?
No: because the Israelites did not typify and represent all mankind, but the elect only.
Psalm 135:4
Psalm 135:4
26. How do you prove, that the elect only, and not all mankind, were redeemed by Christ?
From the Father’s gift of them to him from eternity; from his representing them in his death; and from his intercession within the vail for them only, “I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me.”
27. Is the extent of Christ’s purchase regulated by the extent of his intercession?
Surely it is; for his intercession is founded on his purchase, and lies in presenting the merit thereof before the throne: and therefore the one can extend no farther than the other.
28. How then are these scriptures to be explained, which seem to speak of an universal purchase of all mankind; such as, that Christ died for all, 2 Cor. v. 15.; that he tasted death for every man, Heb. ii. 9.; that he is the propitiation for the sins of the whole world, 1 John ii. 2.; and the like?
They are to be explained in a limited sense, of some only, and not of every individual of mankind; as the like general terms are undoubtedly to be understood in other places of scripture; such as, Col. i. 6. and Rev. xiii. 3.: ; for, if it is alledged, that the above scripture expressions prove an universal purchase, it may be said, with the same parity of reason, that they prove an universal application thereof, which few will assert.
29. Doth not the universal offer of Christ prove the universal redemption of all, at least, within the visible church?
No: it only proves the unquestionable duty of all to believe, upon the call and command of God; and the infinite intrinsic worth of the satisfaction of Christ for the salvation of all, if it had been so designed.
30. Doth the redemption purchased by Christ bring any benefit or advantage to the reprobate world?
It is owing thereunto that the gospel is sent among them; that temporal judgments are shortened; and it is on account of the elect, who are to spring of them, that they are preserved for a while in this world: but then these, or the like benefits, are not to be considered as the fruit of Christ’s purchase to the reprobate themselves, but to the elect only, who are living among them, or, who are to descend from them.
31. Wherein consists the spiritual bondage we are naturally under, and redeemed from by Christ?
It consists in our being under the wrath of God; the guilt, power, and pollution of sin; the tyranny of Satan; the snares and temptations of the world; and in our liableness to the pains of hell for ever.
32. What right had Christ to be our Redeemer from this state of spiritual bondage?
He had a right of propriety, and a right of propinquity.
33. How had he a right of propriety?
As he is God, he is the original owner; and as he is Mediator, he has the elect gifted unto him by his Father.
34. How hath he a right of propinquity?
He hath it by the legal union which subsisted betwixt him and us from eternity, in virtue of his being made a surety of a better testament; and by the assumption of our nature in time, whereby he became our kinsman, and is not ashamed to call us brethren.
35. What doth God’s delivering Israel out of the land of Egypt teach us, with respect to his church and people in general?
It teacheth us, that as affliction is the lot of the Lord’s people, in this present evil world; so deliverance therefrom is secured in due time, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivereth him out of them all.”
Psalm 34:19
Psalm 34:19
36. What is the difference betwixt the afflictions of the godly, and those of the wicked?
The afflictions of the godly are the chastisements of a gracious Father, flowing from love, and designed for their profit; but the afflictions of the wicked are the punishments of an avenging Judge, flowing from wrath, and designed for their ruin and destruction.
37. What improvement ought we to make of our spiritual redemption?
It should excite us to “stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and not be entangled again with the yoke of bondage,” to ascribe all the praise of our spiritual liberty to our glorious Deliverer, and to testify our gratitude and thankfulness to him, by a conversation becoming the gospel.