SERMON XXIV.

OF THE LOVE OF GOD.

MATTH. xxii. 37.

Jefus faid unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart.

WHICH is the great commandment? was the question, SERM.

:

in anfwer whereto our Saviour returns this text; and that XXIV. with highest reason, (discernible by every man,) for that of neceffity the love of God is the principal duty we owe unto him the great duty indeed, as being largest in extent, and comprehending in a manner all other duties of piety; as that which exceeds in proper worth and dignity, (employing the nobleft faculties of our fouls in their best operations upon the most excellent object,) as that which communicates virtue unto, and hath a special influence upon all other duties; in fine, as that, which is the fum, the foul, the fpring of all other duties: in difcourfing whereupon, I did formerly propound this method; first, to declare the nature thereof; then, to fhew fome means apt to beget and improve that excellent virtue in us; laftly, to propofe fome inducements to the practice thereof.

The first part I endeavoured to perform, by describing it according to its effential properties (common to love in general, and more particularly to this) of duly esteeming God, of defiring, according as we are capable, to poffefs and enjoy him, of receiving delight and fatisfaction in the enjoyment of him, of feeling displeasure in being deprived

SERM. hereof, of bearing good-will unto him, expreffed by enXXIV. deavours to please him, by delighting in the advancement

Καθόλα μὲν ἡ τῶν παθῶν κακία διὰ

Ty Tad

Taι. Bafil.

261.

of his glory, by grieving when he is differved or dif

honoured.

The next part I also entered upon, and offered to confideration those means, which ferve chiefly to remove the impediments of our love to God; which were,

1. The fuppreffing all affections oppofite to this; all perverse and corrupt, all unrighteous and unholy defires.

2. The restraining or keeping within bounds of moderation our affections toward other things, even in their nature innocent or indifferent.

3. The freeing of our hearts from immoderate affection toward ourselves; from all conceit of, and confidence in, any qualities or abilities of our own; the diligent use of which means I did suppose would conduce much to the production and increase of divine love within us.

To them I fhall now proceed to fubjoin other instruments more immediately and directly fubfervient to the fame purpose: whereof the firft is,

1. Attentive confideration upon the divine perfections, with endeavour to obtain a right and clear apprehenfion Thy gì of them: as counterfeit worth and beauty receive advanἀγνωσίαν, ἢ ἀδόκιμον tage by distance and darkness; fo real excellency,-fi proyo iyyi- pius ftes, te capiet magis-the greater light you view it in, de Jud. Dei, the nearer you approach it, the more strictly you examine tom. ii. p. it, the more you will approve and like it: fo the more we think of God, the better we know him, the fuller and clearer conceptions we have of him, the more we shall be apt to esteem and defire him; the more excellent in himself, the more beneficial to us he will appear. Hence is the knowledge of God represented in holy writ not only as a main inftrument of religion, but as an effen2 Pet. ii. 20. tial character thereof: as equivalent to the being well 10. ix. 10. affected toward God: O continue, faith the Pfalmift, thy Ifa. v. 13. loving-kindness unto them that know thee; that is, to all Hof. ii. 10. religious people. And, This, faith our Saviour, is life John xvii.3. eternal, to know thee the only true God, and Jefus Chrift

Pfal. xxxvi.

xi. 9.

16. xxiv. 7.

Cor. x. 5.

6. x. 25.

1 Sam. ii.

whom thou haft fent; knowledge of them implying all SERM. good affections toward them: as on the other fide, igno- XXIV. rance of God denotes difaffection or want of affection Jer. xxii. toward God: Now the fons of Eli, it is faid, were fons of xxxi. 34. Belial, they knew not the Lord: and, He that loveth not, Ifa. i. 3. faith St. John, doth not know God; the want of love to Jer. xix. 3, God is an evident fign, a natural effect of ignorance con-1 Theff. iv. cerning him: indeed confidering the nature of our mind, 5. and its ordinary method of operation, it seems impoffible, 12. that fuch perfection difcerned fhould not beget answerable 1 John iv. s. reverence and affection thereto : if beautiful fpectacles, harmonious founds, fragrant odours, delicate favours do neceffarily and certainly please the respective senses; why fhould not with the like fure efficacy the proper objects of our mind affect it, if duly reprefented and conveyed thereto? If the wit of the moft ingenious artists, the cunning of the deepest politicians, the wisdom of the sagest philofophers are but mere blindness and stupidity in comparison to the wisdom of God; the lowest instance or expreffion of whose wisdom (his Tò pwgòv, his folly, as St. 1 Cor. i. 25. Paul fpeaks) is wifer than men, doth excel the results of man's highest wisdom; yet them we admire and commend in men, why then do we not much more adore the divine wisdom? If the abilities of them who dexterously manage great business, or achieve profperously great exploits are indeed mere impotency in regard to God's power; whofe weakness (that is, the smallest effects of whose power) is, as St. Paul again tells us, ftronger than men, furpaffes the utmoft refults of human endeavours: yet those things in men we extol and celebrate, how can we then forbear to reverence the divine power? If the difpenfers of freeft and largest bounty among men, the nobleft patriots, the most munificent benefactors, the most tenderly affectionate friends be in respect of God unworthy to be counted or called good, (as our Saviour tells us; If ye being bad know to give good things; and, There Matt. vii. is none good but God;) yet fuch perfons are much beloved Lakexi. 13. and applauded: how then can we abftain from paying the Matt. xix. like measure of affection and refpect to the divine good

11.

