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faith. Being justified by faith, we have peace with God." It is not a pardon simply, but a pardon known and believed, that will give peace. But then, though our belief of the pardon gives us peace, yet it does not make the pardon one iota better than it was before. This sense of pardon, how ever, is the only thing which can lead us into the presence of God, with childlike confidence; it is the only thing which can enable us to look at the justice and holiness of God without dislike and fear. It is the only thing that can produce holy gratitude; and the greatness of the gratitude, will be in proportion to the sense en tertained of the greatness of the pardon. The two debtors mentioned in the concluding passage of the 7th chap. of Luke, were both forgiven, but the one had the sense of a great forgiveness, the other of a small one, and their gratitude was in direct proportion to their sense of forgiveness. Let us suppose that both owed five hundred pence, and that both were freely forgiven; but that one knew the amount of his debt, whilst the other did not know that he was a debtor at all; the one would feel grati

tude for his forgiveness, the the other would

have no sense of forgiveness at all, and, therefore, no gratitude. I conceive all men to be in this state, that all are forgiven, but that those only who know somewhat of of the amount of their debt, and the value of that ransom by which they were redeemed, love him, who hath thus loved them, -the rest, those who are ignorant that they have incurred a condemnation, cannot appreciate the love of him that pitied them, and therefore they love him not. But heaven and happiness, and salvation, are all summed up in Holy Love, and it was to produce Holy Love, that the atonement of Christ was proclaimed. If the proclamation has not produced Holy Love, it has produced, neither heaven nor happiness, nor, salvation. Hence arises the necessity. of the knowledge of duty in all its extent, in order to appreciate the value of redemption; we cannot love much, until we know that we are forgiven, much, and we cannot know that we are forgiven much, until we know what the law of God requires from us..

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It may appear to some at first sight, that

this system is calculated to give false peace, and to set the whole world at their ease; but this is an unfounded apprehension. The prominent part of the system is, that the two great commandments describe heaven as well as duty, and that an opposition to them in the heart is hell, as well as On these two command

disobedience. ments hang all the law and the prophets, and the gospel too. The law and the prophets, and the gospel, have been sent for the purpose of writing these two commandments in the heart. And until they are written there, heaven is not there, nor salvation. Do we love God? Do our thoughts, our desires, our words, our actions, refer to him, and tend to him? Do we love our neighbour for the sake of him who hath made him, and redeemed him, and commanded us to love him? If we do, we are in possession of salvation: and if we do not, conscience must declare that we are not in possession of it. Oh! what a continual call is here to the blood of sprinkling, both to satisfy the conscience, and to excite the heart, to calm agitations, and passions, and apprehensions, and to give

renewed confidence in the willingness and faithfulness of God to bestow his living

Spirit to sanctify us, and to do for us exceedingly above all that we can ask or think.

The gospel explains that great commandment, and contains the dynamics by which its behests may be obeyed. Who, it may be asked, is this God whom we are called on thus to love? It is that God who hath so hated sin, and so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son to the death, to condemn sin and to save the world.' This is the God whom we are called on thus to love. That blood branded sin,-it removed every obstacle that barred the approach of the sinner to God, or of God to the sinner, and it gave a pledge and a specimen of the richness and the holiness of divine love. This revelation is the instrument by which the Spirit of God 'writes the law upon the heart in fulfilment of the promise made through Jeremiah xxxi. 33. It was given that men might see God as he is, and learn to love him as he ought to be loved.

An unholy God may be approached fa

miliarly, and even, perhaps, in some degree, loved by an impenitent sinner: but the God who so loved the world as to give his Son to expiate sin, is a holy God. He hath no pleasure in wickedness. Those only can love him who love purity.

The law is thus preached in perfect harmony with the unconditional freeness of the gospel. The fulfilment of the law is not the way to heaven: it is itself heaven. "God is love, and he who dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him." It is not a condition of salvation, it is itself salvation. The law contains the description of spiritual health: it is the description of that character which is alone capable of spiritual enjoyment. This character must be obtained before heaven is obtained in

its true meaning. The history of God's holy love, manifested in Christ when received into the heart, is the seed of this character. It must be sown by the Spirit, and watered by the Spirit. to this? He will give those who ask him.

What shall we say the Holy Spirit to And all are warrant

ed and invited to ask. And shall we de

lay to ask?