aarvli/u. ^J2^i/iyy' C^Z^rvC
n^
TRUE RELIGION DELINEATED;
OR,
Experimental Religion,
AS DISTINGUISllF.l) FHOM FORMALITY 0^' THE ONE HAND, AND KNTHUSIASM ON THE OTIIF.H,
SET IN A SCRIPTURAL AND RATIONAL LIGHT.
IN WHICH
80me or the pninctpa.1. errors both ot the armiktaks and an-
tinomians aiik confu red....n he foundatio.v akd super-
sirucrike of their different schemes de-
molisiii:d....and the truth, as it
IS IN JESUS, explained AND PROVED.
The whole adapted to the weakest capacities, and designed for
the establishment, comfort, and quickening
of the people of God.
BY JOSEPH BELLAMY, D. D.
LAIE OF BE'I IILEM, CONNECTICUT.
WITH A PREFACE BY THE REV. MR. EDWARDS.
Isaiah xxx. 21. ...And dune ears shall bear a •u.-ord belind tbee, saying, Tbti »'* the i\iaY, •uaii ye in it, labcn ye turn to ibe ri^bt band, and luben ye tun. to the lejt.
Ma iTHEW v'li. 1.1, li... Enter ye in at the strait gate ; fiir iviJe in the gate, and broad is the lony that leadelh to destruction, and many there le M\bicb go in thereat : Because strait ts tiw gate, and narrow is tbe may 'ubic^ leadetb unto life, andfevc there be that Jinu it.
BOSTON, PRINTED ...1750.
MOBPIS-TnJVN, RE-PRINTUD BY IIF.NRY P.RUSSELL.
FL.
iTHEt^EWYORK
PUBLIC LIBRARY
ASTOB, LENOX AND TILDEN FOUNOATION8.
•■-■ri-)
PREFACE.
X ME be*inc;of GOD is reckoned the first, j^catcst, nnd most i'undamcnt.il of all things th:it arc the objects of knowledge or belief ; and, next to that, must be reckoned the nature of that religion which God requires of us, and must be found in us, in order to our enjo\ ing the benefits of his fa- vor: Oi rather this may l)C esteemed of like importance with the otlicr ; for it in like manner concerns us to kiow how we may honor and please God, and be accepted of him, as It con- cerns us to know that he has a being. This is a point of inli- nite consequence to eveiy single person ; each one having to do with Ciod as his supreme judge, who will fix his eternal state, according as he finds him to be xulth or iv'itliout true reli- gion. And this is also u point that vastly concerns the public interests of the Church of God.
It is very apparent that the want of a thorough distinction ia this matter, through the defect either of suificient discernment or care, has been the chief tliing that has obscured, obstructed, and brought to a stand all remarkable revivals of religion v.hl.h have been since the beginning of the reformation ; the very chief reason wliy the most hopeful and promising beginnings have never come to any more than liejrinnings ; being nipt in the bud, and soon followed with a great increase of stupidity, corrupt principles, a profane and atheisiicid sj)irit, and the tri- umph of the open enemies of religion. And Irom hence, and from what has been so evident, from time \.o time, in tlu-se lat- ter ages of the chiu-ch, and from the small acquaintance I have with the history of preceding times, I cannot but tliink, that it the events, which have appeared from age to age, siioald be
iv PREFACE.
carefully examined and considered, it would appear that it ha» been thus in all ages ofthc Christian Church from tlie beginning.
They, therefore, who bring any addition of light to this great subject, The nature of true religion^ and its distinction from all counterfeits^ should be accepted as doing the greatest possi- ble service to the Church of God. And attempts to this end ought not to be despised and discouraged, under a notion that it is but vanity and arrogance in such as are lately sprung up in an obscure part of the world, to pretend to add any thing on this subject, to the informations we have long since received from their fathers, who have lived in former times, in New- England, and more noted countries. We cannot suppose that the Church of God is already possessed of all that light, in things of this nature, that ever God intends to give it ; nor that all Satan^?, lurking-places have already been found out. And must we let that grand adversary alone in his devices, to en- snare and ruin the souls of men, and confound the interest of religion amongst us, without attempting to know any thing further of his wiles than others have told us, though we see every day the most fatal effects of his hitherto unobserved snarea, for fear we shall be guilty of vanity or want of modes- ty, in attempting to discern any thing that was not fully ob- served by our betters in former times ; and that, whatever peculiar opportunities God gives us, by special dispensations of his providence, to see some things that were over-looked by them ?
The remarkable things that have come to pass, in late times, respecting the state of religion, I think, will give every wise observer great reason to determine that the counterfeits of the grace of (iod's spirit are many more than have been general- ly taken notice of heretofore ; and that, therefore, we stand in great need of having the' certain and distinguishing nature and marks o<" genuine religion more clearly and distinctly set foriii than has been usuiU ; so that the difference between that and every thing that is spurious may be more plainly and §urely discerned, and safely determined.
PREFACE. V
As cnqvilries of this nature arc very important and nccrs-^a- ry- in themselves, so they arc what the present state of religion in New-England, and other parts of the British dominions^ do in a peculiar manner render necessary at this season ; and also do give peculiar opportunity for discoveries beyond what has been for a long lime. Satan, transforming himself into an angel of light, has shewn himself in many of his artifices more plainly than ordinary ; and given us opj^ji tunity to see more clearly and cxaedy the difference between his operations, and the saving operations and fruits of the spirit of Christ : And we should be much to blame, if we did not improve such an advantage.
The author of the ensuing treatise has not been negligent of these opportunities. lie has not been an unwary or umiis- ceming obsei-ver of events that have occurred these ten years past. From the intimate acquaintance with him, which I have been favored with for many years, I have aljundant reason to be satisfied that what has governed him in this publication, is no vanit)- of mind, no affectation to appear in the world as an author, nor any desire of applause ; but a hearty concern for the glor)- of GOD, and the kingdom and interest of his Lord and Master, Jesus Chris r : And, that as to the main things he here insists on, as belonging to the distinguishing nature and essence of tnie religion, he declares them, not only as be- ing satisfied of them, from a careful consideration of important facts, (which he has had great opportunity to obser^'e), and ve- ry clear experience in his own soul ; but the most diligent search of the holy scriptures, and strict examination of the na- ture of things ; and that his determinations concerning the nature of genuine religion, here exhibited to the world, have not been settled and published by him without long considera- tion, and maturely weighing all objections which could be thought of, taking all opportunities to hear what could be saiti by all sorts of persons against the principles here laid dowTi» from time to time conversing freely and friendly widi gentle- men in the Arvuiiian scheme, having also had much acquaint-
vi PREFACE.
ance, and frequent and long conversation with many of the peo- ple called Separatists^ their preachers, and others.
And I cannot but express my sincere wishes, that what is here written by this reverend and pious author, may be taken notice of, read without prejudice, and thoroughly considered : As I verily believe, from my own perusal, it will be found a discoui-se wherein the proper essence and distinguishing na- ture of saving religion is deduced from the first principles of the oracles of God, in a manner tending to a great increase of light in this infinitely important subject.... discovering truth, and, at the same time, shewing the grounds of it, or shewing what things are true, and also why they are true.. ..manifest- ing the mutual dependance of the various parts of the true scheme of religion, and also the foundation of the whole.... things being reduced to their first principles in such a manner, that the connection and reason of things, as well as their agree- ment with the word of God, may be easily seen ; and the true source of the dangerous eiTors concerning the terms of God's favor and qualifications for heaven, which are prevailing at this day, is plainly discovered j shewing their falsehood at the ve- ry foundation, and their inconsistence with the very first prin- ciples of the religion of the bible.
Such a discourse as this is verv- seasonable at this day : And although the author (as he declares) has aimed especially at the benefit of persons of vulgar capacity ; and so has not la- bored for such ornaments of style and language as might best suit the taste of men of polite literature ; yet the matter or sub- stance that is to be found in this discourse, is what, I trust, will be very entertaining and profitable to every serious and impartial reader, whether learned or unlearned.
JONATHAN EDWARDS.
Northampton^ August 4, 1 750.
THE AUTHOR'S PKEFACE,
W r. arc deMj;nfd, by GOD our mahcr, for an endlcs? fxistcnce. In this present life we just enter upon being, and arc in a state introduc- tory to a never-ending duration in another world, where we arc to be for- ever unspeakably haj)i)y, or miserable, according to our present conduct. I'bi* is designed for a state of probation ; and that, for a state of rewariU ind fninitbnirntt. VVe are now upon trial, and God's eye is upon us eve- ry iiioMicnt ; and that picture of ourselves, which we exliibit in our con- duct, the whole of it taken together, will give our proper character, and (letcnuine our state forever. This being designed for a state of triiil, God now nrieans to try us, that our conduct, under all the trials of life, may discover what we are, and ripen us for the day of judgment ; when Go<l will judge every man according to his works, and render to every one according to his doings. He does not intend, in the dispensations of his providence, to suit things to a state of ease and enjoyment, which is what this life is not designed for ; but to a state of trial : He puts men into trying circumstances of set purpose, and, as it were, contrives meth- ods to try them. One great end he has in view, is, that he may prove tlii-m.and know what is in tlieir hearts.
He did not lead the children of Israel directly from Egypt to Catuian, but iir>t through the Red 5'frt, and then out into a wilderness, where there was neither water, nor bread, nor flesh ; and made thorn wander there forty years, that he might try tbim, ami prove them, and i-iica what nvas in thtir hearts.... l^cul. viii. 2. So, when the christian religion was introduced in- to the world, it was not in such a way as men would have chosen, but in a manner suited to a state of trial. The Son of God did not come in outward glory, but in the form of a servant — not to reign as an earthly prii\ce, but to die upon the crobs : And his apostles made but a mean ap- pearance in the eyes of the worid ; and that srct was every where spolcn against, and persecuted ; and many were the stumbling-blocks of the times : And these things were to try the temper of inankiiid. And when ■christian churches were erected by the indefatigable labors of St. V.w u and others, that God might thoroughly try every heart, he not only suf- fered the wicked world to rise in arm:, against them, but also let Satan loose, to transform himself into an Angel of Light, and, as it were, to in- spire, and send forth his ministers, tiai.sfornied into the apostles of Christ,
vni THE author's pri^face.
to vent heretical doctrines, and foment strife and division. In the mean while, the secure and wicked world looked on, pleased, no doubt, to see their debates and divisions, and glad they could have such a handle against Christianity, and so good a plea to justify their infidelity : And God de- lighted to have things under circumstances so perfectly well adapted to a s;ate of trial. He loved to try the apostles, to see how they would be af- fected and act ; when not only the world was in arms against them, but many of their own converts turned to be their enemies too, by the influ- ence of false teachers. He loved to try private christians, to see hovr their hearts would be aflectcd towards the truths of the gospel, and the true ministers of Chrict, and towards their temporal interest, while the truths of the gospel were denied or perverted, and the true ministers of Christ despised and stiginatized by heretics, and their temporal interest exposed to the rage of a wicked, merciless world : And he loved to try hvp- ocriies, to see whether they would not renounce the truth they pretended so highly to value, and become disa-ffected towards the ministers of Christ they seemed so dearly to love, and follow false teachers, or fall oQ' to the world.
It is reasonable and fit, and a thing becoming and beautiful, that beings in a state of probation should be tried ; and God looks upon the present outv/ard ease and comfort even of his own peojjlt;, as a matter of no im- portance, compared with things spiritual and eternal. Eternity, with all its importance, lies open to his view ; and time appears as a point, i.nd all its concerns as things comparatively of no worth. If the wicked arc in prosperity, and the righteous in adversity, or all things come ulikc to all, God is well j)leascd, because tilings of time are of so little impor- tance, and because such an administration ofthings is suited to a state of trial. Tlvere will be time enough hereafter for the righteous to be rewarded, and the wicked punished. In this view of things, we may, in a measure, nn- derstand the darkest, and account for the most mysterious, disjjensations of divine providence, and discern the wisdom of tlie divine government.
It has doubtless appeared as a thing strange and dark to many piou« persons, and occasioned not a little perplexity of mind, to observe what has come to par.s in N'cia-Etiglar.d sinro tlie year 1740. ...That there shoxild be so general an out-pouring of the s-pirit — so many hundreds and thou- ■ands awakened all over the country, and such an almoiit universal exter- nal reformation, and so many receive tlie word with joy ; and yet, after all, things come to be as they now arc : so many fallen away to carnal tccurity, and so many turned enthusiasts and htretits, and the country so generally ?ctUid in their prejudices against experimental rdigion and the doctrines of the gospel, and a Hood of Aivuni<mism and imnioialitv, ready to deluge the land : b\it, as strange and d.irk a-i it may liavo seemed, yet doubtltss if any of us had lived wiih the Israelites in the wilderness, or in the three iirst agcb aficr Chijst, cr in the time of ihc reformation
THr. AUTHOHS PRtFACE. IX
from Poprry, the dispensations of Divine Providence would, upon the wiiole, have aintearid much more mysterious than tlity do now. And yet those were times wlicn God was doing glorious thing<t for his Church. — And indeed, it has happened in our day, however strange it may seem to us, no otherwise than our Savior foretold it commonly would under the gospel dis])en$ation, at least till Satan is bound, tliat he may deceive the nations no more. The suvter goes forth to sow, and some seed falls by the way -side, and some on stony, and some on thorny, and some on good ground ; and while he is sowing good seed, an enemy in the night, the devil, unobserved, sows f«r« : Now when the *i/h is up, i.e. when new limes come on, and trials approach, the main of the seed is lost ; not orly what fell by the way-side, but also what fell on the stony and thorny ground. And when the good ground is about to bring f<jrth fruit, the tare* begin to appear too.... ilfaf. xiii. Thus it has always been. — This is a .state of trial, and God has permitted so many sad and awful things to ha]. pen in times of reformation, with design to prove the children of men, and know what is in their hearts.
The young people almost all over Nm-England professed they wnuld for ever renounce youthful vanities, and seek the Lord. " Well," God, in the course of his Providence, as it were, says, " I will try you." Seeming converts expressed great love to Christ, his truths, and ministers, and ways ; " Well," says God, '* I will try you." Multitudes, being enemies to all true religion, longed to see the whole refornnation full into disgrace, and things return to their own channel ; and they sought for objections and stumbling-blocks : " Well," sajs God, *' You may have *' them, and I will try and see how you will be affected, and what you " will say, and whether you will be as glad when the cause of my Son " is betrayed by the miscarriages of those that profess to be his friends, " as the yews of old were, when my Son himself was betrayed into their hands by ytidas." Thus God means to try every one.
A compassionate sense of tlie exercises, which godly persons, especial- ly among common people, might be under, in these evil da\s, while some are fallen away, and others are clapping their hands and rejoicing v.itli all their hearts to see Zion laid waste ; while Anninians are glossing tiuir scheme, and appealing to reason and common sense, as thour.h their principles were near or quite self-evident to all men of thought and can- dor ; and while enthusiasts are going about as men inspired and immedi- ately sent by the Almighty, j)retending to extraordinary sanctity, and bold ill it that they are so holy in themselves, and so entirely on the Lord's side, that all godly ])eo])le must, and cannot but see as tltey do, and fail in with them, unless they are become blind, dead and canial, and gott«n back into the world ; a compassionate sense, I r.ay, <>f the exerciser, oi mind, which pious persons aiiiong common jji'iiplc lai.yln have, in sui !i y
B
X Tlir. AUTHORS PREFACL.
trving situation of faings, vss the first motive which exci'-edTr^e to enter v.pon this work, which I now offer to the public : And to make divine truths plain to such, and to strip error naked before their eyes, that ther might be establifhed, and comforted, and quickened in their way heaven- ward, was the end I had in view : and, accordingly, I have labored verT much to adapt myrelf to the lowest capacities, not mcaninj^ to write a book for the learned and polite, but for common people, and especially for thofe v,-ho are godly among them.
To these, therefore, that they may read what I have written with thff greater profit, I will offer these two directions :
1. La/wr after (leteniiiitate iJcas of God, and a tense <f hit infinite rlory. This will spread alight over all the duties and doctrines of reli- gion, and help you to understand the law and the gospel, and to pry into the mvsteries, and discern the beauties, of the divine governn>ein. By much the greatest part of what I have written, besides shewing Avhat God is, consists in but eo many propositions deduced from the divine perfections. Begin here, therefore, and learn what God is, and then ■n-hat the Tjwra/ /aw is ; and this will help you to understand what our ruin is, and what the way of our recovery by free grace through Jesus Christ- The Bible is designed for rational creatures, and has God for its author ; and you may therefore depend upon it, that it -contains a' Rcheine jjer.fecdy rational, divine and glorious ; and the pleasure of divin^^ knowledge will a thousand times more thanrecompence all your reading, Btudy and pains : oniy content not yourselves with a general superficial knowledge, but enter thoroughly into things.
2. Practice, as well as read. The ^nd of reading and kncwledge is ])ractire : and holy practice will help you to understand what you read. Love Gtnl'iviiball your heart, and your vcighbor ai yovf self ;^znd. you cannot but understand me, while, in the first Discourse, I shew what is implieid in these tv.'o great commands : and practice repentance towards God, and faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ ; and the second Discourse, which treats of the nature of the gospel, and a genuine compliance there- with, will naturally bccoire plain and easy : and while you daily study divine truths in your heads, and digest thwn well in your hearts, and practice them in your lives, your knowledge and holiness will increase, xnd God's word and providence be belter understood, your ])erplexing •iifficulties will be more s« Ivcd, and ) on be established, strengthened and comforted, in your wn • luavcn-ward ; and your light shining before men, they will see your good works, and your Father which is in Heaven will be glorified. — All which arc the hearty desire and prayer of
Your Servant in Jesus CiiinsT,
JOSEPH liELI^AMY.
Jitthlem, .^prii2.', 1750
Cruc Ucligiou tirlmcatcti.
DISCOURSE I.
illEWrXG THF. NATURi: OT THE DIVINE LAAV, AND WHKREIN CONSISTS A IICAL CONFORMITY TO 11".
MAT. XXII. 37.38,39,40.
yesua tail unto hhn, T.boit s'jr.It lave the Lor J thy Go ! witb all thy heart, and ■ix'ilb all thy soul, and with all thy ■mind — Th'u in the Ji rut anl j'-eat cdn- ■tnunJineiit....And the second /*• Hie unto it. Thou shalt love thy neighbor a*- %bytelf....On these tvso coininanJiiunts hang all the /u.y Mid the pr^flit^.
THE INTRODUCTION.
i. RUE religion consists in a conformity to the law of God, and in a compliance with the gospel of Christ. The re- ligion of innocent man consistecT onlv in a conformity' to the hiw — the law of nature, with the addition of one jiosltive pre- cept : he had no need of gospel-grace. But when man lost his innocency, and became guilty and de[)ra\ed — when he fell under the wradi of God and power of sin, he needed a redeem- er and a sanctifier ; and in the gospel a redeemer and a sanc- tifier are provided, and a way ior our obtaining pardoning mer- cy and sanctifying grace is opened — a compliance with which does now, therefore, become part of the religion of a fallen creature. Now, If we can but rightly understand the tarv^ and rightly understand the gospel, we may easily bee wherein a conformity to- the one, and- a compliunrce widi the other, dots consist ; and so what true relrgion is.
I'or the present, let us take tiie hiw under consideration. — And it will be proper to enquire into these following particu-
2 TRUE RELIGION DELINEATED, AND
lars : — 1. What duty does God require of us in his law ? — 2. From what motives must that duty be done ? — 3. What is that precise measure of duty which God requires in his law ? And a short, but very clear and plain answer to all these questions we have before us in our text ; which is the words of our blessed Savior, and in which he does upon design declare what the sum and substance of the law is. He had a question put to him in these Avords : " Master, which is the great commandment in the law ?" To which he answers — " Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, he. ; this is the first : The second is like imto it, &c." The ten commandments are summed up in these two ; and every duty enjoined in the law, and incul- cated in the prophets, is but a deduction from these two, in which all are radically contained. A thorough under- standing of these two will therefore give us an insight into all. Let us now, therefore, begin with taking thej^r.rf of these into particuUir consideration. — Thou shall love the Lord thy God with all thij hearty 8iC....Here is — 1. The duty required, viz. love to God. — 2. The grounds and reasons of the duty in- timated....i?eca?/.9(;' he is the Lord our God. — 3. The measure of duty \eqnivtd....V/ith all thy heart, &c.
In discoursing upon these words, I will therefore endeavor to shew,
I. What is implied in love to God.
IL From what motives we are required to love him.
IlL What is the measure of love which is required.
SECTION I.
SHEWING WHAT IS IMl'Lir.n IN LOVE TO GOD.
L I am to shew 7uhat is implied in love to GoD,. And
1. A true knorvlcdfre of God \?, implied ; for this lays tlie foun- dation of love. A spiritual siglit of (iod, and a sense of his glory and beauty, begets love. When in: that commandeil the light to shine out of darkness, shines in our hearts, and gives us the light of the knowledge of the glory of (iod ; and when we, with open face, beiioid, as in a glass, the glory of die
DISTlNLiUISHKD FKOM AI.I. COUNTERFEITS. 3
Lord, then wc arc cliungcd into the same hnage : the temper and iVamc of oiir hearts become like Ciod's : (to speak alter the manner of men) we begin to feel towards God, in a meas- ure, as he does towards himscU ; i. e. to love him with all our lu arts.... II Oj)-. ill. 18. & 1\-. 6. For now we l)i-;:;ln to pcrcrive the grounds and reasons ol that infinite esteem he has of him- self, and infinite complateney in himscU, and wh\' he commands all the world to love and adore him : And the same groimds and reasons which move him thus to love himself, and conmiand all the world to do so too, do enkindle the cUn Ine flame in our heaits. Wiien we see God, in a measure, such as he sees himself to be, and have a sense of his glor)' and beaut) iu being what he is, in a measure, as he himself has, then we begin to love him with the same kind of love, and Iromthe same motives, as he himself does ; only in an infinitely inferior degree. This sight and sense of God discovers the grounds of love to him : We see why he requires us to love him, and why we ought to lo\e him — how right and fit it is ; and so we cannot but love him.
