Sum Of Commandment 1.
SUM OF COMMANDMENT 1.
Evan. In this first commandment, “The Lord requires the duty of our hearts or souls,” Prov. 23.26; that is to say, the duty of our understandings, wills, and affections, and their effects.
Neo. And what is the duty of our UNDERSTANDINGS?
Evan. The duty of our understandings is to know God, 1Chron. 16.8. Now the end of knowledge is but the fulness of persuasion, even a settled belief, which is called faith. So that the duty of our understandings is to know God in such a way, as to believe him to be according to what he has revealed of himself to us in his word and works, Rom. 1.20.
Neo. And how has the Lord revealed himself to us in his word?
Evan. Why, he has revealed himself to be “most wise,” Rom. 16.27; “most mighty,” Deu. 7.21; “most true,” Deu. 32.4; “most just,” Neh. 9.33; and “most merciful,” Psalm 145.8.
Neo. And how has he revealed himself to us in his works?
Evan. He has revealed himself in his works to be “the Creator of all things,” Exo. 20.11; and “the Preserver of all things,” Psalm 36.6; and “the Governor of all things,” Psalm 135.6; and “the Giver of every good gift,” James 1.17.
Neo. And how must our knowledge of God and our belief in him, be expressed by their EFFECTS?
Evan. We must express, that we know and believe God to be according to what he has revealed of himself in his word and works, by remembering and acknowledging him whenever there is an occasion for us so to do.
For example; when we read or hear those judgments that the Lord in his word has threatened to bring upon us for our sins, Deu. 28.16, we are to express that we remember and acknowledge him to be most mighty, true, and just, by fearing and trembling at it. Psalm 119.120; Hab. 3.16. And when we read or hear of blessings that the Lord in his word has promised to bestow on us for our obedience, Deu. 28.2, then we are to express that we remember and acknowledge him to be most true and merciful, by our obedience to him, and by trusting in him, and relying on him, Gen. 32.9. And when we behold the excellent frame of heaven and earth, and the creations contained in it, then we are to express that we remember and acknowledge the Lord to be the Creator and Maker of them all, by praising and magnifying his name, Psalm 95.6, and 139.14. And when the Lord actually inflicts any judgment on us, then we are to express that we remember and acknowledge him to be the Governor of all things, and most mighty, wise, and just, by humbling ourselves under his mighty hand, 1Pet. 5.6. And by judging ourselves worthy to be destroyed for our iniquities, Ezek. 36.31. And by bearing the punishment of it, Lev. 26.41, with willing, patient, contented submission to his will and pleasure, Psalm 39.9. And when the Lord actually bestows any blessing on us, then we are to express that we remember and acknowledge him to be the most merciful Giver of every good gift, by humbly acknowledging that we are unworthy of the least of his mercies, Gen. 32.10; and “in giving him thanks for all things,” 1Thess. 5.18. And thus I have shown you the duty of our understandings.
Neo. I beg you, sir, let us next hear what is the duty of our WILLS.
Evan. The duty of our wills is to choose the Lord alone for our portion. Psalm 16.5, and 119.57.
Neo. And how must we express that we have chosen the Lord for our portion?
Evan. “By loving him with all our hearts, with all our souls, and with all our might,” Deu. 6.5.
Neo. And how must we express that we thus LOVE the Lord?
Evan. We must express that we thus love the Lord by the acting of our other affections, such as our desire for most near communion with him, Philip. 1.23, and by delighting most in him, Psalm 37.4; and by rejoicing most in him, Philip. 4.4; and by fearing most to offend him. Mat. 10.28; and by sorrowing most for offending him, Luke 22.62; and by being most zealous against sin, and for the glory of God, Rev. 3.19. And thus I have shown you what the Lord requires in the affirmative part of this commandment.
Neo. I beg you, sir, proceed to the negative part, and show us what the Lord forbids in this commandment.
Evan. In this first commandment, what is forbidden is “ignorance of God,” Jer. 4.22; also unbelief, or doubting the truth of God’s word, Isa. 7.9. And also the lack of fearing the threatenings of God, Deu. 28.58, and fearing the threatenings of men either more, or as much as the threatenings of God, Isa. 51.12, 13; and also the lack of trusting or relying on the promises of God, Luke 12.29, and trusting or relying on ourselves, men’s promises, or any other thing, either more, or as much as we trust or rely on God, Jer. 17.5; Luke 12.20.
And also not acknowledging the hand of God during affliction, Isa. 26.11; and acknowledging that the rod can strike without the hand of God, Job 19.11; and also not humbling ourselves before the Lord, Daniel 5.22; and pride of heart. Pro 16.5. And also impatience and discontentedness under the chastising hand of God, Exo. 17.2; and not turning to him that strikes us, Isa. 9.13; and also our forgetfulness of God in not acknowledging his merciful and bountiful hand in providing us all good things in a time of prosperity, Psalm 78.11; Deu. 32.18; and also sacrificing to our own nets, Hab. 1.16, in ascribing the acquisition of our riches to our own care, pains, and diligence in our callings, Deu. 8.17; and also unthankfulness to the Lord for his mercies, Rom. 1.21; and also our lack of love to God, 1Cor. 16.22; and loving any creature either more than God, or equal with God, Mat. 10.37; and also our lack of desiring his presence. Job 21.14; and desiring the presence of any creature either more, or so much as God, Prov. 6.25; and also our lack of rejoicing in God, Deu. 28.47; and our rejoicing either more, or as much in anything as we do in God, Luke 10.20; and also our lack of fearing to offend God, Jer. 5.22; and fearing to offend any mortal man, either more, or as much as fearing to offend God, Prov. 29.25; and also our lack of sorrow and grief for offending God, 1Cor. 5.2; and our sorrowing more, or as much, for any worldly loss or cross, as for sinning against God, 1Thess. 4.13; and also our lack of zeal, or our lukewarmness in the cause of God and his truth, Rev. 3.16; and our corrupt, blind, and indiscreet zeal, Rom 10.2.
