A. The rule which God at first revealed to man, for his obedience, was the moral law b. Q41: Wherein is the moral law fummarily comprehended? A. The moral law is fummarily comprehended in the ten commandments c. Q32. What is the fum of the ten commandments? A. The fum of the ten commandments is, To love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our foul, with all our ftrength, and with all our mind; and our neighbour as ourfelves d. Q. 43. What is the preface to the ten commandments? A The preface to the ten commandments is in these words, I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the I land of Egypt. out of the house of bondage e. Q.44. What doth the preface to the ten commandments teach us? A The preface to the ten commandments teacheth us, That because God is the Lord, and our God, and Redeemer; therefore we are bound to keep all his commandments f. A. 45. Which is the first commandment? hold, to obey is better than facrifice; and to hearken, than the fat of rams. 40 6 Rom. ii 14 For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, thefe having not the law, are a law unto themselves: v. 15. Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their confcience also bearing witnefs, and their thoughts the mean while accufing, or elie excufing one another. Rom. x. 5. For Mofes defcribeth the righ teousness which is of the law, that the man which doth those things, fhall live by them. 41. c Deut x. 4. And he wrote on the tables, according to the first writing, the ten commandments, which the Lord fpake unto you in the mount, out of the midft of the fire, in the day of the affembly: and A. The the Lord gave them unto me. 42. d Mat. xxii. 37. Jefus faid unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy foul, and with all thy mind. v. 38. This is the first and great commandment. v. 39. And the fe cond is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. v.40. On thefe two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. 43. e Exod. xx. 2. 44 / Luke i. 74. That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hands of our ene. mies, might ferve him without fear, v. 75. In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life. 1 Pet. i. 15. But as he which hath called you is holy, fo be ye holy in all manner of converfation; v. 16. Because it is written, Be ye holy, for I am hely. v. 17. And if ye call on the A. The first commandment is, Thou fhalt have no other gods before Meg. Q. 46. What is required in the first commandment? A. The first commandment requireth us to know, and acknowledge God to be the only true God, and our God h; and to worship and glorify him accordingly 1. 47. What is forbiddden in the first commandment? A. The first commandment forbiddeth the denying k, or not worshipping and glorifying the true God, as God, and our God m; and the giving that worship and glory to any other, which is due to him alone n. Q. 48. What are we specially taught by these words (Before Me) in the first commandment? the Father, who without refpect of perfons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your fojourning here in fear: v. 18. Forafmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as filver and gold, from your vain converfation, received by tradition from your fathers; v. 19. But with the precious blood of Chrift, as of a lamb without blemish and without fpot. 45. g Exod. xx. 3. 46. b 1 Chron. xxviii. 9. And thou, Solomon my Son, know thou the God of thy Father, and ferve him with a perfect heart, and with a willing mind: for the Lord fearcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou feek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forfake him, he will caft thee off for ever. Deut. xxvi. 17. Thou hast avouched the Lord this day to be thy God, and to walk in his ways, and to keep his ftatutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and to hearkea unto his voice. i Mat. iv. 10. Then faith Jefus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: A. These for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only fhalt thou ferve. Pfal. xxix. 2. Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. 47. k Pfal. xiv. 1. The fool hath faid in his heart, There is no God: they are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doth good. / Rom. i. 21. Becaufe that when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful, but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. m Pfal. lxxxi. 10. I am the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it. v. 11. But my people would not hearken to my voice and ifrael would none of me. n Rom. i. 25. Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worfhipped and ferved the creature more than the Creator, who is bleffed for ever, Amen. v. 26. For this caufe God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change A. Thefe words (Before Me) in the firft commandment, teach us, That God, who feeth all things, taketh notice of, and is much difpleafed with, the fin of having any other gods. Q. 49. Which is the fecond commandment? A The fecond commandment is, Thou fhalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likenefs of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: thou fhalt not bow down thyself to them, nor ferve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, vifiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me: and fhewing mercy unto thoufands of them that love me, and keep my commandments p. Q. 50. What is required in the fecond commandment? A. The fecond commandment requireth the receiving, obferving and keeping pure and entire, all fuch religious worship and ordinances, as God hath appointed in his word q. Q.51. What is forbidden in the fecond commandment? A. The fecond commandment forbiddeth the worshipping of God by images r, or any other way not appointed in his word, change the natural ufe into that which is against nature. 