This true knowledge of Ciod supposes, that, in a measure, we see God to be just such a one as he is ; and, in a measure, have a sense ot his infinite glory and beaut}' in being such. For if our apprehensions of God are not right, it is not God we love, but only a false image of him framed in our own fancy.* And if we have not a sense of his glory and beauty
• How false and danj;erous, therefore, is that principle, " That it Is no Tiiavter what men's principles are, if their lives be but good." — Just as if that external conforiiiity to the law iniijht be called a go^d life, which ddcs not proceed from a genuine love to God in the heart : or just as if a man might have a genuine love to God in his heart, with'nit liaving right apprehensions of liim !...or just as if a man might have right appre- hensions of God, let his apprehensions be what they will ! Upon this principle, Heatbeiis, yews, and Mtiimnrtans, may be saved as well as Christians. And, upon this principle, the heathen nations need not much trouble themselves to know which is the right G(x{ among all the gods that are worshipjjcd in the world ; for it is no matter wj{';c/{) Co'i they think is the true, if their lives are hut good. — 13ut why has God revealed him- self in his word, if right apprehensions of God be a vaiter of such indif- ference in religion ? and why did St. Paul take snrh ]>ains to convert the heathen nations to Christianity, and so much fill up his epistles to them afterwards with doctrituil points, and be so strenuous as to say, " If an an- gel from heaven should preach anv other gospel, i.f.t him be ACCt'R- SED," if right apprehensions of God, and right printi[)le8 of religion be a
4 TRUE RELIGION DELrNEATED, AXD
in being what he is, it is impossible vre should truly love and esteem him for being such. To love God for being what he is, JMid yet not to have any sense of his glory and beauty in being such, implies a contradiction ; for it supposes we have a sense of his glory and beauty v/hen we have not : a sense of tlie beauty and amiableness of any object being always neces- earily implied in love to it. Where no beauty or amiableness is seen^there can be no love. ' Love cannot be forced. Forced love is no love. II we are obliged to try to force ourselves to love any body, it is a sign they are very odious in our eyes, or at least that we sec no beauty or amiableness in them, no form or comeliness, wlierefore we should desire or delight in them...XW/^^ viii. 7. In all cases, so far as we see beauty, so far we love, and no farther.
Most certainly that knowledge of God which is necessary to lay a foundation of genuine love to him, implies not only right apprehensions of what he is, but also a sense of his glory and beauty in being such ; for such a knowledge of God as consists merely in sjieculatioiiy let it rise ever so high, and be
matter of such indifference ? — It is strange that such a notion should bo ever once mentioned by any that jjretcnd to be Christians, since it ii bub- versive ot" the whole Christian religion : niakinf!; Christianity no safer a way to heaven than Faganisvi : Yea, such a principle naturally tciuls to niako all those who imbibe it leave /tnr to God waA fait b in Christ out of their religion, and quiet themselves with a mere emjity form of external duties .- Or, in other words, it tends to make them leave the laxv and thcgosfic! out of their religion, and quiet themselves with mere heathen morality ,- for a man cannot attain to /mv to God Tind faith in Christ, witliout ri^'ht apprc- tensions nfGod and Christ : Or, in other words, a' man cannot atiain to a real conformity to the law, and to a genuine compliance with the gospi'l, unless his principles respecting tlie law and gospel are right : !)ut a man may attain to a good life, i-xtcniatly, let his appreliensinns of God and Christ, of la'-.j and ^'oxfie!, and all his jjrinciples of nligion, be \^liat they ■will. Let him be a heathen, or Jew, a Mahf)metan, or Chri;jtian ; yea, if a man be an Atheist, he may live a good life externally ; lor any man has sufficient power to do every external duty ; and it is many times much to men's honor and worldly interest t^ appear rigbteom uutnardly before »;if»;....Mat. xxiii. 28.
N. B. What is here said, may, with a little alteration, be as well appli- ed to some other sorts of men. So the Moravians ssy " They care nut what men's principles are, if they do hut love the Savior." So, in M'oi- Engtand, there are multitud-^-, who care little or nothing wl -Lt doctrines Tneri believe, if they arf but full of flamino zf.ai.. Just as if it were no matter what kind of Savior we frame an idea of. if wc do but love him . hoi what we arc ^^ealout a!>out, if we arc but F[.a.ming n\3 i.
OISTINCUISHF.D FROM AI.I. COUNTERrr.lTS. 5
tver so clear, will never move us to love him. Mere specula- tion, where there is no sense of beauty, will no sooner fill the heart with love, than a looking-glass will be filled with love by the image of a beautiful countenance, which looks into it : and a mere speculative knowledge of God, will not, cannot, beget a sense of his iicauty in being what he is, when there is naturally no disposition in ourhearts to account him glorious in being sut h, but whoUv totlie contrary. Rom. viii. 7.... The carnulinindi.s ni' viity against Gccl. When natures are in perfect contrariety, (the one sinful, and the other holy,) the more they are known to each other, the more is mutual hatred stirred up, and their entire aversion to each oUier becomes more sensible. The more thev kno\y of one anoUier,tlie greater is their dislike, and the plainer do they feel it^-^Doubtless the fallen angels have a great degree of spccuhui\e knowledge ; they have a very- clear sight and great sense of what Ciod is : but the more they know of God, the more they hate him : ;'. c. their hatred and aver- sion is stiiTcd up the more, and they feel it plainer. So, awa- kened sinners, v.'hen under deep and thorough conviction, have comparatively a veiy clear sight and gi-eat sense of God ; but it only makes them see and feel their native cnmit)', which be- fore lay hid. A sight and sense of what God is, makes them see and feel what his law is, and so what their duty is, and so what their sinfulness is, and so what their danger is : It makes the commandment comc^ and so sin revives, :ind t/iey die.. ..Horn. vli. 7, 8, 0. The clearer sight and die greater sense they have of what Cod is, the more plainly do they perceive that perfect contrarietv between his nature and Uieir's : their aversion to God becomes discernible : they begin to see what enemies they are to him : and so the secret h\-pocrisy there has been in all their pretences of love, is discovered — and so their high con- ceit of their goodness, and all their hopes of finding favor in the sight of God upon the account of it, cease, die away, and come to nothing. Sin revived, and I died. I'he greater sight and sense thev have of what God is, the plainer do they feel that thev have no love to him ; but the greatest aversion : for the
6 TKCE KhLiOiON DKLlNKAl £U, AND
more they know of God, the more their native enmity is stiired up. So, again, as soon as ever an unrcgenerate sinner enters into the woiid of spirits, v/here he has a much clearer sight and greater sense of what God is, immediately his native en- mity v/orks to perfection, and he blasphemes like a verj- devil : and that although perhaps he died full of seeming love and jo)'. As the Golatians, who once loved Paul, so as that they could even have plucked out their eyes and given them to him ; yet, when aftenvards they came to know more clearly what kind of man he was, then they turned his eneinies : And so, finally, all the wicked, at the daj- of Judgment ,when they shall see very clear- ly what God is, will thereby only have all the enmity of their hearts stirred to perfection. — From all which it is exceedingly manifest that the clearest speculative knowledge of God, is so far from bringing an unholy heart to love God, that it will only stir up the more aversion ; and therefore that knowledge of God which lays the foundation of love, must impl)' not only right apprehensions of what God is, but also a sense of his glo- ry and beauty in being such.*
Wicked men and devils may know what God is, but none but holy beings have any sense of his infinite glory and beautv in being such; \\\\\.ch sense, in scripture-language, is called AVrv;/^ and knoxvlng. I. John iii. 6. Whosoever s'mnetli,liath not seen hhn, neither knoivn h'nn. III. John, ver. 11. He that doth evil hath not seen Cod. I. John ii. 4. He thatsairh, I kno~v him, and kcepcth not his commandments, is a liar, wid the truth is not
* I grant, thut if all our enmity against God arise nicn-ly from our conceiving liim to be our enemy, tlien a manifestation of liis love to our souls will cause our enmity to cease, and bring us to love him ; nor will tlicre he any need of a sense of tlie moral excellency of his nature to pi-o- duce it ; and so tlicrc will be tio need <)f the sanclifving iiiriuen(es of the holy spirit. A inanifi station of the love of God to our souls will effectu- allv change us. ...and thus a man may be under great terrors iVom a sense <>fthe wrarh of God, and may see the enmity of his heart in this senses and mav afierwards have, as he thinks, great manifestations of the lev* of God, a;i<l be Hlletl with lovt and joy ; and after all, never truly seethe plague of hisown heart, nor have his nature renewed : and a man's having experienced si.ch a false conversion, naturally leads him to frame wrong notions of rcli^^ion, and blinds his Tiiind aj^ainst the truth. Many of the Aiitiiiom'nm principles take rise from llii:; ({uartei .
DlSTlNCUlSHrU FROM ALL COUNTEaFEITS. ^
in him. Because wicked men have no sense of his gloiy and beauty, therefore they are said not to know (iotl : For all knowledge without this is vain ; it is hut the form of knowledge ....Rem. ii. iiO. It will never enkindle divine love. And, in scripture, sinners are said to be hliiul., becau«»e, after all their light and knowledge, they have no sense of God's glory in be- ing what he is, and so have no heart to love him. And hence also they are said to be dead. They know nothing of tl:c in- effable glor\' of the divine natiu^, and the love of God is not in x\\cn\....yohn v. 42. andviii. 19, 55.
2. Another thing imphcd in love to God is esteem. Estccmi strictly speaking, is that high and exalted thought of, and value for, anv thing, which arises from a sight and sense of its own intrinsic worth, excellencv and bcautv. So, a sense of the infi- nite dignity, greatness, glory, excellency and beauty of the most high C<)d, begets in us high and exalted thoughts of him, and makes us admire, wonder and adore. Hence, the hcaven- Iv hous fall down before the throne, and, under a sense of hi» inefiUble glory, continually cr\-, Ho{ij^ ^'o^y» hohj, Lord God Al- mightij, the whole earth isfuU of thy ghtrj. And Saints here below, Willie tiiey behold, as in a glass, the glory of the Lord,, arc ravished ; they esteem, they admire, they wonder and adore ; and, under some feebler sense of the ineflable glory oi the: divine nature, they begin to feel as they do in hca\en, and to speak their language, and say, " \Vho is a God like unto thee ! thy name alone is excellent, and thy glory is exalted above the heavens."
This high esteem of God disposes and inclines die heart to acquiesce, yea, to exult, in all the high prerogatives God as- sumes to himself.
God, from a consciousness of his own infinite excellency, hi* entire right to and absolute authority over all tilings, is dispos- ed to take state to himself, and honor und mnjesiy, the king- dom, the power and the glor)- ; ami he sets up himself as the most high God, supreme Lord and sovereign Ciovemor oi the
whole world, and bids all worlds adore him, and be iu a most
C
S TRUi: Rr.LuaoN dklineatkd, and
perfect subjection to him, and that with all their hearts ; and esteems the wretch, who does not account this his highest hap- piness, worthy of eternal damnation. God thinks it infinitely becomes liim to set up himself for a God, and to command all the world to adore him, upon pain of eternal damnation. He thinks himseU fit to govern tlie world, and that the throne is his ptoper place, and that all love, honor and obedience are his due, " I am the Lord, (says he) and besides me there is no God. *•• I am the Lord, that is my name, and my glory will I not give *' to anodic r. And thus and thus shall ye do, for I am the *' Lord. And cursed be everj' one that continues not in all *' things written in die book of the law to do them." Now it would be infmitely wicked for the highest angel in Heaven to assume any of this honor to himself ; but it infinitely becomes the most high God thus to do. And when we see his infinite dignitv, greatness, glory and excellency, and begin rightly to esteem him, then his conduct, in all this, will begin to appear infinitely right and fit, and so infinitely beautiful and ravishing, and worthy to be rejoiced andexulted in. Psalm xci. l....T/ie Lord relgnethj let the earth rejoice : let the mu/titiu/e of the isles be glad thereof.
And a sight and sense of the supreme, infinite glory and ex- cellency of the divine nature, will not only make us glad diat he is God, and King, and Governor ; but also exceedingly glad that we live imder his government, and are to be his subjects and servants, and to be at his disposal.... It will shew us the grounds and reasons of his law... how infinitely right and fit it is that we should love him with all our hearts, and obey him in every thing ; how infinitely unfit and wrong the least sin is, and howjiistthc threatened punishment : and, at the same time, it will help us to see that all the nations of the earth are as a drop of die bucket, or small dust of the balance, before him ; and that we ourselves aie nothing and less than nothing in his sight. So that a right sight and sense of the supieme, infinite glory of (iod, will make us esteem him, so as to be glad that he is on tlie throne, and we at his footstool.. ..that he is king, and we his
DISTINGUISHED fROM ALL COUNTtRm VS. 9
sul)jccts...that he rules and reigns, and that wc arc absolutrly in subjection, and absolutely at his dis|X)sal. In a word, wc sliiill be glad to see him tiike all that honor to himself whidi he does, and shall be hearilly reeonciletl to his go\ ernment, and cordially willing to take our own proper places ; and hereby a foundation will begin to be laid in our hearts for all things to come to rights. Job xlii. 5, &.... I have heard of thee htj the hear- ijig of the ear : but iioxv mine eye aeeih thee. Wherefore J ab' hor myself and repent in dust and ashes. Isa. ii. 1 L./Fhe Ifty looks of man shall be humbled^ a)id the hmightincss of man sludl be brought dorvn^ and the Lord alone shall Oe exalted.. ..And that all this is impfied in a genuine love to God, not only the rea- son of the thing and the plain tenor of scripture manifest, but it is even self-e\ ident ; for if we do not so esteem Ciod a» to be thus glad to have him take his place, and we ours^ it argues secret dislike, and proves that tliere is secret rebellion in our hearts : Thus, therefore, must we esteem the glorious God, or be reputed rebels in his sight.
3. Another thing implied in love to C'od may be called be- nevolcnce. ^\'^hen we are acquainted with any person, and he appears ver)- excellent in our eyes, and we highly esteem him, it is natural now heaitily to wish him well ; we are concerned for his interest ; we are glad to see it go well with him, and sorry to see it go ill with him ; and ready at all times chearful- ly to do what wo can to promote his welfare. Thus Jonathan felt towards David : and thus love to God will make us feel to- wards him, his honor and interest in the world. When CwkI is seen in his infinite dignity, greatness, glory and excellency, as the most high God, supreme Lord and sovereign governor of the whole world, and a sense of his infinite wordiiness is hereby raised in our hearts, this enkindles a holy benevolence, the natural language of which is, Let God be glorified.. ..PsAm xcvi. 7, 8. And be thou exalted, 0 God, above the heavens : let thy glory be above all the earth. ...V^vAm Ivii. 5, 11.
This holy disposition sometimes expresses itself in earnest longi?igs that God would glorify himself, and honor h.is great
10 TRUE RELIGION DELINEATED, AND
name ; and bring all the world into an entire subjection to him. And hence this is the natural language of true Xovt.... Our father xvhich art in Heaven^ halloxved be thy name^ thy kingdom come^ thy will be done on earthy as it is in Heaven.. ..l^lax. vi. 9, 10. And hence, when God is about to bring to pass great and glo- rious things to the honor of his great name, it causes great joy and rejoicing. Psalm xcvi. 11, 12, 13. ...Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad : let the sea roar and the fulness there- of: let the field be joyful, and all that is therein : then sliall ths trees of the -cvood rejoice before the Lord ; for he cometh^for he Cometh to judge the earth : he shall judge the world with right- eousness, and the people xvith his truth.
And hence again, when God seems to be about to do, or per- mit, any thing, which, as it seems to us, tends most certainly to bring reproach and dishonor upon his great name, it occasions the greatest anguish and distress. Thus says God to Moses, *■'■ This is a stiff-necked people, let me alone that I may destroy *' them in a moment, and I will make of thee a great nation." But says Moses, " What will become of thy great name ? " What will the Egyptians say ? And what will the nations all *' round about say ?" And he mourns and wrestles, cries and prays, begs and pleads, as if his heart would break : and says he, *' If I may not be heard, but this dishonor and reproach " must come upon thy great name, it cannot comfort me to tell " me of making of me a great nation : pray let me rather die " and be forgotten forever, and let not my name be numbered *■*■ among the living ; but let it be blotted out of thy book." Well, says God, "• I will hear thee. Cut, as truly as I live, I *' will never put up tliese affronts ; but the whole world shall *' know what a holy and sin-hating God I am, and be filled *' with my glory : for the carcases of all those who have treat- *' cd me thus shall fall in the wilderness ; and here they shall " wander till forty years arc accomplished, and then I v, ill do " so and so to their children, and so secure the honor of my *' power, truth and faithfulness." And now INloses is content to live in the wilderncsz, and do, and suifcr, and undergo any
DISTINGUISHED FROM ALL COUNTKRFEITS. 11
ihlng, if Cod will but take care of his great name. Exocf.xxxW. Numb, xiv....And as it is distressing to a true lover of God, to see God's name, and works, and ways full into reproach and contempt ; and as, on the other hand, Uicrc is no greater joy tiian to sec God glorify himself (Exoil. xv. J ; hence, this woild^ trven on this account, may be fitly called a vale of hars to the people of God, because here they aie always seeing reproach and contempt cast upon God, his name, his works and his ways : And hence, at the day of judgment, all these tears shall he wiped away from their eyes, because then they shall see all things turned to the advancement of the glori'ofhis great name, llu-oughout the endless ages of eteiTiity....AVL'. xix. 1,2,3,4, 5. Again, this divine bincvolence, or wishing that God may be glorified, sometimes expresses itself in earnest longings that all worlds might join together to bless and praise the name of the Lord ; and it appears infinitely fit and right, and so infi- nitely beautiful and ravishing, that the whole intelligent creation should forever join in the most solemn adoration : yea, and that sun, moon, stars., ..earth, air, sea.. ..birds, beasts, fishes.... mountains and hills, and all things, should, in their way, dis- play the divine perfections, and praise the name of the Lord, because his name alone is excellent, and his glory is exalted above the heaveivs. And hence the pious Psalmhi so often breathes this divine language: Psalm ciii. 20, 21, 22. ...Bless the Lord., ije his angels^ that excel hi strength — that do his cotn- iJunicIinetUSy hearkening unto tlie voice of his zccrd... .Bless ye the Lcrd^ all ye his hosts., ye ministers of his., that do his pleasure,... Bless the Lord., all his works., in all places of his dominion : Bless the Lord., 0 my soul. Psalm exlviii, 1 — \o.... Praise ye (he Lord.. ..Praise ye the Lordfrcm t/:e heavens: praise him in the heights,.,. Praise him, all ye his angels : praise him, all his hods..,. Praise him, sun and moon., ^.•. — Lit them praise the name of the Lord ; fcr his 7Uir,ie alone is excellent , Gc. See al- so the 95, 96, 97, & 98th Psalms, Sec. &c.
Lastly, from this divine btnevolence arises a free and genu- ine disposition to consecrate and give up ourselves entirely to
12 TRUE RELIGION DELINEATED, AND
the Lord forever — to walk in all his ways, and keep alibis com- mands, seeking his glory : For if we desire that God may be glorified, we shall naturally be disposed to seek his gloiT. A sight and sense of the infinite dignity, greatness, gloiy and ex- cellency of God, the great creator, preserver and governor of the world, who has an entire right unto, and an al>solute author- ity over all things, makes it appear infinitely fit that all things should be for him, and him alone ; and that we should be en- tirely for him, and wholly devoted to him ; and that it is infi- nitely wrong to live to ourselves, and make our own interest our last end. The same views which make the godly earnest- ly long to have God glorify himself, and to have all the world join to give him glory, thoroughly engage them for their parts to live to God. After David had called upon all others to bless the Lord, he concludes with, Bless the Lord^ 0 my soul : And this is the language of heaven — Rev. iv. 11.... Thou art zuorthi/^ 0 Lord, to receive glory, and honor, ajid jtower : For thou host- created all things, and for thy pleasure they are, and were crea- ted. And it was their maxim in the Apostles' days. Whether they ate or drank, or xuhatcver they did, all must be done to the glory of God.. ..I Cor. x. 31. And it was their way, ?iot to live to themselves, but to the Lord. ...11 Cor. v. 15 : Yea, Whether they lived, to live to the Lord ; or whether they died, to die to the Lord....^ovci. xiv. 7, 8. This was what they commended.... Phil. ii. 20, 21. And this was what they enjoined, as that, in which the very spirit of true religion consisted.... i:y^/i. vi. 5, 0, 7. — I Cor. vi. 20. — Rom. xii. 1. &vii. 4.
