The ordinary Christian, who cannot read the Scriptures, is required to learn and know the Ten Commandments, the Creed, and the Lord's Prayer; and this has not come to pass without God's special ordering. For these three contain fully and completely everything that is in the Scriptures, everything that ever should be preached, and everything that a Christian needs to know, all put so briefly and so plainly that no one can make complaint or excuse, saying that what he needs or his salvation is too long or too hard to remember.
Three things a man needs to know in order to be saved. First, he must know what he ought to do and what he ought not to do. Second, when he finds that by his own strength he can neither do the things he ought, nor leave undone the things he ought not to do, he must know where to seek and find and get the strength he needs. Third, he must know how to seek and find and get this strength.
When a man is ill, he needs to know first what his illness is,--what he can do and what he cannot do. Then he needs to know where to find the remedy that will restore his health and help him to do and leave undone the things he ought. Third, he must ask for this remedy, and seek it, and get it or have it brought to him. In like manner, the Commandments teach a man to know his illness, so that he feels and sees what he can do and what he cannot do, what he can and what he cannot leave undone, and thus knows himself to be a sinner and a wicked man. After that the Creed shows him and teaches him where he may find the remedy,--the grace which helps him to become a good man and to keep the Commandments; it shows him God, and the mercy which He has revealed and offered in Christ. In the third place, the Lord's Prayer teaches him how to ask or this grace, get it, and take it to himself, to wit, by habitual, humble, comforting prayer; then grace is given, and by the fulfillment of God's commandments he is saved.
These are the three chief things in all the Scriptures. Therefore we begin at the beginning, with the Commandments, which are the first thing, and learn to recognise our sin and wickedness, that is, our spiritual illness, which prevents us from doing the things we ought to do and leaving undone the things we ought not to do.
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
The First Table of Moses--the Table of the Right Hand--contains the first three Commandments, In these man is taught his duty toward God, what things he is in duty bound to do, and what to leave undone.
The First Commandment teaches how man shall treat God inwardly, in the heart, that is, how he ought always to remember Him and think of Him and esteem Him. To Him, as to a Father and good Friend, man is to look at all times or all good things, in all trust and faith and love, with fear; he is not to offend Him, but trust Him as a child its father. For nature teaches us that there is one God, Who gives all good and helps against all evil, as even the heathen show us by their worshiping of idols. This commandment is,
Thou shalt have no other gods.
The Second Commandment teaches how man shall act toward God outwardly, in words, before other men, or even inwardly before his own self; that is, he shall honor God's Name. For no one can show God either to himself or to others in His divine nature, but only in His names. This commandment is,
Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain.
The Third Commandment teaches how man shall act toward God outwardly in deeds, that is, in the worship of God. It is,
Thou shalt hallow the holy day.
These three commandments, then, teach how man is to act toward God in thoughts, words and deeds,--that is, in all his life.
The Second Table of Moses--the Table of the Left Hand--contains the other seven Commandments. In these man is taught what he is in duty bound to do and not to do to other men, that is, to his neighbor,
The first of them teaches how one is to conduct oneself toward all the authorities who are God's representatives. Therefore, it has its place before the rest, and immediately after the first three, which concern God Himself. Such authorities are father and mother, spiritual and temporal lords, etc. It is,
Honor thy father and thy mother.
The second teaches how one is to conduct oneself toward one's neighbor in matters that concern his person,--not to do him injury, but to benefit and help him when he is in need. It is,
Thou shalt not kill.
The third teaches how one is to conduct oneself toward the best possession one's neighbor has next to his person,--that is, toward his wife, his child, his friend. He is to put no shame upon them, but to preserve their honor, so far as he is able. It is,
Thou shalt not commit adultery.
The fourth teaches how one is to conduct oneself toward one's neighbor's temporal possessions,--not to take them from him or hinder him in their use, but to aid him in increasing them. It is,
Thou shalt not steal.
The fifth teaches how one is to conduct oneself toward one's neighbor's worldly honor and good name,--not to impair them, but to increase and guard and protect them. It is,
Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
So, then, it is forbidden to harm one's neighbor in any of his possessions, and it is commanded to advance his interests. If we consider the natural law, we find how just and right all these commandments are; for there is no act here commanded, toward God or one's neighbor, that each of us would not wish to have done toward himself, if he were God, or in God's place or his neighbor's.
The last two Commandments teach how wicked human nature is, and how pure we should be from all the desires of the flesh and desires for this world's goods; but that means struggle and labor as long as we live here below. They are,
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house.
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his cattle, nor anything that is thy neighbor's.
A BRIEF CONCLUSION TO THE TEN COMANDMENTS
Christ Himself says, "Whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you, do ye even so to them; this is the whole law and all the prophets." [Matt. 7:12] Now no one wishes to receive ingratitude for benefits conferred or to let another take away his good name. No one wishes to have pride shown toward him. No one wishes to endure disobedience, wrath, a wife's impurity, robbery, lying, deceit, slander; but every one wishes to find in his neighbor kindliness, thankfulness, helpfulness, truth and fidelity. All this the Ten Commandments require.
THE TRANSGRESSION OF THE COMMANDMENTS
Against the First
He who in his tribulation seeks the help of sorcery, black art, or witchcraft.
He who uses letters, signs, herbs, words, charms and the like.
He who uses divining-rods and incantations, and practices crystal-gazing, cloak-riding, and milk-stealing.
He who orders his life and work by lucky days, the signs of the zodiac and the advice of the fortune-tellers.
He who seeks by charms and incantations to protect himself, his cattle, his house, his children and all his property against wolves, iron, fire and water.
He who blames his misfortunes and tribulations on the devil or on wicked men, and does not accept them with praise and love, as good and evil which come from God alone, and who does not ascribe them to God with thanksgiving and willing patience.
He who tempts God, and needlessly puts himself in danger of body or soul.
He who glories in his piety, his wisdom, or other spiritual gifts.
He who honors God and the saints only for the sake of temporal gain, and is forgetful of his soul's need.
He who does not trust in God at all times, and is not confident of God's mercy in all he does.
He who doubts concerning the faith or the grace of God.
He who does not keep back others from unbelief and doubt, and does not help them, so far as in him lies, to believe and trust in God's grace.
Here, too, belong all forms of unbelief, despair, and misbelief.