Ye shall make no graven image, neither shall ye set up any image of stone to bow down unto it.' Lev 26: 1. Image-worship is expressly against the letter of Scripture. (2) It is unlawful to worship God by an image for it is against the homily of the church, which runs thus: The images of God, our Saviour, the Virgin Mary, are of all others the most dangerous therefore the greatest care ought to be had that they stand not in temples and churches.' So that image-worship is contrary to our own homilies, and affronts the authority of the Church of England. If the workman be better than the work, and none bow to the workman, how absurd, then, is it to bow to the work of his hands! Is it not an absurd thing to bow down to the king's picture, when the king himself is present? It is more so to bow down to an image of God, when God himself is everywhere present. (1) It is absurd and irrational for, the workman is better than the work,' He who has builded the house has more honour than the house.' Heb 3: 3. To worship God by an image, is both absurd and unlawful. Ye saw no similitude.' It is impossible to make a picture of the soul, or to paint the angels, because they are of a spiritual nature much less can we paint God by an image, who is an infinite, untreated Spirit. How can any paint the Deity? Can they make an image of that which they never saw? Quod invisibile est, pingi non potest. ![]() Ye saw no manner of similitude on the day that the Lord spake with you out of the midst of the fire.' Deut 4: 15. God is a spiritual essence and, being a Spirit, he is invisible. To make a true image of God is impossible. If any one should make images of snakes or spiders, saying he did it to represent his prince, would not the prince take it in disdain? What greater disparagement to the infinite God than to represent him by that which is unite the living God, by that which is without life and the Maker of all by a thing which is made? To set up an image to represent God, is debasing him. The thing prohibited in this commandment is image-worship. God forbids such prostrating ourselves before an idol. No sooner was Nebuchadnezzar's golden image set up, but all the people fell down and worshipped it. Thou shalt not bow down to them.' The intent of making images and pictures is to worship them. God is to be adored in the heart, not painted to the eye. Take heed lest ye corrupt yourselves, and make the similitude of any figure.' Deut 4: 15, 16. All ideas, portraitures, shapes, images of God, whether by effigies or pictures, are here forbidden. But the commandment forbids setting up an image for religious use or worship. ![]() Whose is this image and superscription? They say unto him, It is Caesar's.' Matt 22: 20, 21. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image.' This forbids not making an image for civil use. In the first commandment worshipping a false god is forbidden in this, worshipping the true God in a false manner. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image. The Ten Commandments - Thomas Watson Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am o jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of then that hate me and shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments.' Exod 20: 4-6.
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