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The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord. Job i. 21.

Good is the word of the Lord which thou hast spoken. Isa. xxxix. 8.

Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. Matt. xi. 29.

Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me; nevertheless, not my will, but thine be done. Luke xxii. 42. As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, tongue shall confess to God. Rom. xiv. 11.

and every

Shall we not be in subjection unto the Father of Spirits, and live? Heb. xii. 9.

Submit, yourselves, therefore, to God. James iv. 7.

7. To esteem him as our chief good.

As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God? Ps. xlii. 1, 2.

Whom have I in heaven but thee? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee. Ps. lxxiii. 25.

For who in the heaven can be compared unto the Lord? Who among the sons of the mighty can be likened unto the Lord? Ps. lxxxix. 6.

My soul thirsteth after thee, as a thirsty land. Ps. cxliii. 6. The kingdom of heaven is like a merchantman, who sold all he had, and bought the pearl of great price. Matt. xiii. 45, 46. Yea, doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, &c. Phil. iii. 8.

8. To seek his glory as our highest aim.

Whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. 1 Cor. x. 31. And whatsoever ye do, in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus. Col. iii. 17.

Remember how very broad is this commandment, and how spiritual is the obedience it requires. It not only forbids you to kneel and pray to idols, like the ignorant heathen, but it demands a full and unreserved surrender of the heart and soul to the true God. You break it every time you fix your affections on any object more than on him. See that you give not his glory to another. Isa. xlii. 8. Litany. That it may please thee to give us a heart to love and fear thee, and diligently to live after thy commandments. 2d Sunday after Trinity.-Make us to have a perpetual fear and love of thy holy name.

6th Sunday after Trinity.-Pour into our hearts such love toward thee, that we, loving thee above all things, may obtain thy promises, which exceed all that we can desire. 14th Sunday after Trinity.-Make us to love that which thou dost command.

ON THE COMMANDMENTS.

3. SECOND COMMANDMENT.

WHAT is the second Commandment?

"Thou shalt not make to thyself any graven image, nor the likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or in the earth beneath, or in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down to them, nor worship them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, and visit the sins of the fathers upon the children, unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me, and show mercy unto thousands in them that love me and keep my commandments."

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 authorized 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. 4-8.
To whom will ye liken God? Isa. xl. 18; xlvi. 5-8.

My glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images. Isa. xlii. 8. 17.

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 unto birds and beasts, &c. Rom. i. 23.

It was one of the temptations of our Lord 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. ii. 5.

Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntarily humility and worshipping of angels. Col. ii. 18. 23.

If any worship the beast and his image, he shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God. Rev. xiv. 9, 10.

See thou worship me not-I am thy fellow servant. Rev. xix. 10.

Praying to departed saints is discouraged by the parable of Dives and Lazarus. Luke xvi. 20-29.

Though this commandment expressly forbids the making of images for the purpose of worshipping them, it does not forbid us to make them for other purposes. God himself ordered golden images of cherubim to be placed over the mercy-seat in the Jewish tabernacle.

Roman Catholics omit the second commandment in many of their Catechisms, &c., and it is impossible to reconcile it with their worship of images and adoration of saints. He is an idolater that prays to any saint or angel; for by so doing he gives them the honour due to God alone.

*

* Roman Catholics consider the second commandment as only a part of the first, and in many Catechisms for popular use it is omitted under the pretext that a general view of each commandment is sufficient for children, and that the first exhibits the essential part of both. The temp tation to this method of taking away from the commandments of God, arises obviously from the extensive prevalence of image worship in the Church of Rome, which is rebuked by the second commandment. In order to complete the number of ten commandments, which is reduced to nine by this blending of the first and second, the tenth commandment is made into two. "They might as well," Secker remarks, "have divided it into six or seven." The Scriptures divide the law into ten commandments, (Exod. xxxiv. 28. Deut. iv. 13; x.4;) and the nature of the subjects to which they refer seems obviously to point out the proper division. The difference in this respect, although important, is not of so much importance as the use which is made of this arrangement of the Church of Rome, in preventing a due sense of the obligation of the second commandment.

