Owen - Houston-Packer Collection BT300 .O9 1679

70 li;e Perfon of (!;rift tl;e great rJ\!prefentative . in~n.ite Wifdom and Goodnefs, is that which the Gofpe1, the Sp1nt and the Church do give Teil:imony unto. Amore glori– ous Effecr ofDivine T¥ijtlom and Goodnefs, a more illuil:ri– ous manifeil:ation of them, there never was, nor ever !hall be, than in the finding out and Conil:itution of this way of the Reprefentation of God unto us. The waies of men for the fame End were fo far from giving a nght R eprefentation of the Perfefrions of the Divine Nature, that they were all of. the~below, b~neath and unworthy ofour own. For in ~o thmg d1d the blmdnefs 1 darkhefs and folly of our Nature in its depraved condition ever fo exert and evidence them· felves,as in contrivingwaies for the Reprefentation of God unto us, that is in Idolatry the woril: and vilefl: of evils. So Pfo!. I I 5-4, 5, 6, 7, 8. .(fa. 44· Re·vel. I. I 9, 20. &c. T his _Pride and Folly ofmen, was that which loft all knowledg of God in the World, and all obedience unto him. The 1 en Com– mandments are but a tranfcript of the Light ~nd Law of Na,.. ture. The firfl: of thefe required that God, the only t!ue God, the Creator and Governour of all, .fhould be acknow· !edged, worihipped, believed in,and obeyed. And theS econcl was, that we fho uid not m11ke unto our [elves any Image or Reprefent ation of him. Whatever he would do himfelf , yet he il:rictly forbid that we fhould make any fuch un– to our [elves. And here began the Apoftacy ofthe World from God. They did not abiolutely rejecr him, and fo cafl: offthe firfi Fundamental Precept ot the Law of Nature. But they fubmitted not unto his Wifdom and Authority in the next, which was evidently educed fi·om it. T hey would make Images and Reprefentations of him unto themjdves. ~nd by -this Invention of their ovvn, they fi.rH clifoonourecl h1m, and them f orfook him, giving themfelves up unto the Ru le and Service of the Devil. Wherefore as the way that God in Infinite \Vifdom found out for the Reprefoutation of him– . . • ' fel f

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