Because,

1. GOD hath commanded us to love Him, Deut. vi. 5.

2. It is a great Sin, because we have so many Obligations to love Him.

3. The Want of Love to GOD, turns every Thing else to Sin.

IV. Who are guilty of this Sin?
1. They that acknowledge Him not.

2.

3. 25.

4.

5.

that think not of Him, Pfal, cxix. 97. that long not after Him, Pfal. Ixxiii,

that rejoice not in Him.

that love any thing as much, or more

than Him, S. Luk. xiv. 26.

6. v. i.

7.

that love not His, 1 S. Joh. iv. 12. and

that do not constantly endeavour to be reconcil'd to Him.

8. They do not love GOD, who do not obey Him, S. Joh. xiv. 15.

MOTIVES to love GOD.

1. It is the first and great Command, S. Matt. xxii. 38.

2. We can perform no Duty aright without it, 1 Cor. xiii. 1.

3. This will make all other Duties eafy and pleasant.

4. Confider how infinitely GOD deferves our Love for what He is in Himself.

5. It is He alone that fanctifies us.

6. He hath laid up endless Happiness in Heaven for us.

6. If we love GOD, all Things fhall work together for Good unto us, Rom. viii. 28. 7. It is our Intereft, as well as Duty.

8. Whatsoever Glory GOD hath laid up in Heaven, it is for them that love Him, I Cor.

ii. 9.

9. This therefore will be a fure and infallible Evidence of our Title to the Crown of Glory, S. Joh. xxi. 15, 16, 17.

10. Confider that you have now heard, that it is your Duty to love GOD; He hath fent me on purpose to tell you it.

S. JOH,

S. JOH. vi. 27.

Labour not for the Meat which perisheth, but for that Meat which endureth unto everlasting Life.

THESE Words confift of two Parts: The

First, a Prohibition; the Second, an affirmative Command.

I. The Prohibition; Labour not for the Meat which perifheth. In Explaining which, obferve 1. What is here understood by Meat; and that is, all temporal Enjoyments; as,

1. Carnal Pleasures.

2. Popular Applause.

3. Efpecially, earthly Riches.
Call'd here Meat,

1. Because it was Meat that the Jews then
fought for, ver. 26.

2. Because all Things of this World amount really to nothing else.

3. To perfuade them, by this Notion of earthly Things, not to labour fo much for them, Ecclef. v. 11.

2. Why call'd the Meat that perifheth? 1. Because we can enjoy it but a while. 2. It perisheth while we ufe it, S. Matt

XV. 17.

3. It ferves but a perishing Life, 1 Cor. vi.

13.

3. In what Senfe must we not labour for this Meat?

Nega

Negatively.

Not but that we ought to take a moderate
Care about earthly Things; because,

1. It is commanded, Gen. iii. 19. 2 Theff. iii.

10, 12.

2. Otherwise we fhould be worse than Infidels, 1 Tim. v. 8.

3. We have Bodies to look after.

4. To take no Care, is to prefume upon Providence.

5. We are to endeavour to help others, 1 Cor. xvi. 2.

Pofitively.

1. We must not labour for much of the World, Jer. xlv. 5. Ifa. v. 8.

2. Not by unlawful Means, Levit. xix. 13. 1 Theff. iv. 6:

3. Not with carking Care, and Mistrust of GOD's Providence, Pfal. xxxvii. 5, 6, S. Matt. vi. 25.

4. Not for earthly Things, only for themfelves, but for the Glory of GOD, Prov. iii. 9..

5. Nor for them more than heavenly, S. Matt. vi. 33.

6. Not fo as to fet our Affections on them; not as for Things really good in themfelves, or fuch as can make us happy, Coloff. iii. 2.

3. Why are we not thus to labour for these Things?

1. Because they perish.

2. If we labour too much for them, GOD may juftly deny them to us, Prov. X. 22. 3. Or curfe them to us, when we have them, Mal. ii. 2.

4. GOD will give them without this finful Labouring for them, S. Matt. vi. 33. 5. By Labouring too much for these Things, we lose better.

USE.

Let us not labour too much for thefe Things; for confider,

1. How uncertain they are, 1 Tim. vi. 17.
1. In the getting them, before we have
them, S. Matt. vi. 27.

2. In keeping them, when we have got
them, Prov. xxiii. 5.

3. In enjoying them while we keep them, Pfal. cvi. 15. and Ixxviii. 30, 31.

4. In improving them, while we do enjoy them.

5. In continuing with them, whilst we do improve them, S. Luk, xii. 20.

2. How unfatisfying.

1. As to the Senfes, Ecclef. i. 8. and iv. 8. 2. Much more to the Soul, Ecclef. v. 10. 3. How dangerous, 1 Tim. vi. 10. Ecclef. v.

13.

1. They are apt to draw us into Sin, 1 Tim. vi. 9.

2.

and off from our Duty, Prov.

XXX. 9.

3. To divert our Care for our Souls, S. Luk. xxi. 34.

4. And to keep us from Heaven, Pfal.

xvii. 14.

5. And throw us into Hell, S. Matt, xix. 23, 24, 25, 26.

II. The affirmative Command: But labour for that Meat which endureth unto everlasting Life. Wherein confider,

1. What