40.

SERM. capitulated, or fummed up in this one faying, Thou shalt XXIII. love thy neighbour as thyself: and by like, or greater reason are all the duties of piety comprized in the love of Matth.xxii. God; which is the chief of those two hinges, upon which, as our Saviour here fubjoins, the whole law and the prophets do hang. So great is this duty in extent and it is no less in proper worth; both as it immediately refpects the most excellent and moft neceffary performances of duty, (employing our highest faculties in their best operations,) and as it imparts virtue and value to all other acts Levit. ii. 13. of duty: for no facrifice is acceptable, which is not kinix.24.xx.1. dled by this heavenly fire; no offering fweet and pure, which is not seasoned by this holy falt; no action is truly good or commendable, which is not conjoined with, or doth not proceed from the love of God; that is not performed with a defign to please God, or, at least, with an opinion that we shall do fo thereby. If a man perform any good work not out of love to God, but from any other principle, or for any other defign, (to please himself or others, to get honour or gain thereby,) how can it be acceptable to God, to whom it hath not any due regard? And what action hath it for its principle, or its ingredient, becomes fanctified thereby, in great measure pleafing and acceptable to God; fuch is the worth and value thereof. It is also the great commandment for efficacy and influence, being naturally productive of obedience to all other commandments; especially of the most genuine and fincere obedience; no other principle being in force and activity comparable thereto: (fear may drive to a compliance with fome, and hope may draw to an obfervance of 2 Cor. v. 14. Others; but it is love, that with a kind of willing constraint and kindly violence carries on cheerfully, vigorously, and 1 Joh. ii. 5. swiftly to the performance of all God's commandments: Joh.xiv.23. If any man loves me, faith our Saviour, he will keep my word: to keep his word is a natural and neceffary refult 1 Joh. v. 3. of love to him: This is the love of God, faith St. John, that we keep his commandments, and his commandments are not grievous ; it is the nature of that love to beget a free and delightful obedience :) fuch then is the fubject of our

difcourfe; even the fum, the foul, the fpring of all our SERM, religion and duty. And because it is requifite, both for XXIII, our direction how to do, and the examination of ourselves whether we do as we ought, that we should understand what we are so far obliged to; that we may be able to perform it, and that we be effectually disposed thereto, I fhall use this method; I will firft endeavour to explain the nature of this love commanded us; then, to fhew some means of attaining it; lastly, to propound some inducements to the purchase and practice thereof.

I. For the first part; we may describe love in general (for it seems not so easy to define it exactly) to be an affection or inclination of the foul toward an object, proceeding from an apprehenfion and esteem of some excellency or fome conveniency therein, (its beauty, worth, or usefulness,) producing thereupon, if the object be abfent or wanting, a proportionable defire, and confequently an endeavour to obtain such a propriety therein, fuch a poffeffion thereof, fuch an approximation or union thereto, as the thing is capable of; also a regret and displeasure in the failing fo to obtain it; or in the want, absence, and lofs thereof; likewife begetting a complacence, fatisfaction, and delight in its prefence, poffeffion, or enjoyment; which is moreover attended with a good-will thereto, fuitable to its nature; that is, with a defire that it should arrive unto, and continue in its beft ftate; with a delight to perceive it so to thrive and flourish; with a displeasure to fee it fuffer or decay in any wife; with a confequent endeavour to advance it in all good, and preserve it from all evil. Which description containing the chief properties of love in common, do in fome fort (not to infift upon abstracted notions, or in examples remote from our purpofe) all of them well agree to that love which we owe to God, according to the tenor of this law, and in the degree therein expreffed; that is, in the best manner and highest degree; for even of this divine love the chief properties (prerequifite thereto, or intimately conjoined therewith, or naturally refulting from it) I conceive are these.

SERM. 1. A right apprehenfion and firm perfuafion concerning XXIII. God, and confequently a high efteem of him as most ex

cellent in himself and most beneficial to us: for fuch is the frame of our foul, that the perceptive part doth always go before the appetitive, that affection follows opinion, that no object otherwife moves our defire, than as represented by reafon, or by fancy, good unto us: what effect will the goodliest beauty, or the sweetest harmony have upon him, who wants sense to discern, or judgment to prize them? This is our natural way of acting; and according to it, that we may in due measure love God, he muft appear proportionably amiable, and defirable to us; we must entertain worthy thoughts of him, as full of all perfection in himself; as the fountain of all good; as the fole author of all that happiness we can hope for or receive as he, in poffeffion of whom we shall poffefs all things defirable; in effect and virtue, all riches, all honours, all pleasure, all good that we are capable of; and without whom we can enjoy no real good or true content: which esteem of him, how can it otherwise than beget affection toward him? If the faint resemblances, or the flender participations of fuch excellencies (of that incomprehenfible wisdom, that uncontrollable power, that unconfined bounty, that unblemished purity, which are united in him, and shine from him with a perfe&t luftre; if, I fay, the very faint resemblances, and imperfect participations of these excellencies) discerned in other things, are apt to raise our admiration, and allure our affection toward them; if the glimmering of fome fmall inconfiderable benefit, the shadow of real profit discovered in these inferior empty things, is able so strongly to attract our eyes, and fix our hearts upon them, why fhould not from a like, but fo much greater caufe, the like effect proceed? whence can it be that the apprehenfion of an object so infinitely lovely, fo incomparably beneficial (if not paffing curforily through our fancy, but deeply impreffed upon our mind) should not proportionably affect and incline us toward him with all that defire,

Pf.

