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4. Practical, not Notional, Rom. i. 21. 5. Actual, not Habitual.

II. What is wilful commiffion of Sin? It implies,

1. The Consent of the Will to it.

2. The Delight of the Soul in it,

III. What is it to be a Sovereign Antidote? 1. It expels the Thoughts of it from the Heart.

2. It keeps the Acts of it from the Life.

IV. How is the Knowledge fuch an Antidote? 1. In General

1. TheKnowledge, Heb.iv. 14.Pfal.cxxxix. 2. The Righteoufnefs, Pfal. xcvi. 13. The Love of GOD is an Antidote against all Sin.

3.

2. In particular.

1. The fins of our Judgments are cured by the Knowledge of GOD who is Truth, Deut. xxxii. 4.

2.

Of our wills by GOD who is
Goodness, Mat. xix. 17,

3. Our Affections efpecially defire,
1. Of Pleasures, Voluptuoufnefs.
2. Of Honours, Ambition,
3. Of Riches, Covetousness.

USE.

1. Inf. How few know GOD?

2. Conviction. They that know GOD will,

1. Love him.

2. Fear him, Prov. xxiii, 17.

3. Admire him.

4. Truft on him, Pfal. ix. 10.

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5. Rejoice in him.

6. Be obedient to him.

3. Exhort. To labour to know GOD. 1. MOTIVES.

I. 'Tis the Foundation of all Religion, 2 Pet. iii. 18. Ifai. xi. 9. Rom. x. 2.

2. The ground of all Comfort.

3. It will bring Heaven to a Man now, Job. xvii. 3.

4. That will bring a Man to Heaven hereafter.

2. HINDRANCES.

1. The natural blindness of our minds, 1 Cor.

ii. 14.

2. Perverseness of our wills, Job xxi. 14. 3. Conceit of our felves.

4. The cares of the World, Mark iv. 19. Luke viii. 14.

5. The love of Pleasures.

6. The deceitfulness of fin, darling fins:

3. MEANS.

1. Prayer, James i. 5.

2. Meditation.

3. Studying the Scriptures, John 5. 39. 4. Frequenting the Ordinances, Rom. x. 17.

PSAL.

PSAL. ii. 10, 11.

Ver. 10. Be wife now therefore, O ye Kings, be inftructed, ye judges of the

earth.

Ver. 11. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling, (or reverence.)

Ohn v. 22, 23. and xii. 44, 45. and xv. 23.

Jobm

I. What is it properly to ferve the Lord.
In General.

Ex. xx. 5. Mat. iv. 10. Col. iii. 24.
To promote his Glory, Prov. xvi. 4.
The Glory of his Wifdom, Power and Good-
nefs, in the Creation and Government of
the World.

The Glory of his Grace and Truth in the
Redemption of Mankind, John i. 17.
Shewing, that we believe all that he hath
faid, and are as certain of it, as what we
daily fee.

II. How are ho to ferve the Lord?
1. In their private Capacities.

2. As they are concerned in making Laws.
1. is the Supreme Law-giver over
the World; his Word is the Law,
Pfal. xcvii. 1, 5. Pfal. 1. 12. Deut.
x. 14. Ifa. xxxiii. 22. Jac. iv. 12.
2. He hath given Laws to all things that
are; by his Word, Pfal. cxlviii. 6.
3. He

VOL. I.

Z

3. He hath given Laws to all Mankind, particularly in his Word; fuch as are fuitable to their Nature, and moft conducive to his Honour.

These were firft written on Mens Hearts. These were published by himself. Explained by his Spirit in the Prophets. Recorded in the Holy Scriptures. 4. He hath given Liberty and Power to every particular Nation, as well as Church, to make by-Laws for the better Government of its felf.

He himself made fuch for his own People. But they were only local and temporary.

5. Thefe, if repugnant to the common Laws of the World made by GOD, are null, otherwife obligatory, Luke

xii. 14.

Bad Laws, though made to a good end, can never do good.

These things premifed, that they who are confulted or concerned in making Laws, may serve GOD in it, they must,

1. Make that their chief end, and accordingly

aim at.

2. Advise fuch Laws as may beft keep up the Knowledge and Service of GOD in the Land, and to promote his Honour.

3. For that purpofe they must take special care that the Laws be agreeable, or at least not repugnant, to the Laws of GOD.

Hereby they own his Authority, and are fure to do nothing to his Dishonour.

For this purpose the Convocation is of great ufe; and the Bishops in the House of Lords, Mal. ii. 7.

4. That

4. That they may ferve GOD in it, they muft enforce his Laws with Civil Sanctions, as the Church doth it with Ecclefiaftical; this makes a National Church.

What a glorious Kingdom would this be, if all the Laws were obferved? Efpecially fuch as concern Religion.

Rom. xvi. 17, 18.

III. How are the you who execute the Laws, to ferve GOD as fuch?

1. By keeping his Laws themselves, and fo fetting others an example how to do it. 2. By punishing those that break them, Rom. xiii. 3, 4. 1 Sam. iii. 13.

3. By encouraging those that keep them.

And now, because he is fo mighty, v. 8, 9. Therefore it is the Wisdom of every Kingdom to ferve the Lord, and kifs the Son, Jer. xiii. 7, 8, 9, 10. 1 Sam. ii. 30. John xii. 26.

Vide Vol. 2. Serm. 12. of this Author.

PSAL. vii. 11.

God is angry with the wicked every day.

W Hat

Hat is it for GOD to be angry?
1. Neg. 'Tis not any Paffion.

2. Pof. It denotes,

1. His purpose to punish fin, John iii. 36. Rom. i. 19.

2. His threatning Punishments, Hof.xi.9. 3. The Punishment's the effect of his Anger, Rom. ii. 5. Eph. v. 6.

Z 2

II. Who

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