cases the most intricate and distressing; therefore he is called " Wonderful, Counsellor." He is a cordial and hearty friend to his own in adversity-a powerful and allsufficient friend. He has given all those proofs of friendship which can be desired, and will give those further proofs of it which shall be hereafter needed. What friendly visits does he sometimes pay to his saints! what friendly supplies do they constantly receive from him! nay, his very reproofs and corrections, so faithful and yet so gentle, are tokens of his friendship; and he lives when other friends die. He, therefore, deserves returns of the warmest affection. He who hath friends, especially he who hath Christ for his friend, should shew himself friendly; which cannot be done but by giving him the preference to all others, and sacrificing every thing to his love, saying, "This is my beloved, and this is my friend."

3. It is a brotherly love. It is true that brethren, especially elder brethren, are often looked upon with envy, and their contentions are "like the bars of a strong castle." Thus, how implacable were Joseph's brethren in their resentments! and many instances might be produced of the same nature. But nothing like this can take place with respect to Christ; for though he is the elder brother, and is invested with superior rights and privileges, yet he is never supercilious towards the younger brethren of the family, nor does he absorb the whole inheritance to himself. "If children, then heirs of God, and joint heirs with Jesus Christ." So mild and gentle is his deportment, and so ready is he to communicate; he so sympathizes with us in our afflictions, and interests himself in our happiness, that instead of repining, we should rejoice in that superiority which he always employs for our advantage. What an endearing expression was that, and how must the disciples have been affected with it," Go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father and your Father, to my God and your God!"

4. It is a conjugal love, the love of a wife to her husband.

As the universal Church, consisting of all the elect of God, is "the bride, the Lamb's wife," so it may be said to every individual believer, "Thy Maker is thy husband." This is an expression of unparalleled love on Christ's part,-" Christ loved the church and gave himself for it,"-and calls for suitable returns of love on ours; and by how much Christ excels all other husbands, by so much the more ardent should our affections be towards him, lest by our coldness and indifference we provoke him to say, as of Israel of old, "She is not my wife, nor am I her husband.” We should seek to be serviceable, subject, faithful, and fruitful, and all this as the result of a most disinterested and cordial love. God tells Eve, the mother of all mankind, that her desire should be towards her husband, and thus our desires should be towards Christ. That seems to be a part of her punishment, but this is our glory.

5. It is the love of a scholar to his instructor; of a servant to his master; or of a loyal subject to his king. In all these relations Christ stands to his people, and among all the duties which they owe to him, the principal is love. He is the most wise and compassionate teacher; the most condescending and generous master; a king, all whose acts of government are directed to our real happiness, both in this world and the next. Is he a teacher? then let us show him the same respect that the sons of the prophets did to Elijah, whom they reverenced upon earth, and diligently sought when he was taken up to heaven. Is he a master? let us say as the servant under the law, "I love my master and his service; I will not go free." Is he a king? let whatever he doth, please us; and let us endeavour to do whatever may be pleasing to him; for to him may be applied what the Queen of Sheba said to Solomon, "Because thy God loved Israel, to establish them for ever, therefore made he thee king over them, to do judgment and justice."

Further, from the three characters of Christ here united, it appears that our love to him should be attended with

reverence, for his wrath is as dreadful as his favour is desirable. It should be practical; and, indeed, true love is an active and vigorous principle. It puts the whole soul in motion, and will suffer no power or grace to be unemployed. It drives like a strong wind, carries away like a mighty torrent. It constrains forcibly, impels irresistibly, silences objections, surmounts difficulties, and never says, this affliction is too heavy, this danger too threatening, or this duty too hard; but subscribes to that saying of the apostle, "His commands are not grievous;" and to that of Christ himself, "My yoke is easy, and my burden light." Love is an obedient principle; under the influence of it we shall do Christ's will, suffer his will, deny ourselves for his sake, and make it our earnest and unceasing desire, that he might be magnified in us both in life and death." But the text exhibits,

