1.78 The GoLtiel of the' Heave Offering. all the'reft of their Offerings ) rhicb the Lord commanded Mofes let Mount Sinai, in the Day that he commanded the Children of Ifrael to of- fer their Obi itians to the Lord, in the Wiidernefss of Sinai. The manner of Worfhip is under a Command, as well as the matter : The Mode of Worship hath a Law, which muff be'attended and obferved and kept clofe unto. Let me preis this Exhortation, that you would in all your Worfiaip keep clofe unto the Rule ofthe Word, with thefe tone Motives. t. It hath been the great Defign of Satan in all Times and Ages, to defile and corrupt the Worfhip of God. If he cannot perfwade Men to be downright Atheifis, and to fay, there is no God ; he la- bours then to drive them into the other extreamof Idolatry and Super- fiition, and to impofe upon themwith an Image, with an Idol, inftead of God ; and the Hearts of Men are like Tinder, to the Fire of thefe Temptations. The Stratagem hath been I think, as Succefsful and as Advantageous to the Devil's Kingdom, as any that ever came into that Old Serpent's Head. When, or how foon this Delufron of Idolatry came into the World, I need not here Difpute. Certain it is, it was very early ; for we have exprefs mention made of it amongst Abraham's Ancestors, Yofh. 24.. 2. Now the Call of Abraham was but four hundred twenty fe yen Years after the Flood, or thereabout, as you will find, ifyou com- pute and put together the Ages of thole Ten Patriarchs, recorded Gen. I Y, with Gen. r 2. 5. So that Mankind having been cut down with a Flood but a little before, for Atheistical Profanenefs and Wickednefs ; they were loft again, and the whole World in a man- ner overwhelmed and drowned (as it were) with another and wor- fer Deluge of Idolatry, within that short fpace of four hundred Years or thereabouts ; for unto that Period as I conceive, the Rife of Ido- latry must be referred. And what was the great Sin among the 5'ews ? Was it not this ? And among the old Heathens and Pagans, and among the Papifts, and other fuperftitious Christians at this Day ? What is the great Defign and Work of Christ in this Age, theWork of this Ge- neration, but to bring forth his Worship into Purity, that the New ferufalem may comedown fromHeaven ? This therefore Satan studies chiefly to oppofe, and fo to countermine the Lord Jefus in his great Work. And will you take part with him, and be on his Side againft the Lord ? 2. It will be varnifhed over with fair Colours, and plaufible Pre- tences, departing from the Will of God, revealed in his Word, in the Matter of his Worfhip, hath ever been fo.. The Image that fell down
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=