will unto him, expressed by endeavors to please him, by delighting in the advancement of his glory, by grieving when he is disserved or dishonored.

The next part I also entered on, and offered to consideration those means, which serve chiefly to remove the impediments of our love to God; which were,

1. The suppressing all affections opposite to this; all perverse and corrupt, all unrighteous and unholy desires.

2. The restraining or keeping within bounds of moderation our affections toward other things, even in their nature innocent or indifferent.

3. The freeing of our hearts from immoderate affection toward ourselves; from all conceit of, and confidence in, any qualities or abilities of our own; the diligent use of which means I did suppose would conduce much to the production and increase of divine love within us.

To them I shall now proceed to subjoin other instruments more immediately and directly subservient to the same purpose: whereof the first is,

1. Attentive consideration on the divine perfections, with endeavor to obtain a right and clear apprehension of them: as counterfeit worth and beauty receive advantage by distance and darkness; so real excellency,-si propius stes, te capiet magis—the greater light you view it in, the nearer you approach it, the more strictly you examine it, the more you will approve and like it: so the more we think of God, the better we know him, the fuller and clearer conceptions we have of him, the more we shall be apt to esteem and desire him; the more excellent in himself, the more beneficial to us he will appear. Hence is the knowlege of God represented in holy writ not only as a main instrument of religion, but as an essential character thereof: as equivalent to the being well affected toward God: O continue,' saith the psalmist, thy loving-kindness unto them that know thee;' that is, to all religious people. And, This,' saith our Saviour, is life eternal, to know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent;' knowlege of them implying all good affections toward them: as on the other side, ignorance of God denotes disaffection or want of affection toward God: 'Now the sons of Eli,' it is said, 'were sons of Belial, they knew not the Lord' and, He that loveth

not,' saith St. John, 'doth not know God;' the want of love to God is an evident sign, a natural effect of ignorance concerning him: indeed considering the nature of our mind, and its ordinary method of operation, it seems impossible that such perfection discerned should not beget answerable reverence and affection thereto : if beautiful spectacles, harmonious sounds, fragrant odors, delicate savors, do necessarily and certainly please the respective senses; why should not with the like sure efficacy the proper objects of our mind affect it, if duly represented and conveyed thereto? If the wit of the most ingenious artists, the cunning of the deepest politicians, the wisdom of the sagest philosophers are but mere blindness and stupidity in comparison to the wisdom of God; the lowest instance or expression of whose wisdom (his rò μwpòr, 'his folly,' as St. Paul speaks) is wiser than men,' doth excel the results of man's highest wisdom; yet them we admire and commend in men, why then do we not much more adore the divine wisdom? If the abilities of them who dexterously manage great business, or achieve prosperously great exploits are indeed mere impotency in regard to God's power; whose weakness (that is, the smallest effects of whose power) is, as St. Paul again tells us, 'stronger than men,' surpasses the utmost results of human endeavors: yet those things in men we extol and celebrate, how can we then forbear to reverence the divine power? If the dispensers of freest and largest bounty among men, the noblest patriots, the most munificent benefactors, the most tenderly affectionate friends be in respect of God unworthy to be counted or called good, (as our Saviour tells us; If ye being bad know to give good things;' and, There is none good but God;') yet such persons are much beloved and applauded: how then can we abstain from paying the like measure of affection and respect to the divine goodness? If good qualities so inferior and defective obtain so much from us, whence comes it that the infinitely superior and most perfect excellences of God do not beget in their proportion a suitable regard and veneration in us toward him? whence, if not either from our not firmly believing them, or not rightly apprehending them, or not attentively considering them? Our belief of them in gross and at large we may suppose, as connected with the belief of God's existence, and included in the very notion of God;

the defect therefore must proceed from the remaining causes, want of a right apprehension, or neglect of attentive consideration about them: as to the first of these; it is common for men to have confused, imperfect, and wrong conceptions about the divine attributes, especially in the recesses of their mind; which although they spare to utter with their mouths, yet they vent in their practice: if we, for instance, imagine that we can comprehend the extent of God's designs, or fathom the depth of his counsels; if we measure and model his reasons of proceeding according to our fancy, (as if his thoughts were as our thoughts, and his ways as our ways;' or, as if he did see as man sees:') if we can bless ourselves in following our own imaginations,' counsels, and devices, although repugnant to the resolutions of divine wisdom; taking these not to befit, or not to concern us, as we find many in the Scripture reproved for doing; we greatly mistake and undervalue that glorious attribute of God, his wisdom; and no wonder then, if we do not on account thereof duly reverence and love God: likewise if we concerning the divine power conceit that, notwithstanding it, we shall be able to accomplish our unlawful designs; that we may, as it is in Job, harden our hearts against him and prosper;' that we can anywise either withstand or evade his power, (as also many are intimated to do, in Scripture; even generally all those who dare presumptuously to offend God,) we also misconceive of that excellent attribute: and the contempt of God, rather than love of him, will thence arise. If, concerning the divine goodness and holiness, we imagine that God is disaffected toward his creatures, (antecedently to all demerits, or bad qualifications in them,) yea indifferent in affection toward them; inclinable to do them harm, or not propense to do them good; if we deem him apt to be harsh and rigorous in his proceedings, to exact performances unsuitable to the strength he hath given us, to impose burdens intolerable on us; will not such thoughts be apt to breed in us toward God (as they would toward any other person so disposed) rather a servile dread, (little different from downright hatred,) or an hostile aversation, than a genuine reverence or a kindly affection toward him? If we fancy him, like to pettish man, apt to be displeased without cause, or beyond measure,

