LIB. X. 1\!II C H AE S Idolatry. A wicked executions : Ten fuekels and a fute of apparel!, and his diet, are good wJges ior a needy Levite. He that could beftmv rr oo fuekels upon lus puppet,, ca;;'alford but t en to his P rieft: fo hat!. he at once a rich ldol,and a beggerly Pneft, Whofoever alfelts to ferve God good cheape, fuewes, ,that he·makes God but a !tale ro Mammon. . Y erwas Micb,, a kind patron,though notlib~ra!l. He ads the yoHn~ Levite his fJther, and ufes himas his fonne;and what he wants in meanes,fupplies i 1 afFectiOn. It were happy,ifChri!li.\fls could imitate tbe love ofldo!Jters,tt>•varJs themwlncL ferve at the Altar.. Mich6 made a fuift with the Priefthoodofhis owne fonne; yet that his he>rt checks him in it,appeares both by the change,and his conte11tment in the change: N9w I know that the Lord ,./1/ be good to mu,feeing I have a Levcte to my B Pri eft: Tberefore,whiles his Prieftwas no Levite,he fees there was caufe why God ·!hould nor be aood tp him.Ifthe Levite had not come toolfer his fervice, Michaes fonne had bee1~ea lawfull Prieft. Many rimes the confc1ence runnes away fmoothly with an unwJtrantable action! and re!ls it fe!fupon thofe grounds,which afterword 1t fees caufe to conJemne. It ts a f~reway the.reforetomformeour felves throughly e re we fettle our choice,tbat we be not dtiv1:n to reverfe ourachw!th late !hame •nd unprofitable repentance. Now did Micbabegin to fee fome little glimpfe of his owneerror,: He faw his Pricfthood f:mlty; he faw not the faults ofhis Ephod, of his Image•, of his gods: and y<t (a< if he thought all had been wcll,when he had amended onc)he faies, No10 I knowtbe Lodwil hg.,dtome. Thecarnall heart plcafes it fclfe with an outward C . formali ty; and fo delights to fl~tter it felfe,as that iccbinks,ifone drcumftance be riaht, nothing can be amiffe. frraelwas at this rime cxtremly corrupted;y<t the fpies ofthe Daniter had taken notice even ofthis young Levire,and are glad eo make ufeofbis P riefthood.Ifthey had but gone up to Sh(lo, they might have confulred with the Arkeof God: but worldly minds arc not cunous in their holy fcrvices: If they have a god, an Epbod, a Prie!l,it fufficesthem :-They had rather injoy a falfc wor!hip 1vitli cafe, than eo take paines for the tr6e: T~ofcthat are cul'iousin their diet, in their purchafes, in tlwir attire, in th~ir contra?ts, yet m God'tl,uli'neffc arevery indifferent. I The author of lies fomdiraes fpeaks truth foran a<)vantage :andfrom his mouth this flattering Levitefpea:ks \vbat he k-new 1\<onld pleafe, not what he knew would D flil out: Tho event anfwers his p~:cdiltion,and now the fpies magnill'ehim tothetr ·fcllowes: MiciM's !doll is a gocf, and the Lcvite is his Oracle. Inmuter of judge· · ment, to be guided only bytbe event, is the way toerror; fa I !hood !hall be truth, and Satan an angel! of light, ifwe follmv this rule: Even very conjeelurcs famerimes happen right; A Prophct,oraDreamer,may give a true figncorwonder,and yet himfc!fc fay, Let us goeafrer other gods. A fmall thing canwinnecredit with weake minds,which, where they have once fpcd, cannotdiftruft. The ldolacroas 'lJaniw are fo befocted w\ththis fucceffe, that they will rather fleale, than want the gods of Alicha; andbecaufe the gods without the Priefts can doe them leffe fetvice, t han the Prieft without th:.o.goas, therefore they !l:eale the Priefl wJth t he gods. 0 miferable Ifraclites ! that could thinke that a god which .E could be t!olne; that could looke for proteCtion from that which could not keep it fdfc from flealing; which was wonby their theft, not their devotion ! Could cf1ey wort11ip tho(c Idols more devoutly than Mich• that madetbcml And iftheycou!Q not proteCt their maker from robbery, how !hal they proteCt their theeves ? If it had been the holy Arke Of the true God,hmv could they think itwoul<l bleffe their violence, or that it would abide to be tranfiated bv rapineand cxrortion?N01v their fi1perflition barb made them mad upon a god,rhey muft have him ; by what meanes t hey care not,though rhcyolfend the true God, by ftcaling a falfe. Sacri~dge is fit to!x- the firft fervice ofan Idol.The fpies of'lJan had been courteoutly entertain'.! :I by <.7.Cic6a : thus t hey rewarded his hofpitality. It is no trufting the honefty of Idolaters: ifthey have once caft olfthetrue God, whomwill they refpeet? _ Ooo03 · Ir
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