kept out there, and confined to this, and fome few fuch obfcurer receptacles? Do you know the degrees of holiness and Glory which thofe fuperiour Inhabitants poffefs. And do you know that all these things fet together, the demonftration of Gods goodness by the way of Beneficence, is not ten thousand times beyond the demonftrations of it in the way of Justice, and all the other forrows that you complain of? Till you know all these, do not think your felves meet, from your fenfible troubles, to argue against that Infinite goodness, which demonstrateth it felf fo unquestionably to all, by all the Goodness of the whole Creation.

I may boldly then conclude, that GOD is OUR FATHER, our CHIEF GOOD, our CHIEF BENEFACTOR, and ULTIMATE END.

And fo that in fenfu pleniffimo, THERE IS A GOD; that word comprehending both the forefaid Trinity of Principles in the Unity of his Effence, and the Trinity of Relations, in the Unity of the Relation of our CREATOR.

CHAP. XII.

III. of Man's Relation to GOD, as he is our FATHER, or our Chief Good; and of our Duty in that Relation.

. I.

Gya

OD being to Man Efficiently and finally, his Chief, yea, bis Total Good, as is declared; it must needs follow that Man is by immediate refultancy related to Him as bis Total Beneficiary, and Recipient of his benefits; and oweth him all that which Goodness conjunct with Soveraignty and Dominion can oblige him to.

Whether all Obligation, which is truly Moral, to a Duty, do arife from Soveraignty and Rule, and belong to us as Subjects only, in the neereft formal fenfe? Or whether Benefits fimply without any refpect to Government and Subjection, may be faid to oblige to Moral Duty as fuch, is a Question that I am not concerned to determine; as long as God is both Governour and Benefactor, and his Government may give the formal moral obligation, as his Benefits provide the

Q 3

greatest

greatelt Materials of the Duty. Though this much I may fay to it, that I cannot fee but the Duty of a Beneficiary as fuch, may be called moral, as well as the Duty of a Subject as fuch: And if it were fuppofed that two men were absolutely equals as to any fuljection, and that one of them should by kindness exceedingly oblige the other, all will acknowledge ingratitude to be an unnatural thing: and why that vice may not be called properly morall in a rational free agent, I am not yet convinced. You will fay, It's true; but that is becaufe that both thofe men are Subjects to God, whofe Law obligeth them both to Gratitude, and therefore Ingratitude is a fin only as against the Law of God in Nature. To which I reply, that I grant Gods Law of Nature maketh Ingratitude a fin: and I grant that a Law is properly the inftrument of a Governour as fuch: and fo as Ingratitude is the violation of a Law, it is only a fin against Government as fuch. But I queftion whether as Love is fomewhat different from Wisdom and Power, and as a Benefactor and an attractive good hath the highest and a peculiar kinde of obligation, so there be not fomething put by God into our Nature, which though it be not formally a Law, yet is as obligatory, and as much if not more than a Law, which maketh it more than the Duty of a Subject, to anfwer love and goodness with gratitude and love: fo that if per impoffibile you fuppofe that we had no other obligation to God but this of love and goodness (or abftract this from the reft) I queftion whether it be not moft eminently morall, and whether the performance of it do not morally fit us for the higheft benefits and felicity, and the violation of it merit not, (morally) the rejections of our great Benefactor, and the withdrawing of all his favours to our undoing. But this Controverfie my Caufe is not much concerned in, as I have faid, because the fame God is our Soveraigu alfo.

