Quest. 33. What is the great end and design of the commandments?

Ans. They teach us to worship and acknowledge the true and only God of heaven and earth; to shun continually all evils as sins against him; to renounce the loves of self and the world; and to love the Lord above all things, and our neighbor as ourselves.(1) Note U.

1. The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; the statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. Ps. xix. 7, 8.

Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned, 1 Tim. i. 5. See also proofs of Question 31, above.

Quest. 34. What are the two Rules or Canons of the New Jerusalem Church, on the subject of Life?

Ans. The first is, "That no person can shun evils as sins, and do good which may be good in the sight of God, of himself, but from the Lord."(1) The second is, "That á man ought to shun evils as sins, and fight against them, as of himself;(2) and that if a person shunneth evils from any other motive than because they are sins, he doth not really shun them, but only concealeth them from the world."(3)

1. Abide in me and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine, no more can ye except you abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit; for without me ye can do nothing. John xv. 4, 5.

2. Deut. xxx. 19; Ezek. xxxiii. 11; Is. i. 16 to 21.

3. How can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God? Gen. xxxix. 9. Wo unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. Ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also appear outwardly righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. Matth. xxiii, 25, 27, 28. Note V.

Quest. 35. Are we able of our own strength to do this? Ans. No;(1) but the Lord continually gives the ability to those who ask it:(2) and therefore we ought to offer up our daily prayers for his continual assistance, as he has commanded us in his Word.(3)

1. See proof 1 to Question 34.

2. And this is the confidence that we have in him, that if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us; and if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him. 1 John v. 14, 15.

3. As for me, I will call upon God; and the Lord shall save me. Evening, morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud; and he shall hear my voice. Ps. lv. 16, 17. And Daniel kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime. Dan. vi. 10. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret, himself shall reward thee openly. Matth. vi. 6. Note W.

Quest. 36. Why has the Lord thus commanded us to pray?

Ans. Because he continually desires to bless us, and impart to us his Divine love and wisdom;(1) and as humility, and the acknowledgment of our dependence on the Lord for all real blessings, is that state of mind in which he can best operate on our hearts,(2) he therefore willeth that we should first ask and pray, that he may afterwards answer and give, according to our wants and necessities.(3) 1. Herein is love; not that we loved God, but that he loved God is Love; and he that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God, and God in him. 1 John iv. 10, 17.

us.

2. God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.-Submit yourselves, therefore, to God.--Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.--Humble yourselves in the sight of God, and he shall lift you up. James iv. 6, 7, 8, 10. Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. 1 Peter v. 6,7. See also Matth. xviii. 3, 4.

3. Ask, and it shall be given unto you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: for every one that asketh, receiveth; and he that seeketh, findeth; and to him

that knocketh, it shall be opened.--If ye, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him. Matth. vii. 7, 8, 11.

Quest. 37. Ought we to continue to pray daily, to the end of our lives?

Ans. Yes;(1) for we are always as helpless children in the sight of God, and should we cease to pray, wicked spirits would take possession of our hearts, and lead us into all evil.(2)

1. Praying always, with all prayer and supplication in the spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance, &c. Ephesians vi. 18. Pray without ceasing: in every thing give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. 1 Thess. v. 17, 18. See also proof 3 to Quest. 35.

2. Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the Devil: for we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Eph. vi. 11, 12. Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their conscience seared with a hot iron; forbidding to marry, &c. 1 Tim. iv. 1, 2, 3. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the Devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. 1 Pet. v. 8. Note X.

Quest. 38. In what manner has our Lord taught us to pray?

Ans. "After this manner pray ye: Our Father, who art in the heavens; hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so upon the earth. Give us this day our daily bread: and forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.(1)

1. Matthew vi. 9 to 13. Note Y.

Quest. 39. Who is our Father in the heavens?

Ans. The Lord Jesus Christ,(1) who is the only wise God, our Saviour;(2) and the author and giver of all life.(3)

1. For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder; and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Is. ix. 6. Jesus saith unto him, He that hath seen me, hath seen the Father. John xiv. 9. And when they saw him, they worshiped him. --And Jesus spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Matth. xxviii. 17, 18. And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven;--and they worshiped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. Luke xxiv. 51, 52. For in Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. Col. ii. 9. This is the true God and eternal life. 1 John v. 20.

2. To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power; both now and forever. Amen. Jude 25.

3. And the Word was God. All things were made by Him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. --In him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us. And we beheld his glory, (the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. John i. 1, 3, 4, 14. God, that made the world, and all things therein:--He giveth to all, life, and breath, and all things--for in him we live, and move, and have our being. Acts xvii. 24, 25, 23. Note Z.

OF FAITH, CHARITY, AND GOOD WORKS.

Quest. 40. What are the essentials of salvation on the part of man?

Ans. They are three; namely, Faith,(1) Charity,(2) and Good Works.(3)

1. Whatsoever is not of Faith, is sin. Rom. xiv. 23. But without faith, it is impossible to please God; for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Heb. xi. 6. He that believeth on him is not condemned; but he that believeth not, is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name

of the only begotten Son of God. John iii. 18. Jesus saith unto her, I am the resurrection and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live; and whosoever liveth, and believeth in me, shall never die. John xi. 25, 26.

2. This is my commandment, that ye love one another, as I have loved you. John xv. 12. A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. John xiii. 34. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. Col. iii. 14. But I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you; that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven; for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth his rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans so! Matth. v. 44 to 46. Pure religion, and undefiled before God and the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. James i. 27. And now abideth Faith, Hope, Charity; these three; but the greatest of these is Charity. 1 Cor. xiii. 13. See also the whole of this chap. 3. Lord, who shall dwell in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill? He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart. He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbor, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbor: in whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoreth them that fear the Lord. He that sweareth to his own hurt and changeth not. He that putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent. He that doeth these things shall never be moved. Psalm xv. If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them. John xiii. 17. If ye love me, keep my commandments. He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me, and shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. John xiv. 15, 21. Whosoever heareth these things of mine, and doeth them, I will liken unto a wise man which built his house upon a rock. Matth. vii. 24. And this is his commandment, that we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another as he gave us commandment: and he that keepeth his commandments, dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the spirit which he hath given us. 1 John iii. 23, 24. And I saw the dead, both small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged out of