All rational creatures, acting as such, are always influenced bv motives in their whole conduct. Those things are always the most powerful motives, which appear to us most worth) of our ciioice. I'he principal motive to an action, is always the ultimate end of the action : Hence, if Ciod, his honor and inte- rest, appear to us as the supreme good, and most worthy ot our choice, then God, his honor, and interest, will be the principal motive and ultimate end of all we do. If we lo\ e God su- prcmel);, we shall live to him ultimately ; if we love him with
BISTINGUISHID TROM AIL COUNTFRFf n S. 13
all our hearts, we shall serve him \\ iih all our souls : Just n^, on die other hand, if we love oureelves al)Ovc all, then seli'-love will absolutely govern us in all things ; il' sell-interest be the principal inoti\e, then sclf-intcrcst will be the last end, in our whole conduct ; i luis, then, we see, that if (ioi) be highest in esteem, then GotPs interest will be the principal motive and the last end of the whole conduct of rational creatures ; and '\f self be the highest in esteem, then selj-intcrcst will be the principal motive imd last end : And hence v/e may observe, that where self-interest governs men, they are considered in scripture as serving t/ieinsclves....llos. x. 1. — Zee. vii. 5, 6. And where CoiPs interest governs, they are considered as serving the Lord ....II Cor. V. 15. — Gal. i. 10. — Eph. vi. 5,0,7. compared with Tit. ii. 9, 10. To love God so as to serve A/w, is wliat the law requires ; — to love .self so as to serve self] is rcbcllicii against the majesty of heaven : And the same infinite obliga- tions which we are under to love God abo\e ourselves ; even the same infinite obligations are we under to live to God ulti- mately, and not to ourselves : And therefore it is as great a sin to live to ourselves ultimately,as itis to love ourselves supremely. 4. and l:\sdy. DtUght in God, is also implied in love to him. By delight we commonly mean diat pleasure, sweetness and satisfaction, which we take in any thing that is veiy dear to us. When a man appears very excellent to us, and we esteem him, and wish him ;J1 good, we also, at the same time, feel a delight in him, and a sweetness in his conipany and conversation ; we long to see him when absent ; we rejoice in his presence ; the enjoyment of him tends to make us happv : So, when a holy soul beholds God in the infinite moral excellencv and bcautv of his nature, and loves him supremeh , and is devoted to him en- tirely, now also he delights in him superlatively. His delight and complacency is as great as his esteem, and arises fiom a sense of the same moral excellency and beauty. From this de- light in God arise longings after further ac(iuaintance with him, and greater nearness to him. Job xxiii. 2...0 that /inen> wliere ImightJinJ him^ thai I might co:nc eveiita his scat I — I^ongings
1-i TRUE K1:L1G10N DKLINLAIKD, AND
after communion willi him. Psalm Ixiii. 1, 2....0 God^ thou art viij God ; early zvill I .svtk thee : viij sold thirstethfor thee : viy Jlesh lon^cthfor thee in a dry and thirsty land, xvhere no xvater in.... To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary. Verse S....My soul foUoxvcih hard after thee. A holy rejoicing in God. Hab. iii. IT, 18.,.. Although the fig' tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the -vine ; the la- bor of the olive shall fail, and the field shall yield no meat ; the fock shall he cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls.. ..2~et I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. Finally, from this delight in God arises a ho- ly disposition to renounce all other things, and live wholly up- on him, and take up everlasting content in him, and in him alone. Psalm Ixxiii. 25, 26. ...Whom have I in heaven but thee ? and there is none upcn earth that I desire besides thee....My flesh and mxj heart failcth : but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion forever. The vain man takes content in vain com- pany ; the worldly man takes content in riches ; the ambitious man in honor and applause ; the philosopher in philosophical speculations ; the 1l.j';;iI hypocrite in his round of duties ; the evangelical hypocrite in his experiences, his discoveries, his joys, his rapiures, and confident expectation of heaven : But the true lover of God takes his content in God himself. Psalm iv. 6, 7. And thus we see what is implied in love to God.
And now, that this is a right representation of the nature of that love which is required in the first and great commandment of the law, upon which chiefly all the law and the prophets- hang, is manifest, not only from the reason of the thing, and from what has been already said, but also from this, that such A love to God as this lays a sure and firm found<ition for all ho- ly obedience. That love to God is of the right kind, which will tilcctually influence us to keep his commands, fohnxv. \A. I. John ii. 3, 4, 5. But it is evident, from the nature of things, that such a love as this will eflectually influence us to do so. As self-love naturally causes us to set up self and seek self-intcr- e6t,sothis love to God will naturally influence uato set up God
DISTINGUISUKD KROM ALL COUNTERFEITS. 15
and seek his interest. As dcliglu in the world naturalU makes us seek aftcrtht- enjo\ niiiitof the world, so this delight in (.od w ill nalundly influence us to seek after tile enjoy n»ent ol God : And while we love Ciod primarily Tor being what he is, wc cannot but, Tor the same reason, love his law, which is a trans- cript ol' his nature, and love to conform to it. If we loved him only from self-love, from the fear of hell, or from the hopes of iieaven, we might,at the same time, hate his law : but if we love him for being what he is, we camiot but love to be like him ; which is what his law requires, 'i'o suppose that a man loves God supremely for what he is, and yet does not love to belike him, is iui evident contradiction. It isto suppose a thing supreme- ly loved ; and yet, at the same time, not loved at all : So that, to a demonstration, this is the very kind of love which the Lord our God requires of us. So, saints in heaven love God perfectly, andso the good man on earth begins, in a weak and feeble manner, to love God : for there is but one kind of love required in the law ; and so but one kind of love which is of the right sort: for no kind of love can be of the right sort, but that very kind of love which the law requires : There is, therefore, no difference between their love in heaven, and ours here upon earth, but only in degree.
SECTION II.
SHEWING TROM WHAT MOTIVES TRUE LOVE TO GOD TAKES
ITS RISE.
II. I now proceed to shew more particularly y/c/m w/uit ino- iives xve are required thus to love God. Indeed, I have done this in part alread)' ; for I ha\ e been obliged all along, in shew- ing what is implied in love to God, to keeji mv eye upon the first and chief ground and reason oi love, namely, w hat God is in himself. But Uiere are other considerations which increase our obligations to love him and live to him ; which ougljt, there- fore, to come into the account : And I design here to take a general view of all the reasons and motives which ought to in- fluence us to love the Lord our God ; all which aie implied in
D
16 TRUE RELIGION DELINEATED, AND
those words, Tiic Lordthij God. Tfioii shall love the Lord thy God with all thy hearty i. e. because he is the Lord and our God. 1 . The first and chief motive which is to influence us to love God with all our hearts, is liis infinite dignity and greatness^glo- ry and excelleyicy ; or, in one word, his injinitc amiableness. — We are to love him with all our hearts, because he is the Lord — because he is what he is, and just such a Being as he is. — On this account, primarily, and antecedent to all other considera- tions, he is infinitely amiable ; and, therefore, on this account, primarily, and antecedent to all other considerations, ought he to appeiu: infinitely amiable in our eyes. This is the first and chief reason and ground upon which his knv is founded, I am THE Lord... f£AW. xx. 2. — X^u. xix.J This, therefore, ought to be the first and chief motive to influence us to obey. The principal reason which moves him to require us to love him, ought to be the piincipal motive of our love. If the fundamen- tal reason of his requiring us to love him with all our hearts, is because he is what he is, and yet the bottom of our love be some- thing else, then our love is not what his law requires, but a thing of quite another nature : Yea, if the foundation of our love to God is not because he is what he is, in truth, we love him not at all. If I feel a sort of respect to one of my neighbors, who is very kind to me, and either do not know what sort of man he is, or, if I do, yet do not like him, it is plain, it is his kind- nesses I love, and not his person ; and all my seeming love to him is nothing but self-love in another shape : And let him cease being kind to me, and my love will cease : Let him cross me, and I shall hate him. Put forth thine hand non\ and touch all that he hath^ and he xuill curse thee to thy face, (Job i. 11), said the devil concerning fob ; and, indeed. Job would have done so, had not his love to God taken its rise from another motive than (iod's kindnesses to him. But why need I multiply words ? For it seems even self-evident that God's loveliness ought to be tlie first and chief thing for which we love him.
Now, God is infinitely lovely, because he is what he is ; or, in other words, his infinite dignity and greatness, glory and ex-
DISTINGUISHED FROM AM. tOUNTrRrr.lTS. 17
cellency, arc the result of his naiiual and moral perfections -. So that it is a clear sight and realizing sense of his natural and moral perfections, as they arc revealed in his works and in his word, that make him appear, to a holy soul, as a Iking of in- finite dignity and greatness, gloiy and excellency. 'I hujj, the Queen of Shcba^ seeing and conversing with Solomon^ and view- ing his works, under a sense of the large and noble endow- ments of his minil, was even ravished ; and cried out, Tlic oitc half was not told me ! And thus the holy and divinely enlight- ened soul, upon seeing God, reading his word, and meditating on his wonderful works, under a sense of his divine and in- comprehensible perfections, is ravished with his infinite dignity, majest}', greatness, glory and excellency ; and loves, admires, and adores ; and sa\s, Who if a God like unto thee /
His natural perfections are,
(1.) His inf nit e wider standing, whereby he knows himself, and all things possible, and beholds all things past, present and to come, at one all-comprehensive view. So that, from ever- lasting to everlasting, his knowledge can neither increase nor diminish, or his views of things suffer the least variation ; being alwavs absolutely complete, and consequently necessarily al- wavs the same.
(2.) His almighty power, whereby he is able, wiUi infinite ease, to do any thing that he pleases.
And his moral perfections are,
(1.) His injinitc wisdsm, whereby he is able, and is inclined to contrive and order all things, in all worlds, for the best ends^ and after the best manner.
(2.) His perfect holiness, whereby he is inclined infmitely to love right, and hate wrong : Or, according to scripture-phrase, to lo'je righteousness and hate inicjuiti/.
(3.) His impart'ud justice, whereby he is unchangeably in- clined to render to ever)- one according to his deseits.
(4.) His infinite goodness, whereby he can find in his heart to besto.v the gi-eatest favors upon his creatures, if he pleases ; and is inclined to bestow all that is best, all tilings consulcr.d.
18 TRUE HXLICION DELINEATED, AND
(5.) His truth and faithfulness^ whereby he is inclined to fulfil all his will, according to his word; So that there is an ever- lasting harmony between his will, his word, and his performance. And his being, and all his natural and moral perfections, and his glory and blessedness, which result from them, he has in himself, and of himself, underived ; and is necessarily infi- nite, eternal, unchangeable, in all ; and so, absolutely indepen- dent, self-sufficient and all-sufficient.
" This is the God, whom we do love !
" This is the God, whom we adore !
" III liim we trust. ...to him we live ;
" He is our all, for evermore. Now there are three ways by which the perfections of God are discovered to the children of men : By his works, by his word, and by his spirit. By the two first, we see him to be what he is ; — by the last, we behold his infinite glory in beingsuch : — The two first produce a speculative knowledge ; thelast,asenseofmoralbeauty.
First. These perfections of God are discovered by his works, i. e. by his creating, preserving, and governing the world; and by his redeeming, sanctifying, and savi7ig his people.
1. By his creating the xvorld. He it is, who has stretched abroad the heavens as a curtain, and spread them out as a tent to dwell in. ...who has created the sun, moon and stars, and appointed them their courses.. ..who has hung the earth upon nothing... .who has fixed the mountains, and bounded the seas, and formed every living creature. All the heavenly hosts he hath made, and created all the nations that dwell upon the earth : and the birds of the air, and the beasts of the field, and the fishes of the sea, and every creeping thing, are the works of his hands : and the meanest of his works are full of unsearchable wonders, far surpassing our understanding : So that the invisible things of God, from the creation of the world, are clearly seen, being understood hy the things that are made, even his eternal poxvcr and Godhead : As St. Paul observes, in Rom. i. 20.
2, By his preserving the xvorld. His eyes run to and Iro throughout all tin- world, beholding every diing. His eyes ;ue
DlSl INGUlSlItU TROM ALL COUNTERFEITB. 1^
upon nil his works ; so that even the sparrows arc not forgotten hv him, and tlic very hairs of our head are all numbered : And he holds all things in being ; and the opening of his hand fills the desires of even- living creature : CNcn the whole family of heaven and earth live upon his goodness, and are maintained by his Ixjunty : In a word, his infinite understanding sees all.. ..his infinite power upholds all. ...his infinite wisdom takes care of all, and his infinite goodness provides for all — and that every moment ; so Uiat the invisible things of God are discovered in preserving as well as in creating the world : And hence, when the pious P.siUmist meditates on the works of creation and pres- ervation, lie sees God in them, and views his perfections, and is touched at heart with a sense of his glory ; and is filled with high and exalted, and with admiring and adoring thoughts of God. So, Psalm xix. I....77/f licavens dixlarc the glory of the Z,or</, &c. And Psalm xc v. \....0 come let us sing unto the Lord^ &<i. — But why ? — Verse 3. ..For the Lord is a great God^ and a great King, above all gods. — But how does this appear ? Why, (ver. 4, 5.) In his hand are the dec ft places of the earth ; the strength of the hills is his also : The sea is his, and he made it ; and his hands formed the drij land : Ver. 6...^, therefore, come let us worship and hoxv down ; let us kneel btfore the Lord our Maker. And again, in Psal. xcvi. 1....0 sing unto the Lord a nexv song : sing unto the Lord, all the earth. — But why ? — Ver. 4-.. .For the Lord is great, and great I ij to be praised : Heis to be feared above all gods. — But wherein does this appear ? — Wh)', (ver. 5.) xUl the gods of the nations are idols ; but the Lord made the heavens. And once more, in Psal. civ. 1, 2, he. ...Bless the Lord, 0 my soul. — But why \....'FiiOU art very great : thou art clothed with honor and majesty. — But how does this appear ? — Why, Thou hast stretched out the heavens as a curtain. And ver. 5. ...And laid the foundations of the earth, that it cannot be removed for ever. And ver. 27.... All wait upon thee, that thou mayest give tliem their meat in due season. Ver. 28.... That thou givest them, they gather : thou openest thy hand, they are filled with good. — And throughout the whole J\^almhc is meditating
20 TRUE RELIGION DELINEATED, AND
on the creation and preservation of the world ; and viewing the divine perfections therein discovered, and admiring the divine glor)', and wondering and adoring ; and finally concludes with, Bless the Lord^ 0 my soul : Praise ye the Lord. But
3. His perfections are still much more eminoitly displayed in that moral government which he maintains over the intelligent part of the creation ; especially his moral perfections. In the works of nature his natural perfections are to be seen : but, in his moral government of the world, he acts out his heart, and shews the temper of his mind : Indeed, all the perfections of God are to be seen in the work of creation, if we view angels and men, and consider what they were, as they came first out of his hands — holy and pure : But still God's conduct towards them, under the character of their King and Govenior, more ev- idently discovers the very temper of his heart. As the tree is known by the fruit, so God's moral perfections may be known by his moral government of the world. The whole world was created for a stage, on which a variety of scenes were to be open- ed ; in and by all which, God designed to exhibit a most exact image of himself : For, as God loves himself infinitely for be- ing what he is, so he takes infinite delight in acting forth and ex- pressing all his heart. He loves to see his nature and image shine in all his works, and to behold the whole world filled with his glory ; and he perfectly loves to have his conduct, the whole of it taken together, an exact resemblance of himself ; and in- finitely abhors, in his public conduct, in the least to counteract the temptr of his heart ; so as, by his public conduct, to seem to be what indeed he is not : So that, in his moral government of the world, we may see his inward disposition, and discern the true nature of h.is n)oral perfections : And indeed ail his pt-rfections are herein discovered ; particularly,
( I .) His infinite understanding. High on his throne in heav- en he siis, and all his vast dominions lie open to his \ ifw: His all-sei ing eve views all his courts above, and sees under the whole heavens, looks through the earth, and pierces all the dark caverns of hell ; so that his acquaintance with all worlds and all
DISTINGUISHED FROM ALL COUSTERFFITS. Ui
things is absolutely perfect and complete : He can behold all the solemn worship of heaven, and tlic inmost thoughts of all that great assembly : he can behold all the sin, misery- and ton- fusion that overspread the uhole earth, and the inmost temper of ever)' mortal ; and look through hell, and see all the rebellion, and blasphemy, and cunning devices of those inlemal fiends ; — and all this at one all-comprehending \ iew : And thus, as high Ciov- cnior of die whole world, he continually beholds all things ; >\ hereby a foundation is laid for the exercise of all his other per- fections in his government over all. See the omniscience of God elegandy described in PsaL cxxxix. 1 — 12. And being perfectly acquainted with himself, as well as with all his crea- tures, he cannot but see what conduct from him towards them, will, all things considered, be most right, and fit, and amiable, and most becoming such an one as he is ; and also what conduct from them to him is his due ; and their dutw By his infinite understanding, he is perfectly acquainted with right and wrong — with what is fit, and what unfit : And, by the moral rectitude of his nature, he infinitely loves the one and hates the other, and is disposed to con Juct accordingly ;— of which more pres- ently. Psal. cxlvii. \.... Praise ije the Lord, for it is good to sing praises unto our God ; for it is plea.'.anty and praise is corneh,: — But why ? — Ver. 5. ..Great is our Lord a7ui of great power ; His UNorRSTANDiNG IS iNTiMTE. — But whercin does that aj>- pear ? — ^Vh^•, (ver. 4.) He telletli the number of the stars ; he calleth them all by their names. Now, if the infinite under- standing of God maybe seen in this one particular, much more is it in the regular ordering and dispcsingof;ill things, through- out the whole universe ; and that, not only in the luUiiral^ but also in the 7norul world.
(2) His infinite power is displayed in the government ofthc world : For he does according to his pleasure in the armies of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth ; so that none can stay his hand, or hinder the execution ofhis designs. Have rebellions broken out in any part of his dominions ? — he hiis manifestly had the rebels entirely in his hands : The\ have lain
22 TRUE UF.HGION DELINF-ATED, AND
absolutely at his mercy ; and he has dealt with them according to his sovereign pleasure ; and none has been able to make any resistance ; nor has there been any to deliver tliem out of his hands. When rebellion broke out in heaven, he crushed the rebels in a moment : They fell beneath the weight of his hand ...they felt his power.. ..they despaired. ..they sunk to hell ; and there he reserves them in chains ; nor can they stir from their dark abode, but by his special permisbion. And when rebel- lion broke out upon earth, the rebels were equally in his hands, and at his mercy, unable to make any resistance ; although he was pleased, in his infinite wisdom, to take another method with them : But he has since discovered his po^er, in treading down his implacable enemies, under foot, many a time : He destroyed the old world, burned Sodom^ drowned Pharaoh and his hosts, and turned Nebuchadnezzar into a beast. If his en- emies have exalted themselves, yet he has been above them — brought them down ; and discovered to all the world that they are in his hands, and without strength, at his disposal : Or if he has suffered them to go on and prosper, and exalt themselves greatly, yet still he has been above them, and has accomplished
his designs by them, and at last has brought them down
Haughty Nebuchadnezzar^ when he had broken the nations to pieces, as if he had been the hammer of the whole earth, now thought \\\\rLSQM somebody ; and Alexander the Great, when con- quering the world, aspired to be thought the son of Jupiter : But the most high God, the great and almighty Governor of the world, alwaj s had such scourges of mankind only as a rod in his hand, with which he has executed judgment upon a wicked world. Hoivbvit^ they vieant not so^ neither did their hearts think so : But it was in their hearts to gratify their aml)ition, axaricc, and revenge. However, he was above them ; and always such have been, in his hands, as the ax is in the hands of him that hirueth therewith^ or as the saiv is in the hands of him that shalccth it ; or as the rod is in the hand of him that Ufteth it up. And when he has done with the rod, he always breaks it and btirns it : See Isaiah x. 5 — 19.
DISTINGUISHED IROM AI.I. COUNTERFEITS. 23
And as this great King has discovered his almighty power, by crushing rebclhons in his kingdom, and sulxluing rebels, so he has, also, in protecting his Iriends, and working dehverancc for his people : He made a path tor his people through the sea ; he led tliem through the wilderness : He gave them water to drink out of the rock ; and fed them with angels' food : In the day time he led them by a cloud, and all the night with the light of fire : He brought them to the promised land, and drove out the heathen before them ; and, in all their distresses, whenever they cried unto him, he delivered them : And as the supreme Governor of the world, in thp days of old, did thus discover his almightv power in governing among his intelligent creatures, so he is still, in various ways and manners, in his providential dispensations, evidently discovering that he can do all things : And his people see it and believe it ; and admire and adore : — Read Psal. cv.
(3.) Again, His infinite wisdom is discovered in an endless variety of instances — in all his government throughout all his dominions — in his mianaging all things to the glory of his INIa- jest}-....to the good of his loyal subjects, and to the confusion of his foes. There has never any thing happened in all his do- minions, and never will, but has been, and shall !)c made entire- ly subser\ient to his honor and glory : Even the contempt cast upon him by his rebellious subjects, he turns to his greater glo- ry ; as in the case of Pharaoh^ who set up himself against God, and said. Who is the Lord^ that I should obeij him ? I knoxv not the Lord, nor xvill I let Israel go. And he exalted himself, and dealt proudly and haugiitily ; and hardened his heart, and was resolved he would not regard God, nor be bowed nor conquer- ed by him ; for he despised him in his heart: But the more he carried himself, as if there were no God, the more were the be- ing and perfections of God made manifest ; for the more he hardened his heart — the more stout and stubborn he was, the more God honored himself in subduing him : Yea, God, in his infinite wisdom, suffered him to be as high and huught}' — as
stout and stubborn as he pleased '; he took off all restraints from
E
24 TRUE RELIGION DELINEATED, AND
him — nei-mitted the magicians to imitate the miracles of Mo- seSy so that Pharaoh^ in seeing, might not see, nor be convinced ; and he ordered that the plagues should last but for a short sea- son, that Pharaoh might have respite ; and thus it was that God hardened his heart : And God, in his infinite wisdom, did all this with a view to his own glory ; as he tells Pharaoh by the hand of Moses — " Suth and such plagues I design to bring up- on you, and to do so, and so, with you." And^ indeed, Jcr this cause have I rained thee np^for to sfiexu in thee ymj power ^ and thai, my name may he declared throughout all the earth... ^xo^, ix. 16 : And, accordingly, God was illusti-iously honored, at last, upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host, at the Red Sea ; and the Egyptians., and all the neighboring nations, were made to know that he was the Lord ; and his name became dreadful among the heathen : And we find that, in three or four hundred years after, the Philistines had not forgotten it ; for, when the ark^ in the days of ^/i, was carried into the camp of Israel., the Philis- tines were sore afraid, and said, " God is come into the camp : Woe unto us : Who shall deliver us out of the hands of these mighty Gods ? These are the Gods that smote the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilderness," &c.... I Sam. iv.