II. A distinguishing privilege. The Father himself loveth you; he hateth the workers of iniquity, and is angry with the wicked every day. With the froward he shews himself froward; but he loves all them that are lovers of Christ. Nay, in another place it is said, he loves them with the same love with which he hath loved Christ. He loveth Christ as a son. "This is my beloved Son," says he; and so he loves them. He loved Christ in the midst of all his afflictions and tribulations; when he smote him, hid his face from him, and suffered earth and hell to unite their power against him. And thus he loves them. His love to Christ was practical, unchangeable, and everlasting; and so is his love to the saints. This was the great thing in which Christ gloried. "The Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things which himself doth." "Thou hast loved me before the foundation of the world." And this is the greatest thing in which the saints have to glory. "Let him that glorieth glory in this, that he knoweth me, that I am the Lord, which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, for in these things I delight." The greatest thing that a man can say is, that

he loves God, and God loves him. Now, this love is either secret, which he hath to the elect in Christ before they are called by grace, (and is founded upon no merit in the object, being free, unmerited, unsought, and undesired,) or manifestative, which follows upon calling. The one divines call, though I think somewhat improperly, a love of benevolence, the other a love of complacency. The latter is intended in my text. God loveth them who love Christ; He finds that in them which is pleasing to him, and accordingly is pleased with it. They are favoured with his visits. and smiles, his providences work for them, his ordinances refresh them, his secret is with them, and he shows them his covenant. In a word, all their mercies are sweetened, and all their afflictions softened, by special love. In this respect, God ever did, and ever will, make a distinction between the godly and ungodly; those that love Christ and those that love him not. Common blessings are afforded to all, but that eminent saint of old had something greater than these in view; crowns and kingdoms would not satisfy him; but he cries, "Remember me, O Lord, with the favour that thou bearest unto thy people. Let me see the good of thy chosen, and glory with thine inheritance."

In concluding this part of the subject, I would remark, 1. God's love to us is prior to our love to Christ. The love itself is so, though not the manifestation of it. Time was when we did not love Christ; but God's love to his people never had a beginning, as it will never have an end.

2. Our love to Christ, therefore, cannot be the cause of God's love to us, but is a stream flowing from it; his grace in regeneration produces it; his grace in sanctification preserves and increases it. Love, as well as faith, is the gift, the free gift, of God; for if a man would part with the whole substance of his house for it, it would be utterly contemned. If God had loved us no more than he does the devils, we should have remained the same enemies to Christ as the devils are.

3. God's love to us is infinitely superior to our love to

Christ. The latter is mingled with coldness and indifference. Such is the imperfection of it, that the Christian often questions its reality; but God's love is like his nature, boundless; as incapable of addition as it is of diminution. When we compare our love to that of God, we may well say, "Unto us belongeth shame." We read of "the heights and depths, the lengths and breadths, of the love of God which passeth knowledge." It is as unmeasurable as the heavens, as unfathomable as the sea.

4. Though God's love is the same to all the saints, yet the manifestations of it are not so. We read of a beloved prophet under the Old Testament, and a beloved disciple under the New. An Abraham, from whom he could not conceal the thing he was going to do, and a Moses, with whom he conversed face to face. Some appear at a distance, whilst others are caressed upon the knee, or cherished in the bosom. In a word, those that love Christ most are likely to enjoy most of the love of God. In conclusion, I remark,

1. The former part of my discourse calls for the most serious self-examination. Christ said to Peter, "Lovest thou me?" and I would say to every one of you, Lay thine hand upon thine heart, and tell me, Dost thou love Christ? No question can be of greater. importance. If love be wanting, every other grace is wanting, and all your endeavours to perform any acceptable service to God will prove fruitless. If there be no love to Christ, there can be no solid comfort here, no happiness hereafter; no blessing, but a dreadful curse: an "anathema maranatha" both in this world and the next. Let the question then go round, and may the Spirit of God help us in the consideration of it! Do we love Christ?

2. The other part of the subject furnishes us with matter for wonder and astonishment, gratitude and praise. Surely we could not have believed that God could love such wretches as we are unless he himself had declared it. Well may we say with Judas, not Iscariot, "Lord, how is it