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any likeness. How particular is this command in things themselves whereof idolaters would have the images?

ift, No graven image, nor any likenefs of any thing that is in heaven above, muft be made for religious worship. By the heavens above is meant the air, and all to the ftarry heavens, and the feat of the bleffed. In the vifible heavens are the birds, fun, moon, and stars. No likeness of these is to be made; and therefore to paint the Holy Spirit as a dove is idolatrous. In the feat of the bleffed are God himself, angels, and faints, i. e. the fpirits of juft men made perfect, all invisible; fo that it is impiety, yea and madness, to frame images of them.

2dly, No graven image or likenefs of any thing that is in the earth beneath is to be made for religious fervice, whether they be on the furface, or in the bowels of the earth. Now in the earth are men, beafts, trees, plants, the dead bodies of men, &c. No likenefs of thefe is to be made for religious worship.

3dly, No graven image or likeness of any thing that is in the water under the earth is to be made. Now these are fishes whatsoever the rivers and feas do produce. But no likeness of thefe is to be made for religious fervice.

But why fo particular? This is defervedly inquired, when the firft command and moft of the reft are in fo very few words. Anf. 1. Because the worship of God commanded here is not fo much natural as in the first command, but inftituted; and fo nature's light can be of less service than in the firft: for though the light of nature teacheth that God is to be worshipped, it cannot tell us how he will be worshipped, or in what particular way.

2. Because there is a fpecial proneness in the nature of man to corrupt the worship and ordinances of God. Of old the worthip of God was corrupted with vile idolatries and fuperftitions all the world over, but a mong the Jews, and frequently among them too. Ye will often read of the Jews falling in with the wor

fhip of the nations, but of any nation falling in with theirs never, Jer. ii. 11. And fo is it at this day among the Papifts, yea and other churches, as the church of England, and the Greek churches; and there are few Proteftant churches, where these ordinances are not changed in greater or leffer measure.

3. There is a peculiar bias in corrupt nature to idolatry. It is natural for men to defire to see what they worship, Rom, i. 23. Exod. xxxii. 1. and to have a pompous worship. There is a natural weaknefs in the corrupt minds of men, whereby they are eafily impreffed by idols and images for religious fervice, ready to fancy fomething of divinity in them,

4. There is a peculiar hellish zeal that accompanies idolatry, to multiply gods, and to be moft keen in the worship of them, likeas it is feen in corporal adultery in those who have once proftituted their honour, Jer. 1. 38. If you ask what can put Papifts, being men and not devils, on thofe horrid practices, of which we fpake on the fat day? I anfwer, Their idolatrous religion infpires them with that hellifh fu

This part of the fubject was delivered Feb. 21. and the difcourfe here referred to was preached on occafion of a congregational faft, on the 17th, 1714, being the last year of Queen Anne's reign. It is well known, that plots were then carrying on by Papifts, Jacobites, and malignants, not without countenance from the then Tory miniftry, to bring a Po pifh pretender to the throne on the demife of that much-abufed princefs, in place of the late King George I. upon whom the crown had been entailed by act of parliament, as the neareft Proteftant heir; that great numbers of trafficking priests and Jefuits flocked into this kingdom; that Popish meetings were held more openly than formerly; that Prefbyterian minifters were infulted in feveral places, and threatenings of vengeance uttered to be inflicted on firm and ftanch Proteftants. At this dangerous feafon, Mr BOSTON, with that freedom and boldness that became a true patriot and an ambaffador of the King of kings, was not filent, but faithfully teftified against the abominations and cruelties of Papifts, and the madness and extravagance of Jacobites and malignants, in the afore.

Q 2

ry, 1 Kings xviii. 28. Pfal. cvi. 36. 37. 38. So does it on multiplying of them; for this particularity fhews that almost from every part of the universe the Heathens fetched their idols. And as the Heathens had, fo the Papifts have their idols and images of things in heaven, of God, angels, faints, and want not their queen of heaven, as well as the Pagans had. The earth furnishes them with an image of the cross, and with relics and images of the dead. Remarkable is

mentioned difcourfe, and others preached in those perilous times.

