The Catechizing of Families, Chapter 34
CHAP. XXXIV. Of the First Commandment.
Qu. 1. VVHat are the words of the First Commandement?
A. Thou shalt have no other Gods before me, Exod. 20. 3.aDeut. 5. …. & 10. 21.
Q. 2. What is the meaning of this Commandement?
A. It implieth a Command that we do all that du… God, which is due to him from reasonable Crea…ures, made by him, and freely Redeemed by him from sin and misery. And it forbiddeth us to think …hat there is any other God, or to give to any other …hat which properly belongs to him.bDeut. 26. 27. Dan. 6. 16. Isa. 6. 19.
Q. 3. Doth not the Scripture call Idols and Magi…rates Gods?
A. Yes: but only in an Equivocal improper Sence: Idols are called Gods as so reputed falsly by Idolaters; and Magistrates only as Mens Governours under God.cGal. 4. 8. 1 Cor. 8. 5. Ioh. 10. 34, 35 Deut. 30. 16, 20. Ioh. 17. 3. & 14. 1, 2. Deut. 10 12. Mic. 6. 8.
Q. 4. What are the Duties which we owe to God alone?
A. I. That our Understandings know, believe and esteem him as God: II. That our Wills love… him and cleave to him as God: III. That we Practically obey and serve him as God.
Q. 5. When doth the Understanding know, believe and esteem him as God?
A. No Creature can know God with an adequate Comprehensive knowledge: But we must in our measure know, believe and esteem him to be the only Infinite, Eternal self-sufficient Spirit, Vital power, Undestanding and Will, or most perfect Life, Light and Love; Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, of whom, and through whom, and to whom are all things, Our absolute Owner, Ruler and Father, reconciled by Christ; Our Maker, our Redeemer and Sanctifier.
Q. 6. When doth Mans Will love and cleave to him as God?
A. When the Understanding believing him to be Best, even Infinitely Good in himself, and Best to all the World, and Best to us, we Love him as such; though not yet in due perfection, yet sincerely above all other things.dPsal. 73. 25. Mat. 22. 37. Psal 119. 68. & 145. 9.
Q. 7. How can we Love God above all, when we never saw him, and can have no Idea or formal conception of him in our Minds?
A. Though he be invisible and we have no corporeal Idea of him, nor no adequate or just formal Conception of him, yet he is the most Noble Object of our Understanding and Love; as the Sun is of our sight, though we comprehend it no…. We are not without such an Idea or conception of God, as is better than all other knowledge, and is the beginning of Eternal Life, and is true in its kind, though very imperfect.eMat. 19 17. Ioh. 17. 3.
Q. 8. How can you know him that is no Object of sense?
A. He is the Object of our Understanding: We know in our selves what it is to Know and to Will, though these acts are not the objects of sense, (unless you will call the very acts of knowing and willing, an eminent internal sensation of themselves.) And by this we know what it is to have the Power of Understanding and Willing: And so what it is to be an Invisible substance with such Power. And as we have this true Idea or Conception of … Soul, so have we more easily of him who is more than a Soul to the whole World.f1 Cor. 13. 12. & 2. 8. 3. & 2. 3. 18. Ioh. 1. 18.
Q. 9. How doth the true Love of God work …re in the Flesh?
A. As we here Know God, so we Love him: As we know him not in the manner as we do things sensible, so we Love him not with that sort of sensible appetite, as we do things sensible immediately. But as we know him as revealed in the glass of his works, natural and gracious, and in his Word, so we Love him as known by such Revelation.gEx. 20. 6. Pro. 8. 17, 21. Ioh. 14. 15 23.
Q. 10. Do not all men Love God who believe that there is a God, when Nature teacheth men to Love Goodness as such; and all that believe that there is a God, believe that he is the Best of beings?
A. Wicked men know not truly the Goodness of God, and so what God is indeed: To know this proposition [God is most Good,] is but to know words and a Logical general Notion. As if a man should know and say that Light is Good, who never had sight, or Sweetness is good, who never tasted it: Every wicked man is predominantly a Lover of fleshly pleasure, and therefore no Lover but a Hater of all the parts and acts of Divine Government and Holiness which are contrary to it, and would deprive him of it. So that there is somewhat of God that a wicked man doth love, that is, his Being, his Work of Creation, and bounty to the World and to him in those natural good things which he can value; But he Loveth not, but Hateth God as the Holy Governour of the World and him, and the Enemy of his forbidden pleasure and desires.h1 Cor. 8. 3. Rom. 8. 28. Iam. 1. 12. & 2. 5. 1 Ioh. 3. 16, 17. & 5. 3. Iud. 21. 1 Ioh 4. 20. Ioh. 14. 23.
Q. 11. What be the certain signs then of tru… Love to God?
A. 1. A true Love to his Government, and Laws, and Holy Word; and that as it is his, and holy: And this so effectual, as that we unfeignedly desire to obey that word as the Rule of our Faith, and Life, and Hope: and desire to fulfill his Commanding Will.
