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I THOUGHT to have infifted on many things SERM. by way of use, as I proposed, after having ex- II. plained, and evinced, this fecond branch of my first propofition; but I fhall now only hint at fome things, which I purpose to speak more largely to in the next difcourfe.

In the first place, we may infer and gather from hence, that the apoftacy and degeneracy in which this world has been, and is ftill involved, is very dreadful; in that it hath destroyed man's right difpofition towards GOD. If it had wrought only fo far as to deface men's limbs, and turn them into monstrous fhapes, it had not been by many degrees fo tremendous; but it hath deformed the mind, and fpoiled the temper of the spirit as it hath reference to Go D most of all, which is a thing never enough to be deplored.

AGAIN, we may further infer, that there is a neceffity for something or other to fupply the room of our not feeing Go D, as man did in the ftate of innocence; in as much as he is not feen by us now in this lapfed ftate, fo as to furnish us with fuch apprehenfions of him as to ingage us to love him. There must be fomething analogous to fight, fome communications of GOD's grace, that muft influence our hearts, to love him; without which it is impoffible.

MOREOVER, I would obferve, that it is a wonderful mercy that God hath not wholly concealed himfelf from men.

cannot be seen by the bodily

That though he eye, yet he hath

vouchfafed to fhew us, how we may attain to

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I.

VOL. the knowledge of him. No man, faith John the Baptift, bath feen GoD at any time; the only begotten fon, which is in the bofom of the father, be bath declared him. How then ought divine grace to be admired for this!

We may also hereupon fee the great neceffity of much gospel-preaching, and that very lively and ferious too. There are a great many that are apt to fay, "What needs fuch ado? why "must we have fermons so often?" Surely the exigence of the state of man is but little confidered by them that fay fo. Do not we need to be often put in mind of the invifible GOD, when men love him not, because they see him not? If they should hear of him neither, what would become of them? Certainly they misunderstand the state of things among us, who think every little in this kind is too much.

FINALLY, we may fee how little reason we have to be in love with this state of dependence upon fenfe, which amufeth our fouls, ufurpeth the power over them, and fo difturbs and muddles our minds as to divert them from their true objects. How little reafon have we to be fond of living in, and walking after the flesh; which is to live the life of a creature, as it were, buried

alive. Surely, I fay, we have no reason to be fond of fuch a life.

John 1. 18.

SERM.

SERMON III*.

Preached September 6, 1676.

I JOHN IV. 20.

He that loveth not his Brother, whom he bath feen; how can he love GOD, whom be bath not feen?

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"AVING told you in the introduction to the first discourse, that love to GoD and man, is the fummary of our whole duty, I proposed to infift on these three things.

FIRST, that there is a greater difficulty of living in the exercise of love towards GOD than towards men on this account, that he is not the D 3 object

*N. B. THE Author begins the third fermon on this fubject after the following manner :

Ir will be neceffary, after fo long an interval, to be "fomewhat larger than ufual, in the recollection of what "has been faid from this fcripture." And accordingly he proceeds to give a large recapitulation of the two former difcourfes, which he had preached about three months before; of which this is only an abstract.

THERE is a like interval or chaẩm, with refpect to time, between the VIII. and IX. of thofe pofthumous fermons published by Dr. Evans; and there are feveral more of the like nature in the manufcript volumes, out of which these discourses are selected.

I.

VOL. object of fight, as man is: Or, in other words, men are much more difpofed to love one another, rather than GoD, in as much as they can fee each other.

SECONDLY, that although this is one great reason why men in reality love GOD fo little, yet it is no excuse.

THIRDLY, I propofed also to fhew you the manifeft falfhood and abfurdity of any one's pretending to love GOD, who does not love his brother alfo.

THE first of these we have made fome progrefs in, and, in the handling of it, told you, that it contained these two parts.

I. THAT it is more difficult to love GOD than our brother.

II. THAT one great reafon of it is, that we cannot fee GoD as we do one another.

As to the former of thefe, we have shewn you in feveral particulars, that how much foever mutual love is wanting in the world; yet it is not fo hard a matter to find out inftances of kind, goodnatured men, who are friendly and fair in their deportment one to another, as it is to find perfons who are kindly affected towards GOD. In the prosecution of this matter the usual expreffions, or evidences of human love were confidered: Such as mindfulness, or a kind remembrance of one another; mutual truft; a readiness to be concerned for each other's intereft, and reputation ; an earnest study to please, and oblige; and

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a difpofition deeply to regret an offence, though S ERM. given unwarily; and finally, a love of converfe, III. or delighting in each other's fociety, is another expreffion, as we obferved, of that regard, which feveral perfons have for one another. In all which respects it appears from conftant observation and experience, that men are more disposed to shew love and refpect to one another, than to Go D.

As to the latter of these propofitions, that all this proceeds for the most part from this cause, namely, that GOD is not feen by men as they are seen by one another, feveral propofitions were first laid down for the explication of this point; and then two confiderations for the eviction of it, tending to fhew, that it must neceffarily be from fome great defect in the nature of man, that the most excellent and most amiable object of all others, fhould not be generally loved by us. After which, two or three hints by way of use were given you, and fo we concluded the laft exercise on this fubject.

I Now proceed to a larger and more close application of this important truth.

1. HENCE we infer, that man is in a very low and lapsed state. The present state of man, I fay, is a lapfed ftate. He is fallen, and fallen very low indeed, when this is the cafe with him, that he is lefs apt to love God than man; and only for this reafon, because he cannot fee Go D. It argues, I fay, man to be funk very low, and greatly fallen. And can we hereupon think otherwife? For what! can it ever enter into the imagination

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