day of annual expiation, the high-priest entered into his immediate presence, and beheld his glory: thither the prayers of all his people were addressed: there were all their sacrifices accepted: and from thence were all his answers given. Behold, then, under this image, the exalted privilege of the believing soul! God is with him in a way that he is not with any other creature in the universe. To him is the glory of God revealed: his every sacrifice of prayer or praise comes up with acceptance before God; and rich communications of grace and peace descend from God to him. Take these two ideas-the believer dwelling in God, as in his house; and God dwelling in him, as in his temple-and you have a complete view of his felicity, as it is enjoyed from day to day.]

2. In his anticipations of the future

[Love, exercised in the way before described, is "perfect;" that is, it is of the most perfect kind, and has attained a growth which marks a high measure of excellence: or, as the text expresses it, "Herein is our love made perfect, or manifested to be perfect." And where such love is, there is, and will be, a sweet assurance of our acceptance in the day of judgment. The latter verse of my text, as it stands in our translation, is so obscure, as scarcely to admit of explanation: but with a very slight alteration it is extremely clear. It may be read thus: "Herein is our love made perfect: so that we have boldness in (i. e. in reference to) the day of judgment: because as He is, so are we in this world"." And this is a blessed truth. The man who has attained this measure of love, has within himself a most decisive evidence of his own conversion". None but God could accomplish within him such a blessed work; as the Apostle says, "Love is of God." Hence, though he well knows his own remaining imperfections, he cannot but regard God as his Father: and he is perfectly assured, that a God of love will never cast away one who pants and labours constantly for a conformity to the Divine image: and hence" he has boldness in reference to the day of judgment;" being fully assured, that the Saviour, in whom he has believed, and by the operation of whose grace he has become what he is, will "confess him before his Father," and "present him faultless before the presence of his Father's glory

q TETEλεiWral. See 2 Cor. xii. 9. the Greek.

* ἵνα ἔχωμεν. Doubtless the usual sense of ἵνα is that which our translators have adopted. But St. John uses it repeatedly in the sense which I have here assigned to it. See 1 John i. 9; and especially Rev. xiii. 13. where a precisely similar expression occurs, and is translated in this very way.

with exceeding joy." This is the disposition which infallibly "accompanies salvation;" as St. Paul has said: "Beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak. For God is not unrighteous, to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed towards his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister. And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence, to the full assurance of hope unto the end "." My dear brethren, be diligent in this work, and this blessedness shall be yours. Only take care, that, in the habit of your minds, and in your daily walk, ye "be in the world as God himself is;" and then you may look forward with comfort to the future judgment, assured that "you shall not be ashamed before him, at his coming."]

In reflecting on this subject, we cannot but SEE,

1. What enemies to themselves they are, who indulge unhallowed tempers!

[I will not say, they are enemies to God, whose law they violate; or to their fellow-creatures, whose peace they disturb: but I will say, they are enemies to themselves; for they actually drive God from them; and cause him, who would dwell in their hearts as their Comforter and their God, to become their enemy as it is said, " If any man defile the temple of God, him will God destroyx." And what must be their prospects in relation to the eternal world? Can they enjoy any of the true Christian's confidence? or, if they possess any confidence at all, is it not a horrible delusion? Religious professors speak much about their doubts and fears: and truly many of them have abundant reason to doubt and fear; for their tempers bear no resemblance whatever to "the meekness and gentleness of Christ :" yea, many of these professors have less self-government than the ungodly world; and they make all unhappy that are about them. As to their fears, they are right enough; but as to their doubts, it may well be questioned whether they are right: for if they were Christ's, they would "put on Christ," and "crucify those affections and lusts" which are so abhorrent to his religion". They may talk of their faith but if their faith do not work by love, it is no better than the faith of devils. The fruit of the Spirit is, love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance:" and if these fruits do not characterize our life and conversation, I hesitate not to say, that "our religion is vain:" for St. James says, If any man (high or low, rich or poor, old or young)—if any man among you seem to be religious (and make ever so fair a profession), and bridleth not his

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u Heb. vi. 9, 10. x 1 Cor. iii. 17. y Gal. iii. 27. and v. 24.

tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain." I must therefore warn all, but religious professors in particular, that "what they sow, they shall reap: he that soweth to the flesh, shall of the flesh reap corruption; and he alone who soweth to the Spirit, shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting"."]

2. What a noble ambition has the true Christian!

[It is no inferior pattern that he is content to follow. He looks to see what God himself is to his creatures; and that would he be to the utmost extent of his power. "He would

be an imitator of God himself";" and " as God is, so would he be in this world." Is God love? He would be love also; he would act nothing but love, and breathe nothing but love. O noble ambition! blessed object! sweet end of life! What a heaven would earth be, if all were of this mind and spirit! Come, beloved, and rise to the occasion. See what God is to the world at large: and be ye, according to your power, alike benevolent, alike beneficent- See also what God is to his Church in particular: and be ye towards every member of that Church, so far as the individual himself is worthy of it, alike complacent and affectionate In a word, let your endeavour be, not only to be godly, but God-like; "holy as he is holy;" and "perfect, as your Father which is in heaven is perfect."]

z Jam. i. 26. a Gal. vi. 7, 8.

