this great and perfect Being, fo far as his own duties and interefts are concerned. This has frequently been proved, by able moralifts, in the way of argument, and is exprefsly affirmed to be the cafe, by St. Paul, in the first chapter of the Epiftle to the Romans, where it is faid, that "the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly feen, being underftood by the things that are made," and where it is added that they are without excufe."

In fact, however, fallen man has never, by the mere use of his reafon, found out God to any good purpose, and worshipped him accordingly; and even when God by fpecial revelation has condefcended to explain and manifeft his true character to a particular people, few of that people have ferved him as they ought to have done for any great length of time; but they foon corrupted the divine religion, and were plunged in idolatry.

The Jehovah of the facred writings, and the Almighty and all-perfect God, which may be difcovered by found reafon, is an invifible Being, and is to be honoured, as a Spirit, with the heart and the understanding, and without the intervention of fenfible objects, as ftocks or ftones. "Thou fhalt

love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy foul:" but the hiftory of our corrupted nature fhews, that images and other fenfible objects have, in all ages, offered themfelves to men's minds as guides and helps to a conception of the Deity; and if, in fome inftances, thefe abfurd inventions of grofs idolatry have been rejected by men of learning and refinement, it has then generally happened, that intellectual figments of philofophical vanity have been fubftituted in their place, figments still more atheistical in their nature, and farther removed from the notion of a wife and authoritative Governour

Governour of the Universe, who enjoins the fubmiffion and dependence of his creatures, requires their obedience, and dispenses justice impartially.

The principles, which appear to account for this apoftacy and oppofition to the divine Will, may be comprehended under the terms pride, felflove, felf-righteousness, and defire of independence, or, indeed, under the fingle term pride alone, if we use that expreffion according to its most extenfive application. Fallen man is too proud, practically to feel and confess his relative ignorance and inanity, when compared with the Supreme Author of all things; and the fame principle prevents him from placing his fupreme regard and efteem on God, though reafon dictate, and revelation command this duty. He loves himself and his own gratifications too well. Then it is easy to underftand, that pride and felf-righteousness are nearly fynonimous expreffions: a proud Being will never efteem his own "righteoufneffes as filthy rags." (Isaiah lxiv. 6.): will never cordially beg for pardon of his fins: he has too good an opinion of his own labours, inventions, and performances; in a word, he is felf-righteous; and, in a fimilar way, it is plain, that the fame Being will aim at independence, and be impatient of controul. In fuch a dangerous and corrupt ftate of human affections, the broad and crowded road to idolatry, which is the object we are feeking, is not difficult to be traced. For, whether we confider pride as a comprehenfive principle, evolving itself, according to the explanation juft given, in various mifchievous operations; or, whether we chufe to confine the meaning of the term, no one will doubt, but that, in fact, mankind in all ages have been grievously wanting in humility, have proudly fet themselves up against God, have been actuated by inordinate felf-love,

and not fubmitting to the righteoufnefs of God, have endeavoured to establish their own righteoufness, and have been impatient of controul. The existence of thefe principles and inclinations implies an abfolute departure of the heart from the living God; and when that has once taken place through the action of fome fteady caufe, the progrefs to idolatry, or to fome fpecies of atheism, nearly allied to idolatry, is the next step. Man has departed from the true God, and there muft be fome device to quiet confcience. Thus, in rude and barbarous times, the proud, felf-righteous devotee, will naturally have recourfe to the fottish invention of the worship of wood, or ftone, or metals, and become a grofs idolater. He will burn part of the wood with fire, and of the reft he will make a god, and kneel before it. The dif covery mightily pleafes him: he has found out a god exactly fuited to his tafte; a god, who will eafily pardon his vices, fet a high value on his imagined virtues, and be conftantly propitious to him; a god, who is not an univerfal Governour or Benefactor, but who is particularly kind to himfelf and his countrymen; a god, whom he can fee and handle, and in which he may pride himself, as having contrived and finished it with the tongs and hammer, or with the plane and compass; a god, which is local and tutelar, and over which he himfelf has confiderable power: he can place it in his temple, in his chamber, or in the camp.

The antient idolaters often reprefented by their images, deceased chiefs, or heroes, or kings, who were ftill fuppofed to poffefs a fuperintending influence over the affairs of men; and, not unfrequently, these departed beings appear to have ranked among the moft wicked of mankind. In

more

more modern times, even Christianity itself has been disgraced with the adoration of images, reprefentations, and reliques of faints; nor has the abominable fuperftition always fufficiently taken care, that the fuppofed faints themselves fhould have been reputable characters.

In ages of great learning and refinement, the fame principles of pride, &c, which in religious concerns, blinding the understanding and corrupting the affections, effectually draw the heart from the living and true God, induce men to profess a reverence for abstruse and intellectual figments, as nature, a principle of order, or the foul of the univerfe. Thefe notions of God, which prevail in polished seasons of the world, in one sense merit the imputation of idolatry, in another of atheism; and, in any poffible interpretation, they must be deemed equivocal, unintelligible, and pernicious. The fpecies of idolatry are exceedingly various; but they differ not much either in their fource or their tendency. In all circumftances, man is miferable and blind, if he be not feeking and worshipping the true God in fpirit and truth. If, in breach of the second commandment, he reprefent the glory of Jehovah by images, or if, in breach of the firft, he fet up a divinity oppofite to Jehovah, in both cafes he forms a deceitful bafis for falvation and happinefs, and directly affronts the perfections of God. Such practices are, therefore, forbidden throughout the Scripture, in the moft pofitive manner.

The guilt of idolatry is not fo apparent to natural confcience, as that of crimes committed against our fellow-creatures; though no fin is fo much spoken against through the Old Testament. Many are apt to wonder why the Ifraelites were for

prone

to it; not confidering nor knowing their own idolatry, which works in a way more fuited to prefent times and circumftances. But whoever understands, that idolatry implies the departure of the heart from the living God and a fixing of it on fomething else; that to refuse to truft his word, and to choose to put confidence in fome fenfible object, by which we would reprefent him to our minds,—still further, to glory in our own ftrength and righteoufnefs, inftead of feeking falvation by grace through faith only, proceeds from pride, and pours all poffible contempt on the divine Majefty, will not wonder at God's indignation against this fin, will fee how naturally it operates on the human mind, and how it affords a complete demonftration of the apoftacy of man.

The ancient Church of God were distinguished from the nations all around by the moft express prohibitions of this fin. They were directed not to worship any but the living God, nor even Jehovah himself by any images whatever; much lefs were they allowed to worship any creature by representations, which would be to break the two first commandments by the fame act. He, who knows the propenfity of his own heart to diftrust the providence and grace of God, and how eagerly we catch at any human relief, inftead of patiently waiting upon God in trouble, will not wonder that the Ifraelites worshipped the calf in the abfence of Mofes, nor think the fin fmall, because they intended to honour Jehovah by the fymbol.

Under the gospel-difpenfation the prohibition of images continued, and, in the pureft times, there was little occafion to dwell on the fubject. God in Chrift was worshipped, in fpirit and in truth, by

the