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grace, in which he plainly and fully declares, that all such, and only such, as are described in the preceding verses of this chapter, are the children of God.-I know no voice, witness, or testimony of the Spirit, but what we have in the sacred volume. It is there he gives his evidence in this important affair; and declares who are and who are not the children of God. And whoever looks for, or boasts of, any other witness of the Spirit than that which has been given in the Gospel Revelation, it is from an enthusiastical imagination. Those whom the Holy Ghost declares in the word of God to be the sons of God, are so; and whom he there points out as not bearing this relation to God, let them pretend to what in ward witness they will, shall not be owned and treated by him as children. Now this witness is given in favour of all who have experienced the sanctifying work of the Spirit in their hearts. What he says unto one real believer he says unto all 'That they are the sons of God.' And although all true Christians have not the same assurance, yet they have the same ground and foundation for assurance; that is, the work and witness of the Spirit of God. And indeed, they either must have this foundation or none at all;for, take away the testimony of the Spirit in the word of truth, and the work of Divine grace in the heart, or even separate these, and you take away all the ground that any have, not only for their assurance, but for any degree of faith and hope. The reason why some true Christians have the assurance of hope or faith, and some have not; or, in other words, why some of them fully be lieve that they are the sons of God, and others are harassed with doubts and fears on this point; is not because some have the witness of the Spirit, and others have not (as is

than the latter do. Their cerning their relation to arise because there is n them that this relation from any darkness or d the evidence the Spirit then such doubts would able and justifiable: but arise from the darkness sion of their minds, b which they do not elear properly receive, the wit dence of their acceptan the Spirit of God. Nor, they, until he, by his illu fluences, chase away the and confusion; so tha clearly see, and firmly b the Spirit has wrought his grace, and what he s in his word; and this their assurance. I am

suaded, that the reason real Christians speak so of the witness of the Sp cause they take that il whereby they come to s ceive his witness, for itself; and so conclude tha did not witness before, be did not perceive it till no call this illumination the as improper as it would b that the wisdom of a jud in a Court, whereby they receive the full and clea there given, is that evide And on the other hand, t while the mind of a Christ fused and full of fear, in to his being a child of G fore the Spirit doth not ye ness that he is so, is just able as if we should affirm cause in a court, where full evidence has been give through the darkness of th standings, do not perceive or do not believe it, the such evidence was produce

many begin to feel after their God, who are led at length to find him.

FAMILY SERMONS. No. LXXVIII.

Rom. xiii. 10. Love is the fulfilling And such feelings, though not those

of the law.

TRUE religion is founded on the purest and liveliest, the most pleasing and most powerful, affection of the mind. Its leading principle is love: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and mind, and soul, and strength: thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." The whole system of our duties depends upon them. The feeling which they imply needs only to be brought to act in the warious relations of men to God and to each other, in order to produce, in every possible case, that entire obedience which the Divine law requires. It is true, indeed, that our heavenly Father brings the force of many feelings to bear upon our best interests, and prompts us to seek his favour, and to do his will by a great variety of motives.-On some he works by disappointment and suffering. Finding none of the comfort or enjoyment they expected in earthly things, they are led to seek their chief happiness in him.-Others are influenced by their fears. "The terrors of the Lord persuade them." They cannot proceed in a course of sin, without apprehensions which spoil their pleasure. The dread of threatened vengeance allows them no peace in such a state. Others approach God rather with the hope of reward; not that "pure" and "blessed" hope which dwells only in the bosom of the believer, but something of a more selfish and less enlightened kind, built on a persuasion of the power of God to bless, and a natural desire to be interested in his blessings, to be prospered in their designs and supported under their troubles, to be blest in their basket and in their store, in their friends and families, with length of days and honour, with a hope in death and happiness beyond it. It is thus that

