against it, in letting it sleep so securely, and not stirring it up to its proper office and work. And know, that sinning against the light of one's own conscience doth not consist only in going against the actual deliberated thoughts which we have had, but also in walking contrary to our habitual knowledge, and to the thoughts and apprehensions which thence we might and should actually have had. Inadvertency and disregard of known duty are the most usual way of sinning against conscience. Besides, have you not in this often gone against the repeated checks of your own conscience? Bethink yourselves, have you not in your prayer intermingled frequent confessions of your cold love to God, and that you have taken so little delight in him? Were those only customary forms with you, and words of course? Surely, though it might not be urgently enough, your consciences did at such times accuse you. And let that be a dreadful thing in your eyes, to continne a course which, if you consider, you cannot but condemn.

Ought not your experience to have been instructive to you, as it commonly is to men in other matters? Have you not, in this neglect, run counter to such instruction? By this means you are supposed to have known the sweetness -as, by that last mentioned, the equity and fitness-of delight in God. Have not those been your best hours, wherein you could freely solace yourselves in Him? Was not one of them better than a thousand otherwise spent? Did you

never find it good for you, in this way, to draw nigh to God; and hereupon pronounce them blessed, whom he hath chosen and caused to approach to him ?b And where is that blessedness, of which he spake? Have you forgotten, that you ever thus tasted how gracious the Lord was? It is like, you have by your taste found it also an evil thing and bitter, to depart from him. Methinks you should reckon it a great increase of your sin, to have gone against your own sense, when especially your superior rule might give you assurance, it did not deceive you. And doth it not expressly oblige you to follow its guidance, while it puts the character of perfect (or, of being come to full age) upon them, who by age and experience have senses exercised to discern between good and evil?

с

What will you say to the great obligations, which the love and kindness of God have laid upon you? Will you not esteem yourselves to have been thereby bound to place your love and delight on him? Could you decline doing so, without putting a slight upon the love of Him who is infinite in what he is, and who is love? Was not his love enough to deserve yours-the love of a God, that of a silly worm? Were you not obliged to love him again, who was so much before-hand with you in the matter of love,to love him who had loved you first? The first love is perfectly free; the latter is thereby certainly obliged and become a bounden

a Ps. lxxiii. 28. Ps. lxv. 4. c Heb. v. 14. d 1 John iv.

a

duty. How variously, and with how mighty demonstration, hath that love expressed and evidenced itself. It hath not glanced at you, but rested on you, and settled in delight. He hath so stood affected towards the people of his choice, and put a name on them, on purpose to signify his delight in them. He rejoices over them with joy, and rests in his love to them. The Lord taketh pleasure in his people. His delights have from of old been with the sons of men.c Could He delight in such as you, and cannot you in Him? Be amazed at this! How mean an object had He for his delight! How glorious and enamouring a one have you! Excellency and love in conjunction! whereas in you were met deformity and ill-will! He hath loved you, so as to remit to you much,-to give to you for you a great deal more, himself and the son of his delights. He, thou should'st recount, invited thee to delight in Him who hath always sought thy good, done strange things to effect it, takes pleasure in thy prosperity, and. exercises loving kindness towards thee with delight; who contrived thy happiness; wrought out thy peace at the expense of blood, even his own; taught thee the way of life, cared for thee all thy days, hath supplied thy wants, borne thy burthens, eased thy griefs, wiped thy tears. And if now he say to thee, "After all this could'st thou take no pleasure in me," will not that confound and shame thee? He hath

-

a Isa. lxii. 4. b Zeph. iii. 17.

Prov. viii. 31.

and

expressed his love by his earnest and successful endeavours to gain thine. How disingenuous, unbecoming, and unsuitable to all this, are thy strangeness and distance afterwards! It is more unworthy to cast out of your hearts, than not to have admitted, such a guest.

How contrary is this omission to what, by solemn vow and stipulation, you have bound yourselves to? It hath graciously pleased the blessed God, in his transactions with men, to contrive his laws into the form of a covenant, wherein upon terms he binds himself to them expecting (what he obtains from such as become his own) their restipulation. Wonderful grace! that he should article with his creatures, and capitulate with the work of his own hands! And whereas his first and great law-which virtually, being submitted to, comprehends our obedience to all the rest-is, as hath been noted, "Thou shalt have no other Gods before me," this also he gives forth often as the sum and abridgment of his covenant, "That he will be our God, and we shall be his people." Now this you have consented to, and therein bound yourselves-as, you have heard, our Saviour expounds the first and great commandment-" to love him with all your soul." How does your neglect to delight in him agree with this? What-love Him with all your soul, in whom you can rarely find yourselves to take any pleasure! Surely, your hearts will now misgive and admit a conviction, you have not dealt truly, not kindly, in this. What-not keep faith with the righteous God! To deceive

a deceiver, some would think not intolerable. But what pretence can there be for such dealing with the God of truth? You have vowed to him, -what think you of this drawing back, this trifling with Him, the great and terrible God, who keeps covenant and mercy for ever! How unbecoming is it, to dally with him as you would with an uncertain whiffling man! To be off and on-to say and unsay, that he shall be your God, and that he shall not, (for how is he your God, if you delight not in him,) imports little of that solemn gravity and staidness, which become a transaction with the Most High God. He takes no pleasure in fools;-wherefore pay that which you have vowed. a

Nor doth this omission better agree with your relation to Him, which arises from your covenant. Thence He becomes yours, and you his; "I entered into covenant with thee, and thou becamest mine;"-and the covenant being binding on both parts, the relation is mutual, so that thereby also He becomes yours. It is a most near relation, represented by the nearest among men, even the conjugal relation. Therefore how full is that song of songs of expressions importing mutual delights suitable thereto! And what a bondage, as well as incongruity, were that relation without delight!—Have you repented your choice? If not, why take you not pleasure? Why do you not rejoice and glory in it, even as he professes to do over you? If he should repent, in what case were

a Eccl. v. 4.