WE Herefore if thy Hand or thy Foot offend thee, cut them off, and caft them from thee: It is better for thee to enter into Life halt or maimed, rather than having two Hands or two Feet to be caft into everlasting Fire, Mat. xviii. 8. Man has within himself Occasions enough of Sin, and need not feek for any from without He must be ready to part with what is deareft to him, and effectually to cut off all evil Actions, Words, and Inclinations. This is a Circumcifion grievous to Nature, but neceffary to Salvation. A Friend, who does us all the good Offices imaginable, but who, being an Enemy to our Piety, hinders us from ferving God, is a neceffary Hand, which notwithstanding must be cut off. A Vifit where a Man meets with dangerous Objects, which is attended with Lofs of Time, Occafions of Evil-speaking, Distraction of Mind, and other Temptations to Sin, is a Foot which we are likewise obliged to cut off. JESUS the Hind'rance fhew, Which I'm afraid to fee, Some curfed Thing unknown Muft furely lurk within, 1 AND they caught Him (the Heir), and caft Him out of the Vineyard, and flew Him, Mat. xxi. 39. Let us take great Heed, left while we deteft thefe Murderers of the Són of God, we ourselves be reckoned of the Number, on the Account of our corrupt Will. To be rejected and crucified of the Jews, who knew him not, was lefs grievous to him than to be despised and outraged by Christians, who make Profeffion of adoring Him. To caft him out of our Hearts, is to caft him out of the Vineyard, which he has purchased with his Blood, and to take away the Life which he had in us. How many Hearts are guilty of Murder in the Sight of God! How many, which are at least a Prison, where Jefus Chrift is detained Captive. Thou haft undertook for me, Teach the Leffon of thy Crofs, Let me die with Thee to reign, THEY made light of it (the Lord's Dinner), and went their Ways, one to his Farm, another to his Merchandise.--- And the Remnant took his Servants, and entreated them spitefully, and flew them, Mat. xxii. 5, 6. There are three Sorts of States wherein Men run the Rifque of living in a continual Forgetfulness and Neglect of Salvation. The firft is, that of a foft, idle, and voluptuous Life, wherein a Man thinks of nothing but quietly to enjoy Life, Health, Riches, Conveniences, good Chear, publick Diverfions, and private Pleafures. This is the Life of a Man of Fortune and Pleafure. The fecond State of Life, is that of a Man, entirely taken up with worldly Bufinefs, Merchandise, the publick Revenues, or any gainful Employment in which the Love of Riches, and Application to the Means of acquiring them, ftifle the Thoughts of Salvation and ingrofs all that Time which should be fet apart for the Profecution of it. The third State, is that of Men openly unjuft, violently, and outrageoufly wicked, who are Sinners, as it were by Profeffion, in the Face of the World, and who not only neglect their Salvation, but are incenfed against all thofe, who exhort them to mind it. Permit us not, Lord, ever to be forgetful of Thee in any State, or to be engaged in fuch as are inconfiftent with Salvation. ESUS faid unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with J'all thy Heart, and with all thy Soul, and with all thy Mind, Mat. xxii. 37. If to love God with all the Heart, be to feek and reft in Him alone, for His own fake, and to feek and take Pleasure in nothing, but only so far as it is conformable to his Will, as it may be referred to his Glory, or be useful to our own Salvation, to that of our Neighbours, or to the Good of the Church; we may then be affured, that the Number of those, who love God from the Bottom of the Heart, is much smaller than we imagine. There muft be no Thoughts nor Designs in the Mind, no Defires or Motions in the Will, no Business or Actions in the Life, but what must have the Love of God for their Principle, and his Glory for their End. An humble, lowly, contrite Heart, Believing, true, and clean, Where only Chrift is heard to speak, Where JESUS reigns alone. O! for an Heart to praise my God, An Heart from Sin fet free! An Heart that always feels thy Blood, An Heart in every Thought renew'd, And full of Love divine, THIS The greatest Sins are those which are committed against the LOVE OF GOD, because This is the firft and great Commandment. And it is so, 1st In Antiquity, being as old as the World, and engraven in our very Nature.2d In Dignity, as directly and immediately respecting GOD. 3d In Excellence, being the Commandment of the New Covenant, and the Spirit of the divine Adoption. 4th In Juftice, because it alone renders to GOD his due, prefers him before all Things, and fecures to him his proper Rank in relation to them. 5th In Sufficiency, being fufficient of it felf to make Men holy in this Life, and happy in the other. 6th In Fruitfulness, because it includes all the other Commandments, and is the Root of them all. 7th In Virtue and Efficacy, because by This alone God reigns in the Heart of Man, and Man is united to GOD. 8th In Extent, leaving nothing to the Creature which it does not refer to the Creator. 9th In Neceffity, being indifpenfible. 10th In Duration, as being never to be discontinued on Earth, and to continue eternally in Heaven. How then, my GoD, can any one forbear loving Thee: Yet how can any one poffibly love Thee, unless Thou thy felf vouchsafeft to infpire this Love into Him? |