vile Doctrines and Practices endeavour to harden themselves and others against this fear of God. None fo cowardly and timorous as thefe, none fo eafily frightned with the leaft Appearance of Danger. The Satyrift of old obferved it of them: Hi funt qui trepidant, & ad omnia fulgura pallent. None are so fearful, as thofe that pretend not to fear God at all. And 'tis but justice, that those who will not reverence him as Sons, fhould be overwhelmed with Dread and Astonishment towards him as Slaves. And this Confideration ought to be no small Inducement to Men, to labour after this Judg. 9. 2. Difpofition. As Abimelech faid to the Men of Sichem, Judge, I pray you, whether it be better for you, that threefcore and ten perfons reign over you, or that one reign over you. So in this case, confider whether it be better for you, to be diftracted by the great Variety of worldly Cares and Fears, which, as fo many Tyrants, will domineer over you, and keep you in perpetual Slavery, or to fubmit yourselves to this one Fear, the Fear of God, which is perfect Peace and Liberty. To all which may be added, That it is by this Fear that we are to give unto God the Glory of his Power and Juftice. Tis this that must make us pliable to his Will, and effectually remove all fuch Obftacles as may hinder us from fubmitting to him; fubdue our Reluctancies, and make us bow down before him. Upon which Account this Expreffion of fearing God is frequently ufed in Scripture for the whole Business of Worship and Religion; becaufe where this Fear is well fixed in the Heart, all other Parts of Holiness and Righteousness will naturally follow. It hath a more peculiar Influence to stir up in us Watchfulness and Caution, and like a wary Friend is apt to fuggest to us the fafeft Counsel and Advice: 'Tis the vigilant Keeper of all Virtues, that which must for tify us in our Temptations, and restore us in our Lapfes. He that will but feriously ponder upon what the mere Light of Nature dictates, concerning the Omnipotence of him, who is the great Creator and Governour of the World, his infinite Holiness and Juftice, and that wife Providence, which extends to every particular Perfon and Action, whereby he takes notice of them, and will be fure to reward or punifh them, according as they are good or evil; fuch an one muft needs have his Heart affected with a great Awe and Dread towards the Divine Nature. The very Heathens were wont upon this Account to paint their Jupiter with a Thun 0 3 derbolt derbolt in his Hand; to ftrike an awe into. Men, from daring to offend him who stands always ready arm'd with Vengeance against fuch as provoke him. CHAP. XVI. Of Obedience: And firft of Active Obedience to the Laws of God. H we are Aving dispatched the Duties more especially obliged to, with regard to God's Wisdom, Goodness, Power; I shall now treat concerning fuch other Duties, as refer more particularly to his Dominion and Superiority over us, his Right to command and govern us, which are comprehended under the general Name of Obedience. The Habit of which may be describ'd to confist in such a submissive Frame of Spirit, whereby a Man doth always devote and refign up himself unto the Disposal of his Maker, being ready in every Condition to do or fuffer that which he apprehends to be most reasonable and acceptable, and whereby he may best express his Love and Subjection. By which Description it may appear, that this Obedience is of two kinds, Active. Paffive. 1. Active. Which confifts in a Readiness of Mind to do what God fhall enjoin. 2. Paffive. In an Acquiefcence of Mind under what he fhall inflict. Both which do neceffarily flow from the Apprehenfion of God's Dominion over us, his Right to govern and difpofe of us as he pleaseth. Obedience, in the true Notion of it, being nothing elfe but that Homage which we owe to such as are in a fuperior Relation, who have a Right to command us. Every Relation of Superiority and Dominion being a diftinct Engagement to Subjection; whether Oeconomical, as that betwixt Parent and Child; Political, as betwixt Magiftrate and Subject; Moral, as betwixt Benefactor and Beneficiary; or laftly, that which is Natural, which above all other things gives the highest Title to Dominion, as that betwixt the Maker and his Work, the first Cause, and that which he bestows Being upon. And God by all these Titles, and many more, may juftly challenge Dominion over us. Under this firft kind of Obedience, ftiled Active, are comprehended these three Particulars: 1. A Knowledge of, and an Acquaintance with thofe Laws which we are to obferve. 2. A Confent to them, or an Approbation of them. 3. A Conformity to them. 1. An Acquaintance with the Laws of God, whether discovered to us by Revelation (the Principles of Nature obliging us to O 4 obferve obferve and fubmit to all things which we have reafon to believe do proceed from God;) or by natural Light, abstracting from Scripture and Revelation, as the Subftance of that which we call the Moral Law is. Now tho' fuch Perfons only are under the Obligation of thofe Laws which depend upon Revelation, to whom a Revelation is made and fufficiently propofed, because Promulgation is effential to a Law; yet the Moral Law being difcoverable by natural Light to every Man, who will but excite the Principles of his own Reason, and apply them to their due Confequences; therefore there must be an Obligation upon all Men, who have but the ufe of their Reafon, to know these Moral Laws; and the Ignorance of them must be an inexcufable Sin. Ignorantia juris can be no Plea in this Cafe, becaufe the Law is written in every Man's Heart by Nature, and the Ignorance of Mankind, as to any part of it, hath been wilfully contracted. The Duties concerning natural Worship, our Adoration of the Deity by affiance, love, reverence, praying to him, expecting Mercics from him, returning to him our Thanks and Acknowledgments, being reverent and 'folemn in all our Addreffés towards him, our Thoughts and Speeches of him, and of the Things that refer to his Service, may be evidently inferred from those natural Notions, which we have concerning the Excel lencies |