1.2. The duty which we specially owe to God in this higheft Relation is LOVE: which as fuch is above obedience as fuch.

The difference of Understandings and Wills requireth Government and obedience, that the underftanding and will of the fuperiour may be a Rule to the fubjects: But LOVE is a Concord of Wills; and fo farr as LOVE hath caufed a concord,

there

non fiat indies dete

there is no ufe for Government by Laws and Penalties: And Seneca, Epift.31.faith. therefore the Law is not made for a Righteous man as fuch, Querendum eft quod that is, fo far as Love hath united his Soul to Virtue, and fe- rius; cui non poffit parated it from fin, he need not to be conftrained or reftrain- obftari; quo nil meed by any Penal Laws: no more than men need a Law to lius poffit optari. command them to cat and drink, and preferve their lives, Quid hoc eft? Animus fed hic re&us, and forbear felf-deftruction. But so far as any man is all bonus,magnus. Quid righteous or ungodly, that is, hath a will to fin, or crofs or aliud voces hunc, averfe to Goodness, fo far he needeth a penal Law: which quam Deum in h therefore all need while they remain imperfect.. mano corpore hofpitantem? Hic animus

manus aut liberti

Nature hath made Love and Goodnefs like the Iron and the tam in Equitem RoLoad-tone. The Understanding doth not fo ponderoufly in- manum, quàm in fercline to Truth, as the Will doth naturally to Good. For this vum poteft cadere; being the perfect act of the Soul, the whole inclination of Quid eft eques RoNature goeth after it. Therefore Love is the highcft duty nus aut fervus? Noor nobleft act of the Soul of Man, the end and perfection of mina ex ambitione, aut ex injuria nata, 1.3. The effential act of this LOVE is COMPLACENCIE, fubfilire in Cœlum ex angulo licet: exuror the Pleafedness of the minde in a fuitable Good: But it hath ge modo, & te digdivers effects, concomitants and accidents, from whence it bor- num finge Deo; finroweth divers Names.

all the reft.

ges autem, non auro, 0.4. The LOVE of Benevolence, as it worketh towards non argento: Non the felicity of another, is the Love of God to man, who needeth poteft ex hac materia Imago Dei exprimi him, but not of Man to God, who is above our benefits, and fimilis. needeth nothing.

1.5. Our LOVE to God, refpecieth him either, 1. as our Efficient, 2. Dirigent, 3. or final Good: which hath accordingly concomitant duties.

5.6. I. Our LOVE to God as our Chief good efficiently, containeth in it, 1. A willing Receiving Love: 2. A Thankfull Love: 3. A Returning devoted ferving Love: (which among men amounts to retribution.)

0.7. 1. An abfolute dependent Beneficiary ought with full dependance on his Totall Benefactor, to Receive all his Benefits with Love and willingness*.

An undervaluing of Benefits, and demurring, or rejecting them, is a great abuse and injury to a Benefactor. Thus doth the ungodly World, against all the Grace and greatest mercies of God. They know not the worth of them, and therefore defpife them, and will not be intreated to accept them:

but

Plato faith, that Mans
End is to be made like

God.Laert. in Plat.
Socrates faid, that
God was the Best and
most Bliffed: and the
neerer any one came in
likeness to him, fo

much was he the beg ter and more bleed. Non poteft temperantiam laudare, qui

*

fummum bonum poGratus fum; non nit in voluptate: Cic. ut alius mihi libentius præftet, priori irritatus exemplo; fed faciam, Senec Ep.28. ut rem jucundiffimam

but take them for intollerable injuries or troubles, as a fick Credamus itaq; nihil Stomack doth its Phylick and Food, because they are against elle grato animo ho- their fleshly Appetites. An open heart to receive Gods neftius, Omnes hoc mercies with high efteem, befeemeth fuch Beneficiaries as

urbes, omnes etiam

ex barbaris regioni we.

0.8. 2. Thankfulness is that Operation of Love, which bus gentes conclamabant; In tanta judi- the light of Nature bath convinced all the World, to be a duty: ciorum diverfitate, and scarce a man is to be found fo bruitifh as to deny it: And referendam benè me- our Love to God fhould be more thankfull than to all the World, nes uno ore affirma because our Receivings from Him are much greater, bunt; in hoc difcors from all

rentibus gratiam, om

turba confentiens. Senec. ib.

than

1.9. 3. Though we cannot requite God; true gratitude will devote the whole man to his Service, Will, and Honour, and bring back his Mercies to him for his use, so far as we are able.

6. 10. II. Our LOVE to our DIRIGENT Benefactor, is, 1. A fiducial Love, 2. A love well-pleased in his conduct; 3. A following Love.

