304             The Deity of Jeſus Chriſt            Sect. V

For Abraham's God was acknowledged, by
that illuſtrious prieſt Melchiſedeck, as the
' Poſſeſſor of heaven and earth ;' by Iſaac,
as the object of his worſhip, for he is cal-
led ' his Fear ;' and by Jacob he is adored,
as ' God Almighty.' Beſides, he ſays to
Moſes, ' Draw not nigh hither ; put off thy
' ſhoes from off thy feet, for the place where-
' on thou ſtandeſt is holy ground.' In which
words he ſtrongly demands that devotional
reverence which is due to none but God.
And this angel, after he had brought tho
Iſraelites out of Egypt (for we have ſhewn
that He who ſpake to Moſes in the buſh,
was the deliverer and lawgiver of the cho-
ſen tribes) ſpeaks from the ſummit of Ho-
reb and ſays; ' Thou ſhalt have no other
' gods before me.'

Now on the hypotheſis of our opponents,
it ſhould ſeem that this was done, to render
the Iſraelites guilty of impiety and idolatry.
Of impiety : for if the true God be more
glorious and worthy of adoration than this
angel, with what propriety could he ſay,
' Thou ſhalt have no other gods before me?
---Of idolatry : for with whatever charac-
ters this angel might be inveſted, if he was
not the Moſt High, he could not lawfully
require ſuch honours as are peculiar to
God.---In a word, when the law commands
us to worſhip God, and him only, it either
                                                        ſpeaks