SERMON II.

The Love of God.

St. MATT. xxii. Verf. 36. 37, 38. Mafter, which is the great Commandment in the Law?

Jefus faid unto him, Thou shalt love the
Lord thy God with all thy Heart, and
with all thy Soul, and with all thy
Mind.

This is the firft, and great Commandment.

I

N Reading the Gofpel of Chrift with due Attention and Understanding, we can't but obferve that our Saviour, in his Difcourfe and Arguings with the Jews, very of ten fetch'd his Proofs from the Scriptures of the Old Teftament, as the most proper and undeniable Evidence to convince them, being

they

29

v. 29.

they own'd and receiv'd them as the facred Oracles of God, very remarkable in this Chapter.

At the 23d Verfe, The Sadduces came, and propofed fome Sceptical Queftions to our Lord, concerning the Refurrection of the Dead. Where, after he had rectify'd their Errors and Carnal Motions concerning the State of the Refurrection, which they took to be a Sort of Mahometan Paradife of Luxury and Uncleannefs he fhewed them what the true Nature ;

and Spiritual Joys of it were. Te do greatly err, fays be, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the Power of God. For in the Refurrection, they neither marry, nor are given in Marriage; but are as the Angels of God in Heaven. For the Proof of this, he refers them to a noted v. 31. 32. Paffage in their own Scriptures. Have not ye read that which was spoken unto you by God, faging, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Ifaac, and the God of facob? God is not God of the Dead, but of the Living. When the Multitude beard this, they were aftonifhed at his Doctrine.

33.

The Pharifees perceiving, that he had thus put the Sadduces to Silence, moved with Indignation, resolve to try their Skill upon him: To this purpofe one of them, a Lawyer, according to St. Mark, a Scribe; a Man, no doubt of Letters, of Figure, and Reputation among them for his Knowledge in expound< ing their Law and Traditions, came unto him and infiduously ask'd him this Queftion, Mafter,

fter, which is the great Commandment of the
Law? He knowing their Craftinefs, answers
him with another Quotation out of their own
Scriptures. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God,
with all thy Heart, and with all thy Soul, and
with all thy Mind. This is the firft and great
Commandment. After this, no Man was able
to answer him a Word, neither durft
any Man
from that day forth ask him any more Quefti-
ons. Verfe the laft. This was the Occafion
of the Words.

My Design from them is to discourse unto you of the firft and great Commandment of the Moral and Chriftian Law, viz. Our Love to God. And what I fhall advance and purfue upon that Subject, fhall be comprised in explaining and enlarging upon this one general Head, viz.

fcourfe

To give you the juft Meaning and Impor- The genetance of this firft and great Command-ral Head ments; How we may be faid to love the of DifLord our God with all our Heart, and with all our Soul, and with all our Mind; How fuch Measures of Divine Love are practicable in themselves, and confiftent with that Love and Affection, we bear to the Enjoyments of this World.

Now the feveral Synonymous Words, which are here used of loving the Lord our God, with all our Heart, Soul, and Mind, can't be fuppos'd to import any thing more, than that we

as

love him unfeignedly, fervently, conftantly, fuperlatively with an upright Intention of Heart, with an ardent Zeal of Confcience, with a vehement Defire of Affection, with an unalterable Fixation of Refolution; in a word, above all created Beings loever, whether Things or Perfons. And therefore they are not to be taken in their exalted and rigid Senfe, s if our Love to God excluded all our Affe ation and Defire, all our Care and Concern for the Things of this World in a fubordinate Degree; as if that was either unlawful in it felf, or inconfiftent with our Love to God. Indeed fuch an indifcreet Interpretation of the Words hath had its ill Effects upon weak and injudicious Minds, by intangling them in perplexing Doubts and Scruples, and running them upon the dangerous Rocks of Enthufiafm, or Superftition, or Difpair; and is in it felf an unworthy Reflection upon the Providence and Wisdom of God, who hath commanded us. To rejoice in every good Thing which the Lord our God hath given us richly to enjoy And 1 Tim. 4 that every Creature of God is good, if received," with Thanksgiving.

Deut. 26.

II.

4.

We can't conceive any Being, but God alone, without Imperfections and Wants; and confequently without vehement Defires and Endeavours to have them redreffed and fupplied; and therefore it can never be unlawful for indigent Creatures to act in pursuance of thefe natural Inftincts and harmlefs Defires, which God in their Creation made them fubject to;

nor

nor inconfiftent with any Duty we have to him, who pursue with Prudence, Moderation, and Submission to his Will, thofe Things which his good Providence hath suited to their Convenience and Support.

The juft Importance therefore of these Words, may, I prefume, be fufficiently and fatisfactorily explain'd by inlarging upon these three following Particulars.

1. That we love God in fuch a Degree, with
our Understandings, and in our Confci-
ences, as to value nothing in Heaven, or
in Earth, in Comparison of Him.
2. That we fuffer nothing to rival, or stand
in Competition with him in our Wills
and Affections.

3. That he be the great Object of our Reverence and Fear, and that the Authority and Awe of his Prefence, govern all our Designs and Actions.

1. The firft is, That we love God in fuch a Degree, with our Understandings and Confciences, as to value nothing in Heaven, or in Earth, in Comparison of Him. That is to fay, that we efteem, and reverence, and adore him, as the only Sovereign Omnipotent Lord of the whole World; the Creator of Heaven and Earth, of all Things vifible and invifible, Angels, Men, and Devils; that they all fubfift by his Power, act by his Permiffion, and are obedient to his Will and Command. D

That