SER M. extinguish that univerfal Benevolence toXVI. wards Mankind, which is the Charity reprefented in Scripture as the Fulfilling of the whole Law. To the fame Caufe alfo are owing generally, all the Great Breaches of our Duty towards God. For, Whence arifes That ftrange Negligence and Unconcernedness for the Discovery of Truth, which is the Cause of almost all the Irreligion and Superftition in the World; but from this Pride of imagining, that our own Wills, Pleafures and Paffions, are Guides preferable to the Reafon and Truth of things? And whence comes it to pafs, that fo many monstrously abfurd Opinions and Idolatrous Practices have prevailed in the Nations of the World; contrary to all the common Senfe and Reafon of Mankind, contrary to the natural Dictates of every man's own Confcience, and in oppofition to the proteftations and perpetual Endeavours of all Rational and Virtuous Men: Whence, I fay, has This come to pafs; but that it has beft ferved the Purposes of Ambition and Tyranny, to keep Men in fuch Ignorance by all poffible Frauds, and in the continuance of fuch Practices by all the cruel Methods of Vio

lence?

lence? And This may abundantly fuffice SERM. for explication of the First Particular; XVI. What the Apostle here means by the World which he exhorts us not to love; and by the Things that are in the World, which (he faith) are not of the Father, but of the World.

II. I AM to confider What That Love of the Father is, with which the Love of the World is here declared to be inconfiftent. Many there are, who by this phrafe of loving God, feem to have meant nothing more than a mere fpeculative imagination, an unintelligible enthufiaftick Warmth of Affection, a notional abftract Zeal; fometimes withdrawing Men wholly into a retirement from the moft ufeful Duties of Life, and fometimes not withdrawing them from the Vitious Practices of the World, But the Scripture-fenfe of loving God, is expreffly declared to be the Keeping his Commandments, the looking upon Him as our Supreme Governour, and most Bountiful Benefactor; as a Reasonable Governour, whofe Commands are to be obeyed not only out of Neceffity, but out of Choice, with cheerfulness and affection, in Prefe

rence

man

SER M.rence to every thing that would entice XVI. us to tranfgrefs them. And This being the cafe, the reafon immediately and evidently appears, why, if any love the World, the World in the fenfe already explained, the Love of the Father cannot be in him. For, in the Nature of Things, where-ever two inconfistent Objects offer themselves in competition, the Object preferred is the Object loved; and the preferring or choofing one before the other, is manifeftly inconsistent with preferring the Other before That. If any Man therefore loves the World, That World here defcribed by the Apostle, which is not of the Father; the Love of the Father cannot poffibly be in him: For no man can ferve Two Mafters. Of neceffity he must either hate the one, and love the Other; or else he must hold to the other, and defpife the first: He cannot ferve God and Mammon, Matt. vi. 24. Whatever be a man's ultimate View and Aim ; (as every man always has fome principal and ultimate View ;) by This will the generality, at least of the Material Actions of his life, always be determined. If the Love

Love of Truth and Reafon and Right, (or, SER M. which is the fame thing, a Regard to the XVI. God of Truth and Right,) be his governing Principle; his Defires after, and his Ufe of, the Pleafures, Riches, and Power of This World, will according to the natural Order and Defign of God's creation, always be regulated by, and made fubfervient to, thofe Greater and more Noble Ends. On the contrary, if these things, not as they are In the world, but as they are Of the world, and not of the Father; if these things, in the manner they are here described by the Apostle, the Luft of the Flesh, the Luft of the Eyes, and the Pride of Life; be the Object of a Man's Defires, principally and ultimately, as the main End which he has continually in View ; it cannot be but he will purfue his Pleafures, without regard to the limitations of Reason and Religion; he will heap up unto himself Riches, by Methods inconfiftent with Juftice, Equity and Charity; he will indeavour to raise himself to Honour by mean and unworthy Compliances; and he will make Ufe of Power to arbitrary and unreasonable Purposes.

And

XVI.

SER M. And for This caufe, these things are in Scripture reprefented as being Enemies to God: So that, if any man love the World, the Love of the Father is not in him. With regard to Pleasure in particular, the Apo Rom. xii. ftle St Paul exhorts: I beseech you,

1.

Rom. viii

7.

brem

139

thren, by the Mercies of God, that ye prefent your Bodies a living Sacrifice, boly, acceptable unto God, which is your reafo nable Service; and be not conformed to This World: For the Carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not fubject to the Law of God, neither indeed can be: So then they that are in the Flesh, cannot pleafe God. And St Peter. 1 Pet. i. 14. Be fober as obedient children; Not faflioning yourselves according to the former Lufts, in your ignorance; But, as He which hath called you is holy, so be Ye Holy in all maner of converfation. And St James, ch. iv. 4: Ye Adulterers and Adultereffes; know ye not, that the Friendfhip of the World is Enmity with God? Whofoever therefore will be a Friend of the World, is the Enemy of God. ner with regard to Riches:

In like man

In the paffage before-cited, They that will be Rich,

faith