86 SERMONS upon the Serm. XIV. der foot. It is true, we cannot leifen Gods happinefs by any thing that we can do,; all that we do, it is but as a man that firikes at the Light that lhines upon a Tree, he may caufe his Axe to fallen in thaii Tree, but he hurts not the Light. God is not really hurt, there is no lofs or happinefs by any thing the Creature can do, our goodand evil extends not to him, his effential Glory is Rill the fame, whether we obey or difobey, pleafe or difpleafe, honour or difhonour him, that is eternally immutable; he is neither leffened nor increafedby any thing we can do, he is out of the reach of all darts we cafl at him ; we may fling up darts to Heaven, hurt us they may, not him. But how is fin a wrong to God ? It is a wrong to his declarative Glory, as he is the Sove- reign Lord and Law - giver, as a breach to his Law and contempt of his Authority. Look as 'David when he finned in the matter of BathJheba, he wronged vriah,but yet he fays, `Pfa. 51. 4. AgainJl thee, thee only have I finned. The fin was properly againll God. God is the Author of the Light of Nature, and the order of things, which begets a fenfe of good and evil in our hearts, and therefore who ever fins againft the Light of Nature is refponfible to God. Confcience within him, tells him he bath done fomething againft God. If a man be poor, or lick, his Confcience is not troubled for that, but if he hath done fomething chi-orderly, Confcience being Gods deputy, his mind may be troubled about it; if he hath committed Adultery, or done any thing that is contrary to the Light of Nature,his heart will be upon him, and fummons him to appear before God, to anlwer for the wrong done to God.I fpeak thisbecaufaof the Gentiles. But now for Chriftians, God certainly gave the Law by Mofes, and gave the Law by Chrift in the Gofpel, and therefore every fin of ours is ail offence to God, as being a breach of that or- der he bath eftablifhed, and the way of Government under which he bath put us, i John 3, 4. Sin is a tranfgrefion of the Law. Laws cannot be defpifed, but the Majefly of the Lawgiver is alto violated, and therefore as God is the wronged Party, God comes in to be our Judg, to require fatisfaflion for the wrong we have done. There is fomething indeed in this but God does not barely as an offended Party, or as a Private Man would revenge himfelf, where there is no publick Power conflituted to do him right No; He properly judgeth us as the Supream and Soveraign,Lord and Governour of the World, to whom it belongs as the UniverfalKing to fecure the ends of Government; for Com- mon good, to fee that it be well with them, that do well, and ill with them that do ill, and there is no compaflion (hewed to any Creature, but where the cafe is com- pa(lionable. But more plainly to thew how this right accrues to God,how he comes to be the Su- pream Governour of the World, feveral ways ; either becaufe of the excellency of hisBeing, or becaufe of the Relation wherein we fiend to him, for all the benefits he bellows upon us, we have all from him. a. For the excellency of his Being. This is according to the Light of Nature, that thofe that excel others, fhould be Chief and Supream, as it is clear in man above bruit - beafls. Man was made to have dominion over them, having a more excellent Na- ture then they, as in the firfl of Gen. When God faid, Let us make man, prefently God puts the Government upon him, and gives him dominion over the Beafls of the field; the Fowls in the Air, and Fills in the Sea. So God being Infinite, and far above all chief Beings,hath power over all his Creatures, Angels and Men, who are as nothing to him, therefore to be governed byhim. z. The Title comes by vertue of the benefits that he bath bellowed upon us, we have Life, Being, and all things from God, therefore certainly, the Power and Authority is in him. Look as Parents have Power and Authority over their Children who are a means under God to give them Life, and education, and the molt Barbarous people would acknowledge this; how much more then hath God, who gives us Life, Breath, Being, and Well- being, and all things ? He hath created us out of nothing, and being once created, he preferves us, and givesus all the good things we enjoy, and therefore we are obliged to be fubjeft to him, and obey his Holy Laws, and to be accountable to him for the breach of them ; and therefore let us Rate it thus, ifthat the excellency of his Nature, gives him a fuffciency for the Government of mankind, hisCreation, Prefer - vation, and other benefits, they givehim a full right to difpofe of man, to make what Laws he pleafeth,to call man to account whether he keepthem yea or no.Surely the right of God is greater then that which Parents can have over their Children ; fcr in natural Generation, Parents are but only the Inftruments of his Providence, acing only the Power God gives them, they propagate nothing to their Children, but the matter oftheir Being, and thofe things that belong to the Body, Heb, 12. 9. Nay God bath a greater hand r;:
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