II. My next work is to show the evil of this sin, and how great it is, both in regard of its heinous nature and in regard of its mischievous effects.
1. In regard of its heinous nature. It is a renouncing of God, and setting up another in his stead.
[1.] It is a renouncing of God, and taking away his honour. The heart of man is so conscious to itself of its own weakness, that it will not be long without a prop , it must have something to rest upon.
40 SEIi:\IO.\S UPON MARK X. 17-27. [SeR. XI.
Now, naturally, we have no respect to invisible things, so as to choose them and to rest upon them, but easily take up with what comes next to hand. By a vile ingratitude we pervert God's bounty to a defection from him. As harlots love the gifts rather than the man, so we take the gifts of God, and rest upon them, and set them up in God's stead. No man can trust God and riches too, therefore if we trust in riclies, the heart is diverted and carried away from God : Jonah ii. 8, ' They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy.' They turn their back upon God, and take up with these vain comforts here in the world. The same temple will not serve God and Dagou ; tlie Philistines could not bring it to pass, do what they could ; nor the same heart God and the world : 1 Tim. 6, 17, ' Charge them that are rich in this world, that they trust not in uncertain riches, but in the living God.' If we trust in tlie one we disclaim the other. Now consider what a dishonour is tliis to leave God for the creature ! the fountain of living waters for broken cisterns : Jcr. ii. 13, ' My people have committed two evils, they have forsaken the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.' They leave the husband for a slave, treasure for coals, things precious for dung.
[2.] As there is a leaving of God, so there is the setting up another god in his stead ; therefore covetousness is called ' idolatry,' Col. iii. 5, and a covetous man an ' idolater,' Eph. v. 5. Mammon is the idol, and the worldling the priest. Our tnist is not only diverted, but placed elsewhere, while we expect that from wealth which is to be expected from God alone. Trust in God is a confidence that no evil shall befall us, and nothing truly good shall be wanting to us while we keep in with him ; such a kind of confidence we place in riches, therefore this must needs be a heinous sin. So that besides apostasy and forsaking the true God, there is idolatry ; Ave set up another god. Trust is a prime affection, which keeps up all commerce between us and God. Our allegiance and respect to the crown of heaven is mainly preserved by dependence, and the heart is never kept in a right frame but when we look for all from God. Let a man but think himself sufficient to his own happiness, and God will soon be laid aside. As soon as we can live without God, we presently omit all kind of worship and respect to him. Our first ])arents greedily catched at the bait : ' Ye shall be as gods,' Gen. iii. 5. How as gods? Not in a blessed conformity, but in a cursed self-sufficiency. Thus we all affect to be sufficient to our- selves, to be able to live without God. The prodigal son, when he had his portion in his own hands, soon left his father. If we can live with- out God, we will never care for him. You dethrone God, and put money in his place, and set up something as God.
2. The mischievous effects and fruits of carnal confidence. You may consider these effects meritorie and effective.
[1.] Consider it meritorie, the merit of it ; it maketh us incapable of eternal life. God is disparaged from being our paymaster and giv- ing us our reward when we trust in money. Look, as God sent the Israelites to their idols, to see whether they could deliver them : Judges X. 14, ' Go and cry unto the gods which ye have chosen ; let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation ; ' so he will send us to the things we trust to. A man seeks his heaven and happiness here, while
VeR. 24.] SERMONS UPON MARK X. 17-27. 41
he is content to enjoy -wealth without God, and so dischargeth God from providing a reward for him • Luke vi. 24, * Woe unto you that are rich, for ye have received your consolation ; ' you have the happi- ness you pitch upon. God once said, Woe to you that are rich, but never said. Woe to you that are poor. They that have their heaven, their happiness here without God, can expect no more from him. Therefore meritoriously this is the fruit of it, it will make us incapable of eternal life.
[2.] Consider carnal confidence effective, in the influence of it ; the effects of it are very mischievous.