COMMANDMENT II. Evan. Why as the first commandment teaches us to have the true God for our God, and none other; so the second commandment requires that we worship this true God alone, with true worship: and in this commandment likewise there is a negative part expressed in those words, "Thou shalt not make to thyself any graven image," &c. And an affirmative part included in these words, "But thou shalt worship me only and purely, according to my will revealed in my word." Neo. I pray you then, sir, begin with the, affirmative part, and tell us what are the means of God's worship prescribed in his word. Evan. If we look into the word of God, we shall find that the ordinary means and parts of God's worship, are invocations upon the name of God, ministry and hearing of the word of God, administration and receiving the sacraments, with all helps and furtherances to the right performances of the same. But to declare this more particularly,* first of all, prayer both public and private is required in God's word, as you may see, 1 Tim. 2: 8. Acts 2: 21, 22. Dan. 6:10. Secondly, Reading the word, or hearing it read, both publicly and privately, is required in God's word, as you may see, Rev. 1: 3. Deut. 5: 6. Thirdly, Preaching, and hearing of the word preached, is required in the word of God, as you may see, 2 Kings 4: 1. 1 Thess. 2: 13. Fourthly, The administration and receiving the sacrament is required in the word of God, as you may see, Matth. 3: 6. Matth. 26: 26. 1 Cor. 10: 16. Fifthly, Praising God in singing psalms, both publicly and privately, is required in the word of God, as you may see, Col. 3: 16. James 5: 13. Sixthly, Meditation on the word, is required in the word of God, as you may see, Psal. 1: 2. Acts 17: 11. Seventhly, Conference about the word, is required in the word of God, as you may see, Mal. 3: 16. And Lastly, For the better. fitting and stirring us up to the right performance of these duties, religious fastingt both in public and private, is required in the word of God, * Elton and Downham on the second Com. + Elton on the Com. p. 43. as you may see, Joel 1: 14. Joel 2: 15. And so also is a religious vow, or free promise made to God, to perform some outward work, or bodily exercise for some end, as you may see, Eccl. 5: 3, 4. And thus have I showed you what are the means of God's worship which he has prescribed in his word. Neo. I pray you, sir, then proceed to the negative part, and tell us what the Lord forbids in this commandment. Evan. Well then, I pray you understand, that in this commandment is forbidden neglecting of prayer, as you may see, Psal. 14: 4. And so also is absenting ourselves from the hearing of the word preached, or any other ordinance of God, when the Lord calls us thereunto, as you may see, Luke 14: 18, 19, 20. And so also is our rejecting the sacrament of baptism, as you may see, Luke 7: 30. And so also is our slighting the sacrament of the Lord's supper, as you may see, 2 Chron. 30: 10. And so also is the slighting and omitting any of the other fore-named duties, as you may see, Psal. 10: 4. John 3: 31. Isa. 22: 12, 13, 14. And so also is praying to saints and angels, as you may see, Isa. 63: 16. Rev. 19: 10. And so also is the making of images for religious uses, as you may see, Lev. 19: 4. And so also is the representing God by an image, as you may see, Exod. 32:8, 9. And so also is all carnal imaginations of God in his worship, as you may see, Acts 17:29. And so also is all will-worship, or the worshipping of God according to our own fancy, as you may see, 1 Sam. 9: 10,13. Col. 2:23. And thus have I showed unto you both what the Lord requireth, and what he forbiddeth in this commandment: and now, neighbor Nomolo. gista, I pray you tell me if you keep it perfectly. Nom. Yea, sir, I am persuaded that I go very near it. But I pray you, sir, tell me how do you prove that all these duties are required, and all these sins forbidden in this commandment. Evan. For the proof of this, I pray you consider, that the worshipping of false gods is flatly forbidden in the negative part of this commandment, in these words, "Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve, nor worship them," Exod. 20:5. And the worshipping of the true God, is implied and expressed in these words, Matth. 4: 10. "Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve." 1 Nom. But, sir, how do you prove that these duties which you have named, are parts of God's worship? Evan. For answer hereunto, I pray you consider,* that to worship God is to tender up that homage and respect that is due from a creature to a Creator; now, in prayer we are said to tender up this homage unto him, and to manifest our profession of dependance upon him for all the good we have, and acknowledge him to be author of all good; and indeed prayer is such a great part of God's worship, that sometimes in scripture it is put for the whole of it. "He that calls upon the name of the Lord, shall be saved," Rom. 10:13. That is, he that worships God aright. Jer. 10: 25. "Pour out thy wrath upon the heathen that know thee not, and on the families that call not upon thy name:" that do not pray, that do not worship God. And that hearing the word is a part of God's worship, is manifest, because that in hearing, we manifest our dependancy upon God, for knowing his mind, and the way to eternal life: every time we come to hear the word of God,‡ we do this much, we profess that