ceasing to love them, he only takes occasion to make it shine with more peculiar lustre. The spouse affords a proof of this. Song v. 2-4. Though she treated with the greatest indifference, his very moving intreaties, and denied him admission to her heart; yet he put in his hand by the hole of the door, opened an en-, trance for himself, and excited her attachment. Peter shamefully denied his Lord, even at a time when he ought to have been most explicit in avowing his relation to him, but divine love superabounded and freely forgave him this crime.

9. God's love to his people is real, pregnant with all divine blessings, and eff. &tual to the communication of them. High pretensions to love are frequently met with among men where nothing of the truth of it exists. This, for the most part, is easily known, as it does not manifest itself by proper effects and fruits. This pretended regard is well defined by the Apostle. 1 John iii. 17, 18. "But whoso hath this world's goods, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongu (only) but in deed and in truth." This love to which the Apostle exhorts, is a copy of the love of God to his people; for he loves them, not in word only; but in deed and in truth. He is truth itself; and when he declares that he loves his people, he speaks truth. His words correspond to his heart, and give a just description of it: they are free of any dissimilation, and are a sufficient ground of their faith.

BELIEVERS know the truth of this from experience. This love is operative and manifes s its reality by its effects. God has already done this in the gift of his

own Son to atone for the sins of his people, and to open a channel for the conveyance of all other enjoyments. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.” 1 John iv. 9. "And that we might have eternal life." John iii. 16. This is the grand ultimate blessing; it is nothing less than the full enjoying of God himself; and necessarily includes every thing that leads to it. Their regeneration is a fruit of it. "After the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration," &c. Their adoption proceeds from it. "Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God." 1 John iii. 1. Their sanctification springs from it. "Christ loved the church, and gave himself for it; that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word." Eph. v. 25, 26. Their happy intercourse with God originates in his love, and gives them a sense of it. "If a man love me he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him." John xiv. 23. I shall conclude this part of the subject by deducing a few inferences.

1. No room is left for sinners or believers to apprehend or fear any failure in the management of the work of salvation. It is wholly in the hand of the three-one God. Each of these divine persons is equally concerned about it, they are equally interested in it, and they are equally employed in conducting it. But it is that great work upon which the heart of these three persons is particularly set. The want, or the

weakness of a principle of love will often cause us to relinquish an important undertaking, or at least render us very listless and inactive in prosecuting it. Our efforts, either in scheming or executing, will always be regulated by the strength of our attachment, and the interest which we take in the work. We can form no conception of the impulse of divine love, and how these persons are actuated by it in their operations. You see what they have already done under its influence. An infinitely wise scheme has been formed, and persons every way adequate to the execution of it are employed in it. God has not thought it too much to part with his only begotten Son, that he might, by bearing the curse, atone for the sins of his people; and as love emboldens to venture far, the Son has ventured his own life, and laid it down for that end, in circumstances truly humiliating and painful, circumstances which will astonish angels and men for ever; and the Spirit also takes every redeemed soul under his care, dwells in him, subdues his lusts, vanquishes his enemies, and effectually advances the great work of his salvation. By virtue of this love they unite their exertions in carrying on the work. This is a necessary uniting principle of social operation among men; and great atchievements are of ten the result of it. But this principle is never acted upon, in such a manner, as it is in the social operations of the Trinity. They are intensely set upon the work, and urge it on with divine energy and

perseverance. You then see, ye perishing sinners of Adam's family, that no truth can rest on better evidence, or have a better claim to your faith, than the certainty of salvation, as springing from the love of God. Any opposition to this work will be vain, unless it can alienate the heart of God from it. Although, then, your

sins are innumerable, and their aggravations great; though the enmity of your hearts is strong, even violent; and though heil and earth combine to hinder the work, all will be to no purpose. Have recourse to this divine love, therefore, as it is displayed through a crucified Saviour, and your salvation is secure.

AND ye genuine believers, whose minds are sometimes discomposed by unbelieving doubts and fears, and who sometimes give way to improper conceptions of God, and draw wrong conclusions from the way in which he acts towards you, here you will find what ought to silence all such surmises. Here is a love of which you are the select objects, and here are the ever-blessed Three to guard you on every hand, to support your interest, and advance your salvation. Strong lusts and mighty adversaries may assault you, the aspect of Providence may seem unfavourable, and God himself may appear to contend with you; but you are to look into his heart, and there read the greatness and immutability of his love, and form your judgment of all his operations from what you find there. He has fully unfolded it to your view, in his word in general, in the promises in particular, but especially in his own Son. Let the words of the beloved disciple sink deep into your minds, that it may ever afford you consolation. "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins." 1 John iv. 10. Believe firmly that all things shall co-operate eff &tually and terminate favourably, under the superintendance of these divine persons, thus actuated by love.

2. HUMILITY and self-denial are highly becoming in believers. They have every good reason to study this, while they have not even a shadow of reason for

pride, self-conceit and gloriation. God by the gospel of his grace stains the pride of all glory; and he will have men effectually convinced that such is their condition as sinners, that all ground of boasting is for ever removed. His love is self-moving. This is a consideration which ought never to be forgotten by sinners. A true sight of their real character would soon make them exclaim, "Behold we are vile! We abhor ourselves." Believers ought to recollect their original; what relation they held to God, and whose likeness they bear. The beauty of the rational soul consists in acting in a way similar to the moral perfections of God, and its deformity or defilement lies in acting in a way the very reverse. This last is the natural condition and character of every sinner, prior to the renovation of his nature. In this state he is of his Father the devil, and acts under the influence of the same lusts as he acts. His relation to God was that of a criminal condemned for high treason. This, believers, was your original character. Do you think it contained any thing which could warrant you to glory in it? or if you should so far mistake as to think so, can you persuade yourselves that God could discern any thing in it which met his approbation, or engaged his regard? You cannot, unless you judge him to be just such as yourselves, and to approve your sin. If you then boast of your original character, it must be because it was the very opposite of God's; and if God then approved of it, it must have been on the same account; but then it would follow that he could not love himself, as to approve of two opposite characters implies a contradiction. Recollect what you once were and you will see reason to be humble.

BUT perhaps as you have now the image of God re