Discourses upon the Existence and Attributes of God

Our blessed Saviour hath died to purge our Consciences from dead works and frames, that we may serve the living God^*; to serve God as a God of Life Davids Soul cried and fainted for God under this consideration^*: But to present our Bodies without our Spirits, is such a usage of God, that implies he is a dead Image, not worthy of any but a dead and heartless service: Like one of those Idols the Psalmist speaks of^*, that have eyes and see not, ears and hear not, no life in it: Though it be not an objective Idolatry, because the worship is directed to the true God; yet I may call it a subjective Idolatry, in regard of the frame, fit only to be presented to some senseless stock. We intimate God to be no better than an Idol, and to have no more knowledge of us and insight into us, than an Idol can have: If we did believe him to be the living God, we durst not come before him with services so unsuitable to him, and reproaches of him.

Our blessed Saviour hath died to purge our Consciences from dead works and frames, that we may serve the living God^*; to serve God as a God of Life Davids Soul cried and fainted for God under this consideration^*: But to present our Bodies without our Spirits, is such a usage of God, that implies he is a dead Image, not worthy of any but a dead and heartless service: Like one of those Idols the Psalmist speaks of^*, that have eyes and see not, ears and hear not, no life in it: Though it be not an objective Idolatry, because the worship is directed to the true God; yet I may call it a subjective Idolatry, in regard of the frame, fit only to be presented to some sensless stock. We intimate God to be no better than an Idol, and to have no more knowledge of us and insight into us, than an Idol can have: If we did believe him to be the living God, we durst not come before him with services so unsutable to him, and reproaches of him.