pise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. Phil. iii. 19-Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things. Col. iii. 5. EXERCISES. What is the ninety-fifth question? What answer is returned to this question? What do you mean by instead? (a.) What by manifested? (c.) What by God's word? (d) What by contrive? (e.) What by the expression place their trust in? (f.) How do you prove, that to con trive, or have any other object in which men place their trust instead of that one true God who has manifested himself in his word, is idolatry? (1.) What do you mean by the word besides? (b.) How do you prove, that to contrive or have any other object in which men place their trust besides that one true God, who has manifested him. self in his word, is idolatry? (2.) XXXV. Lord's Day. Q. 96.-What doth God require in the sect ond command? A. That we in no wise represent God by images, nor worship him in any other way than he has com manded in his word. EXPLANATIONS. a. Require, demand; ask as of right and by authority. b. In no wise, by no means. c. Represent, make a resemblance. d. Images, similitudes; likenesses. e. Worship, pay divine honors to. f. Commanded, enjoined; ordered. g. His word, the sacred Scriptures of the Old and New Testament. DOCTRINES SEPARATED AND PROved. 1. God requires us in no wise to represent him by images. Deut. iv. 23 and 24-Take heed unto yourselves, lest ye forget the covenant of the Lord your God, which he made with you, and make you a graven image, or the likeness of any thing, which the Lord thy God hath forbidden thee. For the Lord thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God. Acts xvii. 29-Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device. Rom. i. 22 and 23. Isaiah xl. 18. 2. God requires us not to worship him, in any other way than he has commanded in his word. Deut. xii. 32-What thing soever I command you, observe to do it; thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it. Deut. iv. 2-Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish aught from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you, EXERCISES. What is the ninety-sixth question? What do you mean by require? (a.) Repeat the second commandment. What answer is returned to the question? What do you mean by in no wise? (b.) What by represent? (c.) What by images? (d.) How do you prove that God requires us in no wise to represent him by images? (1.) What do you mean by worship? (e.) What by commanded? (f.) What by his word? (g.) How do you prove, that God requires us not to worship him in any other way, than he has commanded in his word? (2.) Q. 97. Are images then not at all to be made? be A.-God neither can, nor may be represented by any means; but as to creatures, though they may represented, yet God forbids us to make, or have any resemblance of them, either in order to worship them, or to serve God by them. EXPLANATIONS. a. Made, manufactured.. b. Represented, shown by resemblance. c. Creatures, beings who have derived their existence from another. d. Forbids, prohibits; commands not to do. e. Resemblance, likeness; similitude. f. In order, with a view. g. Worship them, pay them divine honors. h. Serve, render homage to. DOCTRINES SEPARATED AND PROVED. G 1. God cannot be represented by any means. Isa. xl. 18 and 25-To whom then will ye liken God, or what likeness will you compare unto him? To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal saith the Holy One. Isa. xlvi. 5-To whom will ye liken me and make me equal, and compare me that we may be alike? Deut. iv. 15. # 2. God may not be represented by any means. Deut. iv. 15-18-Take ye therefore good heed unto yourselves; (for ye saw no manner of similitude on the day that the Lord spake unto you in Horeb out of the midst of fire:) Lest ye corrupt yourselves, and make you a graven image, the similitude of any figure, the likeness of male or female, The likeness of any beast that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged fowl that flieth in the air, The likeness of any thing that creepeth on the ground, the likeness of any fish that is in the waters beneath the earth. Rom. i. 23. 3. Creatures may be represented. Exod. xxxv. 30-33And Moses said unto the children of Israel, See, the Lord hath called by name Bezaleel, the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah: And he hath filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, and in knowl edge, and in all manner of workmanship; And to devise curious works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, And in the cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of wood, to make any manner of cunning work, 4. God forbids us to worship the resemblance of creatures. Psalm xcvii. 7-Confounded be all they that serve graven images, that boast themselves of idols; worship him, all ye gods. 5. God forbids us to serve him by the resemblance of creatures. Lev. xxvi. 1-Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear you up a standing image, neither shall ye set up any image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it: For I am the Lord your God. Deut. xii. 3 and 4. 6. God forbids us to make the resemblance of creatures either in order to worship them, or serve God by them. Deut. xxvii. 15-Cursed be the man that maketh any graven or molten image, an abomination unto the Lord, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and putteth it in a secret place. And all the people shall answer and say, Amen. 7. God forbids us to have the resemblance of creatures, eith er in order to worship them, or serve God by them. Exod. xxiii. 24-Thou shalt not bow down to their gods nor serve them, nor do after their works: but thou shalt utterly overthrow them, and quite break down their images. Exod. xxxiv. 13 and 14-But ye shall destroy their altars, break their images, and cut down their groves: For thou shalt worship no other god for the Lord, whose name is Jeal ous, is a jealous God. Deut. vii. 5. EXERCISES. What is the ninety-seventh question? What do you mean by made? (a.) What answer is returned to the question? What do you mean by represented? (b.) How do you prove that God cannot be represented by any means? (1.) How do you prove that God may not be represented by any means? (2.) What do you mean by creatures ? (c) How do you prove that creatures may be represented? (3.) Though creatures may be represented, what does God still say with respect to them? What do you mean by forbids? (d.) What by resemblance? (e.) What by the expression in order? (f) What by to worship them? (g.) What by serve? (h.) How do you prove that God forbids us to worship the resemblance of creatures? (4.) How do you prove that God forbids us to serve him by them? (5.) How do you prove that God forbids us to make the resemblance of creatures, either in order to wor ship them, or serve God by them? (6.) How do you prove, that God forbids us to have the resemblance of creatures, either in order to worship them, or serve God by them? (7.) Q. 98.-But may not images be tolerated in the churches, as books to the laity? A.-No; for we must not pretend to be wiser than God, who will have his people taught not by dumb images, but by the lively preaching of his word. EXPLANATIONS. a. Tolerated, allowed; permitted. b. Churches, houses dedicated to the worship of God. c. Laity, the people as distinguished from the clergy. d. Pretend, put in a claim; hold out the appearance of, e. Wiser, possessed of more knowledge. f. Taught, instructed. g. Dumb, incapable of speech. h. Lively, energetic and faithful. i. Preaching, proclaiming. ་་་ DOCTRINES SEPARATED AND PROVED. 1. God will not have his people taught by dumb images, Hab. ii. 18 and 19-What profiteth the graven image, that the maker thereof hath graven it; the molten image, and a teacher of lies, that the maker of his work trusteth therein, to make dumb idols? Wo unto him that saith to the wood, Awake; to the dumb stone, Arise, it shall teach, Behold, it is laid over with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in the midst of it. Zech. x. 2-For the idols have spoken vanity. Jer. x. 1, &c. 2. God will have his people taught by the lively preaching of his word. 2 Tim. iii. 16 and 17-All scripture is given |