Q. 107. Which is the second commandment?
A. The second commandment is, Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; and showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.^[517]

Westminster Shorter Catechism

Q. 49. Which is the second commandment?
A. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.^[126]

Q. 106. What are we specially taught by these words before me in the first commandment?
A. These words before me or before my face, in the first commandment, teach us, that God, who seeth all things, taketh 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:^[515] as also to persuade us to do as in his sight, whatever we do in his service.^[516]

Westminster Shorter Catechism

Q. 48. What are we specially taught by these words before me in the first commandment?
A. These words before me in the first commandment teach us, that God, who seeth all things, taketh notice of, and is much displeased with, the sin of having any other God.^[125]

Q. 105. What are the sins forbidden in the first commandment?
A. The sins forbidden in the first commandment are, atheism, in denying or not having a God;^[469] idolatry, in having or worshipping more gods than one, or any with or instead of the true God;^[470] the not having and avouching him for God, and our God;^[471] the omission or neglect of anything due to him, required in this commandment;^[472] ignorance,^[473] forgetfulness,^[474] misapprehensions,^[475] false opinions,^[476] unworthy and wicked thoughts of him;^[477] bold and curious searching into his secrets;^[478] all profaneness,^[479] hatred of God;^[480] self-love,^[481] self-seeking,^[482] 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;^[483] vain credulity,^[484] unbelief,^[485] heresy,^[486] misbelief,^[487] distrust,^[488] despair,^[489] incorrigibleness,^[490] and insensibleness under judgments,^[491] hardness of heart,^[492] pride,^[493] presumption,^[494] carnal security,^[495] tempting of God;^[496] using unlawful means,^[497] and trusting in lawful means;^[498] carnal delights and joys;^[499] corrupt, blind, and indiscreet zeal;^[500] lukewarmness,^[501] and deadness in the things of God;^[502] estranging ourselves, and apostatizing from God;^[503] praying, or giving any religious worship, to saints, angels, or any other creatures;^[504] all compacts and consulting with the devil,^[505] and hearkening to his suggestions;^[506] making men the lords of our faith and conscience;^[507] slighting and despising God and his commands;^[508] resisting and grieving of his Spirit,^[509] discontent and impatience at his dispensations, charging him foolishly for the evils he inflicts on us;^[510] and ascribing the praise of any good we either are, have or can do, to fortune,^[511] idols,^[512] ourselves,^[513] or any other creature.^[514]

Westminster Shorter Catechism

Q. 47. What is forbidden in the first commandment?
A. The first commandment forbiddeth the denying,^[121] or not worshiping and glorifying, the true God as God,^[122] and our God;^[123] and the giving of that worship and glory to any other, which is due to him alone.^[124]

Q. 104. What are the duties required in the first commandment?
A. The duties required in the first commandment are, the knowing and acknowledging of God to be the only true God, and our God;^[446] and to worship and glorify him accordingly,^[447] by thinking,^[448] meditating,^[449] remembering,^[450] highly esteeming,^[451] honouring,^[452] adoring,^[453] choosing,^[454] loving,^[455] desiring,^[456] fearing of him;^[457] believing him;^[458] trusting,^[459] hoping,^[460] delighting,^[461] rejoicing in him;^[462] being zealous for him;^[463] calling upon him, giving all praise and thanks,^[464] and yielding all obedience and submission to him with the whole man;^[465] being careful in all things to please him,^[466] and sorrowful when in any thing he is offended;^[467] and walking humbly with him.^[468]

Westminster Shorter Catechism

Q. 46. What is required in the first commandment?
A. The first commandment requireth us to know and acknowledge God to be the only true God, and our God; and to worship and glorify him accordingly.^[120]

Q. 103. Which is the first commandment?
A. The first commandment is, Thou shall have no other gods before me.^[445]

Westminster Shorter Catechism

Q. 45. Which is the first commandment?
A. The first commandment is, Thou shalt have no other gods before me.^[119]

Q. 102. What is the sum of the four commandments which contain our duty to God?
A. The sum of the four commandments containing our duty to God is, to love the Lord our God with all our heart, and with all our soul, and with all our strength, and with all our mind.^[444]

Westminster Shorter Catechism

Q. 42. What is the sum of the ten commandments?
A. The sum of the ten commandments is, to love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our strength, and with all our mind; and our neighbor as ourselves.^[116]

