Exposition of the Moral Law, Book 1 · Commandment 2 · Exercitation 7
EXERCITAT. VII. What force idols have to allure thoſe who worſhip them, and to draw men after them.
1. Cor. 12.2. Yee know that yee were Gentiles carried away unto theſe dumbe idols, even as ye were led.
THe loadſtone hath not ſo great vertue to draw the iron to it, as the idoll hath to draw the worſhiper after it. And as the whirlewinde carrieth a man violently: ſo do the idols draw men violently after them.
The ſcripture maketh mention of ſundry ſwift beaſts,foreign Dromas. Ier. 2.23. as the mule, Camelo-pardalis, the wild aſſe, and the dromedary. As the wild aſſe ſnuffeth up the winde at her pleaſure, and none can turne her away: and as the dromedary is moſt ſwift tranſverſing her wayes. Ier. 2.23.24. So are the idolaters ſwift in following their idols.
There are two things that a man is bound to care for ſpecially, his naturall life, and his ſpirituall life.
His naturall life conſiſteth in his health, wealth, and eaſe, but ſee how the idolaters to ſerve their idols, deſpiſe and neglect the care of theſe three.
Firſt, their health, they neglect their bodies,Idolaters neglect their health to ſerve their id…ls. and think their religion conſiſteth in abſtinence Coloſſ. 2.23. they disfigure their faces and looketh with a ſad countenance. Matt. 6.16. And which is more, the prieſts of Baal cut themſelves with knives and lancers untill the blood guſhed out upon them. 1. Kings 18.28. ſo doe Fratres flagellantes, who whip themſelves untill the blood run downe: and ſometimes they have given their bodies to be burnt for their idols.
Secondly, a man is bound to have a care of his wealth and riches, but how prodigally have the idolaters beſtowed their riches upon their idols?Idolaters ſpare no coſt for their idols. Exod. 32.3. And all the people brake off the golden eare-rings which were in their eares, and brought them to Aaron. So Hoſ. 8.4. of their ſilver and their gold have they made themſelves idols. So Ezek. 16.33. Others give gifts to whores, but thou giveſt thy gifts to all thy lovers, and hireſt them. So Pſal. 16.4. deum alienum dotant, that is, they give a dowrie to their idols, and beſtow their goods upon them, and ſtand not for coſt.
Thirdly their eaſe, they care not for their eaſe, ſo they may ſatisfie their idols. Exod. 32.6. And they roſe up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings. So Baals prieſts cryed from morning untill evening. 1. Kings 18.29.The heathen gave diverſe attributes to their idols, and to every attribute they made a prayer. They were not weary to uſe many idle repetitions and long prayers to their idols. They gave ſundry attributes to their idols, and to every attribute they uſed to ſay a prayer, and ſo with much vain babling they ſpent the time: So do many now ſpend their canonical houres, and this Chriſt forbideth: Matt. 6.7. But when ye pray, uſe not vaine repetitions, as the heathen doe, for they thinke they ſhall be heard for their much babling.
And their greateſt love ſhould be to their children who ſhould ſucceed them; but the unnatutall idolater will not ſtand to offer his children to Moloch, & to ſacrifice them to him. There is but one rare example in all the ſcriptures of Abraham, who at the commandement of God tooke his onelyonly ſonne Iſaack foreign, the ſonne of his age, and would have offered him to the Lord, but it was uſuall to theſe idolaters to ſacrifice their children to devils. Pſal. 106.37.
Secondly, for the ſpirituall and eternall life; they preferred their idols to it. Hoſ. 2.2. They carried their adulteries betwixt their breaſts: that is, the ſignes of their idolatrie, to teſtifie that the idoll had their heart, whereas they ſhould have carried the Lord as a bundle of mirrhe betwixt their breaſts: Cant. 1.13.
So they walked, behhukkoth, in their ſtatutes, Levit. 20.23. Whereas they ſhould have walked in his ſtatutes;foreign they gave all honour and reverence unto them; they cryed, Great is Diana of the Epheſians, Act. 19.28. They kept their gods and changed them not. Ier. 2.11. hath a nation changed their gods which are yet no gods?
May we not conclude then, Ier. 10.8. They are altogether brutiſh and fooliſh, Concluſion.the ſtock is a doctrine of vanities They who worſhip ſtocks and ſtones and dumbe idols, are more brutiſh then beaſts.