and Gracious Attributes are in fo lively Characters difplay'd, as muft needs convince a Rational Mind, that in his Own Nature he is above all things Amiable, and that the bare Contemplation of his inherent Excellencies, can't choose but ravish and fill the Soul with unexpreffible Delight and Pleafure, and enflame it with unexftinguishable Love. But ftill I fay, this is not That which is meant in Holy Writ, when the Love of God is Commanded as a general Christian Duty. The Scriptures, that were written for the Inftruction, and accommodated to the Capacity of all Sorts, even of the meaneft People, have not enjoin'd That as of indifpenfable and universal Obligation, which is above the reach of Vulgar Understandings, and requires more abftractedness of Thought and intention of Mind than many Well meaning, Confcientious good Chriftians are capable of: but openly and clearly explain themselves, whenever the Love of God is commanded, as a Duty in which all Believers are alike and equally concern'd.

That first and great Commandment, as our Saviour juftly ftiles it, Thou shalt Love the Lord thy God, with all thy Heart, with all thy Soul, and with all thy Might, as it was by Mofes deliver'd, is explain'd in the words inmediately following, And thefe Words which I command Thee this Day, Jhall be in

thy

thy Heart. Deut. 6. 5, 6. It plainly appears, that the true meaning of Mofes here in this Command to the Ifraelites was only this, that with all readiness and fincerity they fhould pay due and entire Obedience to the Law, which he had newly deliver'd to them. And God himself in the Body of That Law, written by his own hand, teaches us what he reckons to be our Loving him, where he threatens that he will Vifit the Sins of those that Hate him, that is Difobey him, unto the Third and Fourth Generation, but fhew Mercy unto Thousands in them that Love him and Keep bis Commandments. For This is the Love of God that we keep his Commandments, as St John in his firft Epiftle tells us; which he had learnt from his Lord's Mouth, whose words are thefe in his own Gospel, He that hath my Commandments and keepeth them, be it is that Loveth me. John 14. 21. These plain and intelligible Teftimonies of Scripture may give great Confolation and Peace of Mind to every True, Sincere, Sober, and Obedient Chriftian, tho' he finds not in his Soul fuch Emotions and Flights, fuch Raptures and Extafies, as fome fancyful People pretend to, and fome myftical Writers would make the Love of God to confift in. If he is conscious to himfelf, that the general Inclination and habitual tendency of his Heart mis to keep God's Commandments; and if

he

be finds the conftant averfion of his Soul to the leaft wilful breach of his Law, he may from God's own Word affure himself, that he both Loves God and is Belov'd by him. Men may Talk as high as they please of the Angelical, the Seraphical Lives, as they call them of fome Retir'd, Cloyfter'd, Contemplative People, that have quite gone out of the World in order to Love and to Enjoy God; but fure our Lives can never be fo truly Angelical, nor our Love fo like that of those Bleffed Spirits, as when we pay him an Obedience on Earth like to that which they pay in Heaven. Where, tho they are Eternally Ravish'd with the amiable Beauty and high Goodness of that Object, that with unspeakable Joy and Delight em ploys their Intuitive Knowledge; yet they chiefly express their Love by being always on the Wing at his Command, by being, as the Pfalmift fpeaks, His Minifters that dae his Pleasure; his Angels that excell in Strength, that doe his Commandment, bearkning to the Voice of his Word. Pfal. 103. 20, 21. The perfectest Love of God, that ever was on Earth, and tho' on Earth, yet Equal or rather Superior to that of thofe Heavenly Spi rits, had no other way of demonftrating and making visible it felf to Mankind, but by doing his Will, as our Bleffed Saviour tells us, That the World may know that I Love

the

the Father, as the Father gave me Commandment, fo I due. John 14. 31 a flest art of

It is hard to think, that That fhould be a necessary perfection in Religion defign'd for the Eternal Happiness of All, which none but Philofophers, or Men that lead the Lives of Such I mean Sedentary and Contemplative Lives, are capable of. As if God had not the fame regard to an Humble, Honeft, Simple Chriftian, that ftudies diligently to serve him in a plain well meaning way, as to the moft fpeculative Perfon in the World. It is the Meek and Humble Soul that Chrift delights the most in, and it were well if fometimes thofe high Notions, bold Flights, and extravagant Ex preffions, which Myftical Writers fo much affect, did not puff up Mens Minds with too much Spiritual Pride to deferve that Cha racter. And how apt this Spiritual Pride which is the Counterfeit, is to extinguish Obedience which is the True Love of God, there have been deplorable Inftances in another fort of Enthufiafts among us, of a much more dangerous and troublesome Spirit, not by a Pious Melancholy retir'd to the Wilder nefs, or by a rafh Vow confin'd to the Cloyster, but by an intemperate Zeal, bufy and active upon the Publick Stage of the World. Thofe I mean, who having appro priated all Sanctity to themselves, and taken

upon

upon them to be the particular Favourites of God, have under a Colour of a more than Ordinary concern for his Cause and Zeal for his Truth, Broke through and flighted his moft Exprefs and Pofitive Commands, even to the overthrowing of Churches, Kingdoms, and States; nor thought they could give Glory to God on High, unleß they deftroy'd Peace on Earth, and rooted out Good Will towards Men. And the fame Principles lye lurking ftill, and may, whenever Time and Opportunity fhall appear favourable, break forth into the fame Publick Mischiefs, the fame fruitful feeds of all manner of Wickedness; 1 say Iye hid, whether they themselves are enough aware of it or no, in all thofe who have any other Notion of the Love of God, than what is confiftent with an exact conformity to his whole Reveal'd Will; or think that the greatest Excess of feeming Affection can Excufe, much lefs Authorize or Sanctifie the leaft Defect of Real Obedience. And yet alass! how frequent, how lamentable, are the mistakes in this Point? Is it any New or Unheard of thing to meet with Men who fancy themselves not only the higheft Lovers, but the highest Belov'd of God, if they are very ftrict in the Observance of fome Religious Duties, demure and precise in their outward Carriage, flow

ing