Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

felf would do, fo he does imagine God will do. 3. The crafty; they think it to be divine wisdom to lead mens apprehenfions any ways, because they allow themselves to circumvent and to deceive; fuch are apt to think of God, that he fpeaks fometimes what he does not mean, and that he promises what he will not perform. I wonder how those of this temper can believe any of the promises of the gospel, to take them upon his word; certainly they doubt of God's meaning in what he fays, and of his performing what he promises, who make that foul explication of voluntas figni & voluntas beneplaciti, that is, the fecret and revealed will of God. In truth there is but one will in God; this diftinction expreffes only the fame will in different ftates; the revealed will, is his will explained; his fecret will, is that which is not declared; 1 Cor. ii. II. For what man knows the things of a man, fave the spirit of man which is in him? Even fo the things of God knows no man but the spirit of God. i, e. the will both of God and man, not declared. That cannot be afcribed to God as a perfection, which is difhoneft in his creatures. As the crafty attribute to God, fo alfo to men, what they find in themfelves. For he that is difhoneft himself, can truft no body; he converfeth with others, as taking them to be fuch as himself. The innocent and harmlefs are not fubject to be jealous and fufpicious; but they that are otherwife, are afraid of every body; also as they are in temper, fo they ufe themfelves to violence, fraud, deceit, and falfhood, throughout their converfations.

This is obfervable ; fcripture afcribes naughtiness of men towards one another, to the want of respect to God. Religion begins at respect to God.; he that has none to God, has no true respect to any creature further than as the law or his own intereft. does oblige him. The first obligation to honesty and integrity, is refpect to God. If there be no respect to God, there is no conscience; where there is no confcience, there is only care to maintain a man's felf against human laws, or to maintain his own interest. Abraham faid, Gen. xx. II. Surely the fear of God is not in this place, and they will flay me for my wife's fakes 1 Sam. ii. 12. The fons of Eli were the fons of Belial, they knew not the Lord; having no regard to God, they offered violence to the women, to the scandal of their profeffion; they used force to take what they would, not being satisfied with their allotments. Jer x. 21. They are become brutish, and have not fought the Lord; funk down below the use of reafon; Prova xvi. 6. By the fear of the Lord men depart from evil. A man may depart from evil as the unjust judge did from oppreffion, by importunity, or to approve himfelf to men; but if there be no respect to God, there is no confcience. Job gives this account of himself; thou knowest that I am not wicked, chap. x. 7. Pfalm xlv. 7. God loves righteoufnefs, and hates wickedness. And they that fear God are like him, are in reconciliation with him; they hate all manner of evil: there is no approach to God, for him who allows himself. in wickedness unto the wicked, God fays, what haft thou to do to declare my ftatutes? Pfal. 1. 16. fo lii. 7. Lo this is the man that made not God his ftrength, but trusted

trufted in the abundance of his riches, and frengthmed himself in his wickedness; whom, verfe 5. God shall de froy and root out of the land of the living. Can any think that the most holy God can endure or have patience with the wickedness of his creatures, when even the facrifice of the wicked (Prov. xv. 8.) and his prayer, (Prov. xxviii. 9.) is an abomination to him? It is therefore advisable for men to deal honeftly, entirely, fincerely; that they live under the power, and in the constant exercise of, that which is true religion, and matter of confcience; or elfe to let religion altogether alone.

There is nothing of uglinefs or deformity in the whole course of nature (whatfoever men think, for they abuse themselves; but) there is nothing monftrous, which gives us offence to look upon, and we cannot endure to fee; nothing that does defile or cause our loathing and deteftation; that is comparable with the hideoufness and abominable nature of fin. For that which is beft in its rectitude, integrity and constitution of its nature, is worst in its corrupt and degenerate ftate no carcafs is more loathfome, than that of man, because it is the beautifulleft body when alive. The actions of man, if they be actions of virtue, done in reverence and respect to God, they are actions valuable above all the world. The fun's enlightening of the world is not comparable with an act of adoration of God, an act of vifion or delectation in God. And by how much more excellent these motions of the highest creatures are, by fo much more depraved, ugly, and deformed, are thofe actions which proceed from degeneracy and vice.

But

But in the judgment of good and evil we are very apt to deceive ourselves by fond opinion and partial dealing; David himself, when he had done evil, continued under the guilt of it a whole year fenfelefs; yet when the prophet represented the matter to him as another's cafe, he could judge impartially, and be fevere in his cenfure; 2 Sam. xii. 15. his anger was greatly kindled, he that has done this thing shall furely die. Wherefore let us measure good and evil by the principles of reafon and declarations from God; not by our own affectations and partial refpects: for things do not alter upon our opinion; things will be what they are, whatfoever we think of them: and whilst a man is under a false judgment, he is in no difpofition to repent; for no man repents of that wherein he does partially favour himself in point of judgment. Take therefore the certain grounds of good and evil from reafon, which is the light of God's creation, and from the declarations of his will; that fo you may be able in all cafes, in all paffages of your lives, to judge of good and evil, right and wrong, and may not deceive yourselves by fondness or partiality.

DIS

DISCOURSE XCI.

The great matters of religion.

PSALM v. 4. 5.

Thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness, &c.

Ut now more particularly, to do right to the text,

But

it is neceffary that I do declare on the one fide

and the other, what are the great matters of religion, and what are those things that will not confist with it.

And to inftance in both kinds; it is, first, indifpensably neceffary, upon account of religion and confcience, of approving ourselves to God, and main taining interest in him, in order to lay a foundation of welfare here, and of happiness hereafter; to do these four things. I. To reverence and acknowledge the deity. 2. To live in love, and bear good will towards one another. 3. To deal justly, equally and fairly in all our transactions and dealings each with other. 4. To ufe moderation and government of ourselves, in respect of the neceffaries and conveniencies of this ftate. To all these, our ftate, religion and capacities do determine us; the ftate that God hath made us in, the relation that we ftand in to God, and to one anotner, and our capacity; all these determine us to thefe duties.

Secondly, On

« AnteriorContinuar »