the

grace,

with which he taketh fuch SERM. particular notice of Peter, who probably had VIII. not yet recovered from the confufion, in which he must have been for having denied his master, in a manner fo inexcufable? These instances make manifeft the spirit of our Bleffed Lord; and the love, which reigned in the heart of this excellent man, who was the beloved difciple, must have given him peculiar pleasure in recounting and preserving them upon record, with a view, doubtless, of begetting the fame bleffed temper in all believers.

With refpect to the love of God, the fubject of the firft and great commandment, this author hath taught us to know it by the fruit of it; namely, loving our brethren and doing them good, and keeping the commandments of God. This hel inculcateth frequently, and with an earneftness fuitable to the importance of it. *If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. If a man + fay, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar. Again, Whofo bath this world's goods, and feeth his brother fuffer need, and fbutteth up his bowels of compaffion from him,

* I John iv. 12.

+ Ib. 20.

Ib. iii. 17.

bow

SERM. how dwelleth the love of God in him? VIII. * Whosoever believeth, that Jefus is the

Chrift, is born of God; and be, who loveth him that begat, loveth him alfo, that is begotten of him. All this is found reafon and nature. For furely the love of God, which maketh men like God, and formeth them after the image of his goodness, must be attended with the kindeft affections, and cannot confift with a narrow and selfish, much less with a malicious fpirit.

But the Apostle infifteth upon univerfal obedience, and our keeping all the commandments of God, as what only is a fubftantial evidence of our love to him; and very juftly; for certainly, if we really love God, we shall be difpofed to please him, and do his will in all things; nor can any thing be more abfurd and inconsistent than profeffions of love to him, while men voluntarily and deliberately rebel against him, do dishonour to his name by prefumptuous fin, and fhew, that they love that, which is the object of his abhorrence and detef tation. Keeping of the commandments of God is not only declared, by this author, to be the only fatisfying proof of our love

to God, but as being the very thing itself. SERM. *This is the love of God, that we keep his VIII. commandments; which may lead the attentive reader to make fome reflections, that are of use, and greatly tend to illuftrate this argument. Certainly we cannot love any thing in God, but what we have a conception of; for what we do not know, and of which we can frame no idea, cannot be the object of our affection. Now, of the reab effence of the Supreme Being we know nothing; but we know in fome meafure his perfections, which are made manifeft in his works, and in his word. Thefe therefore must be the objects of our love to our Maker. At the fame time, we know, that these perfections of God, which, for dif tinction's fake, are called natural, fuch as eternity, neceffary existence, immensity, in finite power, and knowledge, though they are the objects of our highest admiration, and of our care, yet are not, confidered separately from his moral perfections, the objects of our love; nothing can be fo but these last mentioned perfections, God's perfect justice and righteousness, his purity, faithfulness, mercy, and compeion, all

SERM. fummed up in goodness and holiness, perfect VIII. and unchangeable; and thefe, in con

junction with eternal power and wisdom, conftitute the character of the fupreme mind. So then the love of God is, in truth, the love of perfect holiness and goodness, infeparably connected with infinite power and knowledge, in that Being, who is the Father of the Univerfe, and in a more particular fenfe, the Father of our Spirits, How clear, therefore, the connexion between this principle and our keeping the commandments of God! For it is manifeft, that he, who, in his heart, loveth. goodness and purity, fo that this love becometh a governing principle, must be in his life good and pure; for according to the state of the heart will the behaviour be. And, on the other hand, the perfon, whofe life is the reverfe of goodness and purity, evidently fheweth, that his heart is alienated from them; and that, though thefe moral qualities have and must always have the testimony of his confcience in their favour, and he may be faid, in fome fense of the word, to esteem and admire them; yet, notwithstanding, the heart and the strength of the inclinations point the

contrary

contrary way, and to those things, which SERM. are utterly inconfiftent with them; con- VIII. fequently, he cannot love a being perfectly holy and good. But the perfon, who is fteady in the practice of holiness and goodness, giveth most evident proof, that he loveth holiness and goodness; and if thefe, as the most excellent and lovely of all things, are the objects of his highest affection, furely his heart must be most engaged to that being, in whom they are found in the greateft poffible perfection : in other words, he muft love God above

all.

These things lead us to confider this Apostle's declarations against all impurity and unrighteousness, which are conceived in the strongest terms. Notwithstanding the fpirit of goodness and charity, which he every-where breatheth, yet he can put on the fevere countenance in forbidding the practice of any thing, which is evil, and in urging men to the practice of righteouf nefs, as effential to the Chriftian character, and to thofe, who are born of God. *This then is the message, which we have heard of him, and declare unto you; that

* 1 John i. 15.