THESE Words immediately follow a De­hortation against the Love of the World; Love not the World, neither the Things that are in the World. This Prohibition is ad­dressed to the various Ranks of Disciples, young Men, Chidlren and Fathers; and it is a Caution which all need to have enforced: The World naturally steals away our Hearts from GOD, we are impercepti­bly engag'd in the Pursuit of it, and are drawn into the Snare before we are sensible of the Danger.

Our Text is a Reason for the Dissuasion, taken from the Inconsistency of the Love of the World with the Love of GOD. If any Man love the World, the Love of the Father is not in him. The Words intend much the same with those of our Saviour ^*, No Man can serve two Masters, for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other; ye cannot serve GOD and Mammon.

[Page 6] In speaking to the Words, I shall endeavour these two Things.

• First, To state the true Meaning of them. And
• Secondly, To open and illustrate the Truth contained in them, or to show that such a Love of the World, as is here intended, is utterly inconsistent with the Love of GOD.

First, For the Explanation of the Words. If any Man love the World, the Love of the Father is not in him. By the World is here doubtless intended those Enjoyments of the World which tend to seduce us, which are so suited to the Corruptions of Men, as that they prove a Temptation and Share to them: These are well sum'd up by the Apostle in the Verse following our Text under these three Heads, The Lust of the Flesh, the Lust of the Eyes, and the Pride of Life. By the Lust of the Flesh, as it here stands distinguish'd, I ap­prehend, is intended those Things which tend to pro­voke our sensual Appetites, and inflame our Desires after fleshly Delights. By the Lust of the Eyes, is to be understood those Things which tend to feed our Co­vetousness, when we earnestly desire and eagerly pursue those Things which our Eyes have seen. By the Pride of Life, is intended those Things which tend to raise or cherish our Pride; such as the Honours and Dignities of the World, or whatever else tends to gratify our am­bitious Views, to exalt us in our own Esteem, or we are disposed to take a Pride in.

If any Man love the World. By loving the World, cannot, I think, be understood every Kind of Love to any of the Enjoyments of it; this would be to prohi­bit the Exercise of those natural Principles which are implanted in us by the God of Nature, and which are necessary for us in our present State. Some Regard to the World and the Things of it is necessary to keep the [Page 7]World in good Order, and for our comfortable Subsis­tence here; yea, for the Discharge of many Duties which God requires of us. GOD commands that Hus­bands love their Wives, and Parents would never do their Duty to their Children, if they had not a real Af­fection for them; Diligence in our particular Calling is our Duty, but how apt would Mankind be to indulge themselves in Laziness, were it not that they have a Love to the World, and some Desire to have a larger Portion of the Things of it? Nor can I see any Evil in such Desires, so long as our Love to these sublunary Enjoyments is subordinate to our Love to GOD, and we seek them with an humble Submission to the divine Will, and possess them with a Disposition to resign them whenever GOD in his Providence calls for them; A Love to the World which is accompanied with such a Frame and Temper is, I think, lawful and perfectly consistent with our Love to GOD—'Tis then an inor­dinate Love to the World which the Apostle here con­demns, such a Love as influences us to be immoderate in our Pursuit after it, and unwilling to part with it. Some of the Signs of such an inordinate Love I shall have Occasion to speak of presently.

If any Man love the World, the Love of the Father is not in him, i. e. he has not that supreme Love to GOD, which is the Characteristick of the true Christian, he remains in his natural Enmity to GOD, and has ne­ver experienced that Change in his Soul by which he may be denominated a Christian.— This I take to be the plain Sense of the Words, and without troubling you with any critical Remarks upon them, I proceed

Secondly, To open and illustrate the Truth contain­ed in them, or to show that an inordinate Love to the World is inconsistent with the Love of GOD, Here I shall show

[Page 8] I. When our Love to the World may be called an in­ordinate Love.