As the difcourfe referred to was feafonable at that time, fo it appears to be equally fo at this day, when Popery is evidently on the increate in many places of this kingdom, Edinburgh not excepted, wherein there are faid to be three numerous Popish meetings, and endeavours are used by writings. and fpeeches to reprefent Popery in a light quite different from what it really is, thereby to beguile unwary and unstable souls; and not only Papitts, but many infatuated and pretended Proteftants, not Epifcopalians only, but fome who pretend to be Prefbyterians, are as hearty and warm in the caufe of a Popish pretender as they were in any former period, and who, if their power were equal to their wifhes and defigns, would foon involve the nation in blood, and all the horrors of a civil war. Thefe confiderations have determined the preparer of this work for the prefs, to give the difcourfe entire, as it may be useful, through the divine bieffing, for preserving people from the abominations of Popery, and the fnares of Jacobites and malignants, thofe declared enemies to the religion and laws of their country, who alas! are ftill very numerous amongst us, notwithstanding the Lord has fignally teftified his difpleasure of their unhappy caufe, on two former occa fions, which will be ever remembered with gratitude by all true Proteftants, and hearty friends to the illuftrious houfe of Hanover, which God in mercy to thefe kingdoms has raised and maintained on the throne, and made the guardians of our religion, laws, and liberties. And it will be the hearty prayer of all who fear God, and have a juft fenfe of the in valuable liberties we enjoy under our happy conftitution, O deliver not the ful of thy turtle-dove unto the multitude of the wicked, particularly the Antichriftian beaft, and his tool a Po pith pretender and his abettors.

that which the author of the apocryphal book of Wif dom, which to the Papifts is canonical fcripture,

The Church's Prayer against the Antichriftian Beast and her other Enemies, explained and enforced.

A fermon preached on a congregational fast-day at Ettrick, Feb. 17. 1714.

PSALM lxxiv. 19.

O deliver not the foul of thy turtle-dove unto the multitude of the wicked.

TH

HIS text reprefents to us the cafe of Britain and Ireland at this day, (which like Rebekah have two parties ftruggling within them), and thereupon an application made to the Lord about it. In the words confider,

1. The ftruggling parties: thefe are Zion and Babylon; which never could and never will agree. The Chaldean Babylon and the Jewish Zion are the parties here immediately pointed at for it is plain that this pfalm was composed on the lamentable occafion of the Babylonians over-running Judea, and deftroying Jerufalem and the temple. The Chriftian Zion and the Antichristian Babylon are the parties now on the field, the former being both gone; and fo the text may be, without ftretching, applied to them. The one party is,

(1.) The turtle; i. e. the church. She is compared to the turtle-dove for her fidelity to God. The turtle is a creature of admired chastity, has but one mate, and cleaves closely to that, and will take no other. So the true church of God preferves her chastity, worshipping none but the true God. But it is a bird that often becomes a prey, as being harmless and weak. Only it is pleaded on her behalf, that he is God's turtle. On the other hand is,

(2.) The multitude. This is the Babylonians, ver. 7. Aq idolatrous cruel people who of old were fo heavy on the church of God. But among the multitude were others, nearer neigh bours to the Jews, particularly the Edomites, who jo'ning with the Babylonian army, were like fi ebrands among them to fpur them on to do mifchief, Obad. 11. Pfal. cxxxvii. 7. This is the cafe of this church with Papifts, the brats of Ba bylon, with whom join iffue our malignants; not confidering, that after they have helped Babylon to deftroy us, they will fall

chap. xiv. 15. gives as the original of idolatry, to wit, That a father, in bitternefs for his fon's death,

on them next; as Edom was deftroyed by Nebuchadnezzar fome time after the deftruction of Jerufalem.

The word rendered multitude in Hebrew fignifies the wild beaft, that lives upon other beafts, fuch as lions, wolves, &c.; and fo it may be read. And fo it points at two qualities of Babylonian enemies. (1.) Their idolatry, being defigned a wild beaft, in oppofition to the chafte turtle. Such are our new as the old Babylonians were. They are no more the fpoufe of Chrifl, but the great whore, that is mad on idols, and multitudes of them; and cannot be at ease with those that will not drink of the wine of their fornication. (2.) Their horrid cruelty; for having divefted God of his divine giory, and given it to others, they are divefted themselves of huma nity, and rage like wild beafts, when they can get their prey, devouring their fellow-creatures.

2. The party holding the balance betwixt the ftruggling par ties; that is, God himself, to whom application is here made. Babylon has not all at will; Zion's God has the balance of power in his own hand, and can caft the fcales what way he pleaseth, and give up or preferve the turtle as he fees

meet.

3. The address made to the great Arbitrator on the turtle's behalf, which is our work this day, deliver not the foul of thy turtle-dove unto the wild beast. Do not give up the turtle; fhe will find no mercy from the multitude, the wild beaft They are not content with the mischief they have done to the turtle; nothing lefs will fatisfy them than her life, her foul. The wild beat is gaping for her, not to pluck off her feathers, and fend her away wounded, but to fwallow her up quite, to de ftroy her root and branch: for behold the plot, ver. 8. Let us deftroy them together. But, Lord, do not give her up to them. It is a moft fervent addrefs, intimated by two words in one in Hebrew. We may take up the import of the words in four points.

I. The church may be in hazard of falling a prey to her e nemies, as a poor turtle to be fwallowed up by a devouring beaft. The church's lot has been in all ages like Paul's, to fight with wild beasts; and the may well fay, If it had not been the Lord who was on our fide; if it had not been the Lord whe was on our fide, when men rofe up against us then they had fwallowed us up quick, when their wrath was kindled again

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