himself to become their King and chief Governor, on their receiving him as the only true God, and putting themselves folely under his Protection, renouncing all Damon Protectors and Truft in Idols. Jehovah promises them a pleasant Land to inhabit, he brings them into that promised Land, and fettles them in it; they hold it of Jehovah, as his Gift; he drives out the Canaanites before them for their abominable Wickedness, the Fruits in great measure of their Idolatry; he bleffes this Nation in the Land he gave them with Liberty, Plenty, Peace and Profperity, as they keep his Covenant; but when they break it, he permits their Enemies to afflict and opprefs them. Thus a Nation is fet up to the View of the World small in itself, and weak in comparison of the great and powerful Empires which arofe in its Neighbourhood. The Egyptians, Affyrians, Babylonians, Medes, Perfians, and Greeks, all rofe, and all fell one after another; when this little Kingdom, tho' furrounded every way by them, faw them rife, and outlived their Fall. They fuffered, indeed, fometimes feverely, for their Corruption of the original Conftitution of their Government and Religion; yet ftill they continued their diftinct Government, Laws and Religion for above fourteen hundred Years; a much longer time than any known Empire or Kingdom of the World, if we fet afide the fabulous Stories of the AfSyrian fyrian and Egyptian Empires, and keep to hiftorical Truth. This Nation was moreover placed in fuch a Situation, as to be known to all the great Empires of the World, attempted by them all, and yet protected against them all, by the Power of Jehovah as the only true God, often with visible Marks of his immediate Protection and moft wonderful Works of his Power. This standing Example of Providence Hebrew ftruck at the very Foundations of Idolatry Governand idolatrous Worship, and to all who futation of ment a Con would obferve it was fufficient to fhew how the Princiweak and falfe all Trufts in the Idols of the ples of Idolatry. Heathens were. The World might fee in this conftant Example of the Hebrew Nation, it was a groundlefs and falfe Imagination, that the Supreme God had left the Disposal of particular Events relating to Mens Lives or Fortunes to inferior Beings. It might obferve, that the Bleffings of long Life, Health, Plenty, Victory, and fuch temporal Advantages as they look'd for from the Favour and Protection of their Idol Gods, were indeed referved by Jehovah the one true God in his own Hands. A conftant Admonition to all Men to truft alone in Jehovah, and not in lying Vanities; the Idols to whom they facrificed, whofe Protection and Favour they endeavour'd to obtain, not only by filly and ridiculous Ceremonies, but by immoral and wicked, most inhuman and abominable Rites. Here Here was a conftant Example to fhew the Power of Jehovah the one true God was fupreme, in fact fuperior to the Powers of any whom the idolatrous Nations worshipped as Gods. Thus when Jehovah brought Ifrael out of Egypt, with an high Hand and an out-stretched Arm, when the Walls of Jericho fell down in fo wonderful manner, how natural was it not only for the Hebrews but for all others to whom the Knowledge of these things should come, to fay, There is none among the Gods like unto Jehovah? Or, to use the Words of the Pfalmift, we may Pfalm cii, reason with him, So the Heathen fhall fear the Name of the Lord (Fehovah) and all the Kings of the Earth his Glory. Let a particular Inftance explain this Reafon against Idolatry, and fhew the Strength and thereby the Wisdom of it, as a standing Confutation of Idolatry. 15. xix. 10.12. When Sennacherib King of Affyria invaded Hezekiah King of Judah, he fends a Mef2 Kings fage to Hezekiah to this effect: Let not thy God in whom thou trufteft deceive thee. Have the Gods of the Nations delivered them, which my Fathers have deftroyed? How does Hezekiah reason on this Meffage from an idolatrous King, and in Reproach of his own Trust in 17, 18, 19. Jehovah the God of Ifrael? Of a Truth, Lord, the Kings of Affyria have defroy'd the Nations; (or the Heathen) and their Lands, and have caft their Gods into the Fire; for they they were no Gods, but the Work of Mens Hands, What followed upon this Prayer of Hezekiah, and his Truft in Jehovah the God of Ifrael, as the only God? Ifaiah was sent to promise Hezekiah, that God would deliver him from all the formidable Power of the King of Affyria, and defend Jerufalem to fave it. And accordingly it came to pass 2 Kings that Night, that the Angel of the Lord xix.34,35. went out and fmote in the Camp of the Af fyrians an hundred fourfcore and five thouJand; and when they arofe early in the Morning, behold they were all dead Corpfes. Thus God declared his Glory among the Heathen, his Wonders among all the People. This fhewed, Jehovah is great, and great-Pal. xcvi. ly to be praised, that he is to be feared a-3,4,5bove all Gods; for all the Gods of the Nations are Idols, but the LORD made the Heavens. This declares among the Heathen, that the LORD reigneth. When it was no wonder the Kings of Affyria should destroy the Lands of the Heathen Nations, together with their Gods; because they were Idols, vain Objects of Truft, and no Gods: yet Jehovah, as God and Protector of Ifrael, is able to fave them; for in one Night 10: Night he can cut off the whole Force of the moft powerful Enemies of his People. Thus far, it may be, you perceive without any difficulty, the Wisdom of the Hebrew Conftitution, as a Prefervative against Idolatry, and as a standing Confutation of it. But fome will still fay, why muft the Canaanites be driven out of their Country, be depriv'd of their juft Property and Liberty, by a People who had no Pretences to damage them, either in their Eftates or Perfons? The Hebrews, fome fay, had no Right at all to moleft the Canaanites; and it was, they add, a manifeft Violation of the moft facred Rules of Justice, for the Hebrews to take away the Eftates and Lives of the Canaanites, who had never injured the Ifraelites, or given them the least just Reafon to 'declare War, and invade them in an hoftile manner. So this Cafe is commonly, but very unfairly put; for it is no Part of the Question what Right the Hebrews had to difpoffefs the Canaanites of their Land, nor whether they had in themselves any Right at all. The fole Question is, Whether God, as fupreme Governor of the World, had a Right to punifh the Wickedness of the Canaanites, when their Iniquities were full; or whether the Juftice of Government will justify such Forfeitures and Penalties, as the Canaanites were punished with, by exprefs Command of |