The Ten Best Ways
(aka The Ten Commandments)
The FIRST COMMANDMENT is concerning the object of our worship, Jehovah, and him only, Thou shalt have no other gods before me - The Egyptians, and other neighboring nations, had many gods, creatures of their own fancy. The sin against this commandment, which we are most in danger of, is giving that glory to any creature which is due to God only. Pride makes a God of ourselves, covetousness makes a God of money, sensuality makes a God of the belly. Whatever is loved, feared, delighted in, or depended on, more than God, that we make a god of.
The SECOND COMMANDMENT is concerning the ordinances of worship, or the way in which God will be worshiped. We are forbidden to worship even the true God by images. The Jews (at least after the captivity) thought themselves forbidden by this commandment to make any image or picture whatsoever. Our religious worship must be governed by the power of faith, not by the power of imagination.
The THIRD COMMANDMENT concerns not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain. We can take God's name in vain by: hypocrisy (making profession of God's name, but not living up to that profession), covenant breaking (making promises to God and not keeping them), swearing (mentioning the name of God, or any of his attributes, in the form of an oath),
The FOURTH COMMANDMENTconcerns the time of worship. God is to be served and honored daily; but one day in seven is to be particularly dedicated to his honor, and spent in his service. The sabbath began at the finish of the work of creation; so too the everlasting sabbath takes place in the finishing of the work of providence and redemption; and we observe the weekly sabbath in expectation of that.
With the FIFTH COMMANDMENT we have here the laws of the second table, as they are commonly called; the six last commandments which concern our duty to ourselves, and one another, and are a comment upon the second great commandment, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. The fifth commandment concerns the duties we owe to our relatives; children are to have an inward esteem for their parents outwardly expressed upon all occasions in their attitude.
The SIXTH COMMANDMENT concerns killing. We are not to do anything hurtful to the health or life of our own body or any other's. This does not forbid our own necessary defense, or judges and juries putting offenders to death; but it forbids all malice and hatred to any,
The SEVENTH COMMANDMENT forbids all acts of uncleanness, with all those desires, which produce acts and war against the soul.
The EIGHTH COMMANDMENT forbids us to rob ourselves of what we have, by sinful spending, or of the use and comfort of it by sinful sparing; and to rob others by invading our neighbor's rights, taking his goods, or house, or field, forcibly or clandestinely, over-reaching in bargains, not restoring what is borrowed or found, with-holding just debts, rents or wages; and, which is worst of all, to rob the public in coin or revenue, or whatever is dedicated to the service of religion.
The NINTH COMMANDMENT forbids speaking falsely in any manner (lying, equivocating, and any way devising and designing to deceive our neighbor), speaking unjustly against our neighbor to the prejudice of his reputation; and (which is the highest offense of both these kinds put together) bearing false witness against him,accusing him of things he knows nothing about, either upon oath, by which the third commandment, the sixth or eighth, as well as this, are broken, or in common conversation, slandering, backbiting, tale-bearing, aggravating what is done amiss, and any way endeavoring to raise our own reputation upon the ruin of our neighbor's.
The TENTH COMMANDMENT commands us not to do anything that will be an injury to our neighbor. It forbids all desire of having that which will be a gratification to ourselves (i.e. wanting a neighbor's house, wife, car, job, etc.). Coveting is caused by being discontent at our own lot and envy of our neighbor--sins which are forbidden by this commandment.
Thou shalt not covet - The foregoing commands implicitly forbid all desire of doing that which will be an injury to our neighbour, this forbids all inordinate desire of having that which will be a gratification to ourselves. O that such a man's house were mine! such a man's wife mine! such a man's estate mine! This is certainly the language of discontent at our own lot, and envy at our neighbor's, and these are the sins principally forbidden here. God give us all to see our face in the glass of this law, and to lay our hearts under the government of it!
The FIRST COMMANDMENT is concerning the object of our worship, Jehovah, and him only, Thou shalt have no other gods before me - The Egyptians, and other neighboring nations, had many gods, creatures of their own fancy. The sin against this commandment, which we are most in danger of, is giving that glory to any creature which is due to God only. Pride makes a God of ourselves, covetousness makes a God of money, sensuality makes a God of the belly. Whatever is loved, feared, delighted in, or depended on, more than God, that we make a god of.
The SECOND COMMANDMENT is concerning the ordinances of worship, or the way in which God will be worshiped. We are forbidden to worship even the true God by images. The Jews (at least after the captivity) thought themselves forbidden by this commandment to make any image or picture whatsoever. Our religious worship must be governed by the power of faith, not by the power of imagination.
The THIRD COMMANDMENT concerns not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain. We can take God's name in vain by: hypocrisy (making profession of God's name, but not living up to that profession), covenant breaking (making promises to God and not keeping them), swearing (mentioning the name of God, or any of his attributes, in the form of an oath),
The FOURTH COMMANDMENTconcerns the time of worship. God is to be served and honored daily; but one day in seven is to be particularly dedicated to his honor, and spent in his service. The sabbath began at the finish of the work of creation; so too the everlasting sabbath takes place in the finishing of the work of providence and redemption; and we observe the weekly sabbath in expectation of that.
With the FIFTH COMMANDMENT we have here the laws of the second table, as they are commonly called; the six last commandments which concern our duty to ourselves, and one another, and are a comment upon the second great commandment, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. The fifth commandment concerns the duties we owe to our relatives; children are to have an inward esteem for their parents outwardly expressed upon all occasions in their attitude.
The SIXTH COMMANDMENT concerns killing. We are not to do anything hurtful to the health or life of our own body or any other's. This does not forbid our own necessary defense, or judges and juries putting offenders to death; but it forbids all malice and hatred to any,
The SEVENTH COMMANDMENT forbids all acts of uncleanness, with all those desires, which produce acts and war against the soul.
The EIGHTH COMMANDMENT forbids us to rob ourselves of what we have, by sinful spending, or of the use and comfort of it by sinful sparing; and to rob others by invading our neighbor's rights, taking his goods, or house, or field, forcibly or clandestinely, over-reaching in bargains, not restoring what is borrowed or found, with-holding just debts, rents or wages; and, which is worst of all, to rob the public in coin or revenue, or whatever is dedicated to the service of religion.
The NINTH COMMANDMENT forbids speaking falsely in any manner (lying, equivocating, and any way devising and designing to deceive our neighbor), speaking unjustly against our neighbor to the prejudice of his reputation; and (which is the highest offense of both these kinds put together) bearing false witness against him,accusing him of things he knows nothing about, either upon oath, by which the third commandment, the sixth or eighth, as well as this, are broken, or in common conversation, slandering, backbiting, tale-bearing, aggravating what is done amiss, and any way endeavoring to raise our own reputation upon the ruin of our neighbor's.
The TENTH COMMANDMENT commands us not to do anything that will be an injury to our neighbor. It forbids all desire of having that which will be a gratification to ourselves (i.e. wanting a neighbor's house, wife, car, job, etc.). Coveting is caused by being discontent at our own lot and envy of our neighbor--sins which are forbidden by this commandment.
Thou shalt not covet - The foregoing commands implicitly forbid all desire of doing that which will be an injury to our neighbour, this forbids all inordinate desire of having that which will be a gratification to ourselves. O that such a man's house were mine! such a man's wife mine! such a man's estate mine! This is certainly the language of discontent at our own lot, and envy at our neighbor's, and these are the sins principally forbidden here. God give us all to see our face in the glass of this law, and to lay our hearts under the government of it!