So God wisely ordered and over-ruled all things, that befcl the children of Israel in the wilderness, to accomplish the ends he had in view : His designs were to get himself a great name, and fill the whole earth with his glory (Num. xiv. 21.) ; and to try and humble his people, and make ^icm know, that it was not for their righteousness that he brought them into the land of Ca7iaa7i^ (Dettt. ix.) And every thing that came to pass, for tliose forty years, was admirably calculated to attain these ends. The news of Pharuoli^s overihrow — of God's coming down upon Mount Sinai, in the presence of all Israel, and abiding there so long a time, with such awful majesty ; and of the pil- lar of cloud by day, and of fire by night — of the manna — of the water flowing out of a rock, and following them — of their mur- murings and insuircctions, and God's judgments upon them ; — I say, the news of ih;ise, and other things of Uiis nature, tliat
D1»TINCUI8HED PROM ALL COUNTERFPITS. 25
Iwppcned to them for those forty years, flow all the world over,
and filled :dl the n.iih)ns of iht; eardi w'uh the tjrcatest astonish- ment ; and la.idc them think there was no God like the God of /*raf/...(Numb. xiv. IJ, 14, IJ.) By all these Uiings, and by God's bringing his people, at lust, to the possession <jf the land of Canaan^ according to his promise, there was exhibited a spe- cimen of God's infinite knowledge, power, wisdom, holiness, jus- tice, goodness and truth ; ;uid that before the C)es of all the na- tions : And so the whole earth was filled with his glory ; i. e, widi the clear manifesiaiiuns of those perfections in which liis glory consists. And thus his great end was obtained : And, ui the mean time, all liie wanderings, and trials, and sins, and sorrows of the children oi Israel^ together with all the wonder- ful works which their eyes beheld, and wherein God discover- ed himseU for those forty years, had a natural tendency to try them, to humljle them, and break their hearts ; and make them know, that, not for their righteousness, nor for the uprightness .of their hearts, did God, at last, shew them that great mercy : and to convince them of the exceeding great obiigwiions th;;y were under to love, and fear, and serve the Lord forever. And so, the other great end which God had in view was accompli;.h- C(i. ...Deut. viii. ix. Sc x. c/iap. — And now, all these things were by God wisely dune ; and in this his conduct, his inhaite wisdom is to be seen.* — And thus it is in all Ciod's dispensations, throughout all his dominions, with regard to the whole universe in general, and to every intelligent creature in particular. Hi«>
* If God had so ordered that Abrabavi had been bom in the land of Caiiaar., and his posterity liaJ niultiiilied greatly, and the other nation ., gradually, by sicknesses and wars, had wasted awav and come to nothing;, until there were none but the posterity of Abnibaiii left, avid they h-*d tilled tlie land, G >ci'3 hand then would not have been seen. ...none of these excelleat ends aituined....all would have been r-*. Ived into natural cau3c«. Thereff.re God contrived where Abraham should be born — how he shouiJ lei.ve his Ovvu country — have a jironiisc of the land of L'unaan s ai.d \\ow his seed should come to b-j in E^yfjt — come to be in great bondage and dis- tress ; how he would send, ana how he would deliver them, and how liiey should carry them.elves, and what should happen ; and how every thing should turn out at last : he laid the wh(.le plan, with a view to those ex- cellent eiida his eye was upor4. It was wisely c mtrived, and, when it taiiiC to b« acted over, his inlinite wisdom was discovered.
26 TRUE RELIGION DELINEATED, AND
works arc all done in wisdom ; and so his infinite wisdom is discovered in all : And hence Gcd appears infinitely glorious in the eyes of his -people.... Deut. xxxii. 3, 4. — Psal. civ. 24,. & cv. 1, 45. — I Cor. i. 24, 31.
(4.) Again, His infinite purity and holiness is also discover- ed in his government of the world — in all that he has done to establish right, and discountenance wrong, throughout all his do- minions. His creating angels and men in his own image, witli his law written on their hearts, manifested his disposition, and showed what he was pleased with : But his public conduct, as moral Governor of the world, has more evidently discovered the very temper of his heart ; and shewn how he loves right and hates zurong, to an infinite degree. Governors, among men, discover much of their disposition, and show what they love and what they hate, by their laws ; and they show how fervent their love and hatred is, by all the methods they take to enforce them ; and so does the great Governor of the world : By his laws — ^by his promises and threatenings — by his past conduct^ and declared designs for the future, he manifests how he loves moral good and hates moral evil.
By his infinite understanding, he is perfectly acquainted with himself, and with all his intelligent creatures ; and so perfectly knows what conduct in him towards them is right, fit and ami- able, and such as becomes such a one as he is ; and also, perfectly knows what conduct in his creatures towards him, and towards each other, is fit and amiable, and so their duty. He sees what is right, andinfinitelylovesit, because it is right: He sees what is wrong, and infinitely hates it, because it is wrong ; and, in his whole conduct, as Governor of the world, he appears to be just what he is at heart — an infinite friend to right, and im infinite enemy to wrong.
He takes state. ...sets up himself as a God.. ..bids all the world adore him, love and obey him, with all their hearts — and that upon pain of eternal damnation, in case of the least defect ; and promises eternal life and glory, in case of perfect obedience. This is the language of his law, 'jyiotl shall love the Lord thy
UISTINGUISHLI) FROM ALL tOUK TERIXITJ.. 27
Goii rvith all thy hearty an J thy neighbor as thyself : Do this^ and live ; disobey, and Jit: And now all that infinite esteem IbrluiTiseU, and intinite rcgiird for his own honor, w hich he here- in manifests, does not result from a proud or a selfish spirit ; for there is no such thing in his nature : Nor does he threaten dam- nation for sin, because it hurts him ; or promise eternal life to obedience, because it docs him any good : for he is infiiiitely above us, and absolutely independent of us, and cannot receive advantage or disadvantge from us. ...Job xxii. 2, 3. and xxxv. 6, 7. But it results from the ill Unite holiness of his nature. He loves and honors himself as he does, because, since he is what he is, it is right and fit he should : He bids the world adore love and obey iiim with all their hearts, because, considering what he is, and what they are, it is infinitely fit and right : He commands us to love our neighbor as ourselves, because this al- so, in the nature of things, is right : And while he promises eterniU life to the obedient, and threatens eternal damnation to the disobedient, he shows how infinitely he loves righte usness and hates iniquity. His promising eternal life and glory to perfect obedience, does indeed manifest the infinite goodness and bountifulness of his nature ; but then his promising f///, un- der the notion of a reivard, disco\ ers this temper of his heart ....his infinite love to right.
As to all his positive injunctions, they arc evidently designed to promote a conformity to die moral law. And as to the mor- al law, it is originally founded upon the very reason ?.nd nature of diings. The duties required therein are required, original- ly, because they are right in themselves : And the sins forbid- den, are forbidden, originally, because they are unfit and wrong in themselves. The intrinsic fitness of the things required, and the intrinsic unfitness of the things forbidden, was the original ground, reason and foundation of his law. Thus, he bids all the world love him with all their hearts, because he is the Lord their God ; and love one another as biethren, because thev are all children of the same common father, having the same nature. He requires this supreme love to himself, and this mutual love
28 TRUE RELIGION DELINEATED, AND
among his subjects, because it is right that so it should be ; and because he perfectly loves that the thing that is right should be done. ...and not from any advantage that can possibly accrue unto him from the behavior of his creatures. And he forbids the contrary, because it is wrong, and therefore infinitely hateful in his sight.... and not because it could be any disadvantage to him. — All the glory and blessedness which he bestows upon the angels in heaven, under the notion of a rexvard to their obedicncey is not because their obedience does him any good ; for it does not : nor because they deserve any thing from his hands ; for they do not : (Rom. xi. 35, 35. J but merely because it is right that they should, in all things, obey him : This is what he loves, and what he delights to honor : And all the infinite, eternal glories of heaven can but just serve as a sufficient testimony of his approbation. — So, on the other hand, it was not in a passion, or from sudden, rash revenge, (which many times iniluences sinful men to cruel and barbarous deeds), that he turned those that sinned down to hell ; and,. for their first offence, doomed them to everlasting woe, without the least hope ; for there is no such thing in his nature. As he is not capable of being injured, as we are, so neither is he capable of such anger as we feel. No : the thing they did was in itself infinitely wrong, and that was the true and only cause of his infinite displeasure ; which infinite displeasure he meant to declare and make known in tho sight of all worlds, throughout the endless ages of eternity, by rendering to them according to their deserts : For he loves to appear as great ;m enemy to sin, in his conduct, as he is in his heart. He loves to act out his heart, and exhibit a true image of himself. His infinite love of righteousness and hatred of in- iquity, is also displayed in his promising etcrn-cd life and bless- edness to Adam and to all his race, a whule world of beings, as a rcivard io the obedience oi Adam — by him constituted public head and representative, on the one hand ; and threateningeter- nal destruction to him andallliisracc, awiiole worldofl)eings, in case of tlie least transgression, on the other hand. But his infinite love to righteousness, and hatred of iniquity, is manifest*
DISTINOVISHED fKOM ALL COUNTRRFEITS. '29
ed in the greatest perfection, in the death of Jesus Christ, his on- ly he^jotten son : But of this more afterwards. — In a word, all tlic blessings which he has granted to the godly in Uiis world, as rewards of their virtue... .to AM^ Enoch, and Noah... .10 Lot,... to Abraham^ Jhuic antl ^Jacob., &c. and all the judgments which he has executed upon the wicked. ...his turning Aihmowx. of par- adise....drowning the old world. ...burning Sodom., &c. together with all the evils which befel the children of Lracl., in the wil- derness— in the time of the judges — in the reigns of tluir kings ....and their long captivity in Babijbn^ 8cc. have all been public testimonies diat the righteous Lord loveth righteousness, and hatelh iniquity. — And, in heaven and in hell, he designs to dis- play, to all eternity, in the most glorious and dreadful manner, how infinitely he loves righteousness and hates iniquity.
Now when true believers, who are divinely enlightened, med- itate on and view the laws, the conduct, and the declared designs of the great Governor of the world, they love, admire and adore, and say, Hohj^ hoUj., I^oly., Lord God ofhosts^ the whole ivorld is full of thy ghrif. This divine disposition, to love righteous- ness and hate iniqviit)-, which the great Governor of the world thus discoviTs in all his government, appears infinitely beautiful and glorious, excellent, and amiable in their eyes : Whence thev are ready to say. Who is like unto t/we, 0 Lord, among the gods? Who is like unto thee ^ glorious in holiness^ &cc....As they do in Exod. XV. 11.*
• If we should suppose (as some do), that there is nothing r/^/jt or "arorg untecedent to a consideration of ihe positive will and Iww of Cod, th.e great governor of the world ; and that } i^bt and virovg result, originally, from his sovereign v^il/ and absolute autbority entirely, then these a'usurdiiies would unavoidably fellow :
1. 7'bat the moral perfections of God arc empty names, ivitbout anv tigniji- cation at all. For if there be no intrinsic inoral fi'ness and uniitness in things, no right nor wrong, then there is no such thing as viorcl heauty or inoral deformity ,- and so, no foundation, in the nature cf things, for any inoral propensity ; i. c. there is nothing for God to love or hate, considered as a mural a^e:.t. There can be no inclination or disposl ion in himtolcve right and haie wrong, if there be no such thing as right or wrong. So that the only idea we could frame of God, would be that of an a'.migh'y, des- potic sovereign, who makes his own will his cnly rule, without anv regard to riglitor wrong, good or evil, just or unjust. ...an idea of the intinirely glorious and ever-blessed God, evidently as contrary to truih as can be devised.
-2. That,
30 TRUE RELIGION DELINEATED, AND
(5.) His impartial justice is also discovered in his moral gov- ernment of the world. He appears, in his public conduct, as one infinitely engaged to give to every one his due, and as one absolutely governed by a spirit of the most perfectly disinterest- ed impartiality : He appears as one infinitely engaged to main- tain the rights of the Godhead, and to secure that glory to the divine Being that is his proper due ; and that by the law which he has estaljlished, in heaven and on earth, binding all to love, worship and obey him, as God, upon pain of eternal damnation : And so, again, he appears as one infinitely engaged to secure all his subjects here upon earth in a quiet and peaceable posses- sion of their own proper rights; and that by strictly enjoin-
2. That, in the nature oftbings, there is no more reason to love and obey God, than there is to hate and disobey /jivi .- there being, in the nature of things, no right nor wrong. Just as if God was not infinitely worthy of our highest esteem and most perfect obedience ! andjust as if, inthe nature of things, there was no reason why Ave should love and obey him, but merely because he is the greatest and strongest, and says we must ! than which nothing can be more evidently absurd. But if these things are so, then it will fellow,
.3. That there is no reason nvhy he should rer/tiire his creatures to love and obey him, or forbid the cmitrary ; or ii^hy he should rev:ard the one, or punish the other : there being, in the nature of things, no right nor wrong : and so the foundation of God's law and government is overturned, and all religion torn up by the roots ; and nothing is left but arbitrary tyranny and servile subjection.... all expressly contrary to Gen. xviii. 25 — Hcb. i. 9 — Eph. v'l.l — Jiovi. xii. 1 — I\'ev.'\v. 11 — Jiom. \ii- 12 — Jiom.n. 4,5, 6 — Kev. xix. 1, 6 ■ — Ezcf-. xviii. 25.
Or again, if we should suppose (as others do), that there is nothing right or viroiig, antecedent to a consideration of the general good of the whole system of intelligent created beings ; and that right and wror^ result, ori- ginally and entirely, from the natural tendency of things to i)romotc, or hinder the general good of the whole : then, also, these manifest absurditic* will iniavoidabl) follow :
1 . That the vwral perfections of God entirely consist in, or result from a dit- Jfosition to love his creatures supremely, and seek their happiness as his only end : just as if it became the most high to make a God of his creatures, and himself their servant ! cxpres.sly contrary to Rom. xi. 36 — Numb, xiv — liev. iv. 11.
2. 7' hat God loves virtue and rexvanli it, merely because it tends to make hi* creatures happy ; and hates vice and punishes it, merely because it tends to make his creatures Diiserable : just as if he had no regard to the rights of the Godhead, nor cared how much contempt was cast upon the glorious ma- jesty of Heaven ! cx])rcs;.ly contrary to A'aW. xxxii. — Numb. xiv. — I Sam. ii. 29, .10—11 Sam. xii. 10, U— Psalm li. 4.
3. 7'hiit he rcfuircs us to love and obey him, merely because it fends to make w.t happy, amif.irbids the contrary merely because it tends to viake us miserable .■ just as if he liad no sense of the inJinile glory and excellency of his nature, and our infmite obligations to love and obey him thenoe arising ! andjust as if he thought it no crime in us, to treat him with the greatest contempt !
and
DISTINGUISHED FROM ALL COUNTERrEITS. 31
ing even,' one to love his neighbor as himself, and always do as he would be done b\-, and tluit upon pain of eternal damna- tion....Go/, iii. 10. — Dcut. xxvii. 26. And he appears as one governed by a spirit of the most pcrfectiy disinterested impar- tiality, in that he spared not the angels that sinned, who were some of the noblest ol all his creatures ; and in that he is deter- mined not to spare impenitent sinners at the day of judgment, though they cry ever so earnestly for mercy ; but, above all, in that he spared not his only begotten Son, when he stood in the room of sinners, li ever any poor, guilty wretch, round the world, feels tempted to think that God is cruel for damning sin- ners, and does not do as he would be done by, if he was in their case, and they in his, let him come away to the cross of Christ, and
anil just as if nothing could raise his resentment but merely the injury- done to ourselves ! expressly contrary xoNutnh- xiv. — WSatn. xii. 10, 14, &t.
4. 7'bat we are under no obligations to love God, but merely because it tends to make us happy ; and that it is no crime to hate and blaspheme God, but merely because it tends to make us miserable. But if so, then the misery which naturally results from hating and blaspheming God, is exactly equal to the crime ; and therefore no positive inHicted j^unishment is deserved in this world, or in that which is to come. And, therefore, all the punish- ments which God inHicts upon sinners in this world, and forever in Hell, are entirely undeserved : and so his law and government, instead of being holy, just and good, are infinitely unreasonable, tyrannical and cruel. — To say, that God punishes some of his sinful creatures, merely to keep others in awe, whenas they do nut, in the least, deserve any punishment, is to suppose the great Governor of the world to doevil, that good may come ; and yet, at the same time, to take themost direct course to render himself odious throughout all his dominions. It is impossible to account for tlie punish- iTients which God has inHicted upon sinners in this world, and designs to inHict upon them forever in hell, without supposing that there is an infinite evil in sin, over and above what results from its natural tendency to make us miserable : and that, there fore, we are under infinite obligations to love and obey God, antecedent to any consideration of its tendency to ma!:e us hajipy.
From all which, it is evident, to demonstration, that right and wrong do neither result from the mere will and law of God, nor from any tend- ency of things to promote or hinder the happiness of God's creatures. It remains, therefore, that there is an intrinsic moral fitness and unfitness, absolutely in things themselves : as that we should love the infinitely glorious God, is, in the nature of things, infinitely fit and right ; and to hare and blaspheme him, is, in the nature of things, infinitely unfit and wrong : and that, antecedent to any consideration of advantage or di^.advantage, reward or punishment, or even of the will or law of God. And hence it is, that God infinittly loves right, and hates wrong, and ap])Parb so infinite- ly eng-aged to reward the one, and punish the other. And hence, his lav,' and government are holy, just and good... .they are gluriou^; ; and in and ky them the infinite gl'^rs of the divine nature shines forth. .../*•«. vi. 3. — Rev. iv. 8 — Rrv. six. 1 — 6.
32 TRUE RELIGION DELINEATED, AND
see God's own Son, his second self, there nailed up, naked, bleeding, groaning, dying, in the greatest possible contempt, ig- nominy and shame, before ten thousand insulting, blood-thirsty spectators ; and let him kncnv that this Jesus is God — a person of infinitely greater dignity and worth than all creatures in heav- en and earth put together, and infinitely dear to the great Gov- ernor of the world, even just as dear as his o\vn self, and upon whom he would not lay these sufferings any sooner than upon himself; — I say, let him stand, arid look, and gaze, and learn that God does exactly as he would be done by, when he damns sinners to all eternity, were he in their case, and they in his (if I may so say, when speaking of the most high God), since that for his own Son, a person of infinite dignity, to suffer all these things, is ec|ui\alent to the eternal torments of finite creatures : Indeed, it was not because he was not a Being of infinite good- ness, tliiit he treated his own Son so .; nor is it because he has no regard to his creatures'" happiness, that he designs to damn the finally impenitent ; but it is merely because sin is an infinite evil, and, according to strict justice, worthy of an infinite pun- ishment : It is right and fit that he should do as he does, and therefore his conduct will forever appear infinitely glorious and beautiful in the eyes ofall holy beings. Psalm xcvi. 11, 12, 13 ....Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad : Let the sea roar^ and the fulness thereof. Let the f eld he joyful^ and all that is therein : Then shallall the trees of the wood rejoice before the Lord : For he cometh^ for hccometh to judge the earth : He shall judge the xvorld xvith righteousness, and the people xvith his truth. See also J^ev. xix. 1 — 6.
(6.) IJis ii finite goodness is also discovered in his government of the world ; for all the laws of this gicat and good Ciovcrnor are suited in their own nature to advance all his subjects to the highest perfection they are capable oC His law teaches us to view all things just as they are, and to have our will and affec- tions entirely governed by the truth — by the very reason and na^ turc of things : And so to be accordi)ig to the mcasiu-e of such finite creatures, in oui- wills and in the temperof our minds, alter
DIST1NCV19MED FROM ALL COUNTERFBITS. 33
the lmag«oftl^ blessed and glorious God, w'.iich is the hifjhest dignltv and perfection we are possibly capable of. Wlien ( tod commands us to be holy as he is holy, he enjoins that as our dutv which at the same time is our highest possible privilege. He bids us be like the angels, and begin oiu- heaven upon earth ; yea, even to participate of a glor\' and blessedness of the same nature with that which he himself enjoys ; To behold his glo- rv....to be ravished with lus heauty.... to esteem him supremely, live to him entirely, and delight in him superlatively, and to be- come like him in our views of things, and in tlic teniper of our minds, is our highest dignity, glory, and excellency, and our highest blessedness : And, besides, his laws are still further cal- culated to promote the welfare of his subjects, in that they are suited to esuibllsh universal love, peace and harmony, tlirougii- out all his dominions. Love tliij neighbor as thyself^ is one of the fundamental laws of his kingdom : And were his authority duly regarded, and his laws obeyed, love, and peace and harmo- ny, M'ith all their happy and blessed tflfccts, would reign through all the earth, as they do in heaven ; and paradise would not be confmed to Eden, nor to heaven, but be all over the world.
And tlie wrath of this good Governor is only revealed against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, which are the ra- in and debasement of our nature, and the destruction of our peace and happiness. He threatens damnation to his subjects, to keep them from destroying themselves, as well as to deter them from affronting his Majesty. All the dreadful threatea- ings of his law result not onlv from his holiness and justice, but also from the infuiite goodness of his nature ^ In that hereby his subjects are mercifully forwarned of the e\ll and bitter conse- quences of sin, to the end they may avoid it. He is a perfect enemy to hatred and revenge — to ciiielty and injustice : He cannot bear to see the widow or fatherless oppressed, or the poor despised, or the miserable insulted, or any evil tiling done among his subjects : And therefore this good Governor has threatened tribulation and anguish, indignation and wrath, against every soul that doth evfl ; and, with all his authority,
34 TRUE RELIGION DELINEATED, AND
has commanded his subjects, through all this world, upon paia of eternal damnation, to do as they would be done by.
And then, still further to engage his subjects to that in which their greatest glory and blessedness consists, he, in his law, promises eternal life to the obedient : wherein the infinite boun- tifulness of his nature, as well as his unspeakable concern for his creatures' welfare is discovered.