Q. 44. What doth the preface to the ten commandments teach us?
A. The preface to the ten commandments teacheth us, that because God is the Lord, and our God, and Redeemer, therefore we are bound to keep all his commandments.^[118]

Q. 43. What is the preface to the ten commandments?
A. The preface to the ten commandments is in these words, I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.^[117]

Q. 101. What is the preface to the ten commandments?
A. The preface to the ten commandments is contained in these words, I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.^[436] Wherein God manifesteth his sovereignty, as being JEHOVAH, the eternal, immutable, and almighty God;^[437] having his being in and of himself,^[438] and giving being to all his words^[439] and works:^[440] and that he is a God in covenant, as with Israel of old, so with all his people;^[441] who, as he brought them out of their bondage in Egypt, so he delivereth us from our spiritual thraldom;^[442] and that therefore we are bound to take him for our God alone, and to keep all his commandments.^[443]

Q. 100. What special things are we to consider in the ten commandments?
A. We are to consider in the ten commandments, the preface, the substance of the commandments themselves, and several reasons annexed to some of them, the more to enforce them.

Q. 99. What rules are to be observed for the right understanding of the ten commandments?
A. For the right understanding of the ten commandments, these rules are to be observed:

1. That the law is perfect, and bindeth everyone to full conformity in the whole man unto the righteousness thereof, and unto entire obedience forever; so as to require the utmost perfection of every duty, and to forbid the least degree of every sin.^[422]

2. That it is spiritual, and so reacheth the understanding, will, affections, and all other powers of the soul; as well as words, works, and gestures.^[423]

3. That one and the same thing, in divers respects, is required or forbidden in several commandments.^[424]

4. That as, where a duty is commanded, the contrary sin is forbidden;^[425] and, where a sin is forbidden, the contrary duty is commanded:^[426] so, where a promise is annexed, the contrary threatening is included;^[427] and, where a threatening is annexed, the contrary promise is included.^[428]

5. That what God forbids, is at no time to be done;^[429] what he commands, is always our duty;^[430] and yet every particular duty is not to be done at all times.^[431]

6. That under one sin or duty, all of the same kind are forbidden or commanded; together with all the causes, means, occasions, and appearances thereof, and provocations thereunto.^[432]

7. That what is forbidden or commanded to ourselves, we are bound, according to our places to endeavour that it may be avoided or performed by others, according to the duty of their places.^[433]

8. That in what is commanded to others, we are bound, according to our places and callings, to be helpful to them;^[434] and to take heed of partaking with others in what is forbidden them.^[435]

Chapter 19: Of the Law of God

7: Neither are the forementioned uses of the law contrary to the grace of the Gospel, but do sweetly comply with it;^[385] the Spirit of Christ subduing and enabling the will of man to do that freely, and cheerfully, which the will of God, revealed in the law, requires to be done.^[386]

Q. 97. What special use is there of the moral law to the regenerate?
A. Although they that are regenerate, and believe in Christ, be delivered from the moral law as a covenant of works,^[414] so as thereby they are neither justified^[415] nor condemned;^[416] yet, besides the general uses thereof common to them with all men, it is of special use, to show them how much they are bound to Christ for his fulfilling it, and enduring the curse thereof in their stead, and for their good;^[417] and thereby to provoke them to more thankfulness,^[418] and to express the same in their greater care to conform themselves thereunto as the rule of their obedience.^[419]

Chapter 19: Of the Law of God

6: Although true believers be not under the law, as a covenant of works, to be thereby justified, or condemned;^[375] yet is it of great use to them, as well as to others; in that, as a rule of life informing them of the will of God, and their duty, it directs and binds them to walk accordingly;^[376] discovering also the sinful pollutions of their nature, hearts and lives;^[377] so as, examining themselves thereby, they may come to further conviction of, humiliation for, and hatred against sin,^[378] together with a clearer sight of the need they have of Christ, and the perfection of His obedience.^[379] It is likewise of use to the regenerate, to restrain their corruptions, in that it forbids sin:^[380] and the threatenings of it serve to show what even their sins deserve; and what afflictions, in this life, they may expect for them, although freed from the curse thereof threatened in the law.^[381]The promises of it, in like manner, show them God’s approbation of obedience,and what blessings they may expect upon the performance thereof:^[382] although not as due to them by the law as a covenant of works.^[383] So as, a man’s doing good, and refraining from evil, because the law encourages to the one and deters from the other, is no evidence of his being under the law: and not under grace.^[384]