Catechism 7

Questions 42-52

CM

And so what is the first command?

No other gods but me.
What is taught by this first command?

To worship God only.

What about the second command?

An idol do not make.

What is taught by this next command?

Idolatry forsake.

Then what is in the third command?

God's name, treat it with care.

What does it teach, the third command?

God's name, word, works, revere. 

And what about the fourth command?
The Sabbath keep to me.
What is taught by the fourth command?
The Sabbath keep holy.

The Christian Sabbath's on what day
Each week it's the first day,
It's on a Sunday, the Lord's Day,
The Christian's Sabbath day.

Why do we call it the Lord's Day?
As Christ made it his own.
He rose up on that very day
(See rolled away the stone).

How should the Sabbath be observed?
Rest from work, prayer and praise, 
In hearing, reading from God’s Word,
Helping others always.

Psalm 127

CM
If help the Lord the house won't send,
The builders work in vain.
A town the Lord will not defend,
The guards stand watch in vain.

In vain the early morn you greet,
In vain you late hours keep,
You toil for food you love to eat;
His loved ones he grants sleep.

Your children are the Lord's gift, grand,
They're his reward, in truth.
Arrows held in a warrior's hand
Are children of one's youth.

The man whose quiver's full is blessed,
He will not be ashamed
When with his foes he fights for rest,
Where justice is obtained.

Psalm 93

CM
The Lord reigns, robed in majesty,
Robed, armed with strength, he is.
Established is the world, we see,
Firm and secure it is.

Your throne established long ago,
You're ever and always.
The seas they raise their voice, we know,
Their voice the seas they raise.

The seas have lifted up, they have,
O Lord, their waves that pound,
Might-i-er than the thunder of
Great waters all around.

Might-ier than breakers of the sea
Lord up above, mighty,
Your statutes fixed will ever be,
Always your house holy.

Psalm 110

St Matthew

The Lord to my Lord thus decrees,

‘Sit down at my right hand
Until I make your enemies
Your stool on which to stand.’

Your mighty sceptre from Zi’n’s hill

O Lord you will extend;
And in the midst of foes you will
Rule o’er them in the end.

Your troops upon your battle day

Will then so willing be.
In holy majesty’s array,
Dawn’s womb youth’s dew will see.

The Lord has sworn, his mind not checked,

‘You are a priest fore’er
In order of Melchizedek’,
The priestly office bear.

The day of wrath - kings will be crushed,

The Lord’s at your right hand.
In nations all he does what’s just,
The dead in heaps will stand.

The ruler of the earth he’ll slay.

He’ll drink, to water led,
Drink from a brook beside the way,
So he’ll lift up his head.

Psalm 121

CM
Up to the hills I lift my eyes -
From where will come my aid?
The Lord himself, my help, will rise,
He heav’n and earth has made.

He won’t allow your foot to slip -
The Watcher never sleeps.
No, Israel he will safely keep,
He slumbers not nor sleeps.

The Lord he watches o’er your way -
He shades you on the right.
The sun won’t cause you harm by day,
Nor will the moon by night.

The Lord no harm will let you know -
Your life he will watch o’er;
He’ll guard you as you come and go
Both now and evermore.

Psalm 122

CM
My heart rejoiced with those who said,
‘Let's go to God's house, all’.
Within Jerus'lem's gates we tread,
Our feet inside your wall.

Jerus'lem like a city rose,
In close, compacted ways.
That's where the tribes, God's tribes, give praise,
As Israel’s statute says.

The thrones of judgement there are set,
The thrones of David, true.
Pray that the place with peace be blessed,
Keep safe those who love you.

May there be peace your walls within
Your citadels know rest.
Now for the sake of kith and kin
 'With peace' I say 'be blessed'.

For God's own house, yes, for its sake,
Then your prosperity
Jerusalem, that will I seek,
Amen, so let it be.

