from that Foolish Exchange,which those that pass for the Wifeft among us frequently make, I mean that of gaining the World,and lofing one's own Soul? Laftly, fhould we not endeavour by all Means poffible, to qualify our felves for the bleffed Enjoyment of this Supream Good; and in order to that, to cleanse our felves from all Filthinefs both of Flesh and Spirit, and to Purifie our felves as he is Pure? Yes, we fhould; the Love of God would eafily conftrain us to all this;and the ferious application of our Minds to the Infinity of the Divine Perfection, would as eafily conftrain us to the Love of God.

And fo much for the advantages of fetting God always before us, as the Supream Good; let us now confider, in the Second Place, how we may be advantaged by setting him before us, as a Pattern. We all know and feel the great force and power of Example; and how naturally difpofed Men are to Imitation, and that we are much the better, or the worse, for those with whom we Converfe: And there is this great difference be tween Example and a Rule, that a Rule only directs, but Example does alfo incline; a Rule inftructs the Judgment, but Example moves and reconciles the Affections; the former fhews us the right Point to which we are to fteer, but the latter fupplies us alfo with Wind and Sail. And there is no rea

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fon to doubt, but that the Example of God would be as prevailing with us, as any other, and much more, (as being of infinitely greater Authority,) if we did but equally propofe him to our imitation, and fet him before us as a Pattern. Can then a Man confider the Univerfal Sanctity of the Divine Nature, and not find himself strongly inclined to work over anew the defaced Image of his Creator, and to be Holy as he is Holy? St. John affigns this, for a Reason why we fhall be like God hereafter, because we shall fee him as he is; We shall be like him, fays he, for we fball fee him as he is. And if the clear and open Vifion of God will fo far af fimilate us,as to make us perfectly conformable to him; certainly the Contemplation of his Moral Perfections, though through a Glafs darkly, muft needs infpire us with Defires and Endeavours to be like him. Is it then poffible,for a Man seriously and conftantly to contemplate the Infinite Love, Bounty, and Goodness of God; and either be ungrateful to him, or uncharitable to his Neighbour, to be felfifh and ftrait-laced, niggardly and covetous, referved and uncom municative? Much lefs can he be Envious and Spiteful, Cruel and Unmerciful, and delight in Barbarity and doing Mischief; it would be a Miracle if he should. The Pfalmift thought it fo, and therefore fays he, Q2 Pfal.

Pfalm 52. 1. Why Boafieft thou thy felf thou Tyrant, that thou canst do Mifchief, whereas the Goodness of God endureth yet daily? He thought it ftrange, that any Man fhould value himself for being able to do Mischief, when God thought it his Glory to do Good: He might have reproved his Folly and Wickedness from the very nature of the thing, by laying open the great unreafonableness of it; but he chofe rather to convince him of the ftrangeness and abfurdity of fuch a temper, from the Confideration of the Divine Goodness.

Which before I leave, I fhall mention one more very excellent advantage which it has in the Practice of Religion; in that it is apt to remove from us all fervile fear, and to infpirit us with a generous and ingenuous Principle of ferving God. For all Slavish and Superftitious Fears of God proceed from a wrong Notion of him; we Fear him, and are Jealous of him, because we mifapprehend him; and we mifapprehend him, because we do not fufficiently contemplate him. The way therefore to be afraid of him lefs,is to be more Converfant, and better acquainted with him. When the Difciples faw Jefus walking upon the Sea, and knew not who it was, they were fcared with the Appearance; and therefore our Lord, to take off their Fear, only made himself better

known

known to them. It is I, fays he, be not afraid. 'Twas enough to difmifs their Fears, to let them know who he was. Nor need we at any time any other Remedy against fervile Apprehenfions, and difingenuous Fears of God; than barely to contemplate the Goodness and Benignity of his Nature, expreffed in those two Emphatical Descriptions given of him in Scripture, God is Love, and God is Light.

And thus 'twere eafie to give inftances throughout all the other Moral Perfections of God; but I fhall infift only upon one more, as being more particularly fit and ufeful to be confidered in the Age we now live in. Can then a Man duly contemplate the Truth and Sincerity of God, how candid, open and ingenuous he is in his dealings with the Sons of Men;and how far removed from all Tricks, Juggles and Deceits, and that he can no more deceive, than he can be deceived? Can a Man,I fay,confider this, confider it well; and be a Hypocrite? And that, not only in an inftance or two, but in a long series of Action; not only for a few Hours or Days, but for a courfe of several Years; not only in the common concerns of Life, but in the moft facred of all things, and where we owe the greatest Plainness and Sincerity both to God and Man, Religion? Is Charity it felf able to believe,that fuch a Myfteri

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Mysterious Intricate Sinner as this,has made the Sincerity and Truth of God any part of his Meditations? No, I fear, if the truth were known, fuch a one would be too much concerned in that Charge, wherewith the Pfalmift taxes the Proud Man, that God is not in all his Thoughts, Pfal. 10. that he does not think of him at all, or else that he has a wrong Notion of him, and takes him to be altogether fuch a one as himself : But let fuch a one know, that God will reprove him, and fet before him the things which he has done; for God does not only give us a Pattern of Truth and Sincerity, but does also strictly observe whether we follow it or no: Which leads me to confider, in the laft place, the advantage of fetting God always before us,as an Obferver.

'Tis most certain, whether we will confider it or no, that God is every where Effentially and Subftantially Prefent; and that, as there is no Place that includes him, fo there is none that excludes him; a notion of God fo very natural, that even the Jews,as Grofs and Unmetaphyfical as they were, could not but embrace it. Which was the occafion of that Cuftom of theirs in their Sacrifices, (taken notice of by Dr. Outram, out of Maimonides,) of waving Lib. 1. Page the Victim towards the Six Parts of the World, upwards and

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