And if we survey his conduct towards mankind, from the be- ginning, we may, in ten thousand instances, see the infinite good- ness of his nature displayed. If we consider what his ways have been towards an apostate world — ^how he has given his Son to be a Redeemer, and his spirit to be a sanctifier — how he has sent all his servants the prophets, rising early and sending ; and that notwithstanding he knew beforehand what treatment he would meet with from a guilty, ungrateful, God-hating world —how they would murder his Son, resist his spirit, and kill his messengers : if we consider how patient, and forbearing, and long-suffering he has been towards obstinate sinners — how loth to give them over ; swearing by himself that he delights not in their death, but rather that they turn and live ; even while they have contemned and affronted him in the vilest manner : and if we consider his distinguishing favors towards his elect, and the marvellous things which he has wrought for his church and peo- ple ; — I say, if we consider these things, and, at the same time, look round the world and behold the innumerable common fa- vors strewed abroad among guilty, hell-deser\'ing rebels, wc must be forced to own, that he is good to all, and that his ten- der mercies are over all his works.
His goodness, indeed, is evidently as unbounded as his power. There is no act of kindness, which his omnipotcncy is able to do, but that there is goodness enough in his heart to prompt him to do it, if, all things considered, it is best to be done : His propensi- ty to do good is fall)' equal to his ability. All the treasures and good things of this lower world are his, and he gives all to the children of men ; and wc should have enjoyed all, without the least sorrow intcraiixed, had not our sin andapostacymade
DISTINCUISnED FROM ALL COUNTERFEITS. 35
it ncccssar)' for him to give some testimony of his displeasure : and vet, even the calamities of life are well adapted, in our pres- ent state, to do us good. All the treasures and glories of heav- en are his, and he ofters all to a guilty u'orld, and artuallv gives all to such as are willing to accept of all, through the mediator, in tlie way prescribed — and what can he give more ? Can he give his only begotten son to die for sinners ? Behold, he has a heart to do it ! Can he ^ive his holy spirit to recover poor sinnei-s to (iod ? Behold, he has a heart to do it.. ..is as ready to give his holy spirit to them that ask, as parents are to give bread to their children ! And, finally, can he, in any sense, give himself to his creatures ? Behold, he is willing to do so.... to be tlieir God, and father, and portion, and be all things to them, and do all things for them, if they will but accept of him through Jesus Christ ! So that, as I said, his propensity to do good is fully equal to his ability : And there is no doubt but that he does show all those kindnesses to his intelligent creatures, which, all things considered, are best should be shown. And his understanding is infinite, whereby he is able to determine exactly what is best in the whole. Thy mercij, 0 Lord^ is in the heercens ; and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds : Hozo excellent is thy loving kindness, OGodl Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy w/n^.?.... Psalm xxxvi. 5y7.
And such is the goodness of his nature, and so much good- ness has he in his heart, that he needs no motive to excite him to do good ; i.e. nothing from without : Thus, unmoved andun- excited by any thing from without himself, of his own mere goodness, he did, in the da}s of eternity, determine to do all that good, which ever will by him be done, to all eternity, when there was nothing existing but himself, and so nothing to move him but his ov/n good pleasure : Yea, such is the goodness of his nature, that he not only needs no motive from without to excite him to do good, but even then, when there are all diings to the contran- — even ever}- thing in his creatures to render them ill-deserving, and to discourage and hinder his shewing mere}',
56 TRUE RELIGION DELINEATED, AND
and to provoke him to wrath — even tl\en, when dtscourage- inents are infinitely great, and provocations are innumerable ; yea, when there is nothing in his creature but what is of the na- ture of a provocation — even, in such a case, he can show mer- cy ; yea, the greatest of mercies. He can give his son to die for such, and his holy spirit to sanctify them, and himself at last to be their God and father, and everlasting portion ; Such is the in- comparable goodness of his nature. JVho rs a God like unto thee I hc....Mic. vii. 18, 19. — But then he is at liberty, in such cases, and may act according to his own discretion, and have mercy on whom he will have mercy, and have compassion on whom he will have compassion ; and, truly, it is infinitely fit he should. To act soverelgnlv, in such cases, is infinitely becom- ing ; and, indeed, it is fit he should dispense all his favors ac- cording to his sovereign pleasure : It is fit he should do what he will with his own. He knows best how to exercise his own goodness, and it is perfectly fit that he should be at liberty, and act according to his own discretion. ...according to the counsel of his own will. And because it is infinitely fit, therefore he ac- tually does so....Ejf/i. i. 11. He passed by the angels that sin- ned, and pitied sinful men ; he passed by the'rest of the world, and chose the seed of Abraham ; he suffers thousands of sin- ners to go on in their sins and perish, and, in the mean time, seizes here and there one by his all-conquering grace, and effec- tually saves them ; and all according to his sovereign pleasure, because it seems good in his sight so to do. And the reason why he acts sovereignly, is because, in the nature of things, it is fit he should ; therefore, his sovereignty is a holy and a glorious r.overeignty. Hence, when Moses desired to see his giory^ he discovered this untohim....7r.\W. xxxiii. 12. And because our Savior saw how fit and becoming it was for God to act as a sovereign, in bestowing his favors, therefore he saw a glory ia liis sovereignty, and so rejoiced in \t....Miit. xi. 25,20. And sovereign grace is glorious grace in the eyes of ever)' one who views things aright, and has aright frame of heart. Consid- ering that all God has is his oiv>i....i]y.\i he knows infinitely the
DlSTlNGUIBHtD FROM AIL COUNTERTKITS. 37
best what to dowith ivhathe Afl*....<hat tlicre can be no motive from xvitfiout to excite him to act, it is infinitely fit he should be left to himself, to act according to his own discretion ; and it is infinite impudence for a worm of the dust to intermeddle or go about to direct the ahiiighty and infmitcly wise God ; and it is infinite wickedness to dislike his conduct, and find fault with his dispensations.
Indeed, if there was nothing of greater worth and importance than the happiness of his creatures and subjects, and so nothing thai he ought to have a greater regard to and concern for, then it is not to be supposed that any of his creatures and subjects would be finally miserable. The infinitely good Governor of the world has a great regard to the happiness of his subjects : their weUWe is vcr)- dear to him, and their misery, in itself, or for its own sake, very undesirable in his siglit ; yet he has so much greater regard to something else, that, in some instances, he actually docs suffer sinners to go on in their sins and j^rish forever : yea, he will inflict the eternal torments of hell upon them. The goodness of God is a holy, wise and rational good- ness, and not an unreasonable fondness : He will never do u wrong thing, to oblige any of his creatures : no, he had rather the whole world should be damned ; yea, that even his own Son should die : Nor will he ever communicate good to any one, when, all things considered, it is not best and v/isest. When he first designed to create the world, and first laid out his whole scheme of go\ emment, as it was easy for him to have determin- ed, that neither angels nor men should ever sin, and that misery should nc\'er be heard of in all his dominions, so lie could ea- sily have prevented both sin and misery. Why did he not ?— Surely, not for want of goodness in his nature ; for that is infi- nite : — not from any thing like cruelty ; for thei e is no such ih'iivr in him : — not for want of a suitable regard to the happiness of his creatures ; for that he always ha3 : But it was because, in his infinite wisdom,he did not think it best in the whole. It was not because he had not sufficient power to preserve angels and men all holy and happy ; for it is certain he had ; — it was not be-
S^ TRUK RELIGION DELINEATED, AND
cause preventing grace would have been inconsistent witli their being free agents ; for it would not : — it was not because he did not thoroughly consider and weigh the thing with all its conse- quences ; for it is certain he did : But, upon the whole, all things considered, he judged it best to permit the angels to sin and man to fall ; and so let misery enter into his dominions. It did not come to pass accidentally and unawares, and contrary to what God had ever thought of or intended ; because it is cer- tain that he knew all things from the beginning ; and it is certain that, in an affair of such a nature, and of such consequence, he could not stand by as an idle, unconcerned spectator, that cares not which way things go. There is no doubt, therefore, but that, all things considered, he tliought it best to permit things to come to pass just as they did : And, if he thought it best, it was best ; for his understanding is infinite — his wisdom unerring, and so he can never be mistaken. But why was it best ? What could he have in view preferable to the happiness of his crea- tures ? And if their happiness was to him above all things most dear, how could he bear the thoughts of their ever, any of them, being miserable ? — Why, it is certain he thought it best ; and therefore -it is certain he had a view to something else besides merely the happiness of his creatures — to something of greater importance, and more worthy to bear a governing sway in his ihind, by which it became him to be above all things influenced, in laying out and contriving how things should proceed and be disposed in the world he designed to create.
But what was that thing which was of greater worth and im- portance, and so more worthy to bear a governing sway in his mind, and to which he had the greatest regard, making all oth- er things give way to this ? What was his^7Y///r/c»(/ in creating and governing the world ? Why, look. ...what end he is at last like to obtain, when the whole scheme is finished, and the day of judgment past, and heaven and hell filled with all their pro- per inh:il)itants : And what will be the final result ? \Vhat will he get by all ? Why, in all, he will exert and displav every one of his perfections to the life, and so, by all, will exhibit a most
DISTINGtJlSHKD FROM AM, COUKTERFF.ITS. Z9
perfect and exact image of himself. And now, as he is infinite- \\ glorious in being what he is, therefore that scheme of conduct wliich is perfectly suited to exhibit the mobt lively and exact image of him, must be infinitely glorious too : And, therefore, this is the greatest and best thing he can aim at in all his works ; and this, thcrelore, ought to be his lust eml. Now, it is evi- dent that the fall of the angels and of man, together with all those things which have and will come to pass in consequence thereof, and occ;isioncd thereby, from the beginning of the world to the day of judgment, and throughout eternity, will serve to give a m.\t^\\ more lively and perfect representation of God, than could possibly have been exhibited, had there never been any sin or miser)-. The holiness and justice — die goodness, mercy, and grace of God shine much more brighUy : They have been displayed with an astonishing lustre and glory in the death of Christ, and will be displayed forever in heaven and in hell, as they could not have been, had not sin and misery ever been per- mitted to enter into God's world : Indeed, if, in the nature of things, it had been wrong for God to have permitted any of his creatures to sin, and then to punish them for it — if God had been bound in duty, or in goodness, to keep them from sin, or to save them when they had sinned, then the case had been oth- erwise : But since, in the nature of things, it was fit he should be at liberty, and act according to his own discretion ; ;.nd slnca the end he had in view was so noble and godlike, his conduct in this affair was infinltelv right, fit and becoming, and so infi- nitely glorious. Certainly God thought it was so, or he would not have done as he did ; and therefore, if we view things as God did, and have a temper and frame of heart like unto his, we shall think so too : And, as I said before, it is homd pride and impudence for us to pretend to know better than the infinite- ly wise God, and infinite wickedness for us to pre: end to find fault with his conduct.. ..^o;h. ix. 19 — 23.* Thus, if he had
• OBj....But surely it couUl not be con'^istfnt wlih the di%liic goodne:;. from >11 eternity, to decree the everlasiiiig uiiscry of his crcaiures.
A\s.
G
40 TRUE RELIGION DELIN^EATED, AND
aimed mevclv at the happinesR of his creatures, he could easily have so ordered that Pharaoh should willingly have let Israel go, and he could h:^'e led Israel in less than forty days to the promised land, and put them into an immediate possession: but there was something else which he had a greater regard to ; and therefore Pharaoh's heart is hardened, and all his won- ders are wrought in the land of Eg\'pt. The tribes of Israel march to the borders of the Red-Sea.... the sea parts. ...Israel goes through, but the Egyptians are drowned. And now Is- rael is tempted and tried, and they sin and rebel, and so are doomed to wander forty years in the wilderness, and to have their carcases fall there. And why was all this ? Why, because his design was to display all his perfections, and fill the whole earth with his glory . . . Exod. ix. 1 6—NuTnk xiv. 21. A nd now, because it is the most noble thing that God can have in view, to act forth all his perfections to the life, and so exhibit the most exact representation of himself in his works ; therefore, it is in- finitely fit he should make this his last end, and all other things subservient ; and his conduct in so doing is infinitelv beauti- ful and glorious. I'hus we see how the goodness of God is dis- played in his government of the Avorld, and see that it is an un- bounded, rich, free goodness ; and that all the exercises of it are sovereign, and under the direction of his infinite wisdom : so that God is infinitely glorious on the account of this perfec- tion of his nature., ..Exod. xxxiii. 19. & xxxiv. 5, 6, 7. — Rom. ix — Eph. i. 1 — 12.
(7) His unchangeable truth and faithfulness are also discov- ered in his government of the world ; and that in the fulfilment of his promises, and the execution of his threatenings. Did he '
ANS....God has in fact permitted sin to enter into the world — docs in fact permit many to die in their sins — will in fact punish them forever ; and (ili consistent with the infinite goodness of his nature, as every one must acknowledpc. And since it is lonsistent with his goodness to do at be (lorn, it was consistent with his goodness, to determine witli himself be- forehand to do sn .-...What CJiid, _/;</>»( itcrnity, decreed to do, tliat God, in time, will do : therefore, if att God's cntuhtct he holy, just and good, so also are a/l his decrees ; unless we can suppose it to he wrong for the iniU nitely wise God, from all eternity, to determine ujion a conduct in all res- ptcts rig/jt -• than which nothing can be more absurd.
DISTINGUISHED FROM ALL COUNTERFEITS. 41
promise to be Ahraluiin's God ? So he was. Did he promise to gi\ c the l^ind ol Canaan to his seed for an inheritance ? So lie did. Did he promise to send liis Son into the world, and to set him up a kingdom upon earth ? Even so he has done : And he is in like manner true and faithfiJ to all liis promises, which he has made to his people. And did lie threaten to drown the old world... .to make Israel wander forty 4jears in the wilder- ness....to deliver them into the hands of their enemies, at wliat time soever they should forsake him, and go and ser\e other g^ds, and, fimill}', to send them capii\ es into Bab}"lon for sev- enty years ? Even so he has done. God's word may alwaj's be depended upon ; for what he designs, that he says ; and what he sa\s, that he will do. And tliis is another of the glorious perfections of his nature.
Thus all the perfections of God are discovered in his gov- ernment of the world. By his conduct we may see what he is, and learn the very temper of his heart. And now, I might go through his other works. ...his redeeming, justifying, sanctily- Lng siimers, and bringing them to eternal glor\' at last,and shew how his glorious pcrlections shine forth in them. But I have already hmted at some of these things, and shall have occasioa afterwards to view the divine perfections shining forth in these works of God, when I come to consider the nature of the gos- pel. Suflicient has been said to answer my present pui-pose ; and, therefore, for brevity's sake, I will proceed no further here. Thus, then, we see how the perfections of God are manifested in his works.
Secondly.. The same representation is made of God in his WORD : For diese great works of God. ...his creating, preserv- ing and govcrn'mg the worlds, .his redeeming, sanctifying and saving sinners, are the subject-matter of all the Bible. God, in his works, acts out his perfections, and, in his word, lays the whole before our eves in writing. Therein he has told us what he has done, and what he intends to do ; and so has delineated his glorious perfections in the plainest manner, hx his vjord^ God has revealed himself to the children of men.,,. has manifestp
42 TftUE RELIGION DELINEATED, AND
ed and shewn what he is. But how ? Why, by declaring and holding forth his works, as that in which he has exhibited the image of himself. Thus, the scriptures begin with an account of God's creating the world, and goes on throughout all the Old Testament, informing how he preserves and governs it : And, then, in the New Testament, we are informed more particularly how he redeems, justifies, sanctifies, and saves sinners. And now, as the actions of a man discover the temper and disposi- tion of his heait, and shew what he is, so the works of God, from first to last, all taken together, hold forth an exact repre- sentation of himself. If we will begin with God's creating the world, and survey all his conduct in the light of scripture. ...his conduct towards man before the fall, and after the fall.. ..his con- duct towards Abel and Cain, Enoch and Noah, and all the old worlfl....his conduct towards Lot and Sodom — towards Abra- ham, Isaac and Jacob, and Joseph — towards the children of Is- rael, in Egypt, at the Red-Sea, in the wilderness, at Sinai, at Massah, at Taberah, &:c....and in the times of Joshua, of their Judges, of their Kings, &c. and then come into the New Testament, and survey his conduct with relation to the redemp- tion and salvation of sinners, and then look forward to the great judgment-day, and s^e his whole scheme finished.. ..see the re- sult, the conclusion and end of all ; look up to heaven and take a view of that world, and look down to hell and survey the state of things there ; from the whole we may see ruhot God i.i : for, in the whole, God exerts his nature, and, by the whole, God de- signs to exhibit an exact representation oi himself. And, then, are our apprehensions of God right, and according to truth, when we take in that very representation which he has made of himself: And now to account him infinitely glorious in l)eing what he is, and to love him 7vith all our hearts, because he is what he is, is the very thing which the law of God requires.
And, indeed, so plain is that representation which God has made of himsi'U,by his woi'ks and in his word ; and he is rcalltf so in&nilely glorious in being what he is, that were not mankind> tlirough their exceeding gi'cat depravity, entirely void of a right
DlSriNGUISHtl) FROM ALL COUNTERFEITS. 43
tnxte and rdhfi for true beautify they could not but be even rav- ished with the (h\ inc Being. They would luuuially leel as tlicy do in heaven, and naiuially speak their languacje, Holijy holijy holif^ is the Lord of lioats ; the xvholc earth is full of his glory ! ....Isai. vi. ;3. But such is the vile temper of sinful, apostate creatures, that they arc not only blind to the moral extcllcncy of the divine nature, but are even in a stated, habitual contrari- ety to God in the frame of their hearts.. .. /^ow. viii. 7. And hence, the manifestation which God has made of himself, can find no place in their hearts. ...y^/i/i viii. oT. They cannot attend to things of such a nature, (verse 43. J because so disa- greeable to their taste ; for (verse 47. J He that is ofGo(/,hear- eth Ggi/'a- -word ; tje^ therefore., hear thnii not., because ije are not of God. It is hard to bring unregenerate men so much as to have right notions of what God is, because he is a Being in his nature so contrary and disagreeable to them. They do not like to retain God in their knoivk'dge....Roiu. i. 28. Men had rather that God was another kind of Being, different from what he really is, and more like themselves — one that would suit their temper, and serve their interest : and, therefore, they frame such an one in their own fancy, and then fall down and worsiiip the false image which they have set up. From hence it is, that all those false notions of God have taken their rise, which have always filled the world. But were men brought to have right notions of what God is, and to take in that very representation which he has made of himself, by his works and in his word ; }'et they would be so far from accounting him infinitely glorious in being what he is, that they would see no form or comeliness in him xvherefore thcij should desire him : but would feel the like malignant spirit towards him as the Jews did towards their pro- phets, and towards Christ and his apostles, only in a worse de- gree. The same temper which caused the exercise of such en- mity towards their prophets, and towards Christ and his apos- tles, would have caused as groat or greater towards God him- self, had they but had right notions of him. And the clearer apprehension a sinner has of God, the more will his enmity ex-
44 TRUE RELIGION DELINEATED, AND
ert itself ; because a sinful nature and a holy nature ai*e dia- metrically opposite to each other : And, therefore, the clearest external revelation of God cannot bring sinners to love him.— All the world will see just what kind of Being he is at the day of judgment, and that in a very plain and clear manner : But yet they whose nature it is to hate him for being what he is, will hate him still ; yea, hate him more than ever : And, therefore, besides the external revelation which God has made of himself, by his works and in his word, there is an absolute necessity that he should internally reveal himself in his glory to the heart of a sinner, in order to beget divine love there : Which brings me to add.
Thirdly. God reveals his infinite glory in being w/iat he is in the hearts of sinners^ by his holy spirit., ..Mat. xi. 25,27. By his works and in his word he has revealed 7 chat he /.9, and that in a manner sufficicntiy plain — even so plainly that there is no need at all of any further objective revelation ; and he is really infinitely glorious in being what he is : Now, therefore, if we would rightly attend to that revelation which God has made of himself, we could not but have right apprehensions of him ; and if we had a good taste for true beauty, we could not but be rav- ished with his glory : but we are naturally disinclined to right apprehensions of God, and are entirely destitute of a true taste for moral beauty : And hence we may learn what kind of in- wai'd illumination we stand in need of from the spirit of God. We do not need the holy spirit to reveal any nrtU truths concern- ing God, not already revealed ; for the external revelation which he has made of himself, is sv£iciently full : — we do not need to have the holy spirit immediately reveal all these truths con- cerning God over again to us, by way of objective revelation^ or immediate inspiration ; because the external revelation already made is siifficiaitly plain : We only need (1) to be effectually awakened, to attend to those manifestations which he has made of himself in his works and v;ord, that we may see ivhat he is : And (2) to have a spiritual taste imparted to us, by the imme- diate influence of the Holy Ghost, that we may have a sense of
UlSTINGUISHtD FROM AM. COt'KTKRFKn S. 45
hi* infinite glon/ in being such : For these two will lay an effec- Uial fouiulation in our hearts for that love which the law re- quires. Bv the common inflcnccs ot the spirit, we may be awa- kened to a realizing sight and sense oiwiiat God is ; and, by the special and sanctifying inthiencesofthe spirit, we may receive a sense of his m'nn'w.c glortj in being such : And also the sense of his glorij will naturally cause us to see more clearly what (iod is : for a sense of the moral excellency of the divine nature fixes our thoughts on (iod ; and the more our thoughts are fixed, the more distinctly ^ve see what he is : And while we see him to be what he is, and see his infinite glory in being such, hereby a di- vine love is naturally enkindled in our hearts. And thus, He that commanded the light to shine out of darkness^ shines iii out- hearts^ and gives us the light of the knoxvledge of the glory of God : And so we all^ with open face, behold, as in a glass, the glon} of the Lord, and are changed into the same image... II Cor. iii. 1 8. and iv. 6. A sight of the moral excellency of the. di- vine nature makes (iod appear infinitely glorious in every res- pect. Those things in God, whicii before appeared exceeding dreadful, now appear unspeakably glorious : His sovereignty ap- pears glorious, because now we see he is fit to be a sovereign, and that it is fit and right he should do what he will with his own : His justice appears glorious, because now we see the in- finite evil of sin ; and a consideration of his infinite imdcrstand- ing and almight)' power enhances his glory : And while we view what he is, and see his greatness and glory, and consider his original, entire, underivcd riglit to all things, we begin to see why he assumes the character of most high God, supreme Lord, and sovereign Governor of the whole world ; and we resign the throne to him, and take our places, and become his willing sub- jects ; and our hearts are framed to love him, and fear him, and trust in him through Jesus Christ ; and we give up ourselves to him, to walk in all his ways and keep all his commands, seek- ing his glon- : And thus a sight ap.d sense ol the infinite digni- ty, greatness, glor\- and excellency of the most high God, lays the first foundation for a divine love. God's being what he is.
