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ANALYSIS AND PROOFS.

We are here taught,—

1. That God hath appointed certain religious ordinances to be observed in his worship. Lev. xviii. 4.-" Ye shall do my judgments, and keep mine ordinances, to walk therein : I am the Lord your God."

2. That we are required to accept of and esteem the worship and ordinances of God. Psal. cxix. 103.-"How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth." Psal. lxxxiv. 1.-"How amiable are thy taber

nacles, O Lord of Hosts!"

3. That we are required to observe God's worship and ordinances. Matt. xxviii. 20.-"Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you."

4. That we are required to keep God's worship and ordinances pure and entire. Deut. xii. 32.-" What thing soever I command you, observe to do it; thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it." See also Luke i. 6.

EXPLANATION.

Obs. 200.-God hath appointed certain religious ordinances to be observed in his worship.

We may here take notice of the difference between the First and Second Commandment. The First Commandment respects the object of worship-the living and true God, and requires that we worship him as our God, and no other. The Second Commandment respects the means of worship, and requires that we worship the true God in such a way only, and by such ordinances, as he hath appointed in his Word. The first may be discovered by the light of nature, but the second can be discovered only by revelation.

By religious worship we are to understand that homage and respect which we owe to God, and by which we profess subjection to him, and confidence in him, as our God in Christ and ascribe that praise and glory which are due to him, as our chief good and only happiness.-Psal. xcv. 6, 7.

The religious ordinances of divine appointment, which ought to be observed by us, are these ::

1. Prayer, which includes thanksgiving.—Phil. iv. 6. Prayer is either public, as in the church,-Acts ii. 42; or private, as in families,-Jer. x. 25; or secret, as by one's self,-Matt. vi. 6.

2. Praise, or singing the praises of God with the voice. This ought to be observed both in public and in private.Psal. cxlix. 1; James v. 13; Eph. v. 18-20; Col. iii. 16.

3. The reading, the hearing, and the preaching of the Word. The reading and hearing of the Word ought to be observed both in public and in private.-Acts xv. 21; John v. 39; James i. 21–25; Acts x. 33. The preaching of the Word is a public ordinance,-2 Tim. iv. 2; and the hearing of it preached ought to be attended to, that men may become wise to salvation.

4. The administration and the receiving of the sacraments of baptism and the Lord's supper.-Matt. xxviii. 19; 1 Cor. xi. 23, &c.

5. Church government and discipline. See Matt. xvi. 19; 1 Cor. v., and xii. 28; Eph. iv. 11; Matt. xviii. 15-17; 1 Tim. v. 20.

6. The ministry and the maintenance thereof.-Mark xvi. 15; Rom. x. 14, 15; Eph. iv. 11, 12; 1 Cor. ix. 13, 14.

7. Religious fasting,-which is an abstinence from food for a season, so far as bodily weakness and infirmity will permit; and an abstinence from such bodily pleasures and delights as are lawful at other times; together with a ceasing from all worldly employments. This, however, is only designed to fit or to dispose the mind for spiritual and solemn exercises. Fasting is either public, or private, or secret.See Joel ii. 12, &c.; 1 Cor. vii. 5; Matt. vi. 17, 18.

8. Swearing by the name of God. This is to be observed by the people of God, when they devote themselves to him in a perpetual covenant, which shall not be forgotten; or when we are called to declare the truth upon oath.-Deut. vi. 13; Jer. iv. 2.

9. Vowing to the Lord. In all vows God is both a witness and a party; nay, he is the only party and the only witness, both in making and in performing them.—Psal. lxxvi. 11, and cxix. 106.

Obs. 201.-The Second Commandment requireth us to receive, to observe, and to keep pure and entire, all such religious worship and ordinances as are of Divine appointment.

1. It requires us to receive the worship and ordinances of God. We must approve of and embrace them, just because they bear the stamp of the highest possible authority.

2. It requires us to observe the worship and ordinances of

God. We must do what is required in them, make use of them, and attend on God in them. By this alone we can prove to ourselves and others, that we really approve of them.-John xiii. 17.

3. It requires us to keep the worship and ordinances of God pure. We must do what we can to preserve them from all mixture of human invention.

4. It requires us to keep the worship and ordinances of God entire. We must do what we can to prevent any thing from being taken from them.- Deut. xii. 32.

