Centre to which they both tend and in which they both meet, that from their agreeing in this one Third, and receiving both their Spirit and Life, as it were from this common Principle, The Apostle feems to look upon em as all One, to confound the One with the Other. For as foon as he had laid it down for a Rule, He that faith I know him and keepeth not his Commandments is a Lyar, He immediately fubjoins, But whafa keepeth His Word, in Him is the Love of God perfected. Where the Natural Connexion fhews us, that He uses these words, as if they were Synonymous and Expreffive of the fame Thing. So impoffible it seem'd, to this burning as well as fhining Light, to Know God and not to Love Him too. But how infeparable foever they may feem to be, as often meeting in the fame Subject; yet they may be confider'd by the Mind as diftinct, both as to the manner of their Operations, which are not only different but directly Oppofite to that of each other, and as to their Precedency or Priority, whereby Knowledge both in Nature and Grace goes before Love. As to their manner of working, the Philofophers tell us, and we may our selves observe, that in the Operation of Knowledge, the Things that we apprehend move as it were and tranfport themselves towards us; in a manner as if they went out of their proper place

to range themselves in our Understanding. On the contrary, in the working of Love, our Soul do's as it were go out of it felf, eager to be join'd with that it Loves. Thus the things that we know, we make our Own, and take poffeffion of, as it were, as they flow into our Understanding; but the things that we Love make us their Own, take poffeffion of Us, thro' the Affection by which we willingly give up our felves to them. Thus by the Knowledge that God is pleas'd to Communicate of himself, He comes into Our Soul and gives himself to Us; and on the other fide, we make ourselves His, and give our felves to Him, by the means of that Love we bear to him. But his Goodnefs being Infinitely greater, and bearing no proportion or comparifon to the fcantynefs and weakness of that of his Creatures; in this Entercourse between God and our Souls, He ever is the firft, He ever prevents our Backwardnefs and Coldness, which is the Reason that Faith is ever produc'd before Charity, Knowledge before Love; fince God always gives himself firft to Us, before we can give our felves to Him.

But waving these Speculations, which may perhaps feem too nice; fince our Holy Apoftle, who beft understood their Nature, joins them both together, or indeed makes them all one in the words of my Text, calling

That

That the Love of God in the latter, which he had call'd Knowing him in the former Verfe; I fhall forbear further to diftinguifh them, but fumm them up both together in Love. Both becaufe by the whole Tenour of each of thefe Epiftles, That feems to be chiefly intended by the Apoftle, and becaufe Love naturally and unavoidably prefuppofes and includes Knowledge. For tho we may Know many things, as we are af fur'd the Devils do even God himself, without Loving; yet it is impoffible to Love without Knowing, as impoffible as it is also, either to Know or Love God aright without keeping his Commandments. He that faith I Know him and keepeth not his Commandments is a Lyar, and the Truth is not in him. But whofo keepeth his words, in him verily is the Love of God perfected.

From which words I fhall endeavour to fhew.

I. That Obedience is the Perfection of the Love of God.

11. That on the other hand, the Love of God only can make our Obedience Perfect.

III. And Laftly, Lay before you the Infinite Obligations which we have to the Love of God, and earneftly exhort you to exprefs it in keeping his Commandments.

I. Obe

I. Obedience is the true and perfect Love of God, which confifts not in fuddain tranfient Acts of Complacency and Delight ine his Perfections; but a firm purpofe and fettled Resolution to perform his Will. To make this a little more diftinct, we may obferve, that God may be faid to be lov'd by us in a double manner; either confider'd in his Nature as he is the chiefeft Good, or in the exercise of his Dominion as he is the fupreme Lawgiver of the World. The Love of God as he is the chiefeft Good, is a defire of Union with God, and enjoying the Divine Goodness: But the Love of God confider'd as a Lawgiver, is the keeping of his Commandments. For to Love a Lawgiver, as fuch, is nothing elfe but to Obey his Laws. God confider'd in the firft refpect, is Lov'd Neceffarily and Unavoidably; For there is a Natural Force and Neceffity, that All fhould Love the Higheft Good, nor is it poffible for any One to hate or despise Good confider'd as Good. But when we look upon God in the fecond Respect as a Lawgiver, commanding on one hand divers things ungrateful to Flesh and Blood, and on the other promifing Eternal Rewards for the Temporal performance of them; if we then love God it is not with a Neceffary but with a Voluntary and Free Love. Because Man, being fet as it were in

the

the middle between the Enjoyment of the Prefent Seeming Good, with which often his Obedience to the Commandments of God will not confift, and the Hopes of the Real but Future Good, which that Obedience would procure, has freedom of choice which to prefer, and by that choice to express whether he Loves or Hates the Lawgiver and the Law. Now as things that are unavoidable and neceffary, cannot be the proper Subjects of a Command, but only thofe that are Voluntary and in our Power; fo we fhall find quite through both the Old and New Teftament, that whenever the Love of God is commanded, it is in this latter Senfe; That This is the conftant Scripture Notion of it, namely an Actual performance of all his Holy Laws. Not that this by any means excludes the Love of God in the Other Sense, as he is the Fountain and Fullnefs of all Perfection, but rather supposes it, and has it for its Foundation: The Love of God, as the Supreme Good, being the grand incitement to Love him, as the Supreme Lawgiver. It is not to be deny'd, but with all poffible Thankfulness to be acknowledg'd, that throughout the Holy Scriptures, especially in the Poetical and Devotional parts of them, the Infinite Effential Perfections of God, his Power, his Wisdom, his Goodness, and all his other Glorious 900.

and