I.

VOL. That men do not love GoD speaks them very wicked; that they continue in the neglect of this duty, without any excufe, fpeaks the infolency of their wickednefs. While they have not a cloke left them, not a colourable pretence, nor any thing to say for themselves that is fo much as plaufible; yet they continue their course of excluding GOD out of their hearts, and live as if they owed him nothing, and had no concern at all with him.

THAT men do not love Go D is a thing that cannot be excufed, as you have heard; and it is as little capable of denial, as of excufe. The matter is open and manifeft. The general face and aspect of this world fheweth, how little there is of the love of GoD in it. The very fhew of its countenance speaks it plainly. Men do in this matter even declare their fin as Sodom. They openly teftify to one another that they are Go D's enemies. So that every man that runs may read how the matter commonly is with men in this respect.

ALAS, how little doth God's interest fignify in this world! this fhews how little he is beloved. How little is his intereft valued, in comparison of that which is merely fecular, and human! We have instanced to you already in this and many other things, for the eviction of the matter of fact in this cafe. As for the matter of right and wrong in the cafe, you have fully feen, from the demonftration which hath been given you, that our not feeing, excufeth us not from loving GOD. Nothing can be more plain, than (as we noted heretofore)

heretofore) that although too little refpect be paid SERM, IX. in the most important matters to human laws, yet there is a great deal lefs paid to divine. Men are more prone to be obfervant of the laws of men than of GOD. But there is no true obedience to the one or the other which doth not proceed from love, fo far as it is true. We are to owe nothing to any man but love, or what may spring from thence. It was the complaint you know of old, The ftatutes of Omri are kept? A very scrupulous care, as is intimated and complained of, there was to observe them; while the ftatutes of GOD were neglected, or not fo much refpected among those that profeffed his name.

YEA, and which is more than that; how much more frequent are the inftances that may be affigned of laws made directly against Go D's intereft, and the precepts of the first table, than against those of the fecond! The world in the feveral fucceffive ages of it, hath been full of inftances of laws made for polytheism, infidelity, idolatry, the worshiping of false gods, and the abolishing, or very much depraving the worship of the true. But when did you ever hear of laws made for theft, false witness bearing, and the like? so as to oblige men under certain penalties to invade each other's interefts, as they generally make bold with Go D. We have heard and read very frequently of men perfecuted even to the death by laws, for not burning incenfe to idols, for not denying of Chrift, and the like; but when did

Micah vi. 16

you

I.

VOL. you ever hear of a man exposed to fuch penalties for not ftealing, for not couzening, not defrauding this, or that, or the other man? So apparent is it, that men can express somewhat of tenderness one to another, in respect of their own private and fecular intereft; when, in the mean time, there is no concern at all for the common interest of the LORD of all this world. So that what interest is in the world is shut up almoft intirely among men themselves. And though there is too little regard to that intereft; yet they confine what there is among one another, excluding the Bleffed GOD from having any part or fhare in their love at all.

AND truly, Sirs, I fear we are too little concerned about this fad cafe. We do not confider this matter as it deferves, nor with that folemnity that it challenges. We are not fo affected about the rights and intereft of him, whom we call our Go D, as we ought to be. It doth not pain us to the heart as it fhould, to think how little GoD is made of in his own creation, and among the works of his own hands. We fometimes, when we hear the matter spoken of, fay, it is a fad cafe, but we know not how to help it, and so pass it very nightly over. But do not we indeed know how to help it? And fhould not this affect us ten thoufand times more, when it is a cafe, that we can only lament? Sure methinks, at leaft we should do that if we can do no more. But how prone are we to alleviate the matter by confidering it as a common cafe. "Oh! this is a matter of obfervation every day. It may be seen in every place, "that

that there is little of the love of God to be SERM. "found among men." And is it a common cafe? IX.

is it not then a thousand times more horrid that it fhould be fo common? If there had been but one apoftate creature from GOD in all the world, one perfon of whom it might be faid, "He doth not "love GoD," how fhocking and horrid would this man look in our eye! But is it not inconceivably worse and more horrid, that there fhould be fo general a revolt from God? and that the hearts and love of his poor creatures are fo averted without caufe, and wickedly alienated from him all the world over?

2. WE further collect hence, that the conviction of the unreconciled part of the world muft needs be very clear and easy in the great day. When this fhall be the common cafe brought into trial (as indeed it will be with every man) every man)" Was "he a lover of Go D, or was he not?" how easy and clear, I fay, muft the conviction, needs be, fince, as you have heard, it is a matter that admits of no excufe? If this be a matter not defenfible at our own bar, among our felves, when we controvert the matter one with another; how eafily and gloriously will divine juftice triumph in the eviction of his right, and of the wrong that hath been done him by his creatures in this matter? Behold a whole race of creatures, originally capable of his love and communion, gone off from him with one confent! alienated in heart and fpirit, from the life and love of God! tranf

mitting

VOL. mitting their enmity and difloyalty from age to .I. age, from generation to generation! and, in a word, emboldening themselves in wickedness a gainst him, because they see him not; and, as they vainly think, because he fees not them.

AND yet in the mean time it is very plain, that men might know him if they would; for they live, and move, and have their whole fubfiftence in, and by him. He is not far from any one of them. He fupplies them with breath from moment to moment. They intirely owe themselves, their being, and preservation, to an every where prefent, and apprehenfible Deity. Yet they do not, neither will they know him; and in this voluntary ignorance they fufficiently fhew, that they love him not. How glorious then will the triumphs of juftice be, when this cafe comes to be stated! when this fhall be the charge brought against men, be they who they will, or whatsoever they have been in other refpects, that they have been no lovers of Go D.

3. WE are hence to note, and admire the wonderful patience, and bounty of GOD to this wretched world. How admirable are the riches of his goodness, and his fparing and sustaining mercy! that the treasures of wrath are shut up, and the treasures of bounty opened to a world, where he hath, upon the matter, but little or no love! One would wonder that this world fhould not have been in flames many an age ago, confidering how enmity against God hath been tranf