glory and honour, having created all things for himself, ver 10, ••1. and shall we idolize and worship the poor creature? Oh! how do these holy spirits abominate that honour and worship, that is given unto them? and if they were on earth, and did converse with the living, they would joyn with us, and with indignation say to Papists (as Paul and Barnabas did in the like case, Act. 14.14, 15.) Sirs, why do ye these things? we were also men, of like passions with you, and are yet your fellow-creatures and brethren; Ah, turn from these vanities unto the living God.
We say with Augustine, Honorandi sunt propter imita∣tionem, non adorandi propter religionem; honoramus eos charitaete non servitute; nominantur a Sacerdote, non in∣vocantur. We honour the Saints with the honour of love, not of servitude, for imitation not for adoration; and the Pastor doth name them for their vertue, but doth not call upon them as gods and patrons: though we make not idols of them, yet their memory is precious with us; as we praise God for that measure of grace he gave to them, so we love and reverence them, because they were thus beloved of our Father, and because they honestly endeavoured to improve his talents to the honour of his name, and we labour to imi∣tate them in their humility, faith, patience, zeal, &c.
But praise be to our God, who hath not left us to the care of such Patrons, who are ignorant of us, and know not what we stand in need of; and praise to him, who will not shut the door on us till these Courtiers make way for our ad∣mission: Though all Angels and Saints in glory be ignorant of us, and do not acknowledge us, yet we may (with that people, Isa, 63.16.) to our comfort say, Doubtlesse thou art our father, and as a father pittieth his children, so thou will pitty us, and welcome us when we draw nigh to thee. Ps. 103, 13. His eyes are still over us, and his ear open to our prayers, Pet. 3.12. Men would purchase at a dear rate such a priviledge on earth, alwaies to have the Kings ear, that he would but hearken to their desires, that they might but alwaies have accesse to him; but we have this liberty purchased to us by the blood of the Kings son, we may