4. If" («o<l be our Father, let this cause in us a childlike reverence, Mai i. 6., " If I be a lather where is my honour ?" This is a part of the honour we give to God, when we reverence and adore him. If you have not always a cliihUike confidence, yet always preserve a childlike reverence. And how ready are we to run into extremes, either to despond or grow wanton? Bocause God is a F.it!ier, therefore do not think you may be secure and take liberty to sin ; if Vou do, {lod may carry it so as if he were no F.illier, he mav throw hell into your conscience. When David presumed upon God's paternal affection, and began to wax wanton under mercy, God made him pay dear for it, — he withdrew the sense of his love, — and though he had the heart of a Father, yet he had the look of an enemy. David prayed. Cause me to hear the voice of joy, Ps. li. 8. lie lay several months in desertion, and it is thought he never re- covered his full ioy to the day of his death. Oh keep alive holy fear ! With a childlike confidence, j)reserve an humble reverence; the Lord i-; a Father, therefore love to serve him; he is tho mighty God therefore fear to offend him.
5. If God be our Father, let us walk o- bcditntly, 1 Pet. i. II., "As obedient chil- dren." When God bids you be humble and self-denying, deny yourselves; })art witli your bosom-sin ; be sober in your at- tire, savoury in your speeches, grave in your deportment, obey your Father's voice ; i.pcn to God, Jis the flower opens to the sun ; !!S you exi)ect your Father's blesslntr obey him in whatever he commands, lirst and Kecond table duties. A lutanist, that he may make sweet musie, toucheth upon e- veiy string of the lute: the ten connnand- uients are like a ten-stringed instrument,
touch upon every string, obey every com- mandment, or you caiMiot make sweet me- lody in religion. Obey your heavenly Fa- ther, though he comnnuids things contrary to flesh and blood. — 1. When he commands to mortify sin, that sin which hath been dear to you; pluck f>ut this right eye, that you may see the better to go to heaven. — 2. When he commands you to sufTer for sin, he ready to obey, Acts xxi. 13. Every g(M)d Christian hath a spirit of martyr(!(»m in him, and is ready rather to suffer for the truth, than the truth should suffer. Luther said he had rather be a martyr than a monarch. Peter was crucified with his hea<l downwards, as Eusebius. Ignati- us called his chains his spiritual ])earls, ai;d did wear nis fetters as a bracelet of dia- nn)nds. This is to carry it as God's chil- dren, when we obey his voice, and coui.t not our lives dear, so that we may show our love to our heaveidy Father, Rev. xii. 11., " They loved not their lives to the death."
6. If God be your Father, show it by your cheerful looks that you are the children <if such a Father. Too much drooping and despondency disparageili the relation you stand in to God. Wliat though you meet with hard usage in the world ? You arc now in a strange land far from home ; it will be shortly better with you, when you are in your own country, and your Father hath you in his arms. Doth not the heir rejoice in hope ? Shall the sons of a king walk dejected ? 2 Sam xiii. 4 , '' Why art thou, being the king's son lean?" Is God an unkind Father? Are his commands grie- vous ? Ilatli he no land to give his heirs ? Why then do (lOcVs children walk so sad? Never had children such ])rivllegt.J as they who are ol" the seed -royal of heaven, and have (iod for their Fatiier : they should re- joice, therefore, who are within a i'cw hours to be crowned with glory.
7. If God be our Father, let us honour him by walking very holily, 1 Pet. i. 16., " Be ye holy, for I am holy." A young prince asking a philosopher how he should behave himself, the philosopher said, Me- mento lefilium esse rcyis, — ' Remember thou art a kinir's son :' do nothinj; but what be- comes the sou of a king : so remember you
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are the adopted sons and dauj^litevs of the high God, do nothing unwortliy of such a relation. A dobaucliod child is the disgrace of his father. " Is this thy son's coat ?" said they to Jacob, when they brought it home dipped in blood, Gen. xxxvii. 23. : so when we see a person defiled with malice, passion, drunkenness, we may say, is this the coat of God's ado|)ted son ? Dotli he look as an heir of glory ? 'Tis a blaspheming the name of God, to call him Father, yet live in sin. Such as profess God is their Father, yet live unholily, they will slander and defraud ; these are as bad to God as heathens, Amos ix. 7., " Are ye not as children of the Ethi- opians to me, O children of Israel, saith the Lord ?" The Ethiopians were uncir- cumcised, a base, ill-bred people ; when Is- rael grew wicked, tbey were no better to God than Ethiopians. Loose, scandalous livers under the gospel, are no better in God's esteem than Pagans and Americans ; nay, they shall have an hotter place in hell.