13. Man's Duty to God: the first four Commandments (Qs 102-121)
102 What is the sum of the
four commandments which contain our duty to God? A. The sum of the four
commandments containing our duty to God, is, to love the Lord our God with all
our heart, and with all our soul and with all our strength, and with all our
mind.(1)
(1)Luke 10:27
103
Which is the first commandment? A. The first commandment is, Thou .shalt have no
other gods before
(1)Exod. 20:3
104
What are the duties required in the first commandment? A. The duties required in
the first commandment are, the knowing and acknowledging of God to be the only
true God, and our God;(1) and to worship and glorify him accordingly,(2) by
thinking,(3) meditating,(4) remembering,(5) highly esteeming,(6) honouring,(7)
adoring,(8) choosing,(9) loving,(10) desiring,(11) fearing of him;(12) believing
him;(13) trusting,(14) hoping,(15) delighting,(16) rejoicing in him;(17) being
zealous for him;(18) calling upon him, giving all praise and thanks,(19) and
yielding all obedience and submission to him with the whole man;(20) being
careful in all things to please him,(21) and sorrowful when in any thing he is
offended;(22) and walking humbly with him.(23)
(1)1 Chron. 28:9; Deut. 26:17; Isa. 43:10; Jer. 14:22
(2)Ps. 95:6,7; Matt. 4:10; Ps. 29:2
(3)Mal. 3:16
(4)Ps. 63:6
(5)Eccl. 12:1
(6)Ps. 71:19
(7)Mal. 1:6
(8)Isa. 45:23
(9)Josh. 24:15,22
(10)Deut. 6:5
(11)Ps. 73:25
(12)Isa. 8:13
(13)Exod.
14:31
(14)Isa. 26:4
(15)Ps. 130:7
(16)Ps. 37:4
(17)Ps. 32:11
(18)Rom.
(19)Phil. 4:6
(20)Jer.
7:23; James 4:7
(21)1 John
(22)Jer.
31:18; Ps. 119:136
(23)Micah 6:8
105
What are the sins forbidden in the first commandment? A. The sins forbidden in
the first commandment are, Atheism, in denying, or not having a God;(1)
Idolatry, in having or worshipping more gods than one, or any with or instead of
the true God;(2) the not having and avouching him for God, and our God;(3) the
omission or neglect of any thing due to him, required in this commandment;(4)
ignorance,(5) forgetfulness,(6) misapprehensions,(7) false opinions,(8) unworthy
and wicked thoughts of him;(9) bold and curious searching into his secrets;(10)
all profaneness,(11) hatred of God;(12) self-love,(13) self-seeking,(14) and all
other inordinate and immoderate setting of our mind, will, or affections upon
other things, and taking them off from him in whole or in part;(15) vain
credulity,(16) unbelief,(17) heresy,(18) misbelief,(19) distrust,(20)
despair,(21) incorrigibleness(22) and insensibleness under judgments(23),
hardness of heart,(24) pride,(25) presumption,(26) carnal security,(27) tempting
of God;(28) using unlawful means,(29) and trusting in unlawful means;(30) carnal
delights and joys;(31) corrupt, blind, and indiscreet zeal;(32) lukewarmness,(33)
and deadness in the things of God;(34) estranging ourselves, and apostatizing
from God;(35) praying, or giving any religious worship, to saints, angels, or
any other creatures;(36) all compacts and consulting with the devil,(37) and
hearkening to his suggestions;(38) making men the lords of our faith and
conscience;(39) slighting and despising God and his commands;(40) resisting and
grieving of his Spirit,(41) discontent and impatience at his dispensations,
charging him foolishly for the evils he inflicts on us;(42) and ascribing the
praise of any good we either are, have, or can do, to fortune,(43) idols,(44)
ourselves,(45) or any other creature.(46)
(1)Ps. 14:1;
Eph. 2:12
(2)Jer.
(3)Ps. 81:11
(4)Isa.
43:22,23,24
(5)Jer. 4:22;
Hos. 4:1,6
(6)Jer. 2:32
(7)Acts
(8)Isa. 40:18
(9)Ps. 50:21
(10)Deut. 29:29
(11)Tit. 1:16; Heb. 12:16
(12)
(13)2 Tim.