Psalm 126

CM

When God brought captives back to Zi’n
Like those we were who dream.
Our mouths were filled with laughter fine,
Our tongues with songs did teem.

‘For them the Lord has done great things’
Was in the nations said.
For us the Lord has done great things,
And we are overjoyed.

O Lord our fortunes now restore,

Like streams the South that sweep.
Those who in tears sowed seed before,
With songs of joy will reap.

The one who weeps as he goes out,
The seed to sow they bear,
Will come again with joyful shout,
With them their sheaves they bear.

Psalm 133

CM

How good, how pleasant is the sight,

How wonderful to see,
When brothers make it their delight
To live in unity.

It’s like the precious oil that poured

Out on to Aaron’s head,
That running down onto his beard,
Upon his collar spread.

It is as if Mount Hermon’s dew
On Zion were to pour.
That’s where the Lord sends blessing to,

Ev'n life for evermore.

Psalm 146

CM

Praise God. Praise God, my soul, O praise,
I’ll praise God all my days.
Throughout my life I’ll sing his praise,
I'll sing his praise always.

In princes do not put your trust,
In men who'll save you not.
When they expire, they turn to dust,
Their every plan will rot.

If Jacob's God's your help, how blessed,
Your hope's in God, your God.
He made the earth, sky, sea, the rest,
He's faithful to the end.

He justly deals with those oppressed,
Feeds hungering ones, he's kind.
The Lord the prisoner has released,
The Lord he heals the blind.

The Lord exalts those who bow low,
The Lord loves righteous men,
Sustains the orphan and widow,
Protects the alien.

But as for wicked men, their ways
He will frustrate and thwart.
God reigns forever, endless days,
O Zion. Praise the Lord.

Psalm 56

My God, show mercy, I'm distressed,
By foes in hot pursuit;
They all day their attack have pressed.
They all day persecute.

Many attack me, in their pride,

Afraid, I trust in you,
In God whose word is to be praised.
I trust in God – fear through.

What can mere mortals do to me?

They twist my words all day;
Their schemes they all intend to be
My ruin, my decay.

They plot, they lurk, my steps they see,

They hope my life to take.
Wicked they are, don't set them free;
In wrath, God, nations break.

Record my misery; write what's found,

My tears list on your scroll.
Are all my cries not written down,
Yes, all my tears, the whole?

Then he'll turn back, my enemy,

When I call out for aid.
By this I'll know God is for me,
God's for me, whose word's praised.

In God, whose word I praise each day,
Your word I praise, Lord, true.
In God I trust, fear won't hold sway,
What can man to me do?

I'm under vows, my God, to you;

Thank-off'rings let there be
Giv'n to you, for you're the one who
From death has rescued me.

From stumbling you have freed my feet

That I may walk before,
Before you God and in the light
Of life for evermore.

Psalm 56

My God, show mercy, I'm distressed
By foes in hot pursuit;
They all day their attack have pressed.
They all day persecute.

Many attack me, in their pride,
Afraid, I'm trusting on,
On God whose word is to be praised.
I trust in God - fear's gone.

What can mere mortals do to me?
They twist my words all day;
Their schemes they all intend to be
My crumbling and decay.

They plot, they lurk, my steps they see,
They hope my life to take.
They're wicked, wrong, don't set them free;
In wrath, God, nations break.

Record my mis'ry; write what's found,
My tears list on your scroll.
Are all my cries not written down,
Yes, all my tears, the whole?

Then he'll turn back, my enemy,
When I call out for aid.
By this I'll know that God's for me,
God's for me, whose word's praised.

In God, whose word I praise each day,
Your word I praise, Lord, true.
In God I trust, fear won't hold sway,
What to me can they do?

I'm under vows, my God, to you;
Thank-off'rings let there be
Giv'n to you, for you're the one who
From death has rescued me.

From stumbling you have freed my feet
That I may walk before,
Before you God and in the light
Of life for evermore.

