Of
the Worship of God
By
John Gill
Edited
by Doktor Riktor Von Zhades
The
object of worship is the Lord God, God essentially and personally
considered.
First,
God essentially considered, or as considered in his nature and
essence, which is the foundation of worship. Many are the directions
and instructions given to "worship God", without specifying
any of the persons in the Deity particularly to be worshipped; (see
Revelations 14:7; 19:10; 22:9). The "Lord" is to be
worshipped; the Lord, who is the one Jehovah, and whose name alone is
Jehovah (See Deuteronomy 6:4; Psalm 83:18). The word "Lord"
in the New Testament answers to "Jehovah" in the Old, a
name expressive of the existence or being of God, and of him as the
fountain of being, and the author of being to all others; who is the
everlasting "I am, which is, and which was, and which is to
come"; these words of John are a proper deciphering of the word
"Jehovah", or the "I am that I am" in (See Exodus
3:14). Now he whose essence is simple, uncompounded, immutable,
infinite, eternal, &c. is to be worshipped, even the Lord "thy"
God, thy Creator, thy Benefactor, thy Supporter, and Preserver. Thus
the apostle describes the proper object of worship unknown to the
Athenians, as he who made the world, and all things in it; and gives
life, and breath, and all things to his creatures; and in whom they
live, move, and have their being (See Acts 17:23,25,28). Thus Jacob
invoked God, which to do is a part of religious worship, who had
"fed" him "all" his "life long to that day"
(See Genesis 48:15). David says, his prayer, which is a part of
worship, should be to the "God of his life", who had given
him life and upheld him in it (See Psalm 42:8), he who is the "true
God", the "living God", and the "everlasting
King", is the object of worship; the true God, in distinction
from nominal gods, from such who are falsely so called; the living
God, in distinction from idols of gold and silver, the work of men's
hands, lifeless statues, in whom there is no breath; but the true
God, and who is to be worshipped, has life in and of himself,
originally and underivatively, and is the fountain and giver of life
to others, and from everlasting to everlasting he is God. He is by
nature God; there are some who are not so, and therefore not to be
served and worshipped (See Galatians. 4:8), but God is a spirit, is
of a spiritual nature, and to be worshipped in spirit and in truth;
his nature is most perfect, has all perfections in it, though there
is no finding him out unto perfection; his nature is infinite and
incomprehensible, beyond all conception and thought, beyond all words
and expressions, exalted above all blessing and praise. The name of
God, the very first name by which he is called in scripture, "Elohim"
(See Genesis 1:1), implies worship, and that he is to be worshipped
who created the heavens and the earth, for it comes from a word which
signifies to worship. And to this the apostle seems to allude when he
says that Antichrist exalts himself "above that is called God",
or "that is worshipped", intimating that the name of God
signifies “sebasma” [that is to say] the object of worship (See 2
Thessalonians 2:4).
Secondly,
God personally considered, or God considered 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.
The
Father, of whom Christ expressly says, that men shall "worship
the Father" (See John 4:21,23), 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. 2:11), and sometimes "God even the
Father" (See 1 Corinthians 15:24; 2 Corinthians 1:3), 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 and
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 religious worship, which is made to the Father, and
indeed is generally made to him; the access and address are most
frequently to him, not but that they may be equally made to the other
two persons, as will be presently 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 prayer. Christ is
the mediator through whom the access 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 one passage; for "through him", through Christ
the mediator, "we both", Jews and Gentiles, "have an
access" at the throne of grace "by one spirit", who
helps and assists us in our supplications "unto the Father",
the Father of Christ and of us (See Ephesians 2:18), see an instance
of a large prayer of the apostles to the Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ in (See Ephesians 3:14-21), 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 to you, and peace from God our Father", as
distinguished from the Lord Jesus Christ; which is a petition for
grace, an increase of grace, and all necessary supplies of it, and
for all spiritual prosperity and happiness. Thanksgiving, another act
of religious worship, which is sometimes included in prayer, and
sometimes performed as a distinct part of worship, is made to the
Father. "Giving thanks always for all things" for all
temporal and spiritual blessings, "unto God and the Father",
the Father of Christ and of us in him, "in the name of our Lord
Jesus Christ" (See Ephesians 5:20). 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 (See John 14:1), who
raised Christ from the dead; that "the faith and hope" of
saints "might be in God" the Father, who raised him from
thence (See 1 Peter 1:21), 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 (See John 14:31).
The
Word, or Son of God, is also the object of worship; "he is thy
Lord, and worship thou him" (See Psalm 45:11), yea, he is to be
worshipped with the same sort of worship, and to be honored with the
same degree of honour the Father is (See John 5:23), for he is the
Lord, the Jehovah, thy God, as Thomas said, "My Lord, and my
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 Father does are done by him (See Colossians 2:9; John
5:19), 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 his name only is mentioned (See Acts 10:48;
19:5). Prayer, which is an act of worship, is made to him; it is
said, "prayer shall be made for him continually"; it may as
well be rendered, as some think, "prayer shall be made to him
continually" (See Psalm 72:15). 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" (See Acts 9:14; 1 Corinthians 1:2) and it may be observed,
that in the beginning of many epistles 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 expiring,
called upon God, saying, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit"
(See Acts 7:59), to which may be added the doxologies or ascriptions
of glory, which are high acts of worship, are sometimes made to
Christ separately (See 2 Peter 3:18; Jude 1:25; Revelation 1:5,6).
