he meant "What shal I do to merit it?" | the souls of the wicked, astounded at

what they saw, would immediately flee, and tumble themselves headlong into the pit of corruption; and because they were not prepared for happiness, they would plunge themselves into misery. And really, if an unregenerate man could enter heaven, he would have no heart for it: his mind is not framed for its enjoyments, but the reverse. The being in such a place would be hell to him; it may be a heaven to the blessed, but its happiness is of a nature that he cannot enjoy.

No: I will venture to pledge myself, that no such idea ever entered into this man's heart! No he came to the teacher, and he says, "What shall I do to inherit eternal life? How shall I go about it? I feel myself eternally undone if I get not this meetness; and how shall I obtain it?" We often use the words in this way; and the language denotes illumination of mind, and intention of heart. "What shall I do? I know that I must have it; and what means shall I use to get it? How shall I act?" Now, if we The question, then, is, how are we to were to hear a man inquiring in this way, be regenerated? How are we to get this we should say, "Believe on the Lord title-this meetness for eternal life? Our Jesus Christ"—"Lay hold on the hope Lord answers, 1. "What does the law set before you in the gospel”- "Let the say?" and 2. "How dost thou underwicked forsake his way, and the unright-stand what the law says on this point?" eous man his thoughts." And all this" What does thy Bible say, and how dost we are fully justified in saying; and all this is necessarily implied in the answer made by our Lord to this man.

II. And now, brethren, are you prepared to fix your minds fully on that an swer? I am aware that it requires much reasoning-much argumentation and impressive speaking, to get a man to enter fully into the scope and design of any particular subject. He hears the truth, but he does not feel it. I say, then, we are all on the verge of eternity; we must soon "die, and be as water spilled upon the ground, which cannot be gathered up again." We have all "sinned and come short of the glory of God;" and we may be assured, that if God has given us a time of probation, and we do not use it to the end for which God has given it, we shall, without doubt, perish everlastingly! It is not a vain thing, therefore. And again, our hoping and trusting that the inheritance will be ours, can do but little good; we must have a right to the inheritance, or we shall never see God's hea

thou read it? What are thy views and apprehensions on this subject? How dost thou suppose thyself to be concerned in all this?" The man most intelligibly answered, "Thus it is written; thus I understand it: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength,and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.' This I understand to be the highest privilege, the bounden duty, of a rational creature."

And our Lord said unto him, "Thou hast answered right; this is the sum, the substance, of all true religion; this do, and thou shalt have this eternal life." He was "willing to justify himself." In this he showed the ardent working of his mind towards this title, this meetness for eternal life. He could not bear the idea of being destitute of this. We may see from this what a difficult thing it is, humanly speaking, for the Spirit to bring us to see our real state: to the very last we are prone to indulge a hope that our case is not so desperate as the representations of the gospel seem to imply; it is long before we can be brought to see and feel that we are totally lost. He was ready and "willing to justify himself; and he said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour? I know my God, the Being whom I should love with all my heart, and soul, and mind, and strength; and who is this other being, whom I should love even as

I love myself?" Our Lord then gives him the little history which is generally known by the name of "The good Samaritan ;" and leads him on to conclude what was his real state, both in reference to his God, and in reference to his neighbour.

would sink into its primitive state-that state out of which God called it by his omnific word. And if God had not supported and upheld all according to the counsel of his own will, men could not have had that suitable food and clothing, in the various climates, with all their various temperatures, with which they are so blest. God made and supports ALL;— so that wherever a human being is found, that human being owes his life to God, and his continuance in being to that great Preserver. Even in redemption, it is impossible to conceive of greater favour on the part of God. There we see the proofs of his mercy in pardoning our sin, and so on; but I will not say that this is greater. It was a proof of his love, that he created beings capable of holding converse with himself; and when man fell, that same power and love which created him formed a plan for preserving and saving him. Hence Christ was made manifest in the flesh, and became "man with men❞—not a prophet, not an angel, not a seraph, but a being such as God had never before made; to manifest the highest effects of his eternal power, and to display the highest benefits that could be possessed. He comes into the world, and teaches men what God only could have revealed; and exercises a power which God only could exercise, and which God could not