3:2
(14)Phil.
2:21
(15)1 John
(16)1 John
4:1
(17)Heb. 3:12
(18)Gal. 5:20
(19)Acts 26:9
(20)Ps. 78:22
(21)Gen. 4:13
(22)Jer. 5:3
(23)Isa.
42:25
(24)Rom. 2:5
(25)Jer.
13:15
(26)Ps. 19:13
(27)Zeph.
1:12
(28)Matt. 4:7
(29)Rom. 3:8
(30)Jer. 17:5
(31)2 Tim.
3:4
(32)Gal.
4:17; John 16:2;
(33)Rev. 3:16
(34)Rev. 3:1
(35)Ezek.
14:5; Isa. 1:4,5
(36)Rom.
(37)Lev.
20:6; 1 Sam. 28:7,11; 1 Chron. 10:13,14
(38)Acts 5:3
(39)2 Cor.
(40)Deut.
32:15; 2 Sam. 12:9; Prov. 13:13
(41)Acts
7:51; Eph. 4:30
(42)Ps. 73:2,3,13,14,15,22; Job 1:22
(43)1 Sam. 6:7,8,9
(44)Dan. 5:23
(45)Deut. 8:17; Dan. 4:30
(46)Hab. 1:16
106
What are we specially taught by these words [before me] in the first
commandment? A. These words [before me], or before my face, in the first
commandment, teach us that God, who seeth all things, taketh special notice of,
and is much displeased with, the sin of having any other God: that so it may be
an argument to dissuade from it, and to aggravate it as a most impudent
provocation:(1) as also to persuade us to do as in his sight, whatever we do in
his service.(2)
(1)Ezek.
8:5,6; Ps. 44:20,21
(2)1 Chron. 28:9
107 Which is the second commandment? A. The second commandment is,
Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness 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, not 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
showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.(1)
(1)Exod. 20:4,5,6
108 What are the duties required in the second commandment? A.
The duties required in the second commandment are, the receiving, observing, and
keeping pure and entire, all such religious worship and ordinances as God hath
instituted in his word;(1) particularly prayer and thanksgiving in the name of
Christ;(2) the reading, preaching, and hearing of the word;(3) the
administration and receiving of the sacraments;(4) church government and
discipline;(5) the ministry and maintenance thereof;(6) religious fasting;(7)
swearing by the name of God,(8) and vowing unto him:(9) as also the
disapproving, detesting, opposing, all false worship;(10) and, according to each
one's place and calling, removing it, and all monuments of idolatry.(11)
(1)Deut.
32:46,47; Matt. 28:20; Acts 2:42; 1 Tim. 6:13,14
(2)Phil. 4:6;
Eph. 5:20
(3)Deut.
17:18,19; Acts 15:21; 2 Tim. 4:2; James 1:21,22; Acts 10:33
(4)Matt.
28:19
(5)Matt.
18:15-17; Matt. 16:19; 1 Cor. 5 throughout; 1 Cor. 12:28
(6)Eph.
4:11,12; 1 Tim. 5:17,18; 1 Cor. 9:7-15
(7)Joel
2:12,13; 1 Cor. 7:5
(8)Deut. 6:13
(9)Isa.
19:21; Ps. 76:11
(10)Acts
17:16,17; Ps. 16:4
(11)Deut. 7:5; Isa. 30:22
109 What are the sins forbidden in the second
commandment? A. The sins forbidden in the second commandment are, all
devising,(1) counselling,(2) commanding,(3) using,(4) and any wise approving,
any religious worship not instituted by God himself;(5) tolerating a false
religion;(6) the making any representation of God, of all or of any of the three
persons, either inwardly in our mind, or outwardly in any kind of image or
likeness of any creature whatsoever;(7) all worshipping of it,(8) or God in it
or by it;(9) the making of any representation of feigned deities,(10) and all
worship of them, or service belonging to them;(11) all superstitious
devices,(12) corrupting the worship of God,(13) adding to it, or taking from
it,(14) whether invented and taken up of ourselves,(15) or received by tradition
from others,(16) though under the title of antiquity,(17) custom,(18)
devotion,(19) good intent, or any other pretence whatsoever;(20) simony;(21)
sacrilege;(22) all neglect,(23) contempt,(24) hindering,(25) and opposing the
worship and ordinances which God hath appointed.(26)
(1)Numb.
