proper to co-operate with what Chrift hath done, that it is deteftable in the fight of God. Perhaps it may be thought, that this is of small moment, and wholly unworthy of notice; as in these days few or none will fo much as pretend, except in jeft, to lay any stress upon fabulous deities, or fuperftitious practices of human invention. But I did not chufe to omit it, because it appears to me a thing peculiarly infifted on in the holy Scriptures, which contain nothing unnecessary. It is also very much the object of the resentment of infidels. At the fame time, many pretended Christians have, by defign or inadvertance, spoke too much the language of infidels on this fubject, or on fubjects nearly related to it.

How much stress the Scriptures lay upon the knowledge of the true God, nay, how pernicious and destructive all false religions are, it were easy to fhew at great length; but a few hints will fuffice, as it is not a point controverted fo much as neglected and forgotten. The very first commandment of the moral law is, "Thou fhalt "have no other Gods before met." And the fecond, which forbids uninftituted worship, hath this ftrong fanction, "For I the Lord

It is very remarkable, that though infidels always fet out on pretence of fearching impartially after truth; yet they have unanimously agreed in putting truth and error entirely upon the fame footing, both as to worth and influence.

† Exod. xx. 3.

"thy God am a jealous God, vifiting the "iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto "the third and fourth generation of them that "hate me." Through the whole old teftament, the idolatry and false worship of the Heathens is represented as highly criminal in them, and an abomination in the fight of God. It is there confidered, not as a fmall part, but as the first and most provoking of their enormities; and in particular, is affigned as the ground of the utter extirpation of the nations of Canaan. In a perfect confiftency with which, in the charge brought against them by the apostle Paul, this is the leading part or ground-work of the whole, "Because that when they knew God, they glo"rified him not as God, neither were thank"ful; but became vain in their imaginations, " and their foolish heart was darkened +.-And "changed the glory of the incorruptible God, "into an image made like a corruptible man,

and to birds, and four-footed beafts, and "creeping things."

The great end alfo of the feparation of the children of Ifrael, and their being kept from intercourse with other nations, was, that they might be preserved from idolatry. To the worship of the true God their bleffings are promifed, and

*Exod. xx. 5. † Rom. i, 21.

Ibid. ver. 23. against

against defection from his fervice to other gods the heaviest curfes are denounced. Thus, after an enumeration of the bleffings that should attend them if they kept God's commandments, it is faid, "And thou shalt not go afide from any of the "words that I command thee this day, to the "right-hand or to the left, to go after other "gods to ferve them *." And when they flood before the Lord, to enter into his covenant, it is faid, "For ye know how we have dwelt in "the land of Egypt, and how we came through "the nations which ye paffed by. And ye have "feen their abominations, and their idols, "wood and stone, filver and gold, which were <s among them. Left there fhould be among

you, man, or woman, or family, or tribe, "whofe heart turneth away this day from the "Lord our God, to go and ferve the gods of

thefe nations; left there fhould be among you "a root that beareth gall and wormwood t. The fame thing may be feen running through the whole of the prophetic writings. Almost every judgment of God threatened or inflicted, is afcribed to their idolatry as its caufe. I only mention one paffage, not for any thing particular in it, but as a fufficient fpecimen of the whole. It is a meffage from God by Ezekiel to the children. of Ifrael: "Therefore fay unto the house of + Deut. xxix. 16, 17, 18. F

* Deut. xxviii. 14. VOL. I.

"Ifrael,

Ifrael, Thus faith the Lord God, Repent and turn yourfelves from your idols, and turn away ແ your faces from all your abominations. For every one of the house of Ifrael, or of the ftranger that fojourneth in Ifrael, which feparateth himself from me, and fetteth up his "idols in his heart, and putteth the ftumbling"block of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to a prophet to enquire of him concerning me; I the Lord will answer him by myself, and I will fet my face against that man, and "will make him a fign and a proverb, and I will cut him off from the midst of my people, and

ye

fhall know that I am the Lord*."

In the very fame manner, in the new teftament, embracing the gospel of Chrift, and continuing stedfaft in the faith, is required as abfolutely neceffary to falvation: "He that believeth

on the Son, hath everlafting life; and he that "believeth not the Son, fhall not fee life, but "the wrath of God abideth on him +." The importance of holding the truth without mixture, is plainly declared in the following paffage :

Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, "and one convert him; let him know, that he which converteth the finner from the error of "his way, fhall fave a foul from death, and

fhall hide a multitude of fins ‡."
Ezek. xiv. 6, 7, 8. John iii. 36. James v. 19, 20.

It had been easy to have given a much larger proof of this from Scripture; but it is unneceffary; for our enemies themselves confefs it, nay object it as a ground of reproach. How many invectives have we from infidel writers againft the unpeaceable, unfocial fpirit of the Jewish firft, and afterwards of the Chriftian religion? and how often are these contrafted with the mild and affociating temper of the Heathen worshippers? Among them it implied no abfurdity, that different nations fhould have different gods, and different forms of worship; nay, they often intermixed, compounded, and mutually adopted each others worship. The Athenians, that wife people, were fo prone to receive every foreign rite, thar they got this character from an ancient writer (whether by way of encomium indeed, or fatire, is at this distance uncertain) that they were hofpitable to the gods. According to the fentiments of modern unbelievers, they would deferve much praise for this; but, according to the fentiments of an infpired apoftle, "profeffing them"felves wife, they became fools."

In this then it is acknowledged, that the gofpel of our falvation effentially differs from every human invention; that it conftantly reprefents itfelf as THE TRUTH, and all things oppofite to it, as falfe, difhonourable to God, and unprofitable to men. This has been the cafe in every step of F 2

its