2. We do not honour God as the First Cause, when we do not depend upon him, that is Ungodliness. Trust and Dependence is the ground of all Commerce between us and God; and it is the greatest Homage and Respect which we yield to the Creator, and First Cause. Now when Men can trust any visible Creature rather than God, their Estates rather than God, they rob him of his peculiar Honour. That there is such a Sin as trusting in the Creature, excluding God, is clear from Job 31.24. If I have made Gold my Hope, or have said to the fine Gold, Thou art my Confidence. Job, to vindicate himself from Hypocrisy, reckons up the usual Sins of a Hypocrite; among the rest this is one, to make Gold his Confidence. Men are apt to think it the Staff of their Lives, and Stay of their Posterity, and Ground of their Welfare and Happiness; and so their Hearts are diverted from God, and their Trust is intercepted. It is a usual Sin (tho little thought of) for Men to intrench themselves within a great Estate, and then think they are safe and secure against all the Changes and Chances of the present Life, and so God is laid aside. Let God offer to intrench us within the Promises, and leave his Name in pawn with us, yet we are full of Fears and Doubts, Prov. 18.10. The Name of the Lord is a strong Tower, the Righteous runneth into it, and is safe. But, ver. 11. The rich Man's Wealth is his strong City, and as an high Wall in his own Conceit. Such as think themselves safe in a great Estate, do not acknowledge God as the First Cause, which gives Being, and sustains all things: and therefore Covetousness is called Idolatry, Col. 3.5. and a covetous Man is called an Idolater, Ephes. 5.5. not so much because of his Love of Money, as because of his Trust in it. The Glutton counteth his Belly his God, Phil. 3.19. Whose God is their Belly: he mindeth the Gratifications of his Appetite; yet he doth not trust in his Belly-Cheer, he thinks not to be protected by it, therefore he is not called an Idolater, as the covetous, who robbeth God of his Trust. We are all apt to make an Idol of the Creature; and poor Men think if they had Wealth, this were enough to make them happy; they trust in those that have it, which is Idolatry upon Idolatry: Therefore it is said, Psal. 62.9. Surely Men of low degree are Vanity, and Men of high degree are a Lie.
2. We do not honour God as the First Cause, when we do not depend upon him, that is Ungodliness. Trust and Dependance is the ground of all Commerce between us and God; and it is the greatest Homage and Respect which we yield to the Creator, and First Cause. Now when Men can trust any visible Creature rather than God, their Estates rather than God, they rob him of his peculiar Honour. That there is such a Sin as trusting in the Creature, excluding God, is clear from Job 31.24. If I have made Gold my Hope, or have said to the fine Gold, Thou art my Confidence. Iob, to vindicate himself from Hypocrisy, reckons up the usual Sins of a Hypocrite; among the rest this is one, to make Gold his Confidence. Men are apt to think it the Staff of their Lives, and Stay of their Posterity, and Ground of their Welfare and Happiness; and so their Hearts are diverted from God, and their Trust is intercepted. It is a usual Sin (tho little thought of) for Men to intrench themselves within a great Estate, and then think they are safe and secure against all the Changes and Chances of the present Life, and so God is laid aside. Let God offer to intrench us within the Promises, and leave his Name in pawn with us, yet we are full of Fears and Doubts, Prov. 18.10. The Name of the Lord is a strong Tower, the Righteous runneth into it, and is safe. But, ver. 11. The rich Man's Wealth is his strong City, and as an high Wall in his own Conceit. Such as think themselves safe in a great Estate, do not acknowledg God as the First Cause, which gives Being, and sustains all things: and therefore Covetousness is called Idolatry, Col. 3.5. and a covetous Man is called an Idolater, Ephes. 5.5. not so much because of his Love of Money, as because of his Trust in it. The Glutton counteth his Belly his God, Phil. 3.19. Whose God is their Belly: he mindeth the Gratifications of his Appetite; yet he doth not trust in his Belly-Chear, he thinks not to be protected by it, therefore he is not called an Idolater, as the covetous, who robbeth God of his Trust. We are all apt to make an Idol of the Creature; and poor Men think if they had Wealth, this were enough to make them happy; they trust in those that have it, which is Idolatry upon Idolatry: Therefore it is said, Psal. 62.9. Surely Men of low degree are Vanity, and Men of high degree are a Lie.
