not render their possessor happy in time, much less in eternity. On the contrary, the man who loves God, looking beyond the pleasures of earth, in the midst of which he had always been restless and disturbed, convinced that God alone has a fulness to make him perfectly happy, and immortality to render him perpetually happy, fixes his heart upon the Lord, and exclaims, Lo, I come to thee, the fountain of joy, the stay of the creation, the centre of rest, the fulness of all things. Nothing below can give me rest or quiet, for nothing below is commensurate with the powers of my nature; nothing below is itself at rest. I therefore choose thee as my portion, as the source of my blessedness, the spring of my joy.' In the holy scriptures we find this love of desire very frequently represented in the exercises of pious "As the hart panteth after the water brook, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: Oh! when shall I come and appear before God." (Ps. xlii. 1, 2.) "There be many that say, who will show us any" earthly "good: Lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us." (Ps. iv. 6.) "Whom have I in heaven but thee, and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee." To the same species of love we are invited by the Lord in the 55th chapter of Isaiah, where he reproves the children of men for employing their labours and cares for that which satisfieth not, and invites them to come unto him, that they may enjoy real blessings.

men.

Brethren, how astonishing is it, that the infinite Jehovah, whom the heavens and the heaven of heavens cannot contain, should thus allow himself to become the portion of man, of that creature so abject and so vile; that this child of darkness should

be encouraged to approach to that immortal light, to appropriate it to himself, to make of it his treasure; that this worm of earth should be allowed, not merely some ray of the Creator's glory, but the fruition and possession. of the Creator himself! But though these incomprehensible depths of grace astonish us, is it not still more surprising, that when God thus invites man, thus opens his arms and his bosom to receive him, and offers to pour forth upon him the streams of blessedness, man despises this prodigy of goodness, this depth of condescension; remains insensible and motionless; or if he move, only avoids and flees from his God!

Do you wish to know whether this is your character, or whether you are animated by the love of desire? Examine whether, in your practical judgment and estimation, you regard this world as an insufficient portion; if it has the first and best of your affections, if you are seeking your felicity principally from it, "the love of the Father is not in you." Examine whether you desire the means which unite us to God, and flee from those things which separate us from him, and grieve at those things which obstruct his presence, and wish for union and communion with the church to which his presence is promised, and look to heaven with joy, principally because there the union with him will be perfect. Examine also whether you have delighted yourself in God; for desire and delight are the same affection changed only by the different situation of the object; desire is love in motion, delight love at rest; the former the wings of love carrying it to God, the latter its arms whereby it embraces the object of its affection; the former moves to its object when it is

at a distance; the latter rests and rejoices in it when' it is attained.

To this love of desire, we must add,

II. The love of gratitude, arising from the sense of the divine goodness and liberality to us. When we look up to our Father and Benefactor, whose power gave us being, whose watchful providence constantly preserves us, whose unceasing goodness crowns us with mercies, whose long-suffering bears with our multiplied offences, whose ineffable love provided so precious an atonement, whose exhaustless mercy forgives our iniquities, can our hearts remain cold? Scripture, and the best feelings of our nature, imperiously require the exercise of grateful love. "I love the Lord," says David," because he hath heard my voice and my supplication." (Ps. cxvi. 1.) "We love him," says the apostle John, “because he first loved us." And in the gospels, our Saviour represents the greatness of the mercy displayed towards her who was a sinner, as the cause of the greatness of her love. "She loveth much, because much is forgiven her."

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The blessings of God are conferred upon us with this very design, to melt our cold hearts, and inflame them with his love. Consider, then, the number and value of the favours you have received from him. He has given you all the blessings that you have ever experienced, that you now enjoy, or that you hope hereafter to possess. He has given his Son as your sacrifice, his Spirit to renew and sanctify you, and himself as your portion. He has given you all these, though he was so infinitely elevated above, and though immutably and infinitely happy in hin- '. self, you can add nothing to his felicity; though you repaid his first mercies with ingratitude, and, con

verting his mercies into arms against him, fought against him under the protection of his loving-kind

ness.

Here we may confidently defy the most hardened rebel against God, and appeal to his own conscience without fear of opposition, whether God does not rightly demand this grateful love from him. Viewing ingratitude towards man as so atrocious a crime, will he defend ingratitude towards God? Dare he say that the blessings conferred by God are not more excellent in themselves, and more deserving of profound thankfulness, than any that can be conferred by our fellow-creatures? Does God require too much when, in return for these numberless benefits, he demands not painful sufferings, but the dear sentiment of love, which always bears with it its own recompense?

But though this second species of love is so just, yet, alas! when we examine ourselves, how negligent of it do we appear! How many never think of the beneficent hand which showers blessings upon them; how many never rise above his gifts to the Giver; how many regard him with stupid indifference, or profane coldness; how many, if they feel some emotion of gratitude for temporal favours, yet never are warmed with love for spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus! And who, even among the most pious, has not cause to blush for the coldness of his affections to such a Benefactor and Friend? Oh! let us cultivate a more proper temper; let us feel the benefits of God; let us thank him with the heart and the mouth; let us thank him also by our obediL'ence! This is the gratitude he approves. "In heaven,” says a good man, “actions consist in praises; on earth, the best praises consist in actions."

But these two species of love are not sufficient to constitute the divine grace enjoined in the text. Besides them, there is necessary

III. A disinterested love, having as its foundation the excellence and perfection of God, considered in themselves, and without any reference to the advantages we derive from them. From the principles of our nature, goodness, benignity, and excelience, claim our love; and his heart must indeed be deeply corrupted who can regard with indifference those in whom they are found. But if our affection is excited by their feeble display in sinful creatures, how much more so should it be in viewing the Most Merciful and the Most Perfect! This is the most noble kind of love, and therefore should be exercised on the most noble of objects.

With desiring and grateful love to God, self-love is necessarily mingled. In disinterested love, self is forgotten, while we are enamoured with the glory and excellence of Jehovah. If we desire God as our portion, only because we cannot find happiness from other objects, a regard to our own felicity is evidently our ultimate end; and this is not inconsistent with an unrenewed heart. This is confirmed by what the Scriptures teach us concerning Job: Satan accuses him of loving God solely from a regard to his own happiness; God permits that he should be tried, resting the sincerity of his love on its disinterestedness. The love of gratitude may in like manner exist in a soul that is uninfluenced by supernatural grace. The Israelites continually murmured and rebelled against God, yet on their deliverance from the Red Sea, they could sing his praises with rapture. Our Saviour assures us that this love of gratitude may be felt by a wicked man: " If ye