46 TR^E RELIGION DELINEATED, AND
is the primary reason that he requires us to love him tvith all our hearts ; and it is the first motive ol'a genuine love.
I might now pass on to consider the additional obligations we are under to love God ; but that it may be profitable to stop a while, and a little consider the nature and properties ofihls Jirst and greatest ixnd most fundamental obligation ; and take a view of some important consequences necessarily following therefx-om. And here,
1. This obligation is binding antecedently to any considera- tion of advantage or disadvantage — oirezvards or punishments ; and even prior to any consideration oithe positive will and latv of God himself.
2. It is infinitely binding.
3. It is eternally binding.
4. It is unchangeably binding.
5. It is that from which all o^Aer obligations originally derive their binding nature.
1. This obligation which we are under, to love God xvith all our hearts^ resulting from the infinite excellency of the divine nature, is binding antecedently to any consideration of advantage or disadvantage — ofrnvards or punishments^ or even of the pos- itive will and luxu of God himself . To love God with all our hearts natiu-allj' tends to make us happy ; and the contrary to make us miserable ; and there are glorious rewards promised on the one hand, and dreadful punishments threatened on die other ; and God, as Governor of the world, has, with all his au- thority, by his law, expressly required us to love him wldi all our hearts, and forbidden the contrary ; and all these things are binding ; but yet the infinite excellency of the divine nature lays us under bonds prior to any consideration of these things : So that if our interest did not at all lie at stake, imd iftliere had never been any express law in the case, yet it would be right, and ovn- indispensable duty, to love God with all our hearts. — His being infinitely lovely in himself, makes it our duty to love him J for he is, in himself, worthy of our highest esteem : Hf deserves it ; it is, in the nature of things, hia due : and that an-
ribTlNCUIBHKO FROM AIL COU.VTERftlTg. 47
tccedcnt to any selfish consideration, or anf express law in the case. To suppose the contraiT, i^ to deny the infinite aniiiible- ncss of the divine nature, and to takeaway the viry foundation of the law itself, and the very reason of all rewards and punish- ments : For if our supreme love is not due to God, then he is not infinitely lovely ; and if he does not deserve to be loved with idl our hearts, why does he require it ? And if, in the na- ture of things, it is not right and fit that we should love him, anil, tlie contrurv, unfit and wrong, what gi'ounds aix- there for rewards or punishments ? So that it is evident, the infinite ex- cellency of the divine nature binds us, and makes it our duty, antecedent to any consideration of advantage or disadvantage, rewards or punishments, or even of the positive will and law of God, to love God with all our heans ; and tlitrefore oiu" love must primarily take its rise from a sense of this infinitcexcel- lency of the divine nature, as has betn before obsei^ved j and diat seeming love, which arises merely from selfish considerations, from the fear of punishment or hope ofreward, or because the law requires it, and so it is a duty and must be done, is not gen- uine ; but is a selfish, a mercenary, and a forced thing. How . evidently, therefore, do those discover their hypocrisy, who at e wont to talk after the following manner : — " If I am elected, I *' shall be saved, let me do what I will ; and if I am not clect- "ed, I shall be damned, let me do what I can : and therefore it "is no matter how I live." And again after this sort...." If I " knew cciUiinly that God had made no promises tu the duties " of the unregenerate, as some pretend, I would never do any *' rhore in religion." Surelv, they had as good sav that th<y have no regard at all to the infinite excellency of the divine na- ture, but are entirely influenced by selfish and mercenary mo- tives in all thr\ do : Thev do not seem to understand that thiy are under iniinite obligations to love God with all dieir hearis, and obey him in ever)' diing, resulting from God's being wh;.t he is, and that antecedent to all selfish considerations ; — su: h know not (iocl....I. y c/i/z, iii. G.
H
4s TRUE RELIGION DELINEATED, AND
2. This obligation, resulting from the intrinsic excellency and amiableness of the divine nature, \s injinitely bifiding ; be- cause this excellency and amiableness is in itself infinite. Our obligation arises from his desert ; but he infinitely deserves our love, because he is infinitely lovely. When any person is love- ly and honorable, reason teaches us that we ought to love and honor him, and that it is wrong to dislike and despise him : And the more lovely and honorable, the greater is our obligation to love and honor him ; and the more aggravatedly vile is it to treat him with contempt. Since, therefore, God is a Being of infinite dignity, greatness, glory and excellency, hence we are under an infinite obligation to love him with all our hearts ; and it is infinitely wrong not to do so : Since he is infinitely worthy to be honored and obeyed by us, therefore we are under an in- finite obligation to honor and obey him j and that with all our heart and soul, and mind and strength. Hence,
[1.] Perfect love and perfect ohediovcc deserve no tlianks at his hands. If we perfecdy love him, even with all our hearts, and give up ourseh'^es entirely and foi-ever to him, to do his will and seek his glory, and so cordially delight in him as to take up our full and everlasting contentment in him ; }et, in all this, we do but our duty, and we do no more than what we ixre un- der an infinite obligation to do ; and, therefore, we deserve no thanks.... Z.wX'C xvii. 9, 10. — Yea, we do nothing but that in which consists our highest perfection, glory, and blessedness ; and, therefore, instead of descr\'ing thiuiks, we ought to ac- count it an exceeding great privilege that we mmj thus love the Lord, live to him, and live upon \<i\\x^.,.. Psalm xix. 10.
When, therefore, eternal life was promised in the first cove- nant as the reward of perfect obedience, it was not under the notionof any thing being W2t'r/7iY/; nor did it ever enter into the hearts of the angels in heaven to imagine they merited any thing by all their love and service ; for, from their very hearts, they all join to say, Worthxj art ihou^ 0 Lord^ to receive glorijy and honor ^ and praise forever. And they deserve no thanks for their doing so, for they but own the very truth.
lilbTlNUUIbllXlD tKOM ALL COUM LUrLll S. 4-9
When, therefore, sinful men, jx)or, helUdLscrving creatures, think it much that tliey should love and scr\c God so well, and tiike so great pains in religion ; andare ready to think that God and man ought highly to value them for tlieirso doing, and are always telling God and man how Mu;in y good thcv arc ; as he, Luic xviii. 11, 12. ...Got/, / tliunk llicv^ I am not as ot/irr tncn are^ extortioners^ unjust, tidultercrs^ or even as diis publican ;— no, far from this, I am one of the best men in all the world — / J'dst tiuice in the week....! give tijthes oj all that I possess. This appealed to him such a mighty thing, that he thought it quite worth while to tell God himself of it. Now, I say, when this is men's temper, it is a sign they neither know God, nor love him ; for, if die}- did, they coidd not set so high a price upon their duties, since he is so infinitely deserving : The ])lain truth is, such have intolerable mean^thoughts of God, and intolerable high thoughts of themselves — they are brim-full of spiritual pride and self-righteousness ; and such are exceedingly hatefiJ in the sight of God. They implicitly say that God is not inli- nitely glorious, and infinitely woithy of all love and lionor — he does not deserve it. ..it is not his due ; but rather he is behold- en to his creatures for it, and ought to render them many thiuika for their love and service. The language of their hearts is, God has so little loveliness that it is much to love kim : Like a bad mother-in-law, who thinks it notliiug to toil for her own children, because she lo\'es them ; but grudges every step she takes for the rest, and thinks every little a great deal, because she cares not for them : So, such men think it nothing to rise early and sit up late, to get the world. ...to get riches, honor and pleasure ; for they lo\ e themselves : but think it much to take the tenth part of the pains in religion ; because they love not God. Their whole frame of mind casts infinite contempt upon the glorious majesty of heaven, to whom all honor is in- finitely due, and in whose ser\'ice all the hosts of heaven ac- count themselves perfecdy blessed : I'hcy feel as if the)' de- served to bo paid for all.
50 TRUE RELIGION DELINEATED, AND
True, there are glorious rewards promised in the law and in the gospel : But why ? and upon what grounds ? A man may be said to be rewarded in three different senses. (1.) When he receives what he strictly deserves^ as im hireling rC' ceives his wages at night. But, in this sense, the angels in heav- en are not capable of a reward : for, in strict justice, they de- serve nothing.... Lt/zir xvii. 0, 10 — Rom. \'\. 35. They are no hirelings, for God has a nutuml, original, underivcd right to them, as much as he has to the sun, moon and stars ; and these, therefore, deserve to be paid for their shining, as much as the angels do for their working. Besides, if the angels do love God, it is no more than he infinitely deserves. And far- ther, the services of angels do not profit God, and so lay him under no obligations, any more than the birds profit the rising sun by their morning-songs, and so lay the sun under obliga- tions to shine all day. jfob xxii. 2, 3. ...Can a man be profitable unto God^ as he that is xuise may he profitable unto himself f Is it any pleasure to the Almighty^ that thou art righteous ? oris it gain to him^ that thou jnakest thy xuays perfect ? And yet, even in this gross sense, self-righteous persons feel, at heart, a» if they deserved a reward for their good duties; though per- haps they are not willing to own it. Hence, they are so apt to think it would be very hard, unjust and cruel, if God should damn them for tlieir past sins, notwithstanding all their good dulie-. Isa. Iviii. 3. ...Wherefore have we fasted, say they., and thou seest not ? But, (2.) A man may be said to be rewarded, when, although, in strict justice, he deserves nothing; yet he re- ceives great favors at the hands of God^ in testimony of the divine approbation of his person and services : And thus, the angels in heaven, though they deserve nothing, yet have eternal life bestowed upon them, as a reward to their perfect obedience, in testimony of the divine approbation. God rewards them, not because they do him any good, nor because they deserve any thingat his hands ; but because he infinitely loves righteottsncssy and to appear as an infinite frii nd to t/iis^ in his public conduct, iu moral Governor of the world. The most that can be said
UISTINOUlsntD FROM ALL COUNTERFEITS. Al
of the holkst anjjcl in hca\cn, is, that he is fit to l)e approved in the sight of Clod, because lie is perfectly suth as God i c- quiics him to be. And now, because God loves to put honor upon virtue, and to exercise the infinite bountilulness of his nature, tin vefoie he gives them the reward of eternal life. And thus God promises us tlenial lifi.', upon conditi(jn of per- fect obedience, in the first covenant: as if God had said, "If '' vou will love me with all your heart, and obey mc in every " thing, as you arc bound in iluty to do ; then, although you will " deserve nothing, yet, as becomes a holy and good God. ...a " kind and bountiful Govcrnc^r, I will make you everlastingly *' blessed in the enjoyment of myself ; and that in testimonv *' of my approbation of your perfect and steady fidelitw" And so, by covenant and promise, this reward would have been chtc^ hid the condition been performed. Hence, that in Rom. iv. 4 ....Xoiv to him that xvcrkcth^ is the reward not reckoned of rrrace^ but of Dr.Br. And now here self-righteous persons are wont to come in with their works, and insist upon their right, and plead the reason of things, as well as die promise. " If we do '' (say they) as well as we can, which is all that God does or " can in justice require of us, surely he will accept of us — it " would be cruel to cast us off — ^his goodness and faithfulness are ** engaged for us :" Just as if they had now made full amends for all their past sins, by their repentance and reformation ; and grr)wn to be as good as angels, by taking some htde pains in religion ! I'or the best angel in heaven does not pretend to any other tide to blessedness than diis ; nimely, that he has done as well as he can, and that diis is alUhatCiod has required, and aldiough he is an unprofitable servant, yet he depends upon the promise, the goodness and f^iidifulness of his bountiful Creator. Indeed, self-righteous persons may pretend to expect M for Christ''^ sake ; and say, that what they do, only entitles them to an interest in him ; but it i^ M mere pretence ; for still thev think that Ciod is bonnd to give them an interest in Christ and eternal life, if tiicij do as ~eeil as they can; and would think God dealt very hardly with them, if he did not : So that dieir
52 TRUE RELIGION DELINEATED, AND
real dependance, at bottom, is upon their own goodness, their own worth or worthiness, to make amends for past sins, and recommend them to God, and entide them to all things ; the infinite absurdity of which will be evident presendy. Again, (.3.) A man may be said to be rewarded, when he neither de- serves any thing, nor is it fitting that his person and conduct, considered mei-cly as they are in themselves^ should be approv- ed ; but ought to be condemned, according to reason, and ac- cording to God's righteous law, they being so sinfully defec- tive ; nevertheless, such a man may be said to be rewarded, when, merely on the account of his interest in the righteousness tLwd roorthlness of Christ, his person and performances are accepted, and peculiar favors shewn him. And in this way are believers accepted, according to the covenant of grace, and cntided to the reward of eternal life : Phil. iii. 8, 9 — Eph. i. 6 — I Pet. ii. 5. Now, those who look for a reward in this xvaify will be so far from thinking it much, which thev have done for God, that they will forever set all down for nothing, and worse than nothing,* their best duties being so sinfully defective ; and judge themselves worthy of hell every day, and every moment : And all their dependance will be on Christ's worthiness, and the free grace of God through him : Luke xviii. 13 — Rom. \\u 24. And all that is said in the New Testament about God*3 rewarding the believer's good works, being viewed in this light, gives not the least countenance to a self-righteous spirit, but
• Worse than nothing. ...tioTJi.. I do not mean, that an iinjicrfccr, and vcrj defective conformity to the hiw is worse, and more odious in God's sigiit, than no conformity at all ; but only, that there is more oc/imisness than amlablencfin in siicli defective services : and that, therefore, we are, in the f>\g\\X. of God, on their account, more ])ro|)<r objects of liatred aiul punish- ment, than of love and reward, if considered merely as in ourselves, with- out any respect to our relation to Ciirist ; so that, in point of recommend- ing ourselves to God, we do, by our best duties, thus considered, ra'her dis- commend ourselves in his sight. ...and, in this sense, they are worse than nothing : tliey are even so far from paying our constant dues, that, in the sight of God, they constantly run us into debt. We are infinitely to blame in our best frames and best duties, aiul have not any thing in them, which tends, in God's sight, in the least degree, to counterbalance om- blame. — But if any are desirous to see this ])oint fully explained and proved, and all objections answered, I refer them to Mr. iiVwun/i's excellent discours* •n juttijication by faith alone.
DISTINGUISHED FROM ALL COUNTERrElTS. 53
militates directly against it : And, indeed, if wc were as per- fect as the angels in heaven, it appears, iVom w hut has been said, tluvt we bhf)uld deserve no thanks. It is impudent, there- fore, and wicked — it is contemptuous — and, in a sort, blasphe- mous, and most Ciod-provokin{j, for a proud, conceited
Phtirisre^ to feci as he does in his self-righteous frames.
And Ciod might expostulate with such an one in this man- ner : ** What, is there so little lovelines in me ? And is it so *' great, so hard, so self-denying, to love me, that you think it "such a mi^htij thing ! and expect now, diat all past sins shall *' lie forgiven, and my favor secured, for Uiis good frame ! yea, *' and that I shiJl gi\e you heaven into the bargain ? What, are ")our obligations to me so small, tliat I must be so much be- ^'holdcn to you for your love ? What, did you never hear that I " was tlie Lord ! and tliat it was I that stretched abroad the heav- "ens ! and that )ou are my cla}-, whom I formed and fashion- *'ed for myself? — Begone, thou impudent wretch, to hell, thy " projxr place : thou art a despiser of my glorious majest\', " and your frame of spirit savors of blasphemy : Know it, I am " not so mean its ) ou imagine, nor at all beholden to )ou for " your lo\ e." And Uiis is one reason that the sacrijicc of the xvkki-d is such an abomination to the Lord ; not only when they pray wiUiaview to recommend themselves to their fellow-men, but also when, in doing their best, they only design to ingratiate themselves with God. Prov. xxi. 27....'I7ie sacrifice of the xoickcd is abomination (even his very best) : how much more when he bringeth it with a wicked mind ? The intinitc great- ness, glory and excellency of (Jod, and the infinite obligation thence resulting which we are under to lo\-e him with all our hearts, and obey him ia eveiy thing, renders a self-righteous spirit unspeakably odious, and infinitely provoking in the eyes of a holy God. But this will appear still plainer under the next particular. i'o proceed, therefore,
[2.] If we are uruler an infinite obligation to love God su- premely, live to him ultimately, and take everlasting delight in him, because of his infinite gloiy and excellency, then the least
54 IKUi: RLLIGION DLLlM.All.D, AMj
disposition to discstecm him. ...to be intlificrcnt about his inter- est and honor, or to disrelish communion with him ; or thelt-cut d'n^p'j-'^iticn to love ourselves more than God, and be more con- cerned about our interest and honor than about his, and to be pleased and delighted in the things of the world, more than in him, HH/iY, consequently, be 'mfuiitchi sinful^* as is self-evident.
When, therefore, the great Governor of the world threatens eternal damnation for the least sin, (as in Gal. iii. 10.) he does the thing that is perfectly riglit ; for an infinite evil deserves an infmitc punishment.
Hence, also, it is no wonder that the holiest saint on earth mourns so bitterly, and loaths and abhors himself so exceeding- ly for the remaining corruptions of his heart ; for, if the least dis- position to depart from God and disrelish communion with him, and to be careless about his honor and interest, is infinitely sin- ful, then the best men that ever lived have infinite reason al- ways to lie as in the dust, and have their hearts broken. Al- though it be so with them, that all which the world calls good and great, appears as dross to them ; and it is nodiing to them to part with friends and estate, honor and ease, and all, for Christ ; and although they have actually suifered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, not worth mourning about, or repining after ; yet, notwithstanding all these attainments, attended with the fullest assurance of et>.rnal glory in the world to come, they have infinite reason to do as they do.. ..to dislike themselves....to hate themselves, and lie down in the dust all in /mr*, because still there is such a remaining disposition in their hearts to disestcem the Lord of glory.. ..to neglect his interest, and depart from him ; and because they are so i'ar from being what they ought to be, notwithstanding the obligations 1\ ing np-
* The least sia may be an infniitc evil, because of the infinite obligation we arc under to do o'licrw ire, and yet all sins not bi- equally lu-inous : lor thire i^ as great a diftV rcncc ainonf^ infinites, as a)non>^ finites ; 1 mea)i, aiiicn^T things that are inliniic «<nly in one rcsjject : i'or instance, to he for fver in hell is an intiniie evil, in re^pec' <•! ihe duia'.ion ; but yci the damned arc not all equally miserablf. Some may be :'.n hundred times a^ iiiiscrable ai. Oihei-s, in decree ; altUouj^h the ntikciy nl:' <ill is(;qiJ<tl in jioiti' of duration.
DISTINOUIBHED IROM AM. COUNTERFEITS. 55
•n them are infinite. Oh ! this is infinitely vile and abon\ina- blc, :uk1 they huve reason indeed, therefore, alw avs to loathe and abhor themselves, and repent in dust and ashes ; yea, they are infinitely to blame for not being more Immblc and penitent.— A sight and sense of these things made Job lie down in the dust and mourn so bitterly for his impatience under his past afHic- tions, though he had been the most patient man in the world...,
yob xlii. 5, 6. This made the psalmist call himself a Least
Psalm Ixxiii. 22. And hence, Paul called himself the chitf of sinners^ and cried out, / am carnal^ sold tuult-r sin ; 0 wretched man that Jam J And hated to commend himself when the Co- rinthians drove him to it, and seemed to blush at every sentence, and, in a sort, recalled his words — I am 7iot a whit behind the
very chief of the apostles, tjet I am nothing / labored more
abundanthj than they all, yet not L Such a sight of things kills a self-righteous spirit at root, in the most exalted saint ; for he has nothing (all things considered) to make a righteousness of, but, in strict justice, merits etenial damnation ever)' hour, and does nothing to make the least amends.
