Steen. 22. Wherein are we endangered by laroftill things ? 5 t7 when it became an Idol, became a fnare. When lawful! comforts are immoderately and pafíìonatefy defired, purfued enj.)yed, then they become an Idol and a beloved, or at !call they become beloved fo far as to carry it from Chrifl, from duty : Now when any things becomes an Idol in the heart, fo as that the foul begins to bow before it and yeild obedience to it, then it becomes an Idol, and what is an Ida! in the heart, is a stumbling block of iniquity in our life, Ee.rk 14 4- it is a flumblir.g block an hinderance in our wale : fucti Idols in the heart, ufually prove great offences, and both ets.P.Pee4 evoetqee, Rumbling blocks and occations of falling ; the firft Ggnifies a Rum- bling block to keep one off from duty ; fuch an offence Peter was to Chrifl, Mattb. 19.23. He would have hindred him in that great work which He had to do. The fecond fignifies a galitrapp which will vex and trouble one in duty : fo that when our comforts become Idols,images of jealoufie in our hearts, then they are Rumbling blocks, and fo (Articles in our way to Heaven. Again , when our lawfull comforts by our dorage become be- loveds, or greatly, paffionately beloved, then they become hinde- rances ; when your hearts inflame themfelves with your comforts, as the Lord fpeaks of them, Ifa.s7.5-. They iaflar, ed themfelves with their Volt ; when the heart doch inordinately love creature comforts, they arc then turned into lulls, fo that of lawful! comforts they are made unlawfull tufts, a 70b. z.15,í6. the things of the world, or the profits, pleafures, honoures which ufually mens hearts and thoughts are taken tip withal!, are good and lawful! things in themfelves, but being abufed,they are called, the bill of the flejh, the 1isj1 of the eye ,&c. The Holy Gholt puts the lull that is within us, to exprefs the profits, pleafures and honours of the world which are without us. So that. the good things of this life, by our inordinate love to them being abufed, the very nature and property of the things are altered, for inflead of proving good helps to us when lawfully loved and ufed, become lulls that hinder us, for they fight againti our fouls, 2 Pet.2. 11. and members of the old man, and weapons in his hand to fight, againfl God ; they become one with old Adam iii us, and therefore Col. 3.5. we are bid to mortifie our earthly members ; he doch not fay, mortifie your lulls, but members, they being all one, and make up together a body of fin, one old man, as iris called Eph. 4 za. Now it is certain that the old man in us, the body of fin, is an enemy and a hinderance to us in our way to Heaven. In this cafe thofe foul fins of Idolatry and adultery are committed V u u z with
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