These thrones will one day all be set, these crowns be all put on, these harps be in hand, salvation will be complete, eternal life will be extending its reign over the full number of the redeemed. Listening, we perhaps shall hear your voice, you standing without and saying, "Lord, Lord, open to us." Ah, there is a great multitude then without, wishing to buy. As we listen we hear them crying out in words like these "How have we hated instruction and despised reproof! The harvest is passed, the summer is ended, and we are not saved." Then the voices fall to expostulation: "Will the Lord cast off forever? and will he be favorable no more? Is his mercy clean gone forever? Doth his promise fail forevermore? Hath God forgotten to be gracious? Hath he in his anger shut up his tender mercies?" The song within proceeds; the harpers harp upon their harps ; the multitude which no man can number, bow like a field of ripe grain with the wind passing over it; crowns unnumbered are cast at the feet of Immanuel; every throne is filled; but where are you, who cares for you, who even thinks of you? The Registries of Deeds are burned up, gold and silver are melted, houses and lands, the earth and all that is therein. are in ashes; voices are heard lamenting; O, that they were wise, that they understood

this, that they had considered their latter end!

I have reserved one piece of information for this moment. It is this:

VII. IF YOU FEEL INCOMPETENT TO BUY THESE THINGS, THE PROPRIETOR OF THEM, IF YOU SINCERELY DESIRE IT, WILL FURNISH YOU WITH THE DISPOSITION.

He is able and willing. Only signify to him your sinful inability, your indisposition, to receive eternal life, the crowns, the thrones, the harps of heaven without money and without price, and sincerely beg of him to give you a heart to make the purchase on his terms, and he will do it.

Now what can I say more? He who sent me speaks; let man be silent: "Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. Incline your ear and come unto me, hear and your soul shall live, and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David."

II.

HAVE WE PERMISSION TO LOVE

IT

GOD?

"I will love thee, O Lord, my strength."-Ps. 18: 1.

T will awaken surprise in you to hear this question, yet it cannot exceed mine on hearing it as I once did, from a distinguished man whom I had long regarded as truly devout. He was a member of one of the evangelical denominations, a regular attendant on religious ordinances, a communicant, a firm believer in the fundamental truths of religion. Being together at the house of his relative, this man, of worldwide reputation as a man of genius, astonished - me with this question when we were by ourselves: "What do you understand by love to God?" I looked at him with surprise; but before I could speak, he added, "I know what fear of God means; but I do not understand what is meant when I am called upon to love God."

Had I uttered the thought which arose in my

mind, I should have said: "I always supposed you to be a Christian; can it be possible that you have need that one teach you the alphabet of religious experience?" I chose to put questions to him which would make plain the secret of his difficulty; his frank nature encouraged me to ask them. His difficulty, I soon found, was this, that loving God implied a degree of familiarity which seemed to him unsuitable in a finite creature when approaching his Creator. He acknowledged that the language of the Bible encouraged the idea of familiarity in our intercourse with God; still he preferred to explain all such permission by what he called Orientalism. In vain was it urged in reply that Orientalism rather forbade than encouraged liberty in approaching Majesty; prostration, even to abjectness, was enjoined on ministers of state, as well as menial servants. Still, he expressed a fear of presumption in drawing near to God; he would stand afar off with the publican, and not lift up so much as his eyes to heaven, rather than seem to trespass beyond the limit of reverence.

It was impossible not to love the spirit of humility which seemed to actuate this man. Some I knew would doubt his piety, if they should hear him ask what it is to love God; therefore I have never disclosed the conversation, being especially careful not to make allusion to it since

his decease; no one therefore knows to whom I refer. It was my firm belief that he was a child of God, though his inquiry about love to God might stir a question to the contrary in some zealous, honest mind among his friends.

His question has had two effects on me; one, to make me endeavor to be charitable in judging others; the other, to make clear to me the answer to the question which I propose now to consider: Have we permission to love God?

It would not surprise me to know that there are serious persons in all our congregations who are reluctant to profess that they love God, for the same reason that the individual to whom I have referred was afraid to recognize in his religious experience so familiar an emotion as love. He could not withhold an assurance that he did fear God; that this fear was not selfish, but reverence and godly fear. But it may be that he had heard some persons give utterance to emotions which they called love, but which seemed to him to betray a want of reverence for the Most High. So there are estimable persons in every religious community who are repelled by the freedom with which they hear others express their affection for their Maker, when it seemed devoutly to be wished that his dread would fall 'on them and his excellency make them afraid! Hence there are two extremes against which we