The law unsealed

3. The third is, when confidence and trust is placed in any thing beside God, (to wit, excessively, as before we said of love.) Thus when a mans protection is placed in men, though Princes, Psalm 146. 3. or in Multitudes, or in Horses and Armies, it is idolizing of them. Thus rich men may make (as it is Joh 31, 24. gold their confidence, and fine gold their hope; that is, when men account themselves secure, not because God hath a Providence, but because they have such means; as A•a trusted to the Physicians, and not to God; namely, in that particular, the cure of his disease; or as the rich man, Luke 12. 19. who founded his taking rest to his Soul on his full Barns, and so some trust their standing to such a great Man who is their Friend: And this is known; 1. By the means to which men betake them in a strait, as when they stand not to make use of sinful means. 2. By what noise they make when they are disappointed. 3. It is known by this, when their leaning on such a Creature marreth their resting on God, and on his Providence. Hence it is hard for men to be rich, and not to place their confidence in riches; and so Christ speaketh of the difficulty of rich mens being saved. 4. Then men trust in their riches, when the having of them maketh them to think themselves the more secure, and maketh them proud and jolly, as if they added some worth to those who possess them, which could not be, if they were not something too much thought of.

4. The fourth way how Creatures are idolized by men, is in their fear, when men or events are feared more then God, and fear maketh men sin, or at least keepeth them back from duty, in less or more like those Professors, who for fear of the Jews Joh. 12. 42.) did not confess Christ. Thus men may idolize their very ⟨image 27⟩