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subjects; that he rules and reigns, and that we are absolutely in subjection, and absolutely at his disposal. In a word, we shall be glad to see him take all that honour to himself which he does, and shall be heartily reconciled to his government, and cordially willing to take our own proper places; and hereby a foundation will begin to be laid in our hearts for all things to come to rights. Job xlii. 5, 6. I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. Wherefore I abhor myself and repent in dust and ashes. Isa. ii. 11. The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of man shall be brought down, and the Lord alone shall be exalted. And that all is implied in a genuine love to God, not only the reason of the thing and the plain tenour of Scripture manifest, but it is self-evident; for if we do not so esteem God as to be thus glad to have him take his place, and we ours, it argues secret dislike, and proves that there is secret rebellion in our hearts. Thus, therefore, must we esteem the glorious God, or be reputed rebels in his sight.

3. Another thing implied in love to God may be called benevolence. When we are acquainted with any person, and he appears very excellent in our eyes, and we highly esteem him, it is natural now heartily to wish him well; we are concerned for his interest; we are glad to see it go well with him, and sorry to see it go ill with him; and ready at all times cheerfully to do what we can to promote his welfare. Thus Jonathan felt towards David: and thus love to God will make us feel towards him, his honour, and interest in the world. When God is seen in his infinite dignity, greatness, glory, and excellency, as the most high God, supreme Lord, and sovereign governor of the whole world, and a sense of his infinite worthiness is hereby raised in our hearts, this enkindles a holy benevolence, the natural language of which is, Let God be glorified. Psalm xcvi. 7, 8. And be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: let thy glory be above all the earth. Psalm lvii. 5. 11.

This holy disposition sometimes expresses itself in earnest longings that God would glorify himself, and honour his great name; and bring all the world into an entire subjection to him. And hence this is the natural language of true love.

Our father which art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth, as it is in Heaven.. Matt. vi. 9, 10. And hence, when God is about to bring to pass great and glorious things to the honour of his great name, it causes great joy and rejoicing. Psalm xcvi. 11, 12, 13. Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad : let the sea roar and the fulness thereof: let the field be joyful, and all that is therein: then shall the trees of the wood rejoice before the Lord; for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth.

And hence, again, when God seems to be about to do, or permit any thing, which, as it seems to us tends most certainly to bring reproach and dishonour upon his great name, it occasions the greatest anguish and distress. Thus says God to Moses, "This is a stiff-necked people, let me alone that I may destroy them in a moment, and I will make of thee a great nation." But, says Moses, "What will become of thy great name? What will the Egyptians say? And what will all the nations round about say?" And he mourns and wrestles, cries and prays, begs and pleads, as if his heart would break and, says he, “ If I may not be heard, but this dishonour and reproach must come upon thy great name, it cannot comfort me to tell me of making of me a great nation: pray let me rather die and be forgotten for ever, and let not my name be numbered among the living; but let it be blotted out of thy book." Well, says God, "I will hear thee. But, as truly as I live, I will never put up these affronts; but the whole world shall know what a holy and sin-hating God I am, and be filled with my glory: for the carcasses of all those who have treated me thus shall fall in the wilderness; and here they shall wander till forty years are accomplished, and then I will do so and so to their children, and so secure the honour of my power, truth, and faithfulness." And now Moses is content to live in the wilderness, and do, and suffer, and undergo any thing, if God will but take care of his great name. Exod. xxxii. Numb. xiv. And as it is distressing to a true lover of God, to see God's name, and works, and ways, fall into reproach and contempt;

and as, on the other hand, there is no greater joy than to see God glorify himself, (Exod. xv.) hence, this world, even on this account, may be fitly called a vale of tears to the people of God, because here they are always seeing reproach an d contempt cast upon God, his name, his works, and his ways: And hence, at the day of judgment, all these tears shall be wiped from their eyes, because then they shall see all things turned to the advancement of the glory of his great name, throughout the endless ages of eternity. Rev. xix. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.

Again, this divine benevolence, or wishing that God may be glorified, sometimes expresses itself in earnest longings that all worlds might join together to bless and praise the name of the Lord; and it appears infinitely fit and right, and so infinitely beautiful and ravishing, that the whole intelligent creation should for ever join in the most solemn adoration : yea, and that sun, moon, stars; earth, air, sea; birds, beasts, fishes; mountains and hills, and all things, should, in their way, display the divine perfections, and praise the name of the Lord, because his name alone is excellent, and his glory is exalted above the heavens. And hence the pious Psalmist so often breathes this divine language: Psalm ciii. 20, 21, 22. Bless the Lord, ye his angels, that excel in strength-that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word. Bless ye the Lord, all ye his hosts, ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure. Bless the Lord, all his works, in all places of his dominion : Bless the Lord, O my soul. Psalm cxlviii. 1-13. Praise ye the Lord praise ye the Lord from the heavens : praise him in the heights. Praise him, all ye his angels: praise him, all his hosts. Praise him, sun and moon, &c. Let them praise the name of the Lord; for his name alone is excellent, &c. See also the 95, 96, 97, and 98th Psalms, &c. &c.

