nature of God and our own, with the infinite distance between them, make it indispensably necessary, even in the light of the natural conscience. Infinite great

ness, infinite holiness, infinite power, all which God is, command the utmost reverential fear of which our natures are capable. The want hereof is the spring of innumerable evils, yea, indeed, of all that is so. Hence are blasphemous abuses of the holy name of God in cursed oaths and execrations; hence it is taken in vain, in ordinary exclamations; hence is all formality in religion.

It is the spiritual mind alone that can reconcile those things which are prescribed us, as our duty towards God. To delight and rejoice in him always, to triumph in the remembrance of him, to draw nigh to him with boldness and confidence, are, on the one hand, prescribed to us: and, on the other, it is so, that we fear and tremble before him, that "we fear that great and dreadful name, the Lord our God," that we have grace to serve him with reverence and godly fear, because he is a consuming fire. In these things carnal reason can comprehend no consistency: what it is afraid of, it cannot delight in; and what it delights in, it will not long fear. But the consideration of faith (concerning what God is in himself, and what he will be to us) gives these different graces their distinct operations, and a blessed reconciliation in our souls. Wherefore, all our thoughts of God ought to be accompanied with a holy awe and reverence, from a due sense of his greatness, holiness, and power. Two things will utterly vitiate all thoughts of God, and render them useless to us.

1. Vain curiosity. 2. Carnal boldness. It is unimagiable how the subtle disquisitions and disputes of men, about the nature, properties, and councils of God, have been corrupted, rendered sapless and useless by vain curiosity, and striving for an artificial accuracy in the expression of men's apprehensions. When the wits and minds of men are engaged in such thoughts, God is not in all their thoughts, even when all their thoughts are concerning him. When once

men are got into their metaphysical curiosities, and logical niceties, in their contemplations about God and his divine properties, they bid farewell, for the most part, to all godly fear and reverence. Others are under the power of carnal boldness, that they think of God with no other respect than if they thought of worms of the earth like themselves. There is no holy awfulness upon their minds and souls in the mention of his name. By these things may our thoughts of God be so vitiated, that the heart shall not be affected with a reverence of him, nor any evidence be given that we are spiritually minded.

It is this holy reverence that is the means of bringing in sanctifying virtue into our souls, from God, upon our thoughts of him. None that think of God with a due reverence, but shall be sensible of advantage by it. Hereby do we sanctify God in our access to him; and when we do so, he will sanctify and purify our hearts, by those very thoughts in which we draw nigh to him.

We may have many sudden, occasional, transient thoughts of God, that are not introduced into our minds by a preceding reverential fear. But if they leave not that fear on our hearts, in proportion to their continuance with us, they are of no value, but will insensibly habituate us to a common bold frame of spirit, which he despises.

So it is in the case of thoughts of a contrary nature. Thoughts of sin, or sinful objects, may arise in our minds from the remainders of corruption, or be occasioned by the temptations and suggestions of Satan if these are immediately rejected and cast out, the soul is not more prejudiced by their entrance, than it is advantaged by their rejection through the power of grace. But if they make frequent returns into the minds of men, or make any abode or continuance in soliciting the affections, they greatly defile the mind and conscience, disposing the person to the farther entertainment of them. So if our occasional thoughts of God do immediately leave us, and pass away without much affecting our minds, we shall have

little or no benefit by them. But if, by their frequent visits, and some continuance with us, they dispose bur souls to a holy reverence of God; they are a blessed means of promoting our sanctification. Without this, say, there may be thoughts of God to no advantage of the soul.

There is implanted in our nature such a sense of a divine power and presence, as that, on all sudden occasions and surprisals, it will act itself according to that sense and apprehension. There is a voice in nature itself, upon any thing that is suddenly too hard for it, which cries out immediately to the God of náture. So men, on such occasions, without any consideration, are surprised into a calling on the name of God, and crying to him. And from the same natural apprehension it is, that wicked and profane persons will break forth, on all occasions, into cursed swearing by his name. So men, in such ways, have thoughts of God, without either reverence or godly fear; without giving any glory to him, and, for the most part, to their own disadvantage. Such are all thoughts of God, that are not accompanied with holy fear and re

verence.

