2. We are to honour, adore, and fear him for his greatness. Thus the Psalmist says, Who in the heaven can be compared unto the Lord; who among the sons of the mighty can be likened to the Lord? God is greatly to be feared in the assemblies of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him, Psal. lxxxix. 6, 7.

4. As God is the best good, and has promised that he will be a God to us; so he is to be desired, loved, delighted, and rejoiced in, and chosen by us; as the prophet says, With my 'soul have I desired thee in the night,' Isa. xxvi. 9. and the church, I sat down under his shadow with great delight,' Cant. ii. 3. and the apostle, Lord, thou knowest that I love < thee,' John xxi. 15.

4. As he is a God of truth, we are to believe all that he has spoken; and in particular, what he has revealed in his promises or threatnings, relating to mercies which he will bestow, or judgments which he will inflict. Thus our Saviour says, If I say the truth, why do ye not believe me,' John viii. 46. And it is said, when Israel'saw that great work which the Lord did upon the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord, "and believed the Lord, and his servant Moses,' Exod. xiv.

31.

5. As he is able to save to the utmost, and faithful in fulfilling all his promises, we are to trust him with all we have from him, and for all those blessings which we hope to receive at his hands. Thus the prophet says, 'Trust ye in the Lord for ever; 'for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength,' Isa. xxvi. 4. And the apostle speaks of his having committed all to him, 2 Tim. i. 11. as the consequence of what he knew him to be.

6. When the name, interest, and glory of God is opposed in the world, we are to express an holy zeal for it. Thus the prophet Elijah says, I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword,' 1 Kings xix. 10. And as to what concerns our conversation in general, we are to be 'not slothful in business, but fervent in spirit, serving the Lord,' Rom. xii. 11.

7. Since he is a God hearing prayer, we are daily to call upon him, 'O thou that hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come,' Psal. lxv. 2.

8. As he is the God of all our mercies, we are to thank and praise him for them. Thus the Psalmist says, 'O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever, Psal. cxxxvi. 1.

9. His sovereignty and dominion over us, calls for subjection and obedience, and a constant care to please him, and approve ourselves to him in all things. Thus the apostle says,

'Submit yourselves to God,' James iv. 7. And the Psalmist speaks of a person's cleansing his way, by taking heed thereto according to his word,' Psal. cxix. 9.

10. As he is an holy, jealous, and sin-hating God, we are to be filled with grief and sorrow of heart when he is offended, either by ourselves or others, as Ephraim says, 'I was ar shamed, yea, even confounded; because I did bear the re'proach of my youth,' Jer. xxxi. 19. And the Psalmist, Rivers of waters run down mine eyes, because they,' that is, the world in general, keep not thy law,' Psal. cxxix. 136.

11. A sense of our unworthiness and daily infirmities should excite us to walk humbly with God. This is enjoined as a necessary duty, Mic. vi. 8. and is called a being clothed with humility, 1 Pet. v. 5. Thus concerning the duties required in this Commandment.

That which may be farther observed is, that it is fitly placed before all the other Commandments, because it is, from the nature of the thing, necessary to our performing the duties which are required in them. The object of worship must first be known before we can apply ourselves, in a right manner, to perform any duty prescribed, whether respecting God or man.

It may be also farther considered, that it is not an easy matter to keep the Commandment, because of the spirituality and vast extent thereof, and the many graces that are to be exercised by those that would perform it aright; and therefore we ought earnestly to beg of God that our hearts may be set aright with him, and inclined and excited hereunto by him ; which is a peculiar blessing to be desired and expected from the Holy Spirit. Thus the Psalmist says, Incline mine heart unto thy testimonies, Psal, cxix. 36,

QUEST. CV. What are the sins forbidden in the first Commandment?

ANSW. The sins forbidden in the first Commandment, are, Atheism, in denying, or not having a God; idolatry, in having, or worshipping more gods than one, or any with, or instead of the true God; the not having and avouching him for God, and our God; the omission or neglect of any thing due to him required in this Commandment, ignorance, forgetfulness, misapprehensions, false opinions, unworthy and wicked thoughts of him, bold and curious searching into his secrets, all profaneness, hatred of God, self-love, self-seeking, 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; vain credulity, unbelief, heresy, misbelief, distrust, despair, incorrigibleness, insensi

bleness under judgments, hardness of heart, pride, presumption, carnal security, tempting of God, using unlawful means, and trusting in lawful means, carnal delights and joys; corrupt, blind, and indiscreet zeal, lukewarmness, and deadness in the things of God, estranging ourselves, and apostatizing from God, praying, or giving any religious worship to saints, angels, or any other creatures, all compacts, and consulting with the devil, and hearkening to his suggestions, making men the lords of our faith and conscience, slighting and despising God and his commandments, resisting and grieving of his Spirit, discontent, and impatience at his dispensations, charging him foolishly for the evils he inflicts on us, and ascribing the praise of any good we either are, have, or can do, to fortune, idols, ourselves, or any other creature. QUEST. CVI. What are we especially taught by these words (before me) in the first Commandment?

ANSW. These words before me, or before my face, in the first Commandment, teach us, that God who seeth all things, takes 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, as also to persuade us to do, as in his sight, whatever we do in his service.

