1176 lbnttmplations. Lu.XVIII. - inhibit it;fo the people have a God,it fullicech them:they iliall have fo much forma- A lity as may content them : their zeale is not fo llmpe, but they can be well pleaf<d with eafe:I will profer them both amore compendious,and more plauubleworiliip: Jerufalem ll11ll be fuppli<d within mine owne borders: naturally men love to fee the / objetls oftheir devotion, I will therefore feed theireyes wirh two golden rcprefenrations of their God, nearer home; and what can be more proper then thofc which AAT a• devikd of old to humor lfrael! ' Upon this pefiilent ground, Itraba•m fets up two calves in D•n and Blthtl, & perfwades the peotc; It i< Ill much for 1'"" ~~ "P ID Itrofolem, hth1ldthJ Gldt o Tfr•tl which ~rlu[ht I tt M •f the LAndofEgJPI. Oh the mifchicfe that comes ofwicked in fidelity~ It was Gods Proph~t th~t bad rent le~•~"'"'·' garment int~ twelve pieces, atld bad g•ven tenofthemto b1m, 10 token ofb1s iliarmg the tenTnbes; who with B the fame b~eath ~If~ told him that thecauf~ of this difiraClion was their Idolatry: Yetnow will he 10!l1tutcan Idolatrous ferv1ce for the holding together of them, whom tbdr Idolatry bad rent from their trueSoveuigne to him:He layes nor; God bathpromifcdmethis Kiogdomc, God bath conferd it, God ili1ll finde mcancs to maintainc his owoc atl1Iwill obey him,let himdifpofe ofme: TheGod oflfrael is wife and powerful! enough, to fetch about his owne defignes: But, (as ifthe devices ofmen were ftro:tcr then Gods proYidencc, and ordination) he will be working out his owne ends j; prophanefcolicics: Imhw11 being borne an Ifraclite, aod bred in the Coortofa s ,., 1 cou d not but know the czrrelrcchargeof God againll the making of Images,a~ainll the rre~ing ofany rival altars, to that ofJerufalem; c yet now thathe fees bot thefe may availe much to the advancing of his ambitious projca, he ft:ts up thofe Images, thofe Altars i Wickedmen care not to make bold with God in cafesoftheir ownc commoditie: f the Lawes oftheir Maker lye in the way oftheir profit or promotion, they either fpurnc themout, or tread upon them at plcafurc:AfpiringmindswiU knowno God but hooor:lfrael fojourned 10 Egypt, and brought home a ~eo calfe: !era~""' fojourncs therc,and brought home two1 It is hard todwell ia pt uotainted 1 not to favour ofthe fins of theplace we live in, is no ldfc ftraogc, then for wholcfome li~uor runoed upin a mufiy veffell,not to fmell ofthe caske: The bcft hodymay be in etlcd inacontagious ayre: Let himbeware ofEgypt that would be free from Idolatry. No fooncrare Ierd..ms calves up, then Ifratl is down on their knees: their woriliipfoilowes ilnmcdiatelyupon the cretlion: How eafily is the unllable vulgarcari- D ed into whatfocver religion ofauthority ~ Theweather-cock willlooke whichway focvcrthe wind blowes : It is nomarvcll if his Subjetls be brutiili, who hatb made acalfe bis God. Every accdfary to finis fil<hy,but thdirfi authors oflinare abominable:How is Imb-bundcd in CYcry oftbcfe facrcd leaves~ Howdoe all ages ringofhis facll, witbthe accent of diilionouc,aod indi&aoation1Ter~6w•the f"•Cfo Ntb•t, ' '•' ••dt!frAtl 11 ft•! It was a iliame for lfracl t tit could be madeto rn by a IerliJu,.: but, 0 curfed name of!eHbu•thatwould drawIfrael to fio!The followers and abettors ofevil! arc worthy oftorment, but no bell is too deepc for the leaders of publiquc wickcdndl'e. Religion is cloathcd with many rcquilite circumftances : As a new King would E havea new god; fo thatnewgodmullhave new Temples, Altars, Services, Priells, Solemaitics : All thcfe bath Imb•~m iaftituted ; All thcfe bath he caft in the fame mold with his golden calves: Falfo dcvotiondoth normore croffc, then imimc the true. Satan isno ldfe acouorcucittheo an enemyofGod: He knows it marccalic to adulterate religion, then to abo!Hh it. That which Godordained forthe avoidance ofidolatry, is made the occauon of it;a limitation ofhis holy fervices to Jerufalem:How mifchicvoutlydo wicked men pervert tbe wbolefome mftitutioos ofGodto their fin, to theirbanc ! !uiH-couldootbeignmantbow fcarcfullythisvrry atlwas revenged upon l frul in thewilderodfc 1 yet he dares renew it ill D•nndBtthtl: No example of judgement cma!"right wilful! offe11ders. It
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