t 178 Chap. l5. 2. s Cor.8.4. z Cor.4.4 Phil,3,t9. F.phéf, í, S. Gen,zo,g. J0b.8.41. t Pat,r,7. Dent. t 5, r r. Of Religion, and its oppofits. Corn. r. C H A P. X V. The fecond thing required in the firfiCommandment, To have the true God for our God. Reafons hereof. Of true Rels° ton. This is the true Pearl to be fought. Three rules in feekng. The extreams of Religion. r. Idolatry. Z. Superftition. 3 Prophanenefs. q. Novelty, of which three degrees. t. Schifine. i. Heref,. 3. Apoftacy. The means oftrue Religion. Thef:gns ofprocuring it inothers. The fecond Propoítion. THere remain two Propofitions more in this Commandment. it t. Thou (halt have me the true God , for thy God ; and this includes the vertue ofReligion , aie.. true Religion , which is the having the true God for our God. All other Religions are the extreams forbidden. z. The fecond is, Thou fhalt baveno other Gods but me , that is , thou fhalt have one God alone , and thou (halt have me alone ; and this includes the vertue of fince. city, which is oppofite to all mixtures oftrue Religion with any other. Befides thrfe Propofitions drawn out of the whole Precept , there are two other verrues included in the firft and tall words of thisCommandment. i. Upon the lift words ?IS lÿ coramfacie mea before my face , is grounded, thevenue of integrity or uprightnefs , opposed to Hypocrifie; and upon the firft words , Non erupt tibi, E thou (halt not ] the vertue of perfeverarce. For the words are in the Future Tenfe, and extend to the whole courfe of our lite ; and thrfe are the particulars that remain to be handled in this Commandment. The fecond Propofition then is , Thou fhalt have me for thy God. For it is not enough to have a God,Unlefs he be the true God. And this is true Religion. Naturally our affeftionsare bent, and chiefly beftowed on fomc one thing above the ref[, and to this all our atiotss refer, and this whatfoever it be is ourGod. As fome upon an Idol, or falfe God, which as the Apoftle fpeaks, is nothing. Or fouie uponthe God of this World ( that is,the Devil. ) Some have their Belly for their God, that is the flefh. Some Idolize their Money and Wealth, the love whereof is Idolatry, as the fameA- poftle. Thus as Sr. Augurin faith, xnufquifq; comeditur ab aliguo zelo, every Man is zealous for fomething or other. And concerning all fuch the Prophet makes his com- plaint, that there is a generation'ofMenthatturn the glory of the true God into difhonour, that are not careful to render God his true honour; and their Religion is, as the Apoftlefaithofknowledge,fcieittia falfi nominis, Religion falfely fo called. For they. follow vanity and lies, and thereforeeat the fruitof fres, as the Prophet (peaks, that is, grief of Mind, finartof Body, andconfufion of Soul. That which Plato faith ofthis is true,ßm0° dtio. 'ta'i ;Paa'es,&c. EverySoul ifit hath not the truth,it is not becaufe it wants defire of the truth , and ifit (rind it hot out , it is againft the will of it, Milers it degenerate from its nature. WhenAbraham had told Abimilech that Sarah washis Sifter, not his Wife, hë'{theugh a Heathen) could tell Abrahamthat he had done that he ought not to have 'cjonc. And that which is more firange, the Devil, (though the FatherofLyes)could fayto the Woman,Yea is it true indeed? HathGod faid'ye (hall not eat ofevery Tree oFehe Garden?He vias defirous that Eve fhould Ove him a true anfwer. So we fee the force of truth, that howfoever it is not praEtifed,yet in judgement,not only the good,but the wicked,even theHeathen,and the Devil him- fell would not willingly be beguiled with falhoot, ' One reafon why God, thoughhe commandsotr'lytrue Religion, yet permits the falfe, is, in refpeEt of that which was named before, the tryal of our Faith, which is more pretious with God than all the riches of the World. This tryal path been the caufe, why God hashpermitted, and doth permit fo many errours, herefies, and falfe wor(hips, we may allude to it by comparifon : that albeit God bathabundance ofall things to make all Men rich , and fo could have done ; yet for a tryal of a liberal and compaffionate mind in the rich, he faith, The poor (hall never ceafe out of the Land : So it may be faid in the cafe of truth , It had been an ea- fie matter for God to have taken order, that every Man thould enjoy the true profeffion
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=