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Little children, keep yourselves from idols. 1 John v. 21. 2. All hypocrisy and formality in our devotions. This people (hypocrites) honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. Matt. xv. S. Mark vii. 6.

What does this Commandment require ?

1. It commands us "to worship" God in spirit and truth, with such holy dispositions as are produced by his Spirit, trusting in the merits and mediation of our Saviour Jesus Christ.

The Lord shall ye fear, and him shall ye worship. 2 Kings xvii. 36.

Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. 1 Chron. xvi. 29. Ps. xxix. 2.

Worship at his footstool, for he is holy. Ps. xcix. 5. 9.

Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. Matt. iv. 10.

The true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth. John iv. 23, 24.

If any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth. John ix. 31.

We are the circumcision, which worship God in the Spirit. Phil. iii. 3.

We have an example of an acceptable worshipper in The woman of Canaan. Matt. xv. 25.

Hannah, 1 Sam. i. 9. 19. Simeon, Luke ii. 25. Cornelius, Acts x. 1, 2.

Strive to imitate their fervency, and whenever you draw near to worship him, endeavour to feel his presence, for (Psalm cxxxix.) he sees and knows every thing. Try to get a sense of the greatness and number of your wants, and of the power and grace of Christ. Having thus suitable thoughts of God, worship him sincerely, with the most fervent affections, and profound reverence of his infinite majesty.

Every thing relating to the outward worship of God is implied; and we ought to make use of the most decent attitudes, both in public and private worship.

Jesus kneeled down and prayed. Luke xxii. 41.
Stephen kneeled down, and cried, &c. Acts vii. 60.
What does this Commandment further require of us?

2. "To give him thanks."

Offer unto God thanksgiving. Ps. 1. 14.

Be thankful unto him. Ps. c. 4.

Giving thanks always for all things. Eph. v. 20.

By prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, &c. Phil. iv. 6. And be ye thankful. Col. iii. 15.

Watch in the same (viz. prayer) with thanksgiving. Col. iv. 2.

The unthankful are the unholy. 2 Tim. iii. 2.

Offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually. Heb. xiii. 15. Bless God for your "creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all, for his inestimable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ;" and "show forth his praise not only with your lips, but in your lives."

3. "To call upon him."
Call upon his name. Ps. cv. 1.
Call ye upon him while he is near.
O sleeper, arise, call upon thy God.
Praying always with all prayer, &c.
A great many promises that our

are contained in the Scriptures.

Isa. lv. 6.
Jon. i. 6.
Eph. vi. 18.
prayers shall be heard

Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer. Isa. lviii. 9. Before they call I will answer. Isa. lxv. 24.

Call unto me, and I will answer thee. Jer. xxxiii. 3.

Ask, and it shall be given you. Matt. vii. 7.

Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Rom. x. 13.

Adopt David's determination.

I will call upon him as long as I live. Ps. cxvi. 2.

4. "To honour his holy word."

Thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name. Ps. cxxxviii, 2. Thy word is truth. John xvii. 17.

How are we to honour God's holy word?

By hearing it.

I will hear what God the Lord will speak. Ps. lxxxv. 8.
By reading it.

Search the Scriptures. John v. 39.

By meditating on it.

Thy word have I hid in my heart. Ps. cxix. 11.

That I might meditate in thy word. Ps. cxix. 148.

5. "To serve him truly all the days of our life."

Ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him. Deut. xiii. 4.

Serve him in sincerity and in truth-as for me and my house we will serve the Lord. Josh. xxiv. 14, 15.

Serve the Lord with all your heart, serve him in truth. 1 Sam. xii. 20. 24.

Serve him with a perfect heart, and with a willing mind. 1 Chron. xxviii. 9.

Serve the Lord with fear. Ps. ii. 11.

If any man serve me, him will my Father honour. John xii. 26. His servants shall serve him. Rev. xxii. 3.

How is this Commandment enforced?

1. God reminds us of his sovereignty-" I the Lord."

2. He mentions his right over us-"Thy God."

He is our God; and we are the people of his pasture. Ps. xcv. 6, 7.

Thy Maker is thy husband. Isa. liv. 5.

3. He professes himself "a jealous God," and as he will not give, neither will he suffer us to give, his praise to images.

The Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God. Exod. xxxiv. 14. Deut. iv. 24.

They provoked him to jealousy, and he abhorred them. Deut. Xxxii. 16-19.

If we have stretched out our hands to a strange God, shall not God search this out? Ps. xliv. 20, 21.

Idolaters are called haters of God, in the same way that a wife would be supposed to hate her husband, when she preferred any worthless stranger to him. And God declares, that he so hates idolatry, that he not only visits this sin on those that commit it, but upon their children to the third and fourth generation, by sending them poverty, and sickness, and other afflictions. And this is perfectly consistent with his justice: for as children are partakers of the temporal blessings which God frequently bestows on parents for their obedience to his commandments; it is but right that they should also be made to share in those temporal privations and afflictions which the disobedience of their parents has brought upon them. But God will by no means visit children with eternal punishment for any sins of their parents. Indeed, such corrections may eventually be blessings, by reminding them continually of the sins of their forefathers, and leading them to forsake them.

