ducing, in nourishing, in breeding us, how much more are we bound to yield the same to him, who principally did, who continually doth, bestow on us our being, together with all the supports, the conveniences, the comforts thereof; from whose free bounty we derive not only the benefits of this transitory life, but the inestimable privileges and blessings relating to the future incomparably better state? If we neglect our duty so grounded, may not God justly expostulate with us, as he did of old with those children of his: Do ye thus requite the Lord, O foolish people, and unwise:' Is he not thy Father, who bought thee?' (or rather, who got thee, ös éкTýσató σe, saith the Greek; and both that and the Hebrew do agree in expression of that thing with our common manner of speech ;) ⚫ hath not he made thee, and established thee?' It is, as is there intimated, a part of extreme folly, no less than of injustice and ingratitude, to disregard and disobey him, to whom by such bands of duty and obligation we are allied: indeed the excellency of God's nature doth justly require honor and reverence to him; his sovereign power may also reasonably extort obedience from us; but his paternal benevolence and beneficence are the most obliging grounds, the most kindly inducements, to the practice of all piety toward him: we are foolishly unworthy in not being good on the other accounts; in not being so for these reasons we are monstrously base.

2. This consideration may instruct and admonish us what we should be, and how we should behave ourselves; for that, if we be God's children, it becometh us, and we are obliged, in our disposition and demeanor, to resemble, to imitate him: it is natural and proper for children to resemble their parents in their complexion and countenance; to imitate them in their actions and carriage: If ye,' argueth our Lord, were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham;' ye would imitate him in readily believing and obeying God: and, 'Ye,' saith he again,' are of your father the Devil, because ye perform the lusts of your father' because in his envious, treacherous, murderous disposition and practice, ye resemble him: so if we be God's children, we must, according to St. Paul's exhortation, imitate God, as dear children;' we must, in all imitable perfections, strive to be like him; so doth the Scrip

ture frequently (both in general, and as to particular cases or matters) apply and inculcate this point: God is holy and pure, so therefore ought we to be; As obedient children,' saith St. Peter, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance, but as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;' and, ‘That,' saith St. Paul, 'ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God without rebuke, (or irreprehensible sons of God,) in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation;' and, ́ Beloved, now are we the sons of God,' saith St. John, subjoining—and every one that hath this hope (a hope grounded on, or springing from, such a relation) purifieth himself, as God is pure:' God is perfectly just and righteous, thence we likewise should labor to be such; for, Every one,' saith St. John, that doeth righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous:' God is perfect in all goodness; so must we endeavor to be, as our Saviour enjoineth us; Be ye,' saith he, therefore perfect, as your Father is perfect:' God is bountiful, gracious, and merciful unto all; we thence should learn to be so also; I say unto you, (they are our Saviour's lessons to us,) Love your enemies, bless those that curse you, do good to those that hate you, and pray for those who despitefully use you, and perseyou; that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven; for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust;' and again; Love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest; for he is kind to the unthankful and to the evil; be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.' So are we admonished by the holy writers of our engagements to be good on this account, And reason indeed showeth this relation to be inconsistent with our being otherwise; for similitude only can preserve cognation; things very unlike become formally different in kind and nature thereby; diversity of manners signify a difference in blood: if therefore we be closely affixed to material things, or pronely addicted to brutish pleasures, how can we be the children of him, that is purely spiritual, altogether intellectual? If we be fierce, hardhearted, unmerciful, or uncharitable, how can we VOL. V.

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claim kindred with him, who is all love and benignity, all munificence and mercy? there can be no affinity in relation, where there is such a dissimilitude in nature: God also cannot deal with us as children, cannot affect or like us, if we do not resemble him; he can only love good men, and the most certain Kperiptov (the most perfect rule, the most evident mark) by which we can discern or distinguish what goodness is, is conformity to God's nature, discovered by his actions; for that cannot otherwise than be very good, wise and reasonable, comely and commendable, convenient and beneficial to us, wherein we resemble God; God's example cannot misguide us, his law and his practice ever consent, his will and nature cannot disagree; nothing therefore can more please him than what is like him; as even Plato could observe: · What practice,' saith he, is acceptable and suitable to God? One; even that, which the old saying implies, Like is ever a friend to like.** Nothing likewise is more certainly bad, or more displeasing to God, than that which rendereth us in our complexion of mind, or in our behavior, unlike to God: we by being such, or doing so, must necessarily fall from this high dignity, must ipso facto forfeit this excellent privilege of being thus related to God; we thereby become exiles and aliens from his name and family; we prove rebels and foes, instead of sons and friends, unto him.