And thus I have shown you what the Lord requires, and what he forbids in this commandment. And now, neighbor Nomologista, I ask you to tell me whether you think you keep this commandment perfectly, or not?
Nom. Sir, before I tell you that, I ask you to tell me how you prove that the Lord in this commandment requires all these duties, and forbids all these sins.
Evan. First, I know that the Lord in this commandment requires all these duties, because no man can truly have the Lord for his God, unless he has chosen him for his portion; and no man can truly choose the Lord for his portion, before he truly knows him; and he that truly knows God, truly believes both his threatenings and his promises; and he that truly believes the Lord’s threatenings, must fear and tremble at them; and he that believes the Lord’s promises, must truly love him, for faith always produces and brings forth love; and whoever truly loves God, must desire near communion with him — yes, and rejoice in communion with him; yes, and fear to offend him; yes, and sorrow for offending him; yes, and be zealous for his glory.
Secondly, I know that all these sins are forbidden in this commandment, because whatever the mind, will, and affections of a man are set on, or carried after, either more, or as much as they are after God, that thing is another god to him. And therefore, if a man stands in fear of any creature, or fears the loss of any creature, either more than God, or equal with God, he makes that creature his god. And if he trusts to, and puts confidence in any creature, either more than God, or equal with God, that creature is his god; and hence the covetous man is called an idolater, Eph. 5.5; for he makes his gold his hope, and he says to the fine gold, “You are my confidence,” Job 31.24. And if any man is proud of any good thing that he has, and does not acknowledge God to be the free giver and bestower of it, or if he is impatient and discontented under the Lord’s correcting hand, he makes himself a god; and if a man so loves any creature that he desires it to be absent, or delights in it being present, either more than God, or equal with God, that creature is another god to him. And hence voluptuous men are said to make their belly their god, Phil. 3.19. In a word, whatever the mind of man is driven after, or his heart and affections are set upon, either more, or as much as they are upon God, that is what he makes his god. And therefore we may undoubtedly conclude, that all the sins mentioned before, are forbidden in this commandment.
Nom. Then believe me, sir, I must confess that I come far short of keeping this commandment perfectly.
Evan. Yes, and so do all of us, I am confident. For has not every one of us sometimes questioned in our hearts, whether there is a God or not? And as touching the knowledge of God, may not all three of us truly say with the apostle, 1Cor. 13.9, “We know in part?” And which of us has so feared and trembled at the threatenings of God, and at the shaking of his rod, as we should? No, have we not feared the frowns, threats, and power of some mortal man, more than the frowns, threats, and power of God? It is well if it has not appeared by our choosing to obey man rather than God. And which of us has so trusted and relied on the promises of God in time of need, as he should? No, have we not trusted in and relied on men and means, rather than on God? Has it not been manifested by our fearing poverty, and lack of outward things, when friends, trading, and means begin to fail us, even though God has said, “I will not fail you, nor forsake you?” Heb. 13.5. And which of us has so humbled ourselves under the chastening and correcting hand of God as we should? No, have we not rather expressed abundant pride by our impatience and discontentedness, and lack of submitting to the will of God; and by quarrelling and contending with his rod? And which of us has so acknowledged God in the time of prosperity, and been so thankful to him for his blessings, as we should? No, have we not rather at such times forgotten God, and sacrificed to our own nets, saying in our hearts, if not also with our mouths, “I may thank my own diligence, care, and pains-taking, or else it would not have been with me as it is?” And which of us has so manifested our love to God, by our desire for near communion with him in his ordinances, and by our desire to be dissolved and to be with him, as we should? No, have we not rather expressed our great lack of love to him, by our backwardness to prayer, reading, and hearing his word, and receiving the sacrament, and by our small delight in it, and by our unwillingness to die? No, have we not manifested our greater love for the world, by our greater desires after the profits, pleasures, and honours of the world, and by our greater delight in the world than in God? Or which of us has so manifested our love to God, by our sorrow and grief for offending him, as we should? No, have we not rather manifested our greater love to the world, by our sorrowing and grieving more for some worldly loss or cross, than for offending God by our sins? Or which of us have so manifested our love to God, by being so zealous for his glory as we should? No, have we not rather expressed greater love to ourselves, in being more hot and fiery in our own cause than in God’s cause? And thus I have endeavoured to satisfy your desires concerning the first commandment.
Neo. I beseech you, sir, proceed to do the same concerning the second commandment; and first tell us how the first and second commandments differ from one another.