15:39
(2)Deut.
13:6-8
(3)Hosea
5:11; Micah 6:16
(4)1 Kings
(5)Deut 12:30-32
(6)Deut 13:6-12; Zech. 13:2,3; Rev. 2:2,14,15,20; Rev.
17:12,16,17
(7)Deut.
4:15-19; Acts
(8)Dan. 3:18;
Gal. 4:8
(9)Exod. 32:5
(10)Exod.
32:8
(11)1 Kings
(12)Acts
17:22; Col. 2:21-23
(13)Mal. 1:7,8,14
(14)Deut. 4:2
(15)Ps. 106:39
(16)Matt. 15:9
(17)1 Pet. 1:18
(18)Jer.
44:17
(19)Isa.
65:3-5; Gal. 1:13,14
(20)1 Sam.
(21)Acts
(22)Rom. 2:22; Mal. 3:8
(23)Exod. 4:24-26
(24)Matt. 22:5; Mal. 1:7,13
(25)Matt.
23:13
(26)Acts 13:44,45; 1 Thess. 2:15,16
110 What are the reasons annexed to the
second commandment, the more to enforce it? A. The reasons annexed to the second
commandment. the more to enforce it, contained in these words, 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 showing mercy
unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments;(1) are, besides
God's sovereignty over us, and propriety in us,(2) his fervent zeal for his own
worship,(3) and his revengeful indignation against all false worship as being a
spiritual whoredom;(4) accounting the breakers of this commandment such as hate
him, and threatening to punish them unto divers generations;(5) and esteeming
the observers of it such as love him and keep his commandments, and promising
mercy to them unto many generations.(6)
(1)Exod.
20:5,6
(2)Ps. 45:11;
Rev. 15:3,4
(3)Exod.
34:13,14
(4)1 Cor.
(5)Hosea
2:2-4
(6)Deut. 5:29
111
Which is the third commandment? A. 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.(1)
(1)Exod. 20:7
112
What is required in the third commandment? A. The third commandment requires,
That the name of God, his titles, attributes,(1) ordinances,(2) the word,(3)
sacraments,(4) prayer,(5) oaths,(6) vows,(7) lots,(8) his works,(9) and
whatsoever else there is whereby he makes himself known, be holily and
reverently used in thought,(10) meditation,(11) word,(12) and writing;(13) by an
holy profession,(14) and answerable conversation,(15) to the glory of God,(16)
and the good of ourselves,(17) and others.(18)
(1)Matt. 6:9; Deut. 28:58; Ps. 29:2; Ps. 68:4; Rev. 15:3,4
(2)Mal. 1:14;
Eccl. 5:1
(3)Ps. 138:2
(4)1 Cor.
(5)1 Tim. 2:8
(6)Jer. 4:2
(7)Eccl.
5:2,4,5,6
(8)Acts
(9)Job 36:24
(10)Mal. 3:16
(11)Ps.
8:1,3,4,9
(12)Col.
3:17; Ps. 105:2,5
(13)Ps.
102:18
(14)1 Pet.
(15)Phil.
1:27
(16)1 Cor.
(17)Jer.
