at Peace. An Apprehenfion he hath of GOD's Dominion; he cannot gainfay the too evident Truth, but he fecretly disapproves it, he trembles at the Thought, and wishes from his inmoft Soul, there were no fuch Being to control and trouble him. An Apprehenfion he hath too of God's Goodness and Mercifulness; but how unrelenting and impious the Conclufion he would needs draw from it, while from hence he takes to himfelf a Freedom and Licence to commit and continue in Sin, inftead of melting into Shame and Sorrow upon the Thought and Remembrance of abusedGoodness and flighted Mercy! Juft fo alfo he apprehends of GOD's Patience Becaufe GOD delays to ftrike, and avenge himfelf, he fets his Heart fully to do Evil (u); every Way laboring to turn the Grace of God into Licentiousness, and taking Occafion from the very Perfections of GOD, to harden himfelf in finning against him. Horrible Imagination! You would not thus deal with GOD, you verily judge! But by far the most of you do; even every one among you that abideth in known Sin. Look to it; you fhall find, that I have fpoken the very Defires which have paffed through your Heart, and poffeffed themfelves of you, although through the Wantonnefs of your Ways, and almoft total For(u) Ecclef. viii. 11. getfulness

getfulness of GOD, you may not have noted. them, Indeed how fhould you note them, while you have fo little Apprehenfion of GOD's Prefence, that you live without him in the World, difengaged from all Thought, of his Nearnefs to you, unless when unavoidably you must reflect a Moment, that there is a God that judgeth in the Earth (x); when either you are in the Way of hearing his Threatnings, or are fuffering his Corrections, or are made to fee his Providences?

NOR are the Apprehenfions of the formal Profeffor any thing different from yours, concerning the Perfections and Prefence of GOD. A fpeculative, and (if I may so call it) a traditionary Knowledge of GoD, a Conformity to Modes of Worfhip, and the Externals of Religion, may make a Man ftrangely to mistake himfelf: And he may be ready to take it for granted, that all is well, though there be in truth nothing of Humility in all the Apprehenfions which he hath of GOD. You are often upon your Knees I allow But had you not rather (might it fo be) that you were left to your own Government and Direction, to do as yourself should please, and, it may be, to be fecure of an eternal Poffeffion in the Gratifications of this Life, entirely your own Ma-' fter and difengaged from the Submiffion, (x) Pfal. lviii. 11.

which now you fee, you must of Force pay to God? Is there not fomewhat in this Propofal with which you could heartily acquiefce? And if fo, what avails it, that you pay God never fo many Compliments? Still you are the very Reverfe from the new Creature, in your Apprehenfions about the Divine Majefty. And fo alfo, though you may talk never fo finely and never fo frequently of GOD's Goodness and Mercifulness; yet hath not the one or the other taught you to loath yourself for your Iniquities, and your Heart to rife against Sin with a fincere and loyal Indignation. Juft the contrary; Sin and you are well reconciled; and you would as willingly continue in the Practice of it, as the careless and more easy Sinner, were you not afraid. The Patience of GOD hath neither wrought with him nor you, to lament your Hardnefs, and Impenitency under it: But, infenfible to GoD's Forbearance, you are prefumptuous and he is fecure. The Apprehenfion you have of Gop's Prefence with you, hath no Delight in it; you know not, what Communion with God means; and the Reflection, that God is near, while it troubles and terrifies the Careless, doth not please you. In a word, the only Difference between you in this Respect is, that Formality hath blinded you, and Luft hath hardned him: Both of you unhumbled; be

hates

hates God and flies from him; you dread GOD and pay him a forced Attention: His Apprehenfions of GOD are full of Dislike and Terror, and yours are, without Love and Reverence.

THERE is then (you fee) the wideft Difference between the new Creature and the natural Man, in their Apprehenfions of God bimfelf: The Apprehenfions of the new Creature are peculiar to him. And the like-Peculiarity is obfervable in his Judgment of all other Things. We will endeavour to fet out a few of them in one View.

With regard to CHRIST. The new Creature judges him the Way, the Truth, and the Life; admires his Power and Ability to save; views and reviews with fecret Satisfaction, the Victories he hath gained for Man upon Earth, and the Gifts and Graces he now dispenses from his Throne in Heaven; confiders him, as the Lord of all Things, and Author of everlasting Salvation; and knowing the utter Want he has of fuch a Teacher, Savior, and Lord, fixes his Eye upon him with loyal and complacential Regard. With full Perfuafion of Christ's Fitnefs, every way to effect the Deliverance of fallen Man, his Soul is drawn unto him, and cries out my Lord and my God! With regard to the SPIAware of the perverfe Inclination of his Nature, and convinced of his own Infufficiency

RIT.

ficiency to attain the leaft Measure of that Purity of Heart, which fhall lead him to the Sight of God, he apprehends the need he has of this Divine Illuminator, Guide, and Comforter; regards him, as the Lord and Giver of Life; approves with Wonder and Thankfulnefs his unfeen Agency upon the Souls of Men; admires his Fitnefs for these Offices as GOD; and bleffes his Condefcenfion, that he should prepare himself a Temple in the Hearts of his polluted Creatures.-With regard to SIN. Looking upon the bleffed GOD, he judges of it, as that which defiles. his Majefty, and would dare to attempt his Throne; as what perverts all the gracious Contrivances of infinite Wisdom, neither fuffering the Maker to inherit his Glory, nor the Thing made to profper and be happy; he fees Divine Purity abominating it and Divine Goodness abused by it; Justice most righteously lighting upon it with inexorable Vengeance, and Mercy, only infinite, capable of forgiving it. He fees a troop of the moft deformed Monsters couched under every Act of it; infolent Rebellion, stupid Infenfibility, ftubborn Undutifulness, forgetful Ingratitude, and odious Defilement : He fees Mifery following upon its Heels; and acknowledges, how equitable God is in all the present and approaching Ills, which either now betide, or hereafter await it. He

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