580 Chop. 3 T. Expofrtion upon the Book! of J o a. Verf.2l1", Idolatry is match with murder, being indeed a payre ofmatch. leffe fins ; The one fighting in chiefe againft God, the other a- §inít man. From the fecond reading ; Note. Idolatry or creature worfhip is a pcaUice which in all times kath beenjudgedfrfulland wicked :'tis a judged in;q sirie. In the worft of times Tome have app.ared again(} it. Gideoss a'as called 7erub. baal ( Judg. ¢. 3.2. ) becaule he c:rft downe the Idolatrous Altar ofBaal. in all times Tome ?erub, baal, have ri- fen up and both pleaded and acted againft Idolworfhip. It were eafte both from Scripture as all() from the hiftory of the Church to give an account that as in every age Idolatry bath found pa- trons and advocates, fo oppofers and impleaders, who have ac- cufed, arraigned and judged it for one of the fouleft abominati- ons : but to engage tofaire in that way,would be out ofmine. From the third reading, Obferve. Idolatry is afan, not onlygreat in itfelfe , and which kath been great in the account and judgement of Godly men in all ages; But afinwhich falls under the cognizance, and fo under the fenterce of the fudge ; this altowere an iniquitie to be punifbed by the judge.. I grant that thofe words, to be punifhed by, Arenot expreffed in. the Hebrew text, which is concife,according to the Idiomof that language; and fo gives it only thus; This alfo is an iniquitiefor the judge. David fpake in fuck a briefe ( Pfal. 120.7 ) 1 asst., peace, or Ipeace, that is, I amfor peace, I ama lover and liker of peace. So here, This alfa it an iniquitie for the ?edge ; that is, (as we render) an iniquitie tobepuni/hed by the judge. This fup- pievrtent or gloite is no corrupting of the text, (as it bath been over-boldly charged) but a faire expofition ofit. Yet here a queftion arifeth about the Judge that is to punifh this iniquitie. For there are force, who admitting this reading for good and fayre, yet will not admit that the Judge here intended as the punifher of Idolatry, is anordinary, ro nor any humane Judge ; but fay the Judge who is topunifh this iniquity is God, the Judge of all the world ; as ifyobs meaning were only this, God theJudgeof all men will judge and punifh Idolaters. There is.no . uefion but Idolatry is a fin which God will judge, but wie
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