MICAH'S IDOLATRY.

THE mother of Micah hath lost her silver, and now she falls to cursing she did afterwards but change the form of her god: her silver was her god, ere it did put on the fashion of an image; else she had not so much cursed to lose it, if it had not too much possessed her in the keeping. A carnal heart cannot forego that wherein it delights, without impatience; cannot be impatient, without curses: whereas the man, that hath learned to enjoy God and use the world, smiles at a shipwreck, and pities a thief; and cannot curse, but pray.

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Micah had so little grace as to steal from his mother, and that out of wantonness, not out of necessity; for if she had not been rich, so much could not have been stolen from her: and now, he hath grace as to restore it: her curses have fetched again her treasures. He cannot so much love the money, as he fears her imprecations. Wealth seems too dear, bought with a curse. Though his fingers were false, yet his heart was tender. Many, that make not conscience of committing sin, yet make conscience of facing it it is well for them, that they are but novices in evil. Those, whom custom hath fleshed in sin, can either deny and forswear, or excuse and defend it: their seared hearts cannot feel the gnawing of any remorse; and their forehead hath learned to be as impudent, as their heart is senseless.

I see no argument of any holiness in the mother of Micah: her curses were sin to herself; yet Micah dares not but fear them. I know not whether the causeless curse be more worthy of pity, or derision; it hurts the author, not his adversary: but the deserved curses, that fall even from unholy mouths, are worthy to be feared. How much more should a man hold himself blasted with the just imprecations of the godly! What metal are those made of, that can applaud themselves in the bitter curses which their oppressions have wrung from the poor, and rejoice in these signs of their prosperity?

Neither yet was Micah more stricken with his mother's curses, than with the conscience of sacrilege: so soon as he finds there was a purpose of devotion in this treasure, he dares not conceal it, to the prejudice, as he thought, of God, more than of his mother. What shall we say to the palate of those men, which as they find no good relish but in stolen waters, so best in those which are stolen from the fountain of God?

How soon hath the old woman changed her note! Even now she passed an indefinite curse upon her son for stealing, and now she blesses him absolutely for restoring; Blessed be my son of the Lord, She hath forgotten the theft, when she sees the restitution: how much more shall the God of mercies be more pleased with our confession, than provoked with our sin !

I doubt not but this silver and this superstition came out of Egypt, together with the mother of Micah. This history is not so late in time, as in place; for the tribe of Dan was not yet settled

in that first division of the promised land; so as this old woman had seen both the idolatry of Egypt, and the golden calf in the wilderness; and no doubt, contributed some of her ear-rings to that deity; and after all the plagues which she saw inflicted upon her brethren for that idol of Horeb, and Baal-peor, she still reserves a secret love to superstition, and now shews it. Where mis-religion hath once possessed itself of the heart, it is very hardly cleansed out; but, like the plague, will hang in the very clothes, and, after long lurking, break forth in an unexpected infection; and old wood is the aptest to take this fire: after all the airing in the desert, Micah's mother will smell of Egypt.

It had been better the silver had been stolen, than thus bestowed; for now they have so employed it, that it hath stolen away their hearts from God; and yet while it is molten into an image, they think it dedicated to the Lord. If religion might be judged according to the intention, there should scarce be any idolatry in the world. This woman loved her silver enough; and if she had not thought this costly piety worth thanks, she knew which way to have employed her stock to advantage. Even evil actions have ofttimes good meanings, and those good meanings are answered with evil recompences. Many a one bestows their cost, their labour, their blood, and receives torment instead of thanks.

Behold a superstitious son of a superstitious mother! She makes a god, and he harbours it; yea, as the stream is commonly broader than the head, he exceeds his mother in evil: he hath a house of gods, an ephod, teraphin; and, that he might be complete in his devotion, he makes his son his priest, and feoffs that sin upon his son, which he received from his mother. Those sins, which nature conveys not to us, we have by imitation. Every action and ges. ture of the parents is an example to the child; and the mother, as she is more tender over her son, so by the power of a reciprocal love, she can work most upon his inclination. Whence it is, that in the history of the Israelitish kings, the mother's name is commonly noted: and as civilly, so also morally," the birth follows the belly." Those sons may bless their second birth, that are delivered from the sins of their education.

Who cannot but think how far Micah overlooked all his fellow Israelites, and thought them profane and godless in comparison of himself! How did he secretly clap himself on the breast, as the man whose happiness it was to engross religion from all the tribes of Israel; and little can imagine, that the further he runs, the more out of the way! Can an Israelite be thus paganish? O Micah! how hath superstition bewitched thee, that thou canst not see rebellion in every of these actions, yea, in every circumstance rebellion! What, more gods than one! A house of gods, beside God's house! An image of silver to the invisible God! An ephod, and no priest! A priest, besides the family of Levi! A priest of thine own begetting, of thine own consecration! What monsters doth man's imagination produce, when it is forsaken of God! It is well seen there is no king in Israel: if God had been their king, bis

laws had ruled them: if Moses or Joshua had been their king, their sword had awed them: if any other, the courses of Israel could not have been so heedless. We are beholden to government for order, for peace, for religion. Where there is no king, every one will be a king, yea, a God to himself. We are worthy of nothing but confusion, if we bless not God for authority,

It is no marvel, if Levites wandered for maintenance, while there was no king in Israel. The tithes and offerings were their due: if these had been paid, none of the holy tribe needed to shift his station. Even where royal power seconds the claim of the Levite, the injustice of men shortens his right. What should become of the Levites, if there were no king? And what of the church, if no Levites? No King therefore, no Church. How could the impotent child live without a nurse? Kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and queens thy nurses, saith God. Nothing more argues the disorder of any Church, or the decay of religion, than the forced straggling of the Levites. There is hope of growth, when Micah rides to seek a Levite; but when the Levite comes to seek a service of Micah, it is a sign of gasping devotion.

