st days spoken to us by his SON, Jesus Christ our Lord, and
told us our duty, and the reward which doing our duty will surely
bring, far more clearly than ever he did to Abraham.

But do we listen to him? Do we say with Abraham, 'O my people, I am
clear of all these things which rise and set, which are born and
die, which begin and end in time, and turn my face to him that made
heaven and earth!' If so, how is it that we see people everywhere
worshipping not idols of wood and stone, but other things, all
manner of things beside God, and saying, 'These are my Elohim.
These are the high and mighty ones whom I must obey. These are the
strong things on which depend my fortune and my happiness. I must
obey THEM first, and let plain doing right and avoiding wrong come
after as it can.'

One worships the laws of trade, and says, 'I know this and that is
hardly right; but it is in the way of business, and therefore I must
do it.'

One worships public opinion, and follows after the multitude to do
evil, doing what he knows is wrong, simply because others do it, and
it is the way of the world.

One worships the interest of his party, whether in religion or in
politics; and does for their sake mean and false, cruel and unjust
things, which he would not do for his own private interest.

Too many, even in a free country, worship great people, and put
their trust in princes, saying, 'I am sorry to have to do this. I
know it is rather mean; but I must, or I shall lose such and such a
great man's interest and favour.' Or, 'I know I cannot afford this
expense; but if I do not I shall not get into good society, and this
person and that will not ask me to his house.'

All, meanwhile, except a few, rich or poor, worship money; and
believe more or less, in spite of the Lord's solemn warning to the
contrary, that a man's life does consist in the abundance of the
things which he possesses.

These are the Elohim of this world, the high and mighty things to
which men turn for help instead of to the living God, who was before
all things, and will be after them; and behold they vanish away, and
where then are those that have put their trust in them?

But blessed is he whose trust is in God the Almighty, and whose hope
is in the Lord Jehovah, the eternal I Am. Blessed is he who, like
faithful Abraham, says to his family, 'My people, I am clear of all
these things. I turn my face from them to him who hath made earth
and heaven.