2. A true Love to the Actions which God commandeth, (though flesh will have some degree of backwardness.)
3. A true Love to those that are likest God in Wisdom, Holiness and doing good; And such a Love to them as is above the Love of Worldly Riches, Honour and Pleasure, so that it will enable us to do them good, though by our suffering or loss in a lower matter, when God calls as to it. For if we see our Brother have need and shut up the bowels of Compassion, so that we cannot find in our hearts to relieve his necessities by the loss of our unnecessary superfluities, how dwelleth the Love of God in us?
4. True Love to God doth Love it self. It is a great sign of it, when we so much love to Love God, as that we are gladder when we feel it in us, than for any worldly Vanity; and when we take the Mutual Love of God and the Soul to be so good and joyful a State, as that we truly desire it as our Felicity and best in Heaven, to be …erfectly Loved of God, and perfectly to Love him, and joyfully express it in his Everlasting prai…es. To long to Love God as the best Condition for us, is a sign that we truly Love …im.iLuk. 11. 42. Ioh. 5. 42. 1 Ioh. 2. 5. & 3. …7. Ioh. 15. 10. 1 Ioh. 3. 17. Ps. 42. 1, 2, 3, 4. &c.
Q. 12. But must not all the affections be set on God as well as Love?
A. All the rest are but several wayes of Loving or Willing good, and of Nilling or Hating and avoiding Evil.
1. It is Love that desireth after God, and his Grace and Glory. 2. It is Love that hopeth for him. 3. It is Love that rejoiceth in him, and is pleased when we and others please him, and when his Love is poured out on the Sons of men, and Truth, Peace and Holiness prosper in the World. 4. It is Love that maketh us sorrowful that we can please him no more, nor more enjoy him; and that maketh us grieved that we can no more know him, love him, and delight in him; and that we have so much sin within us to displease him, and hinder our communion of Love with him. 5. And Love will make us fearful of displeasing him, and losing the said Communion of Love. 6. And it will make us most angry with our selves when we have most by sin displeased God, and angry with others that offend him.kDeu. 5. 29. Mat. 6. 21. Deu. 11. 13. & 13 3. & 26. 16. & 30. 2, 6, 10. Ios. 22. 5. 1 Sam. 12. 14. Mat. 22. 37.
Q. 13. What is the Practical duty properly due from us to God?
A. To obey him in doing all that he commandeth us either in his holy Worship, or for ourselves or for our Neighbour; And this by an absolute universal Obedience, in sincere desire and endeavour, as to a Soveraign of greatest Authority, and a Father of greatest Love, whose Laws and Works are all most wise, and just, and good.lIoh. 14. 23, 15. 1 Ioh. 5. 3.
Q. 14. What if our Governours command or forbid us any thing, must we not take our obeying them to be obeying God, seeing they are his Officers whom we see, but see not him?
A. Yes, when they command us by the Authority given them of God: But Gods universal Laws are before and above their Laws; and their Power is all limited by God; They have no Authority but what he giveth them; and he giveth them none against his Laws: And therefore if they command any thing which God forbiddeth, or forbid what God commandeth, you must obey God in not obeying them. But this must never be made a pretence for disobedience to their true Authority.mRom. 13. 2, 3. Act. 5. 29. 32. Dan. 3. & 6. Act. 4. 19. 24.
Q. 15. II. What is the thing forbidden in the first Commandement?
A. I. To think that to be God which is not God, as the Heathens do by the Sun. II. To ascribe any part of that to Creatures which is essential and proper to God; and so to make them half-gods.
Q. 16. How are men guilty of that?
A. I. When they think that any Creature hath that Infiniteness, Eternity or Self-sufficiency, that Power, Knowledge or Goodness which is proper to God alone. Or that any Creature hath that causality which is proper to God, in making and maintaining, or Governing the World, or being the ultimate End. Or that any Creature is to be more Honoured, Loved or Obeyed than God, or with any of that which is proper to God.nIsa. 2. 22. Act. 12. 22, 23. …sa. 42. 8. Mic. 2. 9.
II. When the Will doth actually Love and Honour the Creature with any of that Love and Honour which is due to God as God, and therefore to God alone.
III. When in their practice men labour to please, serve or obey any Creature against God, before God, or equal with God, or with any Service proper to God alone. All this is IdolatrytRev. 16. 9. 1 Chr. 16. 28, 29. 1 Cor. 10. 3… ▪ Gal. 1. 10.
Q. 17. Which is the greatest and commonest Idol of the World?
A. Carnal-self: By sin man is fallen from God to his Carnal-self; to which he giveth that which is Gods proper due.
Q. 18. How doth this Selfishness appear and work as Idolatry?
A. 1. In that such men love their Carnal-self and Pleasure and Prosperity, and the Riches that are the provision for the Flesh, better than God: I mean not only more sensibly, but with a preferring, choosing Love: And that which as Best is most loved, i… made a mans God. The Images of Heathens wer… not so much their Idols as Themselves: For non… of them loved their Images better than themselves nor than a Worldling loveth his Wealth, Power an… Honour.oRom. 12. 3. & 14. 7. Mat. 16. … ▪ & 18. 4. & 23. 12. Mar. 12. 33. Phil. 2. 4. 21.
