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and attributes are there clearly and fully described and illustrated. Moses describes him as

Glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders. Exod. xv, 11. He proclaimed his name to Moses, as

The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth. Exod. xxxiv, 6.

His attributes have been considered before, see Ch. 6, and may be divided into

Natural-which consist in his being Eternal, Infinite, Omnipresent, Omniscient, and Omnipotent.

Negative-which refer to him as Unchangeable, Invisible, Unsearchable, Irresistible, and Unequalled. Moral-which reveal him to us as Holy, Just, Good, Merciful, True, "Love," Long-suffering, Jealous, Wise, and Faithful.

How

How precious is such a God to the good man! terrible must he be to the wicked! Indeed, they cannot but see that such a God must be against them, and therefore they endeavour to deceive themselves as to his character and attributes, saying,

I shall have peace, though I walk in the imaginations of mine heart, to add drunkenness to thirst. Deut. xxix, 19.

How doth God know? And is there knowledge in the Most High? Ps. lxxiii, 11.

Men dislike the holy character and spiritual worship of the true God, and therefore set up for themselves such Gods as suit their own taste, and ascribe to them the glory of the divine attributes, and seek from them those blessings which God alone can give. Thus idolatry entered the world, and soon became general. In many countries, at this day, the natives worship the sun, moon, and stars, and bow down to idols, the works of men's hands. The Jews were much given to idolatry. According to the number of thy cities were thy gods, O Judah. Jer. xi, 13.

Besides the Golden Calves, (2 Kings x, 29.) we read in the Scriptures of many other Gods among the heathen nations.

Baalim, Judges x, 10.
Milcom, 1 Kings xi, 5.
Baai-zebub, 2 Kings i, 2

Dagon,

Molech,

Rimmon,

Nergal,

Baalberith, Judges viii, 33. 1 Sam. v, 7. Ashtoreth Chemosh, 1 Kings xi, 7. 2 Kings v, 18. Succoth-benoth, 2 Kings xvii, 30. Ashima, 2 Kings xvii, 30. Nibhaz, Tartak, 2 Kings xvii, 31. Adrammelech, 2 Kings xvii, 31. Anammelech, 2 Kings xvii, 31.

Nisroch, Isa. xxxvii, 38. Bel, Nebo, Isa. xivi, 1. Queen of Heaven, Jer. xliv, 17. Merodach, Jer. 1, 2. Tammuz, Ezek. viii, 14. Baal-peor, Hosea, ix, 10. Host of Heaven, Acts vii, Remphan, Acts vii, 43. Jupiter, Mercurius, Acts xiv, 12. Mars, Acts xvii, 22. Diana, Acts xix, 34.

42.

I am the Lord, that is my name; and my glory will I not give to another neither my praise to graven images. Isa. xlii, 8.

How thankful ought we to be that we know the True God! This was once a nation of idolaters, and our ancestors were like the rest of the ignorant heathen. But now, in Christ Jesus, ye who sometimes were far off, are made nigh by the blood of Christ. Eph. ii, 13.

Bless God for your present advantages, and be anxious to extend them by means of Missionary and Bible Societies, &c. to those who do not yet enjoy them.

This commandment forbids our loving any being more than, or in comparison with God, so as to be induced to act contrary to his command, in order to please ourselves or others; to avoid the displeasure of our fellow creatures; or to prevent some inconvenience to ourselves. God alone is an object deserving our love; and he only is able to satisfy our capacity of happiness. Yet The Proud Man makes an idol of self; and God resisteth the proud. 1 Pet. v, 5.

The Revengeful invades God's prerogative, who says, To me belongeth vengeance and recompence. Deut. xxxii, 35. Vengeance is mine: I will repay, saith the Lord. Rom. xii, 19. Vengeance belongeth unto me: I will recompence, saith the Lord. Heb. x, 30.

The Covetous Man makes a God of his wealth. Covetousness, which is idolatry. Eph. v, 5; Col. iii, 5.

This is the man that made not God his strength; but trusted in the abundance of his riches. Ps. lii, 7.

The Sensual Man makes a God of his appetites.

Whose God is their belly. Phil. iii, 19.

Men shall be lovers of their own selves. 2 Tim. iii, 2.

Lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God. 2 Tim. iii, 4.

Men, in

Parents idolize their children, and the same sort of idolatry prevails in various relations of life. various ways, Worship and serve the creature more than the Creator. Rom. i, 25. They forsake the fountain of living waters, and hew them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water. Jer. ii, 13. Asking counsel or information from persons pretending to be witches, and to have dealings with "familiar spirits." Lev. xx, 6.

Inordinate love of things below is idolatry.

Love not the world, neither the things of the world. 1 John ii, 15. Ye cannot serve God and Mammon. Matt. vi, 24.

We serve Mammon when our thoughts are so taken up with worldly concerns that we neglect our duty to God.

What does this Commandment require of us?

1. To know God; i. e. to make ourselves acquainted with the divine character as revealed in the Scriptures. And thon, Solomon, my son, know thou the God of thy father, &c. 1 Chron. xxviii, 9.

