derbolt in his Hand; to ftrike an awe into Men, from daring to offend him who stands always ready arm'd with Vengeance against fuch as provoke him. CHA P. XVI. "Of Obedience: And first of Active Obedience to the Laws of God. H Aving dispatched the Duties we are more efpecially obliged to, with regard to God's Wisdom, Goodness, Power; fhall now treat concerning fuch other Duties, as refer more particularly to his Dominion and Superiority over us, his Right to command and govern us, which are comprehended under the general Name of Obedience. The Habit of which may be defcrib'd to confift in fuch a fubmiffive Frame of Spirit, whereby a Man doth always devote and refign up himself unto the Difpofal of his Maker, being ready in every Condition to do or fuffer that which he apprehends to be most reasonable and acceptable, and whereby he may best express his Love and Subjection. By which Description it may appear, that this Obedience is of two kinds, Active. Paffive. 1. Active. Which confifts in a Readiness of Mind to do what God fhall enjoyn. 2. Paffive. In an Acquiefcence of Mind under what he fhall inflict. Both which do neceffarily flow from the Apprehension of God's Dominion over us, his Right to govern and difpofe of us as he pleafeth. Obedience, in the true Notion of it, being nothing elfe but that Homage which we owe to fuch as are in a fuperior Relation, who have a Right to command us...... Every Relation of Superiority and Dominion being a diftinct Engagement to Subjection; whether Economical, as that betwixt Parent and Child; Political, as betwixt Magiftrate and Subject; Moral, as betwixt Benefactor and Beneficiary; or laftly, that which is Natural, which above all other things gives the highest Title to Dominion, as that betwixt the Maker and his Work, the first Cause, and that which he beftows Being upon, and God by all thefe Titles, and many more, may justly challenge Dominion over us. 2 Under this firft kind of Obedience, ftiled. Active, are comprehended these three Particulars: 1. A Knowledge of, and an Acquaintance with thofe Laws which we are to obferve. 2. A Confent to them, or an Appro-bation of them. 3. A Conformity to them. 1. An acquaintance with the Laws of God, whether difcovered to us by Revela tion (the Principles of Nature obliging us to 04 obferve observe and fubmit to all things which we have reafon to believe do proceed from God;) or by natural Light, abstracting from Scripture and Revelation, as the Substance of that which we call the Moral Law is. Now tho' fuch Perfons only are under the Obligation of those Laws which depend upon Revelation, to whom a Revelation is made and fufficiently propofed, because Promulgation is effential to a Law; yet the Moral Law being discoverable by natural Light to every Man who will but excite the Principles of his own Reason, and apply them to their due Confequences; therefore there must be an Obligation upon all Men, who have but the ufe of their Reason, to know these Moral Laws; and the Ignorance of them must be an inexcufable Sin. Ignorantia juris can be no Plea in this Cafe, because the Law is written in every Man's Heart by Nature, and the Ignorance of Mankind, as to any part of it, hath been wilfully contracted. The Duties concerning natural Worship, our Adoration of the Deity by affiance, love,' reverence, praying to him, expecting Mercies from him, returning to him our Thanks and Acknowledgments, being reverent and folemn in all our Addreffes towards him, our Thoughts and Speeches of him, and of the Things that refer to his Service, may be* evidently inferred from thofe natural Notions, which we have concerning the Excel lencies lencies of his Nature, and our own Dependance upon him. The Duties which concern the promoting of our own and our Neighbours Welfare, that mutual Justice, Charity, Helpfulness, which we are to exercife towards one another; these may each of them be deduced from that common Principle of Self-love, whereby every one doth naturally feek his own Welfareand Prefervation. We are all of us defirous that others fhould be just to us, ready to help us, and do good to us; and because 'tis a Prin ciple of the highest Equity and Reason, that we fhould be willing to do to others as we defire and think them obliged to deal with us, this must therefore oblige us to the fame Acts of Charity and Helpfulness towards them. Now the drawing out of these General Rules, and fitting them to particular Cafes; a ftudious and inquifitive Endeavour, to find out what our Mafter's Will is, in feveral' Relations and Circumftances; this I call the Duty of knowing the Commandments. And 'tis neceffary, that they should be thus diftinctly known, before a Man can keep them. 2. A Confent to them, or Approbation of them, as being holy, juft, and good. Which Rom. 7% will neceffarily follow from a true Notion of 12 the Ground and Reafon of them, and must neceffarily precede a genuine Obedience and Conformity to them. He that looks upon them as Fetters and Bonds, doth rather en dure 16. dure them out of Neceffity, than obey them Rom. 7. out of Choice and Love. I confent to the Law that it is good, faith the Apoftle; that is, I do in my judgment own the fitness and reasonableness of the things therein enjoin'd, as being the moft proper means to advance Pf. 19. 7. the Perfection of our Natures. The Law of the Lord is perfect faith the Pfalmift not only formaliter, in itself, but alfo effedive as to us, it makes us to be fo. And in 119. 142 another Place, Thy Law is the Truth, namely, fuch as it ought to be. There is a congruity betwixt our Well-beings, and the Nature of the things enjoyn'd. And it is this Conviction alone, that must beget in us a Love of it, and a Delight to practife it. He that harbours any Prejudice in his Mind against the Ways of God, as if they were unprofitable, or unequal, can never fubmit to them willingly, but out of a Constraint; he may look upon them as his Task and Burden, but not as his Joy and Delight. Our external Submiffion to the Law, can never be kindly and regular, till our Minds be caft into the fame Mould with it, and framed unto a fuit-ablenefs and conformity to it. And fuch a Temper doth, in the Judgment of Seneca, De Vita render the Mind truly great and noble, Hic Beata, 15. eft magnus animus qui fe Deotradidit. And in another Place, in regno nati fumus, Deo parere libertas eft. Such a Man hath a "truly great and generous Mind, who can ❝ refign |