from the love and obedience which we owe to him..

III.

The great importance of this principle of the love of God, is discerned in the influence that it has upon our conduct, to make us cheerful in the discharge of our whole duty, and keep us steady in it.

For the continual exertion of a pleasing affection towards that gracious Being, who is a lover of truth and righteousness; who is ever present with us; who loveth us, and who has all wisdom and power to help us; will inspire us with a desire always to please him, and with a horror of all vice and wickedness, as most displeasing and offensive to him, as well as odious in itself.

It is this that will support us in that love which we owe, and which is due to our brethren of mankind, and in our endeavours to promote their happiness.

For without this, fretted with the follies and perverseness of some, disappointed in the returns we expected from others, despairing of being able to do any good, our benevolence might flag and grow weary.

But

But when we behold our fellow-creatures in this true mirror, in the relation they bear to God, as his children, equally beloved with ourselves; and that he still bears with them, and does them good, and waits for their return to him, and to their duty and true happiness; we grow ashamed of our peevishness and impatience, and strive to copy after the unwearied kindness and patience and goodness of the common Father of all. Further:

In the ordinary intercourse of life; in the use of things lawful and innocent in themselves, wherein we are most likely to fall; a prevailing affection to God will be a monitor and check to us, to keep us in the line of duty and usefulness; and in our recreations and cheerful social hours; (for these the Gospel is far from forbidding,) "Whether we eat or drink, or whatever we do, to do all to the glory of God."

Not to fill us with scruples, and an overanxious minute attention to trifling matters; which would hinder us from forming a just estimate of things, mispend our time, and divert and mislead us from duties of higher con

cernment :

But it will animate us with a generous man

ly

ly aim and purpose, to attend at all times to every thing whereby God may be honoured, and man be benefited by us; and to keep at a distance from all excesses which may unfit us for this service: whilst it will teach us, that

every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving." (1 Tim. iv. 4.)

Lastly, To draw to a conclusion :

From this imperfect sketch, by way of enlargement on this divine precept and first of all the commandments, you see how great and important a concern the love of God is.

It is not to be learned from a book or dis course; although one may sometimes be so happy as to point out the way, and excite to the pursuit of it. And may Heaven give its blessing to the endeavours which have been now used!

It is not, however, to be acquired, as nothing good is to be acquired, by a good wish, or a sigh, by a single effort, and without labour. The soil is to be prepared, much work to be done, before this divine virtue can be planted in the heart of man. Many weeds of evil, and every undue inclination to worldly things is to be first eradicated: For (1 John. ii.

13.) "If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him."

And a love to truth and goodness is to be sown within: for by these is our Maker chiefly known to us, and for these to be loved and reverenced by us.

Unto Him be praise and glory for ever.

PRAYER.

O Thou, the supreme, inexhaustible fountain of mercy! whose name is love, and who art goodness itself, without measure or bounds:

We desire to praise thee, O Lord our God, and to call upon all the powers that thou hast given us, to assist us in admiring and adoring thee, for this thy supremely glorious excellency, which makes thee infinitely amiable, and the joy of thy whole intelligent creation.

And we bow ourselves before the footstool of thine everlasting throne, O thou Most High! in humble acknowledgement of thine undeserv ed kindness to us, in raising us out of nothing into this capacity of knowing thee; and in encouraging us to place our affections on thee, O thou Most High!

Suffer

Suffer us not, O God, by indulging sinful, irregular passions and desires, or by the base pursuits of this world, to unfit ourselves for the love of thee; and thereby to lose our intended station of happiness and dignity in thy eternal world, which thou hast opened unto us by our Lord Jesus Christ.

But we most humbly make our suit unto thee, O thou giver of all good! that a deep and effectual sense of thine astonishing goodness may abide in our hearts, and fill us with a prevailing devout affection to thee; that we may prefer thee above all other beings: that neither life, nor death, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, may separate us from the love of thee, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

So that after having approved our faith and loyalty to thee our God, in each trying scene in which thou shalt put us; and after having served thee faithfully in our generation, by advancing the happiness and virtue of our fellow-creatures as well as our own; we may, when our time comes, lay ourselves down to sleep in peace, with assured hope of a re