This may also be considered as an appeal to the compassion of parents, in order to prevent them from committing sin, by reminding them of the consequences they may thereby justly expect to bring upon their offspring.

God declared to Abram, that in the fourth generation his seed should come to Canaan again; for the iniquity of the Amorites was not yet full. Gen. xv. 16.

I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way, when he came up from Egypt, (Exod. xvii. 8-16,) now (viz. 450 years afterwards) Saul was ordered to go and smite Amalek. 1 Sam. xv. 2, 3.-See also Deut. xxv. 17-19.

God struck David's child with death for the father's sin. 2 Sam. xii. 14.

Vengeance on Ahab's family on account of their father's guilt, foretold by Elijah. 1 Kings xxi. 21, 22. 2 Kings ix. 7, 8.

The unthankful are the unholy. 2 Tim. iii. 2.

Offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually. Heb. xiii. 15. Bless God for your "creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all, for his inestimable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ;" and "show forth his praise not only with your lips, but in your lives."

3. "To call upon him." Call upon his name. Ps. cv. 1. Call ye upon him while he is near. O sleeper, arise, call upon thy God. Praying always with all prayer, &c. A great many promises that our are contained in the Scriptures.

Isa. lv. 6.
Jon. i. 6.
Eph. vi. 18.
prayers shall be heard

Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer. Isa. lviii. 9. Before they call I will answer. Isa. lxv. 24.

Call unto me, and I will answer thee. Jer. xxxiii. 3.

Ask, and it shall be given you. Matt. vii. 7.

Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Rom. x. 13.

Adopt David's determination.

I will call upon him as long as I live. Ps. cxvi. 2.

4. "To honour his holy word."

Thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name. Ps.cxxxviii, 2. Thy word is truth. John xvii. 17.

How are we to honour God's holy word?

By hearing it.

I will hear what God the Lord will speak. Ps. lxxxv. 8.

By reading it.

Search the Scriptures. John v. 39.

By meditating on it.

Thy word have I hid in my heart. Ps. cxix. 11.

That I might meditate in thy word. Ps. cxix. 148.

5. "To serve him truly all the days of our life."

Ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him. Deut. xiii. 4.

Serve him in sincerity and in truth-as for me and my house we will serve the Lord. Josh. xxiv. 14, 15.

Serve the Lord with all your heart, serve him in truth. 1 Sam. xii. 20. 24.

Serve him with a perfect heart, and with a willing mind. 1 Chron. xxviii. 9.

Serve the Lord with fear. Ps. ii. 11.

If any man serve me, him will my Father honour. John xii. 26. His servants shall serve him. Rev. xxii. 3.

How is this Commandment enforced?

1. God reminds us of his sovereignty-"I the Lord."

2. He mentions his right over us—“Thy God.”

He is our God; and we are the people of his pasture. Ps. Xcv. 6, 7.

Thy Maker is thy husband. Isa. liv. 5.

3. He professes himself "a jealous God," and as he will not give, neither will he suffer us to give, his praise to images.

The Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God. Exod. xxxiv. 14. Deut. iv. 24.

They provoked him to jealousy, and he abhorred them. Deut. Xxxii. 16-19.

If we have stretched out our hands to a strange God, shall not God search this out? Ps. xliv. 20, 21.

Idolaters are called haters of God, in the same way that a wife would be supposed to hate her husband, when she preferred any worthless stranger to him. And God declares, that he so hates idolatry, that he not only visits this sin on those that commit it, but upon their children to the third and fourth generation, by sending them poverty, and sickness, and other afflictions. And this is perfectly consistent with his justice: for as children are partakers of the temporal blessings which God frequently bestows on parents for their obedience to his commandments; it is but right that they should also be made to share in those temporal privations and afflictions which the disobedience of their parents has brought upon them. But God will by no means visit children with eternal punishment for any sins of their parents. Indeed, such corrections may eventually be blessings, by reminding them continually of the sins of their forefathers, and leading them to forsake them.

This may also be considered as an appeal to the compassion of parents, in order to prevent them from committing sin, by reminding them of the consequences they may thereby justly expect to bring upon their offspring.

God declared to Abram, that in the fourth generation his seed should come to Canaan again; for the iniquity of the Amorites was not yet full. Gen. xv. 16.

I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way, when he came up from Egypt, (Exod. xvii. 8-16,) now (viz. 450 years afterwards) Saul was ordered to go and smite Amalek. 1 Sam. xv. 2, 3.-See also Deut. xxv. 17-19.

God struck David's child with death for the father's sin. 2 Sam. xii. 14.

Vengeance on Ahab's family on account of their father's guilt, foretold by Elijah. 1 Kings xxi. 21, 22. 2 Kings ix. 7, 8.

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