Little children, keep yourselves from idols. 1 John v. 21. 2. All hypocrisy and formality in our devotions. This people (hypocrites) honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. Matt. xv. S. Mark vii. 6.

What does this Commandment require?

1. It commands us "to worship" God in spirit and truth, with such holy dispositions as are produced by his Spirit, trusting in the merits and mediation of our Saviour Jesus Christ.

The Lord shall ye fear, and him shall ye worship. 2 Kings xvii. 36.

Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. 1 Chron. xvi. 29. Ps. xxix. 2.

Worship at his footstool, for he is holy. Ps. xcix. 5. 9.

Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. Matt. iv. 10.

The true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth. John iv. 23, 24.

If any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth. John ix. 31.

We are the circumcision, which worship God in the Spirit. Phil. iii. 3.

We have an example of an acceptable worshipper in

The woman of Canaan. Matt. xv. 25.

Hannah, 1 Sam. i. 9. 19. Simeon, Luke ii. 25. Cornelius, Acts x. 1, 2.

Strive to imitate their fervency, and whenever you draw near to worship him, endeavour to feel his presence, for (Psalm cxxxix.) he sees and knows every thing. Try to get a sense of the greatness and number of your wants, and of the power and grace of Christ. Having thus suitable thoughts of God, worship him sincerely, with the most fervent affections, and profound reverence of his infinite majesty.

Every thing relating to the outward worship of God is implied; and we ought to make use of the most decent attitudes, both in public and private worship.

Jesus kneeled down and prayed. Luke xxii. 41.
Stephen kneeled down, and cried, &c. Acts vii. 60.
What does this Commandment further require of us?

2. "To give him thanks."

Offer unto God thanksgiving. Ps. 1. 14.

Be thankful unto him. Ps. c. 4.

Giving thanks always for all things. Eph. v. 20.

By prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, &c. Phil. iv. 6. And be ye thankful. Col. iii. 15.

Watch in the same (viz. prayer) with thanksgiving. Col. iv. 2.

The unthankful are the unholy. 2 Tim. iii. 2.

Offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually. Heb. xiii. 15. Bless God for your "creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all, for his inestimable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ;" and "show forth his praise not only with your lips, but in your lives."

3. "To call upon him."
Call upon his name. Ps. cv. 1.
Call ye upon him while he is near.
O sleeper, arise, call upon thy God.
Praying always with all prayer, &c.

Isa. Iv. 6.
Jon. i. 6.
Eph. vi. 18.

A great many promises that our prayers shall be heard are contained in the Scriptures.

Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer. Isa. lviii. 9. Before they call I will answer. Isa. lxv. 24.

Call unto me, and I will answer thee. Jer. xxxiii. 3.

Ask, and it shall be given you. Matt. vii. 7.

Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Rom. x. 13.

Adopt David's determination.

I will call upon him as long as I live. Ps. cxvi. 2.

4. "To honour his holy word."

Thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name. Ps. cxxxviii. 2. Thy word is truth. John xvii. 17.

How are we to honour God's holy word?

By hearing it.

I will hear what God the Lord will speak. Ps. lxxxv. S.

By reading it.

Search the Scriptures. John v. 39.

By meditating on it.

Thy word have I hid in my heart. Ps. cxix. 11.

That I might meditate in thy word. Ps. cxix. 148.

5. "To serve him truly all the days of our life.'

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Ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him. Deut. xiii. 4. Serve him in sincerity and in truth-as for me and my house we will serve the Lord. Josh. xxiv. 14, 15.

Serve the Lord with all your heart, serve him in truth. 1 Sam. xii. 20. 24.

Serve him with a perfect heart, and with a willing mind. 1 Chron. xxviii. 9.

Serve the Lord with fear. Ps. ii. 11.

If any man serve me, him will my Father honour. John xii. 26. His servants shall serve him. Rev. xxii. 3.

How is this Commandment enforced?

1. God reminds us of his sovereignty-"I the Lord." The Lord is a great King above all gods. Ps. xcv. 2, 3.

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