Psalm 55b

CM

If enemies my name abused,
Then that I could abide.
If foes it were against me raised,
From them I still could hide.

But it is you, a man like me,
My colleague, my close friend.
In sweetest fellowship were we,
We would God's house attend.

Let death my foes take and astound,
Let them alive relapse
Into the grave, for evil's found
With them its lodging place.

But I, the LORD who saves, address
At evening, morn and noon.
I cry to God in my distress,
And my voice he hears soon.

Unharmed, he ransoms me, sets free,
He saves me from my foes,
Saves from the battle against me,
Though many do oppose.

God, who is on his throne always,
Will hear them and afflict,
Men who will never change their ways,
Those who don't rev'rence God.

My companion attacks his friends,
His cov'nant keeps no more.
His speech as smooth as butter blends,
Yet in his heart is war.

His words, like oil, they soothe the pain
But drawn swords are they all.
Cast cares on the LORD; he'll sustain,
Won't let the righteous fall.

You'll bring down those with wicked ways
Bloodthirsty liars, too.
They won't live out half of their days,
But I will trust in you.

Psalm 55a

CM

O God, now listen, hear my prayer,
Do not ignore my plea;
My thoughts give pain, I'm in despair,
O hear and answer me.

Enemy voice and wicked stare
Bring suff'ring down on me.
In anger into me they tear,
How they're reviling me.

Within, my heart is troubling me,
Death's terror me assails.
Trembling and fear besetting me,
In horror, my heart fails.

I said, doves' wings, Oh give to me!
I long to fly away
And be at rest; I long to flee
And in the desert stay.

I'd hurry to my hiding place,
Far from the tempest's sound.
The wicked, Lord, confuse, disgrace -
Their every word confound.

In the city see vi'lence fight,
What strife that place befalls.
Both in the day and in the night
They prowl upon its walls.

Hatred, abuse, within abound,
Destructive forces work.
Threats and lies in the city found,
In every street they lurk.

Psalm 54

CM

O God, by your name, set me free
By your might, justify.
The words of my mouth heed, hear me,
O God, now hear my cry.

Strangers me are attacking hard;
My life they will not spare.
They're ruthless men, with no regard
For God; they do not care.

God is my help; the Lord, surely,
Who me sustains all through.
Let evil come back on those who slander me;
In faithfulness, destroy.

I'll give a freewill sacrifice,
An offering to you;
I will, O Lord, your great name praise,
For your name's good, it's true.

For me salvation he supplies,
Saves me from all my woes,
They've looked in triumph have my eyes
Upon my many foes.

Psalm 53

CM (St Agnews [Dykes])

The fool, he speaks to his own heart,
He says ‘There is no God.’
Their ways are vile, they are corrupt;
There’s no-one who does good.

God from his heaven looks down and scans
The sons of men to see
If there is one who understands
Or seeks to God to flee.

They’ve turned aside, yes, every one,
Corrupted they’ve become;
Those who do good - there now are none,
No, there’s not even one.

Will evil doers never learn? -
My people they’ve devoured,
As though they’re bread, there’s no concern,
They do not call on God.

There they were all in dread so great -
Where nothing was to dread.
Shamed there by God, for he did hate,
The raiders bones God spread.

From Zion may deliv’rance rise,
From God for Israel!
Jacob be glad, Isra’l rejoice
When God makes all things well.

Psalm 52

CM

You mighty man, why do you boast
Of sin; why boast all day?
You are a man who is disgraced
In God's own eyes today.

Your tongue, destruction it conceives;
It's like a razor keen,
Your mouth by practice, it deceives,
You love what is unclean.

You love what's evil not what's good,
Love lies, not staying true.
Yes, you adore each harmful word,
O tongue so vile, untrue!

God will arrange for your descent
To lasting ruin, damned.
He'll snatch and tear you from your tent,
Uproot you from the land.

