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cially of those who believe." Now as when the reason of a command has a direct aspect upon us, it more strongly binds us to obey God; so when the reason of a promise has a peculiar respect to us, it engages God more strongly to preserve us. God has a right to all mankind by a general tenure, but a special interest in the godly. He is the King of nations, and the King of saints: it is his dearest title, above all the titles of majesty ascribed to him. They are precious in his esteem, "his treasure, his jewels," Exod. 19. the most valuable part of his treasure, the "Jewels of his crown," Zech. 3. Mal. 3. the most radiant and rich jewels. Propriety and preciousness engage his powerful and propitious providence for their good. They are exposed to many evils for their relation to him their heavenly Father, and for his image shining in them: "For thy sake are we killed all the day long:" they are like a flock of sheep among wolves and tigers, unable to defend themselves. His compassionate love excites his power for their preservation. "The zeal of the Lord of hosts shall do this." His love inclines him, and his promise engages him never to leave nor forsake them: when they are ready to despair, he is ready to deliver. Now the firm belief of the universal providence of God, and his special care for his people, is like a rudder to a ship, without which it is constrained to yield to every storm; but guided by it, sails with every wind to its designed port. When God entered into a covenant with Abraham, he assures him, "I am the Almighty God, walk before me and and be perfect." Gen. 17. 1. Every deflection from our duty, proceeds either from the hope of obtaining some temporal good, or the fear of incurring some temporal evil: these passions are very forcible in men's breasts. We see how powerful they are in sensitive creatures; even in a greyhound's coursing a hare, hope adds wings to the feet of the one, and fear adds wings to the feet of the other. Men without faith in God, will break through his laws, when temptations work on their hope or fear; for they are under the dominion of sense: but the belief of God's all-sufficiency, that he is "a sun to supply" us with all truly desirable good things, "a shield to secure" us from all destructive evils, confirms our dependance on him, and engages our obedience to him.

This conduces to our present peace, and future blessedness.

There are secret springs of providence that work sometimes in an extraordinary manner for the preserving his people. Joseph was raised from a prison to a principality. The poor prophet was fed by a raven, when the wicked king was like to starve in his palace. The malicious design of Haman, to destroy the whole nation of the Jews, was frustrated, and reflexively pernicious to himself, by a strange concurrence of circumstances, ordered by divine providence. The faithful companions of Daniel, who resigned themselves to his will and wisdom, were rescued from the furnace and fury of the proud king by an angel.

But many times the saints of God are involved in common calamities: inundations, earthquakes, the pestilential air, sword, famine, make no difference between the innocent and the guilty: "The sun rises upon the evil, and the good;" the thunder falls on the good and evil: nay, as our Saviour tells his disciples, "They shall weep and lament, when the world rejoices:" John 16. 20. but he comforts them with the assurance, “that their sorrow shall be turned into joy." The apostle declares, “We know all things work together for good to them that love God." Rom. 8. 28. There are mysterious depths in the economy of providence, that the short line of our reason cannot sound: but we may rely upon the promise of God, "who can bring light out of darkness." We have an illustrious proof of his universal providence, in the regular disposal of natural causes, superior, middle, and lowest, in such a union, that from the insuperable discord of natures, the insuperable concord of operations proceeds, for the preserving of the world. The afflictions of the saints are medicinal to prevent or recover them from sin and what man of understanding does not esteem his physician, that prescribes bitter remedies for his health, before a cook, that prepares things pleasant to his taste. Faith sees the love of a Father through a cloud of tears; and that he is as gracious when he corrects us for our transgressions, as when he encourages us in his service. In the sufferings of his people from the wickedness and wills of their enemies, his wisdom and power appear in ordering them for excellent effects: for the same things that increase the guilt and punishment of their enemies, increase the graces and reward of the saints. "These light afflictions that are but for a moment, work out for them an exceeding eternal

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weight of glory." 2 Cor. 4. 1. When all the folds of providence shall be opened, we shall clearly understand every dispensation was as it ought to be, and for the best.

