merely natural light, and consequently, instead of becoming spiritual, continues gross, earthly, and sensual. Such may be supposed to be the effect of the worship of idols. Nay more:—when, as in ancient times, deceased men were worshiped,—men who, many of them, when on earth, were proud and wicked, such as conquerors and others, and who consequently, after death, became infernal spirits,—then, the worship of them, that is the fixing of the thought and heart upon them, would have the effect of producing a kind of conjunction with them, and thus open an influx from hell instead of heaven. Hence, idolatry of this kind is called in Scripture "worship of devils,"[1] and sacrifice offered to such beings is called "sacrificing to devils." Thus, speaking of the Israelites, when gone astray into idolatry, it is said, "They provoked Him to jealousy with strange gods; with abominations provoked they him to anger. They sacrificed unto devils, not to God."[2] And again, it is written in Leviticus: "This is the thing which the Lord hath commanded, saying, What man soever there be of the house of Israel, that killeth an ox, or lamb, or goat, and bringeth it not to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, to offer an offering unto the Lord before the tabernacle of the Lord, blood shall be imputed to that man; he hath shed blood; and that man shall be cut off from among his people. To the end that the children of Israel may bring their sacrifices unto the Lord. And they shall no more offer their sacrifices unto devils."[3] So, the Apostle Paul,
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