The righteous they will see and fear;
“Here is the man who failed
To make,” they'll say, yes how they'll jeer,
“Make God his safe stronghold.”

“In his great wealth he trusted, he,
Grew strong destroying others!”
But I am like an olive tree
That blossoms in God's house.

I trust in God's unfailing grace
For ages yet to come.
Forevermore your name I'll praise
For all that you have done.

My hope I will in your name place
Because it's good, your name.
How I'll praise you before the face
Of saints you've freed from blame.

Psalm 51b

CM

From all my sins, O hide your face,
Blot out iniquity.
God, make a pure heart in its place,
Renew resolve in me.

Me from your presence do not send
Or your pure Spirit take.
A willing spirit to me lend,
Salvation’s joy rewake.

And then I will transgressors teach
Your ways that are so true,
Then sinners will turn back, changed each,
They will turn back to you.

O God from bloodguilt set me free,
The God who saves me, yes,
And then my tongue will singing be
About your righteousness.

O Lord, my lips unloose to sing,
Let my mouth speak your praise.
If you craved off'rings, these I'd bring;
You don't want lambs to blaze.

The sacrifices sought by God -
A broken soul that cries;
A bruised and broken heart, O God,
You never will despise.

In your good pleasure Zion make
To prosper and to grow;
O may Jerus'lem's walls not break,
Rebuilding may they know.

Then righteous sacrifice there'll be,
A whole burnt offering
To give delight to you, for see
To altars bulls we'll bring.

Psalm 51a

CM

O God, be merciful to me,
According to your grace;
According to your sympathy
Transgression’s stains efface.

Wash me from all iniquity,
Cleanse me from sin, I cry.
All my transgressions known to me,
My sin I can’t deny.

I’ve sinned against you, only you,
Done evil in your sight,
So when you speak, your words prove true
And when you judge, you’re right.

I’ve been a sinner from the start,
Conceived I was, in sin.
The truth you seek within the heart,
You wisdom teach within.

With hyssop cleanse and clean I’ll be;
Wash me more white than snow.
May joy and gladness come to me,
The bones you crushed bliss know.

From all my sins, O hide your face,
Blot out iniquity.
God, make a pure heart in its place,
Renew resolve in me.

Catechism 8

Questions 53-67

CM

And now what is the fifth command?
To honour mum and dad.
What is taught by the fifth command?
They must be loved, obeyed.

Then next, what is the sixth command?
It says you shall not kill.
What is taught by the sixth command?
Repent from all ill-will.

What is in the seventh command?
Adultery must not be.
What is taught by this next command?
Keep heart, word, deed, stain-free.

And then what is the eighth command?
It says you must not steal.
What is taught by the eighth command?
Don't take. Be honest, real.

And what is it, the ninth command?
False witness do not bear.
What is taught by the ninth command?
Speak truth and say what's fair.

Fin'lly, what is the tenth command?
Don't want what you don't have.
What is taught by the tenth command?
Be pleased with what you have.

*****************

Can any keep these ten commands?
No, none since Adam's fall.
None ever kept these ten commands
Or can - we're sinners all.

Of what use are the ten commands?
Our duty thus we know,
It's made clear that we are condemned,
Our need of Christ they show.

Does God declare all men condemned?
No, though he justly could.
See, a gracious cov'nant he made,
Many to save - how good!

Catechism 6

Questions 34-41
CM

At Sinai how many commands
Did God give? - There were ten.
What can we call these ten commands?
God’s moral law. Amen.

Now, in the first four what is taught?
Duty to God. And then,
As for the other six what's taught?
Duty to fellow men.

What would the sum of all ten be?
Love God with all I am,
My neighbour as myself. Who's he?
That's any fellow man.

With those who love him and obey
God's happy – can that be?
Oh yes it is. We've heard him say
'I love them that love me'.

Is God pleased if men don't obey
Or love him? What's it say?
No. 'With sinners' we've heard him say
'God's angry every day'.