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for our doing somewhat innocent, (neither bad in itself, nor prejudicial to public or private good,) or for our omitting that, which no law, no good reason plainly requires of us; what will such thoughts but sour our spirits toward him, make us fearful and suspicious of him; which sort of dispositions are inconsistent with true love? If, on the other side, we judge him fond and partial in his affections; or slack and easy, as it were, in his proceedings; apt to favor us although, we neglect him; to indulge us in our sins, or connive at our miscarriages; will not such thoughts rather incline us in our hearts to slight him, and in our actions insolently to dally with him, than heartily and humbly to love him? If we conceit his favor procured, or his anger appeased by petty observances, perhaps without any good rule or reason affected by ourselves; when we neglect duties of greater worth and consequence, 'the more weighty matters of the law;' what is this but instead of God to reverence an idol of our own fancy; to yield unto him (who is only pleased with holy dispositions of mind, with real effects of goodness) not duties of humble love, but acts of presumption, and flattery? But if, contrariwise, we truly conceive of God's wisdom, that his counsels are always throughly good, and that we are concerned both in duty and interest to follow them, although exceeding the reach of our understanding, or contrary to the suggestions of our fancy; concerning his power, that it will certainly interpose itself to the hindrance of our bad projects, that it will be in vain to contest therewith, that we must submit unto, or shall be crushed by his hand; concerning his goodness, that as he is infinitely good and benign, so he is also perfectly holy and pure; as he wisheth us all good, and is ready to promote it, so he detesteth our sins, nor will suffer us to do himself, ourselves, and our neighbor any wrong; as most bountiful in dispensing his favors, so not prodigal of them, or apt to cast them away on such as little value them, and do not endeavor to answer them; as a faithful rewarder of all true virtue and piety, so a severe chastiser of all iniquity and profaneness; as full of mercy and pity toward them who are sensible of their unworthiness, and penitent for their faults, so an implacable avenger of obstinate and incorrigible wickedness: in fine, as a true friend to us, if we be not wilful enemies to him, and desirous of our

welfare, if we do not perversely render ourselves incapable thereof; so withal jealous of his own-honor, resolute to maintain and vindicate his just authority, careful to uphold the interests of right and truth, and to show the distinction he makes between good and evil; if we have, I say, such conceptions of God, (agreeable to what his word and his doings represent him to us,) how can we otherwise than bear a most high respect, a most great affection unto him? A prince surely endued with such qualities; wise and powerful, good and just together; tendering the good of his people, yet preserving the force of his laws; designing always what is best, and constantly pursuing his good intentions; tempering bounty and clemency with needful justice and severity; we should all commend and extol as worthy of most affectionate veneration; how much more then shall we be so affected toward him, in whom we apprehend all those excellences to concur without any imperfection or allay? especially if by attention we impress those conceptions on our hearts; for how true and proper soever, if they be only slight and transient, they may not suffice to this intent; if they pass. away as a flash, they will not be able to kindle in us any strong affection. But if such abstracted consideration of the divine perfections will not alone wholly avail, let us add hereto as a farther help toward the production and increase of this divine grace in us,

2. The consideration of God's works and actions; his works of nature, his acts of providence, his works and acts of grace; the careful meditating on these will be apt to breed, to nourish, to improve, and augment this affection. Even the contemplation of the lower works of nature, of this visible frame of things, (on which indeed many perspicuous characters of divine perfection, of immense power, of admirable wisdom, of abundant goodness are engraven,) hath in many minds excited a very high degree of reverence and good affection toward God: the devoutest persons (the holy psalmist particularly) we may observe frequent in this practice, inflaming their hearts with love, and elevating them in reverence toward God, by surveying the common works of God, by viewing and considering the magnificent vastness and variety, the goodly order and beauty, the constant duration and stability of those