Discourses upon the Existence and Attributes of God

1. 'Tis a vilifying God, an abuse of the highest good: Other sins subject the Creature and outward things to them; but acting in Religious services for self, subjects not only the highest concernments of mens Souls, but the Creator himself to the Creature: Nay, to make God contribute to that which is the pleasure of the Devil: A greater slight, than to cast the gifts of a Prince to a Herd of nasty Swine. It were more excusable to serve our selves of God upon the higher accounts, such that materially conduce to his glory; but it is an intolerable wrong, to make Him and his Ordinances Caterers for our own bellies, as they did^*: They sacrificed the [Greek or Hebrew] of which the Offerer might eat; not out of any reference to God, but love to their Gluttony; not to please him, but feast themselves. The Belly was truly made the God, when God was served only in order to the Belly: As though the blessed God had his Being, and his Ordinances were enjoined to pleasure their foolish and wanton Appetites: As though the Work of God were only to patronize unrighteous ends, and be as bad as themselves, and become a Pander to their corrupt affections.

1. 'Tis a vilifying God, an abuse of the highest good: Other sins subject the Creature and outward things to them; but acting in Religious services for self, subjects not only the highest concernments of mens Souls, but the Creator himself to the Creature: Nay, to make God contribute to that which is the pleasure of the Devil: A greater slight, than to cast the gifts of a Prince to a Herd of nasty Swine. It were more excusable to serve our selves of God upon the higher accounts, such that materially conduce to his glory; but it is an intolerable wrong, to make Him and his Ordinances Caterers for our own bellies, as they did^*: They sacrificed the 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 of which the Offerer might eat; not out of any reference to God, but love to their Gluttony; not to please him, but feast themselves. The Belly was truly made the God, when God was served only in order to the Belly: As though the blessed God had his Being, and his Ordinances were enjoyned to pleasure their foolish and wanton Appetites: As though the Work of God were only to patronize unrighteous ends, and be as bad as themselves, and become a Pander to their corrupt affections.