HE sins forbidden in this Commandment may be reduced

The two general heads, Atheism and Idolatry.

to

First, Atheism; whereby men are so far from taking God for their God, that they deny that there is a God; or, at least, that he is what he has revealed himself to be. Thus the wicked man, who is styled a fool, is represented as saying in his heart, There is no God. Psal. xiv. 1. This Atheism is either speculative or practical. The former of these is that which is seated in the minds and consciences of men; who are so far blinded, perverted, and deluded, as to think that there is no God. Though, indeed, there are very few among these who are so bold and profane as to deny this truth when they attend to the dictates of nature, or duly exercise those reasoning faculties with which God has endowed them; which, if theyneglect to do, they must be reckoned but one remove from brutes. Some, indeed, are ready to wish that there were no God, or inclined to deny those divine perfections that are essential to him, cast contempt on his government, or, it may be, deny a providence; which is, in effect, to deny that there is a God. Though it must be observed, that none proceed to this degree of wickedness, till, by a long continuance in sit, they are given up to judicial hardness of heart, and blindness

of mind, Rom. i. 28. Eph. iv. 17-20. And even these have been forced, at some times, to confess that there is a God, with whom is terrible majesty; when he has broken in on their consciences, and filled them with the dreadful apprehensions of his wrath, as a sin-revenging Judge. But where there is one speculative Atheist, there are a thousand practical ones, who live without God in the world; and these are described in this answer, as being guilty of those sins which none who duly consider his divine perfections would venture to commit.

To enlarge on every one of those instances, particularly mentioned in this answer, in which this sin is supposed to consist, would require a distinct treatise, and be inconsistent with our designed brevity in explaining the Ten Commandments. All that we shall therefore attempt at present, shall be to consider some instances, in which practical Atheism discovers itself, together with the aggravations of this sin; and then we shall enquire what judgment we are to pass concerning those who complain of atheistical and blasphemous thoughts; and consider whether this be a degree of that Atheism which we are speaking of; together with the causes of this sin, and the remedies against it.

I. The instances in which practical Atheism discovers itself. And,

1. They are chargeable with it who are grossly ignorant, and know nothing of God but the name, being utter strangers to those perfections whereby he makes himself known to the world, or who entertain carnal conceptions of him, as though he were altogether such an one as ourselves, Psal. 1. 21.

2. When persons, though they know, in some measure, what God is, yet never seriously exercise their thoughts about him; which forgetfulness is a degree of Atheism, and will be severely punished by him, Psal. ix. 17. and 1. 22.

3. When persons maintain corrupt doctrines, and dangerous heresies, subversive of the fundamental articles of faith, and contrary to the divine perfections. Of this kind are those that militate against his sovereignty and dominion over the wills, consciences and affections of man; when persons conclude that his counsels and determinations may be disannulled or defeated; or when we suppose that he changes, as we do; or when, under a pretence of advancing one perfection, we set aside the glory of another, when in order to magnify his mercy, we disregard his holiness or justice, and so presume of being happy without being holy; or when we give way to despairing thoughts, from the consideration of his vindictive justice, without improving the displays of his mercy, as set forth in the gospel.

4. When we repine and quarrel at his providence, and pre

tend to find fault with the dispensations thereof, or charge God foolishly, and go about to prescribe laws to him, who is the Governor of the world, and may do what he will with the work of his hands.

5. When we refuse to engage in those acts of religious worship which he has appointed, or to attend on his ordi nances, in which we may hope for his presence and blessing.

6. When we behave ourselves, in the conduct of our lives, as though we were not accountable to him, and had no reason to be afraid of his judgments. Accordingly, when we set our affections on other things, and take them off from him, when we are guilty of wilful impenitency and unbelief, and are incorrigible under divine rebukes; when our hearts and lives are estranged from him, as though we desired not the knowledge of his ways; when we resist and grieve his Spirit, are discontented and impatient under his hand, or ascribe that to second causes, or think that those things come by chance which are under the direction of his providence. In these, and many other instances, persons are notoriously guilty of * practical Atheism, which is forbidden in this Commandment. II. We are now to consider the aggravations and dreadful consequences of this sin.

1. It is contrary to the light of nature, and the dictates of conscience, a disregarding those impressions which God has made of his glory on the souls of men. And in those who have been favoured with the revelation of the grace of God in the gospel, in which his perfections have been set forth to the utmost, it is a shutting our eyes against the light and casting contempt on that which should raise our admiration, and excite in us the highest esteem of him whom we practically disown and deny.

2. It is directly opposite to, and entirely inconsistent with all religion, and opens a door to the greatest degree of licentiousness. To live without God in the world, is to give the reins to our own corruptions; it is not barely a sin of infirmity or inadvertency, but a running in all excess of riot; and there fore the consequence hereof must be dreadful; for that which strikes at the very being of God, cannot but expose the sinner to the sorest condemnation. But since there are some sins mentioned in this answer, which contain a degree of practical atheism; which believers themselves are prone to fall into, and complain of, as forgetfulness of God, unbelief, distrust of his providence, insensibleness under judgments, too great a degree of hardness of heart, pride, carnal security, discontent and impatience under his dispensations; this may tend very much to discourage them, and make them conclude that they are not in a state of grace; especially when they find, as someVOL. III, 3 K