3. This consideration may raise us to a just regard, esteem, and valuation of ourselves; may consequently inspire noble thoughts, and breed generous inclinations in us; may withdraw us from mean, base, and unworthy designs or practices; may excite and encourage us to handsome, brave, worthy resolutions and undertakings, suitable to the dignity of our nature, the nobleness of our descent, the eminency of so high a relation, of so near an alliance to God: even natural light dictateth this use of the notion, and heathen philosophers do apply it: 'If any one,' saith Epictetus, ' could be affected with this opinion, that we are all originally descended from God, and that God is both the Father of men and gods, he would not, I suppose, conceive any thing ignoble or mean concerning himself; If Cæsar should

* Plato de Leg. 4.

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adopt thee, none could endure thy superciliousness; and if thou knowest that thou art God's son, shall it not elevate thy mind?' So that great philosopher discourseth. And St. Austin relateth this discourse of Varro, the most learned Roman of his time: It is,' said he, ' useful for cities, that valiant men should (although it be false) believe themselves born of the gods, that their minds thence bearing a confidence of their divine extraction, may more boldly undertake great enterprises, pursue them more earnestly, and hence accomplish them more happily, from the security this conceit produceth.' Shall we then, who in so many respects are so highly born, and of so illustrious an extraction, (we that are allied to God by our intelligent nature, that are by the heavenly seed of Christian regeneration more deeply implanted into his stock,) so far debase ourselves as to affect and pursue trivial, abject, dishonorable things? Are we not ashamed of so vile a degeneracy? Can we dare so to disparage our high relations? God our heavenly Father; Christ our elder Brother; the holy angels and blessed saints, our kindred in nature, our brethren in grace? Shall we not be afraid for such unworthiness to be degraded, to be rejected, to be disinherited by our holy Father; who is jealous of his honor, who cannot brook to have his blood so stained and defiled, or that such blots and disgraces should stick to his lineage; that his image impressed on us should be so deformed and disfigured; that such disorders and misbehaviors should be committed in his family? If we do not behave ourselves as children, he hath declared that he will disavow and cast us off from being so; Every plant,' our Saviour telleth us, that beareth

not good fruit, he loppeth it from his stock, and casteth it away.'

4. This consideration is an especial motive to humility, apt to depress vain conceit and confidence in ourselves: for, if we are God's children, so as to have received our beings, all our powers and abilities, all our goods and wealth, both internal and external, both natural and spiritual, from his free disposal, so as to be continually preserved and maintained by his providence, to depend for all our subsistence on his care and bounty; what

De Civ. D. iii. 4.

reason can we have to assume or ascribe any thing to ourselves? How vain is it to rely on any strength or wisdom, any possession or endowment we have, or seem to have? How extremely fond are we if we be raised in our conceit, or are ambitious of reputation, on the score of any such things? for, Who,' as the Apostle invincibly discourseth, 'made thee to differ? what hast thou that thou didst not receive? and if thou hast received it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?' To him alone, who is the Author and Donor of all good things; to the Fountain of all power, all joy, all blessings; to the Father of lights, from whom every good and perfect gift descendeth ;' all praise and glory is due.

5. This consideration showeth us the reason we have to submit intirely to the providence of God, with contentedness and acquiescence in every condition; for seeing we are God's possessions, (Oeo Kтμaтa, as Plato calleth us,) he having made us whatever we are, according to all accounts and capacities, whether as men by his common providence, or as Christians by his especial grace; he surely hath the best right and title that can be on us; he may justly dispose of us and use us as he thinks good; we may well thence be obliged, according to the apostolical precept, 'to glorify God in our body, and in our spirit, which are God's ;' if we repine at or complain of God's dealing with us, may he not justly return to us that answer in the gospel, Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own?" Shall we not suffer God to order his own family according to his discretion and pleasure; to assign what station, to allow what portion he pleaseth to his own children, without our offence or displeasure? Shall we pretend to know better than he what is fit to be done? shall we claim a right to dispense his goods, or desire to be carvers for ourselves? If it be unjust and unreasonable to do thus, then in all reason we ought to be content in every state that he disposeth us into, and to undergo patiently whatever he imposeth on us; yea we have reason to be more than content with every thing incident, not only as justly proceeding from him, but as presumable to be good and convenient for us; for is it not fit that we should think that God will order. things for the best good of his own children? Can we conceive that he willingly will hurt, or will not rather help them; that