Ans. If we trust in God aright, then we will trust in God at one time as well as an- other, Ps. Ixii. 8., " Trust in liim at all times." Can we trust God. 1. In our straits ? when the fig-tree doth not flourish, — when our earthly crutches are broken, — can we now lean upon God's promise? When the pipes are cut off that used to bring us comfort, can we live upon God, in whom are all our fresh springs ? When we have no bread to eat but the bread of carefulness, Ezek. xix. 8., — %v'hen we have no water to drink unless tears, Ps. Ixxx. 5., " Thou givest them tears to drink in great measure," — can we now trust in God's pro- vidence to make supply for us? A good Christian believes that if God feed the i*a- vens, he will feed his children; he lives upon God's all-sufficiency, not only for grace, but food ; he believes if God will give him heaven, he will give daily bread ; he trusts God's bond, Ps. xxxvii. 3., " Verily thou shalt be fed." 2. Can we trust God in our fears ? fear is the age of the soul. When adversaries begin to grow high, can we now display the banner of faith ? Ps. Ivi. 3., " Wliat time I am afraid, I will trust in thee." Faith cures the trembling at the heart : faith gets above fear, as the oil swims above the water. This is to trust in God, and it is to make him to be a God to us.
A. 6. To make God to be a God to us, is to love him ; in the godly, fear and love kiss each other.
A. 7. To make him a God to us, is to obey him. But I forbear to speak of these, be- cause I shall be large upon them in the se- cond commandment ; " Shewing mercy un- to thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments."
Quest. Why mtist tve cleave to the Lord as our God ?
Ans. 1. From the equity of it: it is but equal we should cleave to him as our God, from whom we receive our being ; who can have a better right to us than he that gives us our breath ? Ps. c. 3., " For it is he that made us, and not we ourselves." It is un- equal, yea ungrateful, to give away our love or worship to any but God.
A. 2. From the utility. If we cleave to
OF THE FIRST COMMANDMENT.
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the Lord as our God ; then, 1. He will bless us, Ps. Ixvii. 6., " God, even our own God, will bless us." He will bless us, (1.) In our estate, Deut. xxviii. 4, 5., " Blessed shall be the fruit of thy ground : blessed shall be thy basket and thy store ;" we sliall not only have our sack full of corn, but it shall be blessed : here is money in the mouth of the sack. (2.) He will bless us with peace, Ps. xxix. 11., " The Lord will bless his people with peace :" outward peace, which is the nurse of plenty, Ps. cxlvii. 14., " He mak- eth peace in thy borders:" inward peace, a smiling conscience ; this is sweeter than the dropping honey. 2. God will turn all e^dls to our good, Rom. viii. He will make a treacle of poison. Joseph's imprisonment was a means for his advancement. Gen. 1. 20. Out of the bitterest drug God will dis- til his glory and our salvation. In short, God will be our guide to death, our com- fort in death, our reward after death. So then the utility of it may make us cleave to the Lord as our Gcd, Ps. cxHv. 15., " Happy is that peojjle who have the Lord for their God."
yl. 3. From the necessity. 1st, If God be not our God, he will curse our blessings ; Mai. ii. 2., and God's curse blasts wherever it comes. 2f////, If God be not our God, we have none to help us in misery ; will God helj) his enemies; will heassist them whodis- claiui him ? 3d/i/, If we do not make God to be our God, he will make himself to be our judge-: and if he condemns, there is no aitpcaling to a higher court. So that there is a necessity of having God for our (iod, unless we intend to be eternally espoused to misery.
Use \.st. If we must have one God, and the Lord Jehovah for our God, it condemns the Atheists who have no God, Ps. xiv. 1., ** The fool hath said in his heart. There is no God." There is no God he believes in, or worships ; such Atheists were Diogoras and Theodorus. When Seneca had reprov- ed Nero for his impieties, Baith Nero, " Dost thou think I believe there is any God, when I do such things ?" The duke of Silesia was so infatuated, that he affirmed, Negue in- feros^ iieque superos esse, — ' that there \\as neither God nor devil.' We may see God in the works of his fingers. The creation is a
great volume, in which we may read a God- head, and he must needs put out his own eyes, that denies a God. Aristotle, though an heatlien, did not only acknowledge God, when he cried out, " Thou Being of beings, liave mercy on me !" but he thought, he that did not confess a Deity, was not worthy to live. Thoy who will not believe a God, shall feel him. Ileb. x. 31., " It is a fear- ful thing to fall into the hands of the living God."