M. What is the rule of life which he has given us? S. His law.: JM. What does it contain? S. It consists of two parts; the former of which contains four commandments, the latter six. Thus the whole law consists of ten commandments in all. M. Who is the author of this division? S. God himself, who delivered it to Moses written on two tables, and afterwards declared that it was reduced into ten sentences. (Exod. xxiv. 12; xxxii. 15; xxxiv. 1; Deut. iv.
13. x. 4) M. What is the subject of the first table? S. The offices of piety towards God. - M. Of the second?
S. How we are to act towards men, and what we owe them. M. Repeat the first commandment or head.
S. Hear, O Israel, I am Jehovah thy God, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage: thou shalt have no other gods before me.
M. Now explain the meaning of the words.
S. At first he makes a kind of preface to the whole law. For when he calls himself Jehovah, he claims right and authority to command. Then in order to procure favour for his law, he adds, that he is our God. These words have the same force as if he had called himself our Preserver. Now. as he bestows this favour upon us, it is meet that we should in our turn show ourselves to be an obedient people.
M. But does not what he immediately subjoins, as to deliverance and breaking the yoke of Egyptian bondage, apply specially to the people of Israel, and to them alone?
S. I admit this as to the act itself, but there is another kind of deliverance which applies equally to all men. For he has delivered us all from the spiritual bondage of sin, and the tyranny of the devil.
M. Why does he mention that matter in à preface to his law?
S. To remind us that we will be guilty of the greatest ingratitude if we do not devote ourselves entirely to obedience to him.
M. And what does he require under this first head?
S. That we maintain his honour entire and for himself alone, not transferring any part of it elsewhere.
JM. What is the honour peculiar to him which it is unlawful to transfer elsewhere?
S. To adore him, to put our confidence in him, to call upon him, in short to pay him all the deference suitable to his majesty.
M. Why is the clause added, Before my face?”
S. As nothing is so hidden as to escape him, and he is the discerner and judge of secret thoughts, it means that he requires not the honour of outward affection merely, but true heartfelt piety.
M. Let us pass to the second head.
S. Thou shalt not sculpture to thyself the image, or form any of those things which are either in heaven above or on the earth beneath, or in the waters under the earth. “Thou shalt not adore nor serve them.
M. Does it entirely prohibit us from sculpturing or painting any resemblance?
S. No; it only forbids us to make any resemblances for the sake of representing or worshipping God.
M. Why is it unlawful to represent God by a visible shape?
S. Because there is no resemblance between him who is an eternal Spirit and incomprehensible, and a corporeal, corruptible, and lifeless figure. (Deut. iv. 15; Acts xvii. 29; Rom. 1. 23.)
M. You think then that an insult is offered to his majesty when he is represented in this way?
S. Such 1s my belief.
M. What kind of worship is here condemned?
S. When we turn to a statue or image intending to pray, we prostrate ourselves before it: when we pay honour to it by the bending of our knees, or other signs, as if God were there representing himself to us.
JM. We are not to understand then that simply any kind of picture or sculpture is condemned by these words. We are only prohibited from making images for the purpose of seeking or worshipping God in them, or which is the same thing, for the purpose of worshipping them in honour of God, or abusing, them in any way to superstition and idolatry.
S. True.. M. Now to what end shall we refer this head?
S. As under the former head he declared that he alone should be worshipped and served, so he now shows what is the correct form of worship, that he may call us off from all superstition, and other vicious and carnal fictions.
M. Let us proceed.
S. He adds the sanction that he is Jehovah our God, a strong and jealous God, who avengeth the iniquity of the fathers upon the children of them who hate him, even to the third and fourth generation.