But the imaginary vengeance which the tutelary GOD was supposed to take on those, who, inhabiting his Land, yet slighted his Worship, was at length really taken on the Idolatrous Cutheans, when they came to cultivate the land of Israel. For the Almighty having, in condescension to the prejudices of the Israelites, assumed the title of a TUTELARY LOCAL GOD, and chosen Judea for his peculiar regency; it appeared but fit that he should discharge, in good earnest, the imaginary function of those tutelary GODS, in order to distinguish himself from the lying Vanities of that infatuated age. Therefore when so great a portion of his Chosen people had been led captive, and a mixt rabble of Eastern idolaters were put into their place, he sent plagues amongst them for their profanation of the holy Land. Which calamity their own principles easily enabled them to account for. The story is told in these words: "And the

king of Assyria brought men from Babylon, and "from Cuthah, and from Ava, and from Hamath, "and from Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities "of Samaria, instead of the children of Israel: and "they possessed Samaria, and dwelt in the cities "thereof. And so it was at the beginning of their "dwelling there, that they feared not the Lord: "therefore the Lord sent lions amongst them, which "slew some of them. Wherefore they spake to the king of Assyria, saying, The nations which thou hast " removed, and placed in the cities of Samaria, KNOW NOT THE MANNER OF THE GOD OF THE LAND: "therefore he hath sent lions amongst them, and "behold, they slay them, because they know not the "manner of the God of the land. Then the king "of Assyria commanded, saying, Carry thither one "of the Priests-and let him teach them the manner

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of the God of the land. Then one of the Priests came and dwelt in Bethel, and taught them how they should fear the Lord. Howbeit, every nation "made Gods of their own-every nation in their "cities wherein they dwelt. So these nations feared "the Lord, and served their graven images, both "their children, and their childrens children: as did "their fathers, so do they unto this day*."

But, lest this account of the miraculous interposition should be misunderstood as an encouragement of the notion of local Gods, or of intercommunity of worship, rather than a vindication of the sanctity of that Country, which was consecrated to the God of Israel, the sacred Historian goes on to acquaint us with the perverse influence this judgment had on the new inhabitants, so contrary to the divine intention. "They feared the Lord, and served their own Gods, "after the manner of the nations whom they carried 66 away from thence. Unto this day they do after the "former manners: they fear not the Lord, neither do they after their statutes, or after their ordinances,

or after the Law and Commandment which the "Lord commanded the children of Jacob, whom he "named Israel t." They feared the Lord, and served their own Gods; that is, they feared the vengeance impending on the exclusion of the Worship of the God of Israel. But they feared not the Lord, neither did after their Statutes. That is, they transgressed the Commandment which they found so frequently repeated in the Pentateuch, of joining no other Worship to that of the God of Israel.

And this was the true reason why the Kings of Persia and Syria (when Judea afterwards became a province to them) so frequently appointed sacrifices to + Ver. 33, 34:

2 Kings xvii. 24. et seq.

be

be offered to the God of the land, at Jerusalem, in behalf of themselves and families. Nor was the practice disused when the Jews fell under the Roman yoke; both Julius Cæsar and Augustus making the same provision for the felicity of the Empire.

Hence therefore the third source of the Jewish idolatries. It was this superstitious reverence to local Deities within their own departments, which made them so devoted, while in Egypt, to the Gods of that Country; and when in possession of their own land, to the tutelary Gods of Canaan.

But this intercommunity of Worship, begun by the migration of People and Colonies from one country to another, grew more general, as those migrations became more frequent. Till at length the frequency, aided by many other concurrent causes (occasionally taken notice of in several places of this work), made the intercommunity universal. And this was the last source of Jewish idolatries. This drew them into the service of every God they heard of; or from whom they fancied any special good might be obtained; especially the Gods of all great and powerful Nations. These prejudices of opinion, joined to those of practice which they had learnt in Egypt, were the true causes of their so frequent lapse into idolatry,

From all this it appears, that their defection from the God of Israel, wicked and abominable as it was, did not however consist in the rejecting him as a false God, or in renouncing the Law of Moses as a false Religion; but only, in joining foreign Worship and idolatrous Ceremonies to the Ritual of the true God. Their bias to the idolatries of Egypt was inveterate custom; their inclination for the idolatries of Canaan was a prevailing principle that the tutelary God of the place should be worshipped by its inhabitants;

and their motive for all other idolatries, a vain expectation of good from the guardian Gods of famous and happy Nations.

These were all inflamed by that common stimulation of a debauched People, the luxurious and immoral rites of Paganism; for it is to be observed that these defections generally happened amidst the abuses of prosperity. There is a remarkable passage in the Book of Joshua, which sets this matter in a very clear light. The Israelites having lapsed into idolatry, Joshua drew together their Heads and Rulers at Shechem, in order to a reformation. And the topic, he insists upon for this purpose, is not, that the God of Israel was the only true God, the Maker of all things; but that he was the family-God of the race of Abraham, for which he had done so great things. And this he prosecutes from the 2d to the 13th verse of the xxivth chap. His conclusion from all is, "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." However (continues he) at least make your choice, and either serve the Lord, or serve the Gods of other People. "And the People answered, "God forbid we should forsake the Lord, to serve other

Gods: for we acknowledge him to be that God "who has done so great things for us." To this Joshua replies, "Ye cannot serve the Lord; for he is an holy God; he is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions, nor your sins t." From all this it appears, that the point debated between Joshua and his People, was not, whether the Israelites should return to God, whom they had rejected and forsaken; but whether they should serve him ONLY, or, as Joshua + Ver. 16, 17.

* Ver. 14.

i Ver. 19.

expresses

expresses it, serve him in sincerity and in truth. For on their exclaiming against the impiety of rejecting God," God forbid we should forsake the Lord;

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we will still serve him;" meaning along with the other Gods,--their Leader replies, Ye cannot serve the Lord, for he is an HOLY God: he is a JEALOUS God; i.e. As a holy God, he will not be served with the lewd and polluted Rites of the Nations; and as a jealous God, he will not suffer you to serve Idols of wood and stone with his Rites. The consequence is, You must serve him alone, and only with that worship which he himself hath appointed.

That this was the whole of their Idolatry, is farther seen from the accounts which the holy Prophets give us of it, in their reproofs and expostulations.

*

ISAIAH says, To what purpose is the multitude of your Sacrifices unto me? saith the Lord: I am full of the Burnt-offerings of Rams, and the Fat of fed Beasts, &c. To whom are these words addressed? To those who, besides their numerous Immoralitics, there reckoned up at large, delighted in idolatrous worship in Groves and high Places. For the Denunciation is thus continued: They shall be ashamed of the OAKS which ye have desired, and ye shall be confounded for the GARDENS that ye have chosent. He describes them again in this manner; A People that provoketh me to Anger continually TO MY FACE; that sacrificeth in Gardens, and burneth Incense upon Altars of Brick, Yet, at the same time, these men gloried so much in being the peculiar People of the Lord, that they said, Stand by thyself, come not near to me; for I am holier than thou§.

JEREMIAH draws them in the very same colours: Though they say, The Lord liveth, surely they swear + Ver. 29. ↑ Ch. lxv. ver. 3. § Ver. 5.

Chap. i. ver. 11.

E 4

falsely,