speaking they are few-cherished in such a way as to grow up into enthusiasm, and divert the mind from a proper attention to the duties of social and domestic life. Wherever this is the case, the love of God, though it may still exist within as a feeling, is displayed under a distorted aspect, and deprived of its proper energies and natural effects. It may possibly be compatible with the salvation of the individual who so expresses it; but it brings little glory to God, and little benefit to our fellow men. It is rather, on the contrary, the means of exciting unhappy prejudices against true religion in the minds of the vicious, the worldly, or the ignorant. The best and truest expression of our love of God is, when neither exercises of piety interfere with the faithful discharge of active duty, nor the distractions occasioned by active duty, indispose the heart for those exercises; when the spirit of devotion is under the controul of a sound mind, and the actings of a sound mind are animated and invigorated by the spirit of devotion; when suitable feelings, circumspect behaviour, and unwearied diligence go hand in hand, upholding, promoting, and adorning one another.

From this account of the fear and the love of God, is it not now most evident that these two sentiments or principles are in no degree incon

sistent with each other? May they not both at once pervade the same bosom? May they not both co-operate in the same tendencies and in producing the same effects? Is there any thing in filial fear which militates against love? Any thing in love which tends to extirpate such fear? It now only remains to be shown that these feelings are not merely compatible and co-operative, but mutually assistant and serviceable; in other words, that the union of both is necessary for producing the full display of those beneficial effects which belong respectively to each.

Fear, without love, is a very imperfect principle of obedience. That it is so betwixt man and man cannot be doubted for a moment. Fear, without love, will clearly operate in this instance, only in proportion to our apprehension of the knowledge and severity of the master whom we stand engaged to serve. Whenever we imagine ourselves either out of his sight, or sheltered from his resentment, there is nothing in the principle of fear to prevent us from neglecting our duty and thwarting his interests; nothing to prevent us from breaking our engagements with him. Fear, when it stands alone, is always combined with some degree of aversion and dislike; and hence the servant, who is under the controul of no other impulse, will let slip no favourable opportunity

of revenging himself on his master, by any acts of disobedience which are not likely to be followed by punishment.

It may perhaps be supposed that, with respect to God, the case must be different; that, since he perceives and knows all things-since none can escape the observation of his eye or the reach of his Almighty arm, fear alone may operate here uniformly and completely, though uncombined with love. It may be thought that this principle, were it active and influential at all times, might, of itself alone, be sufficient for the purposes of obedience. But, in the first place, we may remark that it never is thus active and influential; and, strange to say, it is less uniformly so with regard to our Master in heaven than with reference to our earthly masters. Men, as they are by nature, have much practical unbelief of the divine presence and government. The abounding and frequent impunity of wickedness in the present life blind them to the terrors and approach of the divine judgments. "Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, their hearts are fully set in them to do evil." They forget that there is not more surely a reward for the righteous than a suitable retribution for the ungodly. They forget that "there is a God that judgeth the earth." The scorners of old are described as boasting, with respect to the

fulfilment of divine predictions, "Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things, continue as they were from the beginning of the creation." So transgressors, in all ages, are prone to flatter themselves that they have but little to apprehend, and think that, because the Almighty does not immediately and visibly lay bare his arm to punish them, they may persist in evil courses with security, and that arm will never descend. to strike. But, independently of these considerations, fear can never be a principle of uniform operation in producing obedience, even with respect to God. It is a feeling which, when not tempered with some mixture of love, always implies some degree of aversion and disgust. It thus imposes too painful and forcible a restraint upon the feelings. "The devils believe and tremble," but they do not obey. And why do they refuse obedience? Because, you will say, they utterly despair of the removal or alleviation of their woe. This may partly be the cause; but there is also another reason. Their fear, being mixed up with radical and complete aversion for the great Being against whom they have rebelled, is, upon that account, not susceptible of any movements of true repentance.

On the other hand, love, without fear, is also an imperfect principle of obedience. In the

case of an earthly parent or master, love, without fear, implies perhaps always some deficiency of due respect; and, with regard to the great Parent and Lord of all, the same disunion argues a want of sufficient reverence, awe, and adoration. The earthly master, whom we do not respect as well as love, will hardly be served with the same degree of obedience as would proceed from his being at the same time beloved and respected. And so it is in what relates to the Divine Being. The love of God, uncontrolled by a due mixture of awe and reverence, has sometimes, in the case of good men, degenerated into a fondness and familiarity of expression, in addresses to his throne both very compatible with a great defect of real and active diligence in his service, and not a little unbecoming that infinite disproportion and distance which separates the creature from the Creator in all respects. In short, the persons best qualified for, and most conversant with the study of the human mind, who have most examined their own hearts; and made most observation upon the conduct of their fellow-men, will be ready to admit that we are so constituted as to require the united impulses of fear and love, in order to the production of true obedience. Fear is necessary for rendering our obedience prompt and efficacious; love is wanted for rendering it acceptable. But they