A supplement to The Morning-exercise at Cripple-Gate, or, Several more cases of conscience practically…

(6). Love to the world is a deliberate contrived lust, and so habitual enmity and rebellion against God. Acts of lust, which arise from sudden passions, though violent, may consist with the love of God; but a deliberate Bent of heart towards the world, as our supreme interest, cannot. The single act of a gross sin, arising from some prevalent Temptation, speaketh not such an inveterate bitter root of enmity against God, as predominant love to the world, James 4.4. whosoever therefore will be the friend of the world, is the enemy of God. Oh! how much of contempt, rebellion, and enmity against God, is there in friendship and love to the world?

(6). Love to the world is a deliberate contrived lust, and so habitual enmity and rebellion against God. Acts of lust, which arise from suddain passions, though violent, may consist with the love of God; but a deliberate Bent of heart towards the world, as our supreme interest, cannot. The single act of a gross sin, arising from some prevalent Temptation, speaketh not such an inveterate bitter root of enmity against God, as predominant love to the world, James 4.4. whosoever therefore will be the friend of the world, is the enemy of God. Oh! how much of contempt, rebellion, and enmity against God, is there in friendship and love to the world?

(7) Love to the world forms our profession into a subservience unto our worldly interest, and so makes Religion to stoop unto, yea truckle under lust. Now what can be more inconsistent with the Love of God, than this? This was the case of the carnal Jews, Ezech. 33.31. With their mouth they show much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness. They show much love in profession; but O; how little have they of sincere affection? and why? because their avaricious hearts made the whole of their profession to conform to their worldly interest? Thus also it was with unbelieving Jews in our Lords time,