Now further, brethren; for there is much remains behind. Here is a Being set before us in these words, who is called "God"- "the Lord"-Jehovah - the High and Holy One; and so on. He is the Creator of the earth, and of all creatures. He is the Sovereign, who produced all things by the word of his power, and who upholdeth all things by the same word. He is your Creator; and he is also the great cause of your preservation. He is the self-existent-the Eternal-the independent. All that is made is produced by him, and depends upon him; and therefore all should acknowledge him as the source of all, the Creator of body and soul, the Preserver of both. As your Creator, he has shown the riches of his wisdom and power in both; and he has shown his benignity and kindness in preserving you. You are not to forget to think on him in reference to his own infinite excellencies and perfections: but you are not now called upon to take these views of him; but rather to consider this sacred Being, so incomprehensible both to men and to angels, in reference to your-communicate; for an omnipotent being selves. He is your Creator;-the cause of your being. He is your Supporter; upholding all things by the word of his power. There is not a morsel of bread that you eat, which comes not from him as the Creator and Preserver. He alone "causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herbs for the service of man." He alone produces the rich varieties of fruits and of vegetables for the benefit of man. He alone causes the same soil to produce at once verdure, and odours, and fruitfulness. He alone causes the sun to shine; and whatever we ascribe to its influence in Now, on this very consideration is escausing trees and plants to grow to matu-tablished the command before us, "Thou rity, his power gives the sun that ability. shalt love the Lord thy God-this very And whatever it may have contributed to Being, who is thy Creator and Preserver." the comfort and support of man, all comes And if a sense of the highest obligation from him alone; and if for one moment he is allowed to affect those who are under were to take his hand from that sun, it that obligation; if we should love that VOL. I.-55 20

to appoint an omnipotent delegate is impossible; because he who delegates it must cease to be omnipotent, and so cease to be infinite and eternal. In God, as the Creator, therefore, we see the proofs of infinite skill and power; and we behold his unrivalled beneficence, in his meeting and supplying all the wants which his creatures may feel. When we come to consider the redemption of man, we behold, indeed, a greater extension of the divine love; but we discover no new feeling.

Being whose kindness is so great-whose commands have reference to an object that is eternal-and whose favour is the source of all blessedness; then there is reason in the command, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God."

But what does this mean? I believe not one man in ten thousand, or in ten million, can explain this! I have studied the subject most closely, and I cannot express its meaning; I cannot explain the feeling of love; I cannot explain the way in which it is produced-the mode of its internal operation-the way in which it catches hold-in which it seizes on all the powers of the mind. It is an affection of the soul which ought to go out after God; which should confess him to be supreme; which should lead us to give up our souls and our bodies, with all their powers, whatever they are, to him; thus giving him evidence that we are not altogether insensible of our infinite obligations.

2. This love does not consist in mere feeling; else we should be led into numerous errors: all the affections and desires of the soul might be taken up in heavenly raptures, to the neglect of grand and important parts of Christianity. This induced a good man, who differed from us in many points, to say, "What will it avail in the sight of the Most High, to go and fall down upon your knees before him, and to look up to him and say, O, how excellent thou art, how pure, and how glorious! Here let me worship and adore thee! Here let me gaze for ever in admiration of thine excellencies! Once feeding the hungry, or clothing the naked, or visiting the sick, would be infinitely more acceptable to God, and avail able in his sight, than all the idle adoration you can offer him!" How, then, is the love of the heart to be proved? Why, it is added, "Thou shalt love the Lord with all thy soul," or rather, “with all thy life." This means, not only that the whole of our life should be employed in the service of God, but that the life itselt should be dedicated to God; that it should be given up to him, to employ it as he may see fit; and that we should be ready to finish our life in his service, should it be required. It is on this principle alone that there ever was a MARTYR in the church: they "loved not their lives unto the death," but freely yielded them up, when they were called to do so for the sake of God. We are not, at this

Love has been defined as a disposition of mind which leads a person to be intensely satisfied with the object of his affections. Now, if this can be said of love to man, how much more may it be said of love to God. This Being has all that I can possibly want all good, all kindness, all perfection, flows from him. I want this Being for my portion; and if I can have him for my portion, I want no more. Here I can rest; and if I can say, "Thou art my portion, O Lord!" this is the highest word that I can speak-the high-moment, very far from the place where est word that ever was spoken by mortal The conviction that he must be such, or that we are lost, is much; but to feel that he is so, this is a great thing indeed! Then, "thou shalt love the Lord thy God,

man.