17.

SERM, nefs? If good qualities fo inferior and defective obtain fo XXIV. much from us, whence comes it that the infinitely fupe

1 Sam. xvi.

rior and moft perfect excellencies of God do not beget in their proportion a fuitable regard and veneration in us toward him? whence, if not either from our not firmly believing them, or not rightly apprehending them, or not attentively confidering them? Our belief of them in gross and at large we may fuppofe, as connected with the belief of God's existence, and included in the very notion of God; the defect therefore must proceed from the remaining causes, want of a right apprehenfion, or neglect of attentive confideration about them: as to the firft of thefe; it is common for men to have confused, imperfect, and wrong conceptions about the divine attributes, especially in the receffes of their mind; which although they spare to utter with their mouths, yet they vent in their practice: if we, for instance, imagine that we can comprehend the extent of God's defigns, or fathom the depth of his counfels; if we meafure and model his reafons of proceeding Ifa. Iv. 8. according to our fancy, (as if his thoughts were as our thoughts, and his ways as our ways; or, as if he did fee as man fees ;) if we can bless ourselves in following our own Pfal. lxxxi. imaginations, counfels, and devices, although repugnant to 12. cvii. 11. the refolutions of divine wisdom; taking these not to befit, or not to concern us, as we find many in the ScripJer. xviii. ture reproved for doing; we greatly mistake and underHof. x. 12. value that glorious attribute of God, his wisdom; and no Pfal. lxxiii. wonder then, if we do not upon account thereof duly re11. x. 11. verence and love God: likewife if we concerning the divine power conceit, that, notwithstanding it, we shall be Job ix. 4. able to accomplish our unlawful defigns; that we may, x. 15. liv. as it is in Job, harden our hearts against him and prosper ; that we can anywife either withstand or evade his power, 1 Cor. x. (as also many are intimated to do, in Scripture; even generally all those who dare presumptuously to offend God,) Dan. v. 23. we alfo mifconceive of that excellent attribute; and the Amos ix. 2. contempt of God, rather than love of him, will thence Jer. xvi. 16. arise. If, concerning the divine goodness and holiness, we xxviii. 29. imagine that God is disaffected toward his creatures, (an

7.

Deut. xxix. 19.

Ifa. lxv. 2.

liii. 6.

12.

viii. 12.

xciv. 7.

Ifa. xlv. 9.

17.

22.

Deut.

xxxiii. 8.

Ifa. ii. 19.

Deut.

us;

2 Chron.

Τόν γε θεὸν ἐῥητέον ἔχειν 90s TOTOY, ἅγε τι αὐτὸς

. Plat.

tecedently to all demerits, or bad qualifications in them,) SERM. yea indifferent in affection toward them; inclinable to do XXIV. them harm, or not propenfe to do them good; if we Num. xiv. deem him apt to be harth and rigorous in his proceed- 41. ings, to exact performances unfuitable to the ftrength he xiii. 12. hath given us, to impose burthens intolerable upon will not fuch thoughts be apt to breed in us toward God (as they would toward any other person so disposed) rather a fervile dread, (little different from downright de Leg. x. hatred,) or an hoftile averfation, than a genuine reverence, or a kindly affection toward him? If we fancy him, like to pettish man, apt to be difpleased without cause, or beyond measure, for our doing fomewhat innocent, (neither bad in itself, nor prejudicial to public or private good,) or for our omitting that, which no law, no good reason plainly requires of us; what will fuch thoughts but four our spirits toward him, make us fearful and suspicious of him; which fort of difpofitions are inconfiftent with true love? If, on the other fide, we judge him fond and partial in his affections; or flack and easy, as it were, in his proceedings; apt to favour us although we neglect him; to indulge us in our fins, or connive at our miscarriages; will not such thoughts rather incline us in our hearts to flight him, and in our actions infolently to dally with him, than heartily and humbly to love him? If we conceit his favour procured, or his anger appeased by petty obfervances, perhaps without any good rule or reason affected by ourselves; when we neglect duties of greater worth and confequence, the more weighty matters of the Law; what is this but instead of God to reverence an idol of our own fancy; to yield unto him (who is only pleased with holy difpofitions of mind, with real effects of goodness) not duties of humble love, but acts of presumption and flattery? But if, contrariwife, we truly conceive of God's wifdom, that his counfels are always throughly good, and that we are concerned both in duty and interest to follow them, although exceeding the reach of our understanding, or contrary to the fuggeftions of our fancy; concerning his power, that it will certainly interpose itself