Eph. v. 1. the Greek.

If this be a subject for a Charity Sermon, this clause, or the preceding, may be amplified, according as the object of the Charity is of a temporal or spiritual nature.

MMCCCCLX.

INFLUENCE AND IMPORTANCE OF LOVE.

1 John iv. 18. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

THE essence of all true religion is love-love to God, working by love to man. Both tables of the law are fulfilled in this: and to bring us to such a state of mind is no less the intent of the Gospel, than of the law itself. St. John, than whom no inspired writer more fully unfolds the glories of the Gospel, abounds, more than any other Apostle, in exhortations to love. The preceding context more particularly

insists on love to man: but the words before us, with the following context, speak rather of love to God. "We love him, because he first loved us. If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar for he that loveth not his brother, whom he hath seen, how can he love God, whom he hath not seen. And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God, love his brother also"." Were we to interpret the text as speaking of love to man, it would not admit of any satisfactory explanation but, as referring to God, it sets love before us in a very instructive point of view, in that it marks, I. Its influence, as a principle

"Fear" is that passion which is chiefly dominant in the breast of fallen man

[Adam, before his fall, knew nothing of it: but, after his transgression, he fled from the face of God, and hid himself amongst the trees of the garden: and from that time, all the appearances of God or of angels to men have generated fear in the first instance; so that the persons most favoured with such visions, have needed to be encouraged by that reviving expression,"Fear not." Indeed, the whole religion of the heathen world has its foundation in fear: love to their deities is never an operative principle in their hearts. Even amongst ourselves, till we are truly converted to God, the Supreme Being is rather an object of fear than of love; insomuch that we love not to hear of him, or to reflect on our future appearance before him. It is on this account that all which relates to God, his perfections, his purposes, yea, and even the mysteries of his grace and the wonders of his love, are, by universal consent, banished from our mutual intercourse and daily conversation: and, however cheerful a society may have been in their communications with each other, the introduction of such topics as death, judgment, heaven, and hell, would cast a damp upon it, and induce a gloom, or a contemptuous smile, on every countenance. The Scripture tells us, that this is the case with all; that "men, through the fear of death, are all their life-time subject to bondage":" and that they are "like the troubled sea, whose waters cast up mire and dirt," utterly destitute of any solid peace or resta.

There may, indeed, be in men a thoughtless indifference:

a ver. 19-21.

e Heb. ii. 15.

b Luke i. 12, 13, 29, 30.

d Isai. lvii. 20, 21.

but this is only whilst they can shake off reflection. No man can think of God and of eternity without many fears and misgivings and the very efforts which men use to dissipate all serious thought, clearly shew, that they do not dare to think, and that God is to them an object of dread, and not of love.] But "love will cast out fear"

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[The two passions are opposed to each other, and counteract each other, as light and darkness: "there is no fear in love," nor any love in fear: if love arise in the soul, fear will be dispelled, like the clouds of the morning: but if fear prevail again, it will draw over the soul the curtains of night. Fear is excited by a view of God, as formidable in himself, and as hostile to us: but love views him as altogether lovely in himself, and as loving to us; and, consequently, banishes from the soul the sensations which a different view of the Deity had produced. Love regards him as a Father, a Friend, a Saviour, a Portion," an "eternal great reward." What room is there for fear, when such views are realized in the soul? I speak not, indeed, of a filial fear; because that is a very essential part of love: but a slavish fear, a "fear that has torment," can find no place in a bosom that is filled with love. To a person who truly loves God, the thought of him will be sweet to the soul: and the more intimate he feels his access to God, the more sublime will be his joy. As for death, to such an one it has lost its sting: it is even numbered amongst his richest treasures: "All things, says he, are mine, whether life or death." And so far is he from dreading the approach of the eternal state, that "he looks for, and hastes unto, the coming of the day of Christ';" and "longs to be dissolved, that he may be with Christ"." I say not, that this feeling is constant, or without any alloy; but that to effect this is the proper influence of love; and that it will be effected in proportion as love abounds in the soul.]

This view of love naturally leads us to consider, II. Its importance as a test

It is our privilege to be "made perfect in love"

[Love, like every other grace, is weak in its beginnings. But it should not be always so: like patience, it should "have its perfect work, that we may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing." The command of God is, that we should "love him with all our heart, and mind, and soul, and strength." And if we owe to him this measure of love as our Creator, much more do we as our Redeemer. After this, therefore, we should aspire: and, whatever our attainments in it be, we f 2 Pet. iii. 12. g Phil. i. 21.

e 1 Cor. iii. 22.