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"commandments*," And again, in still stronger terms: "Whoso keepeth God's

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word, in him verily is the love of God "perfected." Had a proper attention been paid to such passages as these, we should have heard nothing of those absurd reveries which have so much disgraced this doctrine. Yet, while we thus guard against the errors of over-strained pietism, let us take care that we fall not into the opposite extreme of a cold and cautious indifference; that, as others have raised their notions of this excellent quality too high, we, on the other hand, sink them not too low.. Because the Scriptures say, that to keep the commandments of God, is to love God, therefore too many are willing to conclude that no degree of inward affection need accompany our outward obedience; and that all appearance of devout ardour is a suspicious and even dangerous symptom. But this notion is to the full as groundless and unscriptural as those above mentioned; and needs no other confutation than the very words of the text. We are commanded not

merely

*

1 John v. 3.

† 1 John ii. 5,

merely to love God, but to love him with all our heart, and soul, and mind, and strength. Since then our obedience must be, as we have seen, the measure of our love, we are plainly bound by this command to obey him also with all our heart, and soul, and mind, and strength; that is, with zeal, with alacrity, with vigour, with perseverance, with the united force of all our faculties and powers, with one universal bent of the whole man towards God. The love of our Maker, then, is neither a mere unmeaning animal fervour, nor a lifeless formal worship or obedience. It consists in devoutness of heart, as well as purity of life; and, from a comparison of the text with other passages of Scripture, we may define it to be, "such a reverential admiration of God's perfections in general, and such a grateful sense of his infinite goodness in particular, as render the contemplation and the worship of him delightful to us; and produce in us a constant desire and endeavour to please him in every part of our moral and religious conduct."

This it is that the Scriptures mean by the love of God; and it is nothing more than what

what every man may, if he pleases, very easily acquire. It is not a new perception, of which we never experienced any thing before; it is not an unintelligible, mysterious, or supernatural impression upon the soul; it is only a purer degree of that very same affection, which we frequently entertain for some of the most worthy of our own species. This sentiment religion finds already existing in our minds, and all that it does is to give it a new direction, and to turn it upon God, as its highest and properest and most adequate object. If then we wish to know still more clearly in what the love of God consists; and what share of it we ourselves possess; we must consult our own breasts, and consider a little how we feel ourselves affected towards the eminently great and good among our fellow-creatures. Now, when we observe any one of this character going on steadily and uniformly in one regular even course of upright, noble, disinterested, benevolent conduct, making it the chief study and business of his life to promote the comfort and happiness of every human being within his reach; we can no more

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help esteeming and loving and reverencing so excellent a person, than we can forbear desiring food when we are hungry; even though we ourselves are not in the least benefited by his goodness. But, should we be so fortunate as to live under his influence, and to be interested in his virtues; to have him for our friend, our benefactor; our parent, guardian, governor, or protector; then it is scarce possible for language to express the emotions of affection, gratitude, and delight which we feel in contemplating his goodness, and even in the very mention of his name. In cases like this (and such cases do, God be thanked, sometimes exist) how does our heart burn within us, how restless and impatient are we, till we find some better way than that of words to express the sense we have of our benefactor's kindness towards us? With what solicitude do we study every turn of his countenance, and endeayour to prevent his very wishes? We not only do what he desires, but we do it. with alacrity and ardour. We love to speak of him, to think of him, to converse with him, to imitate him. We never mention

him

him but in terms of reverence and respect. We are jealous of his reputation; we cannot bear to hear it lightly treated. We enter heartily into his interests, and adopt his sentiments. We love what he loves, we hate what he hates, we are ready for his sake to do any thing, to relinquish any thing, to suffer any thing. These are the sentiments we entertain, and this the conduct we observe towards those that we love on earth; and in this manner does Christianity expect us to love our Father that is in heaven. If this sincerity and ardour of affection are justly esteemed both natural and laudable in the one case, why are they not at least equally so in the other? Why may they not without any stretch of our faculties, or any imputation of hypocrisy or enthusiasm, be exercised towards Him, who is the very perfection of every thing that is great and good; who is in reality, and in the strictest sense, our friend and benefactor, our parent, guardian, protector, and governor, all in one? It is true, indeed, there is one difference, and that, as some think, a very material one, between the two cases. Our earthly friends

are

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