For Answer

1. When the World so takes up our Thoughts as to exclude the Thought of GOD and Religion, then our Love to the World may be said to be inordinate. To contemplate on GOD and Divine Things is most wor­thy our reasonable Natures, most delightful and most profitable to the renewed Soul: It is a Consideration which demands our closest Attention, how we may ob­tain the Favour of GOD, and how we may glorify and honour him; and it argues too great a Regard to the World, when we are so attach'd to it, as that we can­not presently call off our Thoughts from it to those Things which are of infinitely greater Importance to us. While we are in the World, we are necessarily en­gaged in worldly Business, and it must take up much of our Thoughts; but surely it ought not to have all, there ought to be some Time allotted for the Care of our Souls, which is by Way of Eminence the one Thing needful; and though the World, or the Care of those committed to us may employ the greater Part of our Time; yet, if our Hearts are not too much set upon it, our Thoughts will frequently run upon spiritual and divine Subjects: Yea, when we are engaged in world­ly Business, these will be easy and natural to us. Our Love to the World must be an inordinate Love, if we allow our Minds to dwell wholly upon it, and never think of Divine Things, or if religious Thoughts are burdensome, and we find more Delight in contemplat­ing upon the World and the Things of it: When we put by religious Considerations as Felix did Paul to a more convenient Season, have our Minds engaged up­on our temporal Affairs all the Day long, contriving how we may buy and sell and get gain, and imagine it enough if we contemplate of spiritual Things at the Times of our stated Devotions: Nor will it be so easy [Page 9]a Thing, as many think it is, to bring ourselves sutably to attend to these Subjects, and to fix our Thoughts upon them; when our Minds have been for a long Time otherwise engag'd; especially, when they have been employed upon Subjects so much more agreeable to our Corruptions: In such a Case, you'l find it ex­tremely difficult to get your Heart disengag'd from the World; it will steal upon you in your Retirements, when you go aside professedly to meditate on Things of a spiritual Nature; it will intrude itself into your De­votions, and take off your Thoughts when you would engage them elsewhere. Our Care about the World is then immoderate, and our Love to it inordinate, when we put aside religious Thoughts when they come into our Minds, and will give them no Place, but on those Times which we have expresly set apart for them; sure­ly then it is, if such Thoughts never come into our Minds; if the Cares of the World take up all our Time; if these lie down with us, and are first with us when we awake; Such a Frame of Mind is a certain Indication that our Souls are set upon them, and that we have a greater Regard to them than to any Thing else— As a Man thinketh in his Heart, so is he. ^* If then, any one thinketh of the World with most Fre­quency and Delight, he is a worldly Man.

2. Our Love to the World is then inordinate, when we are discontented because we have not more of it. Though their ought to be a prudent Care about the Things of the World, and it is in our Nature to have some Love to it, and we may lawfully pursue after it; yet our Care and our Pursuits are to be restrained with­in the Bounds of Reason and Religion, and we should submit to the Allotments of Divine Providence without murmuring or repining. It argues a very unbecoming Temper, and too great a Love to the Things of this [Page 10]present World; when we are fretful because we have not more, and envious towards those that have. Some, when they look upon others, who abound in temporal Blessings and seem to have all Things comfortable and pleasant about them, are ready to say within themselves; ‘why, I have taken as much Pains and have had as fair Opportunities as my Neighbours, but I an't thus prosper'd: This Man has Honour and Respect shown him, I am slighted and despised; another has amass'd great Possessions I am still low in the World.’ Well, and what then I pray? so GOD is pleased in his Pro­vidence to order, and its all right and just as it should be. You love the World too well, if you an't willing GOD should govern it as pleases him, but are uneasy and dissa­tisfied because he does not give you as much as he does others, or as you desire. GOD has a sovereign Right to dispose of all Things here, and 'tis our indispensable Duty to submit to his Will whatsoever it is concerning us. If then you are in a contrary Frame, and can't be easy with what GOD bestows upon you because you have not more, it argues a too great Regard for the Things of the World, and that your Desires after it are not kept within due Bounds, since the mere Want of it puts you into an undutiful Frame towards the blessed GOD. We are ready to think there's no Danger of our loving the World too well, when we have not a great Share of it: But a covetous Temper may be as evident and prevail as much in those, who are denied an Abundance of the good Things of this Life, as in those who abound; though they have them not, yet they crave them, and an't contented without them: What can this proceed from but an inordinate Love to them? They discover their Regard to them by their Cravings after them, as the others do by their Attachment to them when they have them: Was our Love to the World under due Regulations, though we should take a prudent Care about it, yet if our Endeavours were not crown'd [Page 11]with Success, it would not disturb us; much less should we discover a discontented murmuring Frame of Spirit.

