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the ritual

Christian, to teach them that their ritual, though very wise and good for them in their circumstances, was yet but preparatory to a better; for which, therefore, they were to hope and prepare, and to teach us how much the worship of the Christian church excels, and should be preferred to all that went before it, that we may be sensible of our obligation to God for his goodness, and our own happiness in so great a blessing.

CHAP. II.

Another great Design of the ritual Worship of the Hebrew Church was, to preserve it from Idolatry, and fence against the many Dangers of being corrupted by it.

Design of Ir was observed before, that idolatry had very much increased at the time when the against law was given; that it was very likely to Idolatry. prevail among the Hebrews; that their

a guard

distinction, as the family of Abraham, and the guard of circumcision, with all that they had learned of the faith of Abraham, as to the unity of God, and that no other gods were to be worshipped besides the only true God, were found insufficient to preserve this faith and worship pure among them. It was wise and proper then, in such a case, to guard more effectually

against so great dangers, as manifestly threatened the total and irrecoverable loss of the right knowledge and worship of the one true God, every where, since this family of Abraham was the only people that yet retained the profession of them. All other people had fallen into the principles as well as practices of idolatry, and into all the evils and wickedness which so usually attended them.

This circumstance called for a speedy and an effectual preservative, such as should be adequate to the danger. And since there were so many ways of tempting the Hebrews, and prevailing upon them, to fall in with the customs of their neighbours, it became the wisdom of a law. given on such an occasion, to be a firm hedge, and secure fence, to preserve the faith of the church in Jehovah, as the only true God, and prevent the worship of any god besides him. As this was a view every way worthy the wisdom and goodness of God, it is also declared to be his intention expressly in giving the law; and actually appears to be an intention that runs through the whole law itself. In such a view, nothing that threatened any danger was to be overlooked, how little soever it may seem to be at first sight. It was necessary to make this provision effectual, to guard them by the rites of their worship, as well as by precepts, against

To be a

tive against idola

trous prin

idolatry; to fence them against temptations and encouragements to join with their neighbours in any of their idolatrous customs, and to give an abhorrence of all idolatrous rites, or wicked ceremonies, which others esteemed sacred, and reverenced as acts of religion.

First, then, it appears wise to give the preserva- Hebrews a ritual, which would be a preservative against idolatrous principles; for idolaters had their principles, as well as other sects. They had drawn up a sort of ciples. philosophy, plausible in many things, and like to deceive many; such principles as, in after-times, made a considerable part of the speculations of the most renowned philosophers Pythagoras and Plato, as they were, before them, the chief doctrines of the Egyptian and Chaldæan theology, the secret and admired science of their wise

men.

They believed, that, besides the one supreme God, there were many intellectual beings or spirits: a doctrine very true in itself, likely, taught by ancient and general tradition, countenanced and confirmed by the Hebrew revelations but they, considering these spirits as of different perfection and different orders, considered them also as differently employed by the supreme God in the government of the world. This is the foundation of the distinction between the gods and their wor

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ship, in the Golden Verses of Pythagoras : "First, to worship the immortal gods, according to their order; then, the illustri"ous heroes; and after them, the earthly "dæmons. Thus they taught an higher, a middle, and a lower order of intelligences, or spirits. They taught all these spirits were, by the will of God, which they called their law and order, assigned "to proper stations, suitable to their superiority or subordination to each other." They supposed the spirits superior to human souls, a sort of intermediate beings between God and them, and as such appointed, by the will of God, mediators between himself and men: or, as Maimonides represents their doctrine, they who worship idols, worship them as mediators, or beings intermediate between God and them, having power to do good or evil to men †.

Our learned Dr. Hyde has given us a very judicious summary of these principles of idolatry, which it will be of great service, in this argument, to have before us. They acknowledged," he observes, "God the maker of the world and posses"sor of heaven; but because of his so

*

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Νομος μεν, ο δημιεργικος νές, καὶ ἡ θεια βελησις.—Hierocles Carm. Pythagor. p. 18.

+ Qui idola colunt, quasi mediatores, vel res intermedias, inter Deum et ipsos, ut benefaciendi vel malefaciendi virtutem habentes.-Maimon. Mor. Neb. P. I. c. xxxv. p. 54.

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great distance, and most reverend ma jesty, he was not accessible; that it "would be too bold for men to approach "God immediately; that they thought it necessary to approach him as a great

king, by applying themselves first to his "chief ministers, who, like mediators with "kings, acquaint them with the business " of their petitioners, and return their answers, signifying to them what is the "prince's will and pleasure. Hence the

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Sabians (who seem to have held some of "the most ancient principles of idolatry) "used angels and planets as mediators, "whom they thought to be seven vice

roys, or lower kings, inhabiting those "bodies of light, as so many palaces or temples; in imitation of which, some "built temples or chapels for them on "earth, in which they placed images de"dicated to the stars: such chapels are "called tabernacles in the Holy Scripture, "as the tabernacles of Moloch, and Remphon, &c. For, when the planets were "so far off, and sometimes not appearing "when set, seemed absent from the earth, "they thought it advisable to erect images "to these planets, which might partake of "their influences, and never be absent "from them, and to whom, being always દ present with them, they might always "have access, both day and night. The "astrologers of those times were wont to