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dear children." And in what would ye so much wish to resemble him as this? To have your every act, your every disposition love, what could more tend to the perfection of your nature, and the happiness of your souls, than this? In truth, love, if carried to a due extent, would make a heaven upon earth. O! cultivate it, my brethren, from your inmost souls; and, to whatever extent you have carried it, learn to "abound more and more." Yet mistake not the proper offices of love. It is not necessary that love should always be exercised in a way of approbation, or in a way that shall be pleasing to those who are the objects of it. God corrects his children, and is displeased with them when they act amiss and you also may manifest your displeasure in a way of correction towards those who are under your authority, when the occasion fairly calls for it. But love must be your governing principle in all things; and its influence must regulate your whole life. It must shew itself in the suppression of every thing that is selfish, and in the exercise of every thing that is amiable and endearing: you must shew it, by "bearing all things, believing all things, hoping all things, and enduring all things." O that I knew what to say, that should prove effectual for this blessed end! This I will say, that by this disposition you must be known as God's children: for, if you possess it not, whatever else you may possess, you are in heart no better than murderers: "He that loveth not his brother, abideth in death: whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer; and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him." On the other hand, "if you dwell in love, God dwelleth in you, and you in him." And, when you have this evidence of a transformation into God's image, then may you "have boldness in reference to the day of judgment." Let it only be said, that "as He is, so are ye in this world;" and we will predict, without fear of disappointment, that, as He is, so shall be also in the world to comeh.]

ye

Eph. v. 1. the Greek.

1 John iii. 14, 15. h ver. 16, 17.

MMCCCCLIX.

THE BELIEVER'S RESEMBLANCE TO GOD IN LOVE.

1 John iv. 16, 17. He that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God, and God in him. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

THAT "God is love," is a truth that can admit of no doubt. The proper improvement to be made of

this truth is also obvious: if he be love, we should love him, trust in him, serve him, submit to him. But there is one improvement of this subject which does not readily occur to the mind: it is this: If God be love, we should be careful to imitate and resemble him. Now this, though less obvious than the other deductions, is the point on which St. John principally dwells: "Beloved, let us love one another for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not, knoweth not God: FOR God is love." The same line of argument he pursues in the words before us; shewing that our conformity to God, in this great character of love, will be the measure of our nearness to him, and of our confidence before him. The words before us will lead me to mark,

I. The resemblance which the believer bears to God in love

The Apostle having said that "God is love," adds, "As he is, so are we in this world." Now, in his nature we cannot resemble the Supreme Being; but in his operations we may. We must therefore mark,

1. The operations of God's love

[Love, though a simple idea, may be profitably considered under a threefold distinction: a love of benevolence, a love of beneficence, and a love of complacency. This distinction will lead us to make some discriminations which are of great importance to a full understanding of the subject. We say then of God, that his benevolence is universal. There is not a creature in the universe which he did not originally form for happiness; and to which he does not wish happiness, so far as it is capable of enjoying it. The fallen angels are gone beyond the reach of happiness; as are all those also who have brought upon themselves the final sentence of God's righteous indignation. But there is not a sinner whom he is not willing to save; and whom he would not save, provided he repented of his sins, and sought for mercy in God's appointed way. God has sworn to this; saying, "As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of a sinner; but rather that he turn from his wickedness, and live. Turn ye, turn ye, from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of

a ver. 7, 8.

Israel?" So far is God from desiring the death of a sinner, that "he willeth that all should come to repentance, and live:" and when any will not repent, he takes up a lamentation over them; saying, "O that my people had hearkened unto me, and Israel had walked in my ways!" Our blessed Lord's weeping over Jerusalem, even after that it was given up to final desolation, gives us a just picture of Jehovah's mind towards the most abandoned of the human race.

As God's benevolence is universal, so is his beneficence unbounded: "He opens his hand, and fills all things living with plenteousness." Of his common bounties all partake, in rich abundance: "He makes his sun to rise on the evil and on the good; and sends his rain upon the just and upon the unjust." That greatest of all mercies, the gift of his only dear Son, was bestowed on all, as is the gift also of his Holy Spirit: for, as Christ died for all, so does the Holy Spirit strive with alle; there not being a good desire in the heart of any man, which has not been formed there by his all-powerful agency; and formed there in order to the bestowment of still greater good, if those first motions had been duly improved. Nor should all the glory and blessedness of heaven itself be withheld from a human being, if only he would humble himself before God, and seek for mercy, and grace, and strength, in God's appointed way.

