DISCOURSE

XCII.

The great inftances of wickedness.

PSALM V. 4, 5.

Thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness, &c.

I

Am now in the fecond place, to declare those things that are matters of God's offence, of his hatred

and displeasure; upon which occafion he parts with his creatures, and puts away his creature from him, who is declared to be the great lover of fouls, and one that hates nothing that he hath made, but doth all things worthy infinite goodness to bring his creatures to good; and he doth fully answer the relation he ftands in to his creatures.

Now those things that are matters of God's offence and of the creatures ruin, are fuch as do not at all agree either with the creature's ftate and relation, or not at all anfwer his capacity. And that I may speak diftinctly, I rank them into thefe four orders.

Firft, Things contrary to the due refpect and re-gard which we ought to bear towards God.

Secondly, Things that are contrary to the general love and good-will, which ought to run through the whole creation of God.

Thirdly, Things contrary to that juftice, fairness, righteousness, and equal dealing, which ought to be among fellow-fervants, among fellow-creatures. Fourthly, Things

Fourthly, Things contrary to the fobriety, chastity, temperance, and due moderation of ourselves. And under these heads I fhall digeft all the immoralities that are in the world; things that are perfectly contrary to the nature and spirit of religion, highly offenfive to God, ruinous and mifchievous to creatures.

First, Things that are contrary to the due refpect and regard which we ought to bear to God. Of these we may say in the language of the text, they are works of iniquity, wickedness; for it is our very tenure as we are creatures, to obferve God according to our power. This is engraven upon every creature, this is the ftate of a creature; to be fully and plainly fubject to God, according to our capacity and power. This I fhall make apparent from the confideration of what God is in himself, and what he is to us, and that in fix particulars.

1. God's almighty power, that requires our greateft reverence, and moft humble fubmiffion: not only becaule we cannot refift, for who can ftand up against omnipotency? But we ought to do it, as being fatisfied in our own reason that it becomes us to do it, and as it is expreffive of our duty and obedience.

2. His abundant goodness, that requires our daily praifes; and this is a great piece of our devotion, to fing praises to our God, to magnify him for his goodnefs.

3. God's infinite wifdom, that doth require our highest admiration for we admire things of excellency, efpecially things of art and fkill.

4. His abfolute holiness, that calls for our confor mity and imitation; for we cannot write after a bet

ter

ter copy. We should propofe to ourfelves the beft, if we would be directed.

5. His faithfulness to us, that requires our fincereft affections; God is our trueft friend, most careful of us, most faithful to us. We fhould not fatisfy ourfelves with counterfeit devotion. He is worthy of our most fincere affection; therefore I advise that men would not fatisfy themselves to come into God's prefence, to confefs themfelves finners, and to think this is religion, to make this acknowledgment. We ought to purfue thefe prayers, and every time we can make fome progrefs in holiness and obedience, be more careful to perform what before we did confess we have neglected, be more watchful over ourselves. Let us not think it fufficient to confefs and pray ; but we must and reform. For if our prayers and devotions be not inftruments of piety, they are worth nothing; if not engagement to a more conscionable and holy walking, we deceive ourselves, and difhonour God; for the prayers of the wicked are an abomination to God.

pray

6. God's calling us into being, raifing us out of nothing, requires our obedience; fo God fpeaks by the prophet, Mal. i. 6. If I be a father, where is my bonour? It is the tenour of the fifth commandment; if obedience and honour be due to earthly parents, certainly it is much more due to him that is the ori◄ ginal of all beings.

Now unless there be an alienation of our faculties from their proper objects; there be an alienation of our mind and understanding from God, (which is the trueft facrilege,) which are God's peculiar, God's appropriate,

appropriate, God's referve; (for there is a ftamp of God upon them, they are powers and faculties in order to God; motion towards God, is their proper motion; mind and understanding are for God ;) unlefs, I fay, there be an alienation of thefe faculties from God, which is their proper object; there will be no fatisfaction to the reafon of our minds, if these acts now mentioned be not performed. We may live in hurry, we may put ourselves off from ourselves, and reject the fenfe of our minds; but whenfoever we are at leifure, till we contract reprobacy of mind, there will, on reflection upon ourfelves, be no fatisfaction, if thefe acts be not performed; for they are the proper ufe of thefe powers and faculties; we had better have been without them, and thefe higheft faculties been mere fenfe and imagination, than be alienated from God.

Of the things that are contrary to this due regard we ought to bear towards God, I will inftance in three particulars. I. To ufe the name of God lightly. 2. To attest God to what is falfe. 3. To use the name of God for bafe ends and purposes.

1. To use the name of God lightly to ufe his name for a form of words, when we have no sense of God in our minds. We ought not to name God without fome fenfe of his facred majefty at that time in our minds, nec Deus interfit, nifi dignus vindice nodus; do not name God, except fomething worthy of God do call for it; unless you speak fomething that reflects to his honour, or fomething that doth invoke his direction; for otherwife this fhews that we have flight thoughts of God. I do not love to hear a man

fay,

fay, God knows it; if at that time he thinks not of him. Not but that we may use the name of God at all times, (for God is all in all to us) if there be an acknowledgment of his infinite perfections, and his grace and goodness for guidance and direction; but that which I speak againft, is, to use his name flightly; when it is a form of words, and no fenfe of him is upon our minds. But the second thing that follows, is far worse. 2. To atteft God to what is falfe, to produce him as a witnefs to a lie. Jer. xxiii. 10. because of fwearing, on this fafhion, the land mourneth. Ecc. ix. 2. Diftinction is made between him that fweareth, and him that feareth an oath. Let men confider what they do; for when they swear by God, and appeal to him as a witness that they are in the truth, in fo doing they depofite and pawn their fouls in God's hands for the truth of what they fay, and expofe themselves to all God's plagues and vengeance. For if it be not true, it is in effect as much as to fay, God punish, God plague and destroy me, according to my demerit, if this be not true. And let us remember, that it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God, Heb. x. 21. Wherefoever God is appealed to as teflis, there he is also judex & vindex. Where God is a witness, there he is a judge and avenger. Now if there be fo great caution and wariness to be used in cafe of fwearing, which in cafes and circumftances is lawful and warrantable, yea neceflary; that is, where there is truth in the matter, and importance in the cafe; what account then can be given of curfing in the name of God, in fuch forms of words as thefe,