[2.] Tlie second reason is carnal liberty, and so we hate God as a law- giver, who would bridle our lusts. There is in the law the precept and the Ninction. The ])recept is to our purpose, the sanction will come to be considered in the next. Because of God's restraint we cannot enjoy our lusts with that freedom and security we desire. His law is in the way, therefore the heart riseth up against God, because he hath made a law to forbid those things that we affect : Rom. viii. 7, ' The natural mind is enmity to God, for it is not subject to the law of God, neither can be ;' Col. i. 21, ' Eaemies in your mind by evil works.' Wc love
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sin, therefore we haco God, who forbids it, and makes it ko penal and damnable to us.
[3.] Slavish fear is the cause of this enmity. This relates to the sanction and penalty of the law. Thus, we hate God, because we fear he will call us to account for our sins, and punish us ; for a condemn- ing God, barely apprehended under that notion; can never be loved by a guilty creature. Thus Adam, when he had sinned, ran away from God, and hid himself in the bushes, Gen. iii. 7, 10. Now it is in vain to come and tell them of the goodness of God and his perfections till he change their hearts ; as you do in vain induce a guilty prisoner to love his judge, to tell him he is a discreet person, a man of solid judg- ment, one well skilled and versed in the law — this sticks, he is one that will condemn him. Therefore the gospel, as a means to induce us to love God, sets him forth as a sin-pardoning God : ' There is forgive- ness with thee, that thou mayest be feared.'
2. Come we to the regenerate. The Thessalonians did excel in all graces, and yet the apostle prays that the Lord would ' direct their hearts to the love of God.' Why ?
[1.] Because there are many defects of love in the best. To give some instances : —
First, Love signifies a strong inclination, or an earnest bent of heart towards God, as our chief good and last end. Well, then, our end is our measure by which we judge of all means, of the aptness and fitness of what is to be avoided and embraced. The seasonableness of all means must be determined by the end, that all means that are incon- sistent with and impertinent to our great end may be cut off. Now all sins are inconsistent with making God our great end, and all vain and foolish actions are impertinent thereunto. Judge you by this, if we have such a perfect love to God, if this be love, as questionless it is. But now with how many impertinent and extravagant actions do we fill up our lives ? How many purposes, desires, words, and actions have we that have no respect to our great end at all ? How much do we live to ourselves, and how little to God ? How great a passion have we for earthly things, so that they can occupy and intercept the far greatest part of our lives ? And then judge whether we had not need have the bent kept up, and the tendency towards God, as our end and happiness: Ps. Ixxxvi. 11, 'Unite my heart to the fear of thy name.' It is the natural disease of man's heart to be loosed from God, and to be distracted in variety of worldly objects, which obtrude themselves upon our senses, offer themselves to us daily ; therefore it is not enough for a man once to resign over his heart to God, as we do in conversion, when this love was first wrought in us, but we need often to beg that God would reclaim us from this ranging after carnal vanities, that he would direct and keep us straight and true to our end, that we may love him more, and at a better rate. So, if you consider the nature of love ; the thing is obvious and plain, unless the Lord maintain this love in us, and keep it up, what will become of us?
The second evidence is those slavish fears which do oppress us and hinder our delight in God and comfortable communion with him in the means of grace. Certainly the more we are under slavish fear,
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the loss love we have to God and thankfulness for his grace. The apostle tells you, 1 John iv. 18, ' There is no fear in love ; but perfect love casteth out fear, because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.' Surely we should seek after such a spirit of love, that all we do for God may be done with great delight ; that we may not serve him by compulsion, but by inclination ; not as en- joined only, but as inclined ; not as putting a force upon ourselves, but as delighting in our work. And then —
Thirdly, Another instance is our frequent preferring the profits and pleasures of the world before the service of God, and if it doth not go so far as to forfeit our right, yet how often do we expose and put our spiritual comforts to hazard for every trifle? As Esau, that sold his birthright for a morsel of meat, Heb, xii. 15, 16. The best of us show too much lothness to cut off the right hand, and to pluck out the right eye, or to do that which is signified by it. This shows a weakness of love ; for where love is strong, there is a thorough inclination to God ; we dare love nothing above him, or against him, or without him.