48. o Ezek. viii. 5. Then faid he unto me, Son of man, lift up thine eyes now the way towards the north fo I lift up mine eyes the way toward the north, and behold, northward at the gate of the altar, this idol of jealoufy in the entry. v. 6. He faid furthermore unto me, Son of man, feeft thou what they do? even the great abominations that the house of Ifrael committeth here, that I should go far off from my fan&uary? but turn thee yet again, and thou shalt fee greater abominations, &c, to the end of the chapter. 49. Exod. xx. 4, 5, 6. 50. q Deut. xxxii. 46. And he faid unto them, Set your hearts unto all the words which I teftify among you this day which ye shall com 51. Deut. iv. 15. Take ye therefore good heed unto yourselves (for ye faw no manner of fimilitude on the day that the Lord fpake unto you in Horeb, out of the midf of the fire.) v. 16. Left ye corrupt yourselves, and make you a graven image, the fimilitude of any figure, the likeness of male or female. Vi 17. The likeness of any beast that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged fowl that fieth in the air, word f. Q52. What are the reasons annexed to the second command ment? A. The reafons annexed to the fecond commandment are, God's fovereignty over ust, his propriety in us v, and the zeal he hath to his own worship w. Q. 53. Which is the third commandment? 4. The third commandment is, Thou fhalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain: for the Lord will not hold him guiltlefs that taketh his name in vain x. Q54. What is required in the third commandment? A. The third commandment requireth the holy and reverend ufe of God's name y, titles z, attributes, v. 18. The likeness of any thing that creepeth on the ground, the likeness of any fish that is in the waters beneath the earth: v. 19 And left thou lift up thine eyes unto hear wen, and when thou feeft the fun, and the moon, and the Rtars, even all the hoft of heaven, shouldst be driven to worship them, and ferve them, which the Lord thy God hath divided unto all nations under the whole heaven: Exod. xxxii. 5. And when Aaron faw it, he built an altar before it: and Aaron made proclamation, and faid, To-morrow is a feast to the Lord. v. 8. They have turned afide quickly out of the way which I commanded them; they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have facrificed thereunto, and, faid,Thefe be thy gods, O Ifrael, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. Deut, xii. 31. Thou shalt not do fo unto the Lord thy God: for every abomination to the Lord which he hateth, have they done unto their gods: for even their fons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods. v. 32. What thing foever I command you, ob. ferve to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it. 52. Pfal. xcv. 2. Let us come before his prefence with thanksgiv. ing, and make a joyful noife unto him with pfalms. v. 3. For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. v. 6. O come let us worship and bow down : let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. Pfal. xlv. 11. So fhall the King greatly defire thy beauty: for he is thy Lord, and worship thou him. w Exod. xxxiv. 13. But ye shall deftroy their altars, break their images, and cut down their groves. v. 14. For thou shalt worship no other god: for the Lord, whofe name is Jealous, is a jealous God, 53. x Exod. xx. 7. 54. y Mat. vi. 9. After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.- Deut. xxviii. 58. If thou wilt not observe to do all the words of this law that are written in this book, that thou mayest fear this glorious and feariul name, THE LORD THY GOD. z Pfal. Ixviii. 4. Sing unto God, butes a, ordinances b, word c, and works d. Q55 What is forbidden in the third commandment? A. The third commandment forbiddeth all profaning of abufing of any thing whereby God maketh himfelf knowne. Q.56. What is the reafon annexed to the third commandment? A. The reafon annexed to the third commandment is, That however the breakers of this commandment may escape punishment from men, yet the Lord our God will not fuffer them to elcape fing praises to his name: extol him that rideth upon the heavens by his, name JAH, and rejoice before Kim. a Rev. xv. 3. And they fing the fong of Mofes the fervant of God, and the fong of the Lamb, faying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of faints. v. 4. Who fhall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations fhall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifeft. b Mal. i. 11. For from the rifing of the fun, even unto the going down of the fame, my name fhall be great among the Gentiles, and in every place incenfe fhall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name fhall be great among the heathen, faith the Lord of hosts. v. 14. But curfed be the deceiver, which hath in his flock a male, and voweth and facrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing: for I am a great King, faith the Lord of hofts, and my name is dreadful among the heathen. c Pfal, cxxxviii. 1. I will praife thee with my whole heart, before the gods will I fing praife unto thee. v. 2. I will worship towards the holy temple, and praife thy name, for thy loving kindness, and for thy truth: for thou haft magnified thy word above all thy name. d Job xxxvi. 24. Remember that thou magnify his work, which men behold. 55. Mal i. 6. A fon honoureth his father, and a fervant his mafter: if then I be a Father, where is mine honour; and if a Master, where is my fear? faith the Lord of hofts unto you, O priests, that defpife my name: and ye fay, Wherein have we defpifed thy name? v. 7. Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar; and ye fay, Wherein have we polluted thee? in that ye fay, The table of the Lord is contemptible. V. 12. But ye have profaned it, in that ye fay, The table of the Lord is polluted, and the fruit thereof, even his meat is contemptible. Mal. ii. 2. If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay it to heart, to give glory unto my name, faith the Lord of hotts, I will even fend a curfe upon you, and I will curfe your bleffings: yea, I have curfed them already, becaufe ye do not lay it to heart. Mal. iii. 14. Ye have faid, It is vain to ferve God: and what profit is it, that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of hosts? 56.f |