Imatges de pàgina
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X.

ly, and on the by, as words drop'd by chance; SER M. "but he came for this very end, that he might "acquaint the world what God is, and give to 16 men an account of him,

fince he is not to be
And fure,
And fure, upon the

"feen with eyes of flesh."
account we have of this blessed and glorious object,
he must be acknowledged to be the most lovely
object. We are not then at a lofs for an object
of our love, if we will but believe the record, and
testimony of the Bleffed GOD in his own word;
and take it as a revelation from heaven with fo
merciful a defign. How awful an acquiefcence
therefore doth that challenge and command?
So that our hearts fhould readily fuggeft to us,
that it is the greatest profaneness, if we do not with,
reverence, and veneration, admit that teftimony.

In what honour and veneration had those poor deluded creatures the image that was faid to have come down from Jupiter "! Why, God's own word is his own lively image, a true reprefentation of himself, which certainly came down from himself. He hath fent many on this meffage; his own Son, his Prophets, and Apostles, on purpose to draw men into communion and fellowship with himself. These things, faith St. John, are written, that we might have fellowship with the Father, and with his fon Jefus Chrift". And then he goes on in his Epiftle to tell them, that the meffage which the Apostles heard of him and declared unto them, was this, that GOD IS LIGHT, AND GOD IS LOVE. Surely then fuch a Being is

m Acts xix. 35.

the

M 3
1 John 1. 3. 1 John 1. 5, &c.

I.

VOL. the moft worthy of our esteem and love; and the meffage fent to men is moft worthy of their acceptance, to wit, that fuch a GOD is offered to them for their GOD. Thus men are acquainted with him by the revelation they have of him in the Gofpel, that fo they may be drawn into a communion and fellowship with him, the life and foul of which is love.

4. IT is neceffary, that we bend our felves much to contemplate and ftudy the nature of GOD, according to the difcovery we have of him in his revelation. That which we do know and believe, makes an impreffion upon us only as it is improved by our thoughts; as it is confidered, or not confidered. A great many things lie asleep in our fouls, and fignify nothing to us, for want of actual thought. At certain times and seasons, therefore, we fhould fay to our felves; " Well! "I will now go on purpose, and fit down, and "meditate upon GQ D. This fhall be the bufi"nefs of the prefent hour." For furely nothing can with higher right lay claim to our intire thoughts, than the author of all. And it is a ftrange piece of negligence, that he, with whom we have fuch great concerns, and who is our All in all, fhould be fo feldom the fubject of our folemn, defigned, purpofed meditation; that the thoughts of GOD fhould be cafualties with us; that we should think of him only now and then by chance, and never find a time, wherein we may say to our felves, "I will now on fet pur"pofe think of GOD."

How

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X.

How doth this correfpond with the practice ofS E R M. the faints, who had communion with him of old? as we find the Pfalmift intimating, that He thought of GOD on his bed, and meditated on him in the night-watches. I would not here propound to you the indulging, or gratifying a vain curiofity, inquiring into the unrevealed things of GOD; but would recommend to you the ftudy of thefe plain intelligible attributes of his, that are obvious to the understandings of the generality of men, be-: cause the Divine Being is not capable of a strict and rigid definition. Thefe are enough to fug-. geft fuch a notion of him, as renders him an object worthy of our love and worship; while a multitude of things may be fuppofed concerning GOD, which it is not neceffary for us to be acquainted with.

CONSIDER then his wifdom, power, goodnefs, holiness, and the like, which are his communicable attributes; and add to these the incommunicable properties of his eternity, his immenfity, his self-sufficiency, his self-fubfiftence, his neceffary existence, and fo we have an account of GOD. And then how excellent and glorious an object both of love and worship have we befors! a Being of himself originally perfect; who is effential wisdom, goodnefs, love, truth, righteoufnefs, and holiness. In what a tranfport fhould we be upon fuch a reprefentation of GoD! We have his name often in our mouths, when it is with us but as an empty found; as if that great, and veM 4

P Pf. LXIII. 5.

nerable

VOL. nerable name fignified nothing. He is near in I. our mouths, and ears, but far from our hearts; and then no wonder he is fo little loved all the while. But would we once admit to have our fouls poffeffed with the apprehenfion of the import of that mighty and venerable name, which was given to Moses; how would it ingage us to bow our heads and worship him, who is the LORD, the Lord GOD merciful and gracious, long fuffering, abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thoufands, forgiving iniquity, tranfgref fion, and fin, and that will by no means clear the guilty. Our Lord told the Samaritan woman, Ye worship ye know not what. So do they, who make his worship nothing else but a ceremonious compliment; the mere bowing of the knee, and the honouring him with the lip. But if it be the worship of love, it is impoffible then that we should worship we know not what. For the interior faculties of the foul, as to love and defire, cannot be wrought upon by a fhadow. They must be moved by something substantial, and fet on work by something which really exists. When therefore we hear the name of GOD fpoken, how fhould it make us stoop and bow before him! and into what an awful and pleafing commotion should it put all the powers of our fouls at once! But to go a whole day, and forget Go D; and to let many days pafs, without ever chufing a time to think of him on purpose, is a great iniquity. And

Exod. xxxxiv. 6, 7.

John Iv. 22.

And while that iniquity abounds, the love of fuch SER M. must needs grow cold. And then again,

E

5. We must take heed, that we entertain no horrid and difmal thoughts of Gop, and that we believe nothing that is contrary to his own revelation of himself. Take heed left the belief of a GOD fuggeft only a guilty enflaving fear. I mean not the fear of reverence, which the angels owe and pay; but that fear of horror, which is most proper to devils, and is the product of a diabolical faith. The devils believe and tremble. They believe and are full of horror, as that word fignifies. Do even shiver with the belief they have concerning GOD. As perfect love cafteth out fear, fo fuch fear will always put out love. For a fear proceeding from grofs and horrid mif-perfuafions concerning GoD, must needs ftifle all dutiful, ingenuous, loyal affection to Go D.

*

IT is the great art of the devil to poffefs men with the apprehenfion, if it be poffible, that their cafe is the fame with his own, that so thereby they may make it their own. If the devils can once perfuade men, that GOD is as unreconcilable to them, as he is to themselves, who finned with open eyes, without a tempter, and all at once in their own proper perfons; if they can, I fay, but make men believe this, then it is a most easy thing to keep the love of GOD from ever having any entrance into the foul. It is natural to hate thofe, whom we fear or dread; therefore I fay the fallen

angels

X.

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1 John v. 18.

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