The True Christians T est, Part 2 · Meditation 39
MEDITAT. XXXIX Of the Blaſphemy and Sacriledge of Worldly Love.
A Third abominable thing that I think of, is Blaſphemy. To ſpeak evil of God, injuriouſly, reproachfully, of the Deity, may juſtly be accounted horrible amongſt the Servants of the true God; when it was judged abominable even by the Heathens, whoſe Gods themſelves were abominable. Paul's Companions had like to have been pull'd in pieces by the Zealous Epheſians, for diſparaging Diana: and the onelyonly way that the Town Clark could take to appeaſe the multitude, was to tell them whatſoever people ſaid of her, Diana was a very brave Goddeſs; and to deny that Paul's Companions were Blaſphemers of her: for he knew well enough that if ſuch a horrible thing as Blaſphemy were prov'd againſt them, the people would not have ſtay'd for any Judicial Sentence to be paſt upon them. Now, there is a Blaſphemy of the Heart as well as of the Tangue. So the Fool Blaſphemes, who ſays in his heart there is no God: and ſo do all they that either …ſcribe to God what he is not, as Ignorance or Injuſtice, or deny to him what he is, as Omniſcience and Omnipotence; or elſe aſcribe that to the Creature, which onelyonly and of right belongs to him. Thus every Idolater, who gives Divine Worſhip to a Creature, is a manifeſt Blaſphemer of God; and ſo are all Predominant Lovers of the World, who by the Predominant purſuit of the World, do declare they expect happineſs from the Creature, which is onelyonly to be found in God and in the enjoyment of him. It may ſeem harſh, when 'tis ſpoken in plain words, that every covetous, proud, and ſenſual Soul is a Bla…emer; but there is nothing truer nor ſcarce plainer. I do not ſpeak of any ſingle Act of Blaſphemy that theſe Worldlings are guilty of, but indeed they live in a conſtant and continued ſtrain of Blaſphemy. Is it not evident that all theſe Men ſeek Happineſs, Reſt, Satisfaction, in the great abundance of Worldly Things. It is obvious to every one, that they do inſatiably purſue them; there can be no cauſe of this aſſign'd, but that they fancy and promiſe to themſelves ſome ſatisfaction and happineſs in the enjoyment of them: And is not this plainly to aſcribe to the Creature, that felicitating and filling Vertue, which individually belongs to the Creator? Is it not to give the Glory and Eſſence and Incommunicable Attributes of God to another? Does not he diſparage a Fountain of Living Waters, who repairs to a broken Ciſtern, to quench his Thirſt? Does not he diſparage the nature of Bread, who paſſes it by, and ſeeks to fill his Belly with Husks? That which is a diſparagement to theſe, if it be committed againſt God, is Blaſphemy. He is the only Root and Center of Souls, and to take up in any thing below him, as an ultimate reſt and ſatisfaction, does highly diſhonour him, and plainly Blaſpheme him. How juſtly may it be anſwer'd to this Worldly Crew, at the laſt day, when finding their miſerable diſappointment, they ſhall ſeek to enter into everlaſting Reſt: I know you not, you have receiv'd your Conſolation, you have had your Reward; in your life time, you received your good things. Get ye to your Gods therefore of Gold, of Silver, and ſuch other Worldly Deities, to which all a long you Blaſphemouſly aſcrib'd a filling and ſatisfying Vertue.
The poor woman in the Goſpel, that had ſpent all her Living upon Phyſicians, and could get no Cure, was indeed after admitted to a touch of the Hem of the Garment of Jeſus, and healed. But they that ſpend all their Heart upon the World, ſeeking for reſt in the things that cannot afford it, ſhall not find it, when they come to ſeek it where it is. No, no, its juſt that they that blaſphemouſly make this World their God, ſhould be diſpos'd of with the God of this World.
The Fourth abominable thing that I think of, is Sacril…dge, or a Robbing of God. How abominable a thing this is, one may eaſily diſcern by thoſe Pathetical words of God himſelf, Mal. 3. 8. Where he asks as it were with wonderment: Will a Man rob God? It can ſcarce be thought that there ſhould be any ſuch bold Villany in the Nature of things. The Heathens accounted it a fearful thing to rob their god, who indeed poſſeſt nothing. Every body know how Prometheus was faſtned to Mount Caucaſus, and had a Vulture perpetually aſſign'd to feed upon his Liver, for defrauding Jupiter at a Feaſt, putting him off with Bones cover'd with Fat, when he got the beſt Morſels to his own Trencher, and ſtealing Fire from Heaven. Which Sacriledge Jupiter did ſo much ſtomach, as Lucian ſomewhere tells the ſtory, that he thought inſtead of being bound to Mount Caucaſus, he deſerv'd the whole Mountain to be thrown upon him, and inſtead of one Vulture, he deſerv'd ſixteen to torment him.
Are they eſteem'd to rob God, who with-held Tithes and Offerings from him; and ſhall not they be much rather ſo eſteem'd, who deny him their Hearts? Our hearts are due to God, he requires them, My Son give me thy heart; this is his great Commandment, Thou ſhalt love the Lord thy God with all thy Heart. The heart of man is moſt ſacred, the very Temple, the living Temple of the living God: and if it be accounted abominable Sacriledge, to ſteal holy Veſſels out of the Temple; what ſhall we call it, when we ſteal the Temple it ſelf? So do all they that with-hold their Hearts from God, and beſtow them upon the World.