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my falvation. The Lord God is. my strength. Thus bleffed is the man, O God, whom thou caufeft to approach unto thee". To God, therefore, let us draw near with a true heart, in full affurance of faith'.

Hab. iii. 17, 19.

Pfalm lxv. 4.

s Heb, x, 12.

SERMON

SERMON

MATTHEW Xxii. 37, 38.

VI.

Jefus faid unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy foul, and with all thy mind. This is the firft and great commandment.

IN the preceding verfes we are told that a young lawyer, with a view either to inform himself of the knowledge and abilities of Jefus, as an inftructor, or to obtain fome answer which might give occafion to traduce him to the people, afks him this question; Mafter, which is the great commandment in the law? The words which I have now read, contain our Saviour's reply, which is fo agreeable to reason, and to the express doctrine recorded in the Old Teftament, that, as we see from the parallel place in the evangelist Mark, this young man, who seems not to have been deftitute of candour and ingenuity, freely owned its truth, and applauded

plauded Jefus for it. I need fcarcely inform any of you, that these expressions of loving God with all our heart, with all our foul, and with all our mind, are only intended to denote the warmth, the vigour, and the fteadiness of the affection. But though the precept be very easily understood, and though Christians are ever ready to join in this inquiry, and to say, Mafter, thou haft answered well; yet it must be acknowledged, that many of thofe who call themselves Chriftians, feldom ferioufly confider its high importance among the precepts of religion. They rarely feel the force of the principle which it inculcates actuating their hearts; and, confequently, are ftrangers to its powerful and extenfive influence. In difcourfing, therefore, from these words, I fhall, 1ft, fhow the reasonablenefs, and endeavour to imprefs your hearts with a fenfe of the duty here commanded, love to God.

2dly, I fhall confider fome of the reasons, on account of which the precept enjoining it may be termed the first and great commandment.

First, I propofe to fhew the reasonablenefs, and to endeavour to imprefs your hearts. with

ble. only then

with a fenfe of the duty here commanded; love to God. When we confider the conftitution of the human mind, we muft acknowledge, that whatever is upon the whole conformable to that constitution, is reafonaThe indulgence of human defire is wrong and unreasonable, when the defire is perverted, or when the indulgence is forbidden by fome power or faculty, which is fuperior or more excellent. Now love is one of the affections of the foul, one of those original principles which man has received from the hand of his Creator. Its natural and proper object is whatever is good, amiable, or worthy in character. The obfervation of fuch qualities neceffarily excites this affection; and when exercifed upon thefe, the most exalted and divine powers of the mind confent in giving it their fanction.

When we obferve any perfon remarkable for integrity, or any perfon whofe delight is to do good, and to fpread happinefs, is it in our power to with-hold our approbation? Is not our love a tribute, which we are obliged to pay? When Job fed the hungry, clothed the naked, and administered confolation to the diftreffed; when, in his

own

own expreffivé language, he became eyes to the blind, and feet to the lame, how natural was it, that love and admiration fhould prompt the young and the old to join in bleffing him; and how readily do the fame fenfations fpring up in our breasts when we read his history? The king who is willing to die, if his people be but fpared; the hero who bravely facrifices his life for his country; the patriot whofe conftant toils are employed to fave a finking land, are, even fuppofing the influence of their actions should not extend to us, the genuine objects of love and veneration.

But by the appointment of Providence our affections are moft ftrongly excited by objects with which we have the most immediate connexion. Where goodnefs or worth appear to be exercised for promoting our advantage, they moft quickly raife, and most firmly attach our love.

Have you the happiness of poffeffing one whom the world calls your friend, and whofe actions correfpond to that facred name; who fhares, and by fharing redoubles your joys;

who

¡* Job xxix. 15.

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