desiring and delighting in him and his favour, being grateful for his kindness, and zealous for his glory, with all the energy of our souls; it is evident, that we should love other objects only for his sake, and according to his will: no creature could then rival him in our affections, or prevail with us to neglect his service and whilst we rendered him the tribute of adoring love and praise, and so glorified him, we should possess unalloyed felicity in the enjoyment of his favour. This is the reasonable state in which things ought to be; and all that deviates from it is sin and the effects of apostacy from God. : In the preceding Essay, some thoughts have been offered on man's propensity to idolatry. To the disgrace of the human understanding, the grossest species of it have been almost universal in the world; and a more refined and plausible kind of idolatry has often supplanted them, in those few places where something more rational has prevailed. We need not, however, enlarge on this violation of the first commandment, or show particularly how the pagans, and Israel, and some parts of the professing church of Christ, by worshipping creatures, have ascribed to them the glory of those attributes which Jehovah incommunicably possesses. These practices constitute the grand transgression of this law and all pretences to witchcraft, fortune-telling, charms, or incantations, partake in a measure of the same guilt; as by them, information or assistance is professedly Bought from creatures, whereas God should be wholdepended on, and submitted to. ! at this spiritual precept reaches much further. ve, desire, delight in, or expect good from, any forbidden indulgence, even in the smallest degree, is evidently a violation of it: and to suffer the most excellent or amiable of creatures to rival God in our affections, must be a proportionable contempt of him. By atheism and irreligion, men set up themselves as gods, aspire to independence, reject subordination, and refuse to render homage or worship to any superior being; as if they had created themselves, and were sufficient for their own happiness! The proud man idolizes himself, and offers incense to his own deity; and therefore "God resisteth him" as his rival. The ambitious pay homage to the opinions of men, and seek happiness in their applause, or in such honourable distinctions as they can bestow. The revengeful usurp the throne of God, and invade the prerogative of him to "whom vengeance belongeth." The covetous man deifies his wealth, the sensualist his vile appetites, and the rapturous lover his mistress; he lives on her smiles, his heaven is placed in her favour, and her frown would make him the most wretched of all creatures. Nay, the doating husband and fond parent may deify the objects of their affections: for though they ought to love them tenderly, yet this affection, and the manner in which it is exercised, should be absolutely subordinated to the will and glory of God. But no comment can equal the extent of the command. Whatever consists not with the most perfect love, gratitude, reverence, submission, and devotedness of the whole heart to God, is a transgression of it: and it requires us to love the Lord and all his creatures, according to their real worthiness; not more, nor less, except as finite beings cannot love infinite excellence in an adequate manner. Obedience to it would enthrone God in our judgment and affections; and the whole of our love being thus given to him, we should love all others for his sake, and according to the measure that he has enjoined: whilst the violation of it destroys this regular subordination, and gives the creatures the throne in our hearts. Well, therefore, may it stand foremost in the decalogue; for our obedience in all other things depends on it: other transgressions injure the subject, and affront the Sovereign; but the violation of this law is high treason against the majesty of heaven; and at the same time is entirely destructive to the happiness of all who transgress it.-The expression, before me, implied that idolatry could not be kept so secret, but that it must be known to the heart-searching God: it would at all times affront him to his face; but especially when committed by Israel, who had his glory continually displayed before their eyes. II. The second commandment requires us to render to the Lord our God a worship and service, suited to his perfections, and honourable to his name. His incomprehensible nature cannot be represented by any similitude. The most exquisite painting or sculpture can only give an external resemblance of a man: even animal life, with its several functions, cannot be thus exhibited, much less can a likeness be made of the soul and its operations. How disho nourable then must every attempt be to represent the infinite God," by silver or gold graven by art and man's device!" The general disposition of man kind to form such similitudes of the Deity, proves that low apprehensions of him are congenial to our fallen nature; and the practice has exceedingly increased the grossness of men's conceptions concerning him. The more stupid of the heathen alone worshipped the picture or image itself; others used it as a visible representation of the invisible Numen or Deity and all that ingenious papists' have urged in behalf of their images, is equally applicable to Israel's worship of the golden calves, or to that rendered by the Ephesians to the image of Diana," which fell down from Jupiter."-A material image of the Deity is likewise an affront to the Person of Christ, the only adequate "Image of the invisible God:" and the worship of saints and angels, as mediators and present deities, by images, in every respect, robs him of his mediatorial glory.-The commandment does not prohibit the making of images and pictures for other purposes, (as some have ignorantly supposed;) for God commanded several to be made even in the construction of the tabernacle: but the making of them, in order to men's bowing down before them, and worshipping them; and in this case, both the maker and the worshipper of the image are involved in the guilt. The prohibition includes every kind of creature, because all are utterly unfit to represent the infinite Creator; and there are some devices not uncommon, even among protestants, as emblematic of the Trinity, which seem not to accord to the strictness of this injunction. But the spiritual import of the commandment extends much further. Superstition and human inventions in religious worship, when at all relied on as ac ceptable with God, are evident violations of its spirit and intent. The use of things indifferent in religion, without any command from God, leads to gross conceptions of him, as if he delighted in outward splendour or external forms; and is commonly connected with a false dependence; while it substitutes something else in the place of God's appointments, and tends to the usurpation of authority over men's consciences. But many circumstances of worship must be regulated by human discretion; and every one should judge for himself which regulations tend to these evils, and which do not; and be candid in judging such as differ from him.-Hypocrisy and formality, arising from unworthy apprehensions of God, together with those unscriptural delineations of his character that have been before described, are here certainly prohibited. In short, the second commandment requires us to conceive of God, in all respects, as far as we are able, according to the revelation which he hath made of himself to us: to realize his glorious presence to our minds, by faith, and not by fancy; and to "worship him as a Spirit, in spirit and in truth" not with corporeal representations of him before our eyes, or low conceptions of him in our minds; but sincerely, inwardly, with the most fervent affections, and profound reverence of his infinite majesty, in all his appointed ordinances, and in them alone; and with frequency, as performing a service reasonable in itself, and most pleasant to our own souls, as well as honourable to his great Name. The reason given for the prohibition of imageworship, shows us, that the Lord is so tenacious of his honour in this matter, (especially in respect of his |