the idol was an image, the work of men's hands, or any created thing, as the sun, moon, and stars, or a human being (for men, both dead and living, were made objects of worship), the effect was to draw away the spirit from conjunction with God and heaven, and thus to extinguish all spiritual light in the mind, and to render it grossly natural.
All spirituality in the mind is attained by conjunction with God; for when the mind is in such conjunction, it is open towards God and towards heaven, and thence spiritual light flows in and enlightens the understanding, and spiritual heat, or love, flows in and warms and elevates the will. Now, conjunction is effected by means of thought and love. When the thought is fixed upon the Divine Being in reverence and worship, the understanding is thereby opened to his influx; and when, moreover, the heart is filled with love towards him, not only evinced by feelings of gratitude and trust, but, still more, by the endeavor to please him and do his commandments; then the heart or will is opened to the influx of love—the love of what is good and true and heavenly. And thus man is regenerated and prepared for heaven.
But now, if instead, of thus worshiping the true God, the one Divine Creator, the only Source of love, and light, and happiness,—there is worshiped a lifeless image, or the dead sun and moon, or a mere man like ourselves, then the thought rises no higher than these things: the mind cannot rise higher than the object at which it looks; and as this, in such case, is merely natural and material, the mind remains in