many of our forefathers and foremothers suffered in this way, at a stake, which I have seen, though the complaisance of our times has induced us to take it away, because it seemed a reflection on the cruelty of our ancestors; but at a stake in Smith1. With all thy heart." Whatever can field, in the midst of flames, many yielded be called by the name of heavenly feel- their lives to Him who was the object of ing, holy aspiration, spiritual wishes, is their love, and the Father of their spirits. all included here. All divine breathings, This is the very principle of martyrdom ; all holy and benevolent purposes, all in- they dedicated their lives to God, and tense adoration and delight; and this feel-gave those lives up when it seemed neing must be supreme: it is the love of the whole heart. Love has all here, and leaves nothing behind. All the hopes, and inclinations, and desires, relate to

God, and are regulated by him. But then,

cessary-not only when they were called to die in the common way, but when their death seemed to be required by peculiar circumstances.

3. Put forth all thine energies; love

God" with all thy strength." There is a great force in thought: sometimes it will lead a man to go from one place to another, to accomplish a particular object; at another time, all the various powers of the man will be gathered up, and all will be brought into a focus, as it were, to act on a particular point; and the man, fearing neither men nor devils, will trample Satan under his feet, and serve his God alone. Now, put forth all the energies of your minds thus in God's service: be not cold-hearted in God's work. If the devil can ever love, he loves such men; and considers those as the most valuable supporters of his cause, who, while they profess to love God, put forth their strength for every thing but the service of God. Be careful, then, to exert all thy powers of body and soul in the service of the Lord thy God. Then,

chamber to chamber, to see the images that are set up; I will reveal to thee all that is abominable; and then I will tell thee that I will famish all the false gods: but thou must make an effort; thou must loathe these abominations; thou must cast away these idols to the moles and to the bats. Thou must give them up-not as a sacrifice to thy God, that is a most awful idea-but give them up to God, that they may be burned and destroyed for ever. Thus God condemns them as "a spirit of judgment," and destroys them as " a spirit of burning."

Then it is added, "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." Mark! it is not said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy God. This is interesting: there is an intensity of thought and feeling in reference to the love of God, that it would be evil, unholy, sacrilegious, to apply to our fellow-men. I am very glad that those thoughtless and profane words, which it was once very common to apply to women, cease to be employed. To answer wicked ends, and to delude them in many cases to their ruin, poor women were set up in the place of God, and worshipped accordingly. This is nearly laid aside. "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy"Love worketh no ill to his neigh

4. Thou hast a mind also. "Love God with all thy mind." The mind is that gate of the soul, by which God admits that light by which the judgment is able to decide positively and rightly. Thou shalt keep this gate open to receive that light which alone can teach thee what is right; and, what is also of high importance, thou shalt put out what is not proper or profitable. O, how much self." lumber have we laid up in that reposi-bour; therefore love is the fulfilling of the tory!—how much trash that is unprofita- law." But what love do I owe to my ble!-how much impurity that we are neighbour? I owe him the love of equity afraid to mention! Labour to get rid of-of succour of benevolence of charity. all this. One of the finest effects of the I must aim to do him all the good I can ; Holy Spirit's influence on the human to advance his interests; to sympathize mind, is expressed in that fine sentence in his joys and sorrows; to promote his in the communion service-" Cleanse the welfare. "Love thy neighbour as thythoughts of our hearts by the inspiration self:" whatever thou wouldst wish him of thy Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly to do for thee in ignorance-in weakness love thee, and worthily magnify thy holy-in sorrow-in want-in danger,—that name." O, go to God, that he may do thou for him; thy turn may be next. cleanse thy mind! God says that he will "purge away the filth of Zion, by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning." In other words, I will pour light into thy soul; I will lead thee from

And again, God is the Father of all; therefore we should love as brethren of the same family. He is the Lord, the Creator, the Judge of all; and all are alike before him.

SERMON XLVIII.

AN IMPORTANT INQUIRY.

BY THE REV. HENRY RAIKES, A. M.

CHANCELLOR OF THE DIOCESE OF CHESTER.

"What do ye more than others ?”—Matt. v. 47.

IT has sometimes been asserted that | sins of the world." In other cases, an there was a difference, a difference which attempt has been made to represent the was capable of being perceived, a difference which it was important and necessary to mark, between the statements of divine truth which are contained in the several parts of the New Testament.