good, if he obeys them as fuch; that God is by them reconciling men to himself; that they have the power of binding and loofing; and that Chrift has promised to be with them unto the world's end.

In one word; the Chriftian religion is most proper to make us humble, by convincing us of our own weaknefs, inconftancy, backfliding, ignorance, and proneness to all wickednefs.

When it has done this, it encourages us to look up to God in Jefus Chrift; to depend upon his love and goodness for light to know, for a will to choofe, and for power to do, the will of God. It bids us do what is in our own power, and that God, feeing our fincerity, will ftill fupply us with more grace, till we come to love him as we fhould do, with all our heart, and foul, and firength, which, as has, often been faid before, is the end of the Chriftian religion, and of all its ordinances.

III. The fruits and effects of which will be very vifible in the lives of all thofe who have the love of God fhed abroad in their hearts. For where the love of God is the ruling principle of a Chriftian's life, there will follow,

ift. A cheerful fubmiffion to God's will in all outward difpenfations of his providence, believing that his infinite wisdom and goodness always orders what is beft for his creatures, whether it be for correction or inftruction.

2dly. An entire obedience to his commands; as knowing, that this is the love of God

thus

thus it will exprefs itself,-that we keep his commandments.

3dly. This will be followed by an hearty concern to know the will of God, that we may not displease him whom we love, by doing what he would not have done.

4thly. There will be a careful ufe of the means of grace which God has appointed; for though the love of God is more than whole burnt-offerings and facrifices, yet these being helps to the love of God, a Christian dare not neglect even the outward ordinances at the peril of his foul.

5thly. We fhall be very jealous of the honour of God, and abhor all fuch principles, company, or converfation, as any way tend to leffen his esteem amongst men.

6thly. We fhall love and value all that is good in any of his creatures, knowing that fo much is the image of God in them.

7thly. We fhall be well pleased when things go as God would have them; that is, when piety and juftice, and peace and charity, are encouraged and profper.

8thly. We fhall be every day lefs and lefs fond of, and concerned for, the world, till at last we think nothing too valuable to be parted with for his fake whom we love fo entirely.

9thly. We fhall be cheerful under all outward afflictions, faithfully believing, that the Lord preferveth all them that love him.

And

And lastly; We fhall ferve him with the love of children, not of fervants or flaves, who look upon the duties of Chriftianity, as they do upon the rents and fervices which they owe to their temporal lords; they do them with pain and reluctance; they fometimes fhift them off, and in their hearts wish they were free from them; while a true lover of God ferves him with pleasure, and takes delight in approaching him.

And are these the marks, are thefe the fruits and effects of a fincere love of God?

What reafon then have we all to blufh, and be extremely concerned, to find fo few of these inftances of the love of God in our hearts and lives!

What reafon have we all to beg of God, that for the time to come we may more faithfully obferve this first and great command; that we may not think it fufficient to say, that we love the Lord our God with all our hearts, when we love a thousand things better;-that we may not fatisfy ourselves in the bare outward duties of religion, without letting the love of God appear in our lives and converfations!

What reafon have we to be very watchful over the corrupt inclinations of our hearts, which, if not well looked to, will awlays lead us to an exceffive love and fondness for the world; which will effectually hinder us from loving God with all our hearts!

And,

And, forafmuch as God has made the love of himself, and of our neighbour, infeparable, how very much concerned fhould all Chriftians be, to have this mark of their love to God; that is, a tender compaffion for the whole creation.

In one word, fince there are no hopes of happiness but to thofe that love God fincerely; fince all the evils the world complains of are owing to the want of this divine charity; laftly, fince our very prayers and religion will be a burthen and a fin, while the love of God does not poffefs our hearts; let us make this our conftant prayer to God, "That he would pour into our hearts fuch love towards "him, that we, loving him above all things, may obtain his gracious promifes, and be "made partakers of his heavenly treasure, through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

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To whom, &c.

SERMON

THE SECOND GREAT COMMAND; OR, THOU SHALT LOVE THY NEIGHBOUR AS THYSELF.

Amantiffime Jefu! Confummatiffimum Charitatis Exemplar! Largire mihi Gratiam Charitatis erga proximum, ex guftu Mifericordiæ Divinæ promanantem; ut omnes omnino homines amans, inimicis ignofcens, pro illis orans, et illos amore vincens, alijs oftendere valeam Charitatis viam, fructus et felicitatem; et quanti apud Deum fit momenti; propter perfectum amorem tuum, Redemptor fuaviffime. Amen.

MARK Xii. 32, 33, 34.

AND THE SCRIBE SAID UNTO JESUS, WELL, MASTER, THOU HAST SAID THE TRUTH: FOR THERE IS ONE GOD; AND THERE IS NONE OTHER BUT HE: AND TO LOVE HIM WITH ALL THE HEART, AND WITH ALL THE UNDERSTANDING, AND WITH ALL THE SOUL, AND WITH ALL THE STRENGTH, AND TO LOVE HIS NEIGHBOUR AS HIMSELF, IS MORE THAN ALL WHOLE BURNT-OFFERINGS AND SACRIFICES. AND WHEN JESUS SAW THAT HE ANSWERED DISCREETLY, HE SAID UNTO HIM, THOU ART NOT FAR FROM THE KINGDOM OF GOD.a

HAVE already told you, good Chriftians, in a former discourse, that I made choice of these words, as spoken by a Jew, and approved by our Lord, to fhew you, in the first

* See John iv. 21. xiii. 35. xy. 12. Gal. v. 14. 1 Tim. i. 5. I Pet. iv. 8. 1 John iv. 21.

place,