SERMON V.

THE LOVE OF GOD.

JUDE, 21st verse.

Keep yourselves in the love of God.

If we consider the rank, which our blessed Lord assigned to the love of God among the commandments; or the exalted happiness which results from this highest of the affections; or the influence it has upon every part of the christian character, it being the very life and spirit of every other affection and duty; or its absolute necessity to any well founded hope of acceptance with God, and of the everlasting happiness of his presence above; the motives, which should influence to the love of God, are certainly as great and affecting as can be addressed to a human mind. Every thing, then, which may in the smallest degree conduce to the beginning or increase of the love of God in the soul, becomes a duty of high importance. Although we are dependent on the powerful influence of the spirit of

God, to begin, and preserve, and increase this most precious affection, I need not say, that we are under the most solemn obligations to contribute our part to these important ends. If we are destitute of this affection, or, if existing, should it languish and die, the blame will lie with us, and the misery of outcasts from his love will be our just portion. Let me then beseech my hearers to lend their most awakened attention, while I suggest some of the best means of keeping themselves in the love of God; the best means of beginning to love God and of increasing in this exalted affection.

Nothing is more certain than that the current of the soul cannot set in two opposite directions at the same time; we cannot love God and at the same time love what he abhors. Now, God in his nature is entirely opposed to all unrighteousness, and is disgusted with all impurity, and abhors the lusts of flesh and spirit. "The carnal mind is enmity against God." Let me, then, say

I That the first step towards the love of God, is to withdraw our affection from the things which oppose his attributes and will.

God, an es

assuredly Can we

Is it possible that we should love the wages of unrighteousness, and yet love the justice of sential attribute of his character, which will render to every one according to his deeds? feel complacency in the divine purity, which cannot. look upon sin but with disgust, and yet ourselves delight in pollution? It cannot be. The sins we indulge

will awaken in us a dreadful apprehension of his displeasure, so often as we think of God. That displeasure, conscience will pronounce just. Yet his laws, which we are constantly violating, we shall be likely to regard as severe and unamiable, if we cannot deny that they are just; and we shall think of the laws given with terror and even aversion. The consciousness of living in a way which is offensive to God, while there is no sorrow for it, and no repentance, must of course close the heart against the love of him. It is so between man and man. How commonly do you see, that when one man has injured another, he adds to the injury the sentiment of hatred. Observe them carefully, and you will perceive the injured person sooner inclined to friendly feeling, than the injurious, more ready to forgive than he to be forgiven. It is the same between man and his Maker. Guilt alienates him from the best of Beings. Every cherished lust, every act of sinful indulgence estranges his heart, more and more from God. "He is alienated from him by wicked works." But I may add, if the injurious person, in the case supposed, is at last reclaimed; if he returns penitent to his injured brother, and finds unlooked for candour and a kind embrace; then, his heart will melt into love, and his affection be lasting and ardent. Such is the case with the penitent sinner. Beholding the compassion which God extends to the wanderer, the generous pardon and joyful reception, with which he embraces, adorns and feasts him as a son, he dissolves

into love and astonishment; and, as our Lord beautifully expressed it, "he loves much, because he has been forgiven much."

If then we desire, that the love of God may be begun or increased in our hearts, first of all, let our corrupt affections be eradicated. Cheerfully let us sacrifice" the friendship cf the world, which is enmity with God," by which we should understand the corrupt principles and practices which prevail in it, or as the scripture expresses it," the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life." If we make this sacrifice, much is then done, and nothing is done without it, towards the love of God. We love not God, while we yield up the heart to his enemies. Would we love him? Then let us search the heart, and draw forth to the light, and to the cross, every secret traitor there. The heart, purged of idols, becomes the temple of God. "He dwells with him, who is of an humble and contrite heart." The debasing impurities and darkening clouds of sense having passed away, how clear and spiritual will be the vision of the soul; and how bright and lovely will the divine image appear to it. Then those harsh views of the Divine Being, once entertained, will have vanished; and his justice and mercy, his truth and holiness will be seen in perfect consistency. Then how glorious will appear his works, how equal his government, how munificent his providence, how surprising his grace. And views like these will surely awaken the soul to admiration and love. Let me ob

serve

II. That just apprehensions of the divine character tend greatly to promote the love of God in the soul. Most human beings suffer by a near and close scrutiny; the dazzling qualities, seen at a distance, disappear at your approach, or are over-balanced by imperfections and blemishes, which cannot be concealed from the eyes of the examiner. But the reverse is true of God. Although by searching we cannot find him out to perfection, the subject being infinite, yet new and brighter glories are continually diclosed to the contemplative and devout-we may go on forever to know the Lord. His character is a universe, boundless and unsearchable by mortal or immortal eyes, in its full extent, but the more we enlarge the field of vision, and the deeper we look into the glorious abyss, the higher will rise our grateful admiration and love. The scriptures speak of the knowledge of God as implying all good affections, and as being love itself. "This is life eternal, to know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent." And on the other hand, ignorance of God is a summary description of a wicked man. "Now the sons of Eli," saith the scripture, "were men of Belial; they knew not the Lord.” And St. John affirms, "He that loveth not, doth not know God;" evidently implying that the knowledge of God inspires love; at least, that this is the tendency of it. In the neglect of pious contemplation, we find the immediate cause of a heart cold to God. How should the divine perfections kindle our souls into love, if the mind dwells not upon them? How should they pro