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Unwillingness to know God's Law.

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of love, disobedience is an argument of hatred. If you love me, keep my commandments, John 14. 15. If obedience to God ennobles us with the glorious title of God's friends, John 15. 14; disobedience to God must needs expose us to the unworthy character of his enemies. And indeed the breach of God's laws is not only a discarding his sovereignty, but a casting dirt upon his other attributes. his other attributes. For if his command be holy, just, and good; if it be the image of God's holiness, the transcript of his righteousness, and the efflux of his goodness, then in the breach of it all those attributes are despised. The law is then slighted as it is a medal of God's holiness, as it is equitable in itself, and as it is in its goodness designed for our conveniency and advantage. Therefore by the breach of one point of the law, we contract virtually the guilt of the contempt of the whole statute book of God; Whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all, James 2. 10, 11; because the will and authority of the Lawgiver, which gives the sanction to it, is opposed; also, because that the authority of the Lawgiver, which is not prevalent with us, to restrain us from the breach of one point, would be of as little force with us to restrain us from the breach of all the rest, when occasion is offered; because also the breach of any one law declares a want of that love which is the sum and spirit of the whole law.

This enmity to God's law, will appear in these ten things.

1. Unwillingness to know the law of God, enquire into it, or think of it. Men affect an ignorance of God's command they are loth to inform themselves; they hate the light, which would both discover their spots, and direct their course.

Hence those expressions; Refusing to hearken, and stopping the ears that we should not hear, Zech. 7. 11. None understands; there is none that seeks after God, Rom. 3. 10; unwillingness to seek the knowledge of him;

yea, though it be the most advantageous and refreshing to their soul; yet they would not hear, Isa. 28. 12. When God presses in upon them by inward motions, or outward declarations of his will, they secretly desire God not to trouble them with his laws, though their hearts bear witness to the righteousness of them. Which say to the prophets, prophecy not unto us right things: cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us, Isa. 30. 10, 11. Let not the Holy One of Israel trouble us with any of his laws, but leave us to our sinful labour. Herein God placed their rebellion: Rebellious children, that will not hear the law of the Lord, ver. 9, They would have smooth things prophecied to them; they would partake of his mercy, but would not imitate his holiness.

And when any motion of the Spirit thrusts itself in, to enlighten them, they exalt themselves against the knowledge of God, 2 Cor. 10. 5, and resist the Holy Ghost, keep their hearts barred, that he may not have admittance. The word ȧvrimimTere, Acts 7. 51, is emphatical, to fall against; as a stone or any other ponderous body falls against that which lies in its way; they would dash in pieces or grind to powder that very motion which is made for their instruction, yes, and the Spirit too which makes it; and that not in a fit of passion, but from an habitual enmity always. Whereas a faithful subject or servant who loves his prince or master, would fain know what his will is, and what laws are ordered, that he may observe them. But when men have a superficial knowledge of God's laws by education, or attendance upon a godly and able ministry, yet they are loth to retain it, negligent in improving it; they easily let it slip from them, their minds have not delight to employ themselves in meditating of it, or to know the spirit of it, which the psalmist fixes as the character of a godły man, Psal. 1. 2.

Men are more generally fond of the knowledge of

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Unwillingness to obey God's Law.

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any thing, than of God's will. Do not the most of men, that are intent upon knowledge, spend more time, and engage more serious and affectionate thoughts in the study of some science or trade, than in the knowledge of God's will? With what readiness and dexterity will a man discourse about philosophy, mathematics, history, &c. but any discourse of God began in company, strikes them dead: he is quite at a loss in the knowledge of him and his will, which was the great end of his coming into the world, and the great concern of his soul.

