Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

them (s): God was pleafed fo far to admit his Interceffion, as to order him to prepare the People to march for Canaan (t), telling him, that he would fend an Angel before them to put them in poffeffion of the Land (u); but that himself would not go up any further in the midst of them (w): upon Mofes's acquainting the People herewith, they were greatly dejected (x): God hereupon appointed them a folemn Humiliation to avert his Displeasure (y), and Mofes erected a Tent without the Camp, and called it the Tabernacle of the Congregation (*), and upon this the cloudy Pillar defcended, in the fight of all the People, and here the Lord talked with Mofes (a), and at length promised him, that his Prefence thould go with them, and give them Rest (b).

It cannot but at first Sight feem a very monftrous thing to us, that the Ifraelites in the midst of what God was doing for them; whilst his Prefence amongst them was fo vifible to them; whilft the Sight of his Glory was like a devouring Fire on the Top of the Mount; I fay, whilft God was thus marvellously and evidently near to them, it may be thought very strange and unaccountable, that they fhould fo presently fall away from what had been commanded them (c), and fall into what must appear to us a moft grofs and fenfelefs Folly: To fet up a Calf; to

[blocks in formation]

make it a God; to pay worship to it. It is generally faid, that the Ifraelites dedicated the Calf in Imitation of what the Egyptians practi sed in their Religion: This was Philo's Opini on (d), and St. Stephen confirms it (e), and therefore what fome have fuppofed, that Aaron formed the Calf to reprefent a Cherubim (f), iş not only a mere groundless Fancy, but contradicts what the facred Writer hints to us; namely, that their turning their Hearts back to Egypt, their inclining to have fuch Sacra as were there ufed, was what led them to fet up this Object for their Worship (g). It has been argued by fome, that the Ifraelites intended here to fall intirely into the Egyptian Religion, and that the Deity they made the Calf to, was fome God of the Egyptians (b); but I think it plain that this was not the Fact: The Ifraelites evidently defigned to worship in the Calf, the God who had brought them out of the Land of Egypt (i), and their Feaft was accordingly proclaimed, not to any Egyptian Deity, but to the Lord; to Jehovah (k); to their own God; fo that their Idolatry confifted, not in really worshipping a falfe Deity; but in making an Image to the true and living God: And this being the Fact, and this Fact being exprefsly condemned as Idolatry by the Apoftle (, the Papifts are from hence unanswerably charged with Idolatry for their Image-worship, and

40.

(d) Phil. Jud. de vit. Mofis 1. 3. p. 677. (e) Acts vii. 39, (f) Spencer. de Leg. Heb. 1. 1. c. 1. § 1. Witfii Egyp tiac. 1. 2. c. 2. (g) Acts vii. ubi fup. (b) Spencer. ubi fup. (i) Exod. xxxii. 4. (k) ver. 5. (4) Corinth. x. 7.

they

they can in no wife juftify themselves; for what they can offer, if it might be admitted, would vindicate the Ifraelites as well as them: It will be ftill faid, What if the Egyptian Religion was indeed full of these fenfelefs Superftitions, is it not strange that the Ifraelites should be fo fond of continually imitating the Rites and Usages of that Nation? I answer: This muft indeed feem ftrange and unaccountable, if we can imagine, that they were for copying after these Patterns merely because they were Egyptian; but the Fact appears in another Light; if we confider that the Wisdom of Egypt was in thefe Days of the highest Repute of any in the World, and that the Egyptian Inftitutions were not at this Time fufpected to be abfurd, unreasonable, or fuperftitious (n); but on the contrary Reafon and Philofophy were thought inconteftably to fupport the Practice of them (0): I cannot imagine the Ifraelites to have been fuch fervile Imitators of Egypt, as fome learned Writers are apt to reprefent them: We fee in Fact they had rejected their Gods; being convinced, that the God who had brought them out of the Land of Egypt, was the only God to be worshipped by them (p); and had they been as sensible that