3. Our Love to the World is then inordinate, when we take indirect Methods to gain it. Under this Head I rank not only those who steal and are guilty of the more notorious Acts of Fraud and Injustice, but those also, who involve themselves in Debts which they have no reasonable Prospect of honestly discharging, or im­prove what is due to another without his Knowledge or Consent; such as are dispos'd to take every Advantage they can of their Neighbours, and embrace every Op­portunity to gripe and oppress them; such as engage in more Business than they can accomplish and attend the Duties of Religion, or engage in unlawful Business: These all take indirect Methods to gain the World. I know many such pass for honest Men, and maintain a good Character; but their Character is better than they deserve. There are fair open Ways enough of gaining a Subsistence and Livelihood in the World, Men need not make Use of such mean Methods and so contrary to the Genius of the Gospel; such a Behaviour can pro­ceed from nothing but an unlawful Desire of Gain, they are eagerly set upon growing rich, and have a Prospect of gaining more in this Way, than in any other. They may indeed persuade themselves that there is nothing amiss in their Conduct, because they are not guilty of o­pen palpable Acts of Injustice: but 'tis their Love to the World that deceives them; did they impartially ex­amine, many such Acts as now they think just and hon­est would appear as really evil as open Robbery or Theft. That my Meaning may be quite plain, I shall instance in two or three Cases too common among us wherein I think Men take indirect Methods to gain the World, a­greeable to the Hints I just now gave—Such then pur­sue the World in an unlawful Way, who involve them­selves so deeply in Debt, that they can have no Prospect [Page 12]of discharging their Obligations with the least Measure of Punctuality, and so are necessitated to break their Word, if they have made any Promises; or at best to cheat and defraud their Creditors: Who keep that Mo­ney to trade upon, or to lay out to their Advantage, which they know to be justly due to another, without his Knowledge or Consent, yea, when they know he wants it himself; Who never will pay their just Debts, till they are obliged to it; but for the Sake of a small Advantage, which they hope to reap to themselves, keep the honest Creditor out of his just Due as long as they can. Call this what you please, it is no better than Knavery and Cheating: The Money is not their own, nor have they any Right to use it; and it appears to me very little worse to take their Neighbour's Interest out of his Chest, than to keep him out of what is due to him, when there is any Possibility off discharging the Debt; I say, when there is any Possibility of discharg­ing the Debt, because an unforeseen Series of Accidents may put it beyond their Power to do as they ought and really desire to do: I speak of those, who will not pay their Debts when they are able, or involve them­selves more deeply in Debt, then they have any Reason to hope, by a common Blessing upon their Endeavours, they shall be able to pay according to their Contract with and the consequent Expectation of their Creditors. —Another instance, wherein Men take indirect Methods to gain the World, is this; a Man sees his Neighbour in absolute Necessity for a Sum of Money or something else, which he can easily help him to, and which he knows or thinks he cannot procure elsewhere; upon this he demands very large Interest, or an extravagant Price, much more than he would pretend to ask, if his Neighbour was not in such extreme Necessity that he could not do without it: If this is not Extortion, I confess I am ignorant what is. It is equally unjust, when one Man imposes upon the Ignorance of another, [Page 13]puts off that Commodity for cheap, which he knows in his own Conscience is dear, or that for good, which he knows to be bad; when he knows that the Buyer is ig­norant and depends upon him for Direction: This is a complicated Crime, there's Breach of Trust as well as Fraud and Oppression. And yet, in these Ways how many are pursuing after Estates? In short, with many the Role of Trading seems to be only this; every one to get what he can, and, if he don't actually steal, in what Way he can: The Worth of the Thing, the Value of their Labour or what would be a reasonable Profit scarce come into Consideration. Others there are, who take such a Multiplicity of Business into their Hands, that they cannot accomplish it without a Neg­lect of the more important Concerns; they are for driv­ing the World before them and scruple no Methods, that won't absolutely destroy their Character, to gain the Things of it; They are always in a Hurry and can spare no Time to attend the Duties of Religion: Now what can such a mean base sinful Temper as this pro­ceed from but an inordinate Love of the World? Would Men be thus eager after it, would they for the Sake of it so abuse and oppress their Neighbours, if they had a just Contempt of it? Would they neg­lect what is plainly their Duty for the Sake of it, if they did not love it too well? I allow there may be some Cases, when we may defer or omit what would otherwise be our Duty for the Sake of taking Care of our temporal Estate: As it may be a Man's Duty to omit praying in his Family at the stated Season, when he has a large Interest at Stake, or great Sums in im­minent Hazzard. But such Allowances in extraordina­ry Cases will by no Means excuse an habitual Neglect of these or such like Duties: It will not be any sufficient Excuse for such a Conduct to say, that your proper Business obliges you to omit your Duty; for the Case is plain; If it is so, your Business is unlawful, and you [Page 14]ought to lay it aside and look out for another Calling; But I believe such Pretences of want of Time for the Duties of Religion are usually false and groundless, Men may attend them if they will, and find Time e­nough for their worldly Business. Observe here, I speak only of those with Respect to Family Duties, who are at home with their Families; and not those who are necessarily called at a Distance from them, as are our Seafaring Brethren and others. I speak of those who make a Practice of going out from their Families so early in the Morning and returning so late at Night under Pretence or really for the Sake of following their Calling, as that they have no Time to offer up their Morning and Evening Sacrifices of Prayer and Praise.— Such Men are certainly actuated by an inordinate Love to the World.

4. Our Love to the World is inordinate when our Anxiety about it leads us to distrust the good Providence of GOD. This is the Temper of many: As others are discontented because they have not an Abundance of the good Things of this Life; so these, altho' they have them, are perpetually restless and uneasy, through a slavish Fear of losing them. The ambitious Man can't sleep, nor take any Comfort in his exalted Station, lest some Change of Affairs should happen, and he should be deprived of his Honours. The rich Man is harrass'd with continual Fears lest he should lose his Substance; when he is awake he imagines it will be stole when he is asleep; and the same disquieting Fears disturb his Rest, he dreams of Thieves and Robbers and a thousand Dangers when none is near him. They forget that the Most High governs the World, and orders all Things in it with consummate Wisdom, and watches over it with infinite Vigilance; and that he is able to preserve to them the Blessings which he has bestowed upon them; these Considerations would Influence them to put their Trust in him, and to depend upon the Care of his Providence; [Page 15]which would still their Fears and quiet their Minds about Futurity.— Anxiety about the Things of the World, al­ways argues a Distrust of GOD and his Providence; and so it evidences too great a Love to the World; for if we loved it in Measure, we should be resigned to the di­vine Will about it, and leave our selves and ours at the Disposal of our heavenly Father. I tell you again, I speak not against a prudent Care of these Things; so far as this consists with a humble Resignation to the Divine Will, and a Dependance on the good Providence of GOD, it is our incumbent Duty. I speak of such an anxious Concern about worldly Enjoyments as unfits us for Duty, for Conversation, and deprives us of all Com­fort in Life. Such is the Care of Parents for their Chil­dren, when they can't bear them out of their Sight, and if at any Time they are absent from them, are fill'd with distressing Fears lest some Accident should befal them, altho' the same careful Providence watches over them then as at other Times. Such is the Anxiety of the Mer­chant, or those that have smaller Sums at Sea, or else­where, lest they should lose their Substance by Storms, Enemies or other Ways; when they ought to leave their Care with GOD and commit themselves and their's to his good Providence. Such a Temper of Mind is a certain Indication that our Hearts are too much set on the World.

