A practical exposition of the X. Commandments with a resolution of several momentous questions…A practical exposition of the X. Commandements with a resolution of several momentous questions…

3. We shall clear it yet further, That the true God may be worshipped (by Idolaters) as they pretend, and yet in Gods account their worship is nothing but Idolatry committed with their Images.

We shall give four instances of this. The first is from Exodus 32. where it is clear, 1. That the image they set up was not it self acknowledged to be God, but as something to represent the true God, for 1. It cannot be thought their minds were so soon darkened as altogether to forget what God had done, and to imagine that the thing which was new made with hands was God, though they be charged with forgetting God, because they were practical forgetters of him, and their sin did speak it out indeed. 2. The image is called Jehovah that brought them out of Egypt, which was a mercy past before the Calf had a being, and therefore the reason why they gave it this name, must certainly be, because they aimed by it to represent Jehovah. 3. It is not likely that now they would have worshipped the gods of Egypt, or that they would have attributed their delivery from Egypt to them, seeing these gods were also plagued; also that Aaron should do so is incredible, who yet joined with them in this transgression. 4. Beside can it be thought, that so soon they thought it to be God, and yet so easily afterwards passed from it? certainly the words, That it may go before us, that is, not to Egypt, but Canaan, whether God called them, do clearly imply, that they looked on it only as a representation of Jehovah.

We shall give four instances of this. The first is from Exodus 32. where it is clear, 1. That the image they set up was not it self acknowledged to be God, but as something to represent the true God, for 1. It cannot be thought their minds were so soon darkened as altogether to forget what God had done, and to imagine that the thing which was new made with hands was God, though they be charged with forgetting God, because they were practical forgetters of him, and their sin did speak it out indeed. 2. The image is called Jehovah that brought them out of Egypt, which was a mercy past before the Calf had a being, and therefore the reason why they gave it this name, must certainly be, because they aimed by it to represent Jehovah. 3. It is not likely that now they would have worshipped the gods of Egypt, or that they would have attributed their delivery from Egypt to them, seeing these gods were also plagued; also that Aaron should do so is incredible, who yet joyned with them in this transgression. 4. Beside can it be thought, that so soon they thought it to be God, and yet so easily afterwards passed from it? certainly the words, That it may go before us, that is, not to Egypt, but Canaan, whether God called them, do clearly imply, that they looked on it only as a representation of Jehovah.