Serm. thefe Objects and Qualities home to our-
XIII. felves, teach us they had a greater refpect to

us in particular, that we had an higher In-
tereft in that Wisdom and Power and Good-
ness. We should, with Joy, Gratitude, Re-
verence, Love, Trust, and Dependance, ap-
propriate the Character, as what we had a
right in; and make our Boast in such our
Relation to it. And the Conclufion of the
whole would be,that we should refer ourselves
implicitly to him, and caft ourselves intirely
upon him. As the whole Attention of Life
fhould be to obey his Commands; fo the
highest Enjoyment of it must arise from a
Consciousness of his Favour and Approbati-
on; from the Contemplation of this Cha-
racter, and our Relation to it. A Being who
hath these Attributes, who ftands in this Re-
lation, and is thus fenfibly present to the
Mind, must neceffarily be the Object of
thefe Affections: There is as real a Corref-
pondence between them, as between the
lowest Appetite of Sense and its Object.

That this Being is not a Creature, but the
Almighty God; that he is of infinite Power
and Wisdom and Goodness, does not ren-
der him lefs the Object of Reverence and
Love, than he would be if he had thofe At-

tributes

tributes only in a limited Degree. The Be- Serm. ing who made us, and upon whom we in- XIII. tirely depend, is the Object of fome Regards. He hath given us certain Affections of Mind, which correspond to Wisdom, Power, Goodness, i. e. which are raised upon View of thofe Qualities. If then he be indeed wife, powerful, good; he is the natural Object of those Affections, which he hath endued us with, and which corref pond to those Attributes. That he is infinite in Power, perfect in Wisdom and Goodness, makes no Alteration, but only that he is the object of those Affections raised to the higheft Pitch. He is not indeed to be difcerned by any of our Senfes. Igo forward, but he is not there; and backward, but I cannot perceive him: On the left hand where he doth work, but I cannot behold him: He hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot fee him. O that I knew where I might find him! that I might came even to his Seat! But is He indeed afar off? Does he not fill Heaven and Earth with his Prefence? The Presence of our Fellow-creatures affects our Senfes, and our Senfes give us the Knowledge of their Presence; which hath diffe

* Job xxii.

rent

Serm. rent Kinds of Influence upon us; Love, Joy, XIII. Sorrow, Reftraint, Encouragement, Reve

rence. However this Influence is not immediately from our Senfes, but from that Knowledge. Thus fuppofe a Person neither to see nor hear Another, not to know by any of his Senfes, but yet certainly to know, that Another was with him; this Knowledge might, and in many Cafes would, have one or more of the Effects before-mentioned. It is therefore not only reasonable, but also natural, to be affected with a Presence, though it be not the Object of our Senfes : Whether it be, or be not, is merely an accidental Circumftance, which needs not come into Confideration: It is the Certainty that He is with us, and we with him, which hath the Influence. We confider Persons then as prefent, not only when they are within. Reach of our Senfes, but also when we are affured by any other Means that They are within fucha Nearness; nay, if they are not, we can recall them to ourMind,and be moved towards them as prefent: And must He, who is fo much more intimately with us, that in Him we live and move and have our Being, be thought too distant to be the Object of our Affections? We own and feel the Force

of

of amiable and worthy Qualities in our Fel- Serm. low-creatures: And can we be infenfible to XIII. the Contemplation of perfect Goodness? Do we reverence the Shadows of Greatnefs here below, are we follicitous about Honour and Esteem and the Opinion of the World: And shall we not feel the fame with respect to Him, whofe are Wisdom and Power in their Original, who is the God of Judgment by whom Actions are weighed? Thus Love, Reverence, Defire of Efteem, every Faculty, every Affection, tends towards, and is employed about its refpective Object in common Cafes: And muft the Exercife of them be fufpended with Regard to Him alone, who is an Object, an infinitely more than adequate Object, to our most exalted Faculties; Him, of whom, and through whom, and to whom are all things?

As we cannot remove from this Earth, or change our gencral Bufinefs on it; fo neither can we alter our real Nature. Therefore no Exercife of the Mind can be recommended, but only the Exercise of those Faculties you are conscious of. Religion does not demand new Affections, but only claims the Direction of those you already have, those Affections you daily feel; though unhappily

confined

Serm. confined to Objects, not altogether unfuitaXIII. ble, but altogether unequal to them. We on

ly represent to you the higher, the adequate Objects of thofe very Faculties and Affections. Let the Man of Ambition go on ftill to confider Difgrace as the greatest Evil; Honour, as his chief Good. But Difgrace, in whose Eftimation? Honour, in whofe Judgment This is the only Queftion. If Shame and Delight in Eftecm be spoken of as real, as any fettled Ground of Pain or Pleasure; both these must be in Proportion to the fuppofed Wisdom and Worth of him, by whom we are contemned or esteemed. Muft it then be thought enthusiastical, to speak of a Senfibility of this Sort, which fhall have respect to an unerring Judment, to infinite Wisdom; when we are affured That unerring Judgment, This infinite Wisdom does obferve upon our Actions?

'Tis the fame with refpect to the Love of God in the ftrictest and most confined Sense. We only offer and reprefent the highest Object of an Affection, fuppofed already in your Mind. Some Degree of Goodness must be previously fuppofed: This always implies the Love of itself, an Affection to Goodness: The higheft, the adequate Object

of