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Many who are entirely ignorant of thefe points, think that they love God and man; but (as we have seen) in reality do not. They live to themfelves." When the eyes of our mind are opened, and we fee God and ourfelves, in fome measure, fuch as they truly are, this, without the knowledge of Chrift, will rather fill us with apprehenfion and alarm, than with the gentle foothing paffion of love. A criminal may admire, reverence, and efteem the judge, by whom he is condemned, yet he scarcely can be faid to love him. But, when we truly believe in Chrift, fuch is the view we have of a fin-pardoning God, fo happy do we feel in that full confidence, with which we can repose in him for falvation, fo are our hearts drawn to him, under a fenfe of his "long-fuffering and

great mercy, his plenteoufnefs in goodnefs and "truth," that we cannot but love him. Thus "we love him, because he firft loved us *." It is the view which is now opened in our hearts, through faith in Chrift, of God's unbounded love to the fallen race of man, even to the gift of his only-begotten Son †, which now binds us to him, as in chains of adamant. We now love the Father from whom, the Son through whom, and the Holy Ghost by whom, we continually feek and obtain mercy and grace. All our communion with God, every access to him in prayer, endears each person of the glorious Trinity fo much the more to our hearts. All the fenfe we have of our own unworthinefs, vilenefs,

* John iv. 19: + John iii, 16,

vilenefs, weakness, helpleffnefs; all our tempta tions from without, and from within; all the trials, difficulties, calumnies, and malice, of a finful and corrupt world, caufe the believer to repofe with the fuller confidence, and the more entire affection, in his God: as the raging of the winds, and waves, will caufe an affrighted child to cling more clofely to the breast of an affectionate mo ther. Oh, my friends! have you felt nothing refembling this? Then I pity you from my very foul. Have Have you never had your hearts drawn to God, and refting on him, as " the portion of your "inheritance ?" Have your hearts never been ready to exclaim with a truly Christian

poet *? "Give what thou can't, without thee we are

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" poor;

"And with thee rich, take what thou wilt " away!"

Can your faith then be faid to "work by love?" Oh! no; affuredly it cannot. You know, I hope, what it is to love an earthly parent, or a child; to have "a friend which is as thine own "foul t." Have you, then, none of that affection for God, which you have for thefe? Are your breafts open to every endearing tie where man is concerned, but clofed when God is the object? Then depend on it, if you do not love, you do not believe. If you truly believed, how many

*Cowper's Tafk. The conclusion of Book 5:

+ Deut. xiii. 6.

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more bonds of gratitude would draw your affections to God than can to any created being? Are you not indebted to him" for your creation, pre“servation, and all the bleffings of this life, but, "above all, infinitely above all, for his ineftimable "love, in the redemption of the world by our "Lord Jefus Chrift*?" Yet, you can repeat words like thefe, with ftoical apathy, with complete indifference. What does this argue, but an heart ignorant of God's numerous bleffings; fupremely ignorant of his "great falvation ?"

Be not ready to fay that I am referring you to emotions and feelings alone. My laft difcourfe will, I fhould hope, be an answer to fuch an accufation as this. Yes! if we love God, we fhall keep his commandments; we shall be anxious to perform his whole will. We cannot do otherwise. We act fo with refpect to men, and the very fame principle holds good with regard to God. If we love a fellow-creature, we take a tender interest in whatever concerns him; and, more particularly in thofe things which most concern him, I would alk you then, as in God's facred prefence, Do you thus manifeft your love to God and Chrift? Without this, I will readily agree with you, all emotions and fenfations are nothing,are mere delufion. If you love God, you must keep his commandments; you muft alfo love and ferve his creatures, even "the "unthankful, and the evil." You must love all whom

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* General Thanksgiving at Morning and Evening Prayer.

whom God loves; but especially all who love him, and whom he confequently regards with the warmeft affection. You muft exert yourself to promote whatever is near and dear to God. You muft employ for this end your powers, faculties, wealth, influence, all the various "talents" over which God has appointed you, as ftewards, to "occupy till he come*." Now, what is near and dear to God? Is not the happiness and welfare of all his creatures? Is it not especially their eternal happiness, their everlafting falvation, by faith in hist gofpel? For this God gave his Son, his only-begotten Son. For this Chrift fhed his blood. For this the Holy Ghost continually ftrives with man; and notwithstanding so many refift him, he still ftrives. What then are you doing to promote its fuccefs? Do not fay, "We are not minifters." I am not asking you, whether you minister in the congregation; but, is your common conversation "that which is good to the ufe of edifying, fuch as 46 may minifter grace unto the hearer ?" Do you feek to "turn many to righteoufnefs;" to "con"vert the finner from the error of his way," and thus"fave fouls from death?" Do you employ your wealth, your power, and abilities, to this glorious end? Here you may all be minifters, minifters of grace. Think of this. Your common converfation may minifter grace to the hearer," it may be good to the ufe of edifying," of building up the difciples of Chrift Jefus, in their most holy

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Luke xix. 13, &c. † Dan. xii. 3. James v. 20.

holy faith. The facred influences of his Holy Spirit will accompany your words, and you may be thus in, the most exalted fenfe," labourers to"gether with God*." So may you, in the employment of all the poffeffions, with which he has entrufted you. you. Do Do you then ufe any confiderable part of them to this purpofe? Nay, fhrink not from the queftion! Your foul depends on it. Chrift fays to you, as well as to St. Peter, loveft thou me? then "feed my fheep; feed my lambs;" and if you could reply, as fincerely as he did, "thou knoweft that I love thee," then you would do fo; and would employ your feveral powers of mind and body, wealth, and influence, in a manner fuited to your ftation in life, for the promotion of this moft glorious work of God, this work of all others the most dear to him; this great end of all his other difpenfations.

Thus we have feen, in what manner, faith, and love to God and man, and works of love are indiffolubly united. The queftion then recurs, Have you this faith which works by love?" If not, seek it without delay. As you value your fouls, feek it at the hands of God. I will again remind you it is his gift and operation. Chrift is its author and finisher †. Seek it then by faith

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ful prayer. If you obtain it not, you are irrecoverably loft. If you die without it, your fouls are ruined for ever. Apply for it, immediately.. Time is hurrying on. Life is wearing away.

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A few

I Cor. iii. 9. + Eph. ii. 8. Col. ii. 12. Heb. xii, 2.

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