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come from the heart. We shall feed the flame | favours of Providence, which he enjoys above of devotion by continually returning to the many others, or more than most others; he subject. No man who is endued with the does not dwell upon distinctions alone; he taste and relish we speak of, will have God long out of his mind. Under one view or other, God cannot be long out of a devout mind. "Neither was God in all his thoughts," is a true description of a complete dereliction of religious principle; but it can, by no possibility, be the case with a man, who has the spirit of devotion, or any portion of that spirit, within him.

sees God in all his goodness, in all his bounty. Bodily ease, for instance, is not less valuable, not less a mercy, because others are at ease, as well as himself. The same of his health, the use of his limbs, the faculties of his understanding. But what I mean is, that, in his mind, he brings to church mercies, in which he is interested, and that the most general expressions of thankfulness attach with him upBut it is not in our private religion alone, on particular recollections of goodness, partithat the effect and benefit of this principle is cular subjects of gratitude; so that the holy perceived. The true taste and relish we so fervour of his devotion is supported; never much dwell upon, will bring a man to the pub- wants, nor can want, materials to act upon. lic worship of God; and, what is more, will It is the office, therefore, of an internal spirit bring him in such a frame of mind, as to en- of devotion to make worship personal. We able him to join in it with effect; with effect have seen that it will be so with thanksgiv as to his own soul; with effect as to every ob- ing. It will be the same likewise with every ject, both public and private, intended by pub- other part of divine worship. The confession lic worship. Wanderings and forgetfulness, of sins in our liturgy, and perpaps in all liturremissions and intermissions of attention, there gies, is general; but our sins, alas! are parwill be; but these will be fewer and shorter, ticular: our conscience not only acknowledges in proportion as more of this spirit is preva- a deplorable weakness and imperfection in the lent within us; and some sincere, some hear-discharge of our duty, but is stung also with ty, some deep, some true, and, as we trust, remembrances and compunctions, excited by acceptable service will be performed, before we | particular offences. When we come, thereleave the place; some pouring forth of the soul fore, to confess our sins, let memory do its ofunto God in prayer and in thanksgiving; in fice faithfully. Let these sins rise up before prayer, excited by wants and weaknesses; I our eyes. All language is imperfect. Forms, fear also, by sins and neglects without number; and in thanksgivings, such as mercies, the most undeserved, ought to call forth from a heart, filled, as the heart of man should be, with a thorough consciousness of dependency and obligation.

intended for general use, must consist of general terms, and are so far inadequate. They may be rehearsed by the lips with very little of application to our own case. But this will never be so, if the spirit of devotion be with.

in us.

A devout mind is exceedingly stirred, Forms of public worship must, by their very when it has sins to confess. None but a harnature, be in a great degree general; that is, dened sinner can even think of his sins without must be calculated for the average condition of pain. But when he is to lay them, with suphuman and of Christian life; but it is one plications for pardon, before his Maker; when property of the devotional spirit, which we he is to expose his heart to God; it will alspeak of, to give a particularity to our wor- ways be with powerful inward feelings of ship, though it be carried on in a congrega-guilt and calamity. It hath been well said of tion of fellow Christians, and expressed in prayer, that prayer will either make a man terms which were framed and conceived for leave off sinning, or sin will make him leave the use of all. And it does this by calling up off prayer. And the same is true of confesrecollections which will apply most closely, sion. If confession be sincere, if it be such as and bring home most nearly to ourselves, those a right capacity for devotion will make it to terms and those expressions. For instance, in be, it will call up our proper and particular public worship, we thank God in general terms, sins so distinctly to our view, their guilt, their that is, we join with the congregation in a danger, their end; whither they are carry. general thanksgiving; but a devout man brings ing us; in what they will conclude; that, if to church the recollection of special and parti- we can return to them again without molescular mercies, particular bounties, particular tation from our conscience, then religion is not providences, particular deliverances, particular within us. If we have approached God in his relief recently experienced, specially and criti- worship so ineffectually as to ourselves, it is cally granted in the moment of want or dan- because we have not worshipped him in spi. ger, or eminently and supereminently vouch-rit; we may say of all we have done, “we safed to us individually. These he bears in drew near with our lips, but our hearts were

his thoughts; he applies as he proceeds; that far from him." which was general, he makes close and cir- What we have said concerning thanksgiv cumstantial; his heart rises towards God, by ing and confession, is likewise true of prayer a sense of mercies vouchsafed to himself. He universally. The spirit of devotion will ap does not, however, confine himself to those ply our prayers to our wants. In forms of

