Here, then, was ample occasion for the hot displeasure of Moses.]
And is there no similar evil prevalent amongst us ?
[As Protestants, we have discarded the idolatrous prac- tices of the Church of Rome. But we may " set up idols in our hearts'," as well as in our houses : we may have the love of money there ; and that is expressly designated by the opprobrious name of idolatry : " Covetousness," says the Apostle, " is idolatry8>." "We may be addicted to sensual appetites : and then we make, as we are told, " a god of our belly h." " The loving and serving of the creature more than the Creator1," in whatever way we do it, is the very essence of idolatry; and "provokes the Lord to jealousy k," as much without an external symbol, as with one. God says, " My son, give me thy heart : " and if that be withheld from him, he is justly filled with indignation against us.
Let me, then, bring home this matter more closely to your hearts and consciences. The Israelites professed to celebrate their redemption from Egypt : and having presented their sacrifices of burnt-offerings and peace-offerings, " they sat down to eat and to drink (of the portion of the peace-offerings which was allowed to them), and rose up to play." And, when Moses came down from the mount, he heard, whilst yet at some distance, their carnal revelry ; which they judged a becoming mode of honouring their great Deliverer. Now at this season1 we profess to commemorate the Redemption, not of a single nation, but of the whole world ; and not by power only, but by price, even the precious blood of God's only dear Son : we commemorate, I say, the Incarnation of the Son of God, for the deliverance of our souls from sin and Satan, death and hell. And in what way do we commemorate it? Is not this season even proverbially devoted to carnal mirth? We present our offerings, if I may so say, on the day appointed ; and throughout the whole season, with the exception of two or three hours, " we sit down to eat and to drink, and rise up to play." Such is our religion, precisely like that of those impious idolaters. To the honour of the Levites, it must be acknowledged that they did form an exception to this national transgression. Would to God the like could be said of our Levites ! or even of our Aarons ! But, with us, Levites and Aarons too are found, for the most part, sanctioning, by their presence and example, these sad enormities ; as if Christ had come for no better purpose than to give us a more ample occa- sion for carnal indulgence.
f Ezek. xiv. 3. s Col. iii. 5. h Phil. iii. 19. ; Rom. i. 25. k 1 Cor. x. 22. ' Sermon for Christmas.