On the Law of God and the Commandments.

485. What means have we to know good works from bad? The inward law of God , or the witness of our conscience, and the outward law of God, or God's commandments.

486. Does holy Scripture speak of the inward law of God? The Apostle Paul says of the heathen: Which show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another. Rom. ii. 15 .

487. If there is in man's heart an inward law, why was the outward given? It was given because men obeyed not the inward law, but led carnal and sinful lives, and stifled within themselves the voice of the spiritual law, so that it was necessary to put them in mind of it outwardly through the Commandments. Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions. . Gal. iii. 19 .

488. When and how was God's outward law given to men? When the Hebrew people, descended from Abraham, had been miraculously delivered from bondage in Egypt, on their way to the promised land, in the desert, on Mount Sinai, God manifested his presence in fire and clouds, and gave them the law, by the hand of Moses, their leader.

489. Which are the chief and general commandments of this law? The following t en , which were written on two tables of stone: 1. I am the Lord thy God: thou shalt have none other gods beside me. 2. Thou shalt not make unto thyself any graven image, nor the likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters under the earth: thou shalt not bow down to them, nor serve them. 3. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain. 4. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy: six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work; but the seventh day is the Sabbath to the Lord thy God. 5. Honor thy father and thy mother, that it may be well with thee, and that thy days may be long upon the earth. 6. Thou shalt not kill. 7 . Thou shalt not commit adultery. 8. Thou shalt not steal. 9. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor. 10. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house, nor his land, nor his man-servant, nor his maid-servant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any of his cattle, nor any thing that is thy neighbor's. Exod. xx. 1-17 ; Deut. v. 6-21 .

490. You said that these Commandments were given to the people of Israel: must we, then, also walk by them? We must: for they are in substance the same law which, in the words of St. Paul, has been written in the hearts of all men, that all should walk by it.

491. Did Jesus Christ teach men to walk by the Ten Commandments? He bade men, if they would attain to everlasting life, to keep the Commandments and taught us to understand and fulfill them more perfectly than had been done before he came. Matt xix. 17 , and v . On the Division of the Commandments into Two Tables.

492. What means the division of the Ten Commandments into two tables? This: that they contain two kinds of love-- love to God, and love to our neighbor; and prescribe two corresponding kinds of duties.

493. Has not Jesus Christ said something of this? When asked, Which is the great commandment in the law? he replied: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it: Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. Matt. xxii. 36-40 .

494. Are all men our neighbors? Yes, all; because all are the creation of one God, and have come from one man: but our neighbors in faith are doubly neighbors to us, as being children of one heavenly Father by faith in Jesus Christ.

495. But why is there no commandment of love to ourselves? Because we love ourselves naturally, and without any commandment. No man ever yet hated his own flesh, but nourisheth and cherisheth it. Eph. v. 29 .

496. What relative order should there be in our love to God, our neighbor , and ourselves? We should love ourselves not for our own, but for God's sake, and partly also for the sake of our neighbors; we should love our neighbor for the sake of God; but we should love God for himself, and above all. Love of self should be sacrificed to the love of our neighbor; but both should be sacrificed to the love of God. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. John xv. 13 . He that loveth father or mother more than me , saith Jesus Christ, is not worthy of me; and he that loveth son or daughter more than me, is not worthy of me. Matt. x. 37 .

497. If the whole law is contained in two commandments, why are they divided into ten? In order the more clearly to set forth our duties towards God, and towards our neighbor.

498. In which of the Ten Commandments are we taught our duties towards God? In the first four.

499. What are these duties? In the first commandment we are taught to know and worship the true God. In the second, to abstain from false worship. In the third, not to sin against God's worship even by word. In the fourth, to keep a certain order in the time and acts of God's worship.

500. In which of the Ten Commandments are we taught our duties towards our neighbor? In the last six.

501. What are these duties? In the fifth commandment we are taught to love and honor those of our neighbors who are nearest to us, beginning with our parents. In the sixth, not to hurt the life of our neighbor. In the seventh, not to hurt the purity of his morals. In the eighth, not to hurt his property. In the ninth, not to hurt him by word. In the tenth, not to wish to hurt him.

502. Do not the Ten Commandments include also our duties towards ourselves? Yes; these duties are implied in the commandments of the second table relating to our neighbors; for our duty is to love our neighbor as ourselves.