Principles of Faith and Good Conscience, Chapter 29
CAP. XXIX.
Q. THe firſt Table of the Law of God containes foure Commandments: What is the ſumme and ſubſtance of it?
A. The firſt Table of the Law teacheth and requireth, 1. That I cleave unto God with my heart. 2. That I worſhip him with my ſoule and body, in the duties of Religion, and Divine Worſhip. 3. That I honour him with my Tongue and Life. 4. And that I carefully keepe his Sabbaths.
Of the firſt Commandment. Thou ſhalt have no other Gods, &c.
Q. WHat is the purpoſe of God in this firſt Commandment?
A. That we ſhould take Iehovah, the only true God, for our God, & ſet him up in our hearts in his due place, that is, above the creature;Of ſpirituall & inward worſhip. to love and feare him; to ſerve, truſt and obey him. [We muſt reſerve unto him all that preheminence of honour, feare, love and truſt, which is due to him as a God, and not to give any part thereof to the creature. To honour a King as if he were but a private perſon, is not to give him his due, becauſe it is beneath his place: God muſt have his full preheminence in our hearts.] Mar. 12.29, 30. Mat. 4.4, 10. Thus does Chriſt expound this Commandment.
Q. What particular duties are commanded under this generall, that ſo God may be thy God?
A. Five. 1. I am hereby bound to know God in his Nature,1. Knowledge. Will, and Attributes, elſe I ſhall never love him, nor truſt in him. 1 Chron: 28.9. Rom. 12.2. Ioh. 17.3. Ro. 10.14.
Q. What, ſecondly?2. Truſt.
A. We are bound to believe on him, to depend and ſtay our ſelves on him for every good thing we need, not being diſheartned in our duties, nor ſtepping out to falſe helps in evill times. Jer: 17.5.7. 2 Chron: 20.20. Pſal: 31.6, 7. Pſal: 11.1, 2. Job 31.24. Jonah 2.8. Dan: 3.16. Dan: 6.23.
Q. What, thirdly, is here required?
Q. I am bound to love and delight in him as the chiefeſt good, above father,3. Love. lands credit, profit, or life it ſelfe. Mat: 10.37. 1 Sam: 2.29. Mat: 19.22, 29.
Q. What fourth duty?
A. I am bound to feare him,4. To feare him. to ſtand in awe of his Majeſty, not daring to offend him in any thing for any reſpect. [The object of godly feare, is the evill of ſinne, the offending of God. 1 King: 8.3, 12. Eſay 51.12. Eſay 8.2, 13. Jer 2.19 [In all theſe God muſt have his full preheminence; for if we love, feare truſt, or delight in any thing againſt God, or above God, then that is our God,]
Q. What fifth duty is required?
A. I am bound to acknowledge him, and to make outward profeſſion, 5. To confeſſe him,that God is the Lord whom we ſerve; that he is governour, preſerver and rewarder of all men; the ſearcher of all hearts; and that no God can do as the doth: [There is none other to whom any of theſe can be applied.] Dan: 4.37. 1 Chron: 29.10, 11. Eſay 26.13. 1 Cor: 1.31. Mar: 8.38. Jer: 10.6, 7.
Q. What is the thing here generally forbidden?
A. The thing here forbidden, is, the giving of any divine honour to the creature; the ſetting up of the creature in our hearts, to withdraw us from God.
Q. Tell me particularly who be the tranſgreſſors of this Commandment?
A. Seven ſorts of perſons. 1. All ignorant perſons,Ignorance of God. that either (a) naturally, o… (b) careleſly, or willingly remaine ignorant of God, and his will concerning us. (a) Eph: 4.17, 18. (b) Iob 21.14. Ioh 3.20 2 Pet: 3.5.
Q. Who elſe?
Diſobedience.A. They that have knowledge ſevered from obedience; ſuch as profeſſe to know God, but in their works and waies deny him. [Theſe doe not take Jehovah for their God.] Tit: 1.16. Rom: 1.…8.
Q. Who thirdly doe ſinne againſt this Commandmemt?
A. All Atheiſts, and Idolaters; that is,Atheiſme and Idolatry. all ſuch as think there is no God, or that there be more Gods then one; or that God is like to any thing made by Art, in Carving and Painting—Alſo whoſoever do give any divine honour, worſhip, and ſervice to any Creature: All ſuch perſons be either Atheiſts, or Idolaters; They fancy to themſelves ſome other God. Rom. 1.23. Act. 14.15. 1 Cor. 8.3, 6, 10. Rev. 19.10. Rev. 22.9.
Q. Who fourthly?
A. All ſuperſtitions perſons; that is,Superſtition. ſuch as aſcribe any ſpirituall or ſupernaturall effect (good or bad) to ceremonies, & obſervation of things; the obſervation whereof hath no ground in nature, nor divine inſtitution. [as to the crying & flying of birds, bleeding at the noſe, the hare croſſing us in our journey, &c. Alſo in Religion, aſcribing ſupernaturall and ſpirituall effects, worth, excellency, or acceptableneſſe, to ceremonies deviſed by man; as to anointing with oile, ſigning with the croſſe, ſprinkling with Holy-water, conſecration of Temples, Veſtmēts, Altars, &c.] Mar. 7.4, 5, 8. Col. 2.21. 1 Sam. 4.3. Ezek. 21.19, 21. Jer. 10.2, 3. It is Gods prerogative to give grace, and alſo to inſtitute any ſign or token of Grace, or to make any thing to be an effectuall meanes of applying any ſpirituall good to the ſoule; and therefore it is an injury done to God, to aſcribe that which is due to him, unto mens inventions, &c.
Q. Who, fiftly, be the tranſgreſſours of this Commandment?
A. All ſuch as ſeek to Wizards, Wiches, Conjurers, Soothſayers, or to Saint or Angel for help.Seeking to Witches for helpe. [All that ſtep out of any unlawfull ſhifts in diſtreſſe, &c. all theſe doe forſake Jehovah, and cleave to the creature.] Deut. 18.9, 10. Act. 8.10, 11. 1 Chron. 10.13, 14. Eſay 47.12, 13.
Q. Who, ſixtly?
Unbeliefe & deſpare.A. They that doubt and deſpaire of Gods truth and love made knowne, and will not commit their ſoules and eſtates to him. [It is a ſinne to doubt and refuſe any part of Gods truth and promiſes; the higheſt degree of unbeliefe, is deſpaire.] Eſa. 7.9. He. 3.19. Mat. 6.30. Joh. 20.25. Mat. 8.26. Job 27.10. Iob 15.22. Theſe deny God the Honour due to him.
To be aſhamed of God and godlineſſe.Q. Who, laſtly, be tranſgreſſours of this Commandement?
A. All that be aſhamed of God, and deny him here before men in any degree; as in his Word, Waies, Worſhip, Children and ordinances, Joh. 12.43. Luk. 22.57. 2 Tim. 4.16. Mat. 11.9. 2 Tim: 2.12.
Q. What followes hereof?
A. That if we doe not make conſcience of theſe duties, and care to avoid theſe ſins, we be under the Law; that is, under the ſentence of it, to be judged by it. [Where ſinne reignes, the Law reignes, and is in force againſt thee.] Rom. 6.14.