dence of a graceless condition. "He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. If a man say, I love God, and hateth his "brother, he is a liar; for he that loveth not his brother, whom "he hath seen, how can he love God, whom he hath not seen?" The love of God and Christ is set before us, as a forcible motive to this affection. "Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also "to love one another; be kind one to another; tender hearted, "forgiving one another; as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven $ us." No precept in the bible is more repeatedly inculcated than this. Not less than seven or eight times is the commandment given, "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." And the same sentiment is conveyed to us, in different phrases, in innume rable places. Now a thing obligatory upon us by nature and reason, by law and gospel, by God and Christ, by life and death, ought to be felt as an irresistable influence by every conscience. "Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man."

Secondly, We are here taught the deep depravity of human nature; for instead of obedience to this holy precept, which is both our duty and interest, instead of loving our neighbour as ourselves, we have no love to spare to any but ourselves Whence proceeds all the injustice, oppression, falsehood, fraud, and cruelty, which overlow our guilty world, but from neglect. of this gospel rule? Whence come wars, fightings, tumults and rivers of blood? Whence backbiting, slandering, tattling, reviling and censoriousness? Whence malice, hatred, rancour and envy? Whence all the broils, unhappiness, and disturbances in families, neighbourhoods, towns and congregations? All originate from this fatal source, men love not, but hate one another. Oh, how hath man fallen! How degenerate hath he become! He who can number the stars, or count the sands upon the ebbing shore, let him describe the corruption of man.

Thirdly, This subject brings up to view a truth, which ought to melt our hearts into tears of lamentation, that few there are

who live like christians in the world, few love one another, few love their neighbour. O what occasion is there for mourning and sorrow, that there is such a destitution of brotherly and neighbourly love in our world; and instead of the absence of this affection, how many are biting and devouring one another? Was the weeping prophet present in this generation, his eyes would dissolve in their sockets.

Fourthly, We here learn the exceeding great evil of sin. It has introduced into, and entailed incalculable calamities upon our wretched world. It wastes societies, ruins families, dissolves nations, depopulates kingdoms, breaks churches, murders brethren, and holds the whole earth in turmoil, tumult, and confusion.

Fifldy, We are here taught all the mischief and injury men do to one another, originate from the want of love. If they had a proper heart, or a right temper towards each other, the whole world would be a theatre of harmony, peace, kindness, and goodness. Yea, had we this love, heaven would be upon earth.

Let this lecture conclude in a brief address to two sorts of persons, to the many and the few, to those who hate and those who love one another. To the former, O remember, my unhappy fellow creatures, your delusive imagination is that you love yourselves, but the reverse is the fact. You love your lusts, corrup tions and follies, and those things which by the blindness of your minds and satanical iufluence, are hoodwinking you to eternal destruction. O fools, your souls will soon be required of you. My prayer is, as an aged minister hovering on the verge of eter nity, that your blood may not be found in my skirts. My last advice is, awake to love God with all your hearts, and your neigh Lour as yourselves.

Those of you, my dear brethren, who by the grace of the gospel, hope you love God and your neighbour, be cultivating this

sweet spirit of love more and more. sure in life, your support in death,

This will create your plea

and your eternal felicity.

Let it be engraven upon your minds, as with the point of a diamond, "All the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this, thou "shalt love thy neighbour as thyself."

SERMON XXXVII.

LOVE THE GREAT PRINCIPLE OF ALL RELIGION

I. CORINTHIANS XIII. 2.

And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge, and though I have all faith so that I could remove mountains, and have no charity, I am nothing.

BY the word charity in this chapter, and throughout the whole New Testament, is meant love. When our translation of the scriptures was made, charity was a term in use to express a gracious benevolence, a holy affection, or a proper love to God and man. But it is now confined in a great measure to two ideas : a forbearance towards others differing from us in religious opinions, and to almsgiving. Living languages are always in change :But charity, in the scripture sense, never expresses either forbearance or almsgiving, as employed in modern speech.

In the beginning of this chapter, the great Apostle evidently makes a comparison between all gifts and attainments persons may possess, both ordinary and extraordinary, and charity or divine love. And the result is, that all accomplishments, even such as are supernatural, that do not imply love in them, are nothing. The person who is favoured with them is nothing in the

Estimation of heaven; they have no saving value in them withs out love. This is manifestly the instruction to us in our text.

Though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all myste "ries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith so that I "could remove mountains, and have not charity I am nothing.". The meaning is plain, all those gifts will be of no avail to recom mend us to God. Without love, we are destitute of every thing of a gracious and saving nature.

Thus all gifts, acquirements, performances, exercises and du ties are nothing, which are destitute of christian love. Our at tention here shall be directed to two things.

First, In what respects a man's accomplishments, works and experiences are of no avail, nor have any acceptance with God in the want of charity or love.

Secondly, Consider on what grounds this Apostolic doctrine depends.

As to the first, To be nothing, as used by the Apostle in this passage, is emphatically strong and expressive. To understand the spirit and force of it, we must reflect on the character of which it is spoken; a character greatly and ornamentally distinguished, by the most eminent qualifications both natural and supernatural. Some of them are beyond the powers of nature to acquire, and must be the effect of a supernatural communication, such as the gifts of prophecy, understanding mysteries and the power of mira cles. Such a character is formed for extensive usefulness, and to make a most brilliant figure in the world. The person supposed to possess these endowments, does not hide his talents in a napkin, but he exerts those wonderful powers for promoting the purposes to which they serve. These things show in what respects he cannot be said to be nothing. He has valuable gifts, and is exceed. ingly useful to his generation. But without love to God and