nations, as being the fupreme and ultimate End, to which all their Designs and Actions must be subfervient by a natural Neceflity.

2. Whereas on the other hand, thofe Rules or Means which are most proper for the attaining of this End, about which we have a liberty of acting, to which Men are to be induced in a moral Way, by fuch kind of Motives or Arguments as are in themselves fufficient to convince the Reason: These I call moral Duties; Duties, as deriving their obligation from their conducibility to the promoting of our chief End: and moral, as depending upon moral Motives. So that Selflove, and the propofing of Happiness as our chief End, though it be the Foundation of Duty, that basis or fubftratum upon which the Law is founded, yet it is not properly a moral Duty, about which Men have a liberty of acting, They muft do so, nor can they do otherwife. The most vile and profligate Wretches that are, who are most oppofite to that which is their true Happiness, they are not against Happiness it felf, but they mistake about it, and erroneously subftitute fomething elfe in the room of it. So that if Men were upon all Accounts firmly convinced, that God was their chief Happiness, they would almost as necessarily love him, as hungry Men do eat, and thirfty Men do drink. I have enlarged fomewhat the more upon this particular, the

better

better to manifeft the true Cause or Ground of this Love, to confift in this Persuasion, that our chief Happiness is in the Favour of God, and the Enjoyment of him.

CHAP. XV.

Of Reverence and the Fear of God.

TH

Hirdly, As for those kind of Affections, which fhould be wrought in us, more especially from the apprehenfion of the Divine Power; these are reverence, fear, humility, a fubmiffive and filial awe, which is fo fuitable to the notion of Omnipotence, and so necessary a confequence from it, as not to be separated.

By this Reverence, I mean fuch an humble, awful, and ingenuous regard towards the Divine Nature, proceeding from a due Efteem and Love of him, whereby we are rendred unwilling to do any thing which may argue contempt of him, or which may provoke and offend him. 'Tis a Duty which we owe to fuch as are in a fuperior relation, and is in the Fifth Commandment enjoined under the Name of Honour; which in the Notion of it doth imply a mixture of Love and Fear, and in the Object of it doth suppofe Goodness and Power. That Power which

2

which is hurtful to Men, and devoid of goodness, may raise in their Minds a Dread and Terror, but not a Reverence and an Honour. And therefore all fuch Doctrines as ascribe unto God what is harsh and rigorous, and unworthy of his infinite goodness, inftead of this filial, do beget a fervile fear in Men. This is the meaning of that Citation in St. Austin, where he mentions it as Varro's judgment, Deum a religiofo vereri, a fuperftitiofo timeri. The Paflion of Fear and Dread belongs to fuperftitious Perfons, but the Virtue of reverence to thofe that are Benefic. 1. religious. And that of Seneca, Deos nemo 4. cap. 19. fanus timet, furor enim eft metuere falutaria, Epift.125 nec quifquam amat quos timet. No Man in his right Mind will fear God in this Sense; 'tis no less than Madness to have frightful Apprehenfions of that which is most benign and beneficial; nor can true Love confift with this kind of Fear.

But as for this Reverence or filial Fear, it is fo effential to a state of Religion, that not only the Scripture, but the Heathen Moralifts likewife do defcribe Religion it self by this very Name of fearing God. And Men who are pious and devout, are by the Gentiles filed ἀλαβᾶς and φοβέμενοι, Men of Reverence and Fear.

Now though every one of the Divine Perfections may justly challenge this Affection as due to it, particularly his infinite Wisdom

and

and Goodness, yet doth it more particularly belong to his Power. I fhall fpeak briefly of each of these.

1. For his infinite Knowledge and Wif dom, which are things that have been always counted venerable. He knows all our Infirmities and moft fecret Faults, and therefore ought to be feared upon that account. 'Tis a notable Saying in Cicero to this purpofe; Quis non timeat omnia providentem &cogitantem, & animadvertentem, & omnia ad fe pertinere putantem, curiofum & plenum negotii Deum. "Who would not

fear that God who fees and takes notice of "all Things, fo curious and full of business, "as to have a particular concern for every "action and perfon in the World? And in another place he makes this Notion of the Deity, and the Fear confequent thereupon, to be the chief bafis of Government, the first Foundation of that civil policy whereby Men are gathered together and preferved in regular Societies. Sit perfuafum civibus, Deos, De Legib. qualis quifque fit, quid in fe admittat, quâ mente, quâ pietate religiones colat, intueri; piorumque & impiorum habere rationem. "This is one of the first Principles, " which Men who would affociate under

Government ought to be convinced of, that "God takes particular notice, what kind of "Perfon every one is, with what Mind and "Devotion he applies himself to the Duties

"of

Lib. 2.

" of Religion, and will deal with Men according as they are pious or impious. From whence will follow, fuch a Fear of offending him by any dishonest action, as mut make Men capable of living under Govern

ment.

2. His Goodness, Holiness, Kindness, and Mercy, do afford another Reason why he ought to be feared; though these are the most immediate Objects of our Love and Joy, yet will they likewise afford ground for our Reverence. We read in one Text, of Hofea 3.5. fearing the Lord and his goodness; which is, when Men have such a Senfe of his Goodnefs, as thereby to be affected with an holy awe and fear of offending him. And elfewhere, 'tis faid, There is forgiveness with Pf.130 4 him, that he ought to be feared. The meaning of which place may be this, We stand in continual need of Pardon and Remiffion, being utterly undone without it; and God only doth give this, and therefore upon this account we ought to reverence and fear him.

3. This Duty doth more especially refer to that Attribute of his Power, together with the Effects of it, in the Judgments which he executes in the World. Now nothing is more natural to Men, than to fear such as have power over them, and are able to help 'or to hurt them. The Civil Magiftrate is to be feared and reverenced upon this account,

because