Acquaint now thyself with him. Job xxii, 21.

Let him that glorieth, glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me. Jer. ix, 24.

Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord.
Search the Scriptures;---they are they which testify of me.
If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.
This is life eternal, that they might know thee, the
John xvii, 3.

Hosea vi, 3.

John v, 39. John xiii, 17.

only true God.

Some have not the knowledge of God. 1 Cor. xv, 34.
God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined
in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of
God in the face of Jesus Christ. 2 Cor. iv, 6.

Taking vengeance on them that know not God. 2 Thess. i, 8.
And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his com-
mandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his
commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 1 John
ii, 3, 4.

2. In consequence of this knowledge, we are to believe in him.

Believe in the Lord your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper. 2 Chron. xx, 20.

Repent and believe the Gospel. Mark i, 15.

Lord, I believe: help thou my unbelief. Mark ix, 24.

He that believeth shall be saved, but he that believeth not shall be damned. Mark xvi, 16.

He that believeth on the Son, hath everlasting life. John iii, 36.

He that believeth on me, believeth on him that sent me. John xii, 44. Ye believe in God, believe also in me. John xiv, 1.

Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved. Acts xvi, 31.

Whosoever believeth on him, shall not be ashamed. Rom, ix, 33. With the heart man believeth unto righteousness. Rom. x, 10. Faith, which worketh by love. Gal. v, 6.

We are not of them who draw back unto

perdition; but of them

that believe to the saving of the soul. Heb. x, 39.

Without faith it is impossible to please him, for he that cometh to

God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Heb. xi, 6.

The reason why God is not believed in, is, that he is not known.

How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? Rom. x, 14.

What does this Commandment further require of us? 3. "To fear him."

All men fear God; the wicked with a slavish fear, the consequence of guilt; the good with a filial fear, consisting of a holy affection or gracious habit wrought in the soul by God, whereby it is inclined and enabled to obey his commandments.

Oh that there were such an heart in them that they would fear me, &c. Dent. v, 29.

That thou mayest fear this glorious and fearful name, the Lord thy God. Deut. xxviii, 58.

There is no fear of God before his eyes. Ps. xxxvi, 1; Rom. iii, 18. Let him be your fear. Isa. viii, 13.

I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: fear him which hath power to cast into hell. Matt. x, 28; Luke xii, 5.

4. "To love the Lord with all our heart, and with all our mind, and with all our soul, and with all our strength."

Thou shalt love the Lord thy God, &c.

37; Mark xii, 30; Luke x, 27.

Deut. vi, 5; Matt. xxii,

What doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, &c. Deut. X, 12.

Take diligent heed--to love the Lord your God. Josh. xxii, 5.
O love the Lord, all ye his saints. Ps. xxxi, 23.

If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema
Maran-atha. 1 Cor. xvi, 22.

This is the love of God, that we keep his commands. 1 John v, 3. Keep yourselves in the love of God. Jude, 21.

Why should we love God?

God is love. 1 John iv, 16.

We love him, because he first loved us.

1 John iv, 19.

Wherein does the second Commandment differ from the first?

The first commandment teaches us whom we are to worship; the second, the manner in which that worship is to be expressed,

What does this Commandment forbid?

1. It forbids worshipping God by means of images, or in any other way not authorised by God's word; this being superstition and will worship.

Thou shalt make thee no molten gods. Exod. xxxiv, 17.

Turn ye not unto idols, nor make to yourselves molten gods. Lev. xix, 4.

Ye shall make you no idols, nor graven image. Lev. xxvi, 1.

Ye saw no manner of similitude, &c. lest thou shouldest be driven to worship them. Deut. iv, 15--19; 23-25.

Cursed be the man that maketh any graven or molten image. Deut. xxvii, 15.

This thing became a sin, viz. worshipping the golden calves set up by Jeroboam. 1 Kings xii, 28, 30.

They moved him to jealousy with their graven images. Ps. lxxviii, 58.
Confounded be all they that serve graven images. Ps. xcvii, 7.
They that make idols are like unto them. Ps. cxv,

To whom will ye liken God? My glory will I not give to images. Isa. xlii, 8, 17.

4-8.

Isa. xl, 18; xlvi, 5-8. another, neither my praise to graven

A deceived heart hath turned him aside, viz. the worshipper of idols.

Isa. xliv, 9-20.

The portion of Jacob is not like them. Jer. x, 3--9; 14-16.

We ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold or silver, graven by man's device. Acts xvii, 29.

They changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to birds and beasts, &c. Rom. i, 23.

Our Lord was tempted by Satan to break this commandment.

All these will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Matt. iv, 9.

Any pretended representation of the Deity is an affront to the person of Christ, who is the only adequate "image of the invisible God." Col. i, 15.

The brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person. Heb. i, 3.

The worship of saints and angels, as mediators, robs Christ of his glory; for there is but one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. 1 Tim. ¡¡,5. Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels. Col. ii, 18, 23.

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