2. In that such are their own chief ultimate En… and preferr the Prosperity of carnal self before th… Glorifying of God in perfect Love and Praise in th… heavenly Society for ever. And so did Idolaters b… their Images or other Idols.
3. In that such had rather their own Will were done than God's; and had rather God's will were brought to theirs, than theirs to God's. Their Wills are their Rule and End; yea they would have God and Man, and all the World fulfill their Wills; even when they are against the Will of God: SELF-WILL is the great Idol of the World: All the stirre and striving, and Warre and work of such, is but to serve it.pTit. 1. 7. 2 Pet. 2. 10.
4. Selfish men do measure Good and Evil chiefly by carnal self Interest: They take those for the best men that are most for them herein; and those for the worst that are against their Interest in the World: And their Love and Hatred is placed accordingly. Let a man be never so wise and good, they hate him if he be against their Interest.q1 King. 22. 8. Chron. 18. 7.
5. And as holy men live to God in the care and endeavour of their Lives, so do selfish men to their carnal selves: Their study, labour and time is thus employed; even to ruine the best that are but against their carnal Interest: And if they be Princes or Great men in the World, the Lives and Estates of thousands of the Innocent, seem not to them too dear … Sacrifice by bloody unlawful Warres or Persecutions, to offer to this grand Idol SELF.
6. And when it cometh to a parting choice, as …he Faithful will rather let go Liberty, Honour, Estate and Life, than forsake God and the heavenly Glory; so selfish men will let go their Innocency, …heir Saviour, their God and all, rather than part with the Interest of carnal Self.rLuk. 14. 26. 33.
7. And in point of Honour, they are more ambitious to be well thought and spoken of, and praised themselves, both living and dead, than to have God and Truth, and Goodness honou…ed. And they can more easily bear one that dishonoureth God, and Truth and Holiness, yea and common Righteousness and Honesty, than one that (though justly) dishonoureth them.
So that all the World may easily see that carnal SELF and specially SELF-WILL is the greatest Idol in the World.s2. Tim. 3. 2, …. Pro. 21.4. Ps. 10.2, 4.
Q. 19. But is not that a mans Idol which he Trusteth most? and all men are so Conscious of their own Insufficiency, that they cannot Trust themselves for their own preservation?
A. I say not that any selfish man tMar. 10. 24. 1 Tim. 6. 17. Psal. 20. 7. 118. 8. & Pro. 3. 5.is a perfect Idolater, and giveth all God's properties to himself. He must kn…w whether he will or not, that he is not Infinite▪ Eternal, Almighty, Omniscient, Selfsufficient; He knoweth he must suffer and die. But SELF hath more given it that is due only to God, than any other Idol hath. And though such men know their own insufficiency, yet they have so little Trust in God, that they Trust their own Wits, and the Choice of their own Wills before the Wisdom and Choice of God: and had far rather be at their own Wills and Choice if they could: And indeed had rather that all things in the World were at their Will and Choice, than at the Will and Choice of God. And therefore they like not his Laws and Government, but make their Wit, Will and Lust the Governours of themselves and as many others as they can.
Q. 20. Is there not much selfishness in all? By this you will make all men, even the best, to be Idolaters. But a man cannot be saved that l…veth in Idolatry.
A. It is not every subdued degree of any fault that denominateth the man, but that which is predominant in him: every man hath some Unbelief, some backwardness to God and Goodness, some hypocrisie, pride, &c. and yet every man is not to be called An Infidel, an enemy to God and Goodness, an hypocrite, &c. So every man hath some Idolatry and some Atheism remaining, and yet is not an Idolater or Atheist: If a man could not be saved till he were perfectly healed of every degree of these hainous sins, no man could be Saved. But Gods Interest is predominant in holy Souls.
Q. 21. Doth not Paul say, of all save Timothy, That All seek their own, and not the things that are Jesus Christ's?
A. He meaneth not that they predominantly do so, except those among them who were hypocrites: But that all did uIer. 45. 4, 5. Mic. 6. 8.too much seck their own, and too little the things that are Jesus Christ's, and were …ot so self-denying as Timothy, who as it were na…urally Cared for the good of the Church: As De…as forsook Paul in his suffering, and went after …is own worldly business; but yet did not forsake Christ and preferre the world before him (for …ght we find of him.)
Q. 22. You make this first Commandement to be the summe of all.
A. It is the Summary of all, and our Obedience to it is Virtually (but not Actually) our obedience to all the rest. This is it which Christ calleth the first and greatest Command, Thou shalt Love the Lord thy God with all thy Heart and Soul and might. This is the Foundation of all the rest of the Commandements, and the Root of all: The rest are but branches from it. When we are obliged to Love God and obey him, we have a General obligation to keep all his Commandements. But as this General Command doth not put the special particular Commands in existence, so neither doth it oblige us to obey them till they exist: And then as the Genus and Species constitute every defined being, so the General and Special obligation concurre to make up every duty. He that sincerely obeyeth this first command, is a true Subject of God and in a state of Salvation, and will sincerely obey all particular Commands in the main course of his life, when they are revealed to him.xHos. 9. 1, 2. & 4. 6. & 12. 2.