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Ans. These words [before me] in the first commandment, teach us, that God, who seeth all things, taketh notice of, and is much displeased with the sin of having any other God.

Q. What is the argument in this command to dissuade or restrain us from the sin of idolatry ?

A. The consideration of God's omniscience, that the sin is committed before him, or in his sight, who exceedingly hates and abhors it.

Q. How doth it appear that God doth see all things ?

A. In regard that he is present in all places, and infinite in knowledge, Ps. cxxxix. 7, 8, &c. Jer. xxiii. 24. Ps. cxlvii. 5. Q. What are these things which God doth see?

A. He seeth all past things, all present things, all future things, and all possible things: he sees all his creatures, all their thoughts, all their words, and all their actions.

Q. Doth God take special notice of the sin of idolatry above other sins ? A. Yes.

Q. How doth that appear?

A. By the many tokens of displeasure which God hath evidenced against it, both in threatening and punishing men for it, Deut. xxix. 24, 25, &c.

Q. Why is God so much displeased with the sin of idolatry? A. Because God, who is jealous of his own glory, cannot but take it as a great indignity to see another put in his room, and set upon his throne, and that in his very sight and presence. Q. Is not the attribute of God's omniscience much affronted by the world?

A. Yes; namely, by their idolatry, hypocrisy, and secret wickedness.

Q Ought not God's omniscience to be a powerful check to all sin ? A. Yes.

Quest. 49. Which is the second commandment? Ans. The second commandment is, Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any like-ness 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 shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: For I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon

the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; and shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my command

ments.

Quest. 50. What is required in the second commandment?

Ans. The second commandment requireth the receiving, observing, and keeping pure and entire, all such religious worship and ordinances as God hath appointed in his word.

Q. Is the worship required, and adolatry forbidden, in the second commandment, the same with that in the first commandment ?

A. No; for the first command directs us as to the right object of worship; but the second command directs us as to the right way and means of worship; the first forbids the worshipping of any false god; the second forbids the worshipping of the true God in a false way, or by any means but what he himself appoints.

Q. Hath God appointed all that religious worship, and all these means and ordinances, in and by which only he will be served and worshipped? A. Yes.

Q. Where do we find these?

A. In his word.

Q. What are these ordinances and means of divine worship appointed us?

A. 1st, There is prayer in public, in private, and secret, Luke i. 10. Jer. x. 25. Matt. vi. 6.-2dly, There is thanksgiving and singing of psalms, Eph. v. 20. Isa. lii. 8. James v. 13-3dly, There is the reading, preaching, and hearing of the word, Acts v. 21. 2 Tim. iv. 2. Acts x. 33.-4thly, The administration and partaking of the sacraments of baptism and the Lord's supper, Matt. xxviii. 19. 1 Cor. xi. 23, 24, &c. -5thly, There is fasting, Luke v. 35.-6thly, Swearing by the name of the Lord when lawfully called, Deut. vi. 13.7thly, Vowing to the Lord, Psal. lxxvi. 11-8thly, Instruct. ing of children and servants, Gen. x. 18, &c.

Q. What doth God require of us concerning all these ordinances?

A. That we should receive them, observe them, and keep inem pure and entire.

What is it to receive and observe them?

A. It is to approve of them, attend upon them, and continue stedfastly in the practice of them.

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Q. What is it to keep these ordinances pure and entire ?

A. It is to use our best' endeavours to preserve them free from all corruption or mixture of human inventions; and to keep them so as nothing be added to them, or taken away from them.

Quest. 51. What is forbidden in the second commandment?

Ans. The second commandment forbiddeth the wroshipping of God by images, or any other way not appointed in his word.

Q. What is the chief sin forbidden in this command?

A. Idolatry, or the worshipping of the true God by images. Q. What do you mean by an image?

A. The picture, shape, or likeness of any creature in heaven, on earth, or in the sea.

Q. When is a person guilty of worshipping God by images? A. 1st, When he frames or takes any material picture or similitude, and sets it before him in worship; as the Papists do, who paint God the Father under the likeness of an old man; and Jesus Christ in the likeness of a young man, or of a lamb; and the Holy Ghost by the figure of a dove; which is plainly to "change the glory of God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds and four-footed beasts;" which the apostle condemns, Rom. i. 23.-2dly, A person is guilty of it, when he hath any carnal imagination or representation of God is his mind while worshipping him, as if he was like to a man or any creature.

