TheRefire o f the Faithful. ^This is the Obje I upon which our foul should be fet, we should have an eye to Goct,Iabouring to approve our felvès shim; making ourapproachcs,and addreffes, ircd returns tohint; that our foutmay red with him, that we may,enjoy the light .òfhis countenance here, and the fulnefs, and brightrefs of his gloryhereafter. Tnis ; ik the fills tissue;inthe'Objeet. hiow,ifa foul be carried toward this Obje h toward God; and we can out-go; ,2. Th name an out grow there worldly things, took above them; and look down upon them with (corn ; then the very name ofGod will be tweet,': and precious ro us. i o thee, and to thy name. Every thing which is a memorial, a remembrance ofGod, Every thing bywhich Godmaybekaawn,will be taken noticeof. All his Attributes, ; his Word, Ordinances, and all other things which come within the compafs of his Name ( as I fuppofe there are not manyhere but know, according to the or. dinaryexplication of Divines, of the third Commandment, :hou(halt not take the name oftheLòrd thy God in vain; and the fi. It Petftion,bainwed be thy-name ; What is Meantby thename of God)When the heart (I (ay) is fet upon God,it even will.leap for joy at the very name ofGod: theverynameof Godwill be tweet to him.To,enjoy God' is fweet, and to have but a glimpfe of him, to have him but repi'cfeuted by. name, is Tweet too. As it is reportedof a Father, that was a godly man, and Martyr in his time : that he was fofrequent in roling thename ofChrift, the name ofJails in his mouth, that when he died, it is reported that in his heart there was 1ingraven,'and written, the charaEter of that Nane in golden letters. And as. Saint Anflin fpeaks of himfelf ; Time mar ( faith he ) that I foundinfnttefweetnef, it ma honey to meta read apiece ofTully, there wasfo much eloquence in it : brit af_. Ter i came to be a Chriflian, to be acquainted with God, and with(brill, then, me thought, the leaves were dry, and the beauty withered ; 1 foundnofilch foppe, nor rellitb in them. And he giveth therefoon : Becaufe (faith he) I did not therefind t'!-r Nara: of my bided Lord: they did not bring to my. remembrance, they were not IR:, .,_ ,, i--1. ,.,>,,',ne, to convey to my foul, fmething ofmy God: Therefore all al r '1 tr .. "ed , and it was but an empty found: like a Cart that runs with theel,ratti.:h,and makes a great noife"when it isetnpty;fo all the goodlyfound of words, when ibriie is nothingofGod carriedalongwith i,- that potsus in mind ofGod, it Will have but little favour and relish to a pious heart. But I mutt not dilate upon things, IcaftI preveiitnìy feltin what I more intend. This is the firft thing,that I note here: the Oblecîuponwhich 'wc should placeonr hearts and fouls: they should be rewardGod, and towardhis `W,jme. But then fecondly, here is intimated in there words, nay, and dircutly cxpreft, The Alts that the Ads which a Ch iftian should exercife Upon the Objea. There are three Aar are exceeded that are here mentioned : (for the whole foul muff be taken up, and carried with bnihe Midi. full Bream toward God in all the parts and faculties of it, and fo we have it here clearly ex refh.) Firft, here is an as of the Underftanding, the intelleEtual faculty mentioned ; i. Of the un- Our remembrance is toward thy name. There is a remembrance ofGodandhie name. erltanding. And this should be one thing which a Chriftian should take fpecial care of. Our memories should not be like (kites, to let out the clear water, and to return the Memory. grains and the dreggs: -Vbe should not have that tteafury to preferverubbish,but to preferve our)ewels;aswhen there was a dilpute before e. 4lexander that great King, concerning a rich Cabinet, that he took among his fpoils, when he had overthrown Darius King ofPerfia ; the richeft Cabinet of the molt coftlyJewels,that the world hadthenfecn;therewas a difpute beforehim,to what of he shouldpat it; and every one havingexpreft their minds'acedrdingas theirfancies lead' them the King himfelf concluded, that he would keep that Cabinet to be á trcafury to lay the. booksofi Humer in. lam fifer, the richeft Cabinet that is, is in the foul ofa man,the memory, which is the treafure. houfe where we lay upall thatwe knovv and learn; it is a rich Cabinet' confefs,aud therefore the fitter for the richcft Jewel; to lay upthe wardof God there ; as .5lerary,treafuredup thofe thingsfheheard inher he, art; to lay up the remembrance of Clod there ; often to thinkuponGod. It is a very fweet fayingof a learned and godly: Father t eelmanAmid ofener remember 1 83
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