we depend upon the Lord God for knowing his mind, and the way and rule to eternal life: and besides, herein also we come to wait upon God in the way of ordinance, to have that good conveyed to us which the ordinance itself cannot convey. This therefore is worship. And that receiving the sacrament is a part of God's worship, it is manifest, in that when we come to receive these holy signs and seals, we come to present ourselves before God, and come to God for a blessing in communica ting unto us some higher good, than possibly those creatures] are able of themselves to convey to us; we come to God to have communion with him, and that we might have the blessing of the covenant of grace conveyed unto us through these things; and therefore when we come to be exercised in them, we come to worship God. The like we might say of the rest of the duties before-mentioned, but I hope this will suffice to satisfy you, that they are parts of God's worship. * Borrough's Gospel-Worship, page 27. Ibid. Page 127. Nom. But sir, you know that in this commandment there is nothing expressly forbidden, but making and worshipping images, and therefore I question whether all those other sins that you have named be likewise forbidden. Evan. But you must know, that when the Lord condemns the chief or greatest and most evident kind of false worship, namely, the worship of God at, or by images, it is manifest that he forbids also the other kinds, seeing this is the head and fountain of all the rest: wherefore, whatsoever worships are instituted by men,* or do any way hinder God's true worship, are contrary to this commandment. Nom. Well, sir, though these things be so, yet, for all that, I am persuaded I go very near keeping this commandment; for I constantly perform most of these duties, and am not guilty of doing the contrary. Evan. But you must know, that for worshipping God aright, it is not only required that we do the good which he commands, and avoid the evil that he forbids; but also that we do it in obedience to God, to show that we acknowledge him alone to be the true God, who hath willed this worship to be thus done unto him: so that, as I told you before, the word of God must not only be the rule of our actions, but also the reason of them; we must do all things which are delivered and prescribed in the commandments,† even for the love we bear to God, and for the desire we have to worship him; for except we so do, we do them, not according to the sentence and prescript of the law, neither do we please God therein. Wherefore, though you have prayed and heard the "word of God, and received the sacrament, and done all the rest of the fore-named duties, yea, and though you have not done the contrary, yet if all this has been either because the laws of the kingdom require it, or in mere obedience to any superior, or to gain the praise or esteem of men, or if you have any way made yourself your highest end, you have not obeyed nor worshipped God therein: for, saith a judicious writer, "If any man shall observe these things in mere obedience to the king's laws, or thereby to please holy men, and not through an immediate reverence of that heavenly + Ibid. p. 528. * Ursin. Cat. page 540. ↑ Dr. Mayer in his Cat. page 193. Majesty who hath commanded them, that man's obedience is non-obedience: his keeping of these laws, is no keeping of them." Because the main thing here intended, is ne glected, which is the setting up God in his heart; and that which is most of all abhorred, is practised, viz. The “fear of God taught by the precepts of men," Isa. 29: 13. And to this purpose that worthy man of God, has this saying,** "Take heed, saith he, that the praises of men be not the highest end, thou aimest at; for if it be, thou worshippest men, thou dost make the praise of men thy god; for whatsoever thou dost lift up in the highest place, that is thy god, whatsoever it be: wherefore, if thou liftest up the praise of men, and makest that thy end, thou makest that thy god; and so thou art a worshipper of men but not a worshipper of God. Again, saith be, take heed of making self thy end. That is, take heed of aiming at thine own peace, and satisfying thine own conscience in the performance of duties. It is true, saith he, when we perform duties of God's worship, we may be encouraged thereunto by the expectations of good to ourselves, yet we must look higher, we must look at the honor and praise of God; it is not enough to do it merely to satisfy conscience; thy main end must be that thou mayest by the performance of the duty be fitted to honor the name of God, otherwise we do them not for God, but for ourselves, which the Lord condemneth, Zech. 7:5, 6. And now, neighbor Nomologista, I pray you let me ask you once again, whether you think you keep this commandment perfectly or no? Nom. No, believe me sir, I now begin to fear I do not. Evan. If you question it, I would intreat you to consider with yourself, whether you have not gone to the church on the Lord's day to hear the word of God, and to receive the sacrament, and do other duties, because the laws of the kingdom require it; or, because your parents, or masters have required it; or because it is a custom to do so; or because you conceive it to be a credit for you to do so. And I pray you also to consider, whether you have not abstained from worshipping images, and other such idolatrous and su * Mr. Borrough's Gospel Worship, page 72, |