(Acts xiv. 8-18,), they "rent their clothes," in token of their utter abhorrence of what was intended; and in their address to the people, they expressly place all such acts on the same footing with "those vanities," those offerings to heathen deities, which this idolatrous people were accustomed to make. I am perfectly aware of the difference which the Papists make, between what they denominate doulia and latria-that it is the former only, (doulia,) that they offer to angels, to the mother of our Lord, and to other saints; implying no more than a grateful veneration of their virtues, and petitions to them to be intercessors with God and Christ, in behalf of the petitioners; and that the latter (latria) is the worship which they offer immediately to God and Christ, as alone able to forgive sin, and to confer all the benefits of redemption. For this distinction I cannot admit that there is any sufficient warrant or reason: but taking it exactly as they make it, I remark, that by addressing - prayers to angels and saints, at all times, and in many places of the world at the same time, they plainly invest them with the divine attributes of omnipresence and omniscience; which is idolatry in the strictest sense of the word-It is attributing to creatures, what belongs to God alone. Considering, moreover, that these prayers, addressed to saints and angels, are unspeakably more numerous than those offered to Jehovah, they bring those who offer them strictly within the apostle's definition of idolatry, "they worship and serve the creature MORE than the Creator," more in frequency, and really more as a matter of importance. The sin of worshipping God. by images, will come to be considered at length, in attending to the prohibitions of the second commandment. But as it is a breach of the first, to give divine honour to any thing that is not God, and as it is notorious that such honour is attributed, in the Romish church, to the images and pictures of saints and angels, and to the impious paintings, in which attempts have been made to represent the persons of the adorable Trinity, it is clear that there is a violation of both these commandments at once, in the instances to which I have referred. 2. Mental or secret idolatry, is practised without hesitation or remorse, by multitudes who would receive with horror or contempt, a proposal to fall down and worship stocks and stones. This mental or secret idolatry, consists in giving to any creature object that place in our hearts or affections, which of right belongs to God alone. Him we are required to love su premely-with all our heart, and soul, and strength, and mind; and when we refuse to do this, but love and serve something else more than God, we are, in his sight, as really chargeable with the sin of idolatry, as if we had made and worshipped a graven image. The apostle Paul expressly declares that "covetousness is idolatry," and of course every other affection or passion which is exercised with equal strength on a created object, must possess the same character. To attempt, therefore, to specify in detail all the ways in which the sin of mental or secret idolatry may be committed, would be nothing less than to endeavour to enumerate all the preferences of creatures to the Creator, which may take place in the minds of different individuals, in all that diversity of disposition, character and pursuit, which is found in the human family. The impracticability of this is obvious: and yet, as general representations make but little impression, and the subject before us is highly important and practical, I shall very briefly point your attention to several examples of idolatry, of the kind indicated by this part of our subject. (1.) Avarice, as we have seen, has been declared to be idolatry, by the voice of inspiration. "The mam"The mammon of unrighteousness," is the god that thousands, even in a Christian land, constantly and devotedly worship. Its devotees often sacrifice to it every sentiment, both of piety and humanity. To accumulate wealth, justice is disregarded, the poor and the helpless are treated with cruelty, and in some cases, not only their families, but their own persons, are subjected to pinching want and privation, by the wretched penuriousness of those whose god is gain. But in cases innumerable, where no such extreme is reached, nay, among those who have a standing, and are even office bearers in the church of Christ, there is an attachment to wealth, a value set upon it, and a manner of spending it, which is truly idolatrous. It is not consecrated to God, but hoarded, and loved, and used, not to promote the divine glory, the cause of Christ, and the good of mankind, but to serve merely the selfish purposes of its owner, or of his immediate family or dependantsto cherish luxury or worldly-mindedness, and to subserve personal aggrandizement and vain distinc tions. (2.) The love of fame is the idol of others. It is so especially of men of science and learning, of statesmen, legislators, philosophers, orators, poets, historians, and writers of all descriptions, and perhaps of no class of men so much, as of those who belong to the military profession. They often make no scruple to avow that fame, or character, and high reputation, in the various pursuits to which they have addicted themselves, is their idol-the supreme object of their regard, to which they determine that every thing else shall be subordinate, and to which, if it be necessary, they are ready to sacrifice life itself. They are "lovers of pleasures, more than lovers of God." This, my young friends, is the kind of idolatry by which persons at your period of life are most apt to be seduced into sin. Young persons are especially prone to forget God, neglect and contemn his worship, and violate his laws, through the solicitations of "the lusts of the flesh, the lusts of the eye, and the pride of life." For what are esteemed youthful pleasures, or that which is denominated, although most preposterously, a life of pleasure, thousands, in the morning of their days, renounce all allegiance to the God who made them, and give themselves up, in one form or another, to licentious indulgence. Through every gradation of vicious propensity, from an attachment to routes and dances, nocturnal parties and days of dissipation, to the grosser abominations of the theatre, the brothel, the gambling house, and the resort of the glutton and the drunkard, the idolaters of unhallowed pleasure are found. As you value the salvation of your souls then, O be deaf to the syren song of sinful pleasure!