Rutland herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1823-1847, 1841-03-18
THE FIRST COMMANDMENT.

THE FIRST COMMANDMENT.
Thou shalt hare no other Gods bsfore me"
All the commandments, except the fourth
\ and fifth, are expressed in a negofiro form =
\ but It Is obvious, that every negative command
includes a rcqulsition of the duty which is OPP
4 posed 10 the SIN forbidden and those which
are posifre, include Il prohibition of the con
\ duct which Is opposed 10 the duty required.
The first commandment, therefore, though ex-
4 pressed IN the negative form, must be consid-
4 cred as including n positive injunction 10 love
4 God with all our hearts. 10 offer n tribute Of
1 supreme alteration To his peifcctions. and to
4 exercise the graces of hope, gratitude, submits
\ SION, and reverence. Having already con
sidcrcd the prcccpt in this point Of view,
4 1t IS only necessary, in this place, to attend
for a little 10 the negdttre form of the com
i mand. The prohibition contained in this pre-
u cept must be considered as extending not only
Z to Polytheism, and the various objects Of wor-
y ship which have prevailed in the heather
\ world, but TO every thing which is the object
! of our supreme affection and regard,
1t is a dictate of enlightened reason, that
the Being to whom we are indebted for exist
chce, on whom we every moment depend, who
a directs tho movements of the system of nature,
a who daily loads us with his benefits, and on
u whom our hopes of eternal felicity entirely de-
"a pend-should be contemplated with the most
a ardent affection and gratitude, and recognized
as the Supreme Legislator, whose laws we are
81 bound, by every tie Of gratitude, to obey
IA Wherever such sentiments and affections per-
81 wade the mind, they constitute the first princi-
M pies Of piety, the source of all holy obedience,
IA and the foundation Of all true happiness
III Were they universally felt and acted upon by
human beings, the Most High God would be
q adored in every land, his image would bc i'm
pressed on every heart, his righteous laws
81 would never be violated, grovelling desires
and affections would be eradicated, and our
world would be transformed into an abode of
felicity.
On the other hand, where the unity and at
tributes Of the Divine Being are not recogniz-
ed, and where other objects are substituted in
his place, the foundations of religion and OF
moral order are completely subvcrted, and a
door opened for the introduction Of every alb
surdiiy, immortality, and vile abomination, that
F8 can degrade n rational intelligence. The
EX command under consideration is placed on
2 the front Of the divine law, as the foundation
# OF all other precepts; and therefore, WHEREBY
or It Is violated, or not recognized, a regular
obedience to the other subordinate lniunctlons
E3 Of religion is not, in the nature of things 10 be
expected. Were its violation, in our world,
complete and universal, il Is impossible TO say
what would be the miserable condition of hui
man beings in their social capacity. TO IFS
general violation may he traced all the evils
under which humanity has groaned in every
age, and all tho dcprayed passions, and shock
Ing lmmoralities, which now d~lsfgure the as
pect of the moral world.
There is nothing ;hat appears more proml
nent in the histor, and character OF almost ev
cry nation under heaven, than an Infringement
Of this first ana fundamental law of the Crea
tor. An enlightened mind, on a first consid
Grafton Of this subject, would be apt 10 sur
mise, that such a law is almost supcrfluou
and unnecessary. There Is such an imncns'
dlsproportion between a block OF marble. or
crawling reptile, aud that Being who support
the system of universal nature, that II appears
at first view, next To- impossible, that's reason
able being should ever become so stupid an,
degraded as To substitute the one for the 9th
CT, and TO offer his alterations to an ObJec
completely devoid Of power and intelligence
Yet experience teaches us, that there Is n
disposition TO which the human mind is NOR
prone, than TO depart from the living God
and 10 multiply objects of idolatrous worship
This will appear, II we taA g but TIM ssghte.
glance ofthe objects NJ aJofatnn SairL, fay
prevailed, and when afltpsevs,Fin the paga
world.
At one tseriod Of the world, with the sing
5 eIceptiors OF the small nation of the Jew
dolatry. bserspfead the face of the whole cart
! And how numerous and degrading were Il
: pbleess which the blinded nations adored :
= We fare INFORMED 10y Hesiod, Varro, and 9th
4 hheient authors, that no less than thirty mo
sasd subordinate diViniiIcs were compus
Nsithn tina, system Of idolatry which prevail
asnong the Greeks and Romans. They h
both celestial and terrestrial deities. They a
= signed peculiar gods to the fountains, the z
> ets, the hills, the mountains, The lawns. I
groves, the sea, and even 10 hell itself. TO c