rship of saints; and the world in
turn seeks to set off that idolatry to make it stand before God's
Word.

Such is the conduct of the eminent Aaron when he makes for the people
the golden calf (Ex 32, 5-6), an image or sign of their offerings and
worship. He builds an altar to it and causes to be proclaimed a feast
to the Lord who has led them out of the land of Egypt. They must
imitate the worship of the true God, a worship of sincere devotion
and honest intention, with their offering, the calf, in the attempt
to introduce a refined and ennobling worship.

16. Thereupon follows what is recorded in Exodus 32, 6, to which Paul
here refers: "And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt
offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to
eat and to drink, and rose up to play." That is, they rejoiced and
were well pleased with themselves, content to have performed such
worship, and deemed they had done well. Next they proceed to their
own pleasure, as if having provided against God's anger. Thenceforth
they would live according to their inclinations, wholly unrestrained
and unreproved by the Word of God; for, as they said, Aaron made the
people free.

17. Such is the usual course of idolatry. Refusing to be considered a
sin, it presumes to merit grace and boasts of the liberty of the
people of God. It continues unrepentant and self-assured, even in the
practice of open vice, imagining every offense to be forgiven before
God for the sake of its holy worship. Thus have the priestly rabble
of popery been doing hitherto; and they still adorn--yes, strengthen
and defend--their shameful adultery, unchastity and all vices, with
the name of the Church, the holy worship, the mass, and so on.

ISRAEL'S TRIAL OF GOD.

18. In the fourth admonition, the apostle says, "Neither let us make
trial of the Lord, as some of them made trial, and perished by the
serpents." This, too, is a heinous sin, as is proven by the terrible
punishment. In Numbers 21 we read that after the people had journeyed
for forty years in the wilderness and God had brought them through
all their difficulties and given them victory over their enemies, as
they drew near to the promised land, they became dissatisfied and
impatient. They were setting out to go around the land of the
Edomites, who refused them a passage through their country, when they
began to murmur against God and Moses for leading them out of Egypt.
Thereupon God sen