SERMON XIII. All Sin proceeds from fome Mifapprehenfion of GOD. JER. V. 4. Therefore I faid, Surely thefe are poor, they are foolish; for they know not the way of the Lord, nor the Judgment of their God. I N the following Difcourfe, ISER M. cause they know not the way of the Lord, SERM. Firft; SOME there are, who indulge a XIII. Sceptical Humour, and do not believe God's particular providence and infpection over all events. This was the opinion, of a certain Sect among the ancient Philofophers; and acordingly as they thought the Life of God confifted merely in ease and doing nothing; fo they willingly perfwaded themselves that the Happiness of Man confifted, in nothing but Vanity and Pleasure: They thought that God had no regard to what good or evil was done by men on earth; and accordingly they themfelves had no regard to any thing, but Luxury and Pleasure; They faid in their hearts, God hath forgotten, he hideth away his face, and he will never see it. Tush, say they, does God perceive? Is there Knowledge in the most High? The Pfalmist speaks of such persons, not who were abfolute Atheists and thought God knew not what they did at all; but who thought it beneath his divine Majesty, to regard what men did. Now from what fort of Misapprehenfion concerning God this proceeded, is not difficult to discover: They thought, and and fo far indeed very juftly, that God S ER M. could not but be a perfectly Happy Being, XIII. infinitely removed from all that care and labour, those difficulties and anxieties, which make a great part of the misery of humane Nature; But muft he therefore be altogether an unactive Being? Cannot he with the fame eafe wherewith he made the World, (a work of infinite Power, Wisdom and Counsel ;) cannot he with the fame eafe govern it also and prefide over it? Cannot he who at one view fees and obferves all things that are done in the World; cannot he concern himfelf for the benefit and well-government of his Creatures, by punishing the Evil and rewarding the Good; without diminishing from his own infinite Happiness? Efpecially fince Juftice and Holinefs are no lefs effential to him, than Happiness, and even That Happinefs itself confifts, not in Reft and doing nothing, but in exercifing and difplaying thofe Perfections, of infinite Wisdom, Holiness and Justice. It is manifeft therefore, that the folly of such persons as thefe, proceeds from a very weak and indeed ridiculous Mifapprehenfion U 3 SERM.prehenfion of the Happiness of the divine XIII. Nature; that they know not at all the way of the Lord, nor have any right understanding of the Perfections of God. Secondly; OTHERS there are, who though they cannot deny God's particular Providence and Infpection over all things, yet will not believe that he has fo great a Concern, about the moral good or evil actions of Men. This is the cafe of those Libertines, who though they pretend indeed to acknowledge the obligations of Natural Religion in Oppofition only to Revelation, yet in reality it is plain they have no true Senfe of the difference of moral Good and Evil at all, nor any juft and worthy Apprehenfion of the Moral Attributes of God. The marks of infinite Knowledge, Power and Wisdom, in the contrivance of this Fabrick of the World, and in the difpofing all things in that order and harmony, which men may admire and adore, but can never perfectly understand and comprehend; are fuch convincing and undeniable Proofs of the Being of God, and of the Natural Perfections of his effence, that they cannot N indeed deny that there is fuch a PowerfulSER M. and Wife Being; But that he is indued alfo XIII. with those moral Perfections of infinite Juftice, Goodness and Truth; and that confequently he cannot be pleased with any Creature, which does not endeavour, in its proportion and capacity, to imitate these divine perfections, this they are by no means willing to grant, as being inconfiftent with thofe vicious courses, from which they are refolved not to depart. Now These also are manifeftly poor and foolish in the notions they frame to themfelves concerning God; as if his moral Attributes were not neceffarily connected with his Natural ones, and as if it were poffible that he might be infinitely Wife and Powerful, without being Holy, Juft and True. For are there not as evident footsteps of the Juflice and Goodness of God's government of the World, as there are of the Power and the Wisdom of it? or is it poffible that He fhould be an Allpowerful and All-wife Governour, whose Government is not fettled on Juftice, Goodnefs and Truth? What are Wisdom and Knowledge, without Juftice and Veracity, |