not said liis heart trembled for liis two sons Hoplmi and Phinclias; but his heart trem- bled for tlie ark, because the ark was the special sign of God's presence ; and if that were taken, the glory was departed. He who loves his heavenly Father, fears lest the tokens of his presence should be re- moved, lest profancness should break in like a flood, lest popery should get head, and God sliould go from a people ; the pre- sen'^e of God in his ordinances is the glory and strength of a nation. The Trojans had the image of Pallas, and they had an opi- nion that as long as that image was preser- ved among them, they should never bo con- quered : so long as God's presence is with a people, so long they are safe ; every true child of God fears lest God should go, and the glory depart. Try by this, whether we have a filial disposition : Do we love God, and doth this love cause fear and jealousy ? Are we afraid lest we should lose God's presence, lest the Sun of Righteousness re- move out of our horizon? Many are afraid lest they should lose some of their worldly profits, but not lest they lose the presence of God ; if they may have peace and trad- ing, they care not what become of the ark of God. A true child of God fears nothing Ro much as tlie loss of his Father's presence, Hos. ix. 12., " Wo also to them when I de- part from them." — 2. Love to our heaven- ly Father is seen by loving his day, Isa. Iviii. 13., " If thou call the sabbath a delight." The ancients called this regina dierum, — ' the queen of days.' If we love our Father in lieaven, we spend this day in devotion, in reading, hearing, meditating ; on this day manna falls double. God sanctified the sabbath ; he made all tlie other days in the w(!tk, but he hath sanctified this day; this day he hath crowned with a blessing. — 3. Love to our heavenly Father is seen by lo- ving his children, 1 John v. L, " Every one that loveth him that begat, loveth him also that is begotten of him." If we love God, the more we see of God in any, the more we love them ; we love them tliough they are poor ; a child loves to see his fa- ther's picture, though hung in a mean frame ; we love the children of our Father, tliough they arc persecuted, 2 Tim. i. 10., " Oncsiphorus was not ashamed of my
chain." Constantino did kiss the hole ol Paphnusius's eye, because he suffered the loss of his eye for Christ ; it appears they have no love to God, who have no love to his children ; they care not for their com- pany ; they have a secret disgust and anti- pathy against them ; hypocrites j)retend great reverence to the saints departed, they canonize dead saints but persecute living saints : I may say of these, as the apostle, Heb. xii. 8., " Then are bastards and not sons." — Alh. Effect of love : If we love our heavenly Father, then we will be advocates for him, and stand up in the defence of his truth ; he who loves his father will plead for him when he is traduced and wronged ; he hath no childlike heart, no love to God, who can hear God's name dishonoured, and be silent. Doth Christ appear for us in heaven, and are we afraid to appear for him on earth ? Such as dare not own God and religion in times of danger, God will be ashamed to be called their God ; it would be a reproach to him to have such children as will not own him. 2d. A child- like love to God is known, as by the effects, so by the degree ; it is a superior love. We love our Father in heaven above all o- ther things ; aboAe estate, or relations, .is oil runs above the \A'ater, Ps. Ixxiii. 25. A child of God seeing a supereminency of goodness, and a constellation of all beauties in God, he is carried out in love to him in the highest measure ; as God gives his chil- dren such a love as he doth not bestow upon the wicked, electing love, so God's children give such a love as they bestow upon none else, adoring love; they givo him the flower and spirits of their love ; they love him with a love joined with wor- ship, this spiced wine they keep only for their Father to drink of, Cant. viii. 2.
4. A childlike disposition is seen in hon- ouring our heavenly Father, Mai. i. 6., " A son honoureth his father."
QuKsr. Ilnw do vie show our honour to our Fat her. in heaven ?
Ans. I. By having a reverential awe of God upon us. Lev. xxv. 17., " Thou shall fear tliy God." Tliis reverential fear of God, is, when we dare do nothing that he hath f»)rbidden in his word, Gen. xxxix. 9., " How can I do this great wickedness, and
OF THE PREFACE TO THE LORDS PRAYER.
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