The Sinfulness of Evil Thoughts, Treatise · Chapter 7
CHAP. VII. Low Thoughts of God.
THE next failing towards God in having no Thoughts of him, is the having of Low and too mean Thoughts of him. This is the ſin charged on the Gentiles, who knew and acknowledged God, but did not glorifie him as God, nor were thankfull, but became Rom. 1. 21.vain in their imaginations, and their fooliſh heart was darkned. They did not riſe up high enough from their dry ſpeculations to a high admiration, and holy adoration of him, to glorifie him as God, as ſo Great, and Glorious a God? This is next door to Atheiſm to think contemptibly of God, It is almoſt all one to Deny, or to Debaſe the Deity. Princes hold them not onelyonly their enemies, who would depoſe them, but ſuch as will not give them their full and due titles, they refuſe their petitions if not preſented in due ſtyle and forme. Give unto the Lord the glory due to his name, ſaith the Pſalmiſt. The firſt thing required Pſal. 29. 2.in him that cometh to God is to beleeve that he is, and the ſecond to beleeve that he is a rewarder of ſuch as ſeeke him. That man ſhall Heb. 11. 6.obſcure and diſparage and unſun the ſun, who ſhall make it but like the leſſer ſtars, and he doth blaſpheme God (as Rabſhakeh) who ſhall think God like other creatures, or deities. To whom will ye liken me, Eſ. 40. 18. 25.ſaith God: To ſtrike awe into his people, and to whom am I equall? to ſtrike them into high and magnificent thoughts of him. I am firſt, and I am laſt, and beſides me there is no Saviour. The Lord is very Eſ. 44. 6. 8. & 45. 5.Jealous in this reſpect of his imperiall Glory and dignity. He will not give away of his Glory. As he ſaid, I will be aut Ceſar, Eſ. 42. 8.aut nullus, either Ceſar, or nothing, ſo the Lord ſaith, aut Deus, aut nullus; aut Deus optimus, maximus, aut nullus, Either I will be a great God or nothing. Be ſtill and Pſal. 46. 10.know, ſaith he, that I am God, I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. Am I not a great King ſaith the Lord? and ſhall not my name be great from the riſing of the ſun? Therefore curſed is that Mal. 1. 8. 11. 14.deceiver that hath in his flock a male, yet offereth to God a corrupt thing, any ſlight ſervice, That which is ſick and diſeaſed, that which is torn and diſtracted. Offer ſuch a ſorry preſent to thy Prince, will he accept it ſaith the Lord? much to this purpoſe in Malachi. As the higheſt honour the Holy Angels can give to God, is to glorifie him, by raiſing their thoughts ſo high, that God is raiſed to the higheſt in their admirations and Praiſes: And as in earth the higheſt honour, the holieſt Saint can put upon God, when his heart is elevated and raiſed to a higher exalting and lifting up of God, is in his thoughts; Thence the Church Ex. 15. 2. Pſal. 34. 3. 90. 5. 107. 32. Pſal. 30. 1. 145. 1. 66. 17. 69. 30.ſaith ſometimes, I will exalt him; Sometimes, I will Extoll him, Lift him up, Magnifie him; all which phraſes denote the Souls high thoughts of God, and raiſed affections towards him: So on the other ſide, the greateſt indignity and diſhonour we can put upon God, is to have low and ſordid thoughts of him. Therefore are the wicked brought in ſpeaking ſlightingly and diſdainfully of him. Who is the Almighty, that we ſhould know him, what profit is it to us Job 21. 15. and 22. 17.to call on him? Again, they ſay to God, Depart from us, for what can the Almighty do for us? How ſlightly do they ſpeak of God, Who is the Lord? And what can he do for us? So in Zephany. The Lord will neither do good, nor evill. Theſe men Zeph. 1. 11.are ſettled on their lees and dregs of impiety and irreligion; whereas it is the language of the Godly, Who is like unto thee O Lord? Who is like the God of Iſrael? And Ex. 15. 11. Pſal. 89. 8. Deut. 33. 26.hereby do the Godly know they have been ſpirituall in their duties, if they riſe up in the duty to, or depart from the duty with higher, more raiſed, admiring and exalting thoughts of God in their hearts, and more low and ſelf abaſing thoughts of themſelves.