For, if perfect obedience merits no thanks, as was before ob- served ; and if the least sin is an infinite evil, and deser\es an infinite punishment, as wc have now seen, then a whole eterni- ty of perfect obedience would do just nothing towards m:iking the least amends for the smallest sin J much less will the best senices of the highest saint on earth : And, consequently, when Paul came to die, he deserved to be damned (considered mere- Iv as in himself), as much as when he was a bloody persecutor, breaUiing out threatenings and slaugiiter ; yea, and a great deal more too : for all his diligence and zeal in the service of Christ did just nothing towards making the least amends for what was past ; and his daily short-comings and sinful defects run him daily inlinitely more and more into debt, which he did nothing to counterbalance : And hence, Paul accounts himself to be nothing (U Cor. xii. 11.), as well he might ; and all his attain- ments to be, in a sense, not worth remembering (/7j/7. iii. 13.) and looks upon himself the chief of sinners (I Tim.i, 15.), and
56 TRUE RELIGION DELINEATED, AND
/ess than the ieast of all saints (Eph. iii. 8.), and durst venture his soul upon nothingbut mere tree grace through JesusChrist.... Fhll. iii. 8, 9. And thus it is with every beHcver, even the most holy, ahhough he daily sees what a God he has sinned against — how he has sinned against him, and does, from a gra- cious respect to God, mourn for sin, for all sin, a§ the greatest evil, and sincerely turns from all to the Lord, and gives up him- self to God, to love him and live to him forever ; yet he feels that all this makes Tio amends at all for his sins^ but that he real- ly deserves to be damned for them as much as ever j yea, he feels that he is infinitely blame-worthy for not being more hum- ble and penitent and self-abhorring, and that his desert of damnation is infinitely increasing continually : And hence, he looks upon the grace that saves him as absolutely and divinely free, and infinitely great ; and always derives all his hopes of happiness from the free grace of God through Jesus Christ. — And this is what the apostle means when he speaks of his living bij the faith of the son of God..,. Ga\, ii. 20... .of his rejoicing in Christ Jesus^ and having no confidence in thcflesh...^V\\\\. iii. 3, And this was the cause of his so earnestly longing to ha found not in himself, but in Christ. ...not having on his avn rigliteous- 7tess., but the righteousness which is of God by fiith... .Vhil. iii. 8, 9. How directly contrary to all this is the temper of the blind, con- ceited Ph:n-isee, as expressed by Maimonidcs, the Jew, who w as professedly one of that sect ? " Every man," says he, " hath *' his sins, and every man his merits : and he that hath more *' merits than sins, is a just man ; but he that hath more sins *' than merits, is a wicked man." And this is the way of such men — they put their sins, as it were, into one scale, and their good duties into the other ; and when they fimcy their goodness outweighs their badness, then they look upon themselves in the favor of ( jod. But to return.
From what has been said, we may learn, that the viorc scnsi- hie anv man is of die infinite glor)' and excellency of God, and of his infinite obligations thence resulting to lo\ e God with all his heart, and obey liiin in every tiling, the clearer will he see
DISTINGUISHED FROM ALL COUNTERFEITS. 57
that perfect obedience deserves no thanks, and that the least sin is an infinite evil and dcscncs an iniiniic punishnjent ; and so he will renounce his own righteousness, die to himself, and come down to nothing, more and more ; and so wUl bcpropor- tionably more and more sensible of his absolute need of Christ and free gi-ace : And hcnci-, ll\e more holy a man grows, the more humble will he be. And, on the contrar)', the more Insen- sible a man is of God's infinite glory and excellency, and of his obligations, thence resulting, the more will he value his duti»'s, and the less evil will he sec in sin, and the less sensible will he be of his ill desert, and of his need of Christ and free grace^ — And hence, a self-righteous, impenitent, Christ-despising spir- it reigns in all who knorv not God ; And thus, we see sorvie ol the consequences necessarily following from that infinite obligation to love God with all our hearts which we are under, resulting Ij-om the infinite glor}- and excellency of the divine nature.-— But to pass on,
3. This obligation we are under to love God with all our hearts, arising from his infinite glory and excellency, is, in the nature of things, eternally binding. God, his being, perfections, and glory will be eternal ; God will always be infinitely amia- ble— always as amiable as he is now j and there will be always, therefore, the scnnc reason that he should be loved, for being w.iiat he is ; even the very same reason that there is now : This .obligation is therefore perpetually binding amidst all the chan- ges of this life. Whether we are sick or well, in prosperity or in adversitv ; whether we are raised to honor with DiA'id, or live in affluence with Solomon ; or whether we are in prison wiUi Xo^i^ph, or on the dung-hill with Job, or wandering about in sheep-skins and goat-skins, destitute, aiHicted, tormented, with those mentioned in the eleventh to tlie Hebrexcsy still this obligation upon \is to love God, is inviu^iably the same : l*'or Ciod is always infinitely anuable in himself; yea, and always will l)e so, whether we arc in the earth, or in heaven, or in hell : And therefore it alwa\s is, and alwa} s will be, our indl.-pensible dut\- to love him widi all our hearts, let what will become of us,
58 TRUE RELIGIOK DELINEATED, AND
and let our circumstances, as to happiness and misery, be what they may.
Did our obligations to love God arise merely from a consid- eration oi something else besides the eternal excellency oi xht di- vine nature — from something \<'hich might altogether cease in time, then miglit it possibly, some time or other, ceo^f to be our duty to love God with all our hearts : But assuredly it can never cease^ until God ceases to be what he is. The infinite ob- ligation hence arising will be eternally binding : Indeed, if all our obligations to love God did arise merely from selfish con- siderations, then, in hell, where these selfish considerations will cease, it would cease to be a duty to love God. If I were obli- ged to love God, only because he loves me — is kind to me, and designs to make me happy, then, when he ceases to love me, to be kind to me, and to intend my happiness, all my obliga- tions to him would cease ; and it would be no sin not to lovd him : But now, since our obligations to love God arise original- ly from his being what he is in himself, antecedent to all selfish considerations ; therefore it will forever remain our duty to love him, let our circumstances, as to happiness or misery, be what they will : And not to love him with all our hearts, will forever be infinitely wrong. Hence the guilt of the fallen an- gels has been increasing ever since their first apostacy ; and the guilt of all the damned will be increasing to all eternity ; and no doubt their punishment will increase in the same propor- tion. How inconceivably and infinitely dreadful, therefore, will be their case, who are thus continually sinking deeper and deeper in that bottomless pit of woe and misery ! And indeed, if this be the case, hell may well be compared, as it is in scrip- ture, to a hottojiilrss pit....l{(:\'. ix. 1. & xx. I.
4. This obligation whicli we are under to love God with all our hearts, resulting from the infinite excellency of the divine nature, is also unchangeably binding. As unchangeable as the divine nature is — as unalterable as the divine beauty is, even so unchangeable, so unalterable, in the very nature of things, is this our infinite obligation to love him supremely, live to liiiiji
DISTINGUISHED fROM ALL COUSTFRFEITS. 59
ultimately, and delight in him superlatively. As God is infi- nitely lovely in himself, and unchangeably so, so it is self-evi- dent we are under an infinite and invariable obligation to love him with all our hearts. This cannot but be always our duty. So long as (iod rema'uis what he is, this Mill remain our dutv. It will, in the nature of things, be unalterably right and fit to love him ; and not to do so, unalterably unfit and wrong. Our sinking down into ever so bad a temper, and getting to be ever so remote from a disposition to love him, can no more free us from the oblig-.uion, than it can cause hiiu to cease being ami- able. He must cea.se to be amiable, before our obligation thence arising can possiblv cease to be binding. If there be no alteration in his infinite beauty, there can possibly be no al- teration in the infinite obligation thence arising. While God remains what he is, and while our natural powers and faculties are maintained in being, it must continue our duty to love God witli all our hearts, and it cannot but be our dutv. In the na- ture of things it is right ; and the obligation is just as incapable of any alteration, as is the equality between twice two and four. The fallen imgels are of so bad a temper, that the verv thoughts of God will, doubdess, sooner than anv diing, stir up all their hatred : But God desei-ves to be perfectly loved by them, as much as he did before dieir apostacy. Tliere is a great altera- tion in the temper of their minds ; but not the least shadow of change in the divine beauty. Their having contracted so bad and wicked a temper, cannot surely make it right and lawful for them to indulge it, and continue in it. Their impious re- volt surely cannot free them from the audiority and government of Almighty God. He deserves their homage and subjection, as much as ever he did : The original ground of all still re- mains J he is still the Lord. The same may be said of fallen man — it is impossible that our bad temper should fi-ee us from our obhgation to love God with all our hearts. It is still, in the natLue of things, as wrong, not to love God with all our hearts, as ever it was, or as it would have been, had we not joined with the fallen angels, and turned apostates. It must
60 TRUE RELIGION DELINEATED, AND
be SO, unless our being of so bad and wicked a temper makes it right for us to continue of such a temper, and we not at all blame-worthy for acting agreeabl)' thereto ; that is, unless our being so very bad and wicked, makes us not at all to blame for our badness and wickedness : And so, according to this rule, the viler any creature grows, and the more averse to God and to all good, the less he is to blame ; which is one of the gros- sest absurdities in the world. Therefore,
(1.) The divine laxv which requires us to love God rvith all our hearts, considered as a rule of dut if ^ is, in the nature of thirigSy unalterable^ and absolutely incapable of any abatement^ more or less. The thing required, ijs, in the nature of things, our duty, antecedent to any consideration of an express law in the case — as that children ought to honor their parents, and neiglibors do as they would be done by, are things in themselves right, and duties antecedent to any consideration of an express law in the c?Lse,,..Eph. vi. 1. These things would have been duties, if there had never been any laws made concerning them, by God or man : Yea, they are, in their own nature, so right, that they cannot but be our duty ; luid to dishonor our parents, and cheat, and defraud, and injure our neighbor, cannot but be wrong : So, to love God with all our hearts is originally right and fit, and our duty ; and would have been so, had there ne- ver have been any positive, express law in the case.
Now the grand reason why God, the great Governor of the world, ever made a law requiring us to love him with all our hearts, was because it was thus, in its own nature, so infinitely fit : And now to suppose that he would repeal, or alter, or abate this law,when the grounds and reasons of his first making of it re- main as forccable as ever — when the thing required is as right and fit as ever — and when it becomes him, as Ciovernor of the world, still to require it as much as ever ; — I say, to suppose such a thing, casts the highest reproach upon all his glorious perfections : It casts the higlicst reflection upon his infinite ho- liness^ whereby he is infinitely inclined to love right and hate wrong ; for it supposes him to release his creatures from doing
DISTINGUISHED FROM ALL COUNTERFEITS. 61
right, and to allow them to do wrong.. ..a little at least : It casts the highest reflection vipon his impartial ju.-JiLi\ whereby he is infiniteiy incliRcd to give ever)" one his due ; for it supposes him to release his creatures from giving unto God the glory which is his due, and to allow them to keep back part at least : It cast* the highest reflection upon his stabilUij and truth ; fur it suppo- ses him to alter his law when there is no reason for it: yea, it reflects even upon \\\% goodness itself; for it is so far from bc- ii^ a benefit to his creatures to have this excellent l.aw altered, which is- so completeh- suited to the perfection and happiness of their nature, that it would be one of the greatest and sorest calamities which could happen. Like the altering all the good laws and rules in a family, merely to humor and gratifv a re- bellious child, who will not be governed. Such a child should be made to conform to the wholesome hnvs of the familj-, and not the laws be abated and brought down to a level with his bad temper and })cr\'erse humor : And, finallv, it casts the highest reflection upon the infinite ivisclotn of die great Governor of the world 4 for it supposes him to go counter to his own honor and to the good of his creatures, to counteract all his perfections, aud contradict the reason and nature of things ; and that mere- Iv in condescension unto, and in compliance with die sinful, cor- ru[)t taste and inclinations of an apostate, rebellious, God-ha- ting world.
And now, how could the great Governor of the world clear and vindicate the honor of his great name, in making any abate- ments in this law, which requires us to love him with all our l»earts ? Would he say diat he had before required more love than -ra-s his due ? Surely, nothing can be much more blasphemous than to suppose this. ^V'ould he say Uiat he does not deserve sa much as he did P Still it is equally blasphemous to suppose thii. ^V'ould he say that less than is his due is i^LL that is his due ? But this would be to contradict himself in express terms. Or would he openly profess to quit his riglU and freely allow his creatures to despise him a little, and sin sometimes, in conde- scension unto and compliance wiili the corrupt inclinations of
6S TRUE RELIGION DELINEATED, AND
their sinful hearts ? But this, in the nature of things, would be infinitely wrong and dishonorable. Upon what grounds, then, could the supreme Governor of the world go about to make abatements in a law so holy, just and good, that only requires us to love him with all our hearts, which, in the nature of things, is so infinitely right and suitable ? Or upon what grounds can we possibly desije any abatements to be made, unless we even profess that we do not like the law.. ..that we are averse to lov- ing God with all our hearts.. ..that it is a very tedious, self-de- nying thing to us, and what we can by no means freely come in- to ; and so, upon this footing, desire some abatements ! Or, which is the same thing, honestly own " that we love sin so "dearly that God must tolerate us in it, or we cannot approve *'^ of his government."
But, indeed, God can as easil}'' cease to be, as go about to li- cense and tolerate the least sin ; and he had rather Heaven and earth should pass aivoi/^ than that the least jot or ihtlc of his law should faiL..M^t. v. 18.
How can any body, therefore, once imagine that Christ came down from heaven and died, to purchase this abatement of the law of God, arid procure this lawless liberty for his rebellious subjects ? What ! did he desert his Father's interest and honor, and the honoi- of his law and government, and spill his precious blood, that he might pcrsviade the great Governor of ihe world to slacken the reins of government, and give out this impious li- cense to iniquity ? — Surely to suppose this, is to make Clirista friend to sin, and an enemy to God.
What, then, do tht'{/ mean, who, in their pravers, presume to thank God for the gracious abatements which he Ikis made in his law ? And what do ministers mean by telling their people, from the pulpit, that the law is al^ated, and that sincere obedience is ALL that is now required of us ? — Indeed, if poor secure sin- ners are made to believe that this was the great business Christ came into the world upon, no wonder if their impious hearts are pleased, and if they seem to love Christ, and prize the gos- pel, and give thanks to God for this great goodness and condc-
DISTINGUISHED FROM ALL COUNTERFEITS. AS
accnsion ; for hercbj- ihey arc delivered from that strictness in religion which they hale, and a wide door is opened for them to sin wiUiout hlamc : Yea, they have the comfort to Uiink that it is no xin not to love God with all their heart, with all their soul, and with all their strength ; And, gcnerallv, a verv little matter of religion, they Uiink, will serve. And now it's good times, and they bless themselves. But, alas ! They ftec/ upon the wind : A dectived heart hath turned tliem aside.
But, by the way, to what purpose was it for Christ to die to purchase this abatement ? What need was there of it ? Or what good could it do ? For, if the law reallij required too muchy the Governor of the world was obliged, injustice, to make some abatements : And so, the death of Christ in the case was per- fectly needless. And if the law required but just enough^ the Governor of the world could not, in justice, make any abate- ments : And so Christ must have died in vain, and totally lost his end.
But, indeed, Christ never came into the world upon this de- sign ; as he expressly declares, in Mat. v. IT, \S.. ..Think not that I come to deatroij the Itnv or the prophets : J am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto ijou, till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the laxu, till all be fulfilled. And this is die very thing he con- demns die Pharisees for, through all this chapter, that they, in effect, taught this doctrine, that the law was abated : that they taught, that although die law did forbid some external and more gross acts of sin, yet it did not the lirst stiiring of cornip- tion at heart, and some lesser iniquities : For instance, that " they must not commit murder ; but that it was no harm to be " angry without cause, and speak reproachfully, and keep a sc- ** cret grudge at heart.... (trrw 21 — 2G.) That they must not " commit adultery ; but that it was no harm to have secret las- ** civious thoughts.... (ufz-ic 27 — 30.) That diey must not be " guilty oiperjury ; but that there was no harm in little petty " oaths in common conversation.... (ucr^f 33 — 3".) That they " must not hate their friends ; but there was no harm in hating
K
64 TRUE RELIGION DELINEATED, AND
" their enemies ;" (verse 43 — 47.) These, and such like al- lowances, iliey taught, were made m the law ; and so, that such things were not sinful. But our Savior condemns their doc- trine, as fake and damning ; and insists upon it, that the law is not abated, xuid never shall be ; but says, it still requires us to be perfiXtyUS our /wovenl/j Father is pcrfect....(\-evsc Ar8.) and declares, that if our righteousness exceedctlinctthe righteoicsness of the scribes and Pharisees^ (who were so mudi for abating the law) xve shall never enter iiito the kingdom of heaven. ..{ycrso. 20.) &ofar was our blessed Savior from any design to abate the ho- ly law of God, or lessen our obligations to a perfect conformity to it : And indeed, if Christ had died, and should die a thou- sand times, to purchase an abatement of the law, (if it be law- ful to make such a supposition) it would be to no purpose ; for it cannot be abated, unless God ceases to be what he is : For so long as God is infinitely lovely, we shall iiecessarily be under an infinite obligation to love him with a// our heart, and with all our strength ; and it will necessarily be infinitely wrong not to do so. The truth is, that God's sending his Son into the world to die for the redcmpiion of sinners, instead of freeing us from our origin;il natural oblig-ations to keep the law, binds us more strcH^gly so to do ; as we shall afterwards see. Psalm cxix. 160,... Thij xvord is true from the beginning : And every one of thy righteous jiu/gments endureth forever : (Vcr. 128.) I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be righJ. (Ver. 144.) The righteousness of thy testimonies is ev- erlasting. (Ver. 152.) Thou has founded them forever . And therefore (vcr. 160,^ Every one of them will endure forever ,• as if the Psalmist had said, " The thing rc([uired in ihy law *' is, in its own natiu-e, right, everlastingly right ; and, there- *' fore, as Governor of the woild, thou hast l)y law forever set- " tied and cstabliohed it its duty — by a law never to be altered, *' but to eiidure forever : And forever, therefore, will it cn- " dure."
Ohj. Put is it fair and just fr God to require more of his creatures than they can do ?
niSTINGUISHEn FROM ALL COUNTERTEITS. 65
A\s. What ai-c we come to, ii> this apofitatc world, that we cannot sec it to be just and fair, inthj j;;TeatCk>vcmor of heav- tn and earth, the infmitoly glorious Cicd, to require us, as his creatures, so much as to love him, w'uh a// our hearts ? What ! Is this too much ? Is this more than he deser\es from us ? Or do'js the truth lie hcrc.^lhat we hate him so, tliat we cannot fmd it in ousiicarts lolove him ; and therefore cr}-, " He must " not insist upon it ; or, if he does, he deals unjustly, and is " verv hard with us J" But is not this the veiy thing those cill- v/jus did, who hated their Prince, and sent after iiim, saying, M'f win not have thin man to rei^n over us ?*.... Luke xix. 14. These hints maj- serve as an answer for the present : But of this more hereafter.
But while i,onu- are pleadings t-J^t Christ died to purchase an abatement of the law, others carry die point still further, and saif that Christ died entirely to dhninnul it ; and tlwt now it xvholly ceases to be a rule of life to believers : whenas one gieat and declared design of Christ's coming into the \vorld was to recover his people to a conformity thereto : (^l^it. ii. 11, 12, 13.) Oh how men love their corruptions, and Irate God and his hol\' law, and long to have it cashiered and removed out of the world, that so they may live as tiiey list, and \et escape the reproaches of their consciences here, and eternal punish- ment hereafter ! But God sitteth King forever, and will assert the rights of his crown, and maintain the honor of his majestv , and the glor)- of his great name, and vindicate his injured law ; although it be in the eternal damnation of millions of his re- bellious subjects ; Luke xix. 27.... Rut those rmneenemies^ivhi'h leould not that I afi-yuld reign over them, bring hither, and vhi/ them before me. And here, I)\- the wnw, we mav see what aii aversion men have to right thoughts of God and divine things ; and may be convinced of the absolute necessits' of a superna- tural, all-ccM^qucring light, to remove these prejudices, and make men see ami believe the truth, and love, and cordially cm- brace it. {jfohn viii. 47 — I Cor. ii. ! k) A holv God does not appear inlinitely glorious and amiable to an unholy heart ; and
66 XRUE RELIGION DELINEATED, AND
sinners, not seeing the grounds of loving God with all their hearts, do not see the reason of the law ; they do not see how ha/i/fjust^ and ^oo</ the law is, and the carnal mind htyn^ enmity against God^ is, at the same time, enmity against the /aw, which is a transcript of the divine nature.. ..(/?owz. viii. 7.) And hence, sinners do not love to believe either God or his law to be what they really are : And this temper makes them blind to what the scripture says, and leads them to frame a false image of God, and entertain false notions of his law, that they may have a God and a law both to their own minds.
And now, as are men's notions of the lazv^ such are their notions of r<'//^/(37i ; the essence of which principally consists in a conformity to the law.
Hence, here is one ; he pleads- for great abatements in the law, and he contents himself with the mere form of religion. He is not unjust, nor an extortioner, nor an adulterer ; but much better than some of his neighbors : He prays in his fam- ily, goes to public worship, and attends the Sacrament, and thinks himself a very good man ; like him in Luke xviii. 9, 10, &c. But as for the doctrines relating to our natitral depravity ^ regeneration^ conversion, faith, communion with God, and all the inside of religion, he understands nothing about them ; they seem as strange as it did to Nicodemus to hear Christ discourse about the nexv birth.... yohn'in. And all the talk about the i?!- rvard influences of the holy spirit, in awakening, convincing, humbling, and converting a sinner, and in enlightening, teach- ing, quickening, comforting, and sanctifying a believer, is quite unintelligible ; for these things do not come into his notions of religion. According to his opinion, the law is brought down so low, that it is an easy thing to become a good man : The change is but small, and there is scarce any need of the spirit's help ; much less any room for the exercise of sovereign grace ; for he is so good-natured, that he can become good of his own free will, (i. c. according to his notions of goodness,) and do that wlii':h shall clTectually entitle him to the promises : And thus he has the staff in his own hand. And now here is a
DISTINGUISHED FROM ALL COUNTERFEITS. 6f
charming religion, perfectly suited to the taste of an apostnte world ; for it is calculatt-cl to (iviict the conscience, while the heart lies out estranged from God, and dead in sin.../v'(5m.vii.8,9. Especially, so much of it as is for their credit, and apparently serves their worldly interest, will pretty readily and heartily be fallen in with ; and the best have their failings. ...no man is per- J'tct.. ..'Mid J endeavor to be sincere. ...-and the best have their
chuSts assurance is not to be attained., and such-like pleas,
help to keep their consciences secure. And now,0 how they love those ministers, that cry, peace., peace I but hate those that would search things to the bottom, and sound an, alarm to se- cure sinners, and deluded hypocrites. The same temper that makes them hate God and his law, makes them hate his min- isters too : And they are for another kind of God, and for another kind of law — another kind of religion, and another kind of ministers, that they may have all to their mind. And, when all is done, they are confident they are now in the right, because they are suited : They love to have it so, and there- fore firmly believe it is so.
