do all we consistently can for their conversion and salvation; it becomes us seriously to inquire. Is there no idolatry practised among ourselves? Are none of us guilty of loving, serving, and in fact worshipping something rather than the great God? The text should lead us to suspect that this may be the case; for we here find it asserted, on the authority of inspiration, that “ covetousness is idolatry ;”—and why should covetousness be declared idolatry, more than several other evil affections of the proud and selfish heart?—In the ensuing discourse, I propose to inquire, I. What is idolatry? And,

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II. Whether any of us are in fact guilty of this gross and detestable sin?

Idolatry, my friends, is not merely the overt act of prostrating one's self before a graven image, a picture, or any other created being or thing, with the intent of worshipping it. Were this alone to be considered idolatry, covetousness could not be idolatry, and the declaration of the apostle would not be true. -Idolatry, in the essence of it, is the putting of some created object into the place of the uncreated God. It is the allowing of some thing other than God to occupy that place in our affections, which ought to be occupied by him alone.-We obviously ought to regard the God who made us with supreme love. If then we withdraw our hearts from him, and suffer our warmest affections to fasten on any other object; we are idolaters.-We ought to trust in the Almighty for protection and support, and to make him the object of our highest confidence. If then we turn away from him, and place our confidence and dependence on any created arm; we are idolaters.-It belongs to the Divine Being, as God, that we should make him our portion, and seek our chief happiness in him. We

should ever regard him as the infinite Fountain, and the best of created objects as merely streams. But if, instead of doing this, we are willing to make the world our portion, and are seeking our happiness in worldly objects; are we not idolaters ?-It is clearly our duty to the God who made us, to submit to him as our supreme and rightful Governor. Let what will come in competition with his commands, it should be cheerfully dispensed with, that he may be obeyed. We also owe it to him, to hold every thing we possess in subserviency to his honor, and the advancement of his holy cause. We should live, not unto ourselves, but for him. Whether we "eat, or drink, or whatever we do, we should do all to his glory." But if, instead of this, we choose and serve some other master, rather than him; if we can dispense with his commands sooner than with our own selfish desires and purposes; or if we are exerting ourselves for some private object, more than for the advancement of his kingdom and glory; are we not putting other things in the place of God, and becoming idolaters ?

Covetousness is idolatry, because it is the loving, craving, trusting to, and seeking our happiness in, uncertain riches. It is putting our worldly possessions in the place of God, and rendering them the homage of our hearts. But on the same principle it may be shown, that pride, selfishness, ambition, and a love of pleasure, are idolatry.-The God we profess to worship" looketh on the heart," and will judge of us according to the state and feelings of our hearts. If we "worship him in spirit and in truth,” he will regard and accept us as sincere worshippers ; but if we place other objects above him in our hearts,

let our external appearance be what it may, he will regard and condemn us as idolaters.

Having thus endeavoured to shew, conformably to the sense and spirit of the text, what idolatry is; I proceed to inquire,

II. How far any of us may be considered as chargeable with this gross and detestable sin.-The inquiry you will perceive is not, whether we have graven images or crucifixes, or pictures, in our houses and temples, before which we bow in humble adoration; but whether we set up any thing in our hearts higher than God; or suffer any object aside from him to usurp his place.-Are none of us chargeable with that covetousness which is declared in the text to be idolatry? Do we not love our worldly possessions and enjoyments more and better than we do our Creator? Should we not be more deeply interested in a question of property, than we should in a discussion relative to the character and honor of the Supreme Being? Do we not feel a deeper solicitude, and manifest more engagedness, for the advancement of our temporal good, than we do for the advancement of the Divine kingdom and glory? And are none of us putting that trust and confidence in uncertain riches, which we ought to place in God alone? The impression, I believe, is not an uncommon one, that money can answer every purpose, and accomplish almost every thing for us that we shall need. Have we ourselves never admitted, at least in practice, this erroneous and idolatrous sentiment? Have we not been disposed to seek our happiness in the world, more than in God? Or have we not served mammon more faithfully and constantly than we have the Supreme Being? When the command of God has pointed one way, and our worldly interest another; have we not

chosen to pursue the latter ?-So far as we are constrained in conscience to answer these questions in the affirmative, we need not have a doubt relative to the fact of our being idolaters. The particular shape in which an idol is formed, or the substance of which it is composed, is nothing in the sight of God. It may be a graven image, or it may be an image of the fancy; it may be silver shrines, such as Demetrius made for Diana of the Ephesians, or it may be silver dollars; it may be a picture of the virgin Mary, or it may be the superscription of a bank note;→→ be it what it may, if we put it in the place of God, and render it that love, trust, and service, which are due only to God; we in fact make it our God, and we are idolaters.

Many persons have made worldly honor and power their god. They have loved and pursued popularity and influence. Their whole hearts' incense they have willingly offered upon the unhallowed altars of ambition. It becomes us therefore to enquire, whether we have not fallen into this species of idolatry. If we have loved our own glory more than God's; or have yielded to the impulse of an aspiring temper, rather than to the unerring dictates of heaven; or have labored with a greater interest and zeal to exalt ourselves, than we have to advance the kingdom of Christ; it need not be a question with us what has been our god, or whether we are not in fact idolaters. We may not indeed have prostrated ourselves in honour of

"Moloch, horrid king, besmeared with blood
"Of human sacrifice, and parents' tear's;"

but we have rendered homage to an imaginary deity, who has instigated more wars, and shed more blood, than perhaps all the heathen gods and idols.

There are many who appear to make pleasure their God. They value their sensual gratifications and sinful amusements higher than any other ob jects. These they supremely love, and in them they seek and find their principal enjoyment. With such, no considerations of duty, or of Divine command, are of any account, when they come in competition with their pleasures.-Possibly some present may find, on examination, that this is a description of their own case. And so far as they do, they need not be in doubt respecting their characters. They may know there is an idol set up in their hearts, and one of the most gross and detestable kind, in opposition to the God of heaven. They are as really bowing before the idol of pleasure, as though they had a literal image in their houses, and daily prostrated themselves in humble adoration before it.

Persons may make idols of their talents or acquirements by doting upon them, and trusting in them, more than in the God who gave them. In the same way, they may idolize their children, or their friends. When they love these more than God; or find their happiness in them more than in God; or are more solicitous to please and honour them, than they are to please and glorify God; they may know that these endearing objects have usurped that place in their hearts which Jehovah claims, and consequently have become their idols.

The literal idols of the heathen are numerous. There is no telling the number of their pretended deities. Those of India alone amount to no less than three hundred and thirty millions.* And perhaps we shall find, my friends, if we examine the subject with care and candor, that we have more

*See Ward's Letters p. 52.