.cxiii, 17,18.

.xxxiv. 9.

cxlv.19,20.

that delight, that good-will which are proper to love? SERM. If we think, as the Pfalmift did, that there is none in hea- XXIII. ven or in earth comparable to God, (comparable in effential pr. lxxxix. perfection, comparable in beneficial influence,) why should 6. we not be disposed also to say with him; Whom have 1 Pfal. Ixxiii. in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that 125. defire befides thee. Such a reverent esteem is the proper foundation upon which true love is built, and which upholds it whence, as the love of God doth commonly denote all the duties of religion; fo doth fear (or reverence to him) likewise in scripture style comprehend and express them all; it being the root from whence love doth sprout, Comp. Pfal. and by which it is nourished; it being the beginning of Pf.xxxi.23. that true wisdom by which we embrace and fasten our affection upon the fovereign good. Hence we may observe, that those devout perfons, whose hearts were fullest of this love, their minds were most employed in meditation upon the divine excellencies, and upon the beneficial emanations from them in bounty and mercy upon the creatures; their tongues being tuned by their thoughts, and their inward esteem breaking forth into praise. Every Pf. cxlvi. 7. day, all the day long, at all times did they blefs God, civ. 33. praife his name, speak of his righteousness, fhew forth his lxxi. 15. Salvation, as the Pfalmift expreffes his practice, arifing xxxv. 28. from love enlivened by the efteem of God, and the appre- lxxi. 8. henfion of his excellent goodness: from whence also that ftrong faith, that conftant hope, that cheerful confidence they reposed in him; that hearty approbation of all his counfels and purposes; that full acquiefcence of mind in his proceedings; that entire fubmiffion of their understanding to his discipline, and refignation of their will to his good pleasure; that yielding up themfelves (their fouls and bodies, their lives and goods) to his disposal, with all the like high effects and pregnant figns of love did flow: but,

xxxiv. 1.

2. Another property of this love is an earnest defire of obtaining a propriety in God; of poffeffing him, in a manner, and enjoying him; of approaching him, and being, fo far as may be, united to him. When we ftand upon

cxlv. 2.

1.

SERM. fuch terms with any perfon, that we have a free access XXIII. unto and a familiar intercourfe with him; that his con

Ifa. lxv. 1.

Jofh. xxiii.

8.

Acts xi. 23.

verfation is profitable and delightful to us; that we can upon all occafions have his advice and affiftance; that he is always ready in our needs, and at our defire, to employ what is in him of ability for our good and advantage, we may be said to own such a person, to poffefs and enjoy him; to be tied, as it were, and joined to him (as it is faid 1 Sam.xviii. the foul of Jonathan was knit to the foul of David, fo that he loved him as his own foul). And fuch a propriety in, such a poffeffion of, fuch an alliance and conjunction to himself, God vouchfafes to them, who are duly qualified Heb.xi. 16. for fo great a good. He was not ashamed, faith the Apoftle concerning the faithful Patriarchs, to be called their God; to be appropriated in a manner unto them; 1 Joh.ii.23. and, He that acknowledgeth the Son, faith St. John conPf. cxix. 2. cerning good Chriftians, тòv Tarépa exes, hath (or pofDeut.xi.22. feffeth) the Father alfo: and to seek; to find; to draw near to; to cleave unto; to abide with, to abide in; and 1 Cor.vi.17. fuch other phrases frequently do occur in Scripture, deJoh. xv. 4. noting that near relation which good men ftand in toward God; implying that he affords them a continual liberty 1Joh. ii. 24. of access and coming into his especial presence, that he admits them to a kind of converfe and communion with himself, full of spiritual benefit and delight; that bearing an efpecial good-will and favour toward them, he is difposed to exert his infinite wisdom and power in their behalf; is ready to impart all needful and convenient good unto them (help in their needs, fupply in wants, protection in dangers; the direction, affistance, and comfort of his Holy Spirit; pardon of fins and peace of conscience; all the bleffings of grace here, and all the felicities of glory hereafter); such an intereft, as it were, in God and a title unto him, fuch a poffeffion and enjoyment of him we are capable of obtaining: and as that enjoyment is in itself infinitely above all things defirable; fo, if we love God, we cannot surely but be earnestly defirous thereof: a cold indifferency about it, a faint wishing for it, a flothful tendency after it, are much on this fide love; it will inflame

xvii. 21.