That the Second Commandment requires "the receiving, observing, and keeping pure and entire all such religious worship and ordinances as God hath appointed," is evident; for although it only forbids us to make and worship any graven image, yet this plainly implies, That God must be worshipped by some means: That it is a sin to worship God by graven images: That, consequently, it is a sin to worship God by any means which he hath not appointed: And, therefore, that it is a duty to worship God by the means which he hath appointed. These means being his ordinances, they must be received, observed, and kept pure and entire.

INFERENCES.

From this subject we learn,-1. That God alone is lord of the conscience; and that we are bound to observe his statutes alone. 2. That God knoweth what ordinances we observe in worshipping him. 3. That he will most highly resent a disregard to his express commands. 4. That every act of religious worship is appointed by God, and ought to be observed just as he commands. 5. That it is dangerous to invent and to introduce into the worship of God, any thing of man's imagination. 6. That in this, as well as in every thing else, the Word of God alone ought to be our guide. 7. That God is jealous, and cannot endure his ordinances to be despised.

Sins Forbidden.

The Second Commandment forbiddeth the worshipping of God by images, or any other way not appointed in his Word.

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ANALYSIS AND PROOFS.

We are here taught,—

1. That we are forbidden to worship God by images. Deut. iv. 15, 16.—“ Take ye, therefore, good heed unto yourselves (for ye saw no manner of similitude on the day that the Lord spake unto you in Horeb), lest ye corrupt yourselves, and make you a graven image."

2. That we are forbidden to worship God in any way not appointed in his Word. Deut. iv. 2.-"Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you."

EXPLANATION.

Obs. 202.-The Second Commandment forbiddeth the worshipping of God by images; or idolatry.

This includes the following things

1. The making of images or of the likeness of any thing for religious worship; such as images or likenesses of God himself, Father, Son, or Holy Ghost; or of the sun, moon, or stars in the heavens above; or of men, beasts, or trees, &c., in the earth beneath; or of fishes of any kind in the waters under the earth. See Lev. xxvi. 1; Isa. xl. 18; Acts xvii. 29; Rom. i. 22, 23.

2. The bowing down to graven images or to any likeness of any thing in the heavens, in the earth, or in the sea. To say (as some do) that bowing down to images is not serving them, is quite absurd; for how can any serve them more effectually than by such acts of religious worship, and by giving to them that honour which belongs to God alone?

The reason why idolatry is prohibited, is, because it levels at the very existence of God, and tends to deprive him of his prerogative as God, and to set up others in his place.

The reason why man is so prone to idolatry, is, because he has naturally a desire to set the object of worship before his eyes, that he may see what he worships. This is, indeed, an evidence of man's depravity; for when the mind cannot fix itself upon an unseen God revealing himself in his Word, it shows the want of spirituality of mind, the want of fervency of devotion, and the want of faith in the soul.-See Exod. xxxii. 1, &c.; John iv. 24. Moreover, if images could help our devotion, then the work of the Spirit, who helpeth our

infirmities and maketh intercession within us, would be unnecessary.

But here it may be asked, If images are forbidden, why do we find that the images of the cherubim were placed first in the tabernacle and then in the temple? To this we answer, that there is a very great difference between the cherubim of old and images in the present day. The cherubim were appointed by Jehovah himself; which images by no means are. The cherubim were placed in the most holy place, into which none but the high priest was permitted to enter, and that but once a-year; and being a part of the ceremonial law, they were in time to be abolished; and they are now completely abolished.

The following things are connected with idolatry, and forbidden in this commandment.

1. The framing of any representation of God in the mind; which is accompanied by the worst of circumstances.-See Rom. i. 21, &c.

2. The representation and worship of saints in glory; for, however changed, and however glorious they may be, they are but creatures; and, consequently, cannot be the objects of divine worship. Moreover, this is plainly forbidden in Scripture; and representations of them can by no means be formed.

Obs. 203.-The Second Commandment forbiddeth the worshipping of God in any way not appointed in his Word.

Of this all those are guilty, who are not pleased with what God hath revealed on this subject, but presumptuously annex their own superstitious inventions to the institutions of divine appointment; pretending that they are very significant ceremonies, and highly calculated to beautify God's worship, and to excite devotion in his worshippers. By these, however, they have, in a great measure, rendered it carnal and sensible-far from that spiritual worship which God requires.-John iv. 24. Some of the superstitious inventions alluded to are these:-a great variety of officebearers, of which there is no mention at all in Scripture ; kneeling at the sacrament of the Lord's Supper; the erection of altars in churches; and the institution and observation of a variety of days, to which a religious veneration is paid; and particularly those days called Lent, the observation of which is not only contrary to reason and Scripture, but

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