In respect of complacency, however, God's love is personal and partial. It is not possible that a holy God should find delight in unholy creatures: for, he is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity," without the utmost abhorrence. "He is angry with the wicked every day:" and, though he would still have compassion on them if they would turn unto him, he contemplates with satisfaction the judgments which their impenitence will bring upon them: "I will hide my face from them; I will see what their end shall be: for they are a very froward generation, children in whom is no faithf"

It is his faithful and obedient people alone in whom he can take any pleasure. On them he does look with sweet complacency; as the prophet says: "The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty: he will save: he will rejoice over thee with joy he will rest in his love: he will joy over thee with singings:" "As a bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so will thy God rejoice over thee." In a word, he esteems them as "his peculiar treasure above all the people upon earth," and as composing the brightest jewels of his crown.j

b Ps. lxxxi. 13.

d 2 Cor. v. 14, 15.

e Luke xix. 41, 42.

e Gen. vi. 3.

f Deut. xxxii. 20, 22, 23, 40-42. See also Isai. i. 24.

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2. The resemblance which the believer's love bears to it

[His benevolence also is universal, extending to all, whether friends or enemies, whether known or unknown: he has learned to "bless those who curse him, to do good to them that hate him, and to pray for those who despitefully use him and persecute him." In his beneficence too, so far as his circumstances will admit of it, he is unbounded. The first object of his attention will, doubtless, be those of his own household, and his more immediate neighbourhood: but he will not rest there; he will take an interest in the welfare of all mankind, so far as to pray for them, and to assist in conveying to them the blessings of salvation. He feels himself a debtor to the whole human race; and he pants to discharge his debt to the very utmost of his power. But in the objects of his complacency he is more confined and partial. He cannot possibly take those for his friends who are the enemies of God. He comes out from an ungodly world, and is separate from them. And this he does, not from any idea of his own superior goodness, but because he is afraid of being drawn into temptation; and because he is told, on infallible authority, that "the friendship of the world is enmity with God." He has a different taste from the world around him, and lives in a different element; so that it would be repugnant to his nature to occupy himself as they are occupied. This is the ground upon which St. Paul interdicts all unnecessary communion with them: "Be not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? and what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infideli?” This shews clearly that the household of faith have a claim on his regards, beyond any other people upon earth; and that, if his love be of a proper kind, the saints will have a decided preference in his estimation, and the "excellent of the earth will be all his delight'."]

Such is the believer, whilst sojourning in this world: he is actuated by love, even as Almighty God is; so far, at least, as he is under the influence of divine grace. But his love varies in its exercise, as the love of Jehovah himself varies according to the circumstances or qualities of the object beloved.]

To encourage this godlike disposition, I proceed to shew,

II. The blessedness of him in whom this resemblance is found

i 2 Cor. vi. 14-16.

* Gal. vi. 10.

'Ps. xvi. 3.

This is set forth by the Apostle in very exalted terms. But it must first be remembered, that the believer is here supposed to " dwell in love:" he does not put it forth only on some particular occasions, but cherishes it habitually in his bosom, and maintains it as the constant habit of his mind. Now, where a person dwells in it, he will be happy;

1. In his enjoyment of the present

[There is a mutual in-dwelling between him and God; "he dwelling in God," by faith and love; and "God dwelling in him," by the abiding influence of his good Spirit.

But these expressions are far too weighty to be passed over with so slight a notice. The believer "dwells in God!" We know what ideas we associate with a house in which we dwell: we regard it as our own: we go to it with freedom at all times in it we expect to find whatever is suited to our daily necessities, and sufficient for our daily wants: we are at ease in it, and feel ourselves secure from the tempests that rage around us. There, after all the troubles and fatigues of life, we lay us down to rest, and find that repose which fits us for the duties of every succeeding day. Now, familiar as this illustration may appear, it is that which the Scriptures employ as peculiarly fitted to convey to our minds the truth which we are considering: "O Lord, thou hast been our dwellingplace in all generations ":" and again; "Because thou hast made the Lord, even the Most High, thine habitation, there shall no evil befall thee"." This confidence the believer feels: he looks to God as his God: he has access to him at all times; goes to him without restraint; "enters into the inmost chambers of his divine perfections; and shuts the door about him; hiding himself from every storm" which may beat around him; and finding in him that rest, and those supplies of grace, which his necessities require.

At the same time, "God dwells in him," as in his temple. Frequently does God designate his believing people by this gracious appellation; and promise them his presence, as in his temple of old: "What agreement," says he," hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God: as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people"." Now this exactly marks the favours which God will vouchsafe to the truly loving soul. You remember that God abode in his temple by a visible symbol of his presence: that there, on the

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