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highly criminal for their violent opposition to Christ, and the doctrines he taught; and they view all open infidels and scoffers as walking in the same broad road to destruction. But they mean to shun such shocking. examples, and pursue a more wise and prudent course as long as they live. They intend to sit and hear the gospel with as much patience as possible, and never suffer their hard thoughts and inward enmity to break out into open violence to Christ, or to those who preach in his name. And so long as they constantly and seriously hear the gospel, they fondly hope it will prove a saving benefit to them. But this is a gross and dangerous delusion. Internal opposition to Christ is as fatal to the soul as external; and will as infallibly destroy it. How many serious, and apparently well disposed persons, sit under the gospel from sabbath to sabbath, with secret opposition to Christ, and to the way of salvation through his mediation and atonement? They see no form nor comeliness in him, wherefore they should desire him; but heartily hate his person, his doctrines, and his terms of mercy, which is a silent and insensible way to destruction. So long as sinners thus sit under gospel preaching, and hear and hate, hear and hate, hear and hate, they are constantly preparing, whether they realize it or not, to unite in the feelings, and share in the torments, of the incorrigible enemies of God, who shall lie down in everlasting

sorrow.

6. We learn from what has been said in this discourse, that all who hear the gospel may know, before they leave the world, what will be their future and final state. God has given them a glorious and infallible sign. He has clearly exhibited the great and amiable character of the divine Redeemer, and told them, if they look at it and love it, they shall live; but if they

look at it and hate it, they shall die? They have only to determine how they have felt or do feel in the view of the Saviour, and draw the inference justly in order to know with certainty, whether they are friends or enemies to God, and prepared to enjoy his favour, or feel his displeasure forever. If they love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity, they may assure themselves, that because he lives, they shall live: but if they remain conscious of hating the Lord Jesus Christ, they may assure themselves, that because he lives, they must die. His character will be forever exhibited to the view of all intelligent creatures, and those who view it with complacency and delight, must be perfectly blessed; but those who view it with directly opposite feelings, must be completely and forever miserable.

SERMON VI.

GOD LOVES THOSE WHO LOVE HIM.

PROVERBS viii, 17.

I love them that love me.

THIS is the language of divine wisdom, speaking throughout this chapter. It is not, however, very easy to determine whether divine wisdom is here to be taken in a figurative, or literal sense. Some suppose, that Solomon uses the term wisdom here, and in other parts of this Book, to denote true religion; or that wisdom, which is from above, which is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. Some suppose, that the wisdom speaking in the text, is Jesus Christ, who is called the wisdom of God. But some are more inclined to think, that wisdom is here personified and denotes God himself, who is often represented by one of his essential attributes, as the Almighty, Holy one, &c. These several expositions of wisdom very nearly coincide, so that we cannot deviate from truth, by adopting either of them, though we may not exactly hit the precise meaning of the sacred writer. But I choose to consider God as speaking in the text, and saying, "I love them that love me." The plain and obvious import of this declaration is,

That God loves none but such as first love him. To illustrate this subject, I shall,

I. Show what kind of love God exercises towards them who love him.

II. Consider what is implied in men's loving God.

III. Inquire why God loves only such as first love him.

I. I am to show what kind of love God bears towards them who love him.

There is the love of benevolence, and the love of complacence. These two kinds of love are of the same nature, but distinguished by the objects upon which they terminate. The love of benevolence terminates upon percipient being, and extends to all sensitive natures, whether rational or irrational, whether they have a good, or bad, or no moral character. God desires and regards the good of all his creatures, from the highest angel to the lowest insect. His benevolence is bounded by nothing but an incapacity to enjoy happiness and suffer pain. He is good to the evil and to the unthankful; yea, he is good unto all, and his tender mercies are over all his works. Every creature has a share in his benevolent affections and his benevolent exertions, in exact proportion to his worth and importance in the scale of being. He so loved the whole wicked world as to give his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. His love of benevolence extends to sinners, as well as to saints, to the worst, as well as to the best of mankind. But his love of complacence is wholly confined to moral beings, who are possessed of moral excellence. Nothing but virtue, or goodness, or real holiness is the object of his complacence. He loves holiness in himself, and wherever he finds it in any of his creatures. He sees it in all those who love him, and therefore he loves them, not only with benevolence, but with complacence. When he says in the text, "I love them that love me," he means to declare, that he feels that complacency towards those who love him, which he

does not feel towards those who hate him. He loves those, who hate him, with the love of benevolence, but not with the love of complacence. It is, therefore, the peculiar love of complacence, which God bears to them, and to them only, that love him.

II. Let us consider what is implied in men's loving God.

1. This implies some true knowledge of his moral character. There is reason to fear, that many who live under the light of the gospel, and believe the existence of God, yet have no just conceptions of his nature and moral attributes. Though they have some right apprehensions of his self-existence, independence, almighty power, and all his natural perfections; yet they are ready to imagine, that he is altogether such an one as themselves, in his views and feelings. But this is a great and dangerous mistake. God is love. He formed all his purposes from eternity, under the influence of pure, disinterested benevolence, and is immutably determined to govern all events, and to dispose of all his creatures, so as to promote the high. est holiness and happiness of them that love him. It is impossible to exercise true love to God, without some just conceptions of his perfect benevolence, which comprizes all his holiness, justice, mercy, and every other moral excellence. It is true, men may form and love a false character of God; but in that case, it is not the true God they love, but an object infinitely different. It is so far from being virtuous to love a false character of God, that it is highly criminal. Multitudes loved Christ, when he was here upon earth, while they were ignorant of his true character; but he never approved of their love; nay, he absolutely condemned it, as selfish and sinful. If men love a false character of God, their love is as re

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