I 2$ Chap. 22. An expofitios upon the TookofJ O r). Vert t,}, never offended. Thus the Lord would affure (inners, that his thoughts in patdoning finne are not as theirs. Anditis but need he fhould doe fo ; For when (inners begin to be awake- ned, they frame fach thoughts ofGod, as to pardon of fin, as they have in themfelves : when they looke upon their finnes as toobigg tobe pardoned by man, they conclude prefently the Lord cannot or will not pardon them. And as many under temptation, frame thoughts cif God like their own about the pardon of finne ; fo it is the confiant course of wicked men ( which is indeed the worft oftheir finnes) to frame thoughts ofGod like unto themfelves, while they commit and conti- nue in finne. Man should not dare to Imagine any thing of God in reference either to his justice or mercy, either about -thepunifhing or pardoning offinne , but what he harh ,decla- red of himielfe, all that we Imagine befide that, is the ma- kingofanother God. There are many falfe gods made with wens hands, but the hearts of men make many more. The heart ofman makes thoufands of falfe or ßrange gods. Every undue, every wrong Imagination of God, is the forming up ,ofaftrange, of a newgod. When we ascribe to God fach a kinde of power, fuch a kinde of knowledge, fach a kinde of holineffe, filch akinde of juftice, fuch a kinde of mercy, as is rcommon to thecreature, in all this we frame up a new god toour feives. And thus thofe Gentiles of whom the Apoftle fpeaks (Rom. t. 2i. &2S.) Became vain in their Imaginations, and their fooli%b heart rem darined ; in what was their foolish heart darkned,? in faife notions of God ; therefore they are laid (ver. 29.)tochange the glory ofthe Incorruptible Cod, intoan Imagemade lik. to Corruptible man,and to birds,fourefootedbeats, and creeping things. Now as there is the changingof the glory of the Incorruptible God into the Image of a Corruptible man, that is, into the External) Image of a Corruptible man, (for fame set up falle gods in the likenefTe of men; ) So there is a Changing of the glory of the Incorruptible God, into the Internall Image of a Corruptible man, that is, into filch thoughtsand Conceptions as are ordinarily in men. Let filch confider, that, if to make a worfhip ofour owne for the true 'God, be indeed to fet up a false god ; (all they worfhip false gods who fet up a ftrange worfhip for the trueGod, now, I fay,
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