The Substance of Christian Religion, Lecture 35
The thirty fifth Lords dayes.
Exod. 20. 4, 5, 6.
Verse 4. Thou shalt not make to thee any graven image, or the likenesse of any thing that is in heaven above, or in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.
5 Thou shalt not bow down thy self to them, nor worship them, nor serve them; for I the Lord am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, to the third and fourth generation of them that hate me.
6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
VVE have here the second Command, and the sanctification of it. It concerns the means of worshipping God. It is expressed by Negation and Distribution of means, and description of the use, that is wont to be exercised about such means: The Distribution is taken from the places of the means, Heaven, Earth, Waters. The Description is from the Adjunct of Adoration, or bowing down to them. The Sanction consists in a threatning and promise, the nature and ratifying power whereof is expounded from the nature of God, I am Iehovah, thy strong God. This command is distinguished from the former, in that there essential and natural worship of God was commanded; but here accidental and of free institution. And this instituted worship, as to the Negative par… is declared Synecdochically by an image; because by the abuse of images, this worship of God useth most to be violated.
Doct. 1. In such way, and by such means God is onelyonly to be worshipped, as he hath commanded himself to be worshipped by his word.
This is gathered from this Precept, in that by image is to be condemned all will worship, brought in by men; so that no other is approved, but that which himself hath prescribed. This Doctrine seems also to be clear in these words; Thou shalt not make unto thy self: that is, at thine own pleasure, and as thou likest best, thou shalt bring no worship to God. For although this phrase hath sometimes the sense, thou shalt not make any thing, so as to have it for thy self alone; yet both the short and comprehensive manner of speech in the Decalogue, and the matter it self that is here handled, perswade us; that it should be here taken in the former sense. This Doctrine is expressed, Exod. 23. 33. Deut. 12. last verse.
Reas. 1. Because God alone knows what is acceptable to him, and sutable to his nature and will.
Reas. 2. Because the whole blessing and fruit of our worship that we owe to God, depends on him: and it is not for us to prescribe to God, by what means he should work on us, or we blesse him.
Reas. 3. Because worship not commanded, hath not the nature of obedience in it. But it is Gods will and it belongs to his honour, that by obeying we worship him, and by worshipping we obey him.
Reas. 4. Because such is the vanity and futility of mens imaginations in things divine, that if it had been left to us, to choose unto our selves the means of divine worship, it would have been turned all into traditions and vain observations; as experience witnesseth, that the Devill by this way hath led away men into empty superstitio…s, almost through all the world.
Use 1. Is of Refutation against Papists, who have defiled all parts of Divine-worship, with their Willworship, traditions of mens devising, and their own ordinance.
Use 2. Is of Direction, that in worshipping God, we have a precise regard of Gods own holy Ordinances in the ministry of the Word, Sacraments, and Discipline; and on the other part, that we despise all humane devises, with how soever faire colour and pretence they may be commended to us.
Doct. 2. God is not to be worshipped, at, or before an Image.
For otherwayes Images in this place are not absolutely forbidden, because there is a civill, lawfull, use of some Images; but onelyonly the use of Images in Gods worship: Neither are such Images onelyonly forbidden in Gods worship, as are of counterfeit Gods, as Papists will have it; but also of the true God, Deut. 4 1…. Where Moses opposeth the voice of the true God, which the people had heard in the Mount, unto all Images of the same God, and not of other counterfeit gods. This was also said expresly to have been signified in the sin of the Israelites, about the Image that they made, Exod. 22. verse 6. that they would make a Calf for an Image, or representation of Iehovah: The distinction therefore between an Image and an Idoll, in which, and by the which Image God is served, hath no ground neither in writing, nor right reason, nor in common use of words. The grievousnesse of this sin every where appeareth, that in scripture it is commonly called Idolatry: For such as worship the true God at or before an Image, they do not altogether and professedly forsake the true God; and therefore do not commit that principal and essential Idolatry; yet are they guilty of secondary Idolatry, and that which is such indirectly, and by participation.
Reas. 1. Because in some sort, they make unto themselves another God besides the true God; to wit, such an one as will be represented by an Image, and worshipped there by us.
Reas. 2. Because they not onelyonly diminish that glory which they ought to give unto God, but they also refer a part of it either expresly, or implyedly unto the image, which is due unto God alone.
Reas. 3. Because also they honour in some sort with Divine honour the Authors of Images, while they grant them the power or authority of instituting divine worship, which belongs to God alone: and by that means also▪ they are said to worship the Devill himself, because he is the principal authour of Image worship. Hence it is that scripture useth to call this grievous sin by some special phrases; as when in the sanction of this commandment, it is called a hating of God, and in other places, treachery or perfidiousness, adultery and violation of the wedlock-covenant. Hence also it is, that so heavy a punishment is denounced against this sin, as is in the threatning laid down in this commandment, whereby it is said, that God will visit this iniquity on the Sons, Nephews and their Children again unto the the thrid and fourth generation.
Use 1. Is of Refutation against the Idolatry of Papists, who as they commit Idolatry against the first commandment, in praying to Angels and Saints departed, and the like; so here they commit secondary Idolatry, 1. In that they make Images of God the Father, Son and Holy-ghost; which is expressely forbidden. 2. In that they honour with divine worship these and other Images. 3. In that they make the worship it self Idolatrous, which they would offer to God, while by the intervention of an Image they thrust it upon God, against his own revealed will. And this amongst others, gives just and necessary cause to all the godly of making separation from the Church and worship of Papists: Because such a worship is abhominable to God, and ought to be in abhomination and detestation with all the godly.
Use 2. Is of Exhortation, as well for thanksgiving to God, that he hath delivered us from such Idolatry, as unto care and caution, that we communicate in no manner with such Idolatrous ordinances.
Doct. 3. Such Images are diligently to be shunned of us.
It is gathered from the manner of setting forth the command, whereby with such care and so precisely all and every sort of Images are forbidden: And this is it that thē Apostle Iohn means in 1 Epistle▪ chap. and last verse…
Reas. 1. Because such Images belong to that greatest abhomination, to wit, of Idolatry; from which all the godly ought to keep themselves very far.
Reas. 2. Because there is great danger in these humane inventions, least they should insensibly allure us unto an apostacy or defection from God; as is evident by the words of this precept, Thou shalt not bow thy self, neither worship, &c.
Reas. 3. Because by this means we should reprove Idolaters, and as much as in us lies, call them back from their Idolatry.
Use Is of Direction, that we alwayes have a care to be precise in this kinde, that so we may preserve unto our selves the worship of God pure and undefiled: Neither then are any Images of God to be admitted, nor any other Images for holy use, nor any thing of our devising, that hath analogy or proportion to an Image, as are all symbolike, or signifying ceremonies in divine worship introduced by men: And the instructing of rude and ignorant people hereby, is but of vain pretence, because Images are teachers of lies, Hab. 2. 9. Ier. 10 18.