What is true, in this respect, of Intelligent creatures universally, is peculiarly true of Sinful creatures. The disposition of sinners leads them, of course, to that conduct, which is wrong and mischievous. They are, therefore, always in danger of erring from mere disposition. Besides, sin renders the mind voluntarily igno rant; and in this manner, also, exposes it continually to error. A great part of all the false opinions, entertained by mankind concerning their duty, are to be attributed solely to the biasses of a sinful disposition. None are so blind, none so erroneous, as those who are unwilling to see.

From a merciful regard to these circumstances, particularly, of mankind, God has been pleased to reveal to thein his pleasure, and their duty; to disclose to them all those modes of moral action, all those kinds of moral conduct, in which they may most promote his glory, and their own good. The importance of this Revelation is evidenced, in the strongest manner, by the moral situation of that part of the human race, to whom it has never been published. I need not inform you, that they have been wholly ig norant of the true God, and of a great part of the principles and precepts, of the moral system; that they have worshipped men, animals, evil spirits, and gods of gold and silver, of wood and stone. I need not inform you, that they have violated every moral precept, and every dictate of natural affection. I need not inform you, that without Revelation we should have been heathen also; and should, in all probability, have been this day prostrating our selves before an ox or an ape, or passing children through the fire unto Moloch.

Among the several parts of the Revelation, which has raised our moral condition so greatly above that of the heathen, the Decalogue, is eminently distinguished. The decalogue is a larger summary of our duty, than that which is contained in the two great commands, already considered. The same things, in substance, are required in it; but they are branched out into various important particulars; all of them supremely necessary to be known by us. To enforce their importance on our minds, God was pleased to utter the several precepts, contained in this summary, with his own voice; and to write them with his own finger on two tables of stone, fashioned by himself. They were published, also, amid the thunderings and lightnings of Mount Sinai, from the bosom of the cloud, by which it was enveloped, and out of the flame, which ascended from its summit.

'The four first of the commands, contained in the decalogue, regulate our immediate duty to God; the six last, our duty to men. The former were written on one, properly called the first, table; the latter on another, usually styled the second, table.

Two of these commands, one of the first and one of the second table, are positive, that is, direct injunctions of our duty: the remaining eight are negative, or prohibitory. Both classes, however,

are of exactly the same extent: those, which are positive, forbid ding the conduct, which is contrary to what they enjoin; and those, which are negative, requiring that, which is contrary to what they forbid.

The first of these commands is the text. The duty, enjoined in it, is of such a nature, that, to a mind governed by the dictates of reason, an express injunction of it would seem in a great measure unnecessary, if not altogether superfluous. So vast is the differ ence between the real God, and every possible substitute, that sober contemplation would scarcely suspect it to be possible for a man, who is not bereft of Reason, to put any other being into his place, even under the influence of the most wandering fancy. How unlike all other beings must He evidently be, who made the heavens and the earth; whose breath kindled the sun and the stars; and whose hand rolls the planets through immensity! How infinitely superior does he obviously appear to every thing, which he has made; and how infinitely remote from any rival, or any second! Still, experience has amply testified, that mankind have, almost without ceasing, substituted other Gods for JEHOVAH. Nay, it has clearly evinced, not only that we need to be taught the duty, required by him in the text, but that no precepts, no instructions, and no motives, have been sufficient to keep the world in obedience to this first and greatest law of moral conduct. Nothing, indeed, has so strongly evinced the madness of the human heart, as the conduct, which it has exhibited towards the Creator; and the idolatry, which it has rendered to a vast multitude of the works of his hands.

The word, gods, in this passage, may be regarded as denoting not only the various objects of religious worship, but also all the ob jects of supreme regard, affection, or esteem. The command, it will be observed, is expressed in the absolute, or universal, manner, and may be fairly considered as including every thing, to which mankind render, or can be supposed to render, such regard. The phrase, before me, is equivalent to the expressions, in my sight, in my presence; and teach us that no such gods are to be admitted within the omnipresence, or within the view of the omniscience, of Jehovah. With these explanations, it will be easily seen, that the text indispensably requires us to acknowledge the real God as our God; and forbids us to regard any other being in this character.

