pelled him to fly for refuge " to the hope fet be"fore him." His own intereft obliged him to remember them before, as expofing him to condemnation, and he is now willing to confefs and record them, as ferving to illustrate the divine

mercy.

And let us never forget the unspeakable gift of God, "That he spared not his own Son, but "delivered him up for us all." How fhall we fufficiently wonder at the boundless mercy of the Father, and the infinite condefcenfion of the Son, when we reflect upon his incarnation, and on the astonishing end of his appearance in our nature, that he might bear our fins in his 66 own body on the tree." - Did he overcome all his enemies in his laft conflict, and "make a "fhew of them openly, triumphing over them "in his crofs ?" And fhall he not alfo, by the fame means, reign in his people's hearts, and be the fovereign Lord of all their affections?

To all this, I fhall only add that glorious inheritance, which is provided for every" veffel of

mercy," after he hath paffed his preparatory trials. How well may we join with the apoftle Peter in this folemn form of thankfgiving, "Blef" fed be the God and Father of our Lord Jefus "Chrift, which, according to his abundant "mercy, hath begotten us again by the refur

rection of Jefus Chrift from the dead, to an "inhe

inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, and "that fadeth not away." Now, when all these circumstances are confidered by the believer, together with fuch as may be peculiar to himself and his own paft conduct, muft he not be ready to cry out, "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do! O that I knew how I might repay fome "fmall part of my infinite obligations! O that "I knew by what means, or at what expence I "might magnify and do thee honour! Write thy laws in my heart, and put them in my inward parts, and enable me in every poffible way to fhew that I love thee, because thou "haft first loved me."

2. This plainly includes in it, and will certainly produce the moft fincere and fervent love to his fellow-creatures. As love to God is the

firft, fo love to man is the fecond commandment of the moral law. We have our Lord's own authority for faying it is "like" unto the firft; and that love which "worketh no ill to his neigh"bours," is the "fulfilling of the law." Every one is ready to acknowledge, that love to mam is an important branch of practical religion: But many great pleaders for this duty do not sufficiently attend to its infeparable connection with the love of God, and in particular with a sense of redeeming love, or the love of God in Chrift:

Yet is there no fuch principle of univerfal love any where to be found?

In order to take a fhort view of this, it will be proper to diftinguifh our brethren of mankind into the two general claffes of bad men and good. As to bad men, the fame love to God, the fame concern for his glory, which fills the Chriftian with grief and indignation at their most daring offences, infpires the moft ardent defire for their recovery and falvation. This is the only love to them, which is either acceptable to God or profitable to themfelves. It will fhew itfelf in all the offices of kindness and humanity; in inftructing them where there is ability, admonishing them where there is opportunity, and in pleading for them at the throne of grace, to which there is always undisturbed accefs. The believer, knowing the danger of fin, and having a profpect of approaching eternity, is moved with compaffion for blind and inconfiderate finTheir conduct leads him to reflect upon the depravity of his own nature, and earneftly. to pray, that they may be partakers of divine grace.

ners.

He that loveth God is under little temptation to hate his brother; or rather, in so far as he loveth God fincerely, he is under none at all. Hatred commonly arifeth from envy and rival pursuits. But a Christian, more than fatisfied with his own

por

portion, hath no occafion to envy others, either what they poffefs or profecute. In what a contemptible light does he look upon the honours, riches and pleasures, about which there is fo violent a ftruggle among worldly men? It is impoffible, therefore, that he fhould hate thofe who do not interfere with him, though in many cafes he is difpofed heartily to pity their folly and delufion.

Nay, the matter does not even reft here, for the Christian is laid under the most exprefs command to love his" perfonal "enemies, to

blefs them that curfe him, to pray for them "who defpitefully use him and perfecute him." This is the glory of the gospel, which gives the doctrine of Chrift a luftre far fuperior to the moft admired fyftems of human virtue. And, however hard a faying it may appear at first view, when we confider the character and hopes of a penitent finner, and the example of his expiring Saviour, it hath nothing strange or incredible in it at all: That he, who expects from the free grace of God pardon for his innumerable and aggravated offences, fhould be ready to forgive the far flighter trefpaffes of his brethren against himself. Or rather, that he fhould take the highest pleasure, and think it his honour to do fo, when he remembers his Redeemer's dying words,

words, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they'do."

As to good men, there is no manner of difficulty they are united together by the tendereft and the ftrongeft ties, and love one another with a pure heart fervently. It was no wonder, that when Chriftianity was in a perfecuted ftate, the heathens fhould make the remark, "Be"hold how thefe Chriftians love one another!" They had a common character, a common Saviour, common fufferings, and common hopes. And muft it not be the fame ftill? for "all that "will live godly in Chrift Jefus must fuffer per"fecution." If they are not perfecuted withthe fwords, they fhall be perfecuted with the tongues of men. They have the ftrongest motives to love one another, and nothing to divide them, for there can be no rivalship or jealousy between those who poffefs or court the "true "riches." There is enough in an all-fufficient God to fatisfy the defires of all his faints; and they being intimately united to the one only living and true God, muft of confequence be united to one another. This is the tenour of their Saviour's interceffory prayer: "That they "all may be one, as thou, Father, art in me, " and I in thee; that they alfo may be one in 66 us that the world may believe that thou haft ❝ fent me. And the glory which thou gavest

me,