will call upon the name of the Lord. cxlv. 18. The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth. Acts, ii. 21. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord, shall be saved. Rom. x. 12, 13, 14. There is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? 1 Cor. i. 2. With all that in every place call upon the name of the Lord.

Psalm 1xvi. 2. Sing forth the honour of his name: make his praise glorious. xcix. 3. Let them praise thy great and terrible name; for it is holy. cxix. 140, 161, 162. Thy word is very pure: therefore thy servant loveth it. Princes have persecuted me without a cause: but my heart standeth in awe of thy word. I rejoice at thy word, as one that findeth great spoil. Col. iii. 16. Teaching and admonishing one another in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 1 Thess. ii.

13. For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but, as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in them that believe. Heb. ii. 2, 3, 4. For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward; how shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first, began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us

by them that heard him; God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will. iv. 12. For the word of God is quick and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. James, i. 21. Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.

Psalm, ii. 11. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. c. 2. Serve the Lord with gladness; come before his presence with singing. Luke, i. 74, 75. The oath, which he sware to our father Abraham, 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. 1 Thess. i. 9, 10. For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come. Heb. x. 19, &c. Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water, let us hold fast the profession of our faith, without wavering.

10. Q. What are the chief offences that may be committed against this part of the first commandment? A. They are chiefly these: first, atheism, and in

fidelity, whether it be speculative, or practical: that is to say, whether men do really believe that there is no God; or live so as if they did, without any due worship of him, or regard of him.

Next to these, all unworthy opinions of God, or blasphemous thoughts, or speeches against him. Such are the thoughts and speeches of those who not only deny the doctrine of the blessed Trinity, or of the Divinity of Christ, and the Holy Ghost, but make it their business to expose and ridicule the belief of it. And, lastly, such are all the heinous, but especially habitual sins, which men fall into, and the consequence of which plainly shews, either that they do not in good earnest believe the Lord to be their God, or that they are yet to consider what that belief requires of them.

11. Q. What is the other thing proposed to us in this commandment? ·

A. Not to have any other, besides the Lord, for our God.

12. Q. Is there any other God besides the Lord?

A. No, there is not; nor does this commandment at all suppose that there is. But when these commandments were delivered, the world generally believed in, and worshipped other gods besides the Lord, who was almost utterly forgotten by them, and therefore it was highly necessary that the Lord should, in the very first place, caution his people against this folly and idolatry.

13. Q. How many ways may men have others for their God, besides the Lord?

A. By as many ways as they are capable of shewing that they have him for their God. Namely, first,

by thinking of them as God; and, secondly, by worshipping and serving of them as such.

PROOFS SUBJOINED.-1 Cor. viii. 5, 6. For though there be that are called Gods, whether in heaven or earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,) but to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him. xii. 2. Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led. Gal. iv. 8. Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which, by nature, are no gods. Eph. ii. 11, 12. Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called uncircumcision by that which is called circumcision in the flesh, made by hands; 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: but now in Christ Jesus, ye who sometimes were far off, are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

14. Q. Is it possible for any man, who knows, and worships the Lord, to have any other God besides him?

A. So this commandment evidently supposes; and so indeed it may easily enough be: there being nothing so unreasonable which an immoderate superstition is not capable of leading, sometimes even wise men into. And therefore not only God here gives this caution to the Jews, but St. Paul, in like manner forewarns even the Christians to whom he preached, to flee from idolatry. I Cor. x. 14. Comp. 1 John, v. 21. Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from

idolatry. John. Little children, keep yourselves from idols.

And, not to keep company with a brother, (that is, a Christian,) who was guilty of it, 1 Cor. v. 11.

PROOFS SUBJOINED.-1 Kings, xi. 2, 3, 4. But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites: of the nations concerning which the Lord said unto the children of Israel, ye shall not go into them, neither shall they come in unto you; for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love. And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart. For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father. 2 Kings, xvii. 33, 34. They served their own gods, after the manner of the nations whom they carried away from thence. Unto this day they do after the former manners: they fear not the Lord, neither do they, after their statutes, or after their ordinances, or after the law and commandment which the Lord commanded the children of Jacob, whom he named Israel.

15. Q. How can this be; seeing he who knows and believes aright of God, must know, and believe, that there neither is, nor can be, any other God besides him?

A. Would men always act consistently to their own knowledge and profession, it would then, indeed, be impossible for those who had a right notion of God, to have any other God besides him.