Micah was no obscure man: all Mount Ephraim could not but take notice of his domestic gods. This Levite could not but hear of his disposition, of his mis-devotion; yet want of maintenance, no less than conscience, draws him on to the danger of an idolatrous patronage. Holiness is not tied to any profession. Happy were it for the Church, if the clergy could be a privilege from lewdness. When need meets with unconscionableness, all conditions are easily swallowed of unlawful entrances, of wicked executions. Ten shekels, and a suit of apparel, and his diet, are good wages for a needy Levite. He, that could bestow eleven hundred shekels upon his puppets, can afford but ten to his priest; so hath he at once a rich idol, and a beggarly priest. Whosoever affects to serve God good cheap, shews, that he makes God but a stale to Mammon.

Yet was Micah a kind patron, though not liberal. He calls the young Levite his father, and uses him as his son; and what he wants in means, supplies in affection. It were happy, if Christians could imitate the love of idolaters towards them which serve at the altar. Micah made a shift with the priesthood of his own son; yet that his heart checks him in it, appears both by the change and his contentment in the change; Now I know that the Lord will be good to me, seeing I have a Levite to my priest: therefore, while his priest was no Levite, he sees there was cause why God should not be good to him. If the Levite had not come to offer his service, Micah's son had been a lawful priest. Many times the conscience runs away smoothly with an unwarrantable action, and rests itself upon those grounds, which afterward it sees cause to condemn. It is a sure way therefore, to inform ourselves thoroughly ere we settle our choice, that we be not driven to reverse our acts, with late shame and unprofitable repentance.

Now did Micah begin to see some little glimpse of his own error: he saw his priesthood faulty; he saw not the faults of his ephod, of his images, of his gods: and yet, as if he thought all had been well when he had amended one, he says, Now I know the Lord will be good to me. The carnal heart pleases itself with an outward formality; and so delights to flatter itself, as that it thinks, if one circumstance be right, nothing can be amiss.

Israel was at this time extremely corrupted; yet the spies of the Danites had taken notice even of this young Levite, and are glad to make use of his priesthood. If they had but gone up to Shiloh, they might have consulted with the ark of God; but worldly minds are not curious in their holy services: if they have a god, an ephod, a priest, it suffices them: they would rather enjoy a false worship with ease, than to take pains for the true. Those, that are curious in their diet, in their purchases, in their attire, in their contracts, yet in God's business are very indifferent.

The author of lies sometimes speaks truth for an advantage; and from his mouth this flattering Levite speaks what he knew would please, not what he knew would fall out: the event answers his prediction, and now the spies magnify him to their fellows. Micah's idol is a god, and the Levite is his oracle. In matter of judgment, to be guided only by the event, is the way to error: falsehood shall be truth, and Satan an angel of light, if we follow this rule. Even very conjectures sometimes happen right: a prophet, or a dreamer, may give a true sign or wonder, and yet himself say, Let us go after other gods. A small thing can win credit with weak minds, which, where they have once sped, cannot distrust.

The idolatrous Danites are so besotted with this success, that they will rather steal than want the gods of Micah; and because the gods without the priests can do them less service than the priest without the gods, therefore they steal the priest with the gods. Oh miserable Israelites! that could think that a god, which could be stolen; that could look for protection from that, which could not keep itself from stealing; which was won by their theft, not their devotion! Could they worship those idols more devoutly than Micah that made them? And if they could not protect their maker from robbery, how shall they protect their thieves? If it had been the holy ark of the true God, how could they think it would bless their violence; or that it would abide to be translated by rapine and extortion? Now their superstition hath made them mad upon a god, they must have him; by what means they care not, though they offend the true God, by stealing a false.

Sacrilege is fit to be the first service of an idol. The spies of Dan had been courteously entertained by Micah: thus they rewarded his hospitality. It is no trusting the honesty of idolaters: if they have once cast off the true God, whom will they respect?

It seems Levites did not more want maintenance, than Isracel

wanted Levites: here was a tribe of Israel without a spiritual guide. The withdrawing of due means is the way to the utter desolation of the Church: rare offerings make cold altars.

There needed small force to draw this Levite to change his charge; Hold thy peace, and come, and be our father and priest; whether is it better, &c. Here is no patience, but joy: he that was won with ten shekels may be lost with eleven when maintenance and honour calls him, he goes undriven; and rather steals himself away, than is stolen. The Levite had too many gods, to make conscience of pleasing one: there is nothing more inconstant, than a Levite that seeks nothing but himself.

Thus the wildfire of idolatry, which lay before couched in the private hall of Micah, now flies furiously through all the tribe of Dan; who, like to thieves that have carried away plague-clothes; have insensibly infected themselves and their posterity to death. Heresy and superstition have small beginnings, dangerous proceedings, pernicious conclusions. This contagion is like a canker, which at the first is scarce visible; afterwards it eats away the flesh, and consumes the body. Judges xvii, xviii.