One Lord (that is, One Mediator,) Jefus SERM,
Chrift, by whom are all things, and we by II.
Him. This is the First thing I proposed to
confider; The Suppofition laid down in the
Text, that there is One, and One Only True
God or Supreme Lord of all things; The
Lord thy God.

II. 2dly, I AM to fhew in the next place, What that Duty towards him is, which is expressed in these words; Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God. And here the word, Worship, must be understood in its largest Extent; to fignify every religious, every virtuous Act or Habit, by which Regard is fhown to God, either in the Affections of our Mind, or in the Expreffions of our Mouths, or in the Actions of our Life.

Ift, THE Worship of God, as it denotes That Regard we are to bear to him in the Affections of our Minds, implies, as the First Ground and Foundation of All, as firm belief of his Being: For he that cometh to God, must first believe that he Is, and that he is a Rewarder of them that diligently feek him. That is Our Belief of his Existence, must not be a Careless fpeculative acknowledgment of him, barely as a Being infinitely perfect in himself; but it must be a ra

tional,

SER M. tional, confiderate, and practical perfwafion, II. firmly impreffed and fixed upon our Minds, of his being truly and literally the original Author, and the continual Preferver, Governour, Director and Ruler of the Univerfe, and of all things that are therein, by his immediate, real, living, active Prefence, Authority and Dominion; in oppofition to all sceptical Notions concerning blind Chance, or unintelligent Fate. From fuch a Belief as This, of the Being of God; there will arife juft and worthy Notions of his Perfections and Attributes. And a just Senfe, and due Confideration, of each of his Perfections refpectively; will naturally excite in us That conftant and proper Regard towards him in the correfpondent Affections of our Mind, or That internal habitual Honour and Senfe of Duty towards him, which, to Him who fees the Heart, is the most valuable and accepable part of Worship. In This Senfe therefore, the Worship, This internal Worship of God, includes the following particulars, and Others of the like nature. It implies our fearing his Power; fo as to be much more follicitous not to offend Him, than to fall under the Displeasure of any Other Person

what

II.

Deut. x

17.

whatsoever: According to That Admoni- SER M. tion of our Saviour, Fear not them which kill the Body, and after That have no more that they can do; But I will forwarn you, whom ye shall fear; Fear Him, who, after he has killed, hath power to cast into Hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him. It implies our revering and ftanding in awe of His Juftice; who, as Mofes defcribes him, is a Great God, mighty and terrible, which regardeth not perfons, nor taketh Reward: or, as 'tis expreffed in the book of Job, ch. xxxiv. 19. He accepteth not the Perfons of Princes, nor regardeth the Rich more than the Poor; for they are All the work of His hands. It implies, our Trusting and Relying upon his Faithfulness and Veracity, in all cafes of Difficulty and Distress whatsoever; that, how little appearance foever there may be, in the present State of the World, that Truth and Righteousness fhould prevail, yet the Hope of those things, which God, who cannot lie, hath promifed fince the World began, ftands for ever firm and unshaken : So that 'tis with great reafon, as well as with noble eloquence, that the prophet VOL. I. Habak

D

II.

SERM. Habakkuk expreffes himself, ch. iii. 17. Altho' the Fig-tree shall not bloffom, neither fhall Fruit be in the Vines; tho' the labour of the Olive shall fail, and the fields fhall yeild no meat; tho' the Stock Shall be cut off from the fold, and there fhall be no Herd in the Stalls; yet will I rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my Salvation. The Last instance I fhall mention of the Particulars whereinconfifts the Internal Worship of God, or the proper Regard we are to bear to him in the Affections of our Minds, is That of Loving him for his Goodness. Goodness, is the Proper Motive and Object of Love: And therefore, as, comparatively speaking, there is none Good, but One, that is God; He being the Alone Author of every good thing we enjoy: fo He alone likewife, comparatively fpeaking, is confequently the Proper Object of Love. By which Love towards God, we ought always carefully to obferve, is Never meant That Enthusiastick Warmth of Imagination, which is the effential character of Fanaticifm; but (which is the juft and proper Affection of a rational Creature

II.

n

Creature towards its beneficent Author, ) SER M. 'tis a Defire of pleafing him, a Defire of performing his Will, a Defire of being acceptable to him, a Defire of partaking of his Favour and Rewards, rather than of the unreasonable Pleafures of Unrighteousness.

This is the True Notion of Loving God. From whence, by the way, it clearly appears, that the Love of Virtue and Truth, the Love of Righteousness and Goodness, is truly and indeed Loving of God. From hence alfo at the fame time 'tis very manifeft, that mens doing their Duty with a Hope and Prospect of Future Rewards, is not (as fome have ridiculously argued,) a Mercenary Temper. For the Rewards which God has promised to them that love and obey him, are of fuch a Nature, as either themfelves confist in, or are effentially conjoined with, the Perfection of Virtue. The Rewards prepared for Them who shall be thought worthy to obtain That Life and the Resurrection from the Dead, are new Heavens and a new Earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness, 2 Pet. iii. 13. where the People fhall be All righteous, If lx.

D 2