"Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance? It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in." Do we contemplate His wisdom? The sun, moon, and stars declare it; spring, summer, autumn, winter, day and night evince it: "Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge."

"The heavens declare thy glory, Lord,

In every star thy wisdom shines."

Do we reflect on his works and munificence? The granite mountains, the green clad hills, the verdant valleys, the calm lake, the heaving ocean, "the cooling breeze, the mild breath of spring, the silent dew, the refreshing shower, the ripe fruit, the golden grain, all manifest the works and munificence of God. Do we contemplate His love? How charming is the theme! "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his son to be the propitiation for our sins.' 1 John iv. 10. Here is love immeasurable and unsurpassed.

"Could we with ink the ocean fill,

And were the skies of parchment made;
Were every blade of grass a quill,
And every man a scribe by trade;

To write the love of God above
Would drain the ocean dry;

Nor would the scroll contain the whole
Though stretch'd from sky to sky."

Our love to God will be further promoted

2. By an intimate acquaintance with the scriptures.

"Search the scriptures," diligently, seriously, and frequently; they are the rule of our faith and practice, our directory and guide to the heavenly world. None ever followed their instructions and were lost, foundered, or struck on the rocks of error. The scriptures are a mirror in which the divine attributes are exhibited, and the divine purposes revealed. Scriptural knowledge, reduced to practical purposes, is the most important knowledge, the results of which are the most glorious and beneficial: it strengthens the principle of love, and gives us clearer views of God.

"The rolling sun, the changing light,

And nights, and days, thy power confess;
But the blest volume thou hast writ,
Reveals thy justice and thy grace."

3. By frequent intercourse with God. We cannot urge too earnestly the necessity and importance of prayer. It should be personal, fervent, importunate, and confidential; this will give exercise to all our christian graces, and bring us into communion with the Most High. The advantages of private prayer are great. "But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly," Matt. vi. 6. Public, private, and family prayer fans the flame of love, secures the Divine favour, and increases our happiness. Having noticed the nature, manifestations, and means by which our love to God may be promoted, we will conclude this address with an inquiry, a caution, and a warning.

1. Are we cultivating this fruit of the Spirit? Let the importance of the subject lead us to self-examination and humility. We might have been the subjects of Jehovah's displeasure, in consequence of our rebellion against him; but He hath loved us, and procured eternal

redemption for us. We were enemies; but now are we reconciled to God through the death of his Son. When reviewing our past conduct as professing christians, we discover many imperfections and omissions of duty. Is there not sufficient cause for humiliation before God? And should we not individually pray, "Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me?” Let the love of God stimulate us to renewed exertion in His cause. Let it be observed, at all times, that the principle by which we are actuated is that of love; and that all our words, works, and dealings are pervaded by a spirit of love. Let us breathe the atmosphere of love, aim at high attainments in religion, and a diligent cultivation of the celestial principle explained and enforced in this address. Let our time, talents, and influence be enlisted in the prosecution of our heavenly vocation. "Let brotherly love continue." How glorious will be the result when love shall universally triumph! Hail happy day! "And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; that ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ; being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God," Phil. i. 8, 9.

2. A caution. This may be necessary to check delusion. The Pharisees were proverbial in their professions of love to God, but in works denied him. They wore broader phylacteries and longer fringes to their garments than other people. They aspired to the chief seats in the synagogue; were highly gratified when greeted in the markets with Rabbi, Rabbi, or Master, Master. They repeated long prayers in public places; compassed sea and land to make proselytes; were remarkably strict in the payment of tithes; cleaned the outside of the cup out of which they drank, and the dish that contained

their food; built tombs, and ornamented the sepulchres of the prophets, as a memorial of veneration to their memories; but they were influenced by no higher motives than to be seen of men. Well might the Saviour compare them to "whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness."

But love to God does not consist in ostentation, empty expressions, feigned compliments, brilliant fancy, polished language, nor refined appearances; but in humility of heart, and obedience of life. "Let love be without dissimulation. "For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh. But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God," Rom. ii. 28, 29.

Sincerity is one characteristic of the christian, and is requisite to the performance of every duty both to God and man. Every dissembler and hypocrite will be de-. tected ;—“ I the Lord search the heart and try the reins of the children of men." They will be excluded from the kingdom of heaven; for the Saviour hath said, "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven," Matt. vii. 21.

The apostle Paul shows that, without love, gifts, knowledge, faith, and benevolence, are unavailing, in a spiritual point of view. "Though I speak with the [gifts of] tongues of men and of angels,"-though I could rival the eloquence of Massillon, or vie with the oratory of Demosthenes, and utter my sentiments in strains as distinct and harmonious as angels around the throne of God," and have not love, I am as sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy,"-and could describe future events

with the copiousness and sublimity of Isaiah; or pourtray scenes looming in the distance with the vividness and accuracy of Nahum; "And though I understand all mysteries,"-am competent to grapple with every chronological difficulty, could trace the genealogy of every person and tribe from Cain, the murderer, to John, the Evangelist; could give a lucid exposition on every abstruse subject; explain every figure, type, metaphor, parable, and allegory; and could enumerate every catastrophe that has occured from the expulsion of Satan from heaven to the present hour. "And have all knowledge,”—and with ease could travel the whole circle of the sciences had I the poetical genius of Homer, the historic information of Herodotus; could figure on the canvass with the artistical correctness of Zeuxis; examine cause and effect, describe the position of the earth, and tour through the sideral heavens with the ability of Thales; could approximate to the critical exactness of Zoilus; were as conversant with the elements of geometry as Euclid; or had the inventive powers of Archimedes; were versed in law like Blackstone, or in politics like Pitt; in fact, had I the wisdom of Solomon, and could speak of trees from the cedar in Lebanon to the hyssop that springeth out of the wall; yet, without love, all would be unavailing. “And though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not love, I am nothing." "And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor,"-though my name be at the head of every subscription list; though I contribute liberally to the funds of every charitable institution of the land, relieve the destitute, and give all my goods away to feed and clothe the naked, even until I am reduced to a state of penury and utter destitution myself; "And though I give my body to be burned,"-am willing to lay down my life, and agreeable that my body be consumed to ashes, for the sake of any philanthropic

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