worship, be they ever so well composed, it is I say, that the spirit of devotion remove, impossible to exhibit human wants, otherwise from the worship of God the perception of tethan in general expressions. But devotion diousness, and with that also every disposi. will apply them, It will teach every man, in tion to censure or cavil at particular phrases, the first place, to know how indigent, how or expressions used in public worship. All poor a creature without a continued exercise such faults, even if they be real, and such obof mercy and supply of bounty from God, he servations upon them, are absorbed by the imwould be; because, when he begins to enu- mense importance of the business in which we merate his wants, he will be astonished at their are engaged. Quickness in discovering blemultitude. What are we, any of us, but a mishes of this sort is not the gift of a pious complication of wants, which we have not in mind; still less either levity or acrimony of ourselves the power of supplying? But, be- them. side those numerous wants, and that common Moreover, the spirit of devotion reconciles helplessness, in which we all partake, every us to repetitions. In other subjects, repetition man has his own sore, his own grief, his own soon becomes tiresome and offensive. In dedifficulties; every man has some distress, votion it is different. Deep, earnest, heartwhich he is suffering, or fearing. Nay, were felt devotion, naturally vents itself in repetiworldly wishes satisfied, was worldly prospe- tion. Observe a person racked by excruciatrity complete, he has always what is of more ing bodily pain; or a person suddenly struck consequence than worldly prosperity to pray with the news of some dreadful calamity; or for; he has always his sins to pray against. a person labouring under some cutting anguish Where temporal wants are few, spiritual wants are often the most and the greatest. The grace of God is always wanted. His governing, his preventing, his inspiring, his insisting grace is always wanted. Here, therefore, is a subject for prayer, were there no other; a subject personally and individually interesting in the highest degree; a subject above all others, upon which the spirit of devotion will be sure to fix.

I assign, therefore, as the first effect of a right spirit of devotion, that it gives particularity to all our worship. It applies, and it appropriates. Forms of worship may be general, but a spirit of devotion brings them home and close to each and every one.

of soul; and you will always find him breaking out into ejaculations, imploring from God support, mercy, and relief, over and over again, uttering the same prayer in the same words. Nothing, he finds, suits so well the extremity of his sufferings, the urgency of his wants, as a continual recurrence to the same cries, and the same call for divine aid. Our Lord himself, in his last agony, affords a high example of what we are saying: thrice he besought his heavenly Father; and thrice he used the same words. Repetition, therefore, is not only tolerable in devotion, but it is natural: it is even dictated by a sense of suffering, and an acuteness of feeling. It is coldness of affection, which requires to be enticed and gratiOne happy consequence of which is, that it fied by continual novelty of idea, or expresprevents the tediousness of worship. Things sion, or action. The repetitions and prolixity which interest us, are not tedious. If we find of pharisaical prayers, which our Lord cenworship tedious, it is because it does not in-sures, are to be understood of those prayers terest us as it ought to do. We must allow which run out into mere formality and into (experience compels us to allow) for wanderings and inattentions, as amongst the infirmities of our infirm nature. But, as I have already said, even these will be fewer and shorter, in proportion as we are possessed of the spirit of devotion. Weariness will not be perceived, by reason of that succession of devout feelings and consciousnesses which the several offices of worship are calculated to ex- Lastly, and what has already been intimatcite. If our heart be in the business, it will ed, the spirit of devotion will cause our prayers not be tedious. If, in thanksgiving, it be lift- to have an effect upon our practice. For exed up by a sense of mercies, and a knowledge ample; if we repeated the confession in our from whom they proceed, thanksgiving will liturgy with a true penitential sense of guilt be a grateful exercise, and not a tedious form. upon our souls, we should not, day after day, What relates to our sins and wants, though be acknowledging to God our transgressions not of the same gratifying nature, though ac- and neglects, and yet go on exactly in the companied with deep, nay, with afflicting cause same manner without endeavouring to make of humiliation and fear, must, nevertheless, be | them less and fewer. We should plainly perequally interesting, or more so, because it is ceive that this was doing nothing towards salof equal concernment to us, or of greater. In vation; and that, at this rate, we may be sinneither case, therefore, if our duty be perform- ning and confessing all our lives. Whereas ed as it ought to be, will tediousness be per- was the right spirit of confessional piety, viz ceived. thoughtfulness of soul, within us at the time,

great length; no sentiment or affection of the heart accompanying them; but uttered as a task, from an opinion (of which our Lord justly notices the absurdity,) that they should really be heard for their much speaking. Actuated by the spirit of devotion, we can never offend in this way, we can never be the object of this censure.