5. Our Love to the World is inordinate, if we are loth to part with it, when there is proper Occasion for it, or are angry when GOD in his Providence takes it from us. It is an evident Truth; that, as GOD has given us all we enjoy, so, he has a Right to command us how we shall dispose of it, or, if he please, to take it from us: It argues therefore, that we have a greater Love to the World than we ought to have, if we are unwilling to improve what he gives us according to his Will and Command, or murmur and fret, when he sees fit to de­prive us of it: If we can see Objects of Charity and [Page 16]not relieve them; or if it troubles us when we meet with them; if we put them off with good Words, in­stead of generous Actions; or if we give grudgingly and and with Reluctance: If its a Burthen to us to support the Gospel, or to bestow of our Substance for other pious Uses; one who has only a religious Regard to these Things would give as freely as he receives, he considers his Estate as a Talent given him to improve, for the Improvement of which he must be accountable to GOD; under the Influence of this Consideration, his chief Care is, how he shall dispose of these Things so, as will best answer the Ends for which they were given him; he rejoices therefore, when he has an Opportu­nity of serving GOD or relieving his Brethren, and is willing to part with all for the Sake of CHRIST: I mean not, that, in ordinary Cases, any one is obliged to give all he has in Charity; the State of the World or of the Church of CHRIST is not such as to require it; but a good Proportion of our Income ought to be re­served for this Purpose; and a greater as there shall be a Call in Providence for more. How vastly too great then is their Love to the World, who can't bear to spend a Penny either to promote the Kingdom of CHRIST or to relieve the Necessitous, and had rather their Money should rust in their Chest, than take it out to keep a Brother from starving?

It proves the same inordinate Love to the World, if we find a Disposition to repine at the Providence of GOD, when he takes away any wordly Enjoyment; if we can't chearfully, at least without murm'ring, give up our Character, Estate and every Thing else, when GOD calls for them, or acquiesce in the Providence which deprives us of them; if we are apt to think hardly of GOD and behave undutifully towards him when he is pleased to remove Relatives near and dear to us. We ought never to set our Affections upon any Creature to such a Degree, as that the Loss of it should over­bear [Page 17]our Reason, unfit us for Duty, or disturb and dis­quiet us in it; but should maintain such an Indiffer­ence towards them, as that whether with or without them, we could still bless GOD, and think him a good GOD and a merciful Father.

6. When Men pursue the World with greater Ea­gerness than they do the Favour of GOD and the Trea­sures and Joys of Heaven, then is their Love to the World an inordinate Love. When they are warm, eager and diligent to secure any worldly Advantage, and are cool, lazy and indolent about obtaining an Interest in Christ and securing the Treasures of Heaven: When they make the World, the main Object of their Pursuit, and Religion a Thing by the by: When they neg­lect the Care of their Souls rather than the Care of the World: When they are very sollicitous to secure the Honours, Riches and Pleasures of this World, and are under no Concern to be found unto Praise, Honour and Glory in the other World: Such a Temper evident­ly discovers a too great Love to the World; because the most valuable Objects ought always to be pursued with the greatest Diligence; as then the Things of the World are no Way to be compared with the Advanta­ges which accrue from the Love and Favour of God; so our Love to them must be inordinate if we prefer them so as more earnestly to follow after them.