of a mind already regenerate, are neither to be wholly condemned, nor discouraged. The word of God gives encouragement to all who are truly turning to him, whatever may have been the motive which first influenced them. If a heart be but broken in penitence, it signifies little how the first impressions were produced; or, if a habit of grateful obedience be formed, what considerations first led to it. If the fruit be good, the tree has been made good. A divine principle has been grafted, and the bearing is of grace, though the original stock were nature. Nevertheless, it is still true, that the genuine principle of Christ's religion is Love, and those who have not felt this are only as yet in the avenues of that holy temple, in which those who enter serve him with gratitude and delight. A Christian is one who has obtained the hope of salvation through Christ, and loves God as the Author of it. His understanding being enlightened to see what is good, and his heart renewed to love it, he loves God as the Pattern and the Source of all goodness. He is inspired with the love of God, by the direct agency of the Spirit of God. And although, in our present state, other motives may not be excluded; though our corruptions may be kept in check by sorrows and fears; though disappointments may be ordered to wean us from the world, and affliction to quicken our abhor rence of sin, yet as we grow in grace the principle of love will prevail in our hearts. We shall abstain from sin, and persevere in duty, more from gratitude and less from selfish feelings. Every other sentiment will be mixed with that of sweet affection. Our fear will be less a dread of punishment, and more a fear to of fend. Our hope will warm our hearts more towards the God of hope. The faith of the Gospel works

ate the blessings which it reveals, the more will it warm our bosom; the more will it kindle our desire to serve God and our delight in his service.

"Love is the fulfilling of the Law." St. Paul speaks here of the love of the brethren, and of the law as it concerns them only. But it is true in a larger sense, as applied to all prohibitions and duties relating either to God or man. It can therefore be neither unsafe nor improper to take that sense. In this light, then, it will now be viewed as an universal principle of obedience.

1. There is no other principle so comprehensive as this.-It reaches to every action, and to every disposition of the heart. Fear acts chiefly as a restraint. It has checked many in a career of wickedness, and brought a few perhaps to the scrupulous observance of some precepts. In all things which are thought necessary to avert vengeance, it has often a strong influence, and its effect inay even scem greater for a time than that which better principles produce. But it never yet brought a man with his whole heart into the service of Christ; nor does it lead to any thing from which we think we may with safety be excused. It neither sets the affections on things above, nor kindles any zeal in the cause of the Redeemer. We may be living under the strongest influence of fear with out one feeling of thankfulness, or one note of praise. The dread of God's anger will not make us cheerfully submissive to his will, nor cherish the gentler graces which he requires from us to mankind.

Look also at the hope of reward as a principle of duty. Though in the regenerate mind, when joined with a strong sense of the value of the reward, with lively faith in the promise which secures it, and a heart athirst for its enjoyment, this hope is a

Th

influence of things pres fect is lessened by distr tance, and by that want object, and of eager desi it, on which the influen future chiefly depends. love of God, therefore, sion of present things Hope will be cherished a cost as possible. of life, and the formali gion, and a few of the m duties of charity, will b this motive will produce. defect of these princip they never reach beyon And though our best indeed fall in with ou duties, yet without the we cannot feel this, an lower interests will sw short, when the love of C ing, our obedience mus tive.

Now the principle of such deficiency. There of Christian duty which embrace. If we love Go do what he requires beca commandment. The co

which weighs with us every thing enjoined in h is the will of him whom have so much reason whom we live and move who loved us when rebels thority, and even then re by the sacrifice of his sends his Spirit to touch lest we should refuse this who receives the penite children, assures them vour, lends a gracious e supplications, bears with firmities, again and agai their sins, supports them tation by his grace, and by the manifestations of cheers them through life hope of glory, and will bring them to himself

Under the influence of these feel. ings, our desire will be to please him; our only question, what does he require. All that he forbids is sin, and we hate it as the enemy of our Friend. Does it shew itself in us? We shall grieve for it as a calamity, and use means to root it out as an offence. Does it flourish in the world? We shall oppose it there in all its shapes, and under every disguise. Whatever he commands will be our choice as well as our duty. Is it labour? We refuse it not. Is it to use our time, our talents, our wealth, our influence in his service? We willingly comply. Is it the sacrifice of natural feeling? We do not hesitate. Is it actual suffering for his sake? We shall not decline even that. No exception can be taken. Our principle embraces all. As long as love is the motive, obedience must be the aim. But it deserves especially to be noticed, that love has its greatest power where other principles have least; for instance, in the higher kinds of spiritual duty. What other feeling of the heart can detach it from worldly things and bear it up in holy contemplation to the Father of our spirits above? What else can create that thirst for him, that longing for the light of his countenance, which no earthly joy can satisfy? Fear averts the eye from God. The mere expectation of re. ward may produce occasional prayer: but love alone can make us delight to converse with him, to hear him speak to us in his word and providence, and to catch the softest whispers of his Spirit. This alone excites earnest desires of his presence, and is grieved by the "hiding of his countenance,' This lives in a sense of his favour, enjoys nothing like him, and desires nothing so much as to be united to him for ever. Nor are these feelings peculiar to the advanced stages of the Christian life. They exist in a measure from the beginning. The love of God is shewn by delight in his word, by