Also the acts of faith, hope, and love, are exercised on him as on
God the Father; "Ye believe in God" the Father, says
Christ, "believe also in me" (See John 14:1). Trust and
confidence are not to be put in a creature, for "cursed be the
man that trusteth in man" (See Jeremiah 17:5). Christ is the
object of the hope and love of his people, and as such is often
represented (See 1 Timothy 1:1; 1 Peter 1:8), in whom they hope for
happiness, and who have an affectionate devotion for him. And it is
easy to give instances of adoration which have been made unto him;
thus he was worshipped by Jacob, when he invoked him to bless the
sons of Joseph, saying, "The angel which redeemed me from all
evil bless the lads" (See Genesis 48:16). 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
salvation"; upon which notice, "Joshua fell on his face to
the earth, and did worship", for which he was not reproved, nay,
encouraged, yea was further ordered to "loose his shoe from off
his foot", for it is said "the place whereon thou standest
is holy, and Joshua did so"; which was never ordered to be done,
but where God himself was, whose presence gave a relative holiness to
the place where he appeared (See Joshua 5:13-15). Christ was also
worshipped by the wise men who came from the east to seek him and see
him; and so by others in the days of his flesh, and by his disciples
when he parted from them and went up to heaven; yea he has been
worshipped not only by men but by angels, and that by a divine order,
"Let all the angels of God worship him" (See Hebrews 1:6).
The first begotten; the same with the only begotten Son of God, who
is God; or otherwise it would be a piece of idolatry to worship him;
and we have an instance of many angels with others paying their
adoration to him (See Revelation 5:12,13).
The
Holy Spirit is also the object of worship equally with the Father and
the Son. He is with them the one God. He is possessed of all divine
perfections, such as eternity, omniscience, omnipresence, &c. he
was concerned in creation, and is in the government of the world, and
in the operations of grace (See Psalm 33:6; Isaiah 40:13,14; 1
Corinthians 12:4-11), and so worthy of worship, and it is given unto
him. Baptism is administered in his name, equally as in the name of
the Father and of the Son (See Matthew 28:19). Prayer is made unto
him; not only is he the Spirit of grace and of supplication, and who
helps the saints under their infirmities in prayer, but he is prayed
unto; "the Lord", that is, the Lord the Spirit, "direct
your hearts", &c. where all the three persons are mentioned
as distinct (See 2 Thessalonians 3:5), so grace and peace, as they
are wished and prayed for from God and Christ, so "from the
Seven Spirits which are before the throne"; by which are meant
the one Spirit of God so called, because of the fullness of divine
perfections in him, and because of the perfection of his gifts and
graces (See Revelation 1:4,5). Moreover his graces wrought in the
saints, as they come from him, they are exercised on him, as faith,
trust, and an holy confidence in him, that he who has begun the good
work in them will finish it; and there is also the love of the
Spirit, a cordial love of him, and a carefulness not to grieve him by
whom they are sealed unto the day of redemption.
God
only is the object of worship, to the exclusion of all others.
First,
all idols of whatsoever kind are excluded, not only images of things
in heaven or in earth, or in the sea, and the idols of gold and
silver, the work of men's hands, forbidden by the second command; but
also the idols set up in a man's heart, to which such respect is paid
as is due to God only; of such may be read in Ezekiel 14:4 and which
God promises to cleanse his people from by his Spirit and grace (See Ezekiel 36:25), and which when converted they declare they will
have no more to do with, in the manner they have, who before
conversion served divers lusts and pleasures (See Hosea 14:8; Titus
3:3), and these perhaps are the idols the apostle John warns the
children of God to keep themselves from (See 1 John 5:21). The idol
the worldling is enamored with, and in which he places his trust and
confidence, is gold and silver; hence covetousness is called
idolatry, and such a man is said to be an idolater (See Ephesians
5:5; Colossians 3:5), nor can the true God and this idol mammon be
served and worshipped by the same (See Matthew 6:24). The epicure, or
voluptuous person, his god is his belly, which he serves, and in
which he places all his happiness, and cannot be said to serve the
Lord and worship him (See Philippians 3:19; Romans 16:18). The
self-righteous man makes an idol of his righteousness, he sets it up
and endeavors to make it stand, and to establish it, and then falls
down to it and worships it, putting his trust and confidence in it
(See Luke 18:9).
Secondly,
every creature in the heavens, or on the earth, are excluded from
divine worship. As the sun, moon, and stars; these seem to be the
first objects of worship among the idolatrous heathens; and indeed
when men departed from the true God what could they think of to place
in his room but those glorious creatures so visible to them, from
whom they received light and heat, and many blessings? hence the
Israelites were cautioned against lifting up their eyes unto them,
and gazing on them, lest they should be ensnared into the worship of
them (See Deuteronomy 4:19. The next objects of idolatrous worship
were men, heroes and mighty kings, famous for their exploits; these
are the gods many and the lords many, the Baalim often spoken of in
scripture, as Baalpeor, Baalberith, &c. Neither good nor bad men
are to be worshipped; when an attempt was made to sacrifice to the
apostles, they rejected it with the greatest vehemence and abhorrence
(Acts 14:1-28), and it is the height of iniquity and blasphemy in
Antichrist to suffer himself to be worshipped, yea, to command it;
and a damnable sin in his followers to do it (See Revelation
13:4,8,15; 14:9-11). Yea, angels are excluded from divine worship;
this sort of idolatry was introduced in the times of the apostles,
but condemned (See Colossians 2:18), and rejected by angels
themselves (See Revelation 19:10; 22:9). And much less are devils to
be worshipped; and yet the worship of such has obtained among the
blind and ignorant heathens, as in the East and West Indies; and even
the sacrifices of the Jews to new gods their fathers knew not, and
the sacrifices of the heathens are said to be offered to devils, and
not to God; as the doctrine of it is called the doctrine of devils,
so the practice is represented as if it was no other than worshiping
of devils; it being contrary to the worship of the true God, who only
is to be worshipped (See Deuteronomy 32:17; 1 Corinthians 10:20; 1
Timothy 4:1; Revelation 9:20).