32:39
(18)1 Pet. 2:12
113 What are the sins forbidden in the third commandment? A. The
sins forbidden in the third commandments are, the not using of God's name as is
required;(1) and the abuse of it in an ignorant,(2) vain,(3) irreverent,
profane,(4) superstitious,(5) or wicked mentioning, or otherwise using his
titles, attributes,(6) ordinances,(7) or works,(8) by blasphemy,(9) perjury;(10)
all sinful cursings,(11) oaths,(12) vows,(13) and lots;(14) violating of our
oaths and vows, if lawful;(15) and fulfilling them, if of things unlawful;(16)
murmuring and quarrelling at,(17) curious prying into,(18) and misapplying of
God's decrees(19) and providences,(20) misinterpreting,(21) misapplying,(22) or
any way perverting the word, or any part of it,(23) to profane jests,(24)
curious or unprofitable questions, vain janglings, or the maintaining of false
doctrines;(25) abusing it, the creatures, or any thing contained under the name
of God, to charms,(26) or sinful lusts and practices;(27) the maligning,(28)
scorning,(29) reviling,(30) or any wise opposing of God's truth, grace, and
ways;(31) making profession of religion in hypocrisy, or for sinister ends;(32)
being ashamed of it,(33) or a shame to it, by unconformable,(34) unwise,(35)
unfruitful,(36) and offensive walking,(37)or backsliding from it.(38)
(1)Mal. 2:2
(2)Acts 17:23
(3)Prov. 30:9
(4)Mal. 1:6,7,12; Mal. 3:14
(5)1 Sam.
4:3,4,5; Jer. 7:4,9,10,14,31; Col. 2:20-22
(6)2 Kings
(7)Ps.
50:16,17
(8)Isa. 5:12
(9)2 Kings
(10)Zech.
5:4; Zech 8:17
(11)1 Sam.
(12)Jer. 5:7;
Jer. 23:10
(13)Deut.
23:18; Acts 23:12,14
(14)Esth.
3:7; Esth.
(15)Ps. 24:4;
Ezek. 17:16,18,19
(16)Mark
6:26; 1 Sam. 25:22,32,33,34
(17)
(18)Deut.
29:29
(19)
(20)Eccl.
8:11; Eccl. 9:3; Ps. 39 throughout
(21)Matt.
(22)Ezek.
13:22
(23)2 Pet.
(24)Isa. 32:13; Jer. 33:34,36,38
(25)1 Tim. 1:4,6,7; 1 Tim. 6:4,5,20; 2 Tim. 2:14; Tit. 3:9
(26)Deut. 18:10-14
(27)2 Tim.
4:3,4; Rom.
(28)Acts
13:45; 1 John 3:12
(29)Ps. 1:1;
2 Pet. 3:3
(30)1 Pet.
4:4
(31)Acts
(32)2 Tim. 3:5; Matt. 23:14; Matt. 6:1,2,5,16
(33)Mark. 8:38
(34)Ps.
73:14,15
(35)1 Cor.
6:5,6; Eph.
(36)Isa. 5:4;
2 Pet. 1:8
(37)Rom.
(38)Gal. 3:1,3; Heb. 6:6
114 What reasons are annexed to the third commandment?
A. The reasons annexed to the third commandment, in these words, [The Lord thy
God], and, [For the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in
vain(1)], are because he is the Lord and our God, therefore his name is not to
be profaned, or any way abused by us;(2) especially because he will be so far
from acquitting and sparing the transgressors of this commandment, as that he
will not suffer them to escape his righteous judgment,(3) albeit many such
escape the censures and punishments of men.(4)
(1)Exod. 20:7
(2)Lev. 19:12
(3)Ezek. 36:21,22,23; Deut. 28:58,59; Zech. 5:2,3,4
(4)1 Sam. 2:12,17,22,24; 1 Sam. 3:13
115 Which is the fourth commandment? A. The
fourth commandment is, Remember the sabbath-day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt
thy labour, and do all thy work: but the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord
thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter,
thy man-servant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is
within thy gates: For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and
all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the
sabbath-day, and hallowed it.(1)
(1)Exod. 20:8-11
116 What is required in the fourth commandment? A. The fourth
commandment requireth of all men the sanctifying or keeping holy to God such set
times as he hath appointed in his word, expressly one whole day in seven; which
was the seventh from the beginning of the world to the resurrection of Christ,
and the first day of the week ever since, and so to continue to the end of the
world; which is the Christian sabbath,(1) and in the New Testament called The
Lord's day.(2)
(1)Deut.