SERMON JII.

THE LOVE OF GOD.

1 JOHN iv. 19.

this would be the certain benefit, especially in the case of an often-repeated sin, that the mind would become more and more concerned, more and more filled with compunction and remorse, so as to be forced into amendment. Even the most heart-felt confession might not immediately do for us all that we could wish: yet by perseverance in the same, it would cer- We love him, because he first loved us. tainly, in a short time, produce its desired effect. For the same reason, we should not, time after time, pray that we might thenceforward, RELIGION may, and it can hardly, I think, viz. after each time of so praying, lead godly, he questioned but that it sometimes does, righteous, and sober lives, yet persist, just as spring from terror, from grief, from pain, from usual, in ungodliness, unrighteousness, and punishment, from the approach of death; and, intemperance. The thing would be impossible, provided it be sincere, that is, such as either ac if we prayed as we ought. So likewise, if real tually produces, or as would produce a change thankfulness of heart accompanied our thanks- of life, it is genuine religion, notwithstanding givings, we should not pray in vain, that we the bitterness, the violence, or, if it must be might show forth the praises of God, not only so called, the baseness and unworthiness, of with our lips but in our lives. As it is, thou- the motive from which it proceeds. We are sands repeat these words without doing a single not to narrow the promises of God; and acdeed for the sake of pleasing God, exclusive ceptance is promised to sincere penitence, with of other motives, or refraining from a single out specifying the cause from which it origithing they like to do out of the fear of dis-nates, or confining it to one origin more than pleasing him. So again, every time we hear another. There are, however, higher, and the third service at church, we pray that God worthier, and better motives, from which rewould incline our hearts to keep his command-ligion may begin in the heart; and on this acments; yet immediately, perhaps, afterwards, allow our hearts and inclinations to wander, without controul, to whatever sinful temptation entices them. This, I say, all proceeds from the want of earnestness in our devotions. Strong devotion is an antidote against

sin.

To conclude; a spirit of devotion is one of the greatest blessings; and, by consequence, the want of it one of the greatest misfortunes, which a Christian can experience. When it is present, it gives life to every act of worship which we perform; it makes every such act interesting and comfortable to ourselves. It is felt in our most retired moments, in our beds, our closets, our rides, our walks. It is stirred within us, when we are assembled with our children and servants in family prayer. It leads us to church, to the congregation of our fellow Christians there collected; it accompanies us in our joint offices of religion in an especial manner; and it returns us to our homes holier, and happier, and better; and lastly, what greatly enhances its value to every anxious Christian, it affords to himself a proof that his heart is right towards God: when it is followed up by a good life, by abstinence from sin, and endeavours after virtue, by avoiding evil and doing good, the proof and

the satisfaction to be drawn from it are complete.

count especially are they to be deemed better motives, that the religion which issues from them has a greater probability of being sincere. I repeat again, that sincere religion, from any motive, will be effectual; but there is a great deal of difference in the probability of its being sincere, according to the different cause in the mind from which it sets out.

The purest motive of human action is the love of God. There may be motives stronger and more general, but none so pure. The religion, the virtue, which owes its birth in the soul to this motive, is always genuine religion, always true virtue Indeed, speaking of religion, I should call the love of God not so much the ground-work of religion, as religion itself. So far as religion is disposition, it is religion itself. But though of religion it be more than the ground-work, yet, being a disposition of mind, like other dispositions, it is the ground. work of action. Well might our blessed Saviour preach up, as he did, the love of God. It is the source of every thing which is good in man. I do not mean that it is the only source, or that goodness can proceed from no other, but that of all principles of conduct it is the safest, the best, the truest, the highest. Perhaps it is peculiar to the Jewish and Christian dispensations (and, if it be, it is a peculiar excellency in them) to have formally and solemnly laid down this principle, as a ground of human action. I shall not deny, that elevated notions were entertained of the Deity by some wise and excellent heathens; but even these did not, that I can find, so inculcate the love of that Deity, or so propose and state it to their followers, as to make it a governing, actuating principle of life amongst them. This did

Moses, or rather God by the mouth of Moses, | things in which we are sure that our prayers expressly, formally, solemnly. This did Christ, are right in their object; in which also we adopting, repeating, ratifying, what the law may humbly hope, that, unless obstructed by had already declared; and not only ratifying, ourselves, they will not be in vain. but singling it out from the body of precepts which composed the old institution, and giving it a pre-eminence to every other.