7. Our Love to the World is too great, if the Enjoy­ments of it afford us greater Delight than the Service of GOD and Communion with him. We always delight most in those Things which we love best; the Service and Company of others is pleasant and agreeable in Proportion to the Love we bear to them; according to this Rule we may determine which has the highest Place in our Affections GOD or the World: If we delight in the Service of GOD and prize the Enjoy­ment of him above every Thing here, then he has the [Page 18]supreme Place; but if we take more Delight in the Things of the World, it is because we love it best; and we certainly love the World too well, if we love it better than GOD who is the supreme Good. Their Love to the World is therefore inordinate who serve God with an unwilling Mind; who think it hard to be ta­ken off from their worldly Business to attend the Du­ties of Religion, and account the Sabbath and other Times which they spend in religious Exercises, to be lost Time, and long to get into the World again; who can't keep their Hearts engaged, when they draw near to GOD with their Bodies; but suffer their Tho'ts to wander with the Eyes of the Fool unto the Ends of the Earth—Such Men have no Taste for the Pleasures of Religion, nor do they prize the Manifestations of Divine Love: The utmost Desire of their Souls and the plain Language of their Practice is who will shew us any worldly Good. If they lose any Part of their earthly Substance, they can grieve and mourn, nor can they take Satisfaction and Comfort from the Conside­ration of the infinite Fulness of Christ, and the hea­venly Treasures which are promised in the Word of GOD: But they can bear the Absence of GOD and the Light of his Countenance without any Concern of Mind or Emotion of Spirit, and have no Uneasiness at the Want of Communion with him. If the World smiles upon them, they discover no Sollicitude about spiritual Pleasures, or the Evidences of the Divine Fa­vour. Such a Temper is a clear Evidence that we love the World too well: Every Thing ought to please us according to its real Value and the Degree of solid Pleasure it is capable of affording: If then the Plea­sures of Religion, which result from Communion with and the Enjoyment of GOD are superior to any which the World can afford us, as I take it for granted they are, it argues that we have too great a Value for the [Page 19]Enjoyments of the World, if we prefer them to the other. There can't be a clearer Evidence of an inor­dinate Love to the World, than when we pursue after the Pleasures of it with greater Eagerness than we do spiritual Enjoyments, when we prize them more in Possession, and mourn more for the Absence of them.

8. When Mon pride themselves in the Things of this World, it proves that they have an inordinate Love to them. This is extremely natural to Man; to value themselves upon such Things as distinguish them from others, and to despise those who in these Respects are inferior to them; hence they expect great Deference and Respect, are offended if they are not consulted in every Thing, are touchy and waspish, won't bear Con­tradiction or endure Controul: Thus, its strange to see, how some empty Wretches expect a Deference to their Judgment because they are rich; as if Riches procured them Brains and they were Men of Sense be­cause they had large Possessions: So likewise as to Honour and other Things, they oftentimes put Men above themselves, so that they are in a Rage at the least Slight, yea, if they are not preferred before others. Now what can such a proud haughty Spirit proceed from, but an Over-valuation of those Qualifications they are endowed with, or those Enjoyments they pos­sess? They think more highly of them than they ought to think: This must be the Case when we pride ourselves in any worldly Enjoyment, because they are none of them so valuable, as that we can have any Reason to be proud of them; and this high Opinion of them must proceed from an undue Affection to them: Those Objects which we love, we are always apt to think better of and to imagine them more va­luable than they really are: Our Love to them causes us to look upon them with Prejudice, it blinds our Eyes, [Page 20]so that we don't see the Imperfections of the Object we love, and fancy a Thousand Excellencies which are only imaginary. This is the Foundation of Pride, this is therefore an Evidence of an inordinate Love to the World.

9. and lastly, Our Love to the World is then inor­dinate, when we desire only to keep within the Bounds of Duty, and allowedly proceed to the very Limits of what is lawful. A Christian ought never to be con­tented without Growth in Grace, it should be his con­tinual Care to get at the greatest Distance from Sin and to press towards Perfection. But how contrary to this is the Conduct of a great Part of the Christian World, of those who make a Profession of Religion? They would be Christians and that is all; they desire just to escape Hell and get to Heaven and no more; they re­tain their Relish for sensual Pleasures, as did the Is­raelites for the Leeks and Onions of Egypt; they have not such a Love to Holiness as that they desire to be more holy; they'll readily gratify their Lusts and pur­sue the World, as far as they imagine they may venture to do it without forfeiting their Title to Heaven: As for such as behave with more Strictness, and endeavour to be Examples of Holiness, they stigmatize them as Precisians, Pharisees and what not, while they them­selves behave with such Levity, and approach at least so near the Borders of Vice, as is a Scandal to Religion and a Disgrace to their holy Profession. Now what can such a Behaviour as this proceed from but an inor­dinate Love to the World? These Men have not lost their Affection to it, though they may have restrained themselves from the more gross Acts of Sin; they flatter themselves that they have renounced the World, whereas they have only reformed their Lives after a Sort, but their Hearts are the same, and they retain the same Affection to the World. Why else have they such [Page 21]an Inclination towards it and the Things of it? Why do they give themselves such a Licence, to go to the utmost Bounds of what is lawful, and allow themselves in the Gratification of their sensual Appetites, so far as is not plainly sinful; When they ought to endeavour to get at the greatest Distance from the Ways of Sin, and as near to Perfection as they possibly can? This is a certain Evidence that they have an inordinate Love to this World and the Things of it. Thus I have shown, by such Hints as came to my Mind, what it is to have an inordinate Love to the World.

I come now to say Secondly.