Q. May not an image or picture, to look upon in time of prayer, be some help to us in devotion, as Papists say? A. No, instead of a help, it is a great hinderance. Q. How is it a hinderance?

A. In regard it promotes carnal and low thoughts of God, who is a glorious Spirit, and infinitely exalted above all things visible or earthly. It is as great a dishonour and disparage ment to the Majesty of God to represent him by the dead image of a creature, as it would be to represent a king by the picture of a frog.

Q. But, may we not have such images of God or of the persons of the Frinity by us, if we do not worship them?

sake of decency and order, by virtue of that command, 1 Cor. xiv. 40. ?

A. That text doth not warrant the church to add new parts to the worship of God, as significant ceremonies would be, but only to keep and observe the ordinances as God has delivered them to us, with decency and order; and to take care that there be no undecency or disorder in the worship of God, namely, as to the circumstances of time and place and the like, which the command of God appointing the worship itself doth virtually, include, seeing without such circumstances it cannot be performed.

Q. Is there any other sin forbidden by the second commandment ?

A. Yes; such as the countenancing, approving, or promot. ing of any false religion or superstitious worship: the neglecting, contemning, hindering or opposing of the true worship of God, or any of his ordinances; the reproaching or persecuting these who worship God according to his word.

Quest. 52. What are the reasons annexed to the second commandment?

Ans. The reasons annexed to the second commandment are, God's sovereignty over us, his propriety in us, and the zeal he hath to his own worship.

Q. What mean you by a reason annexed to a command ? A. An argument joined to it, to enforce the keeping of it. Q. How many such reasons are annexed to this command? A. There; 1. God's sovereignty over us. 2. God's propriety in us. 3. God's zeal for his own worship,

Q. What mean you by God's sovereignty over us?

A. His absolute power and authority over us, so that he may do with us as he pleaseth.

Q. In what words of the command is this reason cantained? A. In these, I the Lord.

Q. What do these words import?

A. That he is the sovereign Lord over us, and has a right to make what laws he pleases about his own worship; and that we, as God's subjects, are bound to observe these laws, and to worship him no other way.

Q. In what words is the second reason contained ?

A. In these words, Thy God, I the Lord thy God.
Q. What do these words import?

A. That God hath a propriety or special interest in us, we belong to him by creation, redemption, or profession; and

therefore we ought to keep close to our God and his institutions, and beware of idolatry and superstition in worship, which tend to estrange the heart from 'God, Psal. cvi. 19, 21. Q. In what words of the command is the third reason contained?

A. In these, I am a jealous God.

Q. What do these words import ?

A. That God hath a great jealousy, zeal, or tender concern for his own worship, and is highly displeased with those who corrupt, by bringing men's inventions into it, Exod. xxxiv. 14. Psalm cvi. 29.

Q. Wherein doth God shew his zeal and jealousy for his own worship?

A. In threatening to punish them as haters of God, who break this command, to the third and fourth generation; and in shewing mercy to thousands of them that love him, and keep his law.

Q. Is it just with God to punish children for the sins of their parents?

A. Yes, if the children go on in their parents' sins; but, if they forsake them, God will not punish them for them, Ezek. xviii. 14, 17.

Q. Doth God esteem any persons as lovers of him, but such as keep his commandments ? A. No, John xiv. 21. Q. Doth not all these reasons oblige us to the greatest caution that we do not alter nor add to divine ordinances and institutions of worship? A. Yes.

Q. Have these who suffer for non-conformity to such additions, sufficient warrant for their sufferings?

A. Yes; as is evident from Deut. xii. 32. compared with Deut. iv. 2. Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you.'

Quest. 53. Which is the third commandment?

Ans. The third commandment is, Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain: For the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

Quest. 54. What is required in the third commandment?

Ans. The third commandment requireth the holy and reverend use of God's names, titles, attributes, ordinances, word, and works.

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