On the First Commandment.

503. What mean these words, I am the Lord thy God? By these words God, as it were, points himself out to man, and so commands him to know the Lord his God.

504. What particular duties may we deduce from the commandment to know God? 1. We must seek to learn the knowledge of God , as being the most essential of all knowledge. 2. We must listen attentively to instructions on God and on his works in church, and to religious conversations on the same at home. 3. We must read or hear read books of instruction in the knowledge of God; and in the first place, holy Scripture; secondly, the writings of the holy Fathers.

505. What are we taught in the words, Thou shalt have none other gods but me? We are taught to turn and cleave to the one true God, or, in other words, devoutly to worship him.

506. What duties are there which refer to the inward worship of God? 1. To believe in God. 2. To walk before God; that is, to be ever mindful of him, and in all things to walk circumspectly, because he seeth not only our actions, but even our most secret thoughts. 3. To fear God, or stand in awe of him; that is, to think the anger of our heavenly Father the greatest ill that can befall us, and therefore strive not to offend him. 4. To trust in God. 5. To love God. 6. To obey God; that is, to be ever ready to do what he commands, and not to murmur when he deals with us otherwise than we could desire. 7. To adore God, as the Supreme Being. 8. To glorify God, as being all-perfect. 9. To give thanks to God, as our Creator, Provident Sustainer, and Saviour. 10. To call upon God, as our all-good and almighty helper, in every good work which we undertake.

507. What duties are there which refer to the outward worship of God? 1. To confess God; that is, to acknowledge that he is our God, and not deny him, although for confessing him we may have to suffer, or even die. 2. To take part in the public divine service enjoined by God and appointed by the Orthodox Church.

508. In order the more exactly to understand and keep the first commandment, we must know farther what sins there may be against it. 1. Atheism; when men, whom the Psalmist justly calls fools, wishing to rid themselves of the fear of God's judgment, say in their heart, There is no God. Psalm xiv. 1 . 2. Polytheism; when, instead of the one true God, men acknowledge a number of false deities. 3. Infidelity; when men, who admit the existence of God, disbelieve his providence and his revelation. 4. Heresy; when people mix with the doctrine of the faith opinions contrary to divine truth. 5. Schism; that is, willful departure from the unity of divine worship, and from the Orthodox Catholic Church of God. 6. Apostasy; when any deny the true faith from fear of man, or for worldly advantage. 7. Despair; when men give up all hope of obtaining from God grace and salvation. 8. Sorcery; when men, leaving faith in the power of God, put their trust in secret and, for the most part, evil powers of creatures, especially of evil spirits, and seek to work by their means. 9. Superstition; when men put faith in any common thing as if it had divine power, and trust in it instead of trusting in God, or fear it instead of fearing God; as, for instance, when they put faith in an old book, and think they can be saved by none other, and must not use a new one, though the new book contain the very same doctrine, and the very same form of divine service. 10. Sloth , in respect of learning religion, or in respect of prayer, and the public service of God. 11. Love of the creature more than of God. 12. M en-pleasing; when they seek to please men, so as for this to be careless of pleasing God. 13. Trusting in man; when any one trusts in his own means and strength, or in the means and strength of others, and not in the mercy and help of God,

509. Why must we think that men-pleasing and trusting in man are against the first commandment? Because the man, whom we please, or in whom we trust, so as to forget God, is in some sort to us another god , in place of the true God.

510. How does holy Scripture speak of men-pleasing? The Apostle Paul says: For if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ. Gal. i. 10 .

511. How does holy Scripture speak of trusting in man? Thus saith the Lord: Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord. Jer. xvii. 5.

512. In order to succeed the better in fulfilling his duties to God, how must a man act by himself? He must deny himself. Whosoever will come after me , says Jesus Christ, let him deny himself. Mark viii. 34 .

513. What is it to deny one's self? Basil the Great explains it thus: He denies himself who puts off the old man with his deeds, which is corrupt, according to the deceitful lusts; who renounces also all worldly affections, which can hinder his intention of godliness. Perfect self-denial consists in this, that he cease to have any affection even for life itself, and bear the judgment of death in himself, that he may not trust in himself. (Can. Long. Resp. 8.)

514. What consolation is there for him who, by denying himself, loses many natural gratifications? The consolation of grace: a divine consolation, which even sufferings themselves can not impair. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ. 2 Cor. i. 5 .

515. If the first commandment teaches us to worship religiously God alone, how does it agree with this commandment to honor angels and holy men? To pay them due and rightful honor is altogether agreeable to this commandment; because in them we honor the grace of God, which dwells and works in them, and through them seek help from God.