11. A sense of our unworthiness and daily infirmities should excite us to walk humbly with God. This is enjoined as a necessary duty, Mic. vi. 8. and is called a being clothed with humility, 1 Pet. v. 5. Thus concerning the duties required in this Commandment.
That which may be farther observed is, that it is fitly placed before all the other Commandments, because it is, from the nature of the thing, necessary to our performing the duties which are required in them. The object of worship must first be known before we can apply ourselves, in a right manner, to perform any duty prescribed, whether respecting God or man.
It may be also farther considered, that it is not an easy matter to keep the Commandment, because of the spirituality and vast extent thereof, and the many graces that are to be exercised by those that would perform it aright; and therefore we ought earnestly to beg of God that our hearts may be set aright with him, and inclined and excited hereunto by him; which is a peculiar blessing to be desired and expected from the Holy Spirit. Thus the Psalmist says, Incline mine heart unto thy testimonies, Psal. cxix. 36.
Quest. CV., CVI.
Quest. CV. What are the sins forbidden in the first Commandment?
Answ. The sins forbidden in the first Commandment, are, Atheism, in denying, or not having a God; idolatry, in having, or worshipping more gods than one, or any with, or instead of the true God; the not having and avouching him for God, and our God; the omission or neglect of any thing due to him required in this Commandment, ignorance, forgetfulness, misapprehensions, false opinions, unworthy and wicked thoughts of him, bold and curious searching into his secrets, all profaneness, hatred of God, self-love, self-seeking, and all other inordinate and immoderate setting of our mind, will, or affections upon other things, and taking them off from him, in whole or in part; vain credulity, unbelief, heresy, misbelief, distrust, despair, incorrigibleness, insensibleness under judgments, hardness of heart, pride, presumption, carnal security, tempting of God, using unlawful means, and trusting in lawful means, carnal delights and joys; corrupt, blind, and indiscreet zeal, lukewarmness, and deadness in the things of God, estranging ourselves, and apostatizing from God, praying, or giving any religious worship to saints, angels, or any other creatures, all compacts, and consulting with the devil, and hearkening to his suggestions, making men the lords of our faith and conscience, slighting and despising God and his commandments, resisting and grieving of his Spirit, discontent, and impatience at his dispensations, charging him foolishly for the evils he inflicts on us, and ascribing the praise of any good we either are, have, or can do, to fortune, idols, ourselves, or any other creature.
Quest. CVI. What are we especially taught by these words (before me) in the first Commandment?
Answ. These words before me, or before my face, in the first Commandment, teach us, that God who seeth all things, takes special notice of, and is much displeased with the sin of having any other god; that so it may be an argument to dissuade from it, and to aggravate it, as a most impudent provocation, as also to persuade us to do, as in his sight, whatever we do in his service.
The sins forbidden in this Commandment may be reduced to two general heads, Atheism and Idolatry.
First, Atheism; whereby men are so far from taking God for their God, that they deny that there is a God; or, at least, that he is what he has revealed himself to be. Thus the wicked man, who is styled a fool, is represented as saying in his heart, There is no God. Psal. xiv. 1. This Atheism is either speculative or practical. The former of these is that which is seated in the minds and consciences of men; who are so far blinded, perverted, and deluded, as to think that there is no God. Though, indeed, there are very few among these who are so bold and profane as to deny this truth when they attend to the dictates of nature, or duly exercise those reasoning faculties with which God has endowed them; which, if they neglect to do, they must be reckoned but one remove from brutes. Some, indeed, are ready to wish that there were no God, or inclined to deny those divine perfections that are essential to him, cast contempt on his government, or, it may be, deny a providence; which is, in effect, to deny that there is a God. Though it must be observed, that none proceed to this degree of wickedness, till, by a long continuance in sin, they are given up to judicial hardness of heart, and blindness of mind, Rom. i. 28. Eph. iv. 17-20. And even these have been forced, at some times, to confess that there is a God, with whom is terrible majesty; when he has broken in on their consciences, and filled them with the dreadful apprehensions of his wrath, as a sin-revenging Judge. But where there is one speculative Atheist, there are a thousand practical ones, who live without God in the world; and these are described in this answer, as being guilty of those sins which none who duly consider his divine perfections would venture to commit.