252 75fî ARIAN INVITîf) TO ORTIIODOX FAITH. assume inferior characters, and transact inferior concerns in his own economicalkingdom, surely there is nothing in this which is absurd or unscriptural. It rather makes a divine grandeur run through all the transactions of God -with the children of men ; and there is no dishonour done to the sovereignty of God, by precludinghimself by his own counsels, and his own revelations, from exalting any were creature to be the object of religious worship. Now, that God has precluded all the mere created beings, even in the invisible world, from this honour, seems naturally to be inferred from the care and solicitude which God has shewn in the Old Testament as well as in the New, to prevent angels from receiving any religious worship from the children of men: And Doctor \Vaterland offers most ingenious and probable reá- sons for it. "Defence I.". query XVI. pages 231, 232. Sup- pose some exalted creatures could know, hear, and relieve our wants at any distance, suppose they were appointed tobear some ruleover us, and suppose we thought it proper to respect, wor- ship, and adore them accordingly " But God's thoughts are not our thoughts he has entered an express caveat-and prohibi- tion in the case. Possibly he may apprehend it to be more for his own glory, and more for our good, that our whole worship and service be paid to him than a part only. Possibly he may know, such is human infirmity, that if anypart, orkind or de- gree of religious worship, was permitted to be given to crea- tures, it might insensibly alienate our minds from the Creator; or eat out all our reverence and respect for God., Or, it may be, that while our acknowledgments are ordered to be paid to him, and to him alone, we may thereby be induced to live more in dependence on Win ; become more immediately united to him; and have the greater love and esteem for him. He will not, perhaps, leave his favours in the hands, or in the disposal of his creatures, lest we should forget whom we are principallyobliged to ; or lest we should imagine, that he is not always every where present, to hear our petitions and to answer them, according to bis own good pleasure: These, or a thousand better reasons, infinite wisdom may have, for appropriating all acts of religious worship to God. It is sufficient for us to know -that he lias done it : And of this, holy scripture has given abundant proof. Thus that learned author. Wheresoever angels appear in scripture, both under the Jewish and christian economy, you find them solicitous to forbid the worship of themselves, unless where the angel of the covet rant, or the angel of God's presence appeared, that is, the Mes. siah, in whom was the name of God, and whoassumed the titles of Jehovah and.theGod of Israel, whom we generally believe to be the Lord Jcaus Christ himself. Worshipping of angels
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