Hopkins - HP BR75 .H65 1710

Second Commandment. mJgc, fo likewife did the more* learned Heathens, And for the ignorant and vulgar Papilts, lam very apt to li1fpeB: that they do, as the ignorant Hea,the~, terminate and limit their ~orfhip in the very Images before Wh1ch they full proftrate, eftecmmg them to. have Divine Power and Virtue of th~ir own. For thl:y are J]loft groOy blinded and infatuated in this their Image-worlhlp, and may '* 1{i; }jic1p.irrn':•Tl!:rf.,fr Gviid,!ft~~ ~~d·~:~;:. ' as well take a Stone or a Block to be a God, as the great Dr!JgOn · to be a Saint; as the poor Woman did, who offered one Candle to St. Michacl, and another to his Dragon~ that is, the Devil. And therefore certainly if the HeJthen World were ever guilty of I do~ htry, fo is now the Popifh Church, their Worl)lip,andall the ReaCons of it being !o exactly parallel. Orit. Com. Ctlf.lib- 1· Where he like}'o·ife prove$, rhat it is lawful to make Images vf God. becaure according ro the Doa• rine of ChriA:ians t bemfelve~, God made Man according to hisoWh Image: The vety Ar ~ gument ~ll ~ged by the PJp i ll:~, and mJde ull! of by 1he fecond Council of Mu. i Efliemu ,Apo/, p~ut l!mdo!r, ' And thus much concerning the firft Branch of Superftition 1 which is IciOlatrf· The Second is Will-worfhip: Cnncerning this I !hall fj;eak but very little, having already prevented my felf. Now Will-worThip is nothing clfe but the it;tventing and afcribing any otheT Worlh,ip unto G<Xl, beftdes what he nath been pleafed to command and inllitute : God will not be worlhiped aceording to our fam;:ies,' but his own appointment: For as we mufr have no other God Qe.fides the true, fo that God muft ha,•eJlo other Service performed unto him, befides what himfelf hath req!lired and prefcribed; for this were to impute 'folly and wcaknefs unto him, as if indeed he would h~ve Servants, Put knew QOt what fervice to injoyn, them. And thuS 'fl.C ~1ave finifht tile :Prohibition) Thou Jlutlt ?Tot JJ'Mke 1mto thee a11y gr:wen Imagr, &c. Let us nqwcop{ider the Sa~B:ion of this Precept; and that is Twofold: . Firj/, By dej,~uncin~ a fevere and fearful Threatning ~gainft all thofe who Jhould I. prefume to vlOlate tlus Precept: For I the Lord thy God am a jcaloU6 God, vijiting the iniquity of the farhrrs ttpon the childrm, unto the third and fourth gcnerllltion of rhem thar hP-te me. Secondly, By rpak ing a grac ious Promife ofMercy to tl,te careful and confciencious JI. Ohfcrvcrs of tlus Precept : SheJVing mercy 11nto thoufands of them that Jovr mr, and keep my commandmmts. fn tl1e Thrcatnings we h:zvc thefe things confiderable: F~'rft, \Vho it is that dcnounceth it: I the Lord thy God. Secondly; Wh.1t it is that he denounceth and threatens: To vifir the iniquity· ~J ihe fathers 'Upon '*' children. Thirdly, The Perfons againft whom this Threatning is direB:ed: Tho,K that hate him. And by the Context they are fuch as contemning the only true God, ptoftitutc themfclv1 cs. unto· Idols. 1 ! . 2 . ' Fourthry1 " 'I;~c Duratiol\:;u>d Continua~ce of .that V~nge4~.ce which>. he3vill take 4 ., upon them , :"~lr foall be to the tEir(l and fowth.generation. Hts wra.tl;t lhall ext~Ji4tq the1r Clli1.4r~1 ..an<;J;fheirChildFensChildre~. , · .. r.;1 t.~,1 • · . Ji~fl, r,.~.~ ,j,{}onfider wl1o' it i• that denoun,ceth thts Thr~atntng; 1 fh;);.~d thy God am a je4lous1God: .So ,~ofi: r~d the 'fqrds, as our ,Eng/ijh Trantlatlon,;!it\nders them. ~t ot~ers ~o lefs nghtly read th,em thus: For I the lArd thy Ged ""' ]Iron• and jealo'ui, For the word: £1, which is here ufed, fignifies the mighty God. And aC.. <ording,to thij Acceptatiop, the words·<ontain in them a Defcription of ·~od • .•1U ' ' '·

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