5:12-14; Gen. 2:2,3; 1 Cor. 16:1,2; Acts 20:7; Matt. 5:17,18; Isa. 56:2,4,6,7
(2)Rev. 1:10
117
How is the sabbath or the Lord's day to be sanctified? A. The sabbath or Lord's
day is to be sanctified by an holy resting all the day,(1) not only from such
works as are at all times sinful, but even from such worldly employments and
recreations as are on other days lawful;(2) and making it our delight to spend
the whole time (except so much of it as is to be taken up in works of necessity
and mercy(3)) in the publick and private exercises of God's worship:(4) and, to
that end, we are to prepare our hearts, and with such foresight, diligence, and
moderation, to dispose and seasonably dispatch our worldly business, that we may
be the more free and fit for the duties of that day.(5)
(1)Exod. 20:8,10
(2)Exod. 16:25-28; Neh. 13:15-22; Jer. 17:21,22
(3)Matt. 12:1-13
(4)Isa.
58:13; Luke
(5)Exod. 20:8; Luke 23:54,56; Exod. 16:22,25,26,29; Neh. 13:19
118 Why is the
charge of keeping the sabbath more specially directed to governors of families,
and other superiors? A. The charge of keeping the sabbath is more specially
directed to governors of families, and other superiors, because they are bound
not only to keep it themselves but to see that it is observed by all those that
are under their charge; and because they are prone ofttimes to hinder them by
employments of their own.(1)
(1)Exod. 20:10; Josh. 24:15; Neh. 13:15,17; Jer. 17:20,21,22; Exod. 23:12
119
What are the sins forbidden in the fourth commandment? A. The sins forbidden in
the fourth commandment are, all omissions of the duties required,(1) all
careless, negligent, and unprofitable performing of them, and being weary of
them;(2) all profaning the day by idleness, and doing that which is in itself
sinful;(3) and by all needless works, words, and thoughts, about our worldly
employments and recreations.(4)
(1)Ezek.
22:26
(2)Acts
20:7,9; Ezek. 33:30-32; Amos 8:5; Mal. 1:13
(3)Ezek.
23:38
(4)Jer. 17:24,27; Isa. 58:13
120 What are the reasons annexed to the fourth
commandment, the more to enforce it? A. The reasons annexed to the fourth
commandment, the more to enforce it, are taken from the equity of it, God
allowing us six days of seven for our own affairs, and reserving but one for
himself, in these words, Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:(1)
from God's challenging a special propriety in that day, The seventh day is the
sabbath of the Lord thy God:(2) from the example of God, who in six days made
heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day:
and from that blessing which God put upon that day, not only in sanctifying it
to be a day for his service, but in ordaining it to be a means of blessing to
use in our sanctifying it, Wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath-day, and
hallowed it.(3)
(1)Exod. 20:9
(2)Exod.
20:10
(3)Exod. 20:11
121 Why is the word Remember set in the beginning of the fourth
commandment? A. The word Remember is set in the beginning of the fourth
commandment,(1) partly, because of the great benefit of remembering it, we being
thereby helped in our preparation to keep it,(2) and, in keeping it, better to
keep all the rest of the commandments,(3) and to continue a thankful remembrance
of the two great benefits of creation and redemption, which contain a short
abridgment of religion;(4) and partly, because we are very ready to forget
it,(5) for that there is less light of nature for it,(6) and yet it restraineth
our natural liberty in things at other times lawful;(7) that it cometh but once
in seven days, and many worldly businesses come between, and too often take off
our minds from thinking of it, either to prepare for it, or to sanctify it;(8)
and that Satan with his instruments much labour to blot out the glory, and even
the memory of it, to bring in all irreligion and impiety.(9)
(1)Exod. 20:8
(2)Exod.
16:23; Luke 23:54,56 with Mark 15:42; Neh. 13:19
(3)Ps.
92:(title) compared with Ps. 92:13,14; Ezek. 20:12,19,20
(4)Gen.
2:2,3; Ps. 118:22,24; Acts 4:10,11; Rev. 1:10
(5)Ezek.
22:26
(6)Neh. 9:14
(7)Exod.
34:21
(8)Deut.
5:14,15; Amos 8:5
(9)Lam. 1:7;
Jer.