A. 5. If there be but one God, who is ' a- bove all,' Eph. iv. 6., then he must be loved above all. 1. We must love him with a love of appreciation ; set the highest esti- mate on him, who is the only fountain of being and bliss. — 2. We must love him with a love of complacency : omor est complacentia ainantis is amato, AcguiN. Our love to other things must be more indifferent ; some drops of \o\c may run beside to the creature, but the full stream must run towards God ; the creature may have the milk of our love, but we must keep the cream of our love for God ; God who is above all, must be loved above all, Ps. Ixxiii. 25., " There is none upon earth that I desire besides thee."
Use 2d. Of Caution. If there be but one God, then let us take heed of setting up more gods than one : Ps. xvi. 4., " Their sorrows shall be multiplied, that hasten af tor aii<)tli<r (iod ; their diink-dfl'eriiigs of bl(i(i(l \\ill I ju)t otlcr, nor take up their nauK s into my lij)s." God is a jealous God,
and he will not endure that we should have other gods. It is easy to commit idolatry with the creature : 1. Some make a god of pleasure, 2 Tim. iii. 4., " Lovers of plea- sure, more than lovers of God." Whatever we love more than God, we make a god.— 2. Others make money their god ; the cove- tous man worships t}ie image of gold, there- fore he is called an idolater, Eph. v. 5. That which a man trusts to, he makes his god ; but he makes the wedge of gold his hope, he makes money his creator, redeem- er and comforter. It is his creator, — if he hath money, then he thinks he is made ; it is his redeemer, — if he be in danger, he trusts in his money to redeem him out ; it is his comforter, — if at any time he be sad, the golden harp drives away the evil spirit ; so that money is his god. God made man of the the dust of the earth, and man makes a god of the dust of the earth. — 3. Another makes a god of his child, sets his child in God's room, and so provokes God to take it away. If you lean too hard upon a glass, it will break ; many break their children by leaning too hard upon them. — 4. Others make a god of their belly, Phil. iii. 19., " Whose god is their belly." Clemens Alexandrinus writes of a fish that hath its heart in its belly, — an emblem of epicures, their heart is in their belly, they mind nothing but in- du'ging the sensual appetite ; they do sacri- Jicar'i lari, — their belly is their god, and to this they pour drink-olferings. Thus men make many gods. The apostle names the wicked man's trinity, 1 John ii. 16., " The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life;" the lust of the flesh, — plea- sure ; the lust of the eye, — money ; pride of life, — honour. Otake heed of this ! What- ever you deify besides God, will prove a bramble ; and fire will come out of this bramble and devour you, Judg. ix. 15.
Use M. Of reproof If the Lord Jehovah be the only true (iod, then it reproves those who renounce the true God, I mean, such as seek to familiar spirits. This is too much practised among them tiiat call themselves Christians. It is a sin condemned by the law of God, Dent, xviii. 10, 11., " There shall not be found among you any one that consults with familiar spirits." How ordi- nary is this? If people have lost any of
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their goods, they send to wizards to know how they may come by their goods again. Wliat is this but consulting with the devil? And so you renounce God and your bap- tism ? What ! because you liave lost your goods, will you lose your souls too? 2 Kings i. 6., " Thus saith the Lord, is it not be- cause there is not a God in Israel, that thou sendest to inquire of Beelzebub?" So, is it not because you think there is not a God in heaven, that ye ask counsel of the devil ? If any here be guilty, be deeply humbled, ye have renounced the true God ; better be without the goods ye have lost than have the devil help you to them again.