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a courfe of fin: for fuch meditations as thefe do naturally tend to break the power and dominion of it. Who that confiders that God is a fpirit, who fearcheth the hearts and trieth the reins of the children of men, can fatisfy himself to play the hypocrite, and run on in a round of external duties, without any correfpondent affection of foul? Indeed for a man who worships an image, to be little concerned about the frame and temper of his mind, is nothing fo very ftrange and unnatural: but for a man who worships an intelligent being, acquainted with the fecrets of his heart, for fuch a one to be infincere, is the most abfurd thing in the world. God is a Spirit; and they who worship him must worship him in fpirit and in truth; fays our Saviour, John IV. 24.

Again who that confiders God as a being every where prefent, and makes this thought familiar to his mind, can indulge himself in vice? For thus he argues with himself: "Tis impoffible

for me to fly from God; and there⚫fore vain to think that I can have the licence to fin in one place any more than in another: for God, who obferves my actions and will call me to

an account for them, is equally prefent in all places;' according to that of the pfalmift, Pfal. CXXXIX. 7-10. Whither fhall I go from thy Spirit, or whither fhall I fly from thy prefence? If I afcend up into heaven, thou art there if I make my bed in hell, behold thou art there: if I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermoft parts of the fea; even there fhall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand fhall hold me.

Again the thought of God's omnipotence has a natural tendency to fupprefs finful inclinations. For a rational man will be apt to argue after this manner. If I rebel against God, and difobey his laws, I muft neceffarily incur his wrath and displeasure :' and who can ftand before his indignation; who can abide the fierceness of his anger? He is not like the children of men; who are many times big with the thoughts and purposes of revenge, but want power to put them in execution. No: he hath power and might irrefiftible: he can with a word fpeak me into nothing; or, which is more terrible than that, he can caft me into hell, and there make me the fubject of his vengeance to all eternity. D 3

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The thought of God's omnifcience may be improved much to the fame purpofe as that of his fpirituality. It naturally tends to make a man fincere in all acts of religion, and to engage him to banish from his mind all vain and finful thoughts; which, tho they may be conceal'd from men, yet are all naked and open unto the divine being.

If to these attributes of God be added that of his eternal duration ; we have thence likewife a very powerful argument against vice and wickednefs. If the omniprefence, the omnipotence, and the omnifcience of God were only temporary, and the time were coming when he fhould no longer be prefent every where, no longer be infinite in power and knowledge; the finner would have fomewhat of an excufe. But this is an abfurd fuppofition. Those perfections which he now enjoys, he always hath enjoy'd, and always will. He is the fame yesterday, to day, and for ever.

Let us now confider the moral attributes of God, and fee how the contemplation of them tends to deftroy finful appetites. And firft; what is more apt to check the motions of fin, than the confideration of the holiness and

purity of the divine nature? How can that man think of approving himself to God, who takes no care to resemble him in the temper of his mind? Which feems to have the fairest title to the favour of God; he who purifies himself as God is pure, or he who is alienated from the life of God by wicked works? The question feems easy to be answer'd, if we confult the light of nature only: which teaches us that they are best beloved of God who are moft like unto him: and revelation perfectly agrees herewith; which affures us that the righteous Lord loveth righteoufnefs, and his countenance doth behold the upright, but the wicked and him who loveth violence, his foul hateth; Pfalm XI. 7, 5.

The veracity of God is another attribute which is apt to beget religious fentiments in us. God hath promised many favours and bleffings to the righteous, and denounced many fevere and terrible threatnings against the wicked and ungodly. Now we may depend upon it, that all these promifes will be fulfilled, and threatnings executed. For the ftrength of Ifrael will not lye, nor repent: for he is not a man that be fhould repent. The council of the Lord ftandeth

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ftandeth for ever; the thoughts of his heart unto all generations. Whofo is firmly perfuaded of this, will scarce have courage to perfift in a courfe of fin; which he is fure will be attended with fuch fatal confequences.

But the goodness of God is, of all his other attributes, the most powerful to reftrain men from fin, and perfuade them to live a virtuous life. What can be more reasonable, than to endeavour to please him who bestows fo many favours upon us; to whom we owe our life, and all the comforts of it; who protects us from innumerable evils to which we are expofed, and provides for us all things pertaining unto life and godlinefs? Are we not under the higheft obligations to do the will of God? who hath not pared his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, that whofoever believeth in him might not perish, but have everlasting life. Any ingenuous mind would fcorn to do any thing that is difpleafing to a being fo kind and bountiful. To render evil for good, and hatred for love, is fomething prodigiously fhocking to human nature. What! fays the Apostle, Rom. VI. 1. Shall we continue in fin, that grace may abound?

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