-for in the end "it stingeth like a serpent and biteth like an adder." (4.) The opinion of the world is often idolized. It is not possible to specify all the methods, or ways, in which men are influenced by a desire to "receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only." It is an idolatry of human opinion that leads multitudes, even of those who pay some regard to religion, into an unlawful conformity to the world, in its customs, fashions, maxims and opinions. They want resolution to take the word of God simply, as the standard of opinion and action-to come out from the world and be separate, and touch not the unclean thing. (2 Cor. vi. 17.) Other multitudes there are, 3. The love of pleasure-sensual who really are guided by scarcely pleasure is the idol of others any thing else in the sentiments they adopt, and the whole course of life and conduct they pursue, than a regard to their worldly reputation. What will injure their estimation in society they desire to avoid, and what will promote that estimation, they are most of all anxious to achieve. Human opinion, and not the law of God, is their rule, or standard, by which they judge and act-the idol that they worship. (5.) Kindred, relatives, or friends, are often idolized. "He (said the Saviour) that loveth father or mother more than me, is not worthy of me, and he that loveth son or daughter more than me, is not worthy of me." In the early periods of the Christian church, and in some other periods since, no alternative has remained, but either to renounce Christ, or to renounce the friendship of the dearest earthly connexions, and even submit to be formally and forever excluded from their presence and favour. Cases like this sometimes still occur, and whenever they do, he is an idolater who prefers a creature, however dear, to the Creator. But in instances innumerable, where no entire renunciation of the beloved object is required; nay, where a well regulated affection is an absolute duty, this idolatry is often practised-between husbands and wives, parents and children, brothers and sisters, and friends who are bound to each other, not by nature's ties, but by those of affection only. How often has the death of one, in some of these relations, made a survivor feel, and sometimes expressly say, that he has lost an idol. Nor can I forbear to point your attention in particular, my young friends, to that flattering and impassioned language which you will sometimes hear, and perhaps find used by popular writers, in the addresses made by the one sex to the other, in which idolatry and adoration is explicitly avowed. Language of this kind is the more detest able, because it is commonly_as bypocritical as it is impious. Let religious principle unite with a sense of propriety and the principles of good taste, to cherish in your minds an utter abhorrence of addressing others, or being addressed yourselves, in a manner so manifestly unsuited to those who, however lovely, should still remember that they are but creatures of a day, who are soon to return to the dust from which they were taken. Thus have I pointed out, in a few particulars, some of the most usual forms, or instances, of secret or mental idolatry. But you must be careful to remember, that the particulars mentioned are no more than examples, which should lead you to consider the subject for yourselves, and to watch your own hearts, that no creature objects usurp in them, the place that rightfully belongs to God-The objects and pursuits may be innumerable, but the sin is the same. Remember also, that it is a sin which reigns unsubdued in every unrenewed mind. The very essence of human depravity, con sists in a heart alienated from God, and given wholly to other objects. This awful bias of our corrupt nature must be changed, and God be enthroned in the heart, before we can ever serve him acceptably. But even in the people of God them. selves, there is a constant proneness to idolatry; against which they have need to watch and pray without ceasing. Let us now, very briefly, consider the next answer in the Catechism, which is, that "these words, BEFORE ME, in the first commandment, teach us, that God, who seeth all things, taketh notice of, and is much displeased with the sin, of having any other God." Omnipresence and omniscience are essential attributes of the Deity, and are necessarily connected with each other. As God is present in every place--most intimately present-so that "in Him we live, and move, and have our be-, ing," and could not subsist for a moment, if he should withdraw his support, it follows of course, "that he seeth all things." There is not an action of our lives, or a word of our lips, or a thought of our hearts, "but lo! he knoweth it altogether," -it is more perfectly known to him than it is to ourselves. Now, as he is thus the present and immediate witness of every thing we either do or think, so we must believe that, in an especial manner, "he taketh notice of what is directly derogatory to himself. But "the sin of having any other God," is directly derogatory to himself. It is a denial of his worthiness to be the supreme object of our affections; it is robbing him of what is his due, and giving it to one of his creatures as a rival; and it is this high affront and insult offered, if I may so express it, to his very face. It is always considered as marking the last stage of impudent profligacy, even among men, when one of inferior station and bad character, will do wickedly in the very presence and under the known observation of a superior of elevated rank, and of distinguished virtue and goodness. And