But if a man doth desire to know the law of God, it is many times more out of a curiosity and natural itch to know, than any design to come under the power of it; therefore many men that can dispute for the principles of religion, are ashamed of the practice, and ashamed to discourse much of the practical part of it; which is a contradictory thing: for can the profession be honourable, if the practice be vile? If the principles be true and good, and worthy to be known, why are they not practiced? If the practice be disgraceful, why are the principles which lead to such practices, professed and studied? Whence can this affected ignorance of God's laws, this careless enquiry into his will arise, but from an enmity against it, for fear they should be disturbed by it in the pursuit of their carnal pleasures? therefore they account the word of the Lord a reproach to them and their ways, and a trouble to have their consciences set on work by the law that galls them, Jer. 6. 10.

2. Unwillingness to be determined by any law of God. When men cannot escape the convincing knowledge of the law, but it breaks in upon them as the morning light, they set up their carnal resolutions against it. As for the word which thou hast spoken to us in the name of the Lord, we will not hearken unto thee, Jer. 44. 16: and harden their hearts with a stoutness against God, Mal. 3, 13. Refuse to walk in

his law, Psal. 78. 10. Though it be a strength to them, yet they will not, Isa. 30. 15, they would rather guide themselves to destruction, than be under God's conduct to happiness: they would rather be their own rulers, than God's subjects. Men naturally affect an unbounded liberty; would not have the bridle of a command to check them, or be hedged in by any law: they think it too slavish a thing to be guided by the will of another: they are well compared to the wild ass, that loves to snuff up the wind at her pleasure in the wilderness they will take their own course, rather than come under the guidance of God, Jer. 2. 24. Since the law checks the inward operations of the soul, and would keep them from inward as well as outward compliances with sin; they therefore account it a heavy yoke to be so strictly regulated as not to have their secret retirements and dalliances with sin in their thoughts.

Let not God speak to us, say the Jews, Exod. 20. 19, 20, lest we die. One would think it was the terror of the thunder-claps wherewith the law was proclaimed, that made them so unwilling to hear God speak to them. But the apostle tells us it was the hatred of the law, itself; For they could not endure that which was commanded, Heb. 12. 20; which particle, for, shews it to be a reason why they desired the word should not be spoken to them any more. They had a natural unwillingness to be guided by any statute of God's enacting. Had they been only afraid of those terrible lightnings, without any aversion to God himself, methinks they should not so suddenly after have preferred a golden calf, the similitude of the Egyptian idol, and put the name of God upon it, and ascribe to it their deliverance from Egypt, which had been wrought, not by a senseless calf, but an almighty and outstretched arm. Therefore in the

charge God brought against them, Because, even because they despised my judgments, and because their soul abhorred my statutes, Lev. 26. 43; he accuseth them

Violence offered to his Laws.

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not only of despising his judgments, but of a rooted abhorrency of them even in their souls. There is not a law but the heart of man naturally hath a secret and rooted detestation of.

Hence man is said to make void the law of God, Psal. 119. 126. They have made void thy law. To make it of no obligation to them, as if it were an alinanack out of date; which Christ calls a making the law of none effect, Mat. 15. 6. kvρwoare; you have unlorded the law; put it out of commission; thrown off all the power and dominion of it: which law God values more than he doth the whole world; nay, the least tittle of it is so dear to him, that it shall stand, when heaven and earth shall fall. And to vindicate the honour of it, he would have his Son to die for a satisfaction for the breach of it. So that if a man could destroy the whole world, it were not so bad as sin, which is an unlording that which is an act of God's royalty, a copy of his holiness; whereas the making the world was but an act of his wisdom and executive power; nay God would not be so angry at it; because his power is by that contemned; but in this, his holiness, which is an attribute he doth particularly delight in.

3. The violence man offers to those laws, which God doth most strictly enjoin, and which he doth most delight in the performance of. If a man be willing to be determined by some law of God, it is not because it is his law, but because it doth not run counter to some beloved lust of his. But when God enjoins any thing which is against the beloved interest of the flesh, he flies out in rage against God; and the interest of his corrupt affection excites him to a loathing of that which is truly good. The strictness of the law, which natural men account their band and shackle, is the ground of their quarrel with God, the reason of their rage, and their counsel against God and his Christ: Let us break their bands, and cast away their cords from us: Psal. 2. 3. All this was,

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