The belief of this is the reason of those commands; "Be careful for nothing, but in every thing by prayer and thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God: and the peace of God that passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds, through Jesus Christ." Phil. 4. 6, 7. An unbelieving heart anticipates future evils, exasperates present evils, and makes sharp reflections on past evils. It makes men dead with fear, drunk with sorrow, mad with oppression. Faith in the gracious providence of God, frees us from vain fears, sad prognostics, and the miserable perplexities that torment the minds of men. Musing on our miseries is like chewing a bitter pill, that is readily swallowed by resignation to the blessed will of God, the rule of goodness. Faith enlightens us to consider things with a rectified judgment, and not with the partiality of the passions. In the church's extremity, when the conspiring enemies are great in number and power, faith raises the drooping spirits, "If God be for us, who can be against us?" When Antigonus was ready to engage in a sea-fight with Ptolomy's Armada, and the pilot cried out, "How many are they more than we!" The courageous king replied, "It is true, if you count their numbers; but for how many do you value me?" One God is all-sufficient against all the combined forces of earth and hell. We are therefore commanded to "cast all our care on him; for he cares for us." It is very dishonourable to God to distrust him in doing our duty: for it proceeds either from a jealousy of his goodness, or low thoughts of his power; as if he were unable and unwilling to save us. A prudent use of means is requisite, otherwise we do not trust but tempt his providence: there is a vicious carelessness, and a virtuous care; but diffident and anxious cares, as if all things run at random without the ordering of our heavenly Father, is not only fruitless, but pernicious. The apostle tells the believing Hebrews, "Ye have need of patience, that after ye have done the will of God, ye may inherit the promise:" some evils would admit of no consolation without the promise: "But the just shall live by faith," of God's presence with them to support and relieve them in their sorrows, and of a perfect and gracious deliverance out of them. God will shortly

put an end to the malice of the wicked, and the patience of the saints. In the next state, when he has cleared our sight, we "shall justify his wisdom," and discover that all events were divinely ordered, and are beautiful to admiration. Now in the church's distress we are apt to say with Gideon, "If the Lord be with us, why then is all this befallen us?" But then we shall turn the current of our wonder upon our ignorance and infidelity; that notwithstanding the evidence of the word, and the experience of the saints, prove that God turns all temporal evils to their spiritual good, yet we are unbelieving.

CHAP. VIII.

Love the leading affection. Men are distinguished by their wills, rather than by their understandings. Holy love has the supremacy among other graces. The excellencies of love specified. Love to God the first command in order and dignity. The causes and properties of it considered. The absolute and relative perfections of God, the motives of our love. The benefits received from God in the order of nature, creation and preservation. The love of God appears in its full force in our redemption. We must learn of Christ how to love him. Love must descend from God to our neighbour. It is commended in scripture. The extent and qualifications of it. It must be sincere, pure and fervent. The forgiving injuries, an excellent effect of love.

II. THE second particular grace that we should strive to increase, is love. It is the apostle's prayer for the Philippians, "That their love may abound more and more in knowledge, and all understanding." Love is the affection of union: of this we have an illustrious instance recorded in scripture, "That the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David; and Jonathan loved him as his own soul." Love is to be directed to a double object, God and our neighbour.

I will consider the excellency of this sanctified affection, and

its exercise and reference to the supreme and subordinate objects of it.

It is requisite to premise, that love is the leading affection that draws the whole train with it; not only desire and joy, that are of near alliance with it, but anger and hatred, between which affections and love there is a repugnance and entire opposition, are inseparable from it: for aversion and flight from evil, proceed from the love of some good that the evil deprives us of. From hence it follows, that it is a matter of the highest consequence, by wisdom discreet and severe, to direct our love to worthy objects. Love is the principal of all the passions, and either sánctifies and refines them from the reliques of carnal infection, or seduces and corrupts them. The mind is so clouded by carnal love, and overruled by pleasant error, that it prefers sensual happiness before spiritual, that is suitable to the nature and dignity of the soul." If the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness ?"

The angels of light are distinguished from the angels of darkness, not so much by knowledge and power, as by love and holiness. The devils are immortal spirits, but under the tyrannous power of hatred and revenge, of envy, and malice, which are their sins and torment.

Men are not distinguished so much by their understandings as their wills: not merely by knowledge but love, the first act of the will, the faculty that rules in man, and obeys God. There may be knowledge of the divine law, and an approving it, by those who do not practise it: for the contemplation of its goodness and equity constrains the mind to assent to it. From hence we may infallibly infer, that the radical difference, and distinguishing character between a saint, and one in the state of polluted na ture, is the affection of love with respect to its objects and degrees. Love to God as our sovereign happiness, is the immediate cause of our conversion and re-union with him. Love to vicious objects, or when with an intemperate current it descends to things not deserving its ardent degrees, alienates the heart from God. Holiness is the order of love. The excellency of holy love will appear in the following considerations.

Love has the supremacy among all the graces of the Spirit. This in the most proper sense, is the fire our Saviour came to kindle on the earth, The apostle declares, that "eharity is

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