The Ten Commandments 3. Introduction: The Preface to the Commandments And God spake all these words, saying, I am the LORD thy God,' &c. Exod 20: 1, 2.
What is the preface to the Ten Commandments?
The preface to the Ten Commandments is, I am the Lord thy God.'
The preface to the preface is, God spake all these words, saying,' &c. This is like the sounding of a trumpet before a solemn proclamation. Other part ...read
The Ten Commandments 4. Introduction: The Right Understanding of the Law Thou shalt have no other Gods before me.' Exod 20: 3.
Before I come to the commandments, I shall answer questions, and lay down rules respecting the moral law.
What is the difference between the moral laud and the gospel?
(1) The law requires that we worship God as our Creator; the gospel, that we worship him in and through Christ. God in ...read
The Ten Commandments 5. The First Commandment Thou shalt have no other gods before me.' Exod 20: 3.
Why is the commandment in the second person singular, Thou? Why does not God say, You shall have no other gods?
Because the commandment concerns every one, and God would have each one take it as spoken to him by name. Though we are forward to take privileges to ourselves, yet we are apt to ...read
The Ten Commandments 6. The Second Commandment 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: thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am o jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fo ...read
The Ten Commandments 7. The Third Commandment 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.' Exod 20: 7.
This commandment has two parts: 1. A negative expressed, that we must not take God's name in vain; that is, cast any reflections and dishonour on his name. 2. An affirmative implied. That we should take ca ...read
The Ten Commandments 8. The Fourth Commandment 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 manservant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates. For in six days the Lord made heave ...read
The Ten Commandments 9. The Fifth Commandment Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.' Exod 20: 12.
Having done with the first table, I am next to speak of the duties of the second table. The commandments may be likened to Jacob's ladder: the first table respects God, and is the top of the ladder that reaches to heaven; t ...read
The Ten Commandments 10. The Sixth Commandment Thou shalt not kill.' Exod 20: 13.
In this commandment is a sin forbidden, which is murder, Thou shalt not kill,' and a duty implied, which is, to preserve our own life, and the life of others.
The sin forbidden is murder: Thou shalt not kill.' Here two things are to be understood, the not injuring another, nor ourselves.
I. The not injuri ...read
The Ten Commandments 11. The Seventh Commandment Thou shalt not commit adultery.' Exod 20: 14.
God is a pure, holy spirit, and has an infinite antipathy against all uncleanness. In this commandment he has entered his caution against it; non moechaberis, Thou shalt not commit adultery.' The sum of this commandment is, The preservations of corporal purity. We must take heed of running on the roc ...read
The Ten Commandments 12. The Eighth Commandment Thou shalt not steal.' Exod 20: 15.
AS the holiness of God sets him against uncleanness, in the command Thou shalt not commit adultery;' so the justice of God sets him against rapine and robbery, in the command, Thou shalt not steal.' The thing forbidden in this commandment, is meddling with another man's property. The civil lawyers define furtu ...read
The Ten Commandments 13. The Ninth Commandment Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.' Exod 20: 16.
THE tongue which at first was made to be an organ of God's praise, is now become an instrument of unrighteousness. This commandment binds the tongue to its good behaviour. God has set two natural fences to keep in the tongue, the teeth and lips; and this commandment is a thir ...read
The Ten Commandments 14. The Tenth Commandment Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his man-servant, nor his maid-servant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.' Exod 20: 17.
THIS commandment forbids covetousness in general, Thou shalt not covet;' and in particular, Thy neighbour's house, thy neighbour's wife, &c ...read
The Ten Commandments 15. The Law and Sin: Man's Inability to Keep the Moral Law Is any man able perfectly to keep the commandments of God?
No mere man, since the fall, is able in this life perfectly to keep the commandments of God, but does daily break them, in thought, word, and deed.
In many things we offend all.' James 3: 2. Man in his primitive state of innocence, was endowed with ability to keep the whole moral law. ...read
The Ten Commandments 16. The Law and Sin: Degrees of Sin Are all transgressions of the law equally heinous?
Some sins in themselves, and by reason of several aggravations, are more heinous in the sight of God than others.
He that delivered me unto thee, has the greater sin.' John 19: 11. The Stoic philosophers held that all sins were equal; but this Scripture clearly holds forth that there is a gra ...read
The Ten Commandments 17. The Law and Sin: The Wrath of God What does every sin deserve?
God's wrath and curse, both in this life, and in that which is to come.
Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire.' Matt 25: 41. Man having sinned, is like a favourite turned out of the king's favour, and deserves the wrath and curse of God. He deserves God's curse. Gal 3: 10. As when Christ cursed the fig- ...read
The Ten Commandments 18. The Way of Salvation: Faith What does God require of us, that we may escape his wrath and curse due to us for our sin?
Faith in Jesus Christ, repentance unto life, with the diligent use of all the outward means, whereby Christ communicateth to us the benefits of redemption.
I begin with the first, faith in Jesus Christ. Whom God has set forth to be a propitiation throug ...read
The Ten Commandments 19. The Way of Salvation: Repentance Then has God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.' Acts 11: 18.
Repentance seems to be a bitter pill to take, but it is to purge out the bad humour of sin. By some Antinomian spirits it is cried down as a legal doctrine; but Christ himself preached it. From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent,' &c. Matt 4: 17. In hi ...read
The Ten Commandments 20. The Way of Salvation: The Word The third way to escape the wrath and curse of God, and obtain the benefit of redemption by Christ, is the diligent use of ordinances, in particular, the word, sacraments, and prayer.'
I begin with the best of these ordinances.
The word . . . which effectually worketh in you that believe.' 1 Thess 2:13.
What is meant by the word's working ...read
The Ten Commandments 21. The Way of Salvation: Baptism Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; teaching them,' &c. Matt 28: 19.
I. The way whereby Christ communicates to us the benefits of redemptions, is, in the use of the sacraments.
What are the sacraments in general?
They are visible signs of invisible grace. ...read
The Ten Commandments 22. The Way of Salvation: The Lord's Supper And as they did eat, Jesus took bread,' &c. Mark 14: 22.
Having spoken to the sacrament of baptism, I come now to the sacrament of the Lord's Supper. The Lord's Supper is the most spiritual and sweetest ordinance that ever was instituted. Here we have to do more immediately with the person of Christ. In prayer, we draw nigh to God; in the sacram ...read
Thomas Watson