II. That an inordinate Love of the World is inconsis­tent with the Love of GOD. But here I would pre­mise, that no particular Act of inordinate Love to the World is enough to determine that we have not Love to GOD: Alas! We are all too worldly carnal and sensual: The World steals upon the best and too often interrupts their Communion with GOD and draws away their Hearts from him. But I speak of the habitual Frame and Temper of the Mind; when an inordinate Love of the World is the prevailing reign­ing Disposition of the Soul, the Love of GOD is not there.—For first,

1. Where there is true Love to GOD he has the su­preme Place in the Affections: That Discovery of him which attracts our Love to him at all, will influence us to love him above every Thing else. — There is natu­rally in our Souls a Principle of Enmity to the blessed GOD, which results from this Consideration, that he is holy, just and true, and that we are odious to his Holiness, obnoxious to his Justice and expos'd to the Execution of his Threatnings: This Enmity there­fore can never be removed, 'till the Cause is taken [Page 22]away; which must be by a Change both of our State and our Nature: Which Change is effected when GOD is pleas'd effectually to call us by his Grace: Our State is then changed by GOD's free justifying Act on Account of the Righteousness of CHRIST im­puted to us on our receiving him by Faith; our Nature is changed by the Operation of the blessed Spirit work­ing all his Graces within us. When this Change is effected, GOD is no longer an Object of Hatred; the Cause of our Enmity is removed, we are not the Objects of his Anger or Displeasure; he is reconciled to us and engaged for us; and his Goodness in shewing Mercy to such guilty Rebels, as we all are in our natu­ral State, now recommends him to our Love, as much as his other Attributes render'd him hateful to us be­fore: Yea, those severer Attributes of the Deity are now amiable and lovely: his Holiness especially, when we are sanctified ourselves, excites our Esteem and Love; and all his Excellencies, which now shine upon the Soul with peculiar Lustre, especially as they are mani­fested in the Face of Jesus Christ, have this attractive Influence. And the same Consideration which induces us to love him at all will constrain us to love him a­bove every Thing else: We love every Object ac­cording to the Goodness or Excellency there appeares to us be in it; as then after we are changed and re­newed by the Holy Spirit, GOD evidently appears to the Soul the best and most excellent Being; so he will love him best: He will then see the Emptiness and Vanity of the Creature, when compared with GOD, and therefore will despise it. That which induces a­ny to love the World, is the Good which they think there is in it, it's Suitableness to their Desires, Appe­tites and Inclinations and the Prospect of Happiness they have from it: But the renewed Soul has his In­clinations so changed that he no longer Desires the sin­ful [Page 23]Pleasures of the World, nor any Portion of it any further than is needful for his Subsistence, or than he can improve to the Glory of his Maker. He is con­vinced that the World cannot yield him Happiness; that there is that and infinitely more in GOD, than he can expect from the World; and he looks for Happiness from him and not from sublunary Enjoyments.— As then GOD, by the Discoveries which he makes of himself to the true Christian, appears to him not of himself to the true Christian, appears to him not only the greatest but the best of Beings; as all he hopes for is from him; and he sees evident­ly, that no Creature is of any Service, or can yield any Pleasure, or be of any Value, but by his Appointment; so he loves him with a supreme Affection; yea, he despises every Thing in Comparison with him. 'Tis true, he still loves the World, but with a subordinate Love, according to its real Use, and in its proper Place. Where there is not such a supreme Love to God, there is no Love to him; this is the natural necessary Effect of that Change, which the Spirit of GOD makes in the Soul of a Sinner, when he renews and sanctifies it.—

But to go on Secondly,

2. This inordinate Love of the World is inconsistent with the Love of GOD because it naturally leads to Acts directly contrary to the Will of GOD: Or other­wise, because the Service of GOD and the World are inconsistent. The blessed GOD requires us to devote ourselves to him, and to use the World so as shall most glorify him: But an inordinate Love to the World leads us to devote ourselves to that, and to improve it in the Gratification or our Lusts. GOD commands us to mortify our Members and curb our Lusts: The World presents us with Objects which tend to inflame our Desires and provoke our Lusts. GOD commands us to set our Affections on Things above and not on [Page 24]Things below: The World would engage our Affections upon earthly Enjoyments and represents the other as no Way suitable for us, and therefore not to be valued. GOD commands us to seek first the King­dom of GOD and his Righteousness; the World would entice us to neglect these Things till the last. GOD tells us that he is the alone Fountain of Happiness: The World would have us to seek it in the Enjoyments of Sense. GOD commands us to give him our whole Heart, to love him with all our Heart; but this is ab­solutely inconsistent with an inordinate Love of the World. ‘GOD, saith, (to allude to the Words of another, ^† My Son give me thy Heart: The World saith, no, give it me. GOD saith, Be con­tent with such Things as you have: The World saith, grasp at all that ever thou canst. GOD saith, defraud not, never tell a Lie, be honest and just in all thy Dealings: The World saith, cheat thy own Father, if thou canst get by it. GOD saith, be charitable: The World saith, hold thy own, this giving undoes us all. GOD saith, Be careful for no­thing: The World saith, be careful for every Thing. GOD saith, Keep holy the Sabbath Day: The World saith, make Use of that Day, as well as any other for the World. Thus inconsistent are the Commands of GOD and the World, so that we cannot serve both.’ Agreeably our Saviour tells us in forecited Matth. 6.24. No Man can serve two Masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other. Or else he will hold to the one and despise the other. Ye cannot serve GOD and Mammon.

