Wesley Corpus

hath set up his idol in his heart ; he is divided in himself, and therefore cannot love, fear, and serve God. It is on this account that St. Paul calls the covetous man an idolator, because he allows his desire of gain to share his affections and his thoughts, which God and religion ought wholly to engross. And as the covetous man, so also is the sensualist, the passionate, the proud, the ambitious ; each of them have some end in their actions besides God : in short, any one who pretends to be a Christian, and admits any motive in his pursuits but God and his holy will, halts between two opinions ; he may with his lips confess the Lord to be God, yet pays him not the homage and obe dience due to him alone. The folly and danger of which state comes under the second general head : now the danger will appear from the following considerations: First, that it is a state which the Almighty hath no where promised to reward ; and, Secondly, it is a state which he hath threat ened with the severest punishments. First, Heaven is the free gift of God through Jesus Christ ; and therefore not to be attained