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that the Hebrews were in very great danger of losing the knowledge of the one true God, and of falling into the evil customs and idolatrous rites of their neighbours. While Israel abode in Shittim, the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab; and they called the people to the sacrifices of their gods: and the people did eat, and bow down to their gods: and Israel joined himself to Baal-Peor; and the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel.

Numb.

xxv. 1, 2,

3.

xviii.

Idolatry had so far prevailed in those times, that they offered their children to Moloch, and, by a barbarous and inhuman rite as an act of religion, violated all the duties of true religion; yet these abomi- Levit, nable practices of the nations seem in a manner authorized by constitution, as if they were not only allowed by custom, but directed by some command. After the doings of the land of Egypt wherein ye dwelt shall ye not do; and after the doings of the land of Canaan whither I bring you, shall ye not do, neither shall ye walk in their ordinances. The word in the original properly signifies, some constitu- pna tion, as a law directing a thing to be done. And indeed nothing but a pretence to some direction of sacred authority could so much as excuse actions so contrary to all natural and moral principles. But by such pretended constitutions they could allow

Levit.

xviii. 3.

Part I.

1. iv. p. m. 226.

66

and recommend incestuous marriages, with Prideaux the sacrificing of children. "The magiConnect,cians went so far, not only to allow a man to marry his sister and his daugh"ter, but also his mother. It went so far "with that sect in practice, that in the sa"cerdotal tribe, he who was born of this "last and worst sort of incest, was looked upon as the best qualified for the sacer"dotal function, none being esteemed by "them more proper for the highest sta“tions in it, than they who were born of "mothers who conceived them of their

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own sons." The Locrenses could be brought by such evil principles even to 1. iii. s. 21. make a vow, if they were conquerors in a war in which they were engaged, they

1. viii.

would prostitute their virgins in the festiStrabo, vals of Venus. And Strabo mentions a temple of Venus, in which more than a thousand lewd women were consecrated to debauchery*.

p.m. 261.

It is not to be wondered at, that idolatry had taken so deep root in the days of Moses, as it had been of so long continuance; it had been as old as the days of Terah the father of Abraham; so Joshua informed the people. And Joshua said unto all the people, Thus saith the Lord God

* Herodotus informs us, it was an established custom among the Babylonians, that their virgins, of what quality soever, were obliged to prostitute themselves once before they could marry, to the first person who offered them money.-Herodotus, 1. i. c. 199.

1

Joshua,

of Israel, Your fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood, in old time, even Terah the father of Abraham, and the father of Nachor; and they served other gods. He xxiv. 2. exhorts, therefore, to great caution in their worship, that they remove every kind of idolatry, whether of the Egyptians or of their fathers. Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt, and serve ye the Lord, or worship only Jehovah, the one 14. true God.

When Jehovah commanded Abraham Gen. xii. to leave his country, his kindred, and his 1. father's house, it was with design to make his family a separate people, to preserve them from the infection of idolatrous principles and practices, so generally prevailing, that it had got even into his father's house. It continued in the family of Laban; so that when Jacob left him to re- Gen. turn to Canaan, Rachel was tempted to steal her father's images, or his gods. And even in Jacob's own family idolatry seems to have made advances; for he gave a command to his household, and to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods Gen. that are among you; and accordingly they 24. gave unto Jacob all the strange gods which were in their hands, all the images or Te

xxxi.

19-30.

XXXV.

raphim which they had for divination, or other acts of idolatry.

The Egyptians, with whom the Hebrews had lived for a long time, had run into the most ridiculous superstitions and extravagancies of magical rites. The Hebrews were accustomed to see the n; and it was an easy matter to reconcile their minds to the customs of a people at that time. highly in esteem, above all other nations, for their power and their wisdom, and whom they had looked upon as their masters for many years. Besides, a natural inclination to the knowledge of things future, and desires of temporal prosperity and happiness, might easily recommend to their own use what their wise masters the Egyptians used as oracles for divination, and for obtaining health, long life, victory, fruitful seasons, with plentiful harvests, and such other blessings as they imagined were the gifts of those idols they worshipped as guardians of mortal men: whether they hoped for these gifts from the intelligences supposed to inhabit and govern the sun, the moon, and the other stars, or from the dæmons, and departed spirits of their kings and benefactors, now after death advanced to greater powers, and appointed by the superior intelligences their deputy-guardians of mortal men, whence they were honoured by the name of the stars, and the stars were honoured by the honour

given to their deputies. Thus, the sun and moon might be worshipped through Baal and Astarte, Osiris and Isis, though they were only men and women in life, but deified after death, and constituted principal agents for the intelligences of the sun and moon in this lower earth, and to dispense their blessings among men. The Hebrews were certainly very ready to fall in with these customs, and to receive these principles. Their forwardness in making a golden calf, and joining themselves to Baal-Phegor, evidently show that the Hebrew nation was as like to be corrupted with idolatry as any other people; that they were to be preserved from it with great care and proper constitutions. General commands, directions, exhorta tions, were found in experience not to be effectual preservatives. Something further was highly requisite, and even necessary, in such a state of the world.

lar state

of the He

You will perceive it proper, in the view Particu before us, to consider the particular state of the Hebrew nation, as well as the state brews as of the world in general, when the Mo- the famisaical laws were given. The children of braham. ly of AIsrael are to be considered as the family of Abraham, which God had chosen for a peculiar people, to preserve the knowledge and worship of the one true God, and to receive the blessings God had promised in his covenant with Abraham their father,

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