if the wickedness consists in a direct affront or insult to the observing superior, it demonstrates the extinction of shame and of all moral sensibility, in the abandoned transgressor. Now all this, and unspeakably worse than this, is the affront offered to the Lord Jehovah by the sins of atheism and idolatry -I say unspeakably worse, because the reverence due from man to God, is not to be compared with that which is due from any one man to another. Hence we find, that throughout the holy scriptures, the sin of idolatry (as being directly levelled, and that in the most provoking manner, against the claims and authority of the Most High God) is represented as of the most aggravated kind, and as being visited with the sorest judgments, even in this life-and if not repented of and forsaken, as subjecting the transgressor to the most fearful condemnation, in the life that is to come. The remainders of this sin which cleave to the people of God themselves, by grieving his Holy Spirit to withdraw his enlightening and consoling influence, are the real cause of much, perhaps of most, of the doubt, and fear, and spiritual darkness and dejection, which they experience; and of many of the sore chastisements, of an external kind, which a faithful and covenant keeping God inflicts upon them, that he may teach them the vanity of the creatures they have idolized, and thus recall them to himself. The result of the whole is, that as "God who seeth all things, taketh notice of and is much displeased with the sin of having any other God," we should make it the subject of constant and earnest prayer, that we may be enabled to "set the Lord always before us;" and that, considering him as the heart searching and rein trying God, who is jealous for his honour, we may be deterred from every act of idolatry, may be disposed to give up every unhallowed attachment to created things, and may be enabled fully to obey the injunction of the disciple whom Jesus loved, when speaking by the Holy Ghost he said-"Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen." FOR THE CHRISTIAN ADVOCATE. ON FREE-WILL. Mr. Editor,-Who has not heard of the controversies which have so often agitated the church, respecting the nature of human liberty? It is not my intention to stir them. I should joyfully say, "Peace to their ashes!" were I only assured that they had gone to rest. In the mean time, it may not be wholly without profit to look at the sentiments of some of the good and great men, who breasted the storms that raged around the infancy and youth of the REFORMATION, upon this subject, in connexion with what may be considered the views of the reviving church of Christ in France. Although some of the terms used by our worthy predecessors may be liable to objection, yet, in almost every case, it will be found, that the things which they intended by these terms, were facts, established upon a sound interpretation of the word of God. Thus, in the present case, we may justly object to the term free-will; for the will, to be what it is, must be free. But the thing, which the Reformers intended by this term, viz., the liberty of willing and doing what is spiritually good, and which they denied to be in unregenerate men, is a truth taught in Scripture, and obvious to the intelligent and unprejudiced observer of mankind. We must, however, understand in what sense the word, liberty, is used in this connexion; for it has been usual to distinguish liberty into different kinds; a difference which is rather to be sought in the principles from which men act, than in the freedom from foreign force with which they act. For all men act freely from the principles of action which they possess; but they cannot act from principles which they do not possess. I take this to be, in few words, the true theory of human liberty. But in the fanguage of our predecessors, liberty is divided into natural and moral. Natural liberty is the power of choosing, willing, purposing, &c. of which every man is conscious, and which is essential to every responsible agent. Without this, man could not be man. Moral liberty has reference to a certain law; and as there is a two-fold law, that of reason or nature, and that of revelation, so moral liberty is subdivided into rational, and spi ritual. Rational liberty is the power of willing and acting agreeably to the dictates of reason. Spiritual liberty is the power of willing and acting according to the requisitions of the divine will, expressed in the revealed word of God. The use of the term, free-will, was limited to this last kind of liberty; and the question was, whether fallen men possessed the ability, in themselves, of willing and doing those things which are spiritually good and well pleasing in the sight of God. The advocates of free-will affirmed, the Reformers denied. In the Augsburg Confession, art. xviii. the first Reformers teach, "that the human will has a certain liberty to the performance of things civilly right, and to choose things within the province of reason: but that, without the assistance of the Holy Spirit, it has not the power of working the righteousness of God, or spiritual righteousness; but this [power] is produced in the heart, when the Holy Spirit begets it by the word." The English Reformers, in their tenth article, express themselves as follows:-"The condition of man after the fall of Adam, is such, that he cannot turn and prepare himself, by his own natural strength and good works, to faith and calling upon God: wherefore we have no power to do good works pleasant and acceptable to God, without the grace of God by Christ, preventing us, that we may have a good will, and working with us when we have that good will." About the same time that the xxxix. articles were ratified in England, a Confession was authorized in Scotland, in which we find the following passages. Art. iii. "The image of God was utterly defaced in man, and he [Adam] and his posterity, of nature became enemies to God, slaves to Satan, and servants to sin." Art. xii. "Of nature we are so dead, so blind, and so perverse, that neither can we |