world itself must pass away, with all that it contains; and true converts to christianity are the only portion of its inhabitants, that shall emerge from its ruins, and enter into "the new heavens and the new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness;"-the only portion that shall be gathered together in an eternal and blessed society around the throne of God and of the Lamb. The divisions and distinctions of christians vanish away before such a prospect. The spirit of missions, indeed, has proverbially contributed to harmonize the church of Christ; and to give signs of the approach of that bright æra, when the names of sect or party shall no more be heard, but all shall form "one fold under one Shepherd.”—Finally, remember that you are expected to act as stewards of the manifold gifts of God; that neutrality in a cause like this is peculiarly detestable. Remember who has said, "He that gathereth not with me, scattereth abroad;" while He has declared, as an immutable axiom, that "it is more blessed to give than to receive.” Remember the apostle's solemn charge, that you "trust not in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; that you do good, and be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; laying up in store for yourselves a good foundation against the time to come, that you may lay hold on eternal life."

341

XVI.

MARKS OF LOVE TO GOD.*

[PREACHED AT BRIDGE-STREET, BRISTOL, SUNDAY MORNING, AUGUST 22, 1824.]

JOHN V. 42.-But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you.

THE persons whom our Lord addressed in these words made a high profession of religion, valued themselves upon their peculiar opportunities of knowing the true God and his will, and proclaimed themselves as the Israel and the temple of the Lord, while they despised the surrounding pagans as those who were strangers to the divine law. Yet the self-complacent Pharisees of our Saviour's age were as far from the love of God, he assures them in the text, as any of those who had never heard of his name. In this respect, many of "the first were last, and the last first." The rejection of the gospel evinces a hardness of heart which is decisive against the character; and, in the case of the Pharisees, it gave ample evidence that they possessed no love of God. Had they really known God, as our Lord argues, they would have known himself to be sent by God: whereas, in proving the bitter enemies of Christ, they proved that they were in a state of enmity against God. By parity

# Printed from the Notes of the Rev. Thomas Grinfield. These Notes present a valuable example of that species of Mr. Hall's preaching, in which, throughout the sermon, he kept pressing the application upon the consciences and hearts of his hearers.

of reason, we, my brethren, who know God and his word in the way of christian profession, ought not to take it for granted that we possess the love of God, and are in the way of eternal life: the same self-delusion may overtake us also; and similar admonitions may be no less necessary to many present, than to the Pharisees of old. Suffer then, my brethren, the word of exhortation, while I invite each individual seriously to consider this subject, with a view to the discovery of his real character.

In proceeding to lay down certain marks of grace, let it be premised, that either these marks partake of the nature of true religion, or they do not. If they do, they must be identified with it, and here the mark is the thing: if they do not partake of its nature, some of them may exist as indications where genuine religion is not. It is necessary, then, that we combine a variety of particular signs of grace: any one taken by itself, may, or may not, exist, without true religion; but where many are combined, no just doubt can remain.

Whether you have the love of God in your soul, presents a most critical subject of inquiry; since the love of God will be acknowledged by all to be the great, the essential, principle of true religion. The simple question, then, to which I would call your attention, is this," Am I, or am I not, a sincere lover of the Author of my being?"

In endeavouring to assist you in the decision of this momentous question, as it respects yourselves,

I. I shall entreat your attention while I suggest a variety of marks which indicate love to God; and,

II. Supposing the conviction produced by the statement to be, that you have not the love of God, I shall point out the proper improvement of such a conviction.

1. In suggesting various marks by which you may ascertain whether you love God, or not, I would mention, first, the general bent and turn of your thoughts, when not under the immediate control of circumstances; for these, you are aware, give a new and peculiar bias to our thoughts, and stamp them with an impress of their own. There is an infinite variety of thoughts continually passing through the mind of every individual of these, some are thrown up by occasions; but others, and often the greater part, follow the habitual train of our associations. It is not to thoughts of the former kind that I refer; it is to those of the latter class,-those voluntary thoughts which spring up of themselves in the mind of every person: it is these, not the former, that afford clear indication of the general temper and disposition. The question I would propose to you is, What is the bent of your thoughts, when, disengaged from the influence of any particular occurrence, you are left to yourselves, in the intervals of retirement and tranquillity, in the silence of the midnight watches, and, in short, whenever your mind is left free to its own spontaneous musings? Are the thoughts most familiar to your mind, at

such times, thoughts of God and the things of God; or, are they thoughts that turn upon the present world and its transient concerns? Are they confined, for the most part, within the narrow circle of time and sense; or, do they make frequent and large excursions into the spiritual and eternal world? The answer to this question will go far to decide whether you have, or have not, the love of God. It is impossible that such an object as the Divine Being should be absent long from your thoughts; impossible that his remembrance should long remain merged in the stream of other imaginations; unless you are supposed chargeable with a decided indifference to divine things! Unless you are destitute of love to God, you can never be so utterly uncongenial in sentiment and feeling with the Psalmist, when he says, "My mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips, while I meditate upon thee in the night watches:" "How precious are thy thoughts unto me, O God!" When that man of God gazed upon the starry heavens, his mind was not merely engaged with astonishment at the physical energy there displayed; he was still more deeply lost in grateful admiration of the mercy of Providence as manifested to man;-a sinful child of dust, and yet visited by God in the midst of so magnificent a universe! But when day passes after day, and night after night, without any serious thoughts of God, it is plain that He is not the home of your mind, not your portion, centre, and resting-place: and, if this is the case, it is equally plain that you are not in a state of acceptance