To acknowledge Jehovah as our God is to love him supremely, to fear before him with all the heart, and to serve him throughout all our days; in absolute preference to every other being. In this manner we testify, that we esteem him infinitely more excellent, venerable, and deserving of our obedience, than all other beings. After the observations, which I have heretofore made concerning these subjects, it will be unnecessary to expatiate on them at the present time. I shall only observe, therefore, that this is the

highest, the noblest, and the best, service, which we can render to any being, and the only way in which we can acknowledge any being as God. When we render this service to Jehovah, we acknowledge him in his true character. He is infinitely the greatest, and the best, of all beings; and we are under infinitely greater obligations to him, than to any other. Of course, his claims to this service from us, and from all other Intelligent creatures, are supreme, and exclusive. When it is rendered by them, God is acknowledged to be what he is; thus divinely great and excellent. At the same time, and in the same manner, we declare, that by his character, and by his blessings, he has laid us under the highest obligations to such conduct.

As this is the only true, natural, and proper, acknowledgment of God; so, when we render the same service to any creature, we acknowledge that creature as our God. In this conduct we are guilty of two gross and abominable sins. In the first place, we elevate the being, who is thus regarded, to the character, and station, of a God: and, in the second place, we remove the true God, in our heart, from his own character of infinite glory, and excellence, and from that exalted station, which he holds as the infinite Ruler, and Benefactor, of the Universe. This sin is a complication of wickedness, wonderfully various and dreadful. In truth, it is a comprehensive summary of iniquity, and the basis of all the crimes which are committed by Intelligent creatures. The evil, involved in it, may, in some measure, be learned from the following obser

vations.

1st. We are in this conduct guilty of the grossest Falsehood.

We practically deny, that Jehovah is possessed of those attributes, which alone demand such service from Intelligent creatures; and, on the other hand, assert in the same manner, that the being, to whom we render this service, is invested with these attributes. No falsehoods can be so gross, or so abominable, as these. Nor can they be uttered in any manner, so forcible, so provoking, or so guilty. Our practice is the real interpreter of our thoughts. The tongue may utter any thing at pleasure; but the heart is always disclosed by the language of the life.

2dly. In this conduct, also, we are guilty of the greatest Injus

fice.

This evil is likewise two-fold. First; we violate the rightful claim of Jehovah to the service of Intelligent creatures: and secondly; we render to a creature the service which is due to Him alone. The right, which God has to this service, is supreme, and unalienable. He is our Maker, and Preserver. We are in the most absolute sense his property; and are bound, therefore, by the highest obligation, to be voluntarily his; cheerfully to resign ourselves to his pleasure, and to be employed in doing his will. The obligations, arising from this source, are not a little enhanced by the fact, that the service, which he actually requires of us, is in

the highest degree profitable to ourselves: our highest excellence, our greatest honour, and our supreme happiness. At the same time, these obligations are wonderfully increased by the consideration, that God is infinitely excellent and amiable, and therefore claims this testimony of the heart as the just and perfect acknowledgment of his perfect character. Were he not our Creator, nor our Preserver, we could not still refuse to render him this regard, without the greatest injury to so glorious a Being.

The created object, to which we actually yield this service, is destitute of all claims to it. In rendering it to him, therefore, we add insult to injustice; and, not contented with denying, and violating the rights of the Creator, we prefer to him, in this manner, a being who is less than nothing, and vanity.

3dly. We are also guilty of the vilest Ingratitude.