Though it belongeth to God chiefly as our fapiential Governour to be the Dirigent Cause of our Lives: Yet he doth it alfo as our Benefactor, by a commixture of the effects of his Relations.

. 11. 1. So infinite and fure a Friend, is abfolutely to be Trusted, with a General Confidence in the Goodness of his Nature, and a particular Confidence in the Promifes or fignifications of his good-will.

Infinite Good cannot be willing to deceive or disappoint us. And if we abfolutely Truft him, it will abundantly conduce to our holiness, and peace.

9. 12. 2. We must also love his Condu&, his Precepts and his holy Examples, and the very way it flf in which he lead

eth us.

All that is from him is good, and muft be loved both for it felf, and for him that it cometh from, and for that which it leadeth to. All his Inftructions, helps, reproofs, and all his conducting Means fhould be amiable to us.

0.13. 3. Love must make us cheerfully follow him,in all the wayes which by Precept or Example he is pleafed to lead us. And fo to follow him, as to love the tokens of his prefence, and footsteps of his will, and all the figus of his approbation:

And

And with an Heroick fortitude of Love, to rejoyce in fufferings, and venture upon dangers, and conquer difficulties for

his fake.

6. 14. III. Our LOVE to GOD as our final Good is, 1. A Bene meritos quin Defiring LOVE: 2. A feeking LOVE; and 3. A full com- colas, nec exorari fas eft, neq; eft excufaplacential delighting Love; which is the perfection of us and tio difficultatis: neq, all the rest: And accidentally it is fometimes a Mourning Love.

9. 15. 1. Man being but in Via under the efficiency and conduct of Love, to final Love and Goodness bath his End to intend, and his means to use, and therefore Love must needs work by Defire.

æquum eft tempore & die memoriam be neficii definire.Cicer.

Vos, vos appello, qui 9.16. So far as a man is short of the thing defired, Love Mercurium, qui Piawill have fome fense of want; and fo far as we are crossed in tonem, Pythagoramq; fectamini: vofq; cxour feekings, and frustrate in any of our hopes, it will be forrow- teros qui eftis unius full. mentis, & per cafD. 17. 2. Man being appointed to a courfe and life of Means dem vias placitorum to his laft end, muft needs be employed in thofe Means for the inceditis unitate. AuLove of that End: And fo the main work of this life is that detis ridere nos Quid Plato vefter of a Defiring, feeking Love. nonne animo furgere .. 18. 3. The complacential delighting LOVE, bath three fuadet e terris, & degrees: The first in Belief and Hope, The fecond in foretafte; circa Deum femper and The third in full enflamed exercife. (quantum fieri poteft) cogitatione ac . 19. 1. The well-grounded Hope of the forefeen Vision and mente verfari? Au fruition of the Infinite Good which is our End, must needs pof- detis ridere nos qued Sefs the confiderate minde, with a delight which is fomewhat animarum noftrarum answerable to that Hope. provideamus faluti ?

0.20.2. When the Soul doth not only Hope for its future id eft ipfi nobis? end, but also at prefent clofe with God fub ratione finis, in the Quid enim fumus homines,nifi animæcorexercife of pure complacencial Love, in Prayer, Praife or Con- poribus claufæ ? Vos templation, be bath fome measure of fruition even in via, and enim nonne omnes a fenfible foretaste of his future perfection, according to the de- pro illarum geritis gree of this his Love.

incolumitatibus curas Metus ille vos

There is a delight that cometh into the minde by the meer habet ne velut tra forefight and hope of what we fhall be, and have, and do balibus clavis affixi, hereafter: And this cometh by the Means of Promife and Evi- corporibus hæreatis ? dence; And there is also a Delight which cometh in upon the Quid illi fibi velint

fecretarum artium ritus, quibus affamini nefcio quas poteftates, ut fint vobis placide,neq; ad fedes remeantibus patrias obftacula impeditionis opponant, Arnob. adv. Gentes, lib. 2. p. 14. P

prefent