Hence, again, here is another., who has been mightilv terri- fied, and in great distress, under a sense of the wrath of God and the dreadfulness of dain nation ; but, in the distressing hour, he has had it revealed to him (by the spirit of God, he thinks) tliat his sins arc forgiven ; and now he is sure of heaven, and is ravished at the thoughts of eternal glory : he holds it a great siti to doubt ; and all his religion consists in fniih and joy, /. e. in believing that his sins are forgiven, and rejoicing in his bles- sed and happy and safe estate, and in the expectation of future glory : But as for a real conlormit)' to the law., it makes up no part of his religion. He understands rightly nothing what the law requires.. ..he Is neitiier sensible of his duty to God, or to his fellow-men ; yea, he hates to he;ir any thing about /^r?f or aj/- tif : It is all legal., he cries, ami tends to kill rel/g/on^and toiuouud iveak christians., and grieve and drive axvay the spirit of grace ; and no prcachingsuits his taste, but what consists in telling over and commending such experiences as his, and in setting forth
68 TRUE RELIGION DELINEATED, AND
the love of God and Christ to such, and calling upon such to believe and rejoice, and never doubt their state again : Aixl, in general, those things which tend to strengthen his confidence and increase his joy, he esteems right and good ; and all things of a contrary tendency he esteems %vrong and had. This seems to be his only criterion of right and wrong, and the only rule he makes use of in drawing up a judgment j but as for the /aw, it is of no use with him. There is doubtless many a man that feels and act<3 and lives as if the law was abated, who yet will not plead lor that doctrine : So, doubtless, there is many a man that feels and acts and lives as if the law wholly ceased to be a rule of life, who yet will not venture to say so. The force of education, and their worldly interest and credit keep men ma- ny times from shewing what they are by an open profession : however, secretly this temper reigns within them ; yea, some- times it breaks out into open light, in their visible conduct. — » But, as strange as it may seem, there are multitudes that not on- Iv have the root of these things in their hearts, but really believe them and openly profess and plead for them. Hence it is, on the one hand, that the Arminian^ Ncononiian^ and Pdagiam er- rors have taken their rise*, and the Antinomian on the other. — Wrong notions of God lie at the bottom ; and then wrong no- tions of the law ; and then wrong notions of religion in general : and all originally proceed and grow up out of the wrong tem- per of men's minds ; for all unregenerate men would fain have a God^ and a /an;, and a religionto suit the temper of their hearts. Micali iv. 5... .For all people xuill walk cvenj one in the name of his G'jcL
In the mean time, tlie truly godly man, whoseesthat the oh- nidation which he is under, to love (iod with all his heart, re- sulting' from the excellency of the divine nature, is unelmngca- hle^ and that the law which retjuires this is unalterable^ in- stead of going about to contrive a religion that may suit the na- tural temper of liis heart, is convinced that the temper of his heart is the very thiiig tiiat must be changed : He is convinced of his infinite obligation to be altogellier such as the law requires
Di6TlNOUlbi1J:.rj tKOM ALL cOUNTtCKf £11 S. bV
him to be, and that he isiiifiniiely blamtahlc for the least defect. Hence, those words. The laiu h /loh/^Jiist^ aiui ^'■ooil....the luiu is spiritual ; but I am cariutly sold inuUr tin : 0 ivi ctcht'd man that J am ! do exactly express the thoughts of die most exalted Sainton e;uth ; ) ea,evcu of die great Saint Paul liiin«t If.... ;"«?(?;«. vii. 12, 14, 24. Indeerl, had St. Paul thought that the law was wholly disannidkd, or much abated, he might then have ima- gined diathe was so good as to be quite free from sin, or jiret- ty near being so, and been ready to speak the language of die Pharisee — God, J thank thci\ I am not as other mm. But now, notwithstanding all his high and wonderful attainments, yet, when he considered what the Uuv was which he was under, aiKl how very far he was from being exactly w hat that requiied, the native language of his humble heart is, lam carnal^ sold under sin ! Oivretihcd man tluit lam!* And now the Apostle,from a sense of his infinite obligations to be what the law requires, and of his great distimce from &\?,^forgfts the things rvhich are behind ; and he rw/w....he wrestles.. .. he Jights... .he strives.. .h^ keeps under his body. ...he Uiys aside every xveight ; in short, he appc-iOTi like a man in a perfect agony ; so great tvas his sense of duty y arul so much had he to do : And, at the same time, from a sense of his impotcncy and of his unworduness....of his need of the redeemer and the sanctificr, it is his maxim to pray al- iL'aySy and to ask all Uiings in the name of Christ. Now, in his example we have the temper which prevails more or less in ev- ery godl)' man exact:)- painted : And thus we have had pictured, in miniature, three different sorts of religion, arising from three ditVerent nations of the lav,-. 'I hey;/T///rf is begun ; and, in the sequel, I purpose to paint all three as njar to tlie life as I can, that we may see what they are, and wherein they differ ; w hich
• Some have thought that St. Pnv.l haJ arrived soDif.h to perfection, that he could not speak these words of bimsrlf. Their n:is:a!'.e set-ms to aris? from their wronjj no'ionsof the Lav, to which St. /'au/ciiiparcd himself, and according to which he drew up hi» judgment. And iV'-m the "an^i source it seems to be, that they can thinii those v/ords, {'•.•er.'2.2,') apflical.l* to the unrcgcnera:e.../i/f//^i< in the lav: ij God after the ih-uafd num. \N l.eti, in truth, the unrc;jcneratc are, in their temper, dinmetricail'. opposite to tKc law....i?ojn. viii. 7-
70 TRUE RLLICION DKLINK ATKD, AND
is right, and which is wrong. — But so much for the first infer- ence, that the latv^ as a ridtofdutij^ cannot be repealed or abated. And now to proceed,
2. From what has been said, it is evident that the laxv^ in its threatenlngs of eternal damnation for the least sin^ is eqiiallij in- capable of a7iy repeal or abatement : for if our obligation to love God with all our hearts and obey him in every thing, resulting from the divine perfections, is infinite, eternal, and unchangea- ble ; and if, therefore, the least sin necessarily be infinitely evil, and dtsersing of an infinite punishment, and unalterably so, then the law, considered as threatening eternal damnation for the least sin, is, in its own nature, unalterably holy and just ; and conse- quently it cannot be repealed, consistently with the holiness, jus- tice, and honor of the great Governor of the world. If the Gov- ernor of the world had, in a mere arbitrary manner^ made a law that sin should be punished with eternaldamnation,thenhe might, in a mere arbitrary maJiner^ have repealed it : but since, in the nature of things, ^Msf/ce called for it, that such a law should be made, therefore, so long as the grounds and reasons of the law remain, the law cannot, in justice^ be repealed.
None cun deny but that the great Governor of the world has actually made a law that sin shall be punished with eternal dam- nation ; and none can deny but that this law is to be put in ex- ecution, to the full, at and after the great judgment-day ; But lijuMticehad not called for it, surely the i?ifinitely good Goy0^or of the world would never have made such a law, much less would he ever put it in execution : for, to-lnake and <^^^iNH^ such a law, in a merely arbitrary, sovereign manner, when, m the nature of things, jiwf/ce docs not call for it, would be infinite- ly cruel and t} rannical, and perfectly inconsistent with the di- vine pcrrccticns, as is self-evident.. ..Sec Genesis xviii. 25. and Eze/iiel xviii. 25.
But, then, if the great Governor of the world made this law not arbitrarily^ but because, in the nature odhin^s^ justice call- ed for it, then, so long as the reason and ground of the law re- main, the lav* itself cannot, injustice, evei- be repealed. If jus-
DISTINGUISHED FROM ALL COUNTERPF.ITS. 71
lice callcfl for its being made, then it cannot be un-madi\ con- sistently wilb justice, so lonjpja^ the ground and reason of it re- main, as is self-evident. But the reason of the law is, in the nature of things, wn/i/ZtraA/f ; for the reason of the law was the infinite evil of sin, whereby it deserved an infinite punishment. As long, therefore, as sin lemalns an infniiie evil, so long must the law stand unrepealed : but sin will always be an infinite evil, so long as we are under infinite obligations to love God with all our hearts, and obey him in every thing, which we shall ahva\s be, so long as Cod remains infiniteK glorious and amiable, and this will be forever ; therefore, this law can ncvjr possibly, con- sistendy with dWinc J usticey be repealed.
For any, therefore, to desire to have it repealed, is to turn enemy to the holiness, and justice, and honor of the supreme Ruler of the world, as well as to his law and government ; and argues that they have no regard to the rectitude and fitness of things, but only to self-interest ; as those among men are real enemies to the civil government who desire the good and whole- some laws thereof to be repealed ; And it is upon this ground that St. Paul concludes carnal men to be at enviitt/ against God, because they are enemies to his LAw....(y?5?«. viii. 7.) For if men loved God, they would be disposed to love his law and government, which express his nature.
To suppose, therefore, that the Son of God came into the world and died, that the law, in its t/ireatening.f, might be re- pealedy is to suppose that he also is turned an enemy to God. ..to ^is holiness and justice. ...to his law and government ; and that he is properly gone over to be on the side of his father's rebel- lious subjects.
Besides, to what purpose would it have been (on the hypoth- esis of these men), for Christ to have died, that the law, in its threatcnings, might be repealed ? What need was there of it? or what good would it have done ? For if, injustice^ it ought to have been repealed, there was no need of his (1\ ing to procure this ; or if, in^'/A^/Zce, it ought not to be repealed, then h.is dying
could not procure it, and so would do no good. The righteous
L
r2 TRUJi RELIGION DELINEATED, AND
Governor of the world would have repealed it of his own ac- cord, if it had been right and fit so to do ; and if, in the nature of things, k was not right, then not any thing whatever could persuade him to do it.
But the truth is, Christ came into the world, and died to an- sxver all the demands of the laxu ; that so, although the sinner be saved, yet the law might never be repealed, but be firmly estab- lished : for the Governor of heaven and earth was utterly against the law being repealed, as a thing in itself infinitely un- reasonable : And therefore the Apostle says. Do we make void the lazu through faith P God forbid! yea^ we establish the laxu..., Rom. iii. 31. And indeed it was nothing but God's infinite aversion to repeal the law, as a thing in itself infinitely unfit and wrong, that was the thing which made the death of Christ needful : for, if the law might have been repealed, sinners might have been saved without any more ado ; but, if it could not, and must not be repealed, then the demands of it must be an- swered by some means or other, or every sinner damned : And now Christ stepped in and did this ; and so secured the honor of God's holincr.3 and justice, law and government, and open- ed a way for the sinner's salvation. And this account of the reason of Christ's death the scriptures plainly give us : — Gal, iii. 10, 13, 14:. ..Cursed is every one that continucth not in all things written in the book of the lato to do them. — Christ hath redeemed us from the airse of the law, being made a curse for us. That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles^ through fcsus Christ : For (Heb. ix. 22.) xuithoxit shedding of blood there is no remission : Therefore (Rom. iii. 25, 26.) Christ was set forth to be a propitiation for sin....to declare his righteousness ....that he jnight bcjust^ and the justificr of him which bclieveth in Jesus : And hence (ver. 31,) Do wc nude void the laiu through faith ? God forbid ! ijca^ rue establish the laiv.
Yea, the Apostle evidently sets out upon th's hypothesis, that the law is not repealed, but stands in lull force : He lays this down as -a first principle^ \i\ that argumenta!.i\e discourse which wc have in the three first chapters of his cpisde to the Romans :
DISTINGUISHED FROM ALL COL'NTERf FITS. 73
Chap. i. ver. 18....77if ivratfi of God is revfaUd from heaven (igiiinat all ungotilineis ami unrig/iteousness- of men. And taking this lor gi-anted, he goes on to prove, that both fni'sand Greeks (ire all undtr av/i, and so the whole xvorld guiltij htfore God ; to the 19th verse of the 3d chapter : And hence he argues, that by t'u- deeds of the lani> no flesh cnihl be justifvd. But now, If tlic law was repealed, the whole world was not guilty before dod, nor anv one in the world: For sin is not imputed where there is no /cm'.. ..Rom. v. 13. And if the law was repealed, what need was there of such a louj^ train of arguments, to prove, that no flesh could be justihcd by die law ? For it would have been enough to have said, thai a repealed law could neither justify nor condemn an\' lx)d\-. And whv does he use such arguments as he docs ? For thus he reasons, " The law requires perfect " obedience as a condition of life, and threatens tribulation and *' wrath against every soul of man that doth evil : But fexcs and " Gentiles have all sinned : therefore are all guilty and condcmn- " ed according to law ; and consequentlv cannot be cleared and "justitied bv law :" For all this reasoning supposes that the law is as much in force as ever it was : And, accordinglv, he goes on to show, that 'the design of Christ's death was to an- swer the demands of the law, that diere might be a way open- ed for the salvation of sinners, consistent with divine justice, and, at the same time, the law not be made void, but establish- ed ; as we have before ol)scrved. — And now Uiis being the case, Hence, we find the scriptures every where look upon those who have not a special interest in the righteousness of Christ, bv faith, as being as much under die wrath of God and curse of the law, as if Christ had never died. John iii. 18.... /A' t/uit be- lieveth not is condemned already : Ver. 06.. ..The wrath of God abideth upon him : And, Gal. iii. 10....^.? many as are of the works of the Icnv are under the curse : And, Horn. i. 18.... The xvrath of God is revealed from heaven, against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, ivho hoU the truth in unrighteousness. Thus the wrath of God is revealed against die unbeliever ; yea, abides upon him ; yea, the law condemns and curses him ; But
Tfl$ TRUE RELIGION DELINEATED, AND
if the law had been repealed by the death of Christ, all the world would have been freed from the curse : For a repealed law can neither bless the righteous, nor curse the wicked ; but stands for nothing.
And hence, also, we find that Christless sinners, w^hen awa- kened by the holy spirit to see and feel what a state they are in, are always conv inced that they are under the wrath of God and curse of the law ; and hereby are made to understand their need of a Savior.. ..(/?o;n. iii. 19, 20.) But if the law had been repealed by the death of Christ, this could not be ; for they would then have been under no wrath, nor curse ; nor would any have ever felt a spirit ofbondagey as they do in every age of the world, and as they used to do in St. Paul's day....(i?ow. viii. 15.) For it is the law only that works wrath. ..JKom. iv. 15.
And hence we shall find, even all the world shall find, and thousands and thousands to their everlasting sorrow, that when the day of judgment co«ies, the law shall be executed with the utmost severity upon all that knoru not God^ and obey not the go "pel of Jesus Christ....(ll. Thes. i. 7, 8.) And God's justice,in so doing, will shine bright in the sight of all worlds ; for he de- signs, on that day, to reveal the righteousness of his judgments : and hence it is called the daij of the revelation of the righteous judgment of God.... (Kom. ii. 5.) But if the law is repealed by the death of Christ, and if God has told the world that he has repealed it.. ..for him now to revive it, and judge and condemn the world by it, would be to cast contempt upon the death of Christ, and deceive his poor creatures, and unmercifully and unrighteously judge and condemn them, by a law that was re- pealed....a law they never were under, and so ought never to have been judged by. From the whole, therefore, it is evident, that the law that threatens eternal damnation for the least sin, never has been, and never will be repealed.
AVell, then, (if this be the case) may ministers thunder hell and damnation against a secure, wicked world ; and well may poor sinners tremble under a sense of divine wrjxth, when their tyes begin to be opened to see where \ht^ arc : for all tliose
DISTINGUISHED FROM ALL COUNTERFEITS. 75
comforts that the formalist gets by thhikinj» the law is abated ortlisaniuilleil,an(l so his state safe, arc but the result of an er- roneous head, and a heart secure in sin. And what has been said under this particular, will rationally account for all the ag- ony and distress of an awakened sinner. When God, the great Governor of the world, the revenger of sin, begins to make the poor sinner remember his ways and his doings which have not been right, and see what a creature he is, and what a condition he is in, and be sensible of what he deserves ; and when he comes to understand that his soul is forfeited, and that it is right that justice should take place, and that God is at lib- erty to do as he pleases, surely this must be heart-rending, soul-distressing to a jx)or, sinful, guilty, hell-deserving creature. And if God will not repeal the law, but still insist upon it, that it is holy and just, no wonder the sinner is made to own it too, before ever he is pardoned : For it would be unbecom- ing the supreme Lord of the universe, to grant a pardon to a guilty rebel, that is too high-hearted to own that the law, by which he stands condemned, is holy andjust. O how right it is, that the sinner should come down, and see, and know, and own forever, that he is justly condemned, and, as such, apply himself to tlie sovereign grace of God, through Jesus Christ, for a pardon ! And O how sovereign, and free, and divine, is that grace that pardons and saves the poor, sinful, guilty, hell- deserving wretch, through Jesus Christ! (^Rom. iii. 19,27.) And thus as God the Father honors the law, by refusing to repeal it, and Ciod the Son, hy answering its demands — so does God, the Holy Ghost, by making the jwor sinner sec, and feel, and own, that it is holy and just, before ever he intemallv reveals the mercy of God, through Jesus Christ, unto him ; so that the law is honored, and sin is embittered, and the sinner humbled, and grace glorified, all at once : As in the external revelation God has made in his word, the law is before the gospel ; so it is in internal influences and operations of the holy spirit upon the elect ; and that for the same reason, that the laxv might be a school-master, to bring yntn to Christ.
76 TRUE RELIGION DELINEATED, AND
To conclude, from all that has been said, we may learn what to think of the religion and of the hopes of these two sorts of men. (1.) The legal hypocrite^ who, supposing that the good eld law is repealed and laid aside, and that a new law^ only re- quiring sincere obedience^ is established in its room, merely from sell-love, and for self-ends, sets about duty and endeavors to be sincere ; and here on this foundation builds all his hopes of ac- ceptance in the sight of God : for since the law is not repealed, but stands in full Ibrce, therefore tlie religion of such is not that thing which God requires or will accept ; and their neru law is a ivhim, and their hopes are all built on the sand : Their whole scheme results from a total ignorance of God, and his law, and the present state of mankind; and is entirely built on falsehood. (2.) The evangelical hypocrite — all whose y^/^Aandyoy original- ly result from a supposed disco\'ery of the love of God, or love of Christ, or that his sins are pardoned. This discovery is the foundation of his faidi, and his faith is the foundation of his joy and of all his religion : And yet the thing discovered is a lie ; for, as has been proved, every one, until he is a believer, until he has acted faith, is not pardoned, but condemned — is not belov- ed of God, but under his wrath ; and, therefore, to have par- don of sin and the love of God discovered before the first act of faith, and to have such a discovery lav the foundation for the first act of faith, and a foundation for all religion, is to be impo- sed upon with a lie, and to have a gross falsehood lie at the foundation of their faith.... their religion, and of all their hopes. The legal hypocrite may be convinced by such scriptures as these.... Z-?/>^t' xviii. 9 — 13.. ..Rem. iii. 20 — 31. and Chapter iv. ver. 5. ; which prove that a man cannot find acceptance with God by his own righteousness : And the vvangvUcal hvj^ocrite may be convinced by such scriptures as these. ...yo/i/i iii. 18, 36. Acts iii. 19. ; which prove that a sinner is not pardoned till af- ter faidi. A true sight and sense of the law would effectually convince the one, and the other, that all their hopts are built on wrong apprehensions of things, and that all their religion is coun- terfeit ; and that tliey are yet in the gallofbitternessandljonds
DISTINGUISHED FROM ALL COUNTKRFEITS. 77
of miqvrit\- : and the one would no longer venture his soul on his own riglUeousness^ nor the otlior ou his disavt-nj. Tht hiw 'a insisting upon perfect, sinless obedience, would convince the one that his own righteousness might not be depended upon ; and liic law's cursing every unbeliever, would convince the other that his discovery was false ; and the law's requiring us to love God primarily for his own beaut}-, would convince both of their graceless estates, in as much as the religion of both primarily takes its rise from self-love. It is from the want of a realizing sight and sense of the nature and extent of the law, and that out of Christ we are exposed to all the curses thereof, that a sinful, guilty world are so insensible of their graceless, and their wretch- ed and miserable condition, and so apt to Hatter themselves that thev are rich, and increased iu goods, and stand in need of noth- ing. Rom. ^■ii. 8, 0.. ..Without the hnv sin was dead. Ixva* olive xuithoitt ilie Unv once.
Thus we see that the obligation which we were under to love God with all our hearts, resulting from the infinite excellcncij of the divine nature., antecedent to all selfish considerations, is in- finitehj., eternallij^ imd unchangeably binding : And thus we see a variet\'of important consequences ncccssarilv following there- from : And I have insisted the longer upon the nature of this obligation, not only because it is the first and greatest,but because it has a mighty influence in all our additional ohYx^-WAOus. — For, 5. And lastly. It is from the infinite excellciicij of the divine nature^ that all our additional obligatioju originally derive their strength., their energy ., their binding power. The infinite ex- cellency of the divine nature so entirely la\s ilie foundation of its being ovxr duty to love God wiih all our hearts, that were it not for this, it would cease to be our duly, notwithstanding all oth- er considerations. If he were not, by nature, God, it would not be fit tliat we should love and worship him as God, upon any account whatsoevi:r : He could have no such right to us, or authority over us, as to make it our duv%- ; nor could he ren<ler it om- duty, by showing us any kindness \vh.;tsoever: Yea, if he were not, by nature, God, it would l)c ivrong for us to pay liim
78 TRUE RELIGION DELINEATED, AXD
(fhine adoration ; it would be idolatry ; it would be worship- ping one as God, who, by nature, is nvf God : And by the same argument which the orthodox have been wont to use against the Arians^ who deny the divinity of Chr\st....Jfhe be not a divine person^ he ought not to have divine -worship paid him; — I say, by the same argument, if God were not, by nature, God, it could not, upon any account, be our duty to love and worship