CXLV expository sermons upon the whole 17th chapter of the Gospel according to St.…

As 1. Every man that will be saved must worship the true God and not the false: But without some knowledge this can never be; Why is the first and second Commandment so plain to have no other God but him, and to worship him in his way, and that he is a jealous God in this matter, like an Husband whose jealousy is his rage against his adulterous Wife; Why is all this but to show that of all sinners, an Idolater is sure to be excluded from the kingdom of heaven; Now the ignorant man worshippeth that which others do where he liveth, but whether it be God or an Idol that he understands not. The Athenians had an Altar dedicated To the unknown God, Act. 17.23. and Paul with much zeal doth reprove this their superstition and Idolatry, telling them they were out of the way to heaven, yea, the more devout and zealous a man is for that worship, he understandeth not, the more swift he runneth in the way to hell, so then where ignorance is, It's all one whether Christ or Mahomet be worshipped, whether an Image or the true God: So truly doth Seneca observe of the common people, Eunt qua itur, non qua eundem est, They do and go not whither they ought, but whither they see others before them, yea, by this means men come to worship the devil in stead of God, Oh terrible and heavy aggravation! Thou that thinkest thou dost worship God, yet by thy ignorance going on in Idolatry dost worship the ⟨p. 77⟩devils: Thus Jeroboam is said to set up calves to the devil, 2 Chron. 11.15. the people little thought so; and so those that would be at the Idolaters Feasts, they did partake of the cup of the Lord, and of devils, 1 Cor. 10. Now although it be true, that thou art brought up in that Religion where the true God is worshipped, yet this is all one to thee who hath no knowledge of God or Christ, for if it had been to Moloch, to Baal or Ashtaroth, had it been to Mahomet, or to Images and Idols in every high way, thou wouldst have done that as well as this, for any true knowledge or understanding thou hast, O pray then that God would give thee true knowledge. As it is thus for the generality of Gods worship, so in more special manner ignorance doth wholly overthrow prayer unto God, which is more necessary then food or raiment, and is a duty to be performed to God every day; Now saith the Apostle,