2. Our rational powers and conscience, under the highest cultivation, unassisted by a divine revelation, cannot inform us what _kind_ of worship and obedience is to be paid to the true God. One of the disciples of Socrates, that great light of the pagan world, desired information from his Master concerning some difficulties attending prayer; and above all, particular requests made to God, which have proved injurious to the petitioners when granted. The philosopher owned himself utterly unable to satisfy the disciple upon this head, and concludes with these remarkable words, "We must continue in our ignorance, till it shall please God to send a person into the world to give us full information concerning our duty." The light of mere reason, as proved in another part of this discourse, teaches all men, over the whole face of the globe, provided they duly hearkened to it, and cultivated it, that they ought to honour and worship the divine Being. But it cannot tell _what sort_ of homage he will accept, or how we are to worship him. He alone can satisfy us, on this most material point--a point of supreme importance. He must tell us, in what way, we are to pay divine honours to his glorious Majesty. He dwells not in temples made with hands, neither is worshipped by men's hands as though he needed any thing from us. For he can neither be inriched by our services, nor impoverished by the want of them.--With regard to the worship of the heathen, St. Paul has these remarkable words; _Because that when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful, but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened._ All their rites and forms of worship were absurd, unworthy of the divine nature, and disgraceful to ours. It may be proper here, to mention some striking instances of strange and cruel methods of worship, as a specimen of man's natural ignorance of the _right_ way of honouring and serving God. The Idol Baal, in scripture mentioned so often, was worshipped by acts of cruelty, which the sottish worshippers inflicted upon themselves. So desirous of ease are mankind, and so averse to pain that we should rationally conclude, that no methods of tormenting themselves could be introduced into their religious worship of their Idols. But the deluded Idolaters, in paying their homage to Baal, cut and wounded their own flesh--gashed and mangled themselves to please their Idol. _And they cried aloud, and cut themselves, AFTER THEIR MANNER, with knives and lancets till the blood gushed out upon them._--The Idol Moloch was worshipped by acts of the strangest and most unnatural cruelty.--Parents sacrificed their children to this Idol; and, it has been very common for parents to appease the anger of their fancied Gods, by sacrificing their tender offspring.--How contrary to reason--to nature! The image of Moloch was made of brass, in a hideous shape, and het red hot; and the devoted victim--the innocent