Imatges de pàgina
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following the cuftoms of this world bring us to SER M. bleffedness? It were a dreadful thing, if in a mat- VI. ter of fo abfolute neceffity, cuftom or inclination were to be the measure of the law which must govern us. And again,

[4] I ADD in the next place, that it is true indeed that rulers do confider the tempers and inclinations of a people under their legislature. And there is good reason they should do fo, and not impose unneceffarily upon the people things of meer indifferency, and fo run the hazard of urging them into tumults about matters of very little confequence. But fure there is no fuch need or reason that the great Author and LORD of all things fhould fo much concern himself what the inclinations of thofe are whom he is to govern. If they diflike his laws,.and have an inclination to tumultuate or rebel against him, let their diflike and inclination be as ftrong as it will, He that fitteth in the heavens will laugh, and have them in derifion; when they fay, Let us break his bands afunder, and caft away his cords from usc.

[5.] THERE is a very great difference in the confideration of laws already made, and of laws to be made. This law was made for man when he was no way difinclined to the love of God. It is a law as ancient as his being. He had it as foon as he had the nature of man.

It is therefore a part of the law of nature, and one of the most deeply fundamental things in that law; for

it

Pfalm 11. 3, 4,

I.

VOL. it is made the fummary, and wraps up all laws whatsoever in it felf; for all is fulfilled in Love. And what! was it reasonable or fit that this law, so suitable at first to the nature of man, should be then repealed, when he thought fit to break and violate it? That were a strange way of fuperfeding the obligation of a law, that as soon as it is tranfgreffed, it should oblige no longer! Then may any subject be a fovereign; fince there would be no need of any thing more to make a law ceafe to oblige him, than for him to disobey it.

[6.] CONSIDER that our not seeing Gop is fo far from having a neceffary tendency to preclude the love of him, that if things were with men as they should be, and as they have been with fome in the world, it would very much promote our loving him. For though we cannot see him, yet we see many things that are great arguments, and should be powerful inducements to us to love him. It is true, we do not fee GOD with our bodily eyes, but we see the effects of his wisdom, his goodness, his mercy and patience every where; and of his mighty power over all, especially over those who are for GOD and lovers of him.

If we take a view, as we can do with these eyes, of the beautiful and glorious works of his creation, we continually behold in the visible things that are made, the invisible power and godhead, which we are called upon to adore and love. And in the works of his providence

and

Rom. 1. 20.

and the ways of his difpenfations towards men SERM. great arguments of love do daily occur. And VI. into what raptures of affection do we find holy fouls transported even by the help of their own eyes! the things feen reprefenting to them the great unfeen object of love. In what an extasy do we find David, upon the view of the beauty and glory of this creation! How excellent is thy name in all the earth, O LORD our LORD, who baft fet thy glory above the heavens! What put him into this rapture? The fight of his own eyes. He beheld the beavens, the work of GOD's bands, the moon and the stars which he had ordained; and therefore as he begins, fo he ends the Pfalm in a tranfport; How excellent is thy name in all the earth! And thus our own eyes may serve to be our instructors, and prompt us to the love of him the great author and original of all that glory, which we find every where diffused in this world.

THE viewing Gob alfo in the ways of his providence, how hath it excited the love of holy men fometimes! When Mofes and the children of Ifrael had seen that marvellous work of the fea divided, themfelves conducted and brought fafe through it, the waters made a wall on the right hand and on the left, and their enemies dead on the fea-fhore, how did this fet love on work in them! how is the bleffed GoD adored and admired upon the account of what their eyes had seen of him! Who, fay they, is a GOD like Vol. I. H

e Pfal. VIII

unto

VOL. unto thee? Who is like to thee among the Gods, I. glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders? And after the people of GOD had feen that great falvation wrought that we find recorded in the fourth chapter of Judges, what a mighty raisedness of heart do we find in the next chapter, all fhut up in this, So let all thine enemies perifh, O LORD, but let them that love him be as the fun when he goeth forth in his might . Here was love fet on work and raised to the height, fo as even to pour out bleffings upon all the lovers of Go D. What a phrase of benediction is that, "Let all that love him be as the "fun when he goeth forth in his might!" which proceeded from the view of his excellent greatnefs.

So that this pretence, that Go D is not seen, doth not make it unreasonable or unfit that the duty of love to him fhould be impofed upon men by his law. They are not for this reafon neceffarily difinclined to love him, and therefore this excufe for not loving him is neither reasonable nor fit, nor can exempt men from the obligation, as the objection fuppofes. Let us then fee,

2dly, WHAT can be alledged to prove, that the love of GOD is moft fit and reasonable to be the matter of a standing and indispensible law. And to this purpose, in order to fhew how reafonable this is, we shall only note in general, that if any fhould object against the fitnefs of loving

.GOD

! Exod. xv. 11.

Judg. v. 31.

GOD on this ground because he is not feen, and SER M. affirm that for this reafon men fhould not be re

quired to love him; what they have to say in this cafe, if it fignifies any thing to the purpose, must be as strong an objection in all cafes of like confideration, and muft at last come to this that it is unreafonable and unfit that men fhould be affected with any thing they cannot fee. But the falfhood hereof, and the reasonableness of this injunction upon men, may be gathered from this fourfold confideration; to wit, that we may be as fure of the objects of the mind, as we can be of the objects of our fight; that those of the former fort are generally more excellent; that we are concerned in them, as much at least, and in many of them infinitely more, than in the others; and finally, that what can only be the object of the mind may be more intimately prefent with us, than thofe things which are the objects of fenfe. And if we can make out all thefe, which I hope we may, then it must be concluded that GoD is fo much the more to be loved, yea infinitely more than any thing our eye can fee or make a discovery of.

[1.] WE may be as fure of the real existence of the objects of our mind, as we can be of any objects of our fight; or in other words, we may be as certain of the existence of invifible beings, as of visible ones. We may frame a notion of their existence with as much affurance, and form certain conclufions concerning their nature, though they are invifible to the bodily eye. We H 2

may

VI.

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