3. Dare not to join in marriage with image- worshippers. Solomon, though a man of wisdom, yet his idolatrous wives di-ew away his heart from God. The people of Israel entered into an oatli and curse that they would not give their daughters in mar- riage to the idolaters, Neh. x. 30. For a protestant and papist to marry, is to be un- equally yoked, 2 Cor. vi. 14. ; and there is more danger that the papist will corrupt the protestant, than hope that the protes- tant will convert the papist. Mingle wine and vinegar, the vinegar will sooner sour the wine, than the wine will sweeten the
vinegar.
4. Avoid superstition, which is a bridge leads over to Rome. Superstition is the bringing in any ceremony, fancy, or inno- vation into God's worship, which he never appointed. This is very provoking to God, because it reflects much upon his honour, as if he were not wise enough to appoint the manner of his own worship. God hates all strange fire to be offered in his temple. Lev. X. 1. A ceremony may in time bring to a crucifix. They who contend for the cross in baptism, why may they not as well have the oil, salt, and cream, the one being as ancient as the other ? Such as are for altar-worship, they who will bow to the east, may in time bow t«» the host. Take heed of all occasions of idolatry ; idolatry is devil-worsliip, Ps. cvi. 37., and if you search tlirough the whole Bible, there is no one sin that God liath more followed with plagues, than idolatry; the Jews have a
saying, that in every evil that befals them, there is uncia aurei vituli, — an ounce of the golden calf in it. Hell is a place for idola- ters. Rev. xxii. 15., " For without are idola- ters." Senesius calls the devil a rejoicer at idols, because the image-worshippers help to fill hell. That you may be preserved from idolatry and image-worship,
1. Get good principles, that you may be able to oppose the gainsayer. Whence doth the popish religion get ground ? not from the goodness of their cause, but from the ignorance of their people.
2. Get love to God. The wife that loves her husband is safe from the adulterer ; and the soul that loves Christ is safe from the idolater.
3. Pray that God will keep you. Though it is true, there is nothing in an image to tempt — for if we pray to an image, it can- not hear, and if we pray to God, by an im- age, he will not hear : I say, there's nothing to tempt — yet we know not our own hearts, or how soon we may be draAvn to vanity, if God leave us ; therefore pray that you be not enticed by false worship, or receive the mark of the beast in your right hand or forehead. Pray, Ps. cxix. 117., " Hold thou me up, and I shall be safe." Lord, let me neither mistake my way for want of light nor leave the true way for want of courage.
4. Let us bless God, who hath given us the knowledge of his truth ; that we have tasted the honey of his word, and our eyes are enlightened. Bless him that he hath shewn us the pattern of his house, — the right mode of worship ; that he hath dis- covered to us the forgery and blasphemy of the Romish religion. Let as pray, that God will preserve pure ordinances, and powerful preaching among us : idolatry came in at first by the want of good preach- ing,— then the people began to have goldeu images, when they had wooden priests.
OF THE SECOND COMMANDMENT.
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ExoD. XX. 5. For I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me.
f. " !• tlie Lord tliy God am a jealous God." The first reason why Israel must not worship graven images is, because the Lord is a jealous God, Exod. xxxiv. 14., " The Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God." Jealousy is taken, L In a good sense, and so God is jealous for his people. 2. In a bad sense, and so God is jealous of his people.