communion with him in his ordinances, by holy affections in prayer, by the enjoyment of his visitations, by the sense of loss and desertion when he withdraws, even more decidedly than by a change of outward conduct. The difference between Christians and other men is greater, much greater, in retirement than in the world. Devotion is the first and strongest effect of love to God. It is, therefore, in the purer air of the sanctuary, under the influence of quickening grace, in the reviving presence of God who has loved, and the Redeemer who has bought us with his blood, that the sacred flame burns brightest; while it grows dim in the atmosphere of the world, and seems sometimes to have expired amidst the damps of passion and temptation which come upon us in our common duties.

If we trace this principle of love, as it respects man, we shall find it equally comprehensive. I say this principle; for there is no true love of man unconnected with the love of God, nor any which does not originate there. The feeling which takes the name of benevolence is too fickle in its nature, too narrow in its range, too easily checked and extinguished, to fulfil, in any due degree, the duties with which God charges us towards each other. Tó do this we must love each other for his sake, after his pattern, and by extending to them the love we bear to himself. Then it becomes Christian charity, and is equal to every precept. It worketh no ill to our neighbour: it thinketh none. It suffereth long and is kind. In no case doth it behave itself unseemly. It loves our enemies, blesses those who curse, and prays for them that abuse and persecute. It forgives even as we have been forgiven. It gives as has been given to us. In a word, it tends to make us perfect as our Father which is in hea ven is perfect. It furnishes unto all good works. It is a principle broad enough for the whole range of our

2. This principle is more direct, as well as more comprehensive than any other.-Motives of interest for performing our duty are generally indirect. The duty is not the chief object of the mind, but only secondary. We aim at it only for the sake of something else. Of course, we shall be more apt to hesitate about it, than if it were our single aim. Now love is direct and decisive in its movements. Consider how the love of sin acts. It leads men into crimes, and keeps them in a course of sin, against reason, conscience, and interest, against all considera. tions of prudence or peril; not be cause these arguments are weak, but because the sinner acts directly by the impulse of feeling, rather than slowly on calculation. In the same way, suppose the love of God the reigning affection of the heart, and we shall be led as directly to obedience as the wicked to their crimes. There will then be little need to strengthen our resolution by calculating the advantage of a godly life; to be setting future pains against present pleasures, and recompense hereafter against self-denial here. Duty will have become choice; obedience will be inclination. The temptations of the world may be strong to flesh and sense; but with those who have a prevailing love of God they can have little power. And hence comes that enviable calm, that unruffled peace of mind, which eminent Christians are sometimes seen to enjoy. "Great peace have they that love thy law, and nothing shall offend them." Temptations at which they once stumbled have lost much of their power. Their faith, working by this love, is overcoming the world, and they have even now an earnest of the victory. The temper of their soul accords with the Divine commandments. There may be still the stir

come less and less abl their peace.

This subject will ad miliar illustration.-Lo metropolis of a great ki observe how very differe it is to men of different and pursuits. Each foll object, and keeps clear might prevent his attain may look round upon ot and give them some sh attention, but without muc to his own affairs. Just be with Christians who God supremely. They one ruling desire in the which would direct the every variety of solicita great point. A thousand forced upon their noti without the prevailing i they might be apt enough but being engrossed by object, they would ha leisure nor desire for ot The world to them woul for their Master's servic they would look for o glorifying God, of checki promoting holiness, of their love to him by offic ness to his friends and recommending his Gosp world, of being a pattern i is excellent; in a word, their light so shine be that men seeing their go may glorify their Father heaven. Here then we see of love as a principle of du its work directly and effec

3. Love is also a gene ciple.-It grudges nothing an enlargement of heart, cheerfulness, a devoted duty, which can proceed other. It does not shap dience by the strict lette law. It does not look commands of God as an

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