Exposition of the Moral Law, Book 1 · Commandment 2 · Exercitation 9
EXERCITAT. IX. A compariſon betwixt the golden calves ſet vp in the wilderneſſe, the golden calves in Dan and Bethel, and the popiſh Idols. Commandement II.
Pſal. 106.19. They made a calfe in Horeb, and worſhiped the molten image; they changed their glory into the ſimilitude of an oxe that eateth graſſe.
THe idolatrie of Ieroboam, compared with the idolatrie of the Iſraelites in the wilderneſſe,The idolatrie of the Iſraelites under Ieroboam compared with their idolatrie in the time of Aaron. ſetting up the golden calfe, will be found a farre leſſe ſinne, if we looke nearely unto it.
Firſt, they had lately taſted of the great benefits of God, in delivering them out of Egypt by a mighty hand, and bringing them through the red ſea: Yet they ſoone forgot his workes; they waited not for his counſell. Pſal. 106.13.In benefit…. They forgot God their Saviour which had done great thin…s in Egypt, wonderfull workes in the land of Ham, and terrible things in the red ſea. Verſ. 21.22.
In outward pledges of his favour.Secondly they had many moe pledges of the favour of God, then the ten Tribes had, they had the cloud by day,foreign pa… …uſtiſſimorum. and the pillar of fire by night, hee fed them with the bread of the ſtrong ones, Pſal. 78.25. They had the tabernacle, and the arke the teſtimonie of God preſence amongſt them, which Ieroboam and the ten tribes had not; therefore their ſinne was greater then theirs.
In their prophets.Thirdy for prophets, they had Moſes the man of God, who was faithfull in all his houſe. Heb. 3.2. the ten tribes had Ahijah the Shilonite, but what was hee to Moſes? they had an old prophet in Bethel, but a greate deceiver, and they had a young prophet, but was eaſily deceived. 1. King. 13. and what were they to Moſes?
Fourthly, the ten tribes had prieſts but of the meaneſt and the baſeſt of the people. 1. King. 13.33.In their prieſts. Hee made of the loweſt of the people prieſts for the high places, whoſoever would, hee conſecrated him, and be became one of the prieſts of the high places: but they had Aaron the Lords high prieſt, who was conſecrated and ordained by God himſelfe, and called to this honour. Heb. 5.4.Aarons ſinne in making the golden calfe a greater ſinne than the ſinne of Demetrius or Ieroboam. he that had holineſſe to the Lord ingraven in a plate of gold upon his forehead, for him to ſit downe and faſhion an image with a graving toole; like another Demetrius the ſilver-ſmith, he making ſilver ſhrines to Diana, and he making golden calves to Iehova, what a great change was this? Againe he to repreſent the Lord by an oxe that eateth graſſe. Pſ. 106.20. This was a great abomination it was great idolatrie when the men of Lycaonia would have worſhiped God in the likeneſſe of men, Act. 14.11. but greater idolatrie to worſhip the lord in the likeneſſe of an oxe: Ieroboam made a feaſt day according to his owne heart, in honour of his idoll. 1. King. 12.13. ſo ſaid Aaron, to morrow is a feaſt to Iehova, this was a greater ſinne than that of Ieroboam.
Now let us compare the idolaters in our times with thoſe who worſhiped the golden calfe in the wildernes, and yee ſhall ſee greater abomination in this idolatrie than in the idolatrie of former times. The Iſraelites gave the glorie of Chriſt who dwelt in a cloud and pillar unto a calfe; but theſe idolaters give the glory of Chriſt when hee is dwelling in our fleſh,Sacrae ceremoniae Eccleſ. Rom. lib. 7. cap. de conſecratione agni dei. and glorified to a creature whom they worſhip as God indeed, giving it to their crucifixes and Agnus Dei.
When Chriſt was in the fleſh here, there were many who gave themſelves out for falſe Chriſts; but Chriſt forbiddeth to beleeve ſuch. Mat. 24.23. ſo theſe counterfet chriſts ſhould not be beleeved.
The Lord, Ezek. 23.4. maketh a compariſon betwixt two ſiſters,foreign Aholah and Aholibah. Aholah is tentorium, Abolibah is tentorium meum in ea. Hee calleth the ten tribes tentorium a tent, becauſe they were ſeparated from the temple of God now, and he calleth the kingdome of Iuda, tentorium meum in ea, my tabernacle in her, becauſe as yet they profeſſed the true worſhip of God. Aholah played the harlot. Verſ. 5. But yet her ſiſter Aholibah was more corrupted then ſhe, A compariſon betwixt the idolatrie of Iſrael and Iuda.Verſ. 11. So compare Aholah the Iewiſh church with Aholibah (who glorieth that ſhee is the true church) and ſhee ſhall be found the greater harlot of the two. And the lord comparing Samaria with Ieruſalem, Ezek. 16.51. ſaith, that Samaria had not committed halfe of the ſinnes which Iuda had committed, Quomodo Hebraei exprimunt comparativum gradum.but that Iuda had juſtified her ſiſter in all her abominations; amplificaſti abominationes tuas prae ipſis. Samaria was not ſimply juſtified, but onelyonly in compariſon with Iuda. So Luke. 18.14. The publican went downe to his houſe, juſtus prae illo, juſtified rather than the Phariſee. So Mat. 12.41.Surgere & ſtare in iudice… quid apud hebraci. The queene of the South ſhall riſe in judgement againſt this generation, that is; ſhall ſtand in judgement and not fall, compared with this generation: So if we will compare the Iewiſh idolatrie and the idolatrie of this generation,A compariſon betwixt the idolatrie of the Iewes, a…d the idolatrie in our times. they ſhall ſtand in judgement when this generation ſhall fall; and there ſhall bee a more eaſie ſentence pronounced againſt them, then againſt this generation.
The Iewes who were ſo much addicted to idolatrie before the Lord Ieſus Chriſts comming in the fleſh, quite renounced their idols, and they ſay now, that there is no puniſhment which befalleth them, but there is a drachme weight of the golden calfe in it; and when they ſee any church in which there are idols, they call it Beth Hatturpha, domus turpitudini…. foreignSo wee may hope that, before the Lords ſecond comming, they who ſtand moſt in defence of theſe idols: ſhall renounce them as a filthie thing, and acknowledge that there was a drachme weight of their idolatrie in all their former puniſhments.