Wesley Corpus

Multiplied our wandering thought, Which first was fix'd on God alone; In ten thousand objects sought The bliss we lost in one. 12. These idols, these rivals of God, are innumerable; but they may be nearly reduced to three parts. First. Objects of sense; such as gratify one or more of our outward senses. These excite the first kind of "love of the world," which St. John terms, "the desire of the flesh." Secondly. Objects of the imagination; things that gratify our fancy, by their grandeur, beauty, or novelty. All these make us fair promises of happiness, and thereby prevent our seeking it in God. This the Apostle terms, "the desire of the eyes;" whereby, chiefly, the imagination is gratified. They are, Thirdly, what St. John calls, "the pride of life." He seems to mean honour, wealth, and whatever directly tends to engender pride. 13. But suppose we were guarded against all these, are there not other idols which we have need to be apprehensive of; and idols, therefore, the more dangerous, because we suspect no danger from them For is there any danger to be feared from our friends and relations; from the mutual endearments of husbands and wives, or of parents and children Ought we not to bear a very tender affection to them Ought we not to love them only less than God Yea, and is there not a tender affection due to those whom God has made profitable to our souls Are we not commanded to "esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake" All this is unquestionably true; and this very thing makes the difficulty. Who is sufficient for this -- to go far enough herein, and no farther to love them enough, and not too much Can we love a wife, a child, a friend, well enough, without loving the creature more than the creator Who is able to follow the caution which St. Paul gives to the Christians at Thessalonica (1 Thess. 4:5.)