Owen - BX9315 O81

THE NATURE A fear that this great fundamental principle of our religion, is,' ifnot disbelieved, yet not mach attended unto in the world. Many who profess a respect unto the divine Be- ing, and the worship thereof, seem to have little regard unto the person of the Son in all their religion. For although theymay admit of a customary interposition of his name in their religious worship; yet the same distinct veneration of him as of the Father, they seem not to understand, or to be exercised in. Howbeit all the acceptance of our persons and duties with God, de- pends on this one condition, That we honour the Son, even as wehonour the Father. To honour the Son as we ought to honour the Father, is that which makes us Christians, and which nothing else will so do. This honour ofthe person of Christ may be consider- ed in the duties of it, wherein it doth consist; and in the principle, life, or spring of those duties. The duties whereby we ascribe and express divine ho- nour unto Christ, may be reduced unto two heads. (I.) Adoration (2.) Invocation. 1st, Adoration " is theprostration ofsoul before him as God, in the acknowledgmentof his divine excellen- cies, and the ascription of them unto him." It is ex- pressed in the Old Testament by asnnwn, that is, hum- bly tobow down ourselves or our souls unto God. The LXX renders it constantly by ,reoo-xvvis'; which is the word used in the New Testament unto the same pur- pose. The Latins expressed it usually by adoro. And those words, though of other derivations, are of the same signification with that in the Hebrew; and they do all of them include some external signof inward re- verence, or a readiness thereunto. Hence is that expres- sion, " He bowed down his head and worshipped." See Psal.- xcv. 6. And these external signs are of two sorts. (1.) Such as are natural and occasional. (2.) Such as are solemn, stated, or instituted. Of the first sort are the lifting up of our eyes and hands towards heaven upon our thoughts of him; and sometimes the casting down of our whole persons before him, which deep thoughts with reverence will produce. Outward instituted signs of this internal adoration are all the ordinances of evangelical worship. In and by them do we solemnly profess and express our inward venera- tion of him Other ways may be invented to the same purpose, but the scripture knows them not, yea, con- demns them. Such are the veneration and adoration of 3 ND CAUSES OF IT. 49 ' the pretended images of him,'and of the host, as they call it; among the Papists. This adoration is due continually to the person of Christ, and that as in the exercise of the office ofmedia- tion. It is due unto him from the whole rational crea- tion of God. So is it given in charge unto the angels above. For when he brought the First-begotten into the world, he said vrgomov110.Úiacav hso-b uavcsç ayysr,os er=g, (that is mnnwnogtr s S5 sS " worship him, all ye gods" Psal. xcvii. 7.) 0° Let all the angels of God worship him," adore him, bow down before him, Heb. i. 6. See our exposition of that place; the design of the whole chapter being to express the divine honour that is due unto the person of Christ, with the grounds thereof. This is the command given also unto the church :, " He is thy Lord, and worship thou him," Psal xlv. I L- Aglorious representation hereof, whether in the church above, or in that militant here on the earth, is given us, Rev. v. 6-14. " And I beheld, and lo, in the midst of the throne, and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns, and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. And he came and took thebook out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne. And when he. had taken the book, the four beasts, and four and twen- ty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints. And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and bast redeem- ed us unto God by thy blood, out of every kindred; and tongue, and people, and nation; and hast made us unto our Goa kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angelsround about the throne, and the beasts, and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; saying, with a loud voice, Worthy-is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour and glory, and blessing. And every crea- ture which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, andsuch as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I, saying, Blessing, honour, glory, and power be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. And the four beasts N

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