There is scarcely any duty that ought at present to be more pressed on the consciences of men, than this of keeping up a constant holy reverence of God in all they have to do with him, both in private and public, in their inward thoughts and outward communications. Formality hath so prevailed in religion, and that under the most effectual means of its suppression, that very many do manifest, that they have little or no reverence of God, in the most solemn duties of his worship; and less it may be in their secret thoughts. Some ways that have been found out to keep up a pretence and appearance of it, have been and are destructive to it.

But herein consists the very life of all religion. The fear of God is, in the Old Testament, the usual expression of all the due respect of our souls to him; and that because where that is not in exercise, nothing is accepted with him. And thence the whole

of our wisdom is said to consist therein; and if it be not in a prevalent exercise in all we have to do with him immediately, all our duties are utterly lost as to the ends of his glory, and the spiritual advantage of our own souls.

CHAPTER IX.

What of God, or in God, we are to think and 'meditate upon. His being reasons of it-oppositions to itthe way of their conquest. Thoughts of the omnipresence and omniscience of God peculiarly necessary. The reasons hereof; as also of his omnipotency. The use and benefit of such thoughts.

THESE things mentioned have been premised in general, as to the nature, manner, and way of exercising our thoughts on God. That which remains, is, to give some particular instances of what we are, in an especial manner, to think upon; and with what we will be conversant in our thoughts, if we are spiritually minded. And I shall not insist at present on the things which concern his grace and love in Christ Jesus, which belong to another head, but on those which have an immediate respect to the divine nature itself, and its holy essential properties.

First, Think much of the being and existence of God. Herein lies the foundation of all our relation and access to him. "He that cometh unto God, must believe that he is." This is the first object of faith, and it is the first act of reason; and, being the sole foundation of all religion, it is our duty to be excrcised to multiplied thoughts about it, renewed on all occasions. For many who are not direct atheists, yet live without any solid well-grounded assent to the divine Being; they do not so believe it, as to be practically influenced with the consideration of it. granted, that the inbred light of nature, in the due exercise of reason, will give any rational creature sa

It is

tisfaction in the being of God.

But there is, in the most, an anticipation of any thoughts of this nature, by tradition and education, which hath invited men into an assent to it, they know not how; they never called it in question, nor have, as they suppose, any cause so to do. Nature itself startles at the first thoughts of denying it; but if ever such persons, on any urgent occasions, come to have real thoughts about it, they are at a loss, and fluctuate in their minds, as not having any certain indubitable conviction of its truth. Wherefore, as our knowledge of the divine Being is, as to the foundation of it, laid in the light of nature, the operation of conscience, and the due exercise of reason about the works and effects of infinite power and wisdom; so it ought to be increased, and rendered useful by faith in divine revelations, and the experience of divine power through them. By this faith, we ought to let in frequent thoughts of the Divine being and existence; and that on two reasons, rendering the duty necessary, in an eminent manner, in this age wherein we live.

1st, The abounding of atheism, both notional and practical. The reasons of it have been given before, and the matter of fact is evident to any ordinary observation. And on two accounts, with respect to this, we ought to abound in thoughts of faith concerning the being of God. 1. An especial testimony is required in us, in opposition to this cursed effect of hell. He, therefore, who is spiritually minded, cannot but have many thoughts of the being of God, thereby giving glory to him. "Let all the nations be gathered together, and let the people be assembled: who among them can declare this, and show us former things? let them bring forth their witnesses, that they may be justified; or let them hear and say, It is truth. Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen; that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. I, even I, am the Lord, and beside me there is no Saviour. I have declared, and have saved, and I