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Go; having his being in and of himself, ▾ and giving being to all his words" and works; and that he is a God in covenant, as with Israel of old, so with all his people; who as he brought them out of their bondage in Egypt, so he delivered us from our spiritual thraldom;" and that therefore we are bound to take him for our God alone, and to keep all his commandments.a

Isa. xliv. 6. Thus saith the Lord the King of Israel, and his Redeemer the Lord of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.

▾ Ex. iii. 14. And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.

Ex. vi. 3. And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty; but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.

Acts xvii. 24, 28. God that made the world, and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands-For in him we live, and move, and have our being.

Gen. xvii. 7. And I will establish my covenant between me and thee. Compared with Rom. iii. 29. Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also.

2 Luke i. 74, 75. That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.

a 1 Pet. i. 15, 16, 17, 18. But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; because it is writtten, Be ye holy; for I am holy. And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear: forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation. Lev. xviii. 30, and xix. 37. See also letter (z), above.

Q. 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. b

Q. 103. Which is the first commandment? A. The first commandment is, Thou shalt have no other gods before me.°

Q. 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; and to worship and glorify him accordingly;'

Luke x. 27. Thou shalt love the Lord, &c.

• Ex. xx. 3.

a 1 Chron. xxviii. 9. And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart, and with a willing mind. Deut xxvi. 17. ~ Thou hast avouched the Lord this day to be thy God. Isa. xliii. 10. Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen; that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. Jer. xiv. 22.

Psa. xcv. 6, 7. O come, let ns worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. Matt. iv. 10.-Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. Psa. xxix. 2. Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name: worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.

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by thinking, meditating, remembering, highly esteeming, honouring, adoring, choosing, loving, desiring, fearing of him; believing him; trusting; hoping delighting, rejoicing in him; being zeal

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Mal. iii. 16. Then they that feared the Lord, spake often one to another; and the Lord hearkened, and heard it and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name.

8 Psa. lxiii. 6. When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night-watches.

h Eccl. xii. 1. of thy youth. i Psa. lxxi. 19.

Remember now thy Creator in the days

Thy righteousness also, O God, is very high, who hast done great things: O God, who is like unto thee?

Mal. i. 6. If then I be a father, where is my honour?

Isa. xlv. 23. I have sworn by myself, the word has gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, that unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear. Psa. xcvi. throughout.

1 Josh. xxiv. 22. that ye have chosen Deut. vi. 5.

God.

Psa. lxxiii. 25.

Ye are witnesses against yourselves you the Lord, to serve him. And thou shalt love the Lord thy

Whom have I in heaven but thee?

and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee. • Isa. viii. 13. Sanctify the Lord of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.

P Ex. xiv. 31.

believed the Lord. 9 Isa. xxvi. 4.

xl. 4.

r Psa. cxxx. 7. Psa. xxxvii. 4. t Psa. xxxii. 11.

And the people feared the Lord, and

Rom. x. 11. Acts x. 43.

Trust ye in the Lord for ever. Psa.

Let Israel hope in the Lord.

Delight thyself also in the Lord. Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, ye righteous and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in

heart.

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ous for him; calling upon him, giving all praise and thanks, and yielding all obedience and submission to him with the whole man; being careful in all things to please him, and sorrowful when in any thing he is offended; and walking humbly with him."

Q. 105. What are the sins forbidden in the first commandment?

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A. 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 vouch

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"Rom. xii. 11. Fervent in Spirit; serving the Lord. Rev. iii. 19. Be zealous therefore. Num. xxv. 11.

Phil. iv. 6. But in every thing by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God.

w Jer. vii. 23. But this thing commanded I them saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people; and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you. James iv. 7. Submit yourselves

therefore to God. Rom. xii. 1.

1 John iii. 22. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.

y Neh. xiii. 8. And it grieved me sore. Psa. lxxiii. 21. Thus my heart was grieved. Psa. cxix. 136. Rivers of waters run down mine eyes, because they keep not thy law. Jer. xxxi. 18, 19.

Mich. vi. 8. And to walk humbly with thy God.

a Psa. xiv. 1. The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Eph. ii. 12. And without God in the

world.

Jer. ii. 27, 28. Saying to a stock, Thou art my

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ing 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, worthy and wicked thoughts of him; bold

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father; and to a stone, Thou hast brought me forthwhere are thy gods that thou hast made thee?-for according to the number of thy cities are thy gods, O Judah. Compared with 1 Thess. i. 9.

• Psa. lxxxi. 11. But my people would not hearken to my voice and Israel would none of me:

d Isa. xliii. 22, 23. But thou hast not called upon me, O Jacob; but thou hast been weary of me, O Israel. Thou hast not brought me the small cattle of thy burntofferings: neither hast thou honoured me with thy sacrifices.

• Jer. iv. 22. For my people is foolish, they have not known me; they are sottish children, and they have none understanding: they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge. Hos. iv. 1, 6.-For the Lord hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land. My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.

f Jer. ii. 82. Can a maid forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire? yet my people have forgotten me days without number. Psa. 1. 22.

g Acts xvii. 23, 29. For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, To THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.-We ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device.

h Isa. xl. 18. To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto him?

i Psa. 1. 21. These things hast thou done, and I kept silence; thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself: but I will reprove thee and set them in order before thine eyes.