whoever pretends to Know or Love him and keepeth not his Commandments, is a Liar, and the Truth is not in him; But whoso keepeth his Word, in him verily is the Love of God per fected.

II. But Secondly, As the perfection of Love is Obedience, fo on the Other hand is Obedience alfo perfected by Love. That is, all the Duties that we perform must flow from this Fountain, must be deriv'd from this Principle, elfe they will be of little worth, and never rife to any degree of Per fection. Love, that Humbled God and made him like to Man in Nature, is That alone, which can Exalt Man and make him like to God in Holiness. 'Tis this must give Life and Spirit to all our performances; for 'tis this alone, which will make our Obedience have all the neceffary qualifi cations to make it acceptable in the fight of God. For,

1ft, It is this that will make ourObedience fincere; that is, will direct us to the trueEnd and Scope, which we ought to have ever before our Eyes in all the good Actions which we perform; and that is toPlease and Glorify Almighty God. How many fair Outfides, and Shews of Religion and Good Works, are there in the World defign'd only for the World? A great many feemingly

very good Actions aiming only at the Praise of Men, as our Saviour long ago has obferv'd; and fuch as thefe will never be accepted by God, because they are Sacrifices without a Heart: there is wanting the true Soul and Life of all Obedience, the Love of God's Honour and Glory. For he, that for the fake of Applaufe, or Honour, or Intereft, or any other Motive befides This, does the best Works in the World, does them not because he Loves God, but because he Loves Himself, and therefore as our Saviour speaks, Verily in that he has his Reward.

2dly, This will make our Obedience, which is another neceffary Requifite, Universal and Entire; not choofing only, and being eager for, fuch Duties, as are most agreeable to our Interefts, or Inclinations, or Constitutions; and neglecting those, that run cross to any of thefe, out of a Vain and Impious thought of Compounding for Sins which we delight in, by condemning all thofe that we hate. No; fince God's Authority, equally ftamp'd upon all his Laws, is equally flighted by the breach of any; fince by every Sin of what kind or degree foever, the fame Majesty is violated, the fame Goodness despitefully us'd, and the fame Love griev'd; Love to the Lawgiver will make us Efteem every Branch of his Law, as equally Obliging. Bb 3 3dly, This

3dly, This will make our Obedience more Humble; for the nearer we draw to God by Love, the more of his Excellence we fhall discover; and the more we see of him, the more humbly it will make us think of ourfelves. I have heard of thee,fays Holy Job, by the hearing of the Ear, but now my Eyes have feen thee: Wherefore I abhor my felf in Duft and Afbes. Job 42. 5. 'Tis the Nature of Love as of other Fires, the higher its Flame rifes, the more to Tremble. But yet this is far from bating at all of its Activity or Heat, For

4thly, This will make our Obedience Cheerful and Ready, which God highly Values and chiefly Efteems. If we knew how agreeable every Juft and Virtuous Action is to the Inherent Perfections of the Divine Nature, and how much that most Excellent Being is pleas'd with fuch, as Refemblances (tho very faint Ones) of his own Infinite Excellencies; Nay had we only diftant Surmifes or dark Gueffes, that he was herein delighted, fuch dim difcoveries only, as Natural Light afforded of this to the Wife Men and Philofophers of Old; Love would teach us even in fuch a State, without ftaying for any positive Law, to Offer him up, of our own Accord, fuch fervices as the Voluntary Expreffions of our ftudying his Pleafure: and even to prevent Obedience by Love, by firft making it our greatest Satif

faction

faction to please him out of our ownChoice, before it became our Duty by his Command: Much less then will Love fuffer us Now to be Remifs, or Cold, or Backward, in his Service; Now, when we have fuch clearRevelations from himself, how we may express our Affections to him, how kindly he will Receive them and how graciously he will Reward them.

5thly,Love will make our Obedience Easy. This is the Love of God, fays St. John, that we keep hisCommandments,and immediately adds, and his Commandments are not grievous. No certainly not grievous to those that Love him : *No Service too hard, no Undertaking too difficult for Love. And if low and earthly Love, converfant only about mean and perifhing Objects, has with fuch wonderful Alacrity and Courage rifen thro' fuch dangers, and overcome fuch difficulties, as would be incredible, were there not fo many Inftances of it, as all Ages are Witnesses of How fhall not the Divine and Heavenly Love of that Being, which alone is truly worthy to be lov'd, whenever it takes poffeffion of our Hearts, break thro' all obftacles that lye in the way of our Duty overthrow all impediments that would stop our Course towards God, and intercept our Union with the Beloved? This alone is able

*Levis eft Labor Omnis Amanti.

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to

to baffle all Temptations,encounter all Dangers, foften all Hardships. And where a Mind, not fir'd with this Celeftial warmth, would find innumerable hindrances and frame to itself infuperable difficulties; Love either fees or regards them not,or with undaunted Refolution and irrefiftible Force Conquers and Triumphs over them.

6thly, This alone can fecure our Conftancy and Perfeverance under the fevereft Trials and cruelleft Perfecutions: This it is that can gladly dye, rather than by Offend ing, venture to lofe that chiefeftGood which it pants after and longs to Enjoy. Many Waters cannot drown it, and it is ftronger than Death. In fhort, 'tis this would render our Obedience like to That, which we daily pray for, when we pray, ThyWill be done in Earth as it is in Heaven, that is, with an Obedience Pure and Sincere and Univerfal and Humble and Cheerful and Eafy and Zeal ous and Conftant, as that of the Bleffed Spirits above.

Laftly, Our Service to God, being produc'd by this Noble Principle, will naturally beget a juft Confidence and fteady Faith, that the Glorious Reward promis'd to our fincere, tho' imperfect Obedience, fhall be as great as the Gospel teaches and we expect; nay infinitely greater than we can either defire or conceive. Eye has not feen

neither