8. It is a questioning, if not a flat denial of God's omnisciency and omnipresence, as if he did not see or regard the actions of men, since we dare do that in the presence of God which we would scarce do before a little child. Ahasuerus said, Esther vii. 8, ' Will he force the queen also before me in the house ? ' Shall we break his laws before his face ? Who would void his excrements before his prince ? It is a homely similitude, but such as is warranted by the types of the law : Deut. xxiii. 12-14, ' Thou shalt cover that which cometh from thee, that thy camp may be holy, that he see no unclean thing in thee.' It is not natural filthiness which God abhorreth, but moral sin is most loathsome to him ; and yet we commit it before his face, and are not ashamed, which showeth that either we have contemptible1 thoughts of God, or that he doth not see or regard us. The prophet telleth us, Jer. ii. 28, ' The thief is ashamed when he is found ; ; that is, taken in the fact. Did we believe God's omnipresence and all-seeing eye, we would always be careful of our actions ; but we do that before the face of God which he infinitely hateth. Whatever your underlings do behind your backs, you would not bear it if they did it before your face. All the sins thou committest, thou dost them in the very face of God, who beholdest the evil and the good.
9. It is the violation of a law which is holy, just, and good. Hitherto we have brought considerations that concern the lawgiver; now I speak of the very law itself. The matter of it recommendeth itself to our consciences, as tending to the glory of God, and conducing to pre- serve the rectitude of our natures. Whatever God hath required ought to be done upon God's authority, though the thing itself (setting God's injunction aside) did not deserve our respect and regard ; as Naaman's servant told him, 2 Kings v. 13, ' If the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldst thou not have done it ? how much rather when he saith to thee, Wash and be clean ? ' So whatever God commandeth, the stamp of his authority puts a respect upon it ; how much more when his laws are so equal, that, if a man were well in his wits, he would prefer them before liberty itself ? Bom. vii. 12, ' Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, just and good ; ' the law in general, and every command in particular, even that commandment which had wrought such tragical effects in his own heart. Thus men
\ That is, • contemptuous.' — Ed.
VeR, 4.] SERMONS UPON 1 JOHN III. 505
that understand themselves speak well of the law, even when it is contrary to their corrupt natures and humours. It is a law fit for God to give and us to receive. You say we must obey, but you think his commands are grievous ; and so you obey him out of necessity, not out of delight. Oh, no ; for though God may command what he will, yet he hath commanded nothing but what is good and holy. All his laws suit and agree well with his holiness, wisdom, and good- ness, and also with the excellency and rectitude of our nature ; aud so setting aside God's authority, they commend themselves to us by their own evidence : Phil. iv. 8, ' Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report ; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think of these things.' There are certain things that are immutably good, and by their own proper worth command our love, because of their exact suitableness to the divine nature, which is the eternal rule and reason of all that is good, as also because of their agreeableness to the reasonable nature, so far as there is anything good and divine in it ; and such are most, if not all, the laws which God hath required of us. He hath not required us to lance or gash ourselves, to offer our children in sacrifice, nor to observe any of those barbarous customs which any of the gentiles took up and adapted to their wild supersti-. tion : 'What hath the Lord required of thee, but to love and fear him, and serve him all your days ? ' Deut. x. 12. He doth not require that we should run to the ends of the earth, or pierce the clouds, but 'to love mercy, do justice, and to walk humbly with thy God;' to live in purity, chastity, sobriety, temperance. Now first good men, whose eyes are open, who are not grown brutish by indulging their lusts and sensual appetites, they judge these to be holy and good laws : Fs. cxix. 173, ' I esteem thy precepts concerning all things to be right ;' and ver. 138, ' Thy testimonies are righteous, and very faith- ful.' They have such a naturalness to the law, that they are very tender of breaking it. Secondly, I propound it to ordinary men. If conscience be suffered to speak, it would plead the equity of God's laws ; even carnal men like this obedience in others, though, being overcome by their own lusts, they cannot bring their hearts to it. They are counted excellent : Prov. xii. 36, ' The righteous is more excellent than his neighbour.' There is a secret sentiment of the holiness of these precepts ; a reverence is darted into their con- sciences. The wicked, that hate the saints, count them excellent. They fear them, and therefore hate them ; for all fear in wicked men is slavish, both the fear of God, and the fear of the saints. Many could wish themselves better, though they have not a serious purpose and resolution, as the incontinent and voluptuous. Thirdly, The general sense of mankind, who all consent to the things contained in this law, as holy, pure, true, and just. For the second table there is no doubt. Conscience, without the help of any other teacher, will sufficiently convince any reasonable man that this law is agreeable to the nature of man. And much of the first table will be seen also ; so that natural light will incline men to these things : Bom. ii. 14, ' For the gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law.' There are some things in nature which always observe