Online Bible 1995 March/ROM-1025.iso/olb/gill/d_500.lzh/D_506.TXT

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506                                            OF THE OBJECT OF WORSHIP.                                                      Book I.

the name of God signifies \~sebasma\~, the object of wor-
ship, 2 Thess. ii. 4.
Secondly, God personally considered, or God con-
sidered in the three persons, is the object of worship.
The Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost, and these
three are one, are one God, and so equally the object
of divine worship.
1st, The Father, of whom Christ expressly says, that
men shall worship the Father, John iv. 21,23. and of
the propriety of this there can be no doubt, since his
Deity is not denied by any, and was it, they would
easily be confronted; he is expressly called God the
Father, Phil. ii. 11. and sometimes God even the Fa-
ther, ICor. xv. 9.4. 2 Cot. i. 3. all the perfections of
Deity are attributed to him, as immutability, eternity,
&c. and the works of creation, providence, and grace;
and he has undoubtedly a proper claim of worship from
his creatures, and accordingly worship is given to him,
and acts of it are exercised on him. Baptism, which
is a solemn act of religious worship under the New
Testament dispensation, is administered in his name;
and his name stands first in the form of it, baptizing in
the name of the Father, &c. which signifies not only
its being done by his authority aud command, but the
persons, by submission to it, devote themselves to him,
profess to be his, and lay themselves hereby under an
obligation to serve him; and because to do this in the
name of a creature would be idolatry and irreligion,
the apostle Paul was thankful that he had baptized no
more of the Corinthians than he had, when he found
they were for setting him up as the head of a party
among them, lest they should think they were baptized
in his name. Prayer is another part of divine and re-
ligious worship, which is made to the Father, and in-
deed is generally made to him; the access and address
are most frequently to him, not but that they ma
equally made to the other two persons, as will be
sently seen; but the reason why they are usually
to him is because he bears no office, whereas the others
do, and an office which is concerned in the business of
pray.er. Christ is the mediator through whom the ac-
cess is, and in whose name the petition is put up; and
the Spirit is the spirit of supplication, by whose aid and
assistance prayer is made: the whole of this may be
observed in ohe passage; for through Mm, through
Christ the mediator, we both, Jews and Gentiles, have
an access at the throne of grace by one spirit, who helps
arid assists us in our supplications unto the Father, the
Father of Christ and of us, Eph. ii. 18. see an instance
of a large prayer of the apostles to the Father of our
Lord Jesus Christ in Eph. iii. 14-21. and it is easy to
observe, that at the beginning of many of the epistles
such a prayer or wish is made, as Grace be toyou, and
peace from God our Father, as distinguished front the
Lord Jesus Christ; which is a petition for grace, an in-
crease of grace, and all necessary supplies of it, and for
all spiritual prosperity and happiuess. Thanksgiving,
auother act of religious worship, which is sometimes
included in prayer, and sometimes performed as a dis-
tinct part of worship, is made to the Father. Giving
thanks always .for all things for al! temporal and spiri-
tual blessings, unto God and the Father, the Father of
Christ and of us in him, in the name of our Lord Jesus

Christ, Eph. v. 20. Acts of faith, hope, and love, which
are acts of worship, are exercised on him; ye believe in
God, that is, in God the Father, John xiv. 1. who raised
Christ from the dead; that the faith and hope of saints
might be in God the Father, who raised him from thenc%
1 Pet. i. 21. and where those graces are love is, and is
exercised on the same object; and as the Father was
the object of Christ's love as man and mediator, so he
is the object of the love of those that believe in him,
John xiv. 31.
2dly, The Word, or Son of God, is also the object
of worship; he is thy Lord, and worship thou him, Psalm
xlv. 1 I. yea, he is to be worshipped with the same sort
of worship, and to be honoured with the same degree
of honour the Father is, John v. e3. for he is the Lord,
the Jehovah, thy God, as Thomas said, My Lord, and
all,God; the mighty God, the great God, God over
the true God and eternal life; who has the same
perfections his Father has; and the same works his Fa-
ther does are done by him, Col. ii. 9. John v. 19. and
therefore to be worshipped with the same worship, and
so he is. Baptism is administered in his name equally
as in the Father's, baptizing them in the name of the
Father, and of the Son, &c. and sometimes Iris name
only is mentioned, Acts x. 48. and xix. 5. Prayer, which
is an act of worship, is made to him; it is siid, prayer
shall be made for him continually; it may as well be ren-
dered, as some think, prayer shall be made to him con-
tinually, Psalm lxxii. 15. Invocation of his name, which
is a part of religious worship, is spoken of him; his
disciples and followers are sometimes described by those
that called upon his name, Acts ix. 14. 1 Cot. i. 2 and
be observed, that in the beginning of many
before referred to, the same prayer or wish for
grace and peace to the saints, is made to Christ as to
God the Father; Stephen, the proto-martyr, when ex-
piring,. c. alled upon God, saying, Lord Jesus, receive
my spirit, Acts vii. 59. to which may be added the
doxologies or ascriptions of glory, which are high acts
of worship, are sometimes made to Christ separately,
2 Pet. iii. 18. Jude 25. Rev. i. 5, 6. Also the acts of
faith, hope, and love, are exercised on him as on God
the Father; Fe believe in God the Father, says Christ,
believe also in me, John xiv. 1. Trust and confidence
are not to be put in a creature, for cursed be the man
that t"usteth in man, Jet. x,,'ii. 5. Christ is the object
of the hope and. love of his people, and as such is often
represented, 1 Tim. i. 1. 1 Pet. i. 8. in .whom they
hope for happiness, and who have an affectionate de-
votion for him. And it is easy to give instauces of
adoration which have been made unto him; thus he
was worshipped by Jacob, when he invnked him to
bless the sons of Joseph, saying, The angel which re-
deemed me from all evil bless the lads, Gen xlviii. 16.
By the angel cannot be meant God the Father, for he is
never called an angel; nor any created angel, whom
Jacob would never have invoked; but the uncreated
angel, Christ, the Angel of the covenant, his Redeemer
from all evil. He was also worshipped by Joshua,
who appeared to him, and made himself known to him
as the captain of the host of the Lord, who is the leader
and commander of the people, the captain of our salva-
tion; upon which notic% Joshua fell on his face to the