Q. 5.-Why was the law delivered amidst thunders and lightnings and earthquakes?

A. To teach us that the law in itself cannot give life, but that to us sinners, it is a ministry of condemnation, tending to fill us with terror, instead of giving us hope.

Q. 6.

Could the Israelites bear to hear God

speaking to them?

A.-No; they were afraid, and removed far off, and begged Moses to speak unto them instead of God, lest they should die. Exod. 20; 18, 19.

Q. 7.-What does this teach us?

A. It teaches us that being sinners, we cannot draw nigh to God, without a Mediator.

Q. 8. Does this first Commandment contain much of our duty?

A. Yes; this, as well as all the Command ments, is exceeding broad," and contains more than words can express, or the mind conceive. Q. 9.-How so?

A.-Because the "law is spiritual," extending not only to the outward actions but to the secret thoughts, and desires, and affections of the soul.

Q. 10. Tell me what this Commandment

forbids?

A.-It forbids in its plainest and most obvious sense, all atheism, and idolatry; and commands us to believe in, and to worship the one only and true God; forsaking all other Gods.

Q. 11. Is it sufficient to acknowledge our

faith in the one living God?

A.-No; the Commandment requires us to love him with all our heart, and all our mind, and all our souls, and all our strength;" and to worship, and fear and serve him as God.

Q. 12. Is it possible to be idolaters in God's eyes, whilst we profess before men to believe in the true God?

A. Yes; for God seeth the heart, man only sees the life and conduct; and therefore we may be idolaters in his sight, whilst in the opinion of our fellow creatures we are worshipping him in spitit and in truth.

Q, 13. When are we idolaters in the sight of God?

A.-Whenever we love any creature more than God, we make an idol of that creature, and so break this Commaudment.

Q. 14. Are we apt to make an idol of the creature?

A. Yes; exceedingly apt; for we all naturally love the creature more than the Creator, and hve without God in the world.

Q. 15.-And is it very sinful to take more pleasure in the creature than in God?

A. Yes; very sinful; for God is infinitely holy, and worthy of our highest love; and to love any thing more than we love God, shews great depravity of heart.

Q. 16.-How may we find out whether we love God with all our hearts ?

A. If we desire any thing more than his favour, or fear any thing more than his displeasure, or delight in any thing more than in his service, or are more zcalous for any thing than for his honor, we do not love him with all our hearts.

Q. 17. Then we must have broken this law very often?

A. Yes; very often every day and hour of our lives.

Q. 18. Then we cannot hope to be saved by our obedience to the law?

A-No; for the law condemns us, and shews that our transgressions against God have been innumerable,

Q. 19-Can no man, not even the holiest man plead that he is innocent ?

A.-No; not the holiest ; for if God were to enter into judgement with us, no man living could be justified in his sight.

Q. 20What effect should a consideration of these things produce on us?

A. It should lead us to repent of our sins, and to cast ourselves upon the mercy of God to us in Christ Jesus.

THE SECOND COMMANDMENT.

QUESTION 1.—Why, in explaining the Commandments, do you apply them to the thoughts and dispositions, as well as the actions?

ANSWER. Because Christ has so explained them; and the Apostle Paul expressly says, that The law is spiritual." Matt. 5. 21, 22, and Rom. 7. 14.

Q. 2.-What is the difference between this Commandment, and the first?

A. The first Commandment forbids us to worship any false God; this forbids us to worship the true God in a false way.

Q. 3.-When do we break this Commandment?

A. When we worship any pictures or images made with hands.

Q. 4. Is there any other way of breaking this Commandment?

A. Yes; we break it when we do not believe what the Scripture hath revealed about the nature of the true God.

Q. 5.-Explain this.

A. When men add to the Scriptural account of God, or take from it, they worship in fact an image made by their minds, and so bow down to a God of their own.

Q. 6. Mention a third way of breaking this Commandment?

A. We break it by worshipping God in a formal and thoughtless and irreverent manner. Q. 7.-How can this be included in the Commandment?

A. Because, by worshipping God thus, although we do not actually bow down to an image, yet we behave in the presence of the heart-searching God, as if he were an image.

Q. 8.—Are we often guilty of this sin?