A. That God's expectations are greater, where his mercies and fa- vours have been so ; Isa. v. 4. AVhat could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it ? Wherefore when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes.
Q. 12. What is the last inference from hence ?
A. That memorials of God's mercies are to be kept by us, to pro- yoke us to constant and cheerful duties of obedience ; Exod. xvii. 14. And the Lord said unto Moses, write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua. Psal. ciii. 2, 3. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.
Of tJiC first Commandment,
Quest. 45. V? HICH is the first commandment ?
A. The first commandment is, Thou shcdt have no other gods he^ fore me.
AK EXrOSlTIO\* OF THE ASSEMDLY's CATECHISM. 225
Q. 1. What is the first duty enjoined in the first commandment ?
A. It is to know and acknowledge the existence or being of God, and consequently condemns all atheism, both in judgment and prac- tice; Heb. xi. 6. For he that cometh to God, must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Ps. xiv. 1. The fool hath said in his heart, there is no God.
Q. 2. What is the second duty of the first commandment ?
A. It requires all men to know and acknowledge the unity of God ; Deut. vi. 4. Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord. And condemns polytheism, or plurality of gods ; 1 Cor. viii. 5, 6. For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth (as there be gods many, and lords many ;) but to us there is but one God.
Q. 3. Whence sprang the opinion of more gods than one at first in the world ?
A. It sprang from ignorance of God's omnipresence and omnipo- tence. Hence came their vain imaginations; Rom. i. 21. Because that when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful, but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolisli heart was darkened. They thought the presence and power of God might reach one place, and not another ; 1 Kings xx. 23. And the servants of the king of Syria said unto him. Their gods are gods of the hills, therefore they were stronger than we : But let us fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they.
Q. 4. What were the first creatures worshipped as gods ?
A. Probably the heavenly bodies, sun, moon, and stars, because of their splendour and influences. These as heralds, do proclaim God to the world; Ps. xix. 1, 2. The heavens declare the glory of God ; and the firmament shev/eth his handy work : Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. And these messengers of God were mistaken for God himself; Job xxxi. 26, 27, 28. If I beheld the sun when it shined, or the moon walking in brightness, and my heart hath been secretly enticed, or my mouth hath kissed my hand ; this also were an iniquity, for I should have denied the God that is above.
Q. 5. What doth these words [before me] import ?
A. It notes God's perfect knowledge and abhorrence of all idola- try, or worshipping of another God, as what he cannot endure to behold ; Jer. xliv. S, 4. Because of their wickedness which they have committed to provoke me to anger, in that they went to burn in- cense to serve other gods whom they knew not, neither they, you, nor your fathers. Howbeit, I sent unto you all my servants the prophets, rising early, and sending them, saying. Oh do not this abominable thing that I hate.
Q. 6. Are none guilty of this sin but heathenish idolaters ?
A. Yes ; all that place their supreme love or trust in any creature,
22G AN EXPOSITION OF THE ASSEMBLY'S CATECHISM.
make that creature their god ; and in scripture are called idolaters, CoL iii. 5. And covetousness, which is idolatry. Phil. iii. 19. Whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.
Q. 7. How^ doth the idolatry forbidden in the first, differ from that forbidden in the second commandment.
A. The idolatry forbidden in the first commandment is a sin re- specting the object of worship, when we set up any thing in the place of God, which by nature is not God ; Gal. iv. 8. Howbeit, then when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods. But that against the second commandment is, when we pretend to worship the true God, but do it by such means, and in such a manner as he hath not required, or hath forbidden ; Exod. xxxii. 4. And he received them at their hands, and fashioned it with a graven tool, after he had made it a molten calf; and they said. These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
Q. 8. What is the first inference from the first commandment ?
A. That it is a special mercy to be brought forth in a land where the true God is known and worshipped ; Psal. cxlvii. 20. He hath not dealt so with any nation ; and as for his judgments, they have not known them ; praise ye the Lord.
Q. 9. What is the second inference from the first command- ment ?
A. That it is a great and dreadful sin to live without the worship of God in the world ; Eph. ii. 12. That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world.
Q. 10. What Is the third inference from the first commandment.?
J. That Christians must not comply with idolatrous and supersti- tious w orship, when they are cast into idolatrous places, how great soever the danger be ; Psal. xvi. 4. Their sorrows shall be multi- plied, that hasten after another god ; their drink-offerings of blood %vill I not offer, nor take up their name into my lips.
Q. 11. What is the fourth inference from hence ?
A. That supreme love, fear, and trust of the soul, is God's pecu- liar right and due. Whosoever places them on any other besides God, is guilty of a very heinous and great sin against him ; 1 John ii. 15. Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world : If any m.an love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. Compared with Job xxxi. 24, — 28. If I have made gold my hope, or have said to the fine gold, thou art my confidence; this also were an iniquity to be punished by the judge; for 1 should have denied the God that is above.
Q. 12. What is the fifth inference from hence ?
A. That God's eye discovers the closest idolatry in the world,
whether it be in secret actions; Ezek viii. 12. Hast thou seen wliat the ancients of the house of Israel do in the dark ? Every man in the chambers of his imagery ? for they say, the Lord seeth us not, the Lord hath forsaken the earth. Or inward affections ; Col. iii. 5. Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth, fornica- tion, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covet- ousness, which is idolatry.
Q. 13. What is the sixth inference from hence?