720 SERMON VIII. Glory. This Command binds all without exemption: therefore he direClshis follow. ers to be arm'd with ExpeClation of hard Entertaiflment in the World. Now this Pre. cept fcems fo fevere to carnal Men, that no.Motives can reconcile their AffeCtions to it If they are fpoiled of the Advantages, and deprived of the Pleafures of this World . they are ready to complain as Mzcah to them who robb'd him of his Image and Tera: phim1 1ou take awa1 m.Y Gods. As if the Son of God were fuch a poor or illiberal Re. waroer, either deteCl!Ve 10 Power or Love, that they fl10uld be Lofers for his fake. 7Nrdly; The promifed Rewards of the Gofpel have no affeClive Force upon the Car. ~:~ ~i~~;t:D; ~~~~ito;ns~ s;~~s~f":~ti~~ee~d~f~l f~; ~~·~~eH;:;re~~;n~f ~Jht f;{; poflible that Men fhould be indifferent and carelefs of their final Happinefs 1 'Tis almofr equally diific~lt. to induce Men to believe and chufe the Favour and Fruition of God, as theu only Fehc!ty, as to convmce them they do not beheve and choofe it. But their Actions declare their Choice, and their Choice declares their Eileem : for if his Fa. vour were eileem'd an unvaluable Treafure, it would be tho chief Object of their De. tires; they would not forfeit it for all the World : 'tis therefore evidentthat thechufing the Pleafures of Sin, and the Profits of the World, is the direct defpifing the Favour of God. And the account of it is clear : for rho Heaven be a State of eternal and in. expreflible Bleifednefs,_ yet'tis future and fpiritual: it makes but a weak Impreflion upon thelf Mmds, and IS unfutable to the!f Affectwns. Carnal Men have but an ima. ginary Reprefenration of the World to come, and their Aifent to it is over-fhadowed ~n~a~~i~~g ~~r~; f;~~~to;i~sw;~~Itil~~ ~~~d'~:ae~f~~:~~~d:;b~~d;~~~~~~:~1~~ of the Heart that makes it defirable. The Wife Philofopher obferves, "That fuch as "the radicated Difpofition and Habit of a Man is, fuch will the End appear to ltim. Therefore a fupernatural fpiritual Good cannot appear to a fenfual' Man fo attractive, as to be chofen as his Felicity. Only tbe pure in Heart can fee God, and love him, and enjoy him in his amiable Excellencies : the Unrenewed have no certain nor fatisfying No. tions of the Happinefs that his Prefentc diffufes among the Bletfed above. This will be difcourfed of more particularly under another Head. ne:I:I:~{ ~af~~~~n~akis ¥f~~.A,t~n7e~~r~i~~;.;~~i~~n~a~~~~Z{fc~~· ~~~s ~~~: he cannot hurt us again(\ our Wills; the Enemy without could not furprize us, if tbe Traytor within, the corrupt Nature, did not give him Admittance; he cannot immediately work upon the Will, nor difcern the Mind ; without our Confent he cannot obtain a Conqueil over us ; therefore his prevailing Temptations do not difculpate Sin· ners that yield to them : he rules only in the Chddren of Difobedience, they are his voluntary Slaves ; but he has a ilrange Power in the Minds and Hearts of Men by his managing tempting Objects. The World makes an lmpreflion upon our lower Faculties, and he improves the lmpreflion, and excites corrupt Defires. As the Operations of the holy Spirit in Believer~ are fecret but ilronger than the Influence of the Stars : fothe Workings of Satan are in the Wicked fecretbutpowerful. Iwilllirilcdnfiderrhe Motives that urge him to be fo active and ardent in hindering the Succefs of the Go. fpcl for the Salvation of our Souls. 2. His Methods and Wiles for that end. The Motives are, 1 • His eternal Enmity to God : for being under a Doom never to be reveril, his Malice is always raging and working to dilhonour and difpleafe the Righteous Judg. He jinn'dfrom the heginning, 'tis his unwearied and uninterrupted Work. Men in complywg with his Temptations, are fway'd and carried by the Biafs of their Lulls; fome are brib'd by Profir, others allured by Pleafure: but his great End is, that the Law ofGod may be violated, his Majeily defpifed, and his Gloryobfcur'd. As i_n a rebellious In· furrechon, the Multitude are engaged, fome for Spoil, others for pnvate Refpetls, but the Dcfign of the Leader is to dethrone the King, and ufurp his Scepter. Satan's Op• pofttion againil God is more fierce and !ledfail than of the moll. refolved. Rebels that trampl e upon the Divine Law every day : they do moreaccomphfh hts Will than thetr own, which will be the occafion and matter of his mfultmg Scorn, and funous upbraiding them hereafter. llriefly, he loves Sin for Sin~s fake, as 'tis an Affront and P~ovocation of the Divine Majeily, and is more pleafed m the Sm_s of Men than m thm everlalling Damnation, .becaufe the. holy and nghteous Lawgiver 1S dilhonoured by their Sin::~~~~~~~~~\:; :~d1k~~r~'J'.~:f~itthe Souls of Men. 'Tis another Hell to him, to fee themreil:or'd to the Favour ot Sicd, and Ius glorw~s Jma&e re-wg:aven on thid He is a jealous Jailor, and ifpoflible wdl not loofe any of h!S Capuves. Be111g condcmThe to everlailing Burnings, he will make them fecl lus Fire,
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=