images and idols of silver and gold, or of wood and stone; neither have the letters any resemblance, or likeness to any object in nature they merely convey to, and from, the immaterial mind, immaterial ideas, and as such are unlike material idols, and hence, are no violations of the second commandment.

SECTION II. ANCIENT IDOLATRY.

In this place, in order to the sequel, it may not seem amiss to enter a little further into the subject of ancient idolatry, by giving an outline, and to state how it began.

First, that of Asia, Greece and Rome.

The Babylonians, and Assyrians first worshipped Bel, or Baal, an image of Belus, the father of Ninus, who, to render the name and memory of his father, Belus, or Nimrod, immortal, procured a statue of him to be created, and paid divine honour and reverence thereto, and commanded the Babylonians,

his subjects, to do the same. And thus Ninus, who was no doubt highly complimented as a dutiful and worthy son, for thus honouring the memory of his father, became the first author of that kind of idolatry.

The thing told mightily with his subjects, who revered the memory of their former King Belus; and the fashion, so flattering to human vanity, spread rapidly, like a contagion, and soon infested Greece and Rome, and other nations, till in the end every thing became deified.

What caused the polytheism of Greece and Rome to become so popular, and poetically interesting, was, that it flattered the vanity of human beings, since all their deities, and the graven images of their gods and goddesses, were made in the likeness, and after the fashion of men, and women, of the finest order for symmetry and beauty. Thus this idolatrous system, so flattering to human vanity, and poetic fancy, began, and went on, extended, and throve to such a degree, as wealth increased, till every nook and

corner was peopled with imaginary divinities. Splendid and magnificent temples were erected to them, the ruins of which, at the present day, attest their former grandeur, as awful monuments of Divine displeasure against idolatry, of all sins the greatest, and first forbidden in the commandments.

Has the world altogether turned from those vanities? These first beginnings and objects of idol worship,-statues of men and women? Is there not a remnant of it still lurking about, even in civilized and christian nations?

How often is heard the expression, such and such an one is quite idolized: for no sooner any great or illustrious, whether monarchs, statesmen, or heroes, depart this life, than their adulators or idolizers, set about collecting subscriptions for the purpose of erecting carved images of stone, or molten images of bronze, in honour of them, as if they thought there were no better, or more lasting means of rendering a great name immortal, than by resorting to such frail memorials, which at the utmost may

endure but for a short period, as those before them have ever done. Would it not be deemed sufficient to have their names and fame recorded in the imperishable annals of their country's history, and better still in the Lamb's book of life?

Secondly. On ancient Egyptian idolatry. The ancient Egyptians, as before seen, worshipped the creature, rather than the Creator. They also worshipped the creature for the sake of the gift, rather than the orginal giver of that gift, and rather than the Maker of the creature, that yielded that gift or benefit.

Hence we find they first worshipped the cow, because it yielded them milk. They found that milk was one of the prime necessaries of infant life, and therefore they worshipped the creature which yielded so great an abundance of it.

But in the plenitude of their increasing knowledge, their wise Magi afterwards observed, that the milk came only when the calf came, and hence they also transferred their worship to the calf, or made a molten

image of gold, as the Israelites made a golden calf in Horeb, and worshipped the

same.

This animal, according to Herodotus, was named Apis, being the calf of a cow, incapable of bearing another, and no otherwise to be impregnated than by thunder, as the Egyptians affirmed.

"When the priests had brought this their God (Apis) into the presence of Cambyses, he, in a brutal manner, drew his dagger, and designing to thrust it into the belly of Apis, wounded him in the thigh: then falling into a fit of laughter, 'ye wretches,' said he, ‘are these things which are composed of flesh and blood, and so easily vulnerable, the gods you worship? This is a worthy God indeed, and suitable to the character of the Egyptians. But I will let you know that you shall not abuse me with impunity.' When he had said these words, he commanded the proper officers to whip the priests, and to kill all the Egyptians they should find making public demonstrations of joy, at the festival of Apis. Thus the festival was interrupted,