in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth SER M. that I defire befides thee'.

SUCH expreffions as thefe verbal ones, and fome fignificantly real actions and fufferings on the account of love to GoD, will not fuffer us to doubt but that there have been true lovers of GOD, whatever there are in our days. And it is to be hoped, that there are fome even now. However it is to be feared, that there are perfons in the world who are heartily grieved, and vexed at the very heart, that there fhould be fuch expreffions as these now mentioned, in those writings which they think it convenient to acknowledge as divine. For if they did not think thus, how loudly and clamorously would David and those who speak fuch words, have been cried out upon; and perhaps be charged with being fanaticks and enthusiasts, as much as any in our days!

AND that an unfeen GoD fhould be loved, and an unfeen Chrift, who is also out of fight, is fpoken of in Scripture not only as the true character, but the high glory of Chriftian believers. Whom having not feen, fays St. Peter, ye love; in whom though now ye fee him not, yet believing ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory. This is not barely affirmed, concerning these primitive Christians, but spoken of them as their high praise and encomium; as being a discovery of the refinedness, excellency, and greatness of their spirits, who could fo far lift up themselves

G

3

ki Pet. 1. 8.

i Pf. LXXIII. 25.

above

V.

VOL. above fense and fenfible things, as to place their I. highest and most vigorous love upon an unseen object. That was glorious joy, and glorious love, placed upon what was not feen; a deferving object, at least believed to be fuch, though not feen.

AND fo it is we know that the bleffed GOD becomes vifible. By faith Mofes indured, as feeing him who is invifible. The word of GOD is a representation of himfelf, and makes report, of all the glorious excellencies belonging to him, Among the reft this is his peculiar and diftinguishing attribute, that he cannot lye ". His truth is one of thofe excellencies; therefore it is impoffible that he fhould mifrepresent himself, or fay that he is other than he is. For, as the Apostle fays, what man knoweth the things of a man, fave the fpirit of man which is in him? Even fo the things of GOD knoweth no man, but the Spirit of GOD". He fure can beft tell what an excellent and glorious Being he is, and as he has told us he is fuch a one (which it was impoffible he should do if he was not really poffeffed of thofe excellencies) then there is all the reason in the world to acknowledge, that he ought to be loved infinitely above all. And this hath been the fenfe of many, whofe practice alfo hath been answerable to it; who have been in this world, living in tabernacles of clay and earth as we do. Therefore it follows, that it is no impoffible thing that GOD fhould be loved, though

1 Heb. XI. 27.

m Heb. vi. 18.

" I Cor. 11. 11.

though he be not feen. And fuppofing it not SER M. impoffible, then

In the next place it is eafy to be proved also, that it is not unfit to love GOD, for that reason. Sundry fuggeftions might be used to enforce this, and afterwards the abfurdities of this excufe might also be brought in view. Indeed I have had it most in my eye, to expose this abfurd principle, that men have no need to concern themselves with things unfeen; I would fain, I say, drive it out of the world. And if men would but examine it thoroughly, it would appear to them monftrously abfurd. To do this therefore, and fet it before their eyes, would be worth our time, and shall ac cordingly be done hereafter.

V.

SERMON VI.

Preached September 27, 1676.

I JOHN IV. 20.

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

U

PON the latter part of the text lies the main weight of the discourse we have in hand. How can be love GOD, whom he hath not feen? In which it is plainly implied, that we are still perpetually bound to love GOD, notwithstanding his being invifible. And the vehemence of the Apostle's expoftulation here, implies it to be a moft intolerable thing not to do fo. And therefore we have obferved,

THAT not to love GoD is a fin moft horrid and heinous, notwithstanding the excuse that we fee him not. Here we propofed in the

I. PLACE to fhew the vanity and impertinence of this excufe; and then,

II. To demonftrate the heinousness of this fin, and its horrid nature.

SERM.

In order to evince the impertinence of this VI. excufe, there were two things which it was charged with; to wit, that it has nothing which a valid excuse should have; and if it could be admitted, it would draw the worst consequences after it.

I. IT is infufficient, as we have obferved, to alledge this as an excufe for not loving GoD, that we see him not; because it is not for this reason impoffible, nor unfit, that GOD should require this by a law *.

(1.) IT is not impoffible. For the fight of our eye is not the immediate cause of our loving any thing, but only the medium by which the mind discerns the loveliness of the object. For there are other means befides this of fight, to poffefs our minds with the love of certain things. And fince there are fuch in the present cafe, which lead us to the love of GoD, and have actually led others to it, it is therefore poffible to be done,

* HERE We fhewed that if any thing be brought in excuse for not obeying a law, and the exception is not against the authority of the lawgiver, but to the matter of the law, that which is alledged as a valid excufe, must be able to evince one of these two things: either that the thing injoined by this law, is impoffible to them on whom it is injoined; or that at leaft though poffible, yet it is unfit, and therefore unreasonable to be impofed. Neither of which will be admitted. It is indeed impoffible to men confidered under the reigning power of fin, and while they remain fo. It is fo only by a compound impoffibility; as there is a compound neceffity, by which a thing is faid neceffarily to be, while it is. But to love GOD though we fee him not, is not a fimple impoffibility; for then it were impoffible, that he fhould be loved by any one at all.