world. If we are beloved of God, we shall manifest our love to Him for,the great love wherewith He hath loved us, by living in obedience to His holy will and commandments, and walking in the same all the days of our life.

The conduct which is required of the children of God who are chosen by His grace, set apart to His service, and partakers of His loving kindness, is stated by the apostle. He exhorts them, Put on therefore as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man kave a quarrel against any; even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. The graces of the Christian character are termed by the apostle in his epistle to the Galatians, the fruit of the Spirit.68 They do not grow in nature's soil. They are produced by the influence of the Holy Spirit upon the hearts of His people. There is indeed a kind of imitation of them to be found in the world, which is occasioned by various external circumstances; in some cases, by the discipline of good education, and the influence of good example; and sometimes by means of a course of severe affliction, united with what is called an amiable disposition. These things will lead some people to be compassionate, kind, humble,

65 1 Thess. v. 23. 66 Jer. xxxi. 3. 67 Titus ii. 12. 68 Gal. v. 22.

But

meek, patient, and to forgive injuries. Christian graces far surpass all moral virtues. They are derived from a higher source, even from love to God; and they propose to themselves a nobler end, the glory of God. Love to God is the first fruit of the Spirit, and the rest of these graces follow in its train; for love produces a desire of entire and unreserved obedience to the will of God, as it is revealed in His holy word. And when the Christian is required, Even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye; he cannot but forgive those against whom he has cause of complaint, however great the fault, however unreasonable the quarrel, on the part of his adversary. The debt of gratitude which he owes for the redeeming grace and dying love of Christ is so incalculably great, that he is deeply sensible nothing can be required of him in return with which it is not his bounden duty to comply. He knows that he owes unto the Lord Jesus even his own self besides, and therefore he is under irresistible obligation not only to forgive a penitent brother who has offended or wronged him, but to love him also; as the apostle adds, And above all these things put on charity, or love, which is the bond of perfectness. Christians are to walk in love, as Christ also hath loved them. The love of Christ is a bond of

69

69 Ephesians v. 2.

union such as nature cannot supply; it produces love to Him, and to all the members of His mystical body. It constrains to the exercise of all Christian graces, with regard to the family and household of faith most especially, but also towards all mankind.

ye

This love is to be accompanied with peace. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be thankful. The apostle was anxious that believers in Christ should endeavour to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace,7° that those who were one with Christ, and one body in consequence of union with Him, should live in peace with each other; that there should be no divisions among them; but they should show to the world that they were all one in Christ Jesus." In order to this, the peace of God must rule in the heart. We must have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,72 by faith in Him, believing that He hath made peace by the blood of His cross,73 and that in consequence of His sacrifice for sin those who rely upon it for pardon and reconciliation with God are at peace with Him. Those who have this peace of God in their consciences will follow peace with all men. This peace will rule in their hearts, it will influence their affections, and their actions will be governed by it,

70 Eph. iv. 3. 71 Gal. iii. 21. 72 Rom. v. 1. 73 Col. i. 20

so that the peaceable fruit of righteousness will be produced by them to the glory and praise of God.75 A thankful spirit for Divine goodness will be manifested; gratitude for mercies received will fill the heart, overflow from the lips, and be evinced in the life and conduct.

In order to the production of all this fruit of the Spirit, the apostle exhorts to an intimate acquaintance with the holy scriptures, in which the whole will of God respecting man is made known. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. The word of Christ is the testimony concerning Him and His great salvation, which it is the object of the scriptures of truth from the beginning to the end to make known; from the first promise of His coming as the seed of the woman to bruise the serpent's head, to the last promise of His second coming to accomplish all that is written of Him in the everlasting salvation of His redeemed. This word of Christ is to dwell in His people, their minds are to be informed and instructed by it. It is to dwell in them richly or abundantly; its Divine truths, its doctrines and precepts, its admonitions and exhortations, are to sink deep into their hearts, to be received with

74 Hebrews xii. 14, 11.

t

75 Philippians i. 11.

pure affection. Believers in Christ, are to "mark, learn, and inwardly digest" His holy word, that thereby they may be made wise unto salvation, which is the highest wisdom, and may enjoy that consolation which the belief of it is designed to convey to the soul. It is supposed that by psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, the apostle referred to the different kinds of composition contained in what we now call the book of Psalms; that while the name psalms characterises the book in general, that of hymns applies to those which begin or end with Hallelujah or Praise the Lord;76 and spiritual songs to those which are entitled songs of degrees." From all of them instruction and admonition are to be received, which are continually needful for us. And this is obtained in the most pleasing manner, when they are sung or recited with grace in the heart to the Lord; under the influence of the Holy Spirit, while He tunes the heart to join in the high praises of God which are uttered with the mouth. This singing is to be an expression of our happiness and joy in the Lord. The apostle James says, Is any merry? let him sing psalms.78 It is an anticipation of the blessed employment of those who see the face God in the beatific vision of His glory, and sing His praises with joy unspeakable in His blissful presence. Let us then comply with this

76 As Ps. cxi, cxii. cxiii. 77 Ps. cxx. to cxxxiv. 78 James v. 13.