eceive a precept about
loving God and his neighbor, because in this respect the natural law
had become obscured on account of sin: but not about the duty of
loving oneself, because in this respect the natural law retained its
vigor: or again, because love of oneself is contained in the love of
God and of one's neighbor: since true self-love consists in directing
oneself to God. And for this reason the decalogue includes those
precepts only which refer to our neighbor and to God.

Secondly, it may be answered that the precepts of the decalogue are
those which the people received from God immediately; wherefore it is
written (Deut. 10:4): "He wrote in the tables, according as He had
written before, the ten words, which the Lord spoke to you." Hence
the precepts of the decalogue need to be such as the people can
understand at once. Now a precept implies the notion of duty. But it
is easy for a man, especially for a believer, to understand that, of
necessity, he owes certain duties to God and to his neighbor. But
that, in matters which regard himself and not another, man has, of
necessity, certain duties to himself, is not so evident: for, at the
first glance, it seems that everyone is free in matters that concern
himself. And therefore the precepts which prohibit disorders of a man
with regard to himself, reach the people through the instruction of
men who are versed in such matters; and, consequently, they are not
contained in the decalogue.

Reply Obj. 2: All the solemnities of the Old Law were instituted in
celebration of some Divine favor, either in memory of past favors, or
in sign of some favor to come: in like manner all the sacrifices were
offered up with the same purpose. Now of all the Divine favors to be
commemorated the chief was that of the Creation, which was called to
mind by the sanctification of the Sabbath; wherefore the reason for
this precept is given in Ex. 20:11: "In six days the Lord made heaven
and earth," etc. And of all future blessings, the chief and final was
the repose of the mind in God, either, in the present life, by grace,
or, in the future life, by glory; which repose was also foreshadowed
in the Sabbath-day observance: wherefore it is written (Isa. 58:13):
"If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy own will
in My holy day, and call the Sabbath delightful, and the holy of the
Lord glorious." Because these favors first and chiefly are borne in
mind by men, especially by