Is Any Man Able Perfectly to Keep the Commandments of God?

Answ. No mere man, since the fall, is able, in this life, perfectly to keep the commandments of God, but doth daily break them, in thought, word, and deed.

Q. Ought every man to keep all the commandments of God perfectly? A. Yes, Deut. xviii. 13. and xii. 32.

Q. Why ought we to keep them perfectly? A. God

requires, and hath a just title to our perfect obedience 5 and it tends to the advantage of ourselves and others.

Q. What profit can even wicked men’s attempts to obey God’s law bring to them? A. Temporal mercies in this

life, and the lessening their torments in hell.

Q. Why doth God reward wicked men’s obedience, or rather shew of obedience? A. To shew the regard

which he hath to the very resemblance of holiness; and that he hath no pleasure in the death of sinners, Jon. iii. 10.

Q. But how can he reward wicked men’s obedience, when he says, it is an abomination to him?

A. This obedience is better in itself than an absolute neglect of duty, 1 Kings xxiii. 2D, 2 Kings x. 30.

Q. Can any man perfectly keep the commands of God?

A. No mere man, since the fall, is able to keep them perfectly in this life, 1 Kings viii. 46. 1 John i. 8, — 1CU

Q. Why do you say the commands cannot be keptrfectly in this life? A. Because believers keep thera

sincerely, not perfectly, 2 Cor. ii. 2. Rom. vii.

Q. Why do you say, no mere man can keep them perfectly? A. Because Christ, who is not a mere man, but God man, did keep them perfectly, Matth. iii. 15, 17.

Q. Why do you add these words, since the fall?

A. Because before the fall Adam was able, and did keep all the commands of God perfectly, Eccl. vii. 29.

Q. Why do you add these words, in this life?

A. Because in heaven the saints shall be able to keep the whole law of God perfectly, Jude 24. Eph. v. 37.

Q. How prove you, that believers cannot keep the commands of God perfectly in this life?

A. The Scripture affirms, there is no man that doth good, and sinneth not j and that if we say we have no sin, — the truth, is not in us; and shews, that the best saints failed in these graces wherein they most excelled j Abraham through distrust lied once and again, Moses sinned by passion, Job by impatience, and Peter by cowardice, 1 Kings viii. 46.

Q. How then are Job, Zacharias, and other saints called perfect in scripture?

A. Because they were upright and sincere, having all the graces in some measure, diligently studying to have them in full measure, and heartily grieved for their imperfections in holiness; and -were far more perfect than others, Job. i. 8. Luke i. 6. Phil. iii. 12. 13, 14.

Q. How is it said, He that is born of God, sinneth not, and cannot sin? A. Because he cannot sin against the law as a covenant nor can he make a trade of sin, by living in it with pleasure, as others do, Rom. vi, vii.

A. Of every pardonable sin, even the worst, as Atheism unbelief, idolatry, &.c. 1 Kings xi. I, — 8.

Q^ Into what sins do believers most frequently fall?

A Into more refined and secret sin*, Psal. xix. 21.

£). Wherein do we break God’s commands daily?

A. In thought, word, and deed, Gen. viii. 21.

£). By what thoughts do we break God’s commands?

A- Bv low thoughts of God, and his Son Christ by atK-is’ica ignoranl. i ‘olatrous, profane, proud, idle, carnal, covetous, unclean3 or malicious thoughts, &c.

Quest. 82. to keep the Law perfectly. 287

Qj. By what words do we break Good’s commands

A. By idle, proud, profane, angry, obscene, or lying words, &c. Jam. ii. 6, 8. Matt’h, v. 22. 34, — 37.

O. By what deeds do we break. God’s commands?

A. Ey carnal labour on the Sabbath; by killing, stealing, committing adultery, &c. Hos. iv. 2.

Q. Do not we also break all the commands of God dailv, by omission of required thoughts, words, and deeds? ‘A. Yes; Isa. xliii. 22, 23, 24.

O. In what different ways do we daily break all God’s commands in thought, word, and deed?

A. In our own persons, and by partaking in other men’s

Qj How do we involve ourselves in the guilt of other men’s sins? A. By permitting when we could have

hindered them; by exciting, causing, encouraging, rewarding, or defending them j and by not duly reproving for, and mourning over them, Eph. y. 11.

Qj. Do we not constantly and practically re-act our former sins, while we continue impenitent for them? A. Yes.

Q. Can we then conceive how many sins we commit in a day or hour I A. No; we commit so many in our own persons, and by partaking with others in sin, that God alone can reckon their number, Pt-aL xl. 12.