<fhe Exiftenct of G 0 D. f:nver tha11 the Angels, a11d hail crown'd him with Glory IVtd HJIJollr; Th.PP madcft bim to hJtue ~ dJminio" '""the Worf<! of thy Hands, tho11 haft put aU thin gs under his Feet. . . Cha11- 7• And as our mof'r ardent Love, fo in tire Obedience asthe infeparableeffo£1 of1t, IS due to ~ the Creator,bo:h in aftivefervice for his Glory, and an ab folute refignatipn tohis Will. The f'rrongcf'r title to acquire Dominion according to the Law of Nature, is that of the Caufe to the Eff, cl. The Mind cannot rebel again(\ the light of this Principle.. 'Tis malt jufr therefore we fhould implay all our Powers, eyen from the early rife of Reafon. to the fetring point of Life, wholly in hisfervice fromwhom,~erece!ved them: 'Ttsanexcelkm reprefenration of St. 11 Alljlin; If a Scolptor, after Jus fufbtomng a ptece. of Mar- 11 Skut dd;, ble in a humane Figure, could infpire it wirh Life and Sen[e, and give it Mooon, and 1'11':"'~ CZ· .tUndcrfianding, and Speech, can it be imagin'd but the firn afr of it would be to pro~rate ,::;;,;, vir1." it felf at the feet of the Maker, in fubj ell:ion and thankf ulnefs, and to offer whatever 1t is, S.t.de v"b. and can do, as homage to him? The Almighty Hand of God form'd our Bodies, He Dom. breathed mtous the Spi ri t of Lrfe; and fhould not the power of Love mnfrram us to live wholly according to his Will? Methinks nothing fh ould be pleafing to us but as we make it trrbmary to Hmt. If we only regard Hrm as our Creator, that one .quality fhon!J for ever ingage us to Fidelity in his Service, Zeal for his Interefr, Ohed rence to his Laws, and an inviolable Refpell: for his Honour. And this Duty binds us the more firongly, becaufe as God made the World for Man's pro fit, fa he II!llde Man for his own Glory. And what the Load-Crone is to the Steel, or the fenfib le good to the appetite; the fame attrall:ive is the end to the intelligent Nature. And the higher the end i~, and the more the mind is firted to underf'rand its excellen ce, the more powerful it fhould excite the £1culties, in purfuit of it according to their uttermoil: capacity. Now what horrid imthankfulnefs is it to be infenfible of the infinite Debt we owe to God? Wbat difJoyalty to pervert his Favours, to flight his Commmd.s, and crofs the end ofour Cre~tion} The ferious Confidcration that God has given us fuch a noble Nature, capable tD know, love, ferve and enjoy Him, and that we have fa little improved our faculties for thefe excel;. }~~:~~~ g~~~~Js~'r~~~ ~~~:0af~~~V:fi;n:r~~~~r0!;t:~~~:,~;~e~f£"~£~~~';~ ty and our Difobedience have the fame meafure. The Goodnefs and Bounty of our ~~~a~1!;:~: ri~g~~;~ t~~i~, a~~J~heo~~;e ;;~~~~~g~~e~:ve~;c:~;~:~~:~ worthy of punifhment will our negleft be. Among Men an ungrateful perfidious !?er. fan is an objell: of horror; and favours abnfed become motives of hatred. To employ our Faculties rational or fenfitive to the differvice of our Maker, is the fame kind of Villany, though of incomparably greater Guilt, botq in refpell:. ofthe obje(tand degree; as if aTraitorfhould tnrnthe very fame Weapons again frhis Prince, that he received from him for his defence. To turn his benefits into occafions of fin, and 1by the fame things to difhonour Him by which we fhould glorif ie Him, is extreme perverfnefs. In this, unthankful Man _imitates the Earth from when ce he was taken: For that makes ufe of the heat of the Sun to fend up Vapours that obf cure the Beams of Light he communicates to it. This is to defpife the Divine Majefry, Power, Wifdom, Goodnefs, .that are united, and fo eminen~ly appear in his Works, .and will provoke his fevere Venge• ancc. Let us therefore every day revive the fenfe o f our obligations, and by intenfe thoughts kindle the affell:ions of Love and Reverence, ofpraife and thankfulnefs, that in them, as Aamesafcending from an Altar, we may offer o11r [elves a holy living S•crifice, which K our reafonable fervice. Our AD is due to him, whatever we are, whatever we have, our Bodies, our Souls, our Time and Eternityl tur~2d ~i;~r~~~ih~~~~:~~~e '';.~~~~;no~ hi~ ~Wj~~sa~d ~~~~r: 1 r~uJ%c~~!S:~i~ the moll: refpcB:ful fubmiffion to yeild our felves to his pleafure. Authority aod Dignity naturally refult from their union in a perfon. Therefor e 'tis Supreme in him who po.lfeffes them in their greatefr excellence. When God himfelf fpeaks to 1ob ef his tranfcendent Majef'ry, and of his right to difpofe of Men accordin g to his Will; he produces his Works as the confpicuous tefl:imonies of his great Power and exq uifite Wifdom: But the reafan of our fubmiffion will be more convincing if we remember that God has an abfolute un.alienabl~ propriety in us, and all that we enjoy; for our being and comforts are the hberal Gtfts of h1s Hand. If therefore he fha ll pleafe to •take away any of his Favors, evenlife it felf, though notto exchange it fo ra life infinitely better, it would be themofrunnatura!Rebelhooto -refifr thedifpofitions ofhisProvidenoe, the mofr yiJe umhankfulnefs, to be fiormy and paffienate, or to con fent to any fecret murmuring .aud ?rfcontent m the Heart, aStf our own were taken from us, either - unfeafonably or un- )ufily. And though our ·troubles immediately proceed ifom f(cond natural Caufes, yet E ~ accordmg
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