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and accordingly, the Jews have been cast out of the church of God, and are trodden under foot of the Gentiles to this day.

35 Q. Does Jesus Christ compare the church to any other object in the natural creation besides salt?

A. Yes:-To "the light of the world;" or the sun in the firmament.

36 Q. What may we learn from this comparison? A. That it is the business of those who are

themselves enlightened by the word of God, to shew unto the world the way of salvation, both by their words and works.

37 Q. By what other comparison does Jesus illustrate the duty of those who are exalted in respect to religious privileges?

A. He reminds them, that as a city which is set upon a hill cannot be hid, and was obviously intended by the builder to be seen; so they also are designed by God to exhibit the power of his grace in the eyes of all around them. 38 Q. Our Lord reminds us, that, when men light a candle, they do not conceal it, but set it on a candlestick, that it may give light to all that are in the house.

What would he have

us to learn from this? A. That they, who are enlightened by God with heavenly wisdom, as the Jews were of old and as Christians are now, must not hide the gift within their hearts, but impart the benefit of it to others.

9 Q. Does Jesus Christ plainly command us to do this?

A. Yes:-For after noticing the purpose for which men place a lighted candle on a candlestick, he adds, "Let your light so shine. before men, that they may see your good works."

40 Q. But must we make a shew of our good works, in order that we may have glory of

men?

A. No:-In all that we say or do, we must sincerely and singly seek to promote the glory of our Father which is in heaven.

41 Q. Can we call ourselves true Christians, if we say and do nothing more in obedience to Christ than will procure us the praise and honour which cometh from men, but refrain from every word and deed which might expose us to reproach?

A. No:-This would be using religion only as a cloak for vain-glory: a true Christian will have respect to all Christ's commandments, and follow him through evil report as well as good report, through honour and dishonour. 42 Q. Did our Lord Jesus Christ come "to destroy the law?"

A.

43 Q.

No:-But "to fulfil" it..

What law did he come to fulfil?"

A. The ceremonial law, whose sacrifices were but types and shadows of that by which he has taken away the sins of the world; and the moral law, which God wrote on two tables of stone and delivered to Moses.

44 Q. How many commandments does the moral law contain?

A. It may be divided into ten, as it is in the Old Testament; but Jesus Christ, in the New Testament, has summed them up in two. 45 Q. What are those two great commandments of the law?

A. 1, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy mind, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength." 2, "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." 46 Q. Can you tell me, then, in one word, what is the fulfilling of the law?

A.

47 Q.

Love.

But Jesus declares that he came to fulfil the prophets as well as the law.

you understand by this declaration?

What do

A. 1, That he was the true Messiah concerning whom the prophets had written. 2, That the great end of his coming was to restore mankind, both Jews and Gentiles, to that blessed state of Love towards God, and one another, which is foretold by the prophets, as well as commanded by the law.

48 Q. Is there not a two-fold sense in which Jesus came to fulfil the moral law?

A. Yes:-1, He came to fulfil it for us, by answering its demands, and suffering its penalty as our surety. 2, He came to fulfil it in us, or to write it upon the hearts of all those who believe on him.

49 Q. And is the law of Love actually written on the hearts of all true believers in Christ? A. Yes:-They love God because He has first loved them; and they likewise love all man

kind for God's sake; but especially them that are of the household of faith.

50 Q. Will the law of God ever change or pass away?

A. No: It is in its nature unchangeable as God himself; for God must always continue to be the proper object of man's Love, and therefore man must always remain under the same obligation to keep this law.

51 Q. What does our Lord mean when he says, that, "whosoever shall break one of the least of these commandments, and shall teach men so, the same shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven?

A. He means that whosoever in the smallest instance transgresses the law of Love, and teaches others by precept or example to do the same, shall proportionably suffer loss, in the kingdom of grace and glory.

52 Q. And what shall be the portion of those who "do and teach" these commandments?

A. They shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven."

53 Q. What do you understand by this declaration?

A. That they, who make the law of Love the invariable rule of their conduct, shall be recompensed by a proportionable increase of grace on earth, and glory in heaven.

54 Q.

A.

Who were "the Scribes?"

Persons whose office it was to explain and read the Scriptures to the Jewish people. 55 Q. Who were "the Pharisees?"

A. A sect who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others.

56 Q. Wherein did "the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees" consist?

A. In an outward conformity to the letter of God's law, and in the observance of some ceremonies enjoined by the tradition received from their forefathers; while they entirely neglected the religion of the heart.

57 Q. Had they any desire to please God in what they did?

A.

No:-They did all their works to be seen and have glory of men.

58 Q. Is such righteousness sufficient, and acceptable in the sight of God?

A. No:-For Christ says, that " except our righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, we shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven."

59 Q. In what respect must our righteousness exceed theirs?

A. 1, Theirs was a partial righteousness; they did some things, and left others undone: whereas we must endeavour to keep the whole law without offending in one point. 2, Theirs was a hypocritical righteousness; they pretended to serve God, while they had no other design than that of promoting their own worldly gain and honour: whereas we must be sincere, and have no other end in view than the glory and honour of God. 3, Theirs was a formal righteousness; it consisted merely in the outward act: whereas ours must

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