Now this love, so important to our religious character, and, by its effect upon that, to our salvation, which is the end of religion; this love, I say, is to be engendered in the soul, not so much by hearing the words of others, or by instruction from others, as by a secret and habitual contemplation of God Almighty's bounty, and by a constant referring of our enjoyments and our hopes to his goodness. This is in a great degree a matter of habit; and, like all good habits, particularly mental habits, is what every person must form in himself and for himself by endeavour and perseverance. In this great article, as well as in others which are less, every man must be the author to him- | self of his train of thinking, be it good or bad. I shall only observe, that when this habit, or, as some would call it, this turn and course of thought, is once happily generated, occasions will continually arise to minister to its exercise and augmentation. A night's rest, or a comfortable meal, will immediately direct our gratitude to God. The use of our limbs, the possession of our senses; every degree of health, every hour of ease, every sort of satisfaction, which we enjoy, will carry our thoughts to the same object. But if our enjoyments raise our affections, still more will our hopes do the same; and, most of all beyond comparison, those hopes which religion inspires. Think of man, and think of heaven; think what he is, and what it is in his power hereafter to become. Think of this again and again: and it is impossible, but that the prospect of being so rewarded for our poor labours, so resting from our past troubles, so forgiven for our repented sins, must fill our hearts with the deepest thankfulness; and thankfulness is love. Towards the author of an obligation which is infinite, thankfulness is the only species of love that can ist.

Nor let it be said that this aid is superfluous, forasmuch as nature herself had provided sufficient means for exciting this sentiment This is true with respect to those who are in the full, or in any thing near the full, enjoy. ment of the gifts of nature. With them I do allow that nothing but a criminal stupefaction can hinder the love of God from being felt. But this is not the case with all; nor with any at all times. Afflictions, sickness, poverty, the maladies and misfortunes of life, will interrupt and damp this sensation, so far as it depends upon our actual experience of God's bounty. I do not say that the evils of life ought to have this effect: taken in connexion with a future state, they certainly ought not; because, when viewed in that relation, afflic tions and calamities become trials, warnings, chastisements; and when sanctified by their fruits, when made the means of weaning us from the world, bringing us nearer to God, and of purging away that dross and defilement which our souls have contracted, are in truth amongst the first of favours and of blessings: nevertheless, as an apostle himself confesses, they are for a season grievous; they are disheartening; and they are too apt to produce an unfavourable effect upon our gratitude. Wherefore it is upon these occasions most especially, that the aid of God's Spirit may be required to maintain in our souls the love of God.

Let those, therefore, who are conscious to themselves that they have not the love of God within them as they ought to have it, endeavour to acquire and to increase this holy principle by seriousness of mind, by habitual meditation, by devout reading, devout conversation, devout society. These are all aids and helps towards inducing upon the mind this most desirable, nay, rather let me call it, this blessed frame and temper, and of fixing us in it: and ex-forasmuch as it is declared in Scripture to be shed abroad in the heart by the Spirit of God, let us labour in our prayers for this best gift.

The next consideration upon the subject is the fruit and effect of this disposition upon our lives. If it be asked how does the love of God

But, moreover, the love of God is specifically represented in Scripture as one of the gifts of the Holy Ghost. The love of God shed abroad in the heart is described as one of the works of the Spirit upon the souls of Chris-operate in the production of virtuous conduct, tians. Now whatever is represented in Scrip- I shall answer, that it operates exactly in the ture to be the gift of the Spirit, is to be sought same manner as affection towards a parent or for by earnest and peculiar prayer. That is gratitude towards a human benefactor operates, the practical use to be made of, and the prac- by stirring up a strong rebuke in the mind tical consequence to be drawn from, such re- upon the thought of offending him. This lays presentations; the very purpose probably for a constant check upon our conduct. And this which they were delivered: the mere point of sensation is the necessary accompaniment of doctrine being seldom that in which Scripture love; it cannot, I think, be separated from it. declarations rest. Let us not fail therefore; But it is not the whole of its influence. Love let us not cease to entreat the Father of mer-and gratitude towards a benefactor not only cies, that the love of him may be shed abroad fill us with remorse and with internal shame, u, our hearts continually. It is one of the whenever, by our wilful misbehaviour, we have

given cause to that benefactor to be displeased with us; but also prompts us with a desire upon all occasions of doing what we believe he wills to be done, which, with respect to God, is in other words a desire to serve him. Now this is not only a restraint from vice, but an incitement to action. Instructed, as in Christian countries mankind generally are, in the main articles of human duty, this motive will seldom mislead them.