Lastly, from this divine benevolence arises a free and genuine disposition to consecrate and give up ourselves entirely to the Lord for ever-to walk in all his ways, and keep all his commands, seeking his glory: For if we desire that God may be glorified, we shall naturally be disposed to seek his glory. A sight and sense of the infinite dignity, greatness, glory, and excellency of God, the great creator, preserver and governor of

the world, who has entire right unto, and an absolute authority over, all things, makes it appear infinitely fit that all things should be for him, and him alone; and that we should be entirely for him, and wholly devoted to him; and that it is infinitely wrong to live to ourselves, and make our own interest our last end. The same views which make the godly earnestly long to have God glorify himself, and to have all the world join to give him glory, thoroughly engage them for their parts to live to God. After David had called upon all others to bless the Lord, he concludes with, Bless the Lord, O my soul: And this is the language of heaven. Rev. iv. 11. Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory, and honour, and power: For thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are, and were created. And it was their maxim in the Apostles' days, Whether they ate or drank, or whatever they did, all must be done to the glory of God. 1 Cor. x. 31. And it was their way not to live to themselves, but to the Lord. 2 Cor. v. 15. Yea, Whether they lived, to live to the Lord; or whether they died, to die to the Lord. Rom. xiv. 7, 8. This was what they commended. Phil. ii. 20, 21. And this was what they enjoined, as that in which the very spirit of true religion consisted.Eph. vi. 5, 6, 7. 1 Cor. vi. 20. Rom. xii. 1. & vii. 4.

All rational creatures, acting as such, are always influenced by motives in their whole conduct. Those things are always the most powerful motives, which appear to us most worthy of our choice. The principal motive to an action, is always the ultimate end of the action: Hence, if God, his honour, and interest, appear to us as the supreme good, and most worthy of our choice, then God, his honour, and interest, will be the principal motive and ultimate end of all we do. If we love God supremely, we shall live to him ultimately; if we love him with all our hearts, we shall serve him with all our souls: Just as, on the other hand, if we love ourselves above all, then selflove will absolutely govern us in all things; if self-interest be the principal motive, then self-interest will be the last end, in our whole conduct: Thus, then, we see, that if God be highest in esteem, then God's interest will be the principal motive and the last end of the whole conduct of rational creatures; and if self be the highest in esteem, then self-interest will be

the principal motive and last end: And hence we may observe, that where self-interest governs men, they are considered in scripture as serving themselves. Hos. x. 1.

Gal. i. 10.

To love

Zec. vii. 5, 6. And where God's interest governs, they are considered as serving the Lord. 2 Cor. v. 15. Eph. vi. 5, 6, 7. compared with Tit. ii. 9, 10. God so as to serve him, is what the law requires; to love self, so as to serve self, is rebellion against the majesty of heaven. And the same infinite obligations which we are under to love God above ourselves; even the same infinite obligations are we under to live to God ultimately, and not to ourselves. And therefore it is as great a sin to live to ourselves ultimately, as it is to love ourselves supremely.

4. And lastly. Delight in God, is also implied in love to him. By delight we commonly mean that pleasure, sweetness, and satisfaction, which we take in any thing that is very dear to us. When a man appears very excellent to us, and we esteem him, and wish him all good, we also, at the same time, feel a delight in him, and a sweetness in his company and conversation; we long to see him when absent; we rejoice in his presence; the enjoyment of him tends to make us happy: So, when a holy soul beholds God in the infinite moral excellency and beauty of his nature, and loves him supremely, and is devoted to him entirely, now also he delights in him superlatively. His delight and complacency is as great as his esteem, and arises from a sense of the same moral excellency and beauty. From this delight in God arise longings after a further acquaintance with him, and greater nearness to him. Job. xxiii. 3.-0 that I knew where I might find him, that I might come even to his seat! Longings after communion with him. Psalm lxiii. 1, 2. O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee: my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is. To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary. Verse 8. My soul followeth hard after thee. A holy rejoicing in God. Hab. iii. 17, 18. Although the fig-tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vine ; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the field shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall

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