Sect. V. S High according to the infinite Dignity and Glory: of his Nature, we fhall efteem and love him with all our Heart and Soul, and to the utmost of the Capacity of our Nature, on this Account; and not primarily because he has promoted our Interest. If God be infinitely excellent in Himfelf, then He is infinitely lovely on that Account; or in other Words, infinitely worthy to be loved. And doubtlefs, if he be worthy to be loved for this, then he ought to be loved for this. And it is manifeft, there can be no true Love to Him, if he be not loved for what he is in himself. For if we love him not for his own Sake, but for fomething else, then our Love is not terminated on him, but on fomething elfe, as its ultimate Object. That is no true Value for infinite Worth, which implies no Value for that Worthinefs in itfelf confidered, but only on the Account of fomething foreign. Our Efteem of God is fundamentally defective, if it be not primarily for the Excellency of his Nature, which is the Foundation of all that is valuable in him in any Refpect. If we love not God because he is what he is, but only because he is profitable to us, in Truth we love him not at all: If we feem to love him, our Love is not to him, but to fomething else. And now I must leave it to every one to judge for himself, from his own Opportunities of Obfervation and Information concerning Mankind, how little there is of this difinterested Love to God, this pure divine Affection, in the World. How very little indeed in Comparison of other Affections altogether diverfe, which perpetually urge, actuate and govern Mankind, and keep the World, through all Nations and Ages, in a continual Agitation and Commotion! This is an Evidence of an horrid Contempt of God, reigning in the World of Mankind. It would justly be efteemed a great Inftance of Difrefpect and Contempt of a Prince, if one of his Subjects, when he came into his Houfe, fhould fet him below his meanest Slave. But in fetting the infinite JEHOVAH below earthly Objects and Enjoyments, Men degrade him below thofe Things, between which and him there is an infinitely greater Distance, than between the highest earthly Potentate, and the most abject of Mortals. Such a Conduct as the Generality of Men are guilty of towards God, continually and through all Ages, in innumerable Refpects, would be accounted the most vile contemptuous Treatment of a Fellow-Creature, of diftinguished Dignity. Particularly Men's Treatment of the Offers God makes of Himfelf to them as their Friend, their Father, their God, and everlasting Portion; their Treatment of the Exhibitions he has made of his unmeafurable Love, and the boundless Riches of his Grace in Chrift, attended with earneft repeated Calls, Counfels, Expoftulations, and Intreaties; as alfo of the most dreadful Threatnings of his eternal Displeasure and Vengeance. Before I finish this Section, it may be proper to fay fomething in Reply to an Objection, fome may be ready to make against the Force of that Argument, which has been used to prove, that Men in general have more Sin than Righteousness, namely, That they do not come half-way to that Degree of Love to God, which becomes them, and is their Duty. The Objection is this: That the Argument seems to prove too much, in that it will prove, that even good Sect. V. good Men themselves have more Sin than Holinefs; which also has been fuppofed. But if this were true, it would follow, that Sin is the prevalent' Principle even in good Men, and that it is the Principle which has the Predominancy in the Heart and Practice of the truly pious; which is plainly contrary to the Word of God. I answer, If it be indeed fo, that there is more Sin, confifting in Defect of required Holiness, than there is of Holinefs in good Men in this World; yet it will not follow, that Sin has the chief Government of their Heart and Practice, for two Reafons. 1. They may love God more than other Things, and yet there may not be fo much Love, as there is Want of due Love; or in other Words, they may love God more than the World, and therefore the Love of God may be predominant, and yet may not love God near half fo much as they ought to do. This need not be esteemed a Paradox: A Perfon may love a Father, or fome great Friend and Benefactor, of a very excellent Character, more than fome other Object, a thousand Times lefs worthy of his Efteem and Affection, and yet love him ten Times lefs than he ought; and fo be chargeable, all Things confidered, with a Deficiency in Refpect and Gratitude, that is very unbecoming and hateful. If Love to God prevails above the Love of other Things, then Virtue will prevail above evil Affections, or pofitive Principles of Sin; by which Principles it is, that Sin has a pofitive Power and Influence. For evil Affections radically confift in inordinate Love to other Things befides God: And therefore, Virtue prevailing beyond thefe, will have the governing Influence. 1 The The Predominance of the Love of God in the Hearts of good Men, is more from the Nature of the Object loved, and the Nature of the Principle of true Love, than the Degree of the Principle. The Object is One of fupreme Loveliness; immenfely above all other Objects in Worthiness of Regard, and it is by fuch a transcendent Excellency, that he is God, and worthy to be regarded and adored as God: And he that truly loves God, loves him as God: True Love acknowledges him to be God, or to be divinely and fupremely excellent; and must arife from fome Knowledge, Senfe, and Conviction of his Worthinefs of fupreme Refpect: And though the Senfe and View of it may be very imperfect, and the Love that arifes from it in like Manner imperfect; yet if there be any realising View of fuch divine Excellency, it must cause the Heart to refpect God above all. 2. Another Reafon, why a Principle of Holinefs maintains the Dominion in the Hearts of good Men, is the Nature of the Covenant of Grace, and the Promises of that Covenant, on which true Christian Virtue relies, and which engage God's Strength and Affiftance to be on its Side, and to help it against its Enemy, that it may not be overcome. The Juft live by Faith. Holiness in the Chriftian, or his fpiritual Life, is maintained, as it has Respect by Faith to its Author and Finisher, and derives Strength and Efficacy from the divine Fountain, and by this Means overcomes. For, as the Apostle fays, This is the Victory that overcomes the World, even our Faith. It is our Faith in him. who has promised, never to leave nor forfake his People, and not to forfake the Work of his own › Hands, nor fuffer his People to be tempted above their Ability, and that his Grace fhall be fufficient for Chap. I. 2 for them, and that his Strength fhall be made perfect in Weaknefs, and that where he has begun a good Work he will carry it on to the Day of Chrift. SECT. VI. The Corruption of Man's Nature, appears by its Tendency, in its prefent State, to an extreme Degree of Folly and Stupidity in Matters of Religion. T appears, that Man's Nature is greatly depra ved, by an apparent Proneness to an exceeding Stupidity and Sottishness in thofe Things wherein his Duty and main Intereft are chiefly concerned. I fhall inftance in two Things, viz. Men's Proneness to Idolatry, and fo general and great a Difregard of eternal Things, as appears in them that live under the Light of the Gospel. It is manifeft, that Man's Nature in its prefent State is attended with a great Propenfity to forfake the Acknowledgment and Worthip of the true God, and to fall into the moft ftupid Idolatry. This has been fufficiently proved by known Fact, on abundant Trial: Inafmuch as the World of Mankind in general (excepting one fmall People, miraculously delivered and preferved) through all Nations, in all Parts of the World, Ages after Ages, continued without the Knowledge and Worfhip of the true God, and overwhelmed in grofs Idolatry, without the leaft Appearance or Prospect of its recovering itfelf from fo great Blindness, or returning |