All

love is no more than what is just. The love of God, were it perfect, that is to say, were it such as his nature, his relation, his bounty to us deserves; were it adequate either to its object or to our obligation, were it carried up as high as in a perfectly rational and virtuous soul it might be carried, would, I believe, absorb every other motive and every other principle of action whatever, even the fear of God amongst the rest. This principle, by its naIn one important respect the love of God ture, might gain a complete possession of the excels all moral principles whatever; and that heart and will, so that a person acting under is, in its comprehensiveness. It reaches eve- its influence would take nothing else into the ry action; it includes every duty. You can- account, would reflect upon no other consenot mention another moral principle which quence or consideration whatever. Possibly, has this property in the same perfection. For nay probably, this is the condition of some instance, I can hardly name a better moral higher orders of spirits, and may become ours principle than humanity. It is a principle by future improvement, and in a more exaltwhich every one commends, and justly: yet ed state of existence; but it cannot, I am in this very article of comprehensiveness it is afraid, be said to be our condition now. The deficient, when compared with the love of God. love of God subsists in the heart of good men It will prompt us undoubtedly to do kind, and as a powerful principle of action: but it subgenerous, and compassionate things towards sists there in conjunction with other princiour friends, our acquaintance, our neighbours, ples, especially with the fear of him. and towards the poor. In our relation to, and goodness is in a certain degree comparative; in our intercourse with, mankind, especially and I think, that he may be called a good towards those who are dependent upon us, or man in whom this principle dwells and opeover whom we have power, it will keep us rates at all. Wherefore to obtain, when obfrom hardness, and rigour, and cruelty. In tained, to cultivate, to cherish, to strengthen, all this it is excellent. But it will not regu- to improve it, ought to form the most anxious late us, as we require to be regulated, in an- concern of our spiritual life. He that loveth other great branch of Christian duty, self- God keepeths commandments; but still the government and self-restraint. We may be love of God is something more than keeping exceedingly immoral and licentious in sinful the commandments. For which reason we indulgences, without violating our principle of must acquire, what many, it is to be feared, humanity; at least, without specifically vio-have even yet to begin, a habit of contem lating it, and without being sensible of violat-plating God in the bounties and blessings of ing it. And this is by no means an uncom- his creation. I think that religion can hard mon case or character, namely, humanity of ly subsist in the soul without this habit in temper subsisting along with the most criminal licentiousness, and under a total want of personal self-government. The reason is, that the principle of conduct, though excellent as far as it goes, fails in comprehensiveness. Not so with the love of God. He, who is influenced by that, feels its influence in all parts of duty, upon every occasion of action, throughout the whole course of conduct.

some degree. But the greater part of us, such is the natural dulness of our souls, require something more exciting and stimulating than the sensations which large and general views of nature or of providence produce; something more particular to ourselves, and which more nearly touches our separate happiness. Now of examples of this kind, namely, of direct and special mercies towards himself, no one, The thing with most of us to be examined who calls to mind the passages and provideninto and ascertained is, whether it indeed guide ces of his life, can be destitute. There is one tous at all; whether it be within us an efficient pic of gratitude falling under this head, which motive. I am far from taking upon me to almost every man, who is tolerably faithful say that it is essential to this principle to ex- and exact in his self-recollections, will find in clude all other principles of conduct, especi- events upon which he has to look back; and ally the dread of God's wrath and of its it is this: How often have we been spared, tremendous consequences: or that a person, when we might have been overtaken and cut who is deterred from evil actions by the dread off in the midst of sin! Of all the attributes of God's wrath, is obliged to conclude, that of God, forbearance, perhaps, is that which we because he so much dreads God, he cannot have most to acknowledge. We cannot want love him. I will not venture to say any such occasions to bring the remembrance of it to thing. The Scripture, it is true, speaking of our thoughts. Have there not been occasions, the love of God, hath said, that "perfect love in which, ensnared in vice, we might have casteth out fear;" but it hath not said that in been detected and exposed; have been crushed the soul of man this love is ever perfect: what by punishment or shame, have been irrecoverthe Scripture hath thus declared of perfect ably ruined? occasions in which we might

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