1JireEtions for a.zvell grounded Faith. DIRECT. VI. P..fmember that God is your. So-veraign I\it!g, to rf\ulea1ul Judge yuu: And that it u Gr. Vir. 6 ' yow· !J(e8icude and happm<jS to obey aud pleaje hmz : Labour tiJerefore to brmg ~6~"Jb;:~':" )'OUI' fouls and bodtes mto the mojl abfolttteJttbje8tOil to lum, and to make tt your Supcc"n Go, Delight and bttjinefs fincerely and exaEHy to obey hu Will. vernour. §. r. HAvingRe(igmdyour felves abfolutrly to God as your Owner, you are next to [ubje8 your {tives abfoluuly to God at your Governour or King. How much of our Religion confillerh in this, you may fee in the nature of the thing, in the defign of the Law and Word of God, in the doctrine and example of JcfusChrill, in rhe defcriptioo of the la(\ judgement, and in the common confentof all the world. ThoughLove is the highel1 work of man, yet is it fo far from difcharging Aritlippusro... llS from our fit_bjdlirm and obedieuu, that it conflraineth Uf tO it mo!l: pow(rfully and moll: fweetly, and g:uu~ a!i~uan~ mufi it felf be Judged of by thefe dfel.ts. John I4· I 5· If ye love me, keep my Commandment!. do qu•• ha~ 2I. He that batb my Commandment/ and k.!epeth them , be it i1 that loveth me : 2 3. Ifany m.11t love berenh ·\£ml~ "~:, he _will k.fep myword1, anduryFather 1villLove him, a.nd we will come mJto IJim, and mak!our abode~~~ si::-. ff)tth bun. 24• Hethat lovetb me uot, '<fepeth not my faytngs. John I 5· 10. If ye k.fep my Command~ ncs, inquir, meJttJ, ye jh.lU abide in my Love, evtJt M I have ~ept my FatberJ CommandmentJ, and abide in hU Love: leges intcrt~. I4· Ye arttny frientlJ, if )'e do wbatfoever I command you. John 13. 17. If ye k._HIJW thffe thing1, happy am, _X,JU:lbth~ are ;re if ye ·do them. 1 John)· 3• For this ii the Luve ofGod, that ye k,_eep hi1 Commandment I, and c;,rv;;;nus. hi.r Comm"andmwt.t are 11ot grievour. 1 John 2. 4· He that faith, 1k,..now him, aitd Jt.!cpeth not hir Com~ a':f • mimdmw~r, ir a fyar, a;zd the truth is 11ot in him. 5· Emwho fo k.!epeth his word, in him 'lJtrily, is the Love ofGod perfel.ied: hereby k._now we that we are in him. 6. He that fJirh he i1 i1r him, oughr hir•ftlf alfo to walk_, even as he wa.lJ:..ed. 29. I!_ye k,..now that he ii Righteous, you k.Jtow that wery one that doth Rigbtcott[neji is hem fl{bim. 1 John 3. 6. Wbofnever abidet/J in him, finneth not : whofoever jinneth, h.ztb not [em him, neitber k.Jtownhim. 7· Little children, let m man deceiveyou: he that doth righueufnefr, W righteouJ, evw aJ he i1 righeeotu. 8. He that committetb fin, is of the Devil: for the Devil /innetb from the begimting: for thi1 purpo[e the Son ofGod wa1 manifefted , that he might deftroy the work,..t of the Dt•vil. 9· Tf'ho[oever is born ofGod, doth not commit fin ; for IJi.t feed remainetiJ iJt him; and he can~ not fin, becaufe he ir born ofGod. IO· In thii the children of God are ma11i[tjf, and the childten of the Devil: n-·bofoeverdotb notrif!.hteoufmfl, is not ojGod---22. And what[oever Wt alk.J we receive of him, becau]C we k,.tep bir Commandment!, a11d do thofo things tbat are pleafing in his fight. Rev. 22. 14• "B'lrffid are they that do hi.J CommandmentJ, that they raay have right to the Tree of Life, and may enter i11 by the g~tes into the City. I fer together thefe tefiimvnies of the. Scripture, that the fiream Of Divine authority maY carry you to a lively fenfe of the neceffity ofObedience. · ~. 2. Hhall here fidltell you.what this full [ubjeflion is, and then I O>all Dirt8 you how to at– tain it. I. As in God there is firfl: his Relation o( our King, and then his aCiual Government of us, by his Law.f a~d Judgement: fein ur there is firfl: our Relation ofSubjel1s to God, and then our allual obeJ-i~ ... , ence~>L~ vyeare Subjells by Divine obligation, before we confont (as Rebels are): but our Confent or ShbJ~ton filf~o1Ju'afltion is necefTary 'to omVoluntary obedience, and acceptation with God. Subjdiion i.t our w at' jrated obligation to Obediwee. This fubje8ion and habit of Obedience is then right and full, I. When the fenfe of Gods authority over us , is Pra{Jical and not notional on1y. 2. And when it i~ deep~roowi and fixed, and become as a Nat~tre to us: As a mans intentio1% cf hi.I. End is that hath a long Journey to go, which carryeth him on to the lafl: ftep: or as a Child! ji1bjellion to his Parmtt, or a Servant ..... tO his Mafter, Which isthe Habit or principleof his daily courfc of life. 3, When it is Lively, and ready to put the foul upon obedience. 4• When it is con.ftant, keeping the tOul in a continual attendance upon the Will of God. 5· When it hath univer[ul relpeli to aU his Commandments. 6. When it is re{olttte, powerful and 'lJiliofioui againfl: temptations to difobedience: 7· When it is fitperlative, refpeCHng God as our fupream Ki11g, and owning no authority againjl him, nor any but what is fub- <>rdjnate to him. 8. when it is Voluntary, Plrafant, Chearful, and delc8able to us toObey him to the utmofi of our Power. · t §· 3· I I. To bring the foul to this full fubjtlli.n and Obedience to God, is fo Difficult, and yet fo Ho•qo.lning' reafonable, fo nr,effarJl, and fo excellentlygood, that we Chould not think any diligence too great, by tht_fou~ uuo w~ich it is to be _att~ihed. The Dir_diitms that I fhall give you, are fome of them to Habituate the ~~~e.bto:n to mmd to an ObedJ~JZUal frame, and {ome of them alfo pralizcaUy to further the exerci[e ofObedience 411 iri particular ad-s. , §. 4, Direl.t. I . Remember the un1ueftiona,ble pi<Jtary 1itlf, tbat God hatb .'o tbe Governmem nf you, 1Jire8. ,; anJof aU the world. The fenfe of thJS W>ll awe the foul, and help to lubJer9c 1t to him, and to tilence all rebellious motions; Should not God Rule the Creatumwhkh he hath m•de l ShmHJ not Cbrift Kult
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