God's blessing on our labours (a blessing never denied to sincere prayer
and faithful exertions) we need not fear the result. Any other principle
of interpretation will only confirm us in our prejudices, and involve us
more inextricably in error. {17}

* * * * *



SECTION II.--DIRECT EVIDENCE OF THE OLD TESTAMENT.


The first step in our proposed inquiry is to ascertain what evidence on
the doctrine and practice of the Invocation of Saints and Angels can be
fairly drawn from the revealed word of God in the Old Testament.

Now, let us suppose that a person of a cultivated and enlightened mind,
and of a sound and clear judgment, but hitherto a stranger to
revelation, were required to study the ancient Scriptures with the
single view of ascertaining what one object more than any other,
subordinate to the great end of preparing the world for the advent of
Messiah, seemed to be proposed by the wisdom of the Almighty in
imparting to mankind that revelation; could he fix upon any other point
as the one paramount and pervading principle with so much reason, as
upon this, the preservation in the world of a practical belief in the
perfect unity of God, and the fencing of his worship against the
admixture of any other, of whatever character or form; The announcement
that the Creator and Governor of the universe is the sole Giver of every
temporal and spiritual blessing; the one only Being to whom, his
rational creatures on earth should pay any religious service whatever;