(n) Οὐδὲν γὰρ ἄλογον, ἐδὲ μυθώδες, ο δὲ ὑπὸ δεισιδαιμο νίας (ὥσπερ ἔνιοι νομίζεσιν) εγκατεςοιχει το ἱερεργίαις. Plutarch. in lib. de Ifid. et Ofirid. p. 353. (0) Kanas di rópa Tà περὶ τὰς θυσίας ἔταξαν, διὸ δὲν μάλιςα πρὸς ταῦτα λόγον ἐκ φιλοσοφίας μυςαγωγὸν ἀναλαβόντας ὁσίως διανοίας τῶν λεγομένων καὶ δρωμένων έκασον. Id. ibid. p. 378. P. (P) Exod.

xxxii. 4, 5.

[ocr errors]

the

the Calf, they made, was a real Abfurdity, they would, I dare fay, not have been at all induced to make it by any Knowledge or Imitation of the Sacra of the Egyptians; but according to the Rudiments of the World in these Ages, Reason was thought very clearly to dictate, that Images were neceffary to a lively and fignificant Service of the Deity (q), and fuch a fort of Image as the Ifraelites now ufed, was accounted to be by Nature defigned for this very Purpofe (r); and the wife and the learned thought they worshipped quoins; and esteemed it a Part of natural Religion to dedicate these Sacra. And thus I should think, I might juftly fay of the Ifraelites, that in all they did in this Matter, there had no Temptation taken them, but what is common to Man (s): It is indeed true, God had made a Covenant with this People (t), and the Import and Defign of it, was to engage them to obey his Voice indeed (u), and to walk in the Ways which he fhould command them (w), that they might not walk in the Counfels of their own Hearts (x), but that they should truft in the Lord with their whole Heart, and not lean to their own Understanding (y): This was to have been their Wisdom, this their Under

(9) Plutarch. ubi fup. Antiquos fimulachra Deorum confinxiffe, quæ cum oculis animadvertiffent, hi, qui adiffent divina Myfteria, poffent Animam Mundi ac Partes ejus, id eft, Deos veros videre. Varro in Fragment. P. 40. (*) Τιμῶντας διὰ τέτων τὸ θεῖον ὡς ἐναργεςέρων ἐσόπρων καὶ φύσει γεγονότων. Plut. ubi (s) Corinth. x. 13. (t) Exod. xxiv. 5.-8. Deut. v. (x) Exod. xix. 5. Jerem. vii. 22. 23. (w) Jerem. (x) Jerem. vii. 24. (y) Proverbs iii. 5..

Sup.

3.

ibid.

Standing

standing in the fight of all Nations (~); if they would have bowed their Hearts to adhere to it: But when or where has Mankind been truly ready to pay unto God this Obedience of Faith? Our firft Parents would not be restrained by a divine Command from what they thought in Reason was to be defired to make them wife (a): And thus the Ifraelites would have Images, when they thought Reason and natural Science to be for them, tho' God had faid exprefsly, Make no Image (b): In the fame Spirit and way of thinking, the learned Greeks in their Day would not admit the Doctrine of the Crofs, tho' attefted to come from God by the Demonftration of the Spirit and of Power (c), because it feemed Foolishness to them (d): And I need not remark how difficult it is at this Day, to perfuade Men to have their Faith ftand, not in the Wisdom of Man, but in the Power of God (e): Vain Man would be wife, though Man be born as the wild Affes Colt (ƒ): A restless Inclination to pursue what feem the Dictates of human Wisdom, rather than strictly to adhere to what God commands, has ever been the Tagaoμos av&gWTTIVOS (g), I might say the human Foible, the Seducement, which has been too apt to prevail against us: Our modern Reasoners think they argue right, when they contend, that "if we find any thing in a "Revelation, that appears contrary to our

(z) Deut. iv. 6. (c) Corinth. i. 24. (f) Job. xi. 12.

(a) Gen. iii. 6.
(d) ch. i. 23.
(g) i Corinth. x. 13.

(b) Exod. xx. 4. (e) ch. ii. 5.

Reason,

« AnteriorContinuar »