Wright - BT300 W8 1788

and SA-VIOUR, JESUS CHRIST, and his APOSTLES, &c. 201 gratitude for his benefits, fruit in his good- nefs, attachment to his fervice, refignation to his providence, the obeying ofhis com- mandments, admiration, hope, fear, joy, &c. not becaufe it confifis in any of thofe fingly, but in them altogether : for to con- tent ourfelves with partial regards. to the Supreme Being, is not to be affeRtedto- wards him in the manner we ought to be, and, which his perfeaions claim. Hence the words of the precept are, Thou fhalt lòve the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy foul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy firength; that is, with the joint force of all thy faculties ; and, therefore, no idol whatfoever muff partake of the love and worfhip that is due tohim alone. But the beauty and excellency of this Rate of mind is beR teen in it's effells ; for the worfhip and obedience flowing from fuch an univerfal bent of the foul towards God is as much fuperior to the worfhip and obedience arifing from partial confiderations, as the brightnefs of the fun is to any piliure that can be drawn of that luminary. Thus, for example, if we look upon God, only as a Rem law- giver, who can and will punilh our rebel- lion, it may, indeed, force an awe and dread of him, and as much obedience to his laws as we think will fatisfy -him, but can never produce than conffancy in our duty, that delight in it, and that earneR- nefs to perform it in it's utmoff extent, which are produced and maintained in the mind, by the facred fire of divine love, or by the bent of the whole foul turned towards God ; a frame that conflitutes the higheRperfellion andhappinefs of the crea- ture, and, therefore, the moR excellent that can be conceived, and the moR to be defired. We fhould always earneflly defire to be bleffed with the pretence of the MoRHigh, our fouls fhould pant after him, as the hart panteth after the water-brooks, and even thiri for the Living God. Again, this commandment requires us to fear God ; and certainly we cannot love the Lord our God, unlefs we fear and reverence him: No. 17. for as the love, fo the fear of God, is the fumof all the commandments, and, indeed, the fubfiance of all religion. If we ac- knowledge there is a God, it is but rea- fonable we fhould fear his effential greatnefs and glory; for you open a paffage for a deluge of villainy and wickednefs, if you take away the fear of a Deity, and that of a Supreme Power, that can reward and punifh the allions ofmen. It is not enough that we love and fear the MoR High, we muff alto call upon the name ofGod in our prayers and praifes : love and fear refpeli the inward worfhip of God in our hearts, and by this all of outward worfhip, we give an exprefs teflimonÿ that we love and fear him : prayer and praifes are the tribute and ho- mage of religion, by the one we acknow- ledge our dependance upon God, by the other we confefs, that all our blelfings and comforts are from him. Such, therefore, as neither pray to God nor praife him, cannot be Paid to have a God, for they acknowledge none, but are gods to them- felves ; and as the love and fear of God are often ufed in Scripture for his whole worfhip and fervice, fo is this calling upon his name : Pour out thy fury upon the Heathen that know thee not, and upon the families that have not called upon thy name,. Jer. x. 25. But to return.'Our blefted Saviour having thus anfwered the queftion put to him by theScribe, added; that the fecond commandment was that which enjoined the love of our neighbour. This had,- indeed, no relation to the lawyer's queftion con- cerning the firl commandment ; yet our bleffed Lord thought proper to Thew him which was the fecond, probably becaufe the men of his fell did not acknowledge the importance and precedency of love to their neighbours, or becaufe they were re- markably deficient in the prall.ice of it, as Jesus himfelf had often found in their attempts to kill him : And thefecond is like unto it, Thou /halt love thy neighbour as tlelf. 3 C Our

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