Chap. 24. A Expoftien ísp n the Bookof JU B. Verf. 5. G;'odt O I[rael, which brctsght thee up tut ofthe Land nt Egypt (as if he had faid, thy Gods arc at hand, or in thine ey., thou needed not to le thy felfe in going 10 faire to ferve them) yet 7troefalevn was necrer unto mod ofthe ifraclirrr, theneither Mtn or Bethel IA) cre.For B tl.,:l one of thoft pla6 s gfwOrfnip was in the utmoß bou ds of the South(7. ¡7. t8.zz )&Dsn the other place ofwet.. (hip was in the utmoit bounds of the North,(?,f .i 9 47 )fo that they were willing to take more paines to follow the Idolatrous inventions of man,then to keep to theIntlitutions ofGod,7erse. faiemwas neerer to molt ofthe ten Tribes then eithtr Dan or Be- -thcl; and yet thither they would goe. All the way to fin,whether in ordinary practice or worfhip is downhill tonature, we have both the wind & tide of the world with us, will we let our faces hel. ward; and to be lure, Satan will never checktheir diligence who are doing his worke, nor take them off from their pace,who are going or Galloping his way. We have a cleare evidence of this in thecafe of the worfhippers ofchore two Calves in Dan & Bethel;and it is further obfervedby fome,that the Ifraelirer grew fo zealous in a fhort time in that abomination, that they who dwelt neer Bethel did evendifdain toworfhip ac Rerhel,they di( dained to 'erve their God at their ow.n doors,and therefore they that dwelt at or neer Bethel would go co Doan and wor(hip; and they that dwelt at or neer Danwould go to Bethel co wotfhip, The heart ofman is fo mad upon Idolatry, that, he is willing to be at any soft or paietes for it He fcornes to ferve a falle God at an ea-fie rate, nor is he pleated ( which is the onely thing which pleafeth fome who pretend to the true religion) with a cheap re- ligion. You may lay what tax you will_upon him either of pains or purfe, and he is willir yea even ambitious to pay or perform it. Thus the blinde votaryes among the Papifti at this day will nerds goe a Pilgrimage to remotelt places, they will travaile to 7erufalem,ard vitit the Sepulchre &c. there-long Journe}'es'they glory in, it is but a flep td them hard penances, nor only fallings but whippings they glory in. The nature ofman will carry him two miles at his ownbidding,rather then ore at Gods, How may it flame Godly men for their (loath indoing the will of God, when they heare how induttrious evil! men are in doing their owne ? how may it (lame them, that they fhould take leffe pains to keep a righteous law, then many doe to fatisfie a filthy tuft ? Who
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