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caufe; namely, the want of the great principle

of the love of God.

PART II.

63

SERMON V

THE Author having gone through the first part of the fubject, proceeds to the next obfer. vation; namely,

SECONDLY, That we are most indifpenfibly obliged to the exercise of this duty of love to GOD, tho we fee him not.

71

FOR the profecution of this defign two things are proposed.

I. To fhew the vanity and impertinence of this excufe.

And,

75

II. To demonftrate the intolerable heinoufness of this sin, notwithstanding; and to shew its horrid nature, tho God is not visible. ibid.

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I. To evince the vanity of this excufe it is obferved, that it is both invalid and abfurd. 76 1. It is vain and hath nothing in it, that a valid excufe fhould have. For

77

(1.) OUR not feeing GoD does not render our loving him impoffible.

FOR confider,

ibid.

1ft, THAT the fight of our eye is not the immediate caufe or inducement of love to any thing. And,

78

2dly, THERE are other fufficient means to poffefs our minds with an apprehenfion of the loveliness of an object, and more especially those

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page objects, that are never liable to human fight.

79

3dly, THAT in fundry cafes befides, other means than fight do fuffice to convey fuch apprehenfions into the mind, as to excite and raise proportionable affections in the foul.

82

4thly, THAT many perfons have lived in the world in bodies of fiefh, as we do, exercising a holy love to GOD, tho they never faw him. 84

SERMON VI.

(2.) HAVING fhewn that the invifibility of GOD does not render our loving him impoffible, the Author proceeds to fhew, that it is not unreasonable that GOD fhould injoin upon us fuch a law.

90

1. HERE it is examined what may be alledged against it.

ibid. AND because it may be alledged, that a law To contrary to our natural inclinations cannot be binding; it is obferved,

[1.] THAT we ought to examine if inclination fignifies any thing with relation to the fitnefs, or unfitness of a law. Befides,

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[2.] If men were to be ruled only by their own inclination, what would become of the world? ibid. [3] THO it is the wifdom of a ruler to regard the inclinations of a people in making laws, yet there must be a diftinction made between things indifferent, and neceffary.

Befides, 93

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[4.] THERE is no fuch reafon why the great Lord of all things fhould fo much concern him felf what the inclinations of thofe are, whom he is to govern.

95

[5.] THERE is also a very great difference in the confideration of laws already made, and of laws to be made.

96 2dly, IT is examined what may be alledged to prove, that the love of GoD is moft fit and reasonable to be the matter of a standing and indifpenfible law.

And,

98 [1.] It is obferved that we may be as fure of the real existence of the objects of our mind, as we can be of any objects of our fight.

SERMON VII.

99

2.) THAT invisible things are really of a higher excellency, than those which are visible.

107

[3] THAT we are more concerned about the former, than the latter.

114

[4] THAT we may be infinitely more converfant with invifible things, than it is poffible for us to be with thofe which are seen.

SERMON VII.

118

HAVING fhewn, in the three last difcourfes, the invalidity of the excufe for not loving GOD, drawn from his invifibility; the Author proceeds in the next place,

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2. To evince more fully the obligation to this duty, and the intolerable abfurdity of this excufe. For it would infer,

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(1.) THAT we are to be affected, or moved with no invisible things whatsoever; or that nothing but what can strike our fenfes ought to touch our hearts. ibid.

(2.) THAT the ever-bleffed GoD could never be loved by his intelligent creatures, for an eternal reason, because he is neceffarily invifible.

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(3.) THAT GOD would lofe his interest in our love by the excellency of his nature. ibid. (4.) THAT all commerce would hereupon. cease; or rather never be between the bleffed. GOD, and his intelligent creature.

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(5.) THAT all differences of moral good and evil, in fuch a cafe, would be quite taken away, or all apprehenfions of them from among men. ibid.

(6.) It would hence follow, that the original conftitution of man's nature was made up of inconfiftencies.

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(7.) THAT man must be a creature from the very firft, made only to be miferable.

125

II. THE Author having fhewn the vanity and impertinence of this excufe, drawn from the invifibility of GOD, from p. 75, to p. 127; now proceeds to fhew the heinoufness of the fin of not loving God, notwithstanding the invifibility of his nature.

127

.

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1. In as much as it is an injurious distortion of our natural faculties.

128

2. It is a fordid depreffion of our fouls. ibid. 3. Nor to love GOD is felf-deftruction. 130 4. By this means we render ourselves incapable of doing GoD any faithful fervice, on which our comfort and his glory depends. 132 5. IN breaking of this one law, we break

all.

ibid.

6. It is a violation of a moft merciful and indulgent law. 134 7. IT is a direct contradiction to our own light, and the common fentiments of mankind. 136

8. Ir is a moft unnatural wickedness to the Parent of our Being, to difaffect our own original.

LASTLY, It is practical blafphemy.

SERMON IX.

ibid.

137

SOME practical inferences from the preceding discourses on the second part of this.fubject.

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I. WE may hence take notice of the infolent wickedness of the world, that they fo generally agree to confine their love to one another, and to exclude the bleffed GOD. 139 II. THE Conviction of the unreconciled part of the world muft needs be very clear and easy in the great day.

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