I come now to the APPLICATION of what has been said; and,

[Page 25] 1. I shall apply what has been said for the Convic­tion and Awakening of those who have that inordinate Love of the World, which has been described. Many such there are, 'tis to be fear'd, who yet think them­selves good Christians. They mistake their Greediness after the World for Prudence, and their Covetousness for Frugality: And upon this Principle, they blame others of a more generous charitable Disposition, charge them with Extravagance, would have them think whe­ther they can afford what they give in this Way, whe­ther they sha'n't hurt themselves and Families. In­deed, my Brethren, there is but little Need in our Day for such Cautions as these: Few, very few are in Danger of hurting themselves or their Families by what they give in pious and charitable Uses; the most give but a Trifle in this Way. But, (suffer me to speak my Fears) if I mistake not, the most of you are in much greater Danger of loving the World too well. Look into your own Hearts then (for GOD calls you to apply these Truths to yourselves rather than to others.) What are your Thoughts employ'd about? Is it not, how shall I buy and sell and get Gain? How shall I advance my Estate? How shall I lay out my Money to the best Advantage? I say not, that all such Tho'ts are sinful; but don't they take up so much of your Time, that you shut out the Care of your Soul and neglect to secure the one Thing need­ful? I verily believe that many think more how they shall get or save a Penny, than how they shall save their Souls from Hell. Is not their Love to the World then inordinate? Is it not too great to have any Room for GOD in the Heart?

Again, What meaneth this Bleating in our Ears? What is all this Murmuring and Fretting that you have not more of the World? That you must toil and labour and yet be poor, while others get Estates [Page 26]without half the Pains you take? Is not your Mur­muring against the Lord? Is it not he that allots out every one's Circumstances? Did you love him half so well as you do the World, you'd be easy, content­ed and thankful; for the poorest of you have much more than you deserve. The Apostle could say, I have learned in whatsoever State I am therewith to be content. ^* How contrary are many, who would be thought Chri­stians too, who in whatever State they are, are always discontented?

Again, What shall we say of those who don't scruple to take any Measures just or unjust so they can but gain the World? I speak not only to Thieves and open Robbers, but to many who would think it hard if their Goodness was to be suspected: Such as op­press the Poor and lie in wait to take Advantage of the Necessities of their Brethren: Such as have no Rule in Dealing, but to get as much as they can, and take extravagant Interest, when their Neigh­bours, through Necessity, are obliged to borrow of them: Such as will commend their Goods when they know them to be bad; and will take the Bread out of their Brethren's Mouths, to lay up Money in their Chests: who are growing rich upon the Spoils of others, and defraud others to raise themselves.—Is this your Way to get Estates? poor Souls! You'l perish with your Money unless you repent.

Again, What Occasion for that Anxiety and Distress which many discover lest they should not have enough to carry them thro' the World? Is there not a GOD in Heaven whose Care has been extended towards you, ever since you have been in the World? How un­becoming a Christian is it, when he should be com­mitting [Page 27]his Case to GOD, to unfit himself for Duty, through a restless Anxiety about Futurity.

Again, You have Reason to suspect your State; who are as stingy when you have got Money, as you was avaricious in getting it.— How hard is it to get any Thing out of some Men, when the Honour of GOD plainly calls for it! How many Excuses do they make; its hard Times, I've a large Family. I allow there's something in these Things, but will this excuse you from doing any Thing for the Service of GOD? Or if some Men give, yet with what ap­parent Reluctance is it? It seems as if they had al­most as willingly give a Piece of their Flesh, it so evi­dently hurts them; and I'm sure, it hurts me, when I see such Men give.— GOD loves a chearful Giver, but he hates such mean, sordid, stingy Souls.

Again, How melancholly is your Case, who can take Delight in the World, and the Things of it, but none in the Service of GOD: Who take great Plea­sure in getting the good Things of Life, but none in conversing with GOD: Who are easy if you can but procure large Possessions to yourselves, though you have no Communion with GOD, no Manifestations of the Divine Love.—Or who can labour and toil to get earthly Riches, but can find no Time to scare to secure the infinitely preferable Treasures of Heaven. This World's Goods you may possibly get, but, if you carry this Temper with you to the Grave, the other you shall never have, these Things will be such a heavy Weight upon you as will sink you deep in the bottom­less Pit.—Need I say any Thing to set forth the Dan­ger of those who are puff'd up with Pride, on Account of what they enjoy here? Your Folly is inexcusable and your Danger is great, that since you so abomina­bly misimprove the Bounty of Heaven towards you, he will at Length take an effectual Way to humble [Page 28]you, even by leaving you to contemplate on your Vanity with Shame and Grief to all Eternity. As for such as are for being religious and worldly too, who are for getting a little Grace, just enough to squeeze in at the strait Gate; who desire no more than just to get over the Line between a converted and uncon­verted State; I fear you'll be so cautious of going too far, that you won't go far enough.—In plain Words, such a Temper discovers you are a Stranger to Con­version and know nothing of the Power of Godliness. Oh be awaken'd and convinced then, all these Kinds of Persons, I have been describing love the World too well, too well to have any Love to GOD, too well to be Christians. — But Secondly,

2. What has been said may serve to reprove the Children of GOD. Alas do not the best of us find that we love the World too well: Though those Tempers I have mentioned, are not the habitual Frame of our Minds; yet are they not too often prevailing, within us? Have we not had Reason to judge and condemn ourselves more than once while we have heard an inordinate Love to the World describ­ed? But how is this, my Brethren! have we not chosen GOD as the Object of our Hope and Trust? Does he not deserve that Affection we have placed upon him? Yea, have we not found more Pleasure in the little Communion we have had with him, and the little Time we have been serving him than in all that the World has afforded? Have we not found the World empty and vain; and that 'tis GOD only can satisfy our Desires? Why then do we return a­gain to the World, or expect that from it which we know by Experience it cannot yield us? Shall we who have partook of the Fountain of living Waters, go back again to those broken Cisterns that can hold no [Page 29]Water? Shall we halt between two Opinions, who have determined upon so good Grounds for the Lord, and have chosen his Service? Oh rouse up, contem­plate on the Excellencies of the Divine Nature, and you'll see so much to attract your Love, that you'll despise every Thing which the World presents.

There are two Reasons especially, which should in­fluence the Children of GOD not to discover too great an Affection to the Things of the World. The one is the bad Influence it is like to have upon others; they are ready to think they are within due Bounds, because they see such a good Man as eager and anxious about the World as they—the bad Example of good Men has a great Influence upon others: they should therefore endeavour to discover their Contempt of the World and to show the little Value they put upon it that others may follow them, may examine the real Value of it, and be brought to slight and despise it. The other Reason is that it will cloud their Evidences for Heaven if they suffer their Hearts to go out after the World. The Way to have our Title to the hea­venly Inheritance clear'd up, is to get weaned from the World and more conformed to the heavenly World. The more worldly we are, so much the more Darkness are we like to have about our State, the more we are like the Men of this World, the more difficult it will be to determine that we are not of it ourselves. And this may discover to many of us the Reason, why we have not had more of the Light of GOD's Coun­tenance: We have been too worldly, too eager in our Pursuits after it, too anxious about the Things of it, when we ought to have consider'd ourselves as Pil­grims and Strangers here, and lived as such.—

3. But I would just say one Word for the Encou­ragement of some poor disconsolate Souls, who are [Page 30]ready to conclude every Thought about the World unlawful, and to give all over for lost, because they are not so weaned from it as they think they should be. As to the first of these: You can't expect to be free entirely from the Cares of the World; while you are here, you must and you ought to think about it, and to take Care for your comfortable Subsistence here. As to the other, I am inclin'd to think it's true, that you are not so weaned from the World as you ought to be: But is not this your Grief, your Burden? Don't you long to get more wean'd? Don't you mourn before GOD that you are so much attach'd to the World? And pray that you may have Grace to withstand the Temptations of it? Don't you watch against it, and strive against it, and don't you long to be free from the Snares of it? This is not the Temper of those, who have an habitual inordinate Love to the World, but are the genuine Marks of a Child of GOD.

In fine, Let us all be exhorted to moderate our Affec­tions to the Things of this World, and to place them on GOD and CHRIST and Things that are heavenly and Divine. Your own Experience will teach you, that all Things here are empty, vain, and unsatisfactory; whatever we promise ourselves from the Enjoyment of them, we find ourselves disappointed, and still a great Way off from that Ease and Contentment which we expected from them. It is not in their Nature to sa­tisfy the boundless Desires of our rational Souls.—Be­sides, all sublunary Enjoyments are fading and perishing; they make to themselves Wings and flee away; they will soon leave us, or if not, we must soon leave them; and if we choose our Portion here, we must go with­out it hereafter, if the World engrosses our Affections while we are in this State, we must be miserable fore­ver.—Shall we suffer these Things then to engage our [Page 31]Attention, our Affections, our Desires, and Pursuits, which are so mean in themselves and so fatal in their Consequences? Especially, when they come in Com­petition with the Treasures of Heaven, which are infi­nitely valuable in themselves, and eternal in their Durati­on? These, my Brethren, are worthy your closest At­tention; you can't be too earnest in your Desires, or too eager in your Pursuit after them. Oh then, Seek first the Kingdom of GOD and his Righteousness. Labour to make sure of an Interest in CHRIST, he is the Pearl of, great Price; and if you can but make him your's, tho' it be at the Expence of all you have in this World, you'll gain infinitely by the Bargain, you'll find that Happiness in Communion with and in the Enjoyment of him, which you vainly expect from the Things of this World, and infinitely more: in him there are un­searchable Riches, it has pleased the Father that in him should all Fulness dwell, he can satisfy your most enlarg­ed Desires, and make you as happy, as without him you must be miserable. — If you are interested in his Merits, you shall have Grace and Glory, nor will GOD withhold any good Thing from you. If GOD sees it to be for your Good, he will bestow the Enjoyments of this Life upon you, for so far Godliness has the Pro­mise of this Life as well as of that which is to come. And what reasonable Man would desire the Promise of it any further? But however GOD may see fit to deal with you here, you shall be admitted to the richest Happiness in the Glory of the heavenly World. I conclude with Col. iii. 2, 5. Set your Affections on Things above, and not on Things on the Earth. Mortify your Members which are upon the Earth—inordinate Af­fection, evil Concupiscence, and Covetousness, which is Idolatry.