5. Nor doth it follow, that because God is every where, therefore a Creature may be worshipped without Idolatry. Some of the Heathens who acknowledged Gods Omnipresence, abused it to the countenancing Idolatry; because God was resident in every thing, they thought every thing might be Worshipped; and some have used it as an Argument against this Doctrine; the best Doctrines may by mens corruption be drawn out into unreasonable and pernicious conclusions. Have you not met with any, That from the Doctrine of Gods Free Mercy, and our Saviours satisfactory Death, have drawn Poison to feed their Lusts, and consume their Souls? a Poison composed by their own corruption, and not offered by those Truths. The Apostle intimates to us, that some did, or at least were ready to be more lavish in sinning, because God was abundant in Grace1; Shall we continue in Sin, that Grace may abound? when he prevents an Objection that he thought might be made by some: But as to this Case; since tho' God be present in every thing, yet every thing retains its nature, distinct from the Nature of God; therefore it is not to have a Worship due to the Excellency of God: As long as any thing remains a Creature, 'tis only to have the respect from us, which is due to it in the rank of Creatures. When a Prince is present with his Guard, or if he should go Arm in Arm with a Peasant, is therefore the Veneration and Honour due to the Prince, to be paid to the Peasant, or any of his Guard? would the Presence of the Prince excuse it, or would it not rather aggravate it? he acknowledged such a person equal to me, by giving him my Rights, even in my Sight. Tho' God dwelt in the Temple, would not the Israelites have been accounted guilty of Idolatry, had they Worshipped the Images of the Cherubims, or the Ark, or the Altar, as objects of Worship, which were erected only as means for his Service? Is there not as much reason to think God was as Essentially present in the Temple, as in Heaven; since the same Expressions are used of the one and the other? the Sanctuary is called the Glorious High Throne*; and he is said to dwell between the Cherubims†, i. e. the two Cherubims that were at the two ends of the Mercy Seat, appointed by God as the two sides of his Throne in the Sanctuary, Exod. 25.18. where he was to dwell, ver. 8. and meet and commune with his people, ver. 22.
5. Nor doth it follow, that because God is every where, therefore a Creature may be worshipt without Idolatry. Some of the Heathens who acknowledged Gods Omnipresence, abus'd it to the countenancing Idolatry; because God was resident in every thing, they thought every thing might be Worshipped; and some have usd it as an Argument against this Doctrine; the best Doctrines may by mens corruption be drawn out into unreasonable and pernicious conclusions. Have you not met with any, That from the Doctrine of Gods Free Mercy, and our Saviours satisfactory Death, have drawn Poyson to feed their Lusts, and consume their Souls? a Poyson compos'd by their own corruption, and not offer'd by those Truths. The Apostle intimates to us, that some did, or at least were ready to be more lavish in sinning, because God was abundant in Grace1; Shall we continue in Sin, that Grace may abound? when he prevents an Objection that he thought might be made by some: But as to this Case; since tho' God be present in every thing, yet every thing retains its nature, distinct from the Nature of God; therefore it is not to have a Worship due to the Excellency of God: As long as any thing remains a Creature, 'tis only to have the respect from us, which is due to it in the rank of Creatures. When a Prince is present with his Guard, or if he should go Arm in Arm with a Peasant, is therefore the Veneration and Honor due to the Prince, to be paid to the Peasant, or any of his Guard? would the Presence of the Prince excuse it, or would it not rather aggravate it? he acknowledged such a person equal to me, by giving him my Rights, even in my Sight. Tho' God dwelt in the Temple, would not the Israelites have been accounted guilty of Idolatry, had they Worshipped the Images of the Cherubims, or the Ark, or the Altar, as objects of Worship, which were erected only as means for his Service? Is there not as much reason to think God was as Essentially present in the Temple, as in Heaven; since the same Expressions are used of the one and the other? the Sanctuary is called the Glorious High Throne*; and he is said to dwell between the Cherubims†, i. e. the two Cherubims that were at the two ends of the Mercy Seat, appointed by God as the two sides of his Throne in the Sanctuary, Exod. 25.18. where he was to dwell, ver. 8. and meet and commune with his people, ver. 22.
- 1Rom. 6.1, 2.15 Shall we Sin, because we are not under the Law but under Grace.
- *Jer. 17.13.
- †Psal. 80.1.