From the wisdom, power, and goodness, of God, we derive our being, our blessings, and our hopes. He created us, he preserves us; and he daily loads us with his loving-kindness. He gave his Son to die for us; and sent his Spirit to sanctify us. It is impossible, that we should be in any circumstances, which demand equal gratitude towards any, or towards all, created beings. The service, which he actually requires as the requital of all this beneficence, is no other than in our thoughts, affections, and conduct, to acknowledge him to be what he is; to reverence him, as being infinitely great; to love him, as infinitely excellent; and to serve him as the infinitely righteous and reasonable Ruler of all things. What ingratitude can be compared with that of a creature, who refuses this service? Yet even this ingratitude is mightily enhanced by the wanton wickedness of transferring the regard, which is due to him only, to one of his creatures: a creature like ourselves; perhaps inferior to ourselves: a being, in this view, of no worth; to whom we are under no obligations; and who has not the smallest claim to any such homage. What crime can be more provoking, or more guilty, than the preference of such a creature to such a God?

It was observed above, that the sin, forbidden in the text, is wickedness, wonderfully complicated. Nothing would be more easy, than to show, that pride, rebellion, hatred of excellence, blasphemy, and many other sins, are included in this conduct. It would, however, be unnecessary for the present design, and the time, which such an examination would demand, will, if I mistake not, be more profitably employed in attending to the following

REMARKS.

1st. From these observations we learn, that Idolatry is a sin of the first magnitude.

That a sin, which combines in itself Falsehood, Injustice, and Ingratitude, pride, rebellion, and blasphemy, all existing in the grossest and most impudent degree, is of the first magnitude, can

not be questioned, with reason, or decency. Equally evident is it, that a sin, which is at the bottom of all other wickedness, must be peculiarly enormous. That such is the nature of Idolatry is unanswerably proved by the fact, that, wherever God is acknowledged in the manner above described, the moral character is of course, spotless and unblameable. The commencement of turpitude in an Intelligent creature is his alienation from God, and his preference of some other object to Jehovah. In proportion to the prevalence of this spirit, wickedness of every kind prevails; and in proportion to the degree, in which the soul overcomes, and renounces, this preference, it becomes possessed of moral excellence in all its forms. This truth is strongly seen in the character, and conduct, of all those virtuous men, whose history is recorded in the Scriptures. In a manner scarcely less forcible, or certain, it is also seen in the experience of mankind. All virtue flourishes, wherever God is acknowledged according to the import of the text: and wherever he is not thus acknowledged, all virtue decays, and dies. The great, open, public acknowledgment of God is exhibited in the solemnities of the Sabbath, and the Sanctuary. Wherever these exist uniformly, and prosperously, good ness of character, and of life, will be regularly found to prevail. Wherever they decline, or vanish, virtue invariably vanishes with them.

Nor is this truth less evident from the personal experience of every Christian. Whenever he magnifies in his heart his Father, Redeemer, and Sanctifier; all his affections are purified, evangelical, and heavenly. His conversation is such as becometh godliness; and his life adorns the doctrine of God his Saviour; is a happy resemblance of the celestial character, and a delightful preparation for celestial enjoyment. But when he ceases, for a time, to yield this glory to his Maker; when the importance of the divine character is lessened, or obscured, in his eyes; when God becomes to the view of his mind less venerable, less excellent, and less lovely; his apprehensions of spiritual objects are clouded and dim; his virtuous affections are cold, inactive, and lifeless. His purposes are bounded by the present world, and centered in himself; and his life is devested of its former beauty, worth and enjoyment. God is the Sun of the Soul. Wherever he shines; there is more moral day, warmth, life, and energy. There, every thing excellent springs up beneath his quickening beams; grows unceasingly with vigour and beauty; and ripens into usefulness and enjoyment. In the absence of this divine luminary, the soul is darkened by night, and chilled by a moral winter. Its views become dim, its affections frozen and torpid, and its progress through life a scene of desolation.

2dly. The same observations teach us, that all mankind are guilty of Idolatry.

Covetousness is styled idolatry by St. Paul; and stubbornness