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THE TEN COMMANDMENTS by Thomas Watson (1620 - 1686)
Thomas Watson was an offical signer of the Westminster Standards ...more

Contents (with questions covered in each section)

1.1 Obedience
  • What is the duty which God requireth of man?
  • What is the rule of obedience?
  • What are the ingredients in our obedience that make it acceptable?
  • Whence is it that men do not obey God? They know their duty, but do it not.
  • What means shall we use that we may obey?

    1.2 Love
  • What is the sum of the Ten Commandments?
  • What is love?
  • What is the antecedent of love to God?
  • Wherein does the formal nature of love consist?
  • How must our love to God be qualified?
  • What are the visible signs of our love to God?
  • What shall we do in order to love God aright?

    1.3 The Preface to the Commandments
  • What is the preface to the Ten Commandments?
  • But what man can obey all God's commandments?
  • How comes God to be our God?
  • What is implied by God being our God?
  • How may we know that by covenant union, God is our God?
  • Why does the Lord mention the deliverance of Israel out of Egypt?
  • Why is it that we are prone to idolatry?
  • How do the afflictions of the godly differ from the afflictions of the wicked?
  • How are they happy?
  • In what manner does God deliver his people out of trouble?
  • Why does God bring his people out of the house of bondage?
  • How may it be known that a deliverance comes in love?
  • How does it seem to comport with God's justice to punish a sin committed in a moment, with eternal torment?
  • How shall I know I am delivered from hell?

    1.4 The Right Understanding of the Law
  • What is the difference between the moral law and the gospel?
  • But is the moral law still in force to believers; is it not abolished to them?
  • How was Christ made a curse for us?
  • How and in what sense may we be said to partake of, and have a hand in the sins of others?


    2.1 The First Commandment
  • Why must use cleave to the Lord as our God?
  • What is meant by the words, Before me?

    2.2 The Second Commandment
  • But did not Moses make the image of a brazen serpent? Why, then, may not images be set up?
  • But is not God represented as having hands, and eyes, and cars? Why nay we not, then, make an image to represent him, and help our devotion?
  • But how shall we conceive of God aright, if we may not make any image or resemblance of him?
  • What are the properties of God's mercy?
  • In how many ways is God said to show mercy?
  • How may I know that my sins are pardoned?
  • How shall we know it belongs to us?
  • How shall we get a share in God's special mercy?
  • How must our love to God be characterised?
  • How may we know whether we love God?
  • What means should be used to excite our love to God?
  • But why must faith be mixed with obedience to the commandments?
  • But who can keep all his commandments?
  • How shall we keep God's commandments?

    2.3 The Third Commandment
  • How do we speak against God?

    2.4 The Fourth Commandment
  • Why has God appointed a Sabbath?
  • How comes it to pass that we do not keep the seventh-day Sabbath as it was in the primitive institution, but have changed it to another day?
  • But how comes the first day in the week to be substituted in the room of the seventh day?
  • Whence do these roving and distracting thoughts in hearing come?
  • How shall we get rid of these vagabond thoughts?
  • I am as bad as ever! Why then do I labour in vain?

    2.5 The Fifth Commandment
  • How should parents so act towards their children as to be honoured and reverenced by them?

    2.6 The Sixth Commandment
  • How many ways is murder committed?
  • What are the aggravations of this sin of murder?
  • How can we have our souls saved?

    2.7 The Seventh Commandment
  • Wherein appears the greatness of this sin?
  • How does the Lord show his abhorrence of the adulterer?
  • How shall we know our souls are pure?

    2.8 The Eighth Commandment
  • What are the aggravations of this sin?
  • What is to be done to avoid stealing?

    2.9 The Ninth Commandment
  • How can you converse or bargain with a man when you cannot trust a word he says?

    2.10 The Tenth Commandment
  • What is it to covet?
  • What means should we use to keep us from coveting that which is our neighbour's?


    3.1 Man's Inability to keep the Moral Law
  • Is any man able perfectly to keep the commandments of God?
  • If a man has no power to keep the whole moral law, why does God require it of him? Is this justice?
  • Why does God permit such an inability in man to keep the law?

    3.2 Degrees of Sin
  • Are all transgressions of the law equally heinous?
  • How many ways may a man sin against illuminations and convictions?

    3.3 The Wrath of God
  • What does every sin deserve?
  • What is this wrath?
  • How does it consist with God's justice to punish sin, which perhaps was committed in a moment, with eternal fire?
  • What shall we do to prevent and escape the wrath to come?
  • Who would not be willing to bear the wrath of man that knows he shall never feel the wrath of God?


    4.1 Faith
  • What does God require of us, that we may escape his wrath and curse due to us for our sin?
  • How comes faith to be so precious?

    4.2 Repentance
  • But my sins are so great, that if I should repent, God would not pardon them!

    4.3 The Word
  • How may the word be read effectually?

    4.4 Baptism
  • What are the sacraments in general?
  • Is not the word of God sufficient to salvation? What need then is there of sacraments?
  • What are the sacraments of the New Testament?
  • What is baptism?
  • What is meant by the parent when he presents his child to be baptised?
  • What is the benefit of baptism?
  • Is this all the benefit?
  • How does it appear that children have a right to baptism?
  • But what benefit can the child have of baptism if it understand not the nature of baptism?
  • The party to be baptised is to be engaged to God; but how can the child enter into such an engagement?

    4.5 The Lord's Supper
  • What is the Lord's supper?
  • What are the ends of the Lord's supper?
  • In what manner are we to remember the Lord's death in the sacrament?
  • Why are we to receive this holy supper?
  • Should the Lord's supper be often administered?
  • Are all to come promiscuously to this holy ordinance?
  • What is required for this self-examination?
  • What is self-examination?
  • What is the rule by which we are to examine ourselves?
  • What are the principal reasons for self-examination before we approach the Lord's supper?
  • What must we examine?

    4.6 Prayer
  • What is prayer?
  • Why must prayer be made to God only?
  • What are the several parts of prayer?
  • What are the several sorts of prayer?
  • How shall we cure these vain impertinent thoughts, which distract us in prayer, and, we fear, hinder its acceptance?