I. 11. Ill. An Expojition upon the The Second Commandment. ([:!Jou (!Jolt not make unto tbre anp l)'tabrn tmal)'e, Ol nnp Uhenrru of anp tbtttl)', UJbltb le In brubrn abobr, 01 tbat ie In t!Je rattb brnrntlJ, 01 tbat 1" In tbe UJntet unl!et t!Jr eortb. ttbou fiJalt not bollllloUJn tbv frtf to tbem, no1 rrrue tl)em: fo! 3! tbe ILO!ll tbr @ob nm a jealou!l. @on, \lffltlng tbe !111quttp of tbe fntbets upon tile cbilll!ett .unto tbr t!Jitll nno fomtb grnrrnttol~ of tbrm tbnt bote me : ann tl)etutnl)' mmp unto tbourauns of tbem tbat lobe me, ann keep mp commannments. I Dolatry is twofold; either Spiritml and Internal, refiding in the Affections and Difpofition of the Soul; 'which we are guilty of when we devote our fupreme Love, Fear, and dependante unto any created Being, which arc due only tmto the true and only God. And this Idolatry is forbidden in the firft" Commandment, as we have already fecn. pr elfe it is more Grofs and External, confilling in a vifible Adoration of any thing be fides God; who as he chJllengeth the Atfetl:ions of the Soul, fo requires alfo the Homage and Reverence of our Bodies, in thofe Services which we perform un~ to him. And this Idolatry is }Xlrticularly forbidden in this Second Commandment, which l have now read unto yon. In which we have thefe Three Parts. Firft, The Precept it fel f, which runs negatively, and is branched forth into two f~veral Prohibitions; bnt both tending to the fame end and effeCt:: The one forbid- ~mg Images to be made, 'Thou Jhalt not maJu to thee any graven lmagt, or any likmefs of a;ry thing; the other forbidding them to be worfhipcd, Thou fhalt not bow down thy {elf before them, nor ferve them. . Second~y.,_ Here is added a fevere Commination againft thofc that lhall prefumc to violate this Command, I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, 11ijiting the fins of the fathers ttpon the children, unto the third and fourth generation. '11!irdty, He:e islikewife for the incouragement of Obedience, the addition of a graciOllS Pronufe of Shewing mercyuntothoufandstharloveGod, and kup his commandments. I fha\1 begin with the Command, or Prohibition, which is twofold: Thou flultnot make Images; Thou 011lt not worfhip them. Not that the Carvers or Painters Art, but only the Peoples Idolatry; not the Ingenuity in making, but rhc Stupidity in worfhipin e; tho fe dumb Rcprefentations, is here forbidden. The brazen Serpent in the \\Tildernef<:, the Cherubims, and other Refemblances in the Temple, are a fufficient proof and evidence of this. The Prohibition therefore muft be interpreted according to the fubjett matter which is here fj 'oken of; :1nd that being only Divine Worfhip, it is "Plain th:1t it is not unlawful to reprefent to the eye any vifible thing by an artificial Image ofit; but only when God faith, Thou fu:1lt not make:, and, Thou fualt not worlliip; the meaning is, thou fhalrnot makc'any thing with an intention ofWorfhip; and thou fualtnot worfhip::my thing which thon or others have made. But concerning the Prohibition of this Command, I fhall fpeak more hereafter. Now for the more full and dear underftanding of this Precept, I muft defire you to recall to mind one ofthofcfeveralgeneral Rules which I formerly gave you, as helpful to infl:rutt you in the due Extellt and Latitude of the Commandments; and th:tt l-'vas, that the Negativ·e Commands do :1ll .of them in:Iude t~e Injunt!"ion ?f the con~ trary pofitive Duties; as when GOO forb1ds the takmg of h1s Name Ill vam, by con~ fequence he commands the hallowing and fanaifying of his Name; where he forbids Murther, he commands all lawful care and endeavour to preferve our own, and the life ofothers:, where in the JirftPrecept he forbids the owning and deavj ngunto any other God befides himfelf; he injoyns us to acknowledge him as our God; t? love, fear, and hope in him only: So here in this fecond Command, where he forb1ds the worfuipping of Images, by confcquence he requires to worfhip him according to the Rules which he hath prefcribed us. And therefore as under the firfl: Command is comprehended whatfoever appertains to the Internal Worlbip of God; founder